2006年VOA标准英语-Sen. Warner: US Prepared if N. Korea Launches M

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
27 June 2006

U.S. Defense¹ Department officials Tuesday briefed members of a Senate panel behind closed doors about the possibility that North Korea may launch a long-range missile. A key lawmaker says such a launch does not appear imminent².

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John Warner (file photo)   
  
Senator John Warner of Virginia, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says the United States has preparations in place if North Korea decides to launch a long-range missile.

"I found it very reassuring³ that we have in place now a remarkable⁴ set of assets able to track this missile and hopefully interdict⁶ it if - and I put a big if down - if it manifests indications of being hostile," he said.

At the same time, Warner says, the Bush administration has for now put aside any consideration of a preemptive strike against North Korea.

"I think the administration has pretty well put it to rest - and I concur⁷ with the administration," he said. "A preemptive strike at this point in time would not be a wise course of action. Far better that our restraint would indicate to North Korea that they should go back to the table and negotiate with the various nations: Russia, China, South Korea, Japan and the United States to try to resolve this isolation⁸ and encourage North Korea to give up its desire to become a nation with hostile weapons of a nuclear nature."

Emerging from a closed briefing by U.S. defense officials, including members of the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Missile Defense Agency, Warner said the latest unclassified satellite photographs suggest a North Korean missile launch does not appear imminent.

"There are certain steps that would have to be taken if it were to be imminently⁹ launched," he said. "Those steps have yet not taken place. For instance you have got to remove certain infrastructure¹⁰ that is obviously in the pictures - which are public - before that missile can be launched. That takes time."

Warner said it is not clear whether the missile has been fully⁵ fueled.

The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman said it is not clear what North Korea's intentions are, adding that the country could be preparing to launch a weather satellite or a dummy¹¹ warhead to test boosters. But he said until North Korea indicates otherwise, the United States has to prepare for the possibility of a hostile strike.

 
George Bush  
  
President Bush has called on Pyongyang to make clear its intentions.

White House spokesman Tony Snow Tuesday warned North Korea against using the threat of a missile launch to press the United States into agreeing to one-on-one talks.

"If it is a bluff¹² toward direct negotiations¹³, it is not an advisable way to do it," he said.

Snow urged North Korea to return to the six-party talks, stalled since November.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

3 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

4 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 interdict   

v.限制；禁止；n.正式禁止；禁令

参考例句：

• Troops could be ferried in to interdict drug shipments.可以把军队渡运过来阻截毒品的装运。
• Interdict could also be sought for the protection of public interests.禁令也可以用于保护公共利益。

7 concur   

v.同意，意见一致，互助，同时发生

参考例句：

• Wealth and happiness do not always concur.财富与幸福并非总是并存的。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done.我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。

8 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

9 imminently   

迫切地，紧急地

参考例句：

• The problem of developing bend curve parts needs to be solved imminently. 弯边零件的展开是急需解决的问题。
• Obviously, the knowledge renews imminently, lifelong studies the duty to be arduous. 可见，知识更新迫在眉睫，终身学习任务繁重。

10 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

11 dummy   

n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头

参考例句：

• The police suspect that the device is not a real bomb but a dummy.警方怀疑那个装置不是真炸弹，只是一个假货。
• The boys played soldier with dummy swords made of wood.男孩们用木头做的假木剑玩打仗游戏。

12 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。