VOA标准英语2008年-New Film to Center on Memoir of Life in North K

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
08 May 2008

A memoir¹ of life in a North Korean gulag is to become the latest South Korean film project aiming a spotlight² at the North's human rights situation.  As VOA Seoul Correspondent Kurt Achin reports, the book has already won over some very influential³ readers in Washington.

 The Aquariums⁴ of Pyongyang, by North Korean escapee Kang Cheol Hwan, gained fame as one of U.S. President George W. Bush's favorite books.  Mr. Bush is reported to have handed out copies of the book to staff and friends and invited Kang to the White House, three years ago, for a lengthy⁵ one-on-one chat.

Now, the story of Kang's childhood in a North Korean punitive⁶ labor⁷ camp is scheduled to become a motion picture. 

Kang says he was a victim of what human rights advocates describe as North Korea's policy of "collective punishment."  He and his family were sent to the North's infamous⁸ Yoduk labor camp in 1977, because of a suspected political offense⁹ by his grandfather.

Kang's book describes the horrors he witnessed at Yoduk, including starvation, severe beatings and disease.  He says it is long overdue¹⁰ for his story to be told on the big screen.

Kang says, despite the fact the Yoduk concentration camp has been operating for 50 years, there have been no films depicting¹¹ it or any of North Korea's human rights abuses.  He compares the situation to Hitler's concentration camps, about which many films have been produced.

North Korea denies engaging in any abuse of human rights, despite the passage of several United Nations resolutions criticizing the treatment of its citizens.  For years, Pyongyang has refused to allow a U.N.-appointed human rights researcher any access to the country.   North Korea describes Kang Cheol-hwan as "human scum."

For 10 years before the February inauguration¹² of conservative President Lee Myung-bak, South Korean administrations kept a near-total public silence on North Korean human rights issues.  Their aim was to peacefully engage the North and to avoid embarrassing the leadership there.

President Lee has changed that political climate by issuing numerous public calls for North Korea to improve its human rights practices.  At least two other major film projects have emerged this year, drawing attention to the North's human rights situation.

Kang Cheol-hwan says film is a powerful tool in shining a light on Pyongyang's abuses.

He says showing the North's gulags, on screen, to world audiences it the best way to honor those who have died in them.  He says he hopes his film will help to end the camps once and for all.

The Aquariums of Pyongyang is being produced by South Korea's Cinema And I.  Producers say shooting is expected to begin in October, in time for a release around July of next year.  The filmmakers are negotiating with American and European distributors for a worldwide release.

1 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

4 aquariums   

n.养鱼缸，水族馆( aquarium的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Biotope aquariums represent the natural environments of ornamental fish. 生态鱼缸表现出观赏鱼的自然生活环境。 来自互联网
• There are aquariums in many cities in the world. 世界上好多城市有水族馆。 来自互联网

5 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

6 punitive   

adj.惩罚的，刑罚的

参考例句：

• They took punitive measures against the whole gang.他们对整帮人采取惩罚性措施。
• The punitive tariff was imposed to discourage tire imports from China.该惩罚性关税的征收是用以限制中国轮胎进口的措施。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 infamous   

adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的

参考例句：

• He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。
• I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

9 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

10 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

11 depicting   

描绘，描画( depict的现在分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• a painting depicting the Virgin and Child 一幅描绘童贞马利亚和圣子耶稣的画
• The movie depicting the battles and bloodshed is bound to strike home. 这部描写战斗和流血牺牲的影片一定会取得预期效果。

12 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。