VOA标准英语2008年-US Envoy Cites Progress on North Korean Nuclear

The U.S. envoy¹ to six nation talks on disarming² nuclear North Korea has said they reached agreement on the principles for verifying Pyongyang's denuclarization. However, the envoy, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, says negotiators still have a lot of work ahead of them. Daniel Schearf reports from Beijing.
　
US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill listens to speech during new round of six-party talks in Beijing, 10 Jul 2008

After a long first day of resumed negotiations³ with North Korea, the U.S. envoy told journalists the six sides had an agreement on the mechanism⁴ for determining whether or not Pyongyang is hiding any nuclear facilities or materials, but only on principles.

He said they agreed that verification needs to include inspectors⁵ visiting nuclear sites, receiving documents, and interviewing North Korean nuclear staff. But, he said they agreed on few more details.

"The key thing will be tomorrow when the denuclearization working group meets to actually work out the actual protocol⁶. So, they have a lot of work ahead of them," said Christopher Hill. "So, I hope they're getting a good night's sleep, better than we're getting here at midnight."

Hill said most of the six delegates, which also include China, South Korea, Japan, and Russia, held bilateral⁷ meetings before the heads of delegations⁸ met Thursday afternoon and into the evening.

He said on Friday the six parties would also discuss energy and aid to North Korea and he hoped they would also discuss the third and final phase of the agreed denuclearization that would see North Korea give up all its nuclear materials.

The six parties are still working through the second phase where North Korea is to declare all its nuclear materials and disable its nuclear facilities in return for aid and political incentives⁹.

Pyongyang began destroying its main nuclear reactor¹⁰ and handed in its nuclear materials list last month, but there are suspicions the declaration is not accurate.

Officials in Washington have long held that North Korea has had a secret uranium enrichment program in addition to the plutonium program that was used to produce several nuclear weapons.

Hill said there was some discussion about the declaration and the heads of delegations gave opinions about the degree of its completeness, but he said he was not ready to discuss those details with the media

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 disarming   

adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句

3 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。

4 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

5 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

7 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

8 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

9 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。