VOA标准英语2009年-N. Korea Threatens Attack on South If Vess

North Korea says even minor¹ attempts by South Korea or the United States to interfere² with its shipping³ will trigger what it calls a "return to a state of war." Pyongyang vows⁴ it will not be bound by the terms of a 56-year-old armistice⁵, if South Korea or the United States searches its vessels⁶ under an American-led nonproliferation initiative.
　
A border area on North Korea's west coast, as observed from South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island in disputed waters in the Yellow Sea, 27 May 2009

North Korean military representatives warned South Korea, Wednesday, its decision to join an American-led security arrangement is being seen as a "declaration of war."

The statement, delivered by North Korean military representatives in the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, was read on North Korean television.

An announcer says any attempts to interfere with North Korea's peaceful shipping will trigger strong military countermeasures.

Seoul announced Tuesday it will fully⁷ join the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) a day after North Korea conducted its second test of a nuclear weapon. More than 90 nations have joined the voluntary cooperative, which coordinates⁸ international intelligence and naval⁹ activity, to disrupt the transport of weapons of mass destruction.

Technically¹⁰, North and South Korea remain in a state of war. A 1953 armistice halted fighting three years after the North invaded the South, but no peace treaty was ever signed. Pyongyang warned Wednesday, it is ready to disregard the armistice, in the current environment.

The announcer says U.S. and South Korean actions to enforce PSI would present such a grave challenge to the armistice, that North Korea would no longer be bound to it, either.

Wednesday's statement says North Korea cannot guarantee the safety of ships in a sea zone west of the peninsula, where the North has never accepted a maritime¹¹ border drawn¹² by the United Nations.

Professor Yang Moo-jin, of Seoul's Kyungam University Graduate School of North Korean Studies, says the statement increases the danger of "physical" steps by the North.

He says an exchange of fire could happen "at any time" in the Korean peninsula's West Sea, if South Korea deploys¹³ vessels there.

North Korea is vastly outmatched by the United States and South Korea, in terms of military technology and logistics. Baek Seung-joo, of the Korea Institute for Defense¹⁴ Analyses in Seoul, says North Korea is likely to be very careful about using force. He also believes North Korea is overreacting on the PSI issue.

Baek says nowhere in the PSI charter is North Korea mentioned specifically - he says it is just a general agreement to prevent weapons trafficking. Baek says PSI does not violate any treaties or other international agreement, because it does not single out individual countries.

North Korea's recent actions are certain to be high on the agenda next month, when South Korean President Lee Myung-bak meets in Washington with President Obama. President Lee praised the "maturity¹⁵" of the South Korean public Wednesday - noting that North Korea's threats have had almost no effect on financial markets.

1 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

2 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

3 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

4 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

5 armistice   

n.休战，停战协定

参考例句：

• The two nations signed an armistice.两国签署了停火协议。
• The Italian armistice is nothing but a clumsy trap.意大利的停战不过是一个笨拙的陷阱。

6 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 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。

8 coordinates   

n.相配之衣物；坐标( coordinate的名词复数 )；（颜色协调的）配套服装；[复数]女套服；同等重要的人（或物）v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的第三人称单数 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• The town coordinates on this map are 695037. 该镇在这幅地图上的坐标是695037。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

10 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

11 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

12 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

13 deploys   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的第三人称单数 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• It then deploys "decoy" programs designed to attract the virus. 然后，它释放“诱饵”去吸引病毒。
• But when that doesn't work, he deploys his secret defense mechanism. 但没有效果，它要施展绝密自卫武器了。

14 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。

15 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。