VOA标准英语2009年-US, South Korea Military Raise Defense Ale

South Korea and the United States have raised their defense¹ alert levels on the Korean peninsula, a day after the North said it was willing to discard the 56-year-old armistice² that paused the Korean War. Analysts⁴ expect more tension in the days ahead.
　
South Korean Marines on alert at Yeonpyong Island, west of mainland South Korea, 28 May 2009

South Korea and the United States boosted defense alert conditions to the second highest in a five-level structure, Thursday.

Won Tae-jae, a spokesman for the South Korean Defense Ministry⁵, says the two militaries are devoting more personnel to intelligence gathering⁶ and analysis, including aviation and reconnaissance. He says South Korea and the United States will cooperate in keeping a watch over North Korea's movements.

Nuclear tests sparked tensions

This week has marked a dramatic, day-by-day escalation⁷ in security tensions on the divided peninsula. On Monday, North Korea conducted its second nuclear test, apparently⁸ with more explosive power than its 2006 test. On Tuesday, South Korea confirmed its full participation⁹ in a U.S.-led campaign to disrupt the transport of nuclear and other weapons. Pyongyang responded Wednesday by describing the South's decision as a "declaration of war," and warned it would not be bound to the 1953 Korean War Armistice if the United States or South Korea approached any of its ships.

The U.S.-led United Nations Command issued a statement Thursday saying the armistice "has served as the legal basis for the ceasefire in Korea for over 55 years", and that it "remains¹⁰ in force and is binding¹¹ on all signatories, including North Korea."

Keeping a close eye

An especially close eye is being kept on waters west of the Korean peninsula, where North Korea warned Tuesday it would be unable to guarantee the safety of U.S. and South Korean vessels¹². Pyongyang has never accepted the United Nations-drawn maritime¹³ border in that region, and the two Koreas have fought two deadly naval¹⁴ skirmishes there in the past ten years.

South Korea is cooperating closely with the United States, China and Russia and Japan in crafting a new United Nations Security Council resolution including new economic sanctions against North Korea.

Analyst³ predicts more tension

Tanaka Hitoshi, a former Japanese government official, is a senior fellow at the Japan Center for International Exchange. He says more tension lies ahead.

"North Korea is pursuing some kind of escalation policy and we are bound to respond to it," he said. "And North Korea will undoubtedly¹⁵ react to it... So, there is going to be a crisis."

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Taro¹⁶ Aso told lawmakers Thursday his government is urging the United States to return North Korea to a State Department list of nations accused of sponsoring terrorism. Washington took the North off that list as part of multinational¹⁷ diplomacy¹⁸ to end its nuclear weapons. North Korea withdrew from the talks earlier this month.

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 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。

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

8 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

9 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

12 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》

13 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。

14 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。

15 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

16 taro   

n.芋，芋头

参考例句：

• Main grain crop has taro,corn,banana to wait.主要粮食作物有芋头、玉米、芭蕉等。
• You celebrate your birthday with taro,red bean and butter.用红豆、芋头和黄油给自己过生日。

17 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

18 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。