VOA标准英语2009-UN Security Council Considers North Korea Dr

The U.N. Security Council is considering new sanctions against North Korea for its recent underground nuclear test, including cargo¹ inspections² and a total embargo³ on the export of arms.
　
Video grab released by North Korean Television shows a three-stage white rocket, soaring away from launch site on 5 Apr 2009 from undisclosed location in North Korea

More than two weeks after North Korea conducted an underground nuclear test and launched several short-range missiles in violation⁴ of existing U.N. resolutions, the Security Council began considering a draft resolution that condemns⁵ Pyongyang's behavior. The proposed resolution would increase existing sanctions, while adding some new provisions aimed at curtailing⁶ the regime's nuclear activities.

The text is the result of intensive negotiations⁷ among the permanent five council members - Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States - as well as non-permanent member Japan and concerned neighbor South Korea.

U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, who led the negotiations among the seven and presented the draft to the full council Wednesday, said the proposed resolution provides a "very strong, very credible⁸, very appropriate" response to North Korea's recent actions.

"We think that the message that the council will send, should it adopt this resolution, is that North Korea's behavior is unacceptable, they must pay a price, they ought to return without conditions to a process of negotiations and that the consequences they will face are significant," he said.

Just hours after the May 25 nuclear test, the Security Council condemned⁹ North Korea's action, but it has taken much longer to hammer out a new proposed resolution. Ambassador Rice has said it required working through a large set of "very complex, difficult issues."

North Korea had no immediate¹⁰ reaction to the draft resolution, but earlier this week the North Korean news agency said if the country was provoked it would use its nuclear capability¹¹ to "deal a just retaliatory¹² strike to those who touch the country's dignity and sovereignty."

The draft U.N. resolution is now in the hands of the other nine council members, who will review the document with their capitals. Adoption¹³ is likely, because the key powers, including North Korea's allies China and Russia, support the text.

Ambassador Rice said among the most significant sanctions is a total embargo on the export of arms from North Korea. "These arms exports have been a significant source of revenue over the years for North Korea, and we think it important that that source of revenue be entirely¹⁴ curtailed," she said.

The new draft also calls on countries to inspect, in accordance with international law, all cargo to and from North Korea, on their land, sea or air, if there is reason to believe it contains banned items.

In the financial realm, Rice said the draft proposes a very broad set of new mechanisms¹⁵ to prevent the flow of funds internationally that could benefit North Korea's nuclear or ballistic missile activities. "This sanctions regime, if passed by the Security Council, will bite and bite in a meaningful way," she said.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the draft is "good, balanced and well-targeted". He said no member would like to sanction another, but it is necessary, because North Korea poses a real nuclear risk.

"We are facing a situation that clearly poses some real proliferation risks. So we are trying to address the situation accordingly. Putting very tight controls on matters which might cause proliferation risk situations, but at same time, leaving the door open -- in fact, urging the DPRK to return to Six Party Talks and to keep moving in the direction of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," he said.

The draft will likely come to a vote before the end of this week.

1 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

2 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

4 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

5 condemns   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• Her widowhood condemns her to a lonely old age. 守寡使她不得不过着孤独的晚年生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The public opinion condemns prostitution. 公众舆论遣责卖淫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 curtailing   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They will be curtailing the discussions at two thirty. 他们将把讨论缩短至两点半。 来自互联网
• Individually, banks are acting rationally by retaining their capital and curtailing lending. 此外，银行们正在合理地保留其资本和减少贷款。 来自互联网

7 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。

8 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

9 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

12 retaliatory   

adj.报复的

参考例句：

• The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前，这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
• Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网

13 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

14 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

15 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》