美国前总统计划访问朝鲜

 　　Carter has made contact with the DPRK to arrange for the visit, and he is likely to make the trip in a personal capacity to secure the release of US citizen Kenneth Bae, a source in Washington was quoted as saying by Yonhap.

　　The diplomatic source was quoted as saying that the issue "is becoming a burden for the United States.

　　"Even if Carter's visit materializes, it will be focused on the issue of Kenneth Bae's release more than anything else."

　　The DPRK's Supreme¹ Court sentenced Bae in May to 15 years hard labor² after he was detained in November leading a tour group through the northern region of the country.

　　Pyongyang said Bae was participating in activities designed to overthrow³ the government by infiltrating⁴ at least 250 students into the country.

　　Bae has acknowledged to being a missionary⁵ and has said he had conducted services in the DPRK.

　　His arrest and conviction came as the DPRK and the US remain locked in a diplomatic standoff surrounding Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests and its claim that Washington was plotting to attack the country.

　　In two months of daily verbal assault earlier this year prompted by annual drills by militaries from the US and the Republic of Korea, Pyongyang threatened to attack the two allies.

　　The DPRK has had a history of trying to use US captives as a bargaining chip to persuade Washington to hold talks, but the administration of US President Barack Obama has been reluctant to respond.

　　Bae has sent letters to his family in the US pleading for help because his health was failing, his sister said in a media interview last week.

　　Carter has made prior trips to Pyongyang on diplomatic missions. In 2010, he helped earn the release of another US citizen, Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a Boston native who was sentenced to eight years hard labor for illegally entering the country.

　　Former US president Bill Clinton flew to the DPRK in 2009 and won the release of two US women media workers who were sentenced to 12 years for illegally entering the country.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 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。

3 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

4 infiltrating   

v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Be vigilant against the danger of enemy agents infiltrating the government and boring from within. 要警惕敌特渗入政府内部进行暗中破坏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The metastatic melanoma is seen here to be infiltrating into the myocardium. 图示转移性黑色素瘤浸润到心肌。 来自互联网

5 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。