美国国家公共电台 NPR North Korea's Kim Jong Un Says He Will Visit Seoul

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un says he will visit Seoul, South Korea, before the end of this year. That's a big deal for a regime whose leaders have never been known for traveling much, and is an even bigger deal that Kim Jong Un would visit the capital of a country with which North Korea is still officially at war. NPR's Rob Schmitz has been covering this summit between North Korea's leader and South Korea's leader. Hi there, Rob.

ROB SCHMITZ, BYLINE¹: Hey, Steve.

INSKEEP: What's the symbolism and the substance of this announcement that Kim Jong Un is going to come across the DMZ?

SCHMITZ: Yeah, that was a big moment. You know, I'm here at a summit press center in Seoul. This is about as close as they allow journalists to get to this summit...

INSKEEP: Pyongyang was where the summit...

SCHMITZ: ...Which is in Pyongyang.

INSKEEP: OK, so you're on the same peninsula. OK.

SCHMITZ: (Laughter) Yeah, as the crow flies, it's not too far.

INSKEEP: All right.

SCHMITZ: But when he announced that, there was this very loud collective gasp² from the crowd. You know, people were not expecting this here, and they were really surprised because it is a very big deal for Koreans. It would be the first time a leader of North Korea has ever visited the capital of South Korea. And this is a pretty bold move by Kim Jong Un. He's visiting a city where many people still hate him and his regime. And they also have the right to protest his visit, which I'm sure they will when he comes.

INSKEEP: Although he's been clear about what he wants. He wants an end to this formal state of war between the Koreas, doesn't he?

SCHMITZ: Yeah, he does. And it's also pretty clear that Moon Jae-in also wants that. But what's not so clear is how they get to that spot because it's pretty tricky³. You have to deal with the U.S., who has to be in on that, as well as China. And those are two states that are not getting along recently (laughter) as we've seen in the news.

INSKEEP: And, of course, there's the issue of North Korea's nuclear program. And there was an announcement. The North Koreans say they're going to shut down a missile launchpad. How big a deal is that?

SCHMITZ: Well, this launchpad's called Dongchang-ri. It's the most advanced missile test site in North Korea. They launched an intercontinental ballistic missile that has a potential reach the U.S. from this site. So it's important. But what's more important here is that Kim also promised to allow international inspectors⁴ to come in and verify that this will be dismantled⁵. I spoke⁶ to Harry⁷ Kazianis, a director of defense⁸ studies at the Center for the National Interest, about this, and he calls this a pretty big step.

HARRY KAZIANIS: I think that's a great first step. I think it's important to have international inspectors in there to really track the progress of what North Korea is doing. So I think any inspectors is good, but now we're going to have to see how far Kim Jong Un is going to allow them to go.

INSKEEP: Oh, well, that's the big question. What are they allowed to look at? Does history tell you anything?

INSKEEP: (Laughter) It does, Steve. You know, that's the big question that everyone in South Korea is sort of pondering. You know, this would not be the first time a North Korean leader allowed weapons inspectors into the country, and many people here remember what happened the last time they came North Korea, under the watch of Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il. It did not end well. And North Korea eventually developed nuclear weapons.

So that's what's different now. The North has these weapons. There's a new North Korean leader. And we've got a U.S. president whose popularity is waning⁹ and who is really eager to accomplish something big here. So the ultimate question here is, will Kim give up a nuclear weapons program that he and his father spent so much time and effort building? Most people here are very skeptical¹⁰, but they do think the only option for South Korea, and for Trump¹¹, is to try. I spoke with Yonsei University professor Matthias Maass about this, and here's what he said.

MATTHIAS MAASS: As long as there is some talking, some minimal¹² engagement, and so it's much better than violent rhetoric¹³ from the North and insisting on sanctions and containment¹⁴ on the Southern side.

INSKEEP: OK, minimal engagement. Were there concrete steps forward from this minimal engagement, the latest round of it?

SCHMITZ: A bunch of them between the two Koreas. I think the biggest one was that they both said they'd file a joint¹⁵ bid to host the Summer Olympic Games in 2032, which would be quite something.

INSKEEP: Rob, thanks very much. Always a pleasure talking with you.

SCHMITZ: Thanks, Steve.

INSKEEP: NPR's Rob Schmitz is in Seoul, South Korea.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 gasp   

n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说

参考例句：

• She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
• The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。

3 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

4 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》

5 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

8 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。

9 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

11 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

12 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

13 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

14 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

15 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。