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South Korea is opting¹ for a low public policy profile amid escalating² tensions with North Korea. Seoul officials kept quiet, a day after Pyongyang threatened to turn the South into "ashes."

韩国在与北韩日益紧张的关系问题上，选择在公开场合保持低调的政策。在平壤威胁说要将韩国化为废墟一天之后，韩国官员没有发表讲话。

South Korean officials kept relatively³ silent Monday, just 24 hours after North Korea's official media warned of a "powerful preemptive attack" against the South.

韩国官员星期一保持相对沉默。就在24小时之前，北韩官方媒体警告说，要对韩国发动一次“强大的先发制人的攻击。”

The North Korean commentary warned Sunday if it attacks, "everything will turn into ashes, not just a sea of flames." The language echoes North Korean threats in past years to turn South Korea into a "sea of fire."

北韩星期天发表的评论警告说，如果北韩发动攻击，“一切都将化为灰烬，而不仅仅是一片火海”。这篇评论使用的语言和北韩过去几年来威胁要将韩国变为火海的说法一致。

The threats are a response to testimony⁴ last week by South Korean Joint⁵ Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Tae-young.

北韩发出这种威胁是对韩国参谋长联席会议主席金泰荣上星期发表的证词做出回应。

Kim tells a panel of legislators the South has contingency⁶ plans to preemptively strike suspected North Korean nuclear weapons sites, if it becomes apparent the North intends to make use of those weapons against the South. South Korean military leaders have since tried to downplay those remarks.

金泰荣对一个韩国议员小组说，韩国有应急方案对北韩受到怀疑的核武器设施发动攻击，如果很清楚北韩打算用这些武器来对付韩国的话。自从金泰荣发表这番讲话以来，韩国军方领导人一直试图低调处理这一言论。

The flare-up over preemptive strikes is part of a broader political landscape of heightening tensions between North and South Korea, which never formally ended their 1950-53 war.

发动先发制人的打击的说法甚嚣尘上与南北韩紧张局势不断加剧的政治大氛围相关。南北韩从未正式结束1950年到1953年的战争。

South Korean officials refused to confirm Monday a report in South's largest daily newspaper that North Korean jet fighters have flown close to the heavily armed North-South border at least ten times since conservative President Lee Myung-bak was inaugurated last month.

韩国官员星期一拒绝证实韩国最大的报纸的一篇报导。那篇报导说，自从观点保守的总统李明博上个月就职以来，北韩的喷气战斗机至少10次飞临有重兵把守的北韩和韩国边界。

Mr. Lee has taken a much stiffer policy line with North Korea than his two predecessors⁷, who transferred billions of dollars in aid and investment to Pyongyang with little or nothing requested in return.

与他的两位前任相比，李明博对北韩采取了强硬得多的政策。那两位前任总统为平壤提供了数十亿美元的援助和投资，只要求很少的回报或是不要求任何回报。

This month, Mr. Lee's top official on North Korea policy warned a joint North-South industrial zone would not be expanded unless there is progress in diplomacy⁸ to get rid Pyongyang's nuclear weapons capabilities⁹. In response, North Korea expelled most of the South Korean officials in charge of managing the zone, located in the North Korean city of Kaesong.

这个月，李明博政府一名负责北韩政策的高级官员警告说，除非在消除平壤制造核武器能力的问题上出现外交进展，否则不会扩大北韩和韩国的一个联合工业区。作为回应，北韩驱逐了负责管理这个位于北韩城市开城的工业区的大部分韩国官员。

South Korean media did quoted senior military officials as saying the South may soon issue some type of general expression of regret for the recent worsening of North-South relations. However, they say it will not be an apology, and that the South will not deviate¹⁰ from its "practical" principles on dealing¹¹ with the North.

韩国媒体引述高级军事官员的话说，韩国可能不久将发表某种形式的一般性讲话，对最近南北韩关系的恶化表示遗憾。但是，韩国官员说，这不会是道歉，而且韩国也不会偏离处理北韩事务的“务实”原则。

Dong Seung-young, a North Korea expert at the private Samsung Economic Research Institute, says the world may just have to get used to chilly¹² North-South relations for a while.

民间机构三星经济研究所的北韩问题专家董承勇说，世界可能暂时不得不适应僵持的南北韩关系。

He says even if the stalled relations last a long time, President Lee's government places top priority on "fixing" South Korean policy toward the North.

董承勇说，即使南北韩关系长期停滞不前，李明博政府也会把重点放在“修复”韩国对北韩的政策上。

Mr. Lee's political allies say ten years of lenient¹³ treatment toward Pyongyang made it easier for the North to test a nuclear weapon in 2006. Now, with North Korea four months late in providing a promised nuclear declaration, they say a firmer approach is needed.

李明博的政治盟友说，10年来以温和的方式对待北韩让北韩更容易在2006年试验核武器；现在，北韩拖了4个月还没有提供它所承诺的有关核活动的申明，李明博的政治盟友认为有必要采取更为强硬的态度。

President Lee may get a firmer mandate¹⁴ in his North Korea policies from legislative¹⁵ elections next month, in which which his conservative party is expected to make gains. Some experts say the North's recent moves may be aimed at influencing that vote.

李明博总统可能在下个月举行的国会选举中获得对他的北韩政策更为坚定的授权。预计，李明博的具有保守倾向的政党将获得更多的议席。一些专家认为，北韩近期的举动可能是为了影响那次选举。

Others, like Professor Yang Moo-jin of Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, say Pyongyang is trying to influence South Korea's relationship with the United States.

位于首尔的北韩事务大学的教授杨木仁和其他人都认为，平壤试图影响韩国与美国的关系。

He says North Korea is trying to send a signal that strengthening the U.S. - South Korea alliance is not the best way to solve the nuclear issue. He says Pyongyang wants to convince U.S. and South Korean leaders not to seek ways of pressuring the North when they meet at an upcoming summit.

杨木仁说，北韩试图发出一个信号，那就是加强美韩联盟不是解决核问题的最佳办法。杨木仁说，平壤希望说服美国和韩国领导人，在即将到来的峰会中，不要寻求向北韩施压。

President Lee is scheduled to meet with President Bush in Washington next month. The chief U.S. delegate to the nuclear talks, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, is scheduled to arrive Tuesday in Seoul to meet with officials here.

预料，李明博总统下个月在华盛顿会晤布什总统。美国核谈判首席代表、助理国务卿希尔将于星期二抵达首尔，与韩国官员举行会谈。