VOA慢速英语2021 朝鲜在与美国会谈的问题上发出矛盾信号（在线收听）

A top North Korean official Tuesday signaled that future talks with the United States were unlikely.

一名朝鲜高级官员周二表示，未来与美国举行会谈的可能性不大。

The comments came days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talked about the possibility of opening talks with the U.S.

几天前，朝鲜领导人金正恩谈到了与美国展开会谈的可能性。

Kim Yo Jong is the powerful sister of the North Korean leader.

金与正是朝鲜领导人具有影响力的妹妹。

She said in a statement that the U.S. has the "wrong" expectation about her brother's recent comments.

她在一份声明中表示，美国对她哥哥最近的言论抱有“错误”的期望。

The U.S. is looking at the situation in a way "to seek comfort for itself," she told the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

她对朝鲜中央通讯社表示，美国正在以“为自己寻求安慰”的方式看待局势。

She added that the expectation for talks with North Korea will lead the U.S. into "greater disappointment."

她还表示，对与朝鲜会谈抱有期望，将使美国“大失所望”。

Last week, Kim Jong Un said at a ruling party meeting that his country must be ready for both "dialogue and confrontation."

上周，金正恩在执政党会议上表示，他的国家必须做好“对话和对抗”两手准备。

President Joe Biden's administration said last month that it was open to talks with North Korea.

美国总统乔·拜登领导的政府上个月表示，他们愿意与朝鲜举行会谈。

But the administration added that North Korea must give up its nuclear weapons.

但美国政府同时表示，朝鲜必须放弃核武器。

Jake Sullivan is the White House National Security Advisor.

杰克·沙利文是白宫国家安全顾问。

He told ABC News that Kim's comments were an "interesting signal" but that he wants a clearer message from North Korea.

他对美国广播公司（简称ABC）表示，金正恩的言论是一个“有趣的信号”，但他希望朝鲜发出更明确的信息。

He also said the U.S. wanted to restart negotiations with North Korea about its nuclear program.

他还表示，美国希望重启与朝鲜有关其核计划的谈判。

This week, Sung Kim, the U.S. diplomat for North Korea, met with South Korean and Japanese officials on the North Korean issue.

本周，美国驻朝鲜外交官金圣与韩国和日本官员会面，商讨朝鲜问题。

He said he hopes North Korea will agree to meet "anytime, anywhere without preconditions."

他表示，他希望朝鲜能同意“随时随地、不设先决条件”的会晤。

Jenny Town is a Korean expert at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C.

詹妮·敦是华盛顿史汀森中心的韩国专家。

She said Kim Yo Jong's statement does not fully eliminate the idea that diplomacy can restart.

她表示，金与正的声明并未完全消除外交可以重启的想法。

She noted that the statement "appears to suggest it's not likely for now."

她指出，这份声明“似乎暗示目前不太可能”。

North Korea has boycotted talks with the United States since 2019.

自2019年以来，朝鲜一直抵制与美国的会谈。

Kim Jong Un and former U.S. President Donald Trump met in February of that year in Vietnam.

金正恩和美国前总统唐纳德·特朗普于同年2月在越南会晤。

North Korea offered to close a nuclear center in exchange for a lifting of sanctions. But Trump rejected the offer.

朝鲜提出用关闭一座核中心换取解除制裁。但特朗普拒绝了这一提议。

Since then, the coronavirus pandemic has made talks all but impossible.

从那时起，冠状病毒疫情使谈判几乎不可能进行。

North Korea closed its border in January 2020. And it limited contact with the outside world including its main trading partner China.

朝鲜在2020年1月关闭边境，同时限制与外界的接触，包括与主要贸易伙伴中国的接触。

Leif-Eric Easley is a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. He said the border closings "have caused much economic" hardship in the country.

列夫·艾瑞克·伊斯礼是首尔梨花女子大学的教授。他表示，边境关闭“给该国造成了许多经济困难”。

At a meeting with senior officials last week, Kim Jong Un admitted that his country is facing a "tense" food situation.

金正恩在上周与高级官员会面时承认，他的国家正面临“紧张”的粮食形势。

Easley said, "These meetings are largely political theater to cover up failures of economic planning and oppressive social control."

伊斯利表示，“这些会议在很大程度上是政治表演，用来掩盖经济计划和压迫性社会控制的失败。”

Several foreign media outlets reported that North Korea is facing growing food shortages and high price increases.

多家外国媒体报道称，朝鲜正面临日益严重的粮食短缺和物价上涨过快等问题。

However, it is difficult to confirm the information. Most foreigners, including aid workers and diplomats, have left the country during the pandemic.

然而，这一信息难以证实。大多数外国人，包括援助人员和外交官，在疫情期间离开了这个国家。

North Korea says that it has no coronavirus cases in the country. The claim has been widely disputed by experts.

朝鲜表示，该国没有冠状病毒病例。这一说法引发专家的广泛争论。

And an outbreak would be very damaging to a poor country with a weak healthcare system and a lack of medical supplies.

而爆发疫情将对一个医疗体系薄弱、医疗供应匮乏的穷国造成极大的损害。

I'm Dan Novak.

丹·诺瓦克报道。