N. Korea Nuclear Talks May Start Soon, say US Officials

N. Korea Nuclear Talks May Start Soon, say US Officials

Amy Bickers¹

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis continue in Tokyo and Seoul, where two top U.S. officials have been meeting with Japanese and South Korean officials. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Monday in Tokyo that multinational² talks to resolve North Korea's nuclear crisis could take place shortly.

His words echo a statement Sunday from Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly, who said in Seoul that he was "mildly optimistic" that talks would be held later this month.

The United States, North and South Korea, China, Japan and Russia attended a first round of talks in August in Beijing, but they made no firm progress.

Mr. Armitage underscored the U.S. government's commitment to peacefully ending the dispute, but he warned that North Korea's effort to build nuclear weapons is a regional threat.

"There is a dangerous and unstable³ situation in one of the most dynamic and heavily populated regions in the world. And unfortunately, all of the stopgap measures we tried in the past to end North Korea's nuclear weapon programs failed and the stakes are too high."

He also said the United States would support Tokyo on raising the issue of Japanese kidnapping victims at the next round of talks.

"On the question of abductees, it is important for the United States in the six-party talks, the United States makes clear that all issues, all issues, can be discussed."

North Korea abducted⁵ several Japanese nationals in the 1970s and 1980s for spying purposes. The five known surviving abductees have returned to Japan, but the issue is far from resolved.

Tokyo wants the abductees' families to join them in Japan, a request North Korea has so far refused. Japan also wants more information on other kidnapping victims. Japanese officials say the issue must be resolved before the matter of North Korea's nuclear weapons programs can come to a peaceful ending.

Mr. Armitage is in Japan for bilateral⁶ strategic talks, while Mr. Kelly was in Seoul to meet with South Korean officials.

The crisis flared⁸ in October of 2002, when U.S. officials said the reclusive communist state admitted it was violating international treaties by running an illegal nuclear program. North Korea denies it ever made such an admission.

Washington is demanding a complete end to the North's nuclear programs, while Pyongyang wants a security guarantee from the United States. Washington says it will offer such a guarantee within "a multilateral forum⁹" after Pyongyang ends its nuclear endeavors.

 

注释：

Deputy Secretary of State  副国务卿

Richard Armitage  理查德·阿米蒂奇，美国副国务卿。

Assistant Secretary of State  助理国务卿

Seoul [sEul] n. 汉城，韩国的首都和最大城市，位于韩国的西北部、仁川以东。

round [raund] n. 轮

underscore [7QndE5skC:] vt. 强调

commitment [kE5mitmEnt] n. 承诺

stopgap measures  权宜之计

stake [steIk] n. 投资，投入

abductee [Ab7dQk5ti:] n. 被绑架者

abduct⁴ [Ab5dQkt] vt. 诱拐，绑架

national [5nAFEnEl] n. （外国）国民

strategic [strE5ti:dVik] adj. 战略的，战略上的

flare⁷ [fleE(r)] v. 突然爆发，加剧

reclusive [ri5klU:sIv] adj. 隐遁的，隐居的

Pyongyang [5pjCN5jAN] n. 平壤（朝鲜民主主义人民共和国首都）

endeavor [in5devE] n. 努力，尽力

1 bickers   

v.争吵( bicker的第三人称单数 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

2 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

3 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

4 abduct   

vt.诱拐，拐带，绑架

参考例句：

• The police caught the man who tried to abduct the boy for ransom.警察抓住了那个企图拐走这男孩以便勒索赎金的家伙。
• The news that we see those use network abduct children sometimes filled with apprehension.我们有时看到那些利用网络诱拐儿童的新闻都心惊肉跳。

5 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

6 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

7 flare   

v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发

参考例句：

• The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
• You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。

8 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

9 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。