2006年VOA标准英语-North Korea's Nuclear Test Culmination of 50-Ye

By Heda Bayron
Hong Kong
12 October 2006
 
North Korea's claimed nuclear test has left Northeast Asia pondering how to deal with its new security environment. But the test hardly came as a surprise.

Six years ago, then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung declared that Koreans no longer needed to live with the constant threat of war. His historic 2000 summit with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il raised hopes for peace and even eventual¹ reunification between the two countries, bitterly divided since 1945. 
 

Kim Jong Il  
  
U.S. and North Korean relations also were on the upswing. U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Pyongyang late in 2000 and met with Kim Jong Il.

That meeting came six years after the U.S. and North Korea had nearly gone to war, over Pyongyang's efforts to build nuclear weapons, an effort that began in the 1950s. The two countries in 1994 signed the Agreed Framework, which promised North Korea energy aid and other benefits for freezing its weapons program.

On Monday, the Pyongyang government said it had exploded a nuclear device - breaking its promises to the U.S. and the rest of the world not to do so.

Many arms experts and officials in the United States say North Korea probably began working toward that test in the late 1990s.

In 2001, President Bush took office and his administration decided² to re-evaluate relations with Pyongyang, doubting the ability to verify its compliance³ with the Agreed Framework.

Later, President Bush made clear he did not trust Pyongyang.
 

George W. Bush  
  
"North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens," he said. "States like these and their terrorist allies constitute an axis⁴ of evil arming to threaten peace in the world."

Then, in October of 2002, a senior U.S. diplomat⁵, James Kelly, revealed Pyongyang's secret effort to enrich uranium - a fuel for nuclear weapons.

"I told the North that they must immediately and visibly dismantle⁶ this covert⁷ nuclear weapons program," he said.

The North responded to the revelations by re-opening its shuttered facility to reprocess nuclear fuel rods, expelling United Nations nuclear inspectors⁸ and abandoning the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In reaction, the U.S. and other nations cut off energy aid and other help to North Korea.

Washington's tougher stance against Pyongyang differed sharply from its ally South Korea's policy of engagement. By sending aid and investment to the North, the South hoped to coax⁹ Pyongyang into good behavior.

Some political analysts¹⁰ say Seoul got little for its efforts.

"South Korea should have been more strong against the possibility that North Korea [could] develop a nuclear program," said Chun Hong-chan, a politics professor at Pusan National University in South Korea. "It has been excessively accommodating."

To ease tensions, the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia opened nuclear disarmament talks with the North in 2003.

As it has in other crises, Pyongyang swung from conciliation¹¹ to provocation¹² throughout the negotiations¹³. It said it had manufactured nuclear weapons, then a year ago, it agreed in principle to abandon the nuclear programs in exchange for economic and security incentives¹⁴.

But Pyongyang has refused to engage in further talks - apparently¹⁵ in anger over U.S. sanctions against alleged¹⁶ money laundering¹⁷ and counterfeiting¹⁸.

Just a week before Pyongyang said it would conduct a nuclear test, North Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon told the U.N. General Assembly that the United States was imposing¹⁹ unjustified financial sanctions. He said under those conditions his government would not be able to return to negotiations.

"This is a matter of principle which we cannot tolerate even the slightest concession," said Choe.

In past crises, North Korea has often blustered²⁰ and threatened, hoping to push the rest of the world to grant its demands.

Christopher Hill (file photo)   
  
But on Monday, the top U.S. envoy²¹ to the nuclear talks, Christopher Hill, said Washington would not play the North's brinkmanship game.

"I think what the North Koreans have in mind is that if they go ahead and test, we may be angry now but at some point we'll get over it and will deal with them as nuclear-weapons state," said Hill. "We're not going to deal with them as a nuclear-weapons state. They've got to get out of this business."

Some arms control experts say it is possible that Pyongyang never intended to stop its nuclear programs - that the isolated²² country feels it must have the weapons to protect itself or to bully²³ other nations.

They say that the threat of increased United Nations sanctions is not likely to push the country's leaders to give up nuclear weapons. After all, if Monday's test is confirmed, North Korea has just fulfilled a 50-year quest to become a nuclear power.

1 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

4 axis   

n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线

参考例句：

• The earth's axis is the line between the North and South Poles.地轴是南北极之间的线。
• The axis of a circle is its diameter.圆的轴线是其直径。

5 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

6 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

7 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

8 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》

9 coax   

v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取

参考例句：

• I had to coax the information out of him.我得用好话套出他掌握的情况。
• He tried to coax the secret from me.他试图哄骗我说出秘方。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 conciliation   

n.调解，调停

参考例句：

• By conciliation,cooperation is established.通过调解，友好合作关系得以确立。
• Their attempts at conciliation had failed and both sides were once again in dispute.他们进行调停的努力失败了，双方再次陷入争吵。

12 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

14 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

15 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

16 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

17 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 counterfeiting   

n.伪造v.仿制，造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
• National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网

19 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

20 blustered   

v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹

参考例句：

• He blustered his way through the crowd. 他吆喝着挤出人群。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The wind blustered around the house. 狂风呼啸着吹过房屋周围。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

22 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

23 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。