2006年VOA标准英语-Bush Says Allies United Against North Korea

By Scott Stearns
White House
25 October 2006

U.S. President George Bush says North Korea is once again testing the resolve of nations trying to stop its nuclear weapons program.  

		George Bush

President Bush says it is not the first time North Korean leader Kim Jung Il has threatened reprisals¹ against those opposed to its nuclear program.

"The leader of North Korea likes to threaten," he said. "In my judgment², what he is doing is testing the will of the five countries that are working together to convince him there is a better way forward for his people."

The United States, China, Russia, Japan, and South Korea say they will enforce U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea that followed Pyongyang's first nuclear test October 9.

Those sanctions include a ban on North Korea trading weapons-related materials as well as financial restrictions³ meant to prohibit its development of more weapons.

During a White House news conference, President Bush said he has been briefed on the situation by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who just returned from the region.

Mr. Bush says Rice told him that China, South Korea, Japan and Russia are united behind the sanctions.

"Our goal is to continue to remind our partners that when we work together, we are more likely to be able to achieve the objective, which is to solve this problem diplomatically," he said. "So I would report to you that the coalition⁴ remains⁵ firm."

North Korean officials say South Korea will pay, what they call, "a high price" for backing international sanctions against Pyongyang. North Korea says it considers U.N. sanctions an act of war.

South Korea says it supports the sanctions, but will continue to pursue some economic cooperation with the North meant to encourage eventual⁶ reunification.

1 reprisals   

n.报复（行为）( reprisal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They did not want to give evidence for fear of reprisals. 他们因为害怕报复而不想作证。
• They took bloody reprisals against the leaders. 他们对领导进行了血腥的报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

3 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

4 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 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。