2006年VOA标准英语-Rice Pushes Diplomacy to Dismantle North Korean

By Deborah Block
Washington, DC
26 October 2006
 
watch North Korea Nuclear Program 

Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says North Korea's test of a nuclear device on October 9 requires a strong response.  She said reaction from the international community has been quick and remarkable¹.  Secretary Rice says besides United Nations sanctions against North Korea, diplomacy² is being used.  She made the comments Wednesday after a trip last week to Northeast Asia where she spoke³ with U.S. allies. 

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During a speech in Washington, Secretary of State Rice said the United States has created a diplomatic strategy to encourage the North Korean government of Kim Jong-Il to dismantle⁴ its nuclear program.  She said North Korea's behavior poses a regional challenge and that South Korea, Russia, Japan and China must be part of the solution, providing leverage⁵ to denuclearize the Korean peninsula. 

"The goal of our diplomacy is and must be to create an international environment that presses North Korea to make better decisions than it has made and that holds it fully⁶ accountable for the decisions that it takes.  Let us be very clear: President Bush has said before, and I have said before, that the United States has no intention of attacking or invading North Korea. So the entire world should understand that North Korea's claims that our policies are hostile are simply excuses for the government's refusal to make constructive⁷ choices and to stick with them."

Secretary Rice said the U.S. and its allies are expanding measures to defend themselves against North Korea's proliferation efforts.  These include looking at missile defense⁸ cooperation, searching for radioactive materials, and taking financial measures to target banks and companies that assist North Korea's weapons program.  Secretary Rice said adhering to a U.N. resolution banning the sale of luxury goods and weapons material to North Korea is key. 

"The transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to any state or non-state entity⁹ would be considered a grave threat to the United States and we would hold North Korea fully accountable for the consequences of any such action."

Secretary Rice said the path remains¹⁰ open without preconditions for North Korea to return to talks with the U.S. and its partners, which began in 2003.  The discussions have been stalled for more than a year because of a boycott¹¹ by North Korea. She said the group can make progress if North Korea is seriously ready to return.

1 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

2 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 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。

5 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

8 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

9 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

10 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。

11 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。