2006年VOA标准英语-Reports: N. Korea Nuclear Talks to Resume Next

By Steve Herman
Tokyo
09 December 2006

News reports indicate that planning is under way to re-start the long-stalled North Korean nuclear talks on December 16.  There has been no official confirmation¹ from any of the six governments involved in the talks. But the flurry of news stories comes amid indications that North Korea is finally showing the kind of flexibility² the United States and others have said is necessary if the talks are to succeed. VOA's Steve Herman reports from Tokyo.

Japanese officials on Saturday refused to confirm a specific date for resumption of the six-party talks in Beijing.  But they are not denying widespread reports that China has begun preparations to restart the talks on December 16.

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Taro Aso

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso met in the Philippines Saturday with his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing.  Afterwards Aso told reporters there is apparent progress on fixing the date for the next round of talks, after a hiatus of more than a year.

But Aso, in a telling comment, also said the substance of the talks is more important than when they are held.

Aso says North Korea's acceptance of allowing inspectors⁴ of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to return to North Korea is one of the things that "might set the direction for the next round of talks."

A Japanese Foreign Ministry⁵ source tells VOA that Aso's comment about inspectors of the U.N. agency, IAEA, was more than wishful thinking.

The United States, Japan, South Korea, China and Russia have offered North Korea economic, diplomatic and security concessions⁶ in return for the North giving up its nuclear weapons programs in a verifiable manner.

That would include allowing back inspectors of the IAEA, which Pyongyang ejected from the country in 2003, shortly after the current controversy⁷ of the North's nuclear program erupted.

Japan, according to the foreign ministry source, has been told that North Korea says it is prepared to readmit the inspectors, in conjunction with resumption of the six-party talks.

If the Japanese information is accurate, this would be the first sign of flexibility on North Korea's part since it started boycotting⁹ the talks more than a year ago.

The boycott⁸ came after Washington imposed sanctions on a bank in Macau, which Washington says was helping¹⁰ North Korea with counterfeiting¹¹ and money-laundering.

Shortly before that, at the last round of six-party talks in September of 2005, Pyongyang had agreed in principle to abandon its nuclear programs, in return for the promised concessions.

The Chinese foreign minister told reporters Saturday that Beijing is working to get Pyongyang back to the table, and to see full implementation¹² of that September agreement.  

1 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

2 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

3 taro   

n.芋，芋头

参考例句：

• Main grain crop has taro,corn,banana to wait.主要粮食作物有芋头、玉米、芭蕉等。
• You celebrate your birthday with taro,red bean and butter.用红豆、芋头和黄油给自己过生日。

4 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》

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

7 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

8 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。

9 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

11 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

12 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。