2006年VOA标准英语-Senior US Trade Official Warns 'Clock Is Tickin

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
12 December 2006

On a visit to South Korea, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez says he is confident that Washington and Seoul can conclude a deal to liberalize trade with each other - but warns the negotiations¹ must speed up. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.

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Carlos Gutierrez speaks during lunch meeting hosted by American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, 12 Dec. 2006

President Bush's right-hand man for advancing U.S. commercial interests overseas told executives in Seoul Tuesday he is still optimistic South Korea and the United States can lock in a free trade agreement.

"The problem is that the clock is ticking - and we don't have a lot of time," he said.

The two countries have been negotiating since June, and are struggling to overcome obstacles before President Bush's authority to submit it to Congress for a simple yes-or-no vote expires in June 2007.

The agreement aims to make it easier for the United States and South Korea to buy each other's good and services. Supporters say it will boost the already robust³ trade relationship of more than 70 billion dollars a year, creating new jobs and wealth on both sides.

However, Gutierrez warns that the chances of passing a deal remain low unless Seoul does more to open up South Korean markets.

"We simply cannot convince the U.S. people or our Congress that an F.T.A. is a good idea if it is not deemed, or if it is not felt, that it is a fair deal," he said.

Last week's U.S.-South Korea trade talks in Montana sputtered⁴ over two main issues of market access - pharmaceuticals⁵ and automobiles⁶.

Gutierrez says South Korea's health care system protects domestic drug producers by limiting drug reimbursements⁷ almost exclusively to South Korean medicines.

He says Seoul must also do more to give South Korean consumers a choice of which cars to drive.

"Korean car taxes continue to discriminate⁸ based on engine size," he said. " In 2005, Korea sold nearly 800,000 vehicles in the U.S., yet U.S. companies sold just over 3,000 in Korea."

South Korean authorities have their own concerns. Negotiators here are under intense political pressure to protect domestic agriculture, widely seen as a key component⁹ of the national character. They also say Washington unfairly targets South Korean producers with its rules against dumping - or selling exports below cost to grab overseas market share.

Another recent cause of friction¹⁰ is South Korea's handling of U.S. beef imports. Seoul has halted three separate shipments of U.S. beef in recent weeks after finding tiny fragments of bone.

Gutierrez implied South Korean concerns are excessive.

"U.S. beef is perfectly¹¹ safe. The beef that we export to many, many countries around the world is exactly the same beef that we eat in the United States," he said.

U.S.-South Korea trade talks enter a sixth, and most likely final, round here in Seoul next month.

1 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。

2 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

4 sputtered   

v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的过去式和过去分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出

参考例句：

• The candle sputtered out. 蜡烛噼啪爆响着熄灭了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The balky engine sputtered and stopped. 不听使唤的发动机劈啪作响地停了下来。 来自辞典例句

5 pharmaceuticals   

n.医药品；药物( pharmaceutical的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the development of new pharmaceuticals 新药的开发
• The companies are pouring trillions of yen into biotechnology research,especially for pharmaceuticals and new seeds. 这些公司将大量资金投入生物工艺学研究，尤其是药品和新种子方面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 reimbursements   

n.偿还( reimbursement的名词复数 )；退款；补偿；赔偿

参考例句：

• We had to put in for the food reimbursements again. 我们不得不再次申请食物赔偿。 来自互联网
• Have you figured up the total of the reimbursements I gave you? 你有没有把我给你的报销账目全部加总了呢？ 来自互联网

8 discriminate   

v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待

参考例句：

• You must learn to discriminate between facts and opinions.你必须学会把事实和看法区分出来。
• They can discriminate hundreds of colours.他们能分辨上百种颜色。

9 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

10 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

11 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。