2006年VOA标准英语-Scholar on North Korea Says Country is Working

By Luis Ramirez
Beijing
23 September 2006

A U.S. scholar, who just visited North Korea, says Pyongyang plans to unload more fuel rods at its Yongbyon nuclear reactor¹, which would boost its weapons capability². The move appears to be aimed at pressuring the United States into one-on-one talks.

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Selig Harrison talks to reporters in Beijing, Saturday

U.S. academic Selig Harrison, who has long-standing ties with North Korean officials, has sometimes conveyed messages from the North Korean government to the United States.

On Saturday, Harrison spoke³ to reporters in Beijing after a four-day trip to North Korea, where he met with senior officials.

"The most important thing I learned, and the one clear news piece from this visit, is that North Korea is planning to unload the fuel rods, again, in the Yongbyon nuclear reactor to reprocess more plutonium, enough plutonium for three-to-six more nuclear weapons, depending on when they unload it," he said.

Among the officials Harrison met was Vice⁴ Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan, North Korea's chief nuclear negotiator. The U.S. scholar said Kim told him the unloading could begin this autumn and no later than the end of the year.

North Korea first unloaded some spent fuel rods last June, in a move that some analysts⁵ say was meant to spark concerns that Pyongyang was preparing to test a nuclear weapon.

Harrison says the current gambit is aimed at getting the United States to agree to direct talks.

"They are speeding it up because they want to use Yongbyon as leverage⁶ to get bilateral⁷ negotiations⁸ with the United States to resolve the stalemate over resumption of the six-party talks," he added,

The six-party talks - which include China, Russia, South Korea and Japan - have been stalled since late last year when the United States imposed sanctions for the North's alleged⁹ money laundering¹⁰ activities and other financial crimes.

Harrison says the North Koreans, in announcing their plans to reprocess more plutonium, hope the United States will back down and ask for negotiations on the sanctions. 

The United States has ruled out any preconditions to resuming six-party talks, which began in 2003, shortly after North Korea was accused of violating its international nuclear agreements with a secret weapons program.

1 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

2 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

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 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 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。

6 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。

7 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

8 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。

9 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

10 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》