2007年VOA标准英语-US Commander 'Suspects' N. Korea Will Test Anot

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
09 January 2007

US General Burwell Bell (File photo)

The commander of the U.S. forces in South Korea says it is probably a question of when, not if, North Korea will test a second nuclear device. He also says the 28,000 U.S. military personnel who stand ready to defend South Korea from the North deserve better consideration from policymakers in Seoul. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from the South Korean capital.

U.S. General Burwell Bell told reporters Tuesday he thinks North Korea will some day stage a repeat performance of last October's test of a nuclear explosive.

"There is no reason to believe that at some time in the future, when it serves their purposes, that they won't test another one," he said. "So I suspect some day they will."

He did not discuss recent news media reports that there are indications that the North Koreans may be preparing to hold a second test soon.

Bell commands about 28,000 U.S. troops in South Korea. The alliance between Washington and Seoul is designed to deter¹ North Korea from repeating its 1950 invasion of the South. Fighting in the Korean War was halted three years later only by a temporary armistice² still in effect today.

Many military experts say North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons throws off the military balance in North Asia.

The communist government in Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to deter a U.S. invasion. Bell said Tuesday the United States has no intention of attacking the North, but adds U.S. and South Korean forces will proceed as scheduled with coming joint³ drills.

Bell also criticized South Korean officials Tuesday for delaying the scheduled relocation of the main U.S. military base. The troops are being moved from Seoul to a base about 70 kilometers south of the capital.

"Now, we agreed back in 2004 to get this done by 2008," he noted⁴. "The problem is, pretty quick in the future all that's going to stop, all that could stop, because of fiscal⁵, money constraints⁶ or political decisions, and I will fight this."

South Korean officials say the relocation is not likely to happen before 2012. Bell describes himself as "fairly emotional" about the issue, saying U.S. soldiers deserve better living conditions than the present ones he describes as "lousy."

Despite assurances from both the United States and South Korea that their alliance is strong, some regional experts say there is friction⁷ over changing global conditions and diverging⁸ strategies on how to deal with North Korea.

1 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

2 armistice   

n.休战，停战协定

参考例句：

• The two nations signed an armistice.两国签署了停火协议。
• The Italian armistice is nothing but a clumsy trap.意大利的停战不过是一个笨拙的陷阱。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

6 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

7 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。

8 diverging   

分开( diverge的现在分词 )； 偏离； 分歧； 分道扬镳

参考例句：

• Plants had gradually evolved along diverging and converging pathways. 植物是沿着趋异和趋同两种途径逐渐演化的。
• With member-country bond yields now diverging, 'it's a fragmented set of markets. 但随着成员国债券收益率之差扩大，市场已经分割开来。