2007年VOA标准英语-US Envoy Says Washington Not Interested in 'End

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
30 January 2007

Washington's ambassador to South Korea says the United States and its partners will be patient in the diplomatic process with North Korea, but that Pyongyang should not expect an open-ended process that does not yield progress. U.S. leaders say they want major aspects of a North Korean denuclearization pledge implemented¹ by the time President Bush leaves office. VOA's Kurt Achin has more from Seoul.

Alexander Vershbow speaks in a seminar at Yonsei University in Seoul, 30 Jan 2007

U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow says Washington is willing to keep engaging Pyongyang at the diplomatic table, but he warns that talks alone are not enough.

"We're not looking for endless talks without results," he said. "We would like to achieve results as soon as possible - in the financial discussions, and in the central arena², the discussions on denuclearization."

Vershbow made the comments Tuesday evening at an academic forum³ in Seoul.

U.S. Treasury⁴ officials are meeting this week in Beijing with North Korean officials to discuss Washington's financial sanctions on the North. Six-nation talks aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs resume next week in the Chinese capital.

Although Washington says the financial talks and the nuclear talks are not linked, most experts say in reality North Korea has succeeded in forcing a linkage⁵ between the two.

The financial talks deal with the blacklisting of a bank in Macau that Washington says aided North Korean counterfeiting⁶ and laundering⁷ money. Washington imposed the sanctions in September 2005, just days after North Korea signed a pledge with China, Russia, Japan, the United States and South Korea to dismantle⁸ its nuclear capabilities⁹.

Pyongyang responded by walking away from the nuclear talks for more than a year.

Washington says the banking¹⁰ sanctions are a law enforcement matter, unconnected to the nuclear issue, and that the only way out of the sanctions is for North Korea to demonstrate its days of illegal financing are over. However, Pyongyang, which denies any wrongdoing, only returned to the nuclear talks in December after Washington agreed to discuss the financial issue.

Ambassador Vershbow says there should be significant progress toward implementing¹¹ North Korea's 2005 pledge before President Bush leaves office in January 2009.

"We certainly are hoping to achieve a complete solution before that particular term is up - and we think that's doable, that there's no reason for the implementation¹² of the joint¹³ statement to take any longer than that," he said.

Vershbow praised South Korea for responding firmly to Pyongyang's October test of a nuclear device by withholding¹⁴ most aid to its impoverished¹⁵ neighbor. Seoul and Washington have differed over the past few years on how to deal with Pyongyang. The Bush administration is uncomfortable with South Korea's engagement policy aimed at coaxing¹⁶ the communist North into opening up more to the world.

The ambassador in his speech also said the relations between Seoul and Washington, two long-time allies is strong and capable of adjusting to new challenges.

The U.S.-North Korea financial talks are expected to continue at least through Wednesday.

1 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

2 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

3 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

4 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

5 linkage   

n.连接；环节

参考例句：

• In their monographic treatment of linkage,they have emphasized this especially.他们在论连锁的专题文章中特别强调了这点。
• Occasionally,problems with block inheritance or linkage are encountered.有时会遇到区段遗传或连锁问题。

6 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

7 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》

8 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。

9 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

10 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

11 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

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。

13 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。

14 withholding   

扣缴税款

参考例句：

• She was accused of withholding information from the police. 她被指控对警方知情不报。
• The judge suspected the witness was withholding information. 法官怀疑见证人在隐瞒情况。

15 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 coaxing   

v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应

参考例句：

• No amount of coaxing will make me change my mind. 任你费尽口舌也不会说服我改变主意。
• It took a lot of coaxing before he agreed. 劝说了很久他才同意。 来自辞典例句