VOA常速英语2007-S. Korea Says North Will Start Dismantling Nucle

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
24 October 2007

Senior South Korean officials say North Korea is ready to start dismantling¹ key nuclear facilities within weeks. The moves are part of a multinational² agreement aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons programs. VOA Seoul Correspondent Kurt Achin reports.

South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said Wednesday that North Korea is ready to get right to work on disabling facilities capable of generating material for nuclear weapons.

"We expect the actual disablement process to start in early November," he said. "The North has also committed itself to providing a complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear programs within this year."

North Korea conducted its first nuclear weapons test a year ago, in defiance³ of warnings from most of the international community, including China, South Korea, and the United States. Since then, however, six-nation talks aimed at eliminating the North's nuclear capabilities⁴ have made progress.

Pyongyang already has fulfilled a pledge to halt operations at its main plutonium producing facility in Yongbyon in exchange for fuel oil shipments. In last month's round of six-nation talks, North Korea repeated a promise to South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and the United States it would substantially declare and disable all of its nuclear programs by the end of the year.

Other South Korean officials have said that an international team will arrive in Pyongyang next week to discuss the details of implementing⁵ North Korea's promises. They say it appears Pyongyang is committed to end its nuclear programs and will take significant steps to do that by the middle of next month.

North Korea has much to gain by fully⁶ abandoning nuclear weapons, including the possibility of normal relations with the United States and Japan, and greater economic aid.

However, nuclear experts say it will be a serious challenge to verify North Korea has given up all of its nuclear materials and programs.

1 dismantling   

（枪支）分解

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
• The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。

2 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

3 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

4 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

5 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

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。