VOA常速英语2007年-US Nuclear Envoy Says N. Korea About to Reveal

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
29 November 2007

The chief U.S. delegate to the North Korea nuclear talks says North Korea will produce a list of all of its nuclear activities within days.  As VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul, a major question is whether Pyongyang's formal nuclear declaration will address alleged¹ uranium enrichment activities.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told business leaders in Seoul Thursday that North Korea would soon produce a document the world has been waiting for.

"We look forward to receiving in the next few days, certainly within the next week, a comprehensive list from the North Koreans on all their nuclear programs, materials, and facilities," he said.

Hill is the chief U.S. envoy² to six-nation talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons capabilities³.  He is expected to visit the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, and the North's main nuclear facility at Yongybyon next week.

U.S. and North Korean scientists have been working together for weeks to disable Yongbyon, as a first step in dismantling⁴ it altogether.  Earlier this year, North Korea promised the United States, China, South Korea, Russia, and Japan it would declare and disable all of its nuclear programs in exchange for energy aid and diplomatic incentives⁵.

Hill is due to meet senior North Korean officials to discuss the upcoming nuclear declaration, which the six nations will then review formally at talks in Beijing later this month. 

A major unknown at this point is whether the declaration will mention a program to produce highly enriched uranium, a nuclear weapons fuel. 

U.S. officials say North Korea admitted in 2002 to pursuing such a program.  Pyongyang says it has produced weapons using plutonium, but has never publicly admitted to a uranium program.

Hill says the U.S. and North Korea have had "very detailed⁶ conversations" on the uranium enrichment issue.

"While we do not yet have a solution as I stand here today, I'm confident that based on the direction of those conversations, we can have a verifiable solution by the end of the year," he said.

Hill refused to say Thursday whether he expected the uranium program to show up in the formal declaration, but and other U.S. officials have indicated that it is a matter that will have to be dealt with.

"We are not looking to humiliate⁷ anybody in this process," Hill noted⁸. "But with respect to uranium enrichment, we do need an acknowledgment of what has gone on, we need an explanation of how it went on, and we need a disposition⁹ of any equipment involved in uranium enrichment."

Separately, the North and South Korean defense¹⁰ ministers finished three days of talks Thursday with no agreement on implementing¹¹ a joint¹² economic maritime¹³ zone.  The leaders of the two Koreas agreed at their summit last month to establish such the zone in disputed waters west of the Korean peninsula. 

1 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

2 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

3 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

4 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。

5 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

6 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

7 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。

8 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。

9 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

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 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。

13 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。