VOA常速英语2007年-Regular North-South Korean Train Route Opens

By Kurt Achin
Paju, South Korea
11 December 2007

Regular cargo¹ train service has resumed between the divided Koreas for the first time in more than half a century. South Korea plans to send tons of supplies into North Korea by rail on a daily basis. As VOA's Kurt Achin reports from the train departure point in the South Korean city of Paju, officials in Seoul hope the trains will one day also carry passengers.

The 12-car freight train, decorated with multi-colored flowers, pulled up early Tuesday morning here at Dorasan station - its final stop in South Korea before crossing the military demarcation line to North Korea. Its cargo was mainly heavy stones, to be used for repairing the impoverished² North's broken down roads and infrastructure³.

Lee Chul, president of Korea's National Railroad, urged members of the crew to take extra care on this day - because they had a very special mission.

Wednesday's train journey of about 20 kilometers into the North, then back again, marks the start of the first regular freight train service between the two Koreas in at least 57 years.

The two sides remain technically⁴ at war, following North Korea's 1950 invasion of the South. A temporary armistice⁵ halted fighting in 1953. North-South ties have warmed since a historic 2000 summit.

The new train route is one of the first concrete results of a followup summit this October between South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

One of the main purposes of the cargo route is to supply a South Korean built and managed industrial park in the North Korean city of Kaesong. The South's Roh administration describes the Kaesong project as a crown jewel of its engagement policy with the North, where more than 20-thousand North Korean workers make simple consumer goods for South Korean employers.

Speaking to reporters before departure, Kim Jae-kyun, one of the train conductors, echoed what South Korean officials say is the longer-range goal of the rail route. He says right now, it is only freight trains that are crossing. But soon, he says, he hopes they will be passenger trains - and that the human exchange will let reunification come more quickly.

Renewed North-South train traffic also has potential economic benefits. Experts say South Korean exporters could save significant outlays⁶ on shipping⁷, if they could send goods to China, Russia and Europe using rail routes that pass through the North.

1 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

2 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》

3 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

4 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

5 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。

6 outlays   

v.支出，费用( outlay的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They report substantial slashes in this year's defense outlays. 他们报道今年度国防经费的大量削减。 来自辞典例句
• For MU, there were no upfront risks or cash outlays. 对摩托罗拉大学而言，没有风险或现金费用。 来自互联网

7 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。