2007年VOA标准英语-Frustration Builds as North Korea Delays Shutti

By Daniel Schearf
Beijing
13 April 2007

The chief U.S. envoy¹ to the North Korea nuclear disarmament talks says there is no reason for North Korea to delay shutting down its main nuclear facilities and letting U.N. inspectors² into the country. North Korea still says it intends to abide³ by a February agreement to give up its nuclear programs - but not until it confirms the receipt of millions of dollars previously⁴ frozen in a Macau bank. Daniel Schearf reports from the Chinese capital.

North Korea's foreign ministry⁵ announced through the official Korea Central News Agency it would begin shutting down the Yongbyon nuclear reactor⁶ as soon as it had the funds from the frozen North Korean accounts.

The statement said Pyongyang would "confirm soon" whether or not the money had been unfrozen as promised by Macau authorities and the United States.

North Korean officials told a visiting U.S. delegation⁷ this week they would invite United Nations nuclear inspectors back into the country within 24 hours once they had the money but they also said they wanted the deadline extended by a month.

The chief U.S. negotiator on North Korea's denuclearization, Christopher Hill, arrived in Beijing Friday for meetings with Chinese officials. He said the money was unfrozen at Banco Delta⁸ Asia and there was no reason for North Korea, known formally as the DPRK, to delay.

"Frankly⁹, there's no reason why the DPRK can't get on with this task of denuclearization," he said. "They could have done it frankly weeks ago. But certainly in the last few days even by their own definition of the resolving the BDA matter - it's been resolved even by the DPRK's view of that for several days and yet we haven't seen them step forward on their own obligations."

Negotiators have acknowledged North Korea will not likely meet a Saturday deadline to shut down its reactor, but have urged Pyongyang to begin the process nonetheless.

The six nations in the talks, North and South Korea, the U.S., China, Japan, and Russia agreed in February that Pyongyang would close its nuclear facilities and bring International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors into the country by April 14, in return for energy aid and diplomatic incentives¹⁰.

A branch of Banco Delta Asia in Macau (file photo)

Washington promised to resolve the dispute over the North Korean accounts frozen in Macau within 30 days. But there have been difficulties in finding a bank to accept the transfer of funds.

Hill is in China after meetings in Seoul with the South Korean delegate to the nuclear talks and will on Saturday meet with the head Chinese negotiator Vice¹¹ Foreign Minister Wu Dawei.

1 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。

2 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

4 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

7 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

8 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

9 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

10 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

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。