2007年VOA标准英语-US Envoy Says North Korea Will 'Promptly' Shut

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
22 June 2007

Washington's chief negotiator in efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons programs is briefing diplomats¹ in South Korea after an unannounced visit to Pyongyang. He says leaders there have reassured² him they want to follow through on their promises to start disabling those programs. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said Friday in Seoul that his unannounced visit to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, went well.

Christopher Hill (File)

"The talks were very detailed³, very substantive⁴, and … very useful and positive," he said.

Hill met with North Korean Vice⁵ Minister Kim Kye Kwan. Both senior diplomats head their respective country's delegation⁶ at six-nation talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons programs. The talks also involve China, Russia, Japan, and South Korea.

In a joint⁷ press conference with South Korean delegation head Chun Yung-woo, Hill said North Korea - which he calls by its official title, the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea or DPRK - is ready to fulfill⁸ an overdue⁹ promise to shut down its main nuclear reactor¹⁰ in Yongbyon.

"The DPRK indicated they are prepared promptly¹¹ to shut down the Yongbyon facility," he said. "They also said they are prepared to disable the Yongbyon facility... and some of what I did with [Kim Kye Kwan] was to discuss some of the details of how that might proceed."

The Yongbyon shutdown is the first phase of an agreement the six nations struck in February in Beijing. It was due to be completed by mid-April, but Pyongyang refused to take action due to a banking¹² dispute over some of its money frozen by a U.S. investigation¹³.

The funds were transferred to a Russian bank this week on their way to Pyongyang. North Korea has invited United Nations nuclear inspectors¹⁴ to visit to discuss the shutdown, and is expected to confirm a date for their visit. U.N. officials say the visit may take place as soon as next week.

South Korea's Chun Yung-woo says more six party meetings are likely to get underway soon.

Chun says the North has reacted favorably to the idea of resuming the six-party negotiations¹⁵. He says a head of delegation meeting will probably take place in July, and a minister-level meeting would follow at an appropriate point after that.

Assistant Secretary Hill goes to Japan Saturday to brief officials there on the Pyongyang visit, before returning to Washington. Hill's trip to North Korea was his first, and marks a new stage in his long-running diplomatic shuttle between the six parties to talks aimed at defusing East Asia's largest nuclear threat.

1 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 reassured   

adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

5 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。

6 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。

7 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。

8 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

9 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

10 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。

11 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

12 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。

13 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

14 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》

15 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。