2007年VOA标准英语-Ratification of US, S. Korean Free Trade Deal N

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
02 July 2007
 

U.S. President George Bush and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun signed a wide-ranging trade liberalization agreement Saturday. Legislators in both countries will need to vote on whether to ratify¹ the treaty.  As VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul, passage is not a sure thing.

For some Koreans, the pending² free trade agreement is a mouthwatering prospect³.

Supporters say South Korean food consumers may benefit the most. Increased imports of U.S. agricultural products are expected to push down prices and expand selection.

The deal also is expected to create high-salary jobs in South Korea's knowledge-intensive industries. 

But the agreement faces opposition⁴ both in the U.S. Congress, and here, in South Korea's National Assembly.

Tami Overby

Tami Overby is president* of the American Chamber⁵ of Commerce in South Korea. She rides a U.S.-made Harley Davidson motorcycle.  She says the trade deal will make it easier for South Koreans to buy Harleys, but she says the big picture is much more important.

"The changes that this FTA [free trade agreement] will help [South] Korea, will ensure [South] Korea's future competitiveness.  This FTA will help ensure that they have preferential access into the largest market in the world," she adds.

Shim Sang Jong

Many people disagree. Lawmaker Shim Sang Jong, of South Korea's Democratic Labor⁶ Party, heads a legislative⁷ movement to block the deal. "This is a very imbalanced agreement, and will bring about a lot of despair for common people, laborers⁸, and farmers. As more people understand that fact, lawmakers will lose their will to ratify it."

Shin Yong-beom farms rice and other produce about 200 kilometers south of Seoul. He has taken part in many demonstrations⁹ against the deal in South Korea. He says it will unfairly make small South Korean farms compete with big U.S. farms run by companies.

"What the government calls competition with U.S. farmers is actually competition with multinational¹⁰ corporations,” he says. “That's not a fair arrangement."

A different kind of opposition to the deal is emerging in the United States.  U.S. carmakers Ford¹¹ and Chrysler say it does not give them the access they want to South Korea's market. Many U.S. lawmakers say they oppose the deal.

At Seoul National University, Lee Dong Kee is a professor of business administration. He says some South Koreans do not understand how dependent their economy is on global trade.

Lee Dong Kee

"We had the financial crisis [in 1997-98] because South Korea's economy wasn't able to adapt to the changing world economy. Now, 10 years later, we are at another historical moment when we should make a new leap to an open and global economic system," says the professor.

Experts such as Lee say the South Korea-U.S. trade agreement symbolizes¹² a commitment to making that leap -- and lays the foundation for similar deals with China, the European Union, and elsewhere. 

* - This report initially¹³ incorrectly identified Ms. Overby as executive director.

1 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

2 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

3 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

8 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

9 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

10 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。

11 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

12 symbolizes   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The use of light and dark symbolizes good and evil. 用光明与黑暗来象征善与恶。
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace. 她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。