VOA标准英语2008年-Incoming S. Korean President Pledges Billions i

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
04 January 2008

The newly elected South Korean president says he will create a multi-billion dollar fund to help North Korea once he takes office. But, Pyongyang would only get that help if it gives up its nuclear weapons programs. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.

The next president of South Korea offered North Korea a major new financial incentive¹ Friday to end its nuclear weapons.

Lee Dong-kwan is a spokesman for former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak, who is scheduled to take office next month.

He said that as part of President-elect Lee's plan to persuade the North to abandon its nuclear weapons, the next administration will establish an international cooperation fund of up to $40 billion.

Spokesman Lee says the funds would be raised with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to support the impoverished² North's economic growth. He did not name specific projects, but experts say the fund would first be used to rebuild tattered³ North Korean infrastructure⁴ such as railroads, highways, and shipping⁵ facilities.

Lee and his Grand National Party are viewed as distinctly more conservative on North Korea than outgoing President Roh Moo-hyun. Mr. Roh and his predecessor⁶, Kim Dae-jung, implemented⁸ a policy of open-ended aid and investment transfers to the North while demanding very little from Pyongyang in return.

Mr. Roh has described North-South cooperation as a separate process from six-nation diplomatic efforts aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons. Lee Myung-bak, on the other hand, has pledged to make South Korean cooperation with the North contingent⁹ on Pyongyang's progress on the nuclear issue.

Lee's spokesman says the new president will also take a different approach on North Korean human rights abuses.

He said the incoming administration is highly critical of South Korea's inconsistent stance on North Korean human rights in the past. Lee Myung-bak, he says, will implement⁷ what experts call a "Helsinki process" of linking human rights and national security issues.

North Korea tested a nuclear weapon in October 2006. Though it has since made progress in shutting down some of its nuclear facilities, it failed to provide a promised nuclear declaration by the end of 2007.

1 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

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 tattered   

adj.破旧的，衣衫破的

参考例句：

• Her tattered clothes in no way detracted from her beauty.她的破衣烂衫丝毫没有影响她的美貌。
• Their tattered clothing and broken furniture indicated their poverty.他们褴褛的衣服和破烂的家具显出他们的贫穷。

4 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。

5 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。

6 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

7 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

8 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

9 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。