VOA标准英语2008年-North Korea Submits Nuclear Declaration

North Korea has taken a key step forward in multinational¹ negotiations² to get rid of its nuclear weapons, and is being rewarded by the United States. Pyongyang has submitted an inventory³ of nuclear programs and materials to China, the host of the long-running talks. VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.
　
Yu Myung-hwan during a press conference in Seoul, 26 Jun 2008

South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan confirmed the long-awaited nuclear declaration was in China's hands.

He says North Korea submitted the declaration in Beijing, and that South Korea welcomes the development.

U.S. President George Bush responded quickly to the North's move, clearing the way for some U.S. sanctions on Pyongyang to be lifted.

"I am issuing a proclamation that lifts the provisions of the Trading With the Enemy Act with respect to North Korea," he said. "And secondly⁴, I am notifying Congress of my intent to rescind⁵ North Korea's designation as a state sponsor of terror in 45 days."

Those U.S. steps put Pyongyang on the road to eligibility⁶ for international trade and assistance opportunities.

North Korea's declaration is part of a multi-stage process that exchanges financial and diplomatic incentives⁷ for gradual steps by North Korea toward disarmament. North Korea promised to submit it by the end of last year, but delayed producing it for six months over a disagreement with the United States.

Washington at first demanded the declaration account for an alleged⁸ secret uranium program the North has never publicly admitted having, and explain Pyongyang's possible role in helping⁹ Syria develop a nuclear facility.

Following high level U.S.-North Korea meetings, Pyongyang is expected to "acknowledge U.S. concerns" about those items, but not to include them in the formal declaration. The document is expected to list North Korea's stockpiles of nuclear material as well as its facilities for producing that material.

How many actual nuclear weapons North Korea has, and where they are, is to be declared later, after multinational talks on the North's weapons are reconvened in Beijing, which is expected in the coming weeks. They will also focus on how best to verify the North's declaration is accurate.
　
President Bush makes a statement on North Korea's nuclear program at the White House, 26 Jun 2008

President Bush said the North still has much to do.

"It must dismantle¹⁰ all of its nuclear facilities, give up its separated plutonium, resolve outstanding questions on its highly enriched uranium and proliferation activities and end these activities in a way that we can fully¹¹ verify," he said.

A Seoul-based analyst¹² for the International Crisis Group, Daniel Pinkston, says, years of work lie ahead for negotiators. But he says the United States is getting a "good bargain" so far.

"The actions that the U.S. is taking - lifting the sanctions, de-listing them [North Korea] from the State Department's terrorism list - these are easily reversible ... yes, there is some food assistance, there is some energy assistance, but it is really peanuts when you look at the security benefits here," he said.

Conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has held back on food aid for the impoverished¹³ North until it makes progress on the nuclear issue. Thursday's declaration could be a cue for the Lee administration to resume food and other assistance badly needed in North Korea.

　

 

1 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。

2 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。

3 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

4 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

5 rescind   

v.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They accepted his advice and rescinded the original plan.他们听从了他的劝告，撤销了原计划。
• Trade Union leaders have demanded the government rescind the price rise.工会领导已经要求政府阻止价格上涨。

6 eligibility   

n.合格，资格

参考例句：

• What are the eligibility requirements? 病人被选参加试验的要求是什么？ 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望
• Eligibility for HINARI access is based on gross national income (GNI). 进入HINARI获取计划是依据国民总收入来评定的。

7 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

8 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 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》