VOA标准英语2008年-US Diplomat Calls North Korean Human Rights Aby

The top U.S. diplomat¹ involved in talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament says the country's human rights record is abysmal². At the same time, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill says important progress is being made to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula. VOA Correspondent Meredith Buel has more in this report from Washington.

In remarks before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Ambassador Christopher Hill says he is continuing to press his North Korean counterparts to improve human rights.

He calls the country's extensive prison-camp system a scar on the Korean peninsula.

"The DPRK's human rights record is, quite frankly³, abysmal and everyday that the people of North Korea continue to suffer represents an unacceptable continuation of oppression," said Hill.

Hill says North Koreans held in prison reportedly suffer from torture, forced abortions⁴, and, in some cases, execution.

He says human rights will be an important part of future negotiations⁵ with North Korea over its nuclear program.

In June, North Korea submitted a long-awaited report listing its nuclear holdings and demolished⁶ the cooling tower at its main Yongbyon nuclear facility.

The moves are viewed as key steps in ending the nation's nuclear weapons program, a long sought goal of the United States and North Korea's neighbors.

The report did not include the number of atomic bombs North Korea has made.

Hill says the list of nuclear facilities did recognize important concerns.

"The declaration package that the DPRK provided to the Chinese on June 26 addresses its nuclear program," he said. "It acknowledged our concerns about uranium enrichment and its past nuclear proliferation activities, specifically with Syria."

China, Russia, Japan, the United States, and South Korea have promised Pyongyang energy, financial and diplomatic benefits in exchange for actions leading to an end of its nuclear-weapons capabilities⁷.

Following the nuclear declaration, U.S. President George Bush announced he is ready to lift some trade sanctions against North Korea and is rescinding⁸ the country's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Hill says the focus now is to develop a rigorous verification program.

"We have made some important progress on the six-party talks, but I must tell you, as a person involved in it, that we have a lot more to be done," he said.

This week, the State Department's director of Korean affairs, Sung Kim, is visiting China to move forward efforts to determine how to verify North Korea's accounting⁹ of its nuclear program.

 

 

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 abysmal   

adj.无底的，深不可测的，极深的；糟透的，极坏的；完全的

参考例句：

• The film was so abysmal that I fell asleep.电影太糟糕，看得我睡着了。
• There is a historic explanation for the abysmal state of Chinese cuisine in the United States.中餐在美国的糟糕状态可以从历史上找原因。

3 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。

4 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

5 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。

6 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

7 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 rescinding   

v.废除，取消( rescind的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• You realize this effectively kills any chance we have of rescinding that order. 你意识到了这样我们就没机会废除这一命令？ 来自电影对白

9 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。