VOA标准英语2008年-US Says North Korea Remains on Terrorism List

The United States said Monday it is not removing North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism until Pyongyang produces an acceptable plan to verify its nuclear program. Monday was the earliest date that North Korea could have been dropped from the list. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

Officials here had not depicted¹ Monday as any kind of deadline for North Korea action. They say in the absence of a verification agreement, Pyongyang will remain on the terrorism list and subject to associated U.S. sanctions.

North Korea on June 26 submitted to China, host country of the six-party Korea nuclear negotiations², the declaration of its nuclear activities and holdings promised under last year's disarmament accord.

The same day, President Bush notified Congress of his intention to remove Pyongyang from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism in as soon as 45 days, dependent on a six-party agreement for verifying the declaration.

The parties have been engaged in negotiations on a verification regime but have not yet produced an agreement.

In a talk with reporters on the expiration³ of the 45-day period, State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood stressed it was a minimum time frame, not a deadline, and that the United States stands ready to act once a verification deal is struck:

"It's clear that what we need is that strong verification regime. Let me just leave it at that for the moment. It was a minimum 45-day period," he said. "We as of yet don't have that verification regime, and the North Koreans know what they need to do in terms of putting together that regime, and to date we haven't seen that."

The six parties, meeting in Beijing a month ago, reached a preliminary verification accord that among other things would allow international inspectors⁴ to visit North Korean nuclear sites, examine documents and interview technical personnel.

Only days later, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met her North Korean counterpart, Pak Ui-chun, for the first time at a ministerial-level meeting of the six parties in Singapore.

But technical level talks have thus far failed to produce a final verification deal and spokesman Wood declined to try to predict when an accord might be reached.

North Korea has shut down its main nuclear reactor⁵ complex and is in the process of permanently⁶ disabling it in exchange for energy aid from the other parties.

A verification accord would open the way for the next phase of the agreement, under which North Korea would scrap⁷ its nuclear assets and get diplomatic benefits, including eventual⁸ normalization⁹ of ties with Washington.

Pyongyang is eager to be removed from the terrorism list because it would mean the lifting of associated sanctions. The United States has said it is unaware¹⁰ of any North Korean involvement in terrorism in more than two decades.

1 depicted   

描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
• They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

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 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。

4 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》

5 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。

6 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

7 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

8 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

9 normalization   

n.（normalisation）正常化，标准化

参考例句：

• The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.这次访问显示两国关系已经正常化。
• He was pleased to the normalization of relationship between the police and the people.他很高兴警方和人民之间关系的正常化。

10 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。