VOA标准英语2010年-North Korea Says Second American Taken

North Korea says it has arrested another U.S. citizen.  If confirmed, the man would be the second American taken into custody¹ in the North in two months. North Korea also is continuing with maritime² artillery³ drills. 

North Korea's official news agency issued a short report Thursday saying "an American was detained for trespassing⁴" on its border with China on January 25.  The report said the man is under investigation⁵.

Exactly one month earlier - on Christmas Day, December 25 - activists⁷ here in South Korea say U.S. citizen Robert Park illegally crossed the same border to spread a Christian⁸ message of human rights.

North Korea reported the arrest of an American soon after than, but has never publicly referred to Park by name.

Jo Sung-rae, a human rights activist⁶ and close colleague of Park here in Seoul, says if another American did cross into the North, the action had no connection with Christian groups here.

Jo says no, absolutely not. They have checked to see if there is a connection.

Jo is even skeptical⁹ that North Korea took a second American into custody at all.

He says after Park's entry, it has become extremely hard to get in to North Korea from China.  He also describes it as "highly questionable¹⁰" that North Korea would issue a report of the arrest so soon after it took place.

No confirmation¹¹ of the report was available from U.S., Chinese, or South Korean authorities Thursday.

Also Thursday, North Korea fired more artillery shells into disputed waters west of the Korean peninsula, as it had said it would.

Pyongyang says it is conducting an annual military drill, and warned ships to stay clear of the area until March.  South Korean defense¹² officials say so far, the shells are landing north of a maritime border with the South that Pyongyang has long disputed.

For that reason, South Korea says it is closely observing the firing, but has no objection to it.

The North on Thursday also proposed resuming multinational¹³ efforts to recover bodies of soldiers lost in its territory during the 1950s Korean War.  The search for thousands of unaccounted for U.S. and South Korean troops was halted in 2005 because of security concerns related to the North's nuclear weapons programs.
 

1 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

2 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

3 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

4 trespassing   

[法]非法入侵

参考例句：

• He told me I was trespassing on private land. 他说我在擅闯私人土地。
• Don't come trespassing on my land again. 别再闯入我的地界了。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

10 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

11 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

12 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

13 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。