VOA标准英语2012--North Korea Trying to Make Succession Look Solid

North Korea Trying to Make Succession Look Solid

North Korea's efforts to solidify¹ Kim Jong Un as the communist nation's new supreme² leader appear to be intensifying³. North Korea's state-run media Tuesday released video of the new leader rallying troops during a visit to a powerful army unit. The timing⁴ is not a coincidence.

The video shows Kim Jong Un on a New Year's Day tour, rallying troops from one of the army's elite⁵ tank divisions.

Later, he shares a laugh.... and even appears to be giving some pointers... before posing for photographs.

"Collectively the message, perhaps more predominantly for internal consumption - [is] to reassure⁶ the public there is a hand on the helm.," said Bruce Klingner.

The Heritage Foundation's Bruce Klingner says North Korea is likely also hoping the video sends the same message to the West, where questions remain about Kim Jong Un's ability to lead.

"Because he's untested, he doesn't have the decades of experience his father had whether we're more likely to have a danger of miscalculation in some sort of future provocation⁷ where Kim Jong Un may go further than his father did because he doesn't realize where the red line is," he said.

One of the big questions - and of prime concern here in Washington - the fate of the so-called six-party talks aimed at getting North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program in exchange for badly needed aid.

Already, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is in Beijing - and will make his way to Seoul and Tokyo - for talks expected to focus on what comes next.

Back in Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says, so far, the U.S. has not been impressed with the tough rhetoric⁸ that continues to spill out of Pyongyang.

"That won't be conducive⁹ to getting us back to the table," she said.

So the world watches and waits, wondering what, if anything, the young Kim Jong Un, will do next.

1 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

4 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

5 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

6 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

7 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

8 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

9 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。