VOA标准英语2013--Improving North-South Korean Relations May Depend on China, US Says

 

Improving North-South Korean Relations May Depend on China, US Says

South Korea's military remains¹ on alert for a missile strike from the North.

"As long as North Korea does not completely withdraw its missiles, our army will keep our security posture² high and closely monitor the North's movements," Defense³ Ministry⁴ Spokesman Kim Min-Seok said.

Kim Jong Un's threats against South Korea and the United States heighten the need for military cooperation between Seoul and Washington, according to the Chairman of the U.S. Joint⁵ Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey.

"We may be entering a prolonged period of provocation⁶ from Pyongyang," the general warned. "Given the missile threat and Kim Jong Un's reckless rhetoric⁷ we have no choice but to improve our defenses."

Secretary of State John Kerry said President Park Geun-hye's future with North Korea may depend largely on China.

"She wants to reach out to the North. She obviously can't do that in the middle of this kind of process.  My hope would be that the Chinese will come to the table in a way that they never have before, that we can work with the Chinese to redefine what's in all of our interests."

Absent that, President Park has little room to maneuver⁸, said American Enterprise Institute analyst⁹ Michael Auslin.

"Obviously this consumes her government from the beginning, and it changes all the calculations she may have had on diplomatic outreach, on economic reform," noted¹⁰ Auslin. "On anything she wanted to do, she has come in on day one with a newly-assertive, aggressive, unpredictable North Korean regime to deal with."

Auslin said that is all part of Pyongyang's plan.

"What the North Koreans are obviously hoping is that all the pressure will tame her.  Let's be honest about it," he said.  "They want to not have to deal with a strong, independent-minded president who may be deciding to ally more closely with the United States."

Which is why Secretary Kerry said it is so important to get China more involved.

"Absent China coming to that table, I believe President Kim Jong Un calculates, literally¹¹ calculates, that 'I can get away with anything if China isn't going to hold me accountable,'" Kerry remarked.

Auslin said that strategy may be working on the South Korean president.

"She came into office talking about breaking the dependency cycle of just giving concessions¹² to the North and getting nothing in return.  And yet after a few weeks of intense and increased rhetoric and concern about what the North would be doing, she has backed off and talked about now reaching out to them," he noted.

President Park's visit to Washington will also include talks on trade and civilian¹³ nuclear energy.  

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

3 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。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 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。

7 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。

8 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

9 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。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

12 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

13 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。