VOA慢速英语2015 朝鲜呼吁和平条约谈话

AS IT IS 2015-10-20 North Korea Calls for Peace Treaty Talks 朝鲜呼吁和平条约谈话

North Korea has rejected the idea of international talks to end its nuclear program.

Instead, the North Korean government is calling on the United States to negotiate a peace treaty.

The call for a treaty was part of a North Korean Foreign Ministry¹ reaction to comments made in Washington last Friday. That was when U.S. President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said they were ready to engage North Korea. The presidents said they would work with the North if the government agreed to give up its nuclear weapons.

The North Korean foreign ministry said past talks to ban nuclear weapons failed. The state-controlled Korea Central News Agency reported the statement.

North Korea agreed 10 years ago to end its nuclear program in exchange for economic aid and security guarantees. The North Korean government negotiated the 2005 deal with five countries. They are China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

North Korea violated the agreement in 2006, 2009 and 2013. In those years, the North Koreans carried out nuclear tests. This resulted in the United Nations Security Council ordering sanctions designed to punish the North.

North blames U.S. for tension on Korean peninsula

North Korea noted² the U.S.’s hostile policies have “chilled the atmosphere” and increased tensions. America’s joint³ military exercises with South Korea have also caused problems.

In a statement, the North Korean government said the best way forward is for the United States to negotiate a peace treaty. The treaty would replace the 1953 armistice⁴ between the North and the South.

The two Koreas remain at war under the truce⁵. North Korea said a peace treaty could reduce tensions. It also said that such a deal “would finally put an end to the nuclear arms race.”

The statement also said international sanctions and pressure would not bring North Korea to negotiations⁶.  It said, “If the United States insists on taking a different path, the Korean peninsula will only see our limited nuclear deterrent⁷ being strengthened further.”

Peace treaty can be first step to reduce tensions

Chung-in Moon teaches political science at Yonsei University in Seoul. He is a supporter of a peace treaty between North Korea and South Korea.

“North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons unless their security concerns are addressed,” he said. “And the best way of addressing North Korea’s security concern is to have some sort of talks regarding the creation of a peace regime on the Korean peninsula.”

Mr. Moon said now is the time to try a new plan of action. He noted that North Korea has shown a cooperative behavior in holding recent family reunions with South Korea. The North has also decided⁸ to hold off on rocket launches.

Negotiating a peace treaty would still be difficult. Both South and North Korea claim the entire peninsula.

North Korea’s call for a negotiated treaty with the U.S. government does not identify South Korea or China by name. Those four countries signed the 1953 armistice.

Words in This Story

engage - v. to take part in or cause to take part in something

sanctions - n. an action that is taken to force a country to obey international laws

chilled - v. to become cold

armistice - n. an agreement to stop fighting

addressed - v. to deal with; to give attention to

peninsula - n. a piece of land that is almost completely surrounded by water

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 armistice   

n.休战，停战协定

参考例句：

• The two nations signed an armistice.两国签署了停火协议。
• The Italian armistice is nothing but a clumsy trap.意大利的停战不过是一个笨拙的陷阱。

5 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

6 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。

7 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。