VOA慢速英语：朝鲜确认重启宁边核设施

North Korea appears to be increasing efforts to develop a nuclear bomb and a missile to carry such a weapon great distances. The efforts could lead to new international restrictions on the North Korean government.

朝鲜似乎在加大力度研发核弹与导弹旨在远距离携带武器。这些努力可能导致针对朝鲜政府的国际新制裁。

North Korean state media reported Tuesday that the country's main nuclear center at Yongbyon was fully operational.

朝鲜官方媒体周二报道，该国位于宁边的主要核设施开始全面运作。

A nuclear bomb fuel reactor was closed there in 2007. After North Korea's third nuclear test in 2013, the government announced plans to restart the reactor.

2007年，该地区核弹燃料反应堆被封闭。2013年朝鲜第三次核试验之后，政府宣布将重新启动核反应堆。

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) gives field guidance during a visit to the construction site of the Paektusan Hero Youth Power Station near completion in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang, Sept

Military experts have studied satellite images of the Yongbyon center. They said in January that the pictures showed the reactor was again operational. But it was only this week that North Korea provided any official confirmation.

军事专家研究了宁边核中心的卫星图像。在一月份，他们声称，该画面显示，反应堆再次投入使用。但是，只是在本周，朝鲜官方才确认该消息。

On Monday, North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration said it is preparing for a possible satellite launch. It said the launch would likely use ballistic missile technology.

周一，朝鲜国家航空航天发展局表示，它可能正在准备卫星发射。它表示，该发射将有可能使用弹道导弹技术。

State media said "the world will clearly see a series of satellites of (North) Korea soaring into the sky at the times and locations determined by the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea."

官方媒体报道，遵循朝鲜劳动党中央委员会所决定的发射时间与发射地点，世界会清楚地看到一系列的朝鲜卫星射向天空。”

Experts believe that North Korea has been planning to launch a long-range rocket to mark the 70th anniversary of the ruling party. They believe the launch could take place in October.

专家认为，朝鲜一直计划发射远程火箭，以纪念执政70周年。他们认为，可能在十月份进行发射。

North Koreahas said that such launches are for peaceful, non-military purposes. But the United States and its allies say the launches are designed to help the North develop long-range ballistic missile technology. The United Nations Security Council has barred North Korea from using such technology. Visit the website www.chinavoa.com to get more information!

朝鲜曾表示，发射这些导弹是为了和平，而非军事目的。但美国及其盟国表示，这些发射旨在帮助朝鲜研发远程弹道导弹技术。联合国安理会已经禁止朝鲜使用该技术。

Daniel Pinkston is a visiting research fellow at Babes-Bolyai University's Conflict Studies Center in Romania. He studies North Korea. He notes that South Korea has more modern conventional weapons than the North. Many of North Korea's weapons were developed 40 or more years ago. He believes the North understands this and has decided it must have nuclear weapons.

丹尼尔·平克斯顿是一位访问研究员，在罗马尼亚巴贝什·鲍里亚大学冲突研究中心。他研究朝鲜。他指出与朝鲜相比，韩国拥有更现代化的常规武器。而朝鲜的许多武器是于40年前或更早研发出来的。他表示朝鲜更加了解这一点，并且它决定必须拥有核武器。

North Koreasays it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against a possible invasion by the United States. The North launched its first long-distance rocket in 1998. After a year of negotiations, North Korean agreed to stop long distance missile tests in exchange for better contacts with the United States and its allies. As part of the 1999 agreement, the North received money and food aid.

朝鲜表示，它需要核武器对抗美国可能的入侵来保卫自己。1998年，朝鲜第一次发射远程火箭。经过一年谈判之后，朝鲜同意停止远程导弹试射以换取与美国及其盟友之间更好的接触。作为1999年协议的一部分，朝鲜获得食物与金钱的援助。

In 2009, North Korea walked out of six-nation talks aimed at persuading the North to give up its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees. North Korea has since carried out several nuclear and missile tests. This year, the North carried out submarine-based missile tests.

2009年，朝鲜退出六方会谈，该会谈旨在说服朝鲜放弃其核计划，以换取援助和安全保证。朝鲜此后进行了多次核试验和导弹试验。今年以来，朝鲜进行了潜射导弹试验。

The latest nuclear and missile launch efforts could lead to calls for more international restrictions on North Korea. They could also worsen relations between North Korea and China. And they could harm recent attempts to improve relations between North and South Korea.

为最新的核试验和导弹发射作出的努力可能会导致呼吁对朝鲜进行更多的国际限制，还可能进一步恶化朝鲜和中国之间的关系，并且也可能危害最近为改善韩朝关系所做出的尝试。

I'm Jonathan Evans.

我是乔纳森·埃文斯。

VOA's Brian Padden reported on this story from Seoul. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

reactor- n. a large device that produces nuclear energy