US Says North Korea 'Getting Closer' to Restarting Nuclear Plant
美促北韩贯彻六方协议停止核项目
The United States said Friday North Korea is continuing to take steps to reverse the shutdown of its Yongbyon reactor complex. The State Department urged North Korea to remain in compliance with the six-party accord, under which is to scrap its nuclear program in exchange for aid and diplomatic benefits.
美国星期五表示，北韩正在继续采取措施重新启动已经关闭的宁边反应堆设施。美国国务院敦促北韩坚持贯彻六方协议，停止核项目，以换取经济援助和外交利益。
Officials here acknowledge that North Korea is taking tangible actions to back up its threat to restart the Yongbyon reactor, but they say the facility is not yet back in operation and are urging Pyongyang to desist.
美国国务院官员获悉北韩正在采取切实行动，以显示重新恢复宁边反应堆的决心，不过美国官员认为，宁边核设施还没有恢复运转，美国官员因此敦促平壤打消这个念头。
North Korea said early this month it was taking steps to restart the reactor - source of the plutonium for its small nuclear weapons stockpile - because the United States has failed to remove it from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
北韩这个月早些时候表示，正在采取措施恢复宁边核反应堆的运转，这个反应堆生产的金属钸是北韩小型核武器库的原材料，北韩之所以要重新启动这个核反应堆，是因为美国没有将北韩从支持恐怖主义国家名单上除名。
President Bush has informed Congress of his intention to "de-list" North Korea but the administration says removal is dependent on Pyongyang's provision of a verification plan for the declaration of nuclear assets it made in June.
美国总统布什已经告知美国国会，他打算把北韩从这个名单上删除，但是美国政府表示，这要取决于平壤提出的核实方案条款是否可行。这项核实方案是为了核实北韩今年6月提交的核项目清单。
North Korea Friday said it no longer wants or expects to be taken off the list and is making what were termed "thorough preparations" to restore its nuclear facilities.
北韩星期五表示，已经不再需要或者不再指望从支持恐怖主义的名单上除名，北韩还说，正在做好“充分准备”重新启动宁边核设施。
The United States, which has monitors at Yongbyon, said two weeks ago North Korea was observed moving equipment out of storage at Yongbyon. Briefing reporters Friday, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said the activity has moved to a second stage, of actual preparations to reverse the reactor shutdown.
美国在宁边核设施派有监督人员。美国两个星期之前说，监督人员观察到北韩把设备从宁边仓库里往外搬移。美国国务院发言人麦科马克星期五向记者通报情况时说，这一行动已经发展到第二阶段，也就是为重新启动这座关闭的核反应堆进行实际的准备工作。
"They continue to move to the right - getting closer and closer to that point where they are to the point of operationalizing Yongbyon again," McCormack said. "They haven't gotten to that point, and we would urge them not to get to that point. As always, throughout this process they have a choice - they can go down the pathway of having a different kind of relationship with the rest of the world, receiving the benefits of that relationship, or they can keep themselves isolated [and] move the process backwards."
麦科马克说：“他们继续向右侧移动，也就是越来越接近他们可以再次运转宁边核反应堆的位置。和往常一样，他们在整个非核化过程中都可以选择，就是说，他们可以跟世界其它国家有一种跟现在不同的关系，并从这样的关系中获益；也可以继续受到孤立，让非核化过程倒退。”
North Korea's increasingly tough line in recent weeks coincides with press reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il may have suffered a stroke.
北韩最近几个星期表现出越来越强硬的立场，与此同时，有报道说，北韩领导人金正日可能曾经中风。
Spokesman McCormack said he would "not discount" the reports of the North Korean leader's illness, but would not elaborate.
美国国务院发言人麦科马克说，对北韩领导人得病的消息，他“不会不信”，但他不愿对此详细说明。
He also said while the United States has been in recent diplomatic contact with North Korea, he said it has yet to see "any outputs" from Pyongyang for the past month or so - suggesting an absence of decision-making.
麦科马克还说，尽管美国最近一直跟北韩有外交接触，但是他说过去一个月左右美国还没有得到平壤方面的“任何反应”，显示平壤没有任何决策行动。
Some analysts have suggested North Korea may have decided to stall the six-party process until a new U.S. administration takes office next January.
一些分析人士认为，北韩可能决定在美国新一届政府明年一月上台之前，让六方会谈进程陷入停滞状态。
McCormack said he would not presume to offer Pyongyang political advice, but that the likelihood is that the benefits North Korea would accrue from disarming would not be different or better under the next U.S. president.
麦科马克说，他不想冒昧地向平壤提出政治建议，但是如果认为下一届美国总统会给北韩的非核化带来的好处会跟现在不一样，或者更好，这种情况不太可能出现。
North Korea shut down and was in the process of disabling the reactor complex in exchange for energy aid from the other parties.
Submitting a verification plan was to open the way to the next phase of the accord, which would include among other things the lifting of terrorism-related sanctions and a phased normalization of relations with the United States.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to discuss the stalled process next week at the United Nations with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi of China, the chair of the six-party talks.
