朝鲜表示愿与美国对话
朝鲜已表示愿意与美国展开对话。目前朝鲜半岛外交接触的步伐有所加快。
The comments from a North Korea envoy came as Seoul wrapped up the Winter Olympic Games, which South Korean President Moon Jae-in has used to bolster relations with the reclusive regime.
上述言论是一位朝鲜特使在平昌冬奥会闭幕时发表的。韩国总统文在寅(Moon Jae-in)利用此次冬奥会来改善韩国与这个与世隔绝的政权的关系。
Throughout last year, tension on the peninsula looked set to tip over into conflict as Washington and Pyongyang faced off over the regime’s development and testing of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
去年，美国与朝鲜因后者开发和试验弹道导弹及核武器而对峙，朝鲜半岛的紧张局势似乎一触即发。
However, since the new year, Mr Moon has used the global sporting spectacle to engage with Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, in the hope that reduced tension can lead to negotiations over the North’s weapons programmes.
然而，进入新的一年后，文在寅利用这场全球体育盛会与朝鲜领导人金正恩(Kim Jong Un)进行接触，希望局势缓和引向有关朝鲜武器计划的谈判。
The approach met much scepticism in Seoul and Washington. However, if Pyongyang now proves sincere about engaging diplomatically with the US, Mr Moon will feel a measure of vindication.
这一做法在首尔和华盛顿都引起很多人的质疑。然而，如果平壤现在表现出与美国进行外交接触的诚意，那将在一定程度上证明文在寅是对的。
On Sunday, a high-ranking political delegation from Pyongyang came to the closing ceremony of the Winter Games, which featured North Korean athletes waving their national flag — a statement of inter-Korean detente that only months ago would have shocked observers.
周日，平壤一个高级别的政治代表团出席了本届冬奥会的闭幕式，朝鲜运动员在闭幕式上挥舞着朝鲜国旗——这表明韩朝关系有所缓和，就在几个月前，这一幕会让观察人士感到震惊。
Ivanka Trump, US president Donald Trump’s daughter and a senior White House adviser, also attended the closing ceremony of the Olympics in Pyeongchang alongside Kim Yong Chol, head of the high-ranking North Korean delegation.
美国总统特朗普的女儿及白宫的高级顾问伊万卡•特朗普(Ivanka Trump)与朝鲜高级代表团团长金英哲(Kim Yong-chol)都出席了平昌冬奥会的闭幕式。
Mr Kim met Mr Moon before the ceremony and expressed an openness towards talks with the US.
金英哲在闭幕式前会晤文在寅，表示愿意与美国进行会谈。
“The North Korean delegation agreed that North Korea-US relations must develop along with the South-North Korea relationship, while noting [Pyongyang] has enough intention to hold North Korea-US dialogue,” said a spokesman for South Korea’s presidential Blue House.
“北韩代表团同意北韩-美国关系必须与韩朝关系一同发展，同时指出，平壤方面有足够意愿与美国对话，”韩国总统府青瓦台(Blue House)的一位发言人表示。
While the comments are a positive sign for those worried about the prospect of war on the peninsula, many will question Pyongyang’s sincerity.
尽管对那些担心朝鲜半岛战争前景的人来说，这些言论是一个积极的信号，但平壤方面的诚意仍遭到许多人的质疑。
The regime has a long history of diplomatic mind games and may well be playing for time as it puts the finishing touches on its intercontinental ballistic missile programme.
朝鲜政权向来爱玩外交心理游戏，此举很可能是在争取时间，以便其完成洲际弹道导弹计划。
Only hours before the apparent overture, North Korean state media lambasted Mr Trump for pursuing ever tougher sanctions on the regime. 就在朝鲜特使貌似伸出橄榄枝的几小时前，朝鲜官方媒体还严厉抨击了特朗普对朝鲜政权实施越来越严厉的制裁。
Washington is “running amok to bring another dark cloud of confrontation and war over the Korean peninsula by announcing enormous sanctions against” North Korea, the official KCNA news agency said.
朝鲜官方的朝中社(KCNA)称，通过宣布对朝实施大规模制裁，华盛顿方面正在“疯狂地将又一片对抗和战争的乌云带给朝鲜半岛”。
Mr Trump has adopted a “maximum pressure” strategy of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation in a bid to coerce Pyongyang to denuclearise.
特朗普采取了经济制裁与外交孤立的“史上最严”对朝制裁措施，以迫使平壤方面弃核。
Washington has also sent mixed signals about diplomatic talks. Before the opening ceremony of the Olympics, US vice-president Mike Pence said North Korea’s de-nuclearisation must be on the table before dialogue with the US could commence.
华盛顿方面也发出了错综复杂的外交谈判信号。在本届冬奥会开幕之前，美国副总统迈克•彭斯(Mike Pence)表示，在与美国展开对话之前，朝鲜弃核必须被纳入议事日程。
Days later he appeared to reverse course, saying there were no preconditions for talks.
几天后，他似乎改变了口风，称谈判没有先决条件。
The US has also been wary of moves towards inter-Korean reconciliation, which Washington fears might drive a wedge into its longstanding alliance with Seoul.
美国也很警惕韩朝和解的进展，担心这可能会离间美韩长期同盟。
Mr Moon, however, has moved carefully and has yet to accept an offer from Kim Jong Un to visit Pyongyang for an inter-Korean summit.
然而，文在寅也很谨慎，尚未接受金正恩邀请其去平壤举行朝韩峰会的提议。
The South Korean leader has instead reiterated that US-North Korea dialogue must run in parallel to inter-Korean reconciliation.
相反，这位韩国领导人重申，美朝对话必须与韩朝和解平行推进。
