美牛肉在韩惹争议 殃及自贸协议

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South Korean lawmakers from mainly liberal parties say they will block ratification of a major free-trade deal with the United States amid a panic about American beef imports. The political stalemate ends hopes for a speedy implementation of the pact.

就在美国进口牛肉在韩国引发争议之际，韩国自由派政党的议员们说，他们将阻止国会批准美韩自由贸易协议。韩国国会在这个问题上的僵持局面使美韩自贸协议没有希望快速过关。

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak met Tuesday with Sohn Hak-kyu, the leader of the country's main opposition party. They failed to break a log jam about voting a major American trade deal into law.

韩国总统李明博星期二会见了主要反对党领袖孙鹤圭。两人没有就韩国国会投票批准美韩贸易协议取得共识。

Sohn told Mr. Lee his United New Democratic Party will not back the deal unless the terms for resuming U.S. beef imports were renegotiated separately. He also urged the president to apologize for an ongoing public controversy about American beef.

孙鹤圭对李明博总统表示，如果不能就韩国恢复进口美国牛肉的有关条款单独谈判的话，他领导的新民主联合党就不会支持两国的贸易协议。孙鹤圭同时呼吁李明博总统针对美国牛肉引发的争议作出公开道歉。

The Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement reached last year could add tens of billions of dollars to the two countries' commerce, in everything from drugs to automobiles. However, UNDP floor leader Kim Hyo-seuk said Tuesday the free trade deal is essentially "on hold" for the parliament session ending later this week.

去年达成的美韩自由贸易协议可以把两国贸易额提升上百亿美元，其涵盖的范围从药品到汽车无所不包。但是新民主联合党发言人金孝硕星期二说，这项自由贸易协议在即将于本星期晚些时候结束的本届国会里实际上处于“搁置”状态。

Kim says, given public sentiment, it is very difficult to even discuss the free trade deal. He says there must be re-negotiating or the topic cannot be discussed.

他说，考虑到公众情绪，目前就连讨论这项协议都很困难。他说，如果不能重新谈判的话，这个问题就无从谈起。

Seoul banned the import of American beef in 2003, after a single U.S. animal was found to have the brain disease commonly known as "mad cow disease." Medical experts say it is hypothetically possible, though extremely unlikely, for people to contract a human variant of the disease by consuming tainted meat.

2003年，在美国发现了一头牛患有疯牛病之后，韩国宣布禁止进口美国牛肉。医学专家说，尽管理论上讲人类可以通过食用染病牛肉传染上变异的疯牛病，但实际上这种可能性微乎其微。

American officials say no human cases of mad cow disease have ever resulted from consuming U.S. beef and that no infected cow has ever been known to enter the food supply.

美国官员说，尚未有人因为食用美国牛肉而患上疯牛病；而且目前也没有发现染病牛肉进入市场。

In April, President Lee fulfilled a promise by his predecessor to agree on resuming U.S. beef imports, once a United Nations body agreed it was safe. The move was seen as crucial to winning the American Congress's support for the broader trade agreement.

今年四月，在联合国人员宣布美国牛肉安全之后，李明博总统履行了其前任的诺言，宣布恢复进口美国牛肉。舆论认为，此举对于换取美国国会支持更为广泛的贸易协议至关重要。

Thousands of South Koreans, mainly students, have been gathering frequently in downtown Seoul for candlelight vigils against importing U.S. beef. They accuse President Lee of compromising of South Korean sovereignty and public safety. The emotional protests have been fueled, in part, by Internet rumors, questionable South Korean news reports and grassroots sympathy with economically threatened South Korean cattle farmers.

以学生为主的成千上万名韩国人在首尔市中心频繁聚集，举行反对进口美国牛肉的烛光集会。他们指责李明博总统在国家主权和公众安全问题上作出妥协。网络传闻、缺乏证实的韩国新闻报导、以及民间对本国畜牧业者的同情更加煽动了抗议者的情绪。

UNDP floor leader Kim says the protesters should not be seen as anti-American. He says they just want to prevent mad cow disease, also known by its initials BSE.

新民主联合党发言人金孝硕说，这些抗议者并非反美。他说，抗议者只是希望防止疯牛病。

"What the Korean people oppose is not the U.S. but BSE-risk beef. The Korean people are not anti-U.S., but anti-BSE," Kim said.

他说，韩国人民反对的不是美国，而是疯牛病。

South Korean conservatives won a parliament majority in elections, early this year, and are expected to support both the U.S. trade deal and the resumption of American beef imports in the next legislative session. However, lawmakers say getting the topic to a vote could take months, because of upcoming summer vacations.

韩国保守派今年早些时候在国会选举中胜出。预计，保守派将在下届国会中支持美韩自贸协议和恢复进口美国牛肉。但是，议员们说，由于夏季休会即将来临，因此相关议题付诸投票可能要在几个月以后。