韩国总统再就进口美牛肉协议道歉

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South Korea\'s president has made a second public apology for his management of a deal to resume controversial American beef imports. Responding to massive street protests, he says he will ensure age limits on the imports, in partnership with Washington.

韩国总统再次就其在恢复进口美国牛肉问题上所采取的措施，向公众表示道歉。这一问题在韩国引起很大的争议。针对近来众多 的街头抗议活动，李明博总统表示，将与美方合作，确保落实进口牛肉的牛的年龄限制。

For the second time in four weeks, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak apologized Thursday for failing to consider public opinion in a beef import deal with the United States.

李明博星期四表示，在恢复进口美国牛肉问题上，没有充分考虑民意，并表示道歉。这是他在过去四个星期里，第二次就这一问 题，公开表示道歉。

This time, he added a key concession to protesters who have been pouring into the streets since April.

这一次，他在讲话中对那些自从4月以来大批走上街头抗议的民众，做出了一项新的让步。

He says, as long as South Korean people do not want it, there will be no U.S. beef from cattle older than 30 months on offer to Korean consumers. Mr. Lee says he will obtain concrete guarantees from Washington on that point. He says he expects the United States, a close ally, to respect South Korea\'s will.

韩国总统李明博说，只要韩国民众不希望见到，在韩国的消费市场上，就不会看到超过30个月以上的牛的牛肉。李明博说，在这 个问题上，他将要求美方提供实在的保证。他还说，他认为美方作为韩国密切的盟友，会尊重韩国民众的意愿。

South Korea banned U.S. beef in 2003, after an American animal was found to have "mad cow disease." President Lee\'s April deal to resume U.S. beef imports angered South Korean opponents, because it failed to include the same sort of restriction on meat from older cattle that other U.S. trade partners maintain. Cattle older than 30 months are considered to be at higher risk of the disease.

韩国自从2003年开始，禁止进口美国牛肉。在那之前，美国的一头牛被发现患有“疯牛病”。李明博总统在今年4月与美方就恢复进 口牛肉问题所达成的协议，让韩国的反对派感到非常愤怒，因为这项协议当中，没有包括美国与其他贸易夥伴之间所达成的禁止 出口稍老一些的牛的牛肉的条款。年龄超过30个月的牛被认为更有可能患有疯牛病。

There has never been a confirmed case of anyone contracting the human variant of mad cow disease from eating American beef. U.S. officials and the United National World Organization for Animal Health have said American beef is safe.

事实上从来没有任何人因为食用美国牛肉被确诊感染人类疯牛病。美国官员和世界动物卫生组织都已经表明美国牛肉是安全的。

U.S. lawmakers have warned ratification of a much broader free trade deal, signed last year between the two countries, would be in jeopardy if South Korea did not reopen its beef market.

美国国会议员警告说，假如韩国不开放牛肉市场的话，一个两国间去年签署的更加广泛的自由贸易协议有可能在美国不能得到批准。

President Lee says the economic benefits of that agreement were uppermost in his mind when he made the beef deal.

李明博说，他决定这项自由贸易协议时，该协议的经济利益在他心中是最重要的。

He says he thought ratifying the free trade deal was a "shortcut" to trigger the economic growth South Korea urgently needs. He says he thought ejecting U.S. beef would have endangered the deal and possibly set off trade disputes. So, like it or not, he says he thought the beef deal was unavoidable.

他说，他认为批准这项自由贸易协议是刺激韩国急需的经济增长所需的一个“捷径”。他说，他认为抵制美国牛肉可能会给该协议 造成危险，并可能带来贸易纠纷。因此不论喜欢与否，他认为这项自由贸易协议是不可避免的。

President Lee\'s trade minister is in Washington seeking concrete means of implementing the beef export limitation. The arrangement being discussed would be voluntary. However, Mr. Lee says President Bush has assured him the export limits would be guaranteed by the U.S. government.

韩国政府贸易官员正在华盛顿寻求具体的方式来推行牛肉出口限制，讨论中的安排将是自愿执行的。不过，李明博说，布什总统 已经向他保证出口限制将受到美国政府的担保。

Separately, President Lee promised to replace his chief of staff and other unspecified members of his cabinet, in the near future. He also promised to hold off on a massive South Korean canal project, if it is clear the people are against it.

在其它方面，李明博保证在近期撤换总统秘书室室长和他内阁中没有明确说明的其他成员。他还保证要暂停一项韩国大型运河工 程的建设，假如民众确定对此表示反对的话。