金正恩称朝鲜不会率先使用核武器

Kim Jong Un made a major declaration during North Korea's seventh congress of the Workers' Party: His country would only use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty came under threat from another nuclear power, the government press agency reported.

据朝鲜政府新闻机构报道，金正恩在朝鲜劳动党七大上宣布：朝鲜方面不会率先使用核武器，除非敌对势力以核武器侵犯朝鲜主权。

Kim also pledged that North Korea would follow a policy of non-proliferation of nuclear technology. And he said North Korea is willing to improve and normalize relations with countries that have been "hostile" in the past.

金正恩也承诺，朝鲜会履行防止核扩散的义务。他还表示，朝鲜十分愿意和过去的“敌对国家”改善关系，实现关系正常化。

"As a responsible nuclear weapons state, our republic will not use a nuclear weapon unless its sovereignty is encroached upon by any aggressive hostile forces with nukes," Kim said during the congress, the first in 36 years.

金正恩在时隔36年再度召开的大会上表示：“作为一个负责的核武器国家，朝鲜不会率先使用核武器，除非敌对势力用核武器威胁朝鲜主权。”

It's important to note that North Korea has pledged in the past that it would "never use nuclear weapons first." It has also sought negotiations with the U.S. and others over its nuclear program.

不过，值得注意的是，朝鲜在过去也曾承诺过其“永远不会率先使用核武器”。它也曾经向美国和其他国家寻求过关于其核计划的协商。

So the question is: Does this statement represent a new direction for North Korea? Or is it more of the regime here trying to sow confusion and gain a tactical advantage over the U.S. and other world powers in the showdown over its nuclear programs?

那么问题是：这次讲话是否代表了朝鲜政府的新的方向？或者，这只是朝鲜政府在美国和其他国家就其核项目撕破脸之前所做出的掩耳盗铃之举？

In the run-up to the party congress here, Western analysts speculated that Kim would use the congress to turn the page on the nuclear issue, declaring in essence that North Korea has now accomplished its goal of developing a credible nuclear deterrent -- and would now seek to emphasize economic development.

在七大前，西方分析人士推测，金正恩会利用这次大会，通过宣布朝鲜已成功达成可信的核震慑目标来解决核问题，然后把重心转移到经济发展上。

That might be happening here. As usual, when it comes to North Korea--it's very hard to be sure of anything.

这种事也不是没有可能，毕竟从以往常来看，朝鲜的相关问题都是很难捉摸的。