本文音频及原文摘自杂志The Economist 2016年第20期，Asia版块。

Kim Jong Un thrills North Koreans with hours of brilliance

A rare congress of the Workers’ Party produces almost nothing of note

May 14th 2016 | SEOUL

THE seventh congress of the Workers’ Party[1] was meant to be North Korea’s most notable political shindig[2] in nearly four decades. The sixth, in 1980, was a coming-out party[3] for its then dictator-in-waiting[4], Kim Jong Il[金正日]. At this one the late Kim’s son, Kim Jong Un (pictured), spoke for interminable[5] hours to more than 3,000 clapping delegates, lauding[6] a recent nuclear test[核试验] and missile launch[导弹发射] (subjects know nothing of the three that flopped[7] last month) and announcing an empty five-year economic plan. None of the 120-odd foreign journalists invited to cover the show saw any of this gripping[8] stuff, being sent off to a model electric-cable[电缆] plant, a pristine[9] hospital and a silk mill[丝绸织造厂] instead. Things briefly went off-script[10] when North Korea expelled[驱逐] a BBC journalist and his team for “disrespectful” reporting—furnishing visiting media with[11] some news after all.

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[1]THE seventh congress of the Workers’ Party 朝鲜劳动党第七次全国代表大会

[2]shindig ['ʃɪndɪg]

a noisy event or situation, especially a large, energetic party, celebration, etc. 喧闹的事件（或情形）；（尤指）狂欢会，盛大庆祝会

Are you going to that shindig at the Town Hall tonight? 

你去参加今晚在市政厅举行的狂欢会吗?

[3]coming-out party：A celebratory social gathering, with music, dancing, and refreshments, at which a young debutante is formally introduced to society.少女初入社交界的交谊会；介绍性舞会；走出去的聚会

[4]dictator：a leader who has complete power in a country and has not been elected by the people 独裁者，暴君

[5]interminable：continuing for too long and therefore boring or annoying 无休止的，冗长不堪的

[6]laud：to praise 赞美，赞扬，赞颂 The German leadership lauded the Russian initiative. 德国领导人赞扬了俄罗斯的倡议。

[7]flop：to fall or drop heavily 重重地落下（或掉下） Hugh's hair keeps flopping over/into his eyes. 休的头发老是垂下来遮住眼睛／垂进眼睛里。

[8]gripping：describes something that is so interesting or exciting that it holds your attention completely 引人入胜的；扣人心弦的；激动人心的 I found the book so gripping that I couldn't put it down. 我觉得这本书太吸引人了，一看就难以释手。

[9]pristine ['prɪstiːn; -staɪn]

new or almost new, and in very good condition 崭新的；状态良好的

pristine new offices

崭新的办公室

[10]go off-script：used to describe the occasion when one "goes rogue"and acts in a manner not contemplated or planned

[11]furnish sb with sth：to provide someone with something 向（某人）提供 Furnished with a compass and sandwiches, they set off for a day's hiking. 他们带着罗盘和三明治开始了一天的徒步旅行。

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以上言论不代表本人立场。

原文摘自The economist，仅外语学习之用。

其中生词解释来源于Cambridge Dictionaries

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