为应对中国 日本拟花400亿美元战机投标

 SINGAPORE June 30 (Reuters) - Japan will launch a tender for fighter jets as soon as mid-July the Ministry¹ of Defence said in a deal seen worth up to $40 billion as Tokyo seeks to bolster² its air defences amid creeping tension with China over disputed maritime³ borders.

新加坡6月30日（路透社）----国防部表示，日本将最快于七月中旬启动一项价值高达400亿美元的战斗机投标，由于和中国存在争议的海上边界的紧张气氛日益攀升，东京将以此加强其空中防御。

In one of the biggest fighter jet contracts up for grabs in years a ministry spokesman said Japan will contact foreign and domestic defence contractors⁵ soon after a July 5 deadline for expressions of interest in the tender for about 100 warplanes.

这是近年来供人竞价的最大标的的战斗机合同之一，国防部发言人指出，日本将在六月五日其标的大约为100架战斗机的投标意向书截止日后，很快就与国内外制造商签订合同。

People familiar with the matter said U.S. firms Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp have been invited to take part in the project dubbed⁶ the F-3 fighter jet programme alongside Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) the prime domestic contractor⁴.

知情人士透露，美国的波音公司和马丁.洛克希德公司被邀请参加代号为F-3的战斗机投标，日本三菱重工作为国内主要承包商，也在被邀标行列。

A final decision is likely in summer 2018 the people said with deployment⁷ due at the end of the 2020s at the earliest. They declined to be identified because the matter was confidential⁸.

知情人士说，最终决定可能将于2018年夏天做出，也可能最早在本世纪20年代末部署。因为保密的原因，他们拒绝给出明确的时间表 。

With a value seen by these people at up to $40 billion the F-3 programme will dwarf⁹ most recent fighter jet deals in value likely attracting global contractor interest. But analysts¹⁰ say Japan's preference for an aircraft that can operate closely with the U.S. military given close Washington-Tokyo ties makes a non-U.S. option a long-shot.

知情人士估算的价值高达400亿美元的F-3项目，将使得近年来绝大部分战斗机合同的价值都相形见绌，很容易引起全球战斗机制造商的兴趣。但是分析人士称，日本为了拉近华盛顿和东京的关系，更倾向于采用能和美军飞机协同操控的战斗机，这使得美国以外的公司胜算极小。

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

3 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

4 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

5 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

8 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

9 dwarf   

n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小

参考例句：

• The dwarf's long arms were not proportional to his height.那侏儒的长臂与他的身高不成比例。
• The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 矮子耸耸肩膀，摇摇头。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。