美国有线新闻 CNN 朝鲜不断发射导弹挑衅 对美构成重大威胁

 

AZUZ: The U.S. director of national intelligence says because of its growing missile and nuclear capabilities¹, the Asian country of North Korea is increasingly becoming a grave national security threat to the U.S.

America has a few ways it could respond. It could launch a preemptive strike on North Korea, which carries a lot of risks. It can work with other countries to try to pressure North Korea to stop, which the U.S. is doing now. It can also refine and test its own defense² technology, like a $40 billion missile defense system.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. officials say it's like trying to hit a bullet with another bullet. The U.S. military attempted an exceptionally difficult missile interception³, its first ever to shoot down a model of a long range intercontinental ballistic missile.

In a test taking place over the Pacific Ocean, a mock enemy ICBM fired from the Marshall Islands was targeted by an interceptor fired from an underground silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base north of Santa Barbara. U.S. officials say the interceptor hit its target, the stakes couldn't be higher.

How much pressure are they under to make this work?

KINGSTON REIF, ARMS CONTROL ASSOCIATION: So, this is a very crucial test for the Pentagon and for the Missile Defense Agency. North Korea is working on development of intercontinental ballistic missile that would be designed to target and hit the United States.

TODD: Adding to the pressure, the U.S. military's spotty track record in these tests. In a little over a decade, only about half the interceptors have hit their targets and three of the previous four tests failed.

Critics say the interceptors, based in California and Alaska were rushed into deployment⁴ and have had several mechanical problems.

REIF: Sometimes, the kill vehicle did not separate from the rest of the interceptor and at times, there have also been problems with the kill vehicle itself.

TODD: The interceptor test comes as Kim Jong-un crows about a missile his regime test-fired this week, which it claims has new in-flight guidance systems to make it more accurate.

VICTOR CHA, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTL. STUDIES: North Korea is on the missile testing warpath right now.

TODD: A barrage⁵ of about a dozen missiles test-fired by Kim just this year and now, his regime in an announcement brags⁶ that Kim is preparing to send a, quote, bigger gift package to the Yankees.

Senator John McCain tells an Australian broadcaster he's not confident in America's missile defense systems to counter the North Korean threat.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I don't think that it's acceptable for the United States of America to have an intercontinental ballistic missile or a missile aimed at Australia with a nuclear weapon on it and depend on our ability to counter it with an anti-missile capability⁷.

TODD: A key question now: what are the alternatives to this flawed missile interceptors?

CHA: In addition to missile defense, you have so-called left-of-launch cyber capabilities that are designed to hack⁸ North Korea's rocket systems.

You also have preemption, the possibility of a preemptive attack on North Korean missile launch pads or on their missiles themselves.

TODD: Analysts⁹ say that is the most risky¹⁰ option, that it could provoke Kim Jong-un to turn his guns on Seoul, or on the roughly 28,000 American troops in South Korea. Experts say the U.S. might launch a preemptive military strike on North Korea only if it became convinced that Kim Jong-un was about to fire a missile as an act of war and not just test one.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

1 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 interception   

n.拦截；截击；截取；截住，截断；窃听

参考例句：

• Aerial photography can provide valuable information on precipitation, evapotraspiration, interception, and runoff. 航空摄影可提供有关降水量、蒸发蒸腾量、入渗和径流量的有价值的资料。
• Light interception and distribution in hedgerow orchards with different alleyway widths is indicated in Fig. 56. 图56显示篱壁果园不同行间宽度的光能截取和分配的情况。

4 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。

5 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

6 brags   

v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He constantly brags about how well he plays football. 他老是吹嘘自己足球踢得多么好。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• \"I don't care to listen to your brags.\" \"我没有兴趣听你吹了！ 来自飘（部分）

7 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

8 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

9 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。

10 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。