VOA常速英语2017--美国防部部长在韩国发表讲话（在线收听）

The U.S.-South Korea alliance grows more important by the day, said U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis on a recent trip to the Asian nation.

美韩联盟的重要性日益增强，美国国防部部长马蒂斯(Jim Mattis)在近日出访韩国这个亚洲国家时如是表示。

The threat from North Korea has grown markedly over the last year. In the past few months, the regime of Kim Jong-Un has conducted two ICBM tests, launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles over Japan, and conducted a sixth nuclear test.

Secretary Mattis underscored America's priority commitment for a bilateral alliance, and made clear the United States' full commitment to the United Nations mission for the defense of South Korean democracy, standing as it does, as a bedrock countering North Korea's efforts to destabilize this region and be a threat to the world.

去年一年，朝鲜的威胁愈发明显。过去的几个月中，金正恩政府已经进行了两次洲际弹道导弹试验，发射了两个中程弹道导弹，均越过了日本领空上方，并进行了其史上的第六次核试验。

Regardless of how North Korea behaves or what actions it takes, said Secretary Mattis, we stand with the peace-loving people of the Republic of Korea, our ally that maintains stability on the peninsula and in the region.

部长马蒂斯强调了美国对双边联盟的首要承诺是什么，还明确表示美国全力致力于联合国捍卫韩国民主的使命，这使命是打击朝鲜破坏该地区稳定并成为全球性威胁的根基。

North Korea should harbor no illusions, warned Secretary Mattis. While diplomacy remains the preferred course of action, make no mistake, he said, The attack on the United States or our allies will be defeated. Any use of nuclear weapons by the North will be met with a massive military response, effective and overwhelming.

部长马蒂斯表示，不管朝鲜如何作为或者采取何种行动，我们都站在热爱和平的韩国人民这边，因为韩国是我们的盟友，这个国家一直维持着朝鲜半岛和该地区的稳定。
部长马蒂斯警告称，朝鲜不应该怀有任何幻想。他表示，毫无疑问，虽然外交依然是优先选择的做法，但针对美国及其盟友的袭击必将遭到打败。只要朝鲜有任何采用核武器的行为，其都将面临巨大的军事打击，会对其产生有效的震撼冲击。

Due to North Korea's aggressive and destabilizing actions, the U.S. and South Korea have taken defensive steps as an alliance, such as deploying the highly effective THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea.

由于朝鲜进犯性的破坏稳定行为，美国和韩国已经组成联盟并采取了防御性措施，比如在韩国部署了极为有效的萨德反导弹系统。

Millions of South Korean citizens and U.S.-South Korea combined forces are now better protected by this fully defensive system.

上千万韩国市民和美韩联军因这个全面防御体系的存在而得到了更好的保护。

Around the world, responsible nations have downgraded their relationship with North Korea, expelling their ambassadors and curtailing trade, with the goal of denying the regime the funds it needs to continue developing and fielding its nuclear and missile programs. This has left the regime diplomatically isolated, and has led to growing discontent among the North Korean people.

全球各个有责任感的国家都冷淡了与朝鲜的关系，驱逐了朝鲜的大使，减少了贸易往来，目的是不让朝鲜政权获得其继续研制利用核项目和导弹项目所需要的资金。这就让朝鲜政权在外交上孤立无援，并在朝鲜人民心中引发越来越多的不满。

We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with. . .the Korean people in confronting the North Korean threat, said Secretary Mattis. I'm confident we'll continue to be the best hope for a continued prosperity and security of our nations and the region.

国防部部长马蒂斯表示，我们与韩国人民一起应对来自朝鲜的威胁。我相信，我们将依然是我们本国及盟友和该地区持续繁荣和安全的最大希望所在。