VOA慢速英语2021 朝鲜试射远程巡航导弹

North Korea said Monday it successfully tested a long-range cruise missile over the weekend. The tests show how the country is trying to grow its nuclear technology as diplomatic talks with the United States have mostly stopped.

朝鲜周一表示该国周末成功试射了一枚远程巡航导弹。这些试验表明随着与美国外交谈判基本停止，该国正在如何努力发展其核技术。

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the missiles hit targets 1,500 kilometers away. State media published photos of an object being launched from a truck and what looked like a missile traveling in the air. Experts say the long-range cruise missile could give North Korea another way to escape its neighbors' missile defenses.

国营媒体朝鲜中央通讯社报道称，导弹击中了1500公里以外的目标。官方媒体发布了有物体从卡车上发射出来照片，看起来像是在空中飞行的导弹。专家表示，远程巡航导弹可以为朝鲜提供另一种避开邻国导弹防御系统的途径。

North Korea says it needs nuclear weapons in order to prevent what it claims is hostility² from the United States and South Korea.

朝鲜表示，它需要核武器以防止其声称的来自美国和韩国的敌意。

North Korea called its new missiles a "strategic weapon of great significance." Experts say that wording means the new missiles were developed to arm them with nuclear weapons.

朝鲜称其新型导弹是具有重大意义的战略武器。专家表示，这些措辞意味着新导弹的开发是为了装备核武器。

"While you could say the missile will be nuclear capable, there is no known North Korean warhead for it yet," said Melissa Hanham. She is with the Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation.

梅丽莎·汉纳姆表示：“虽然我们可以说这种导弹具备核能力，但是朝鲜目前尚不具备相应的弹头。”她在斯坦福国际安全与合作中心工作。

The cruise missile can be launched as far as 1,500 kilometers. That means it could reach all parts of South Korea and most of Japan.

这种巡航导弹的射程可达1500公里。这意味着它可覆盖韩国所有地区和日本大部分地区。

In a statement, the U.S. military said it knew of the launches and is working closely with its allies and partners.

美国军方在一份声明中表示，它知道这次发射，并正在跟其盟友和合作伙伴密切合作。

The international community has tried for many years to get the North to stop its nuclear weapons program through threats of sanctions and the promise of economic help. But U.S.-led diplomatic meetings have greatly slowed since talks broke down in 2019 between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump³. At that time, the Americans rejected Kim's demand for economic help in exchange for closing an old nuclear center.

多年来，国际社会一直试图通过威胁制裁和经济援助承诺来让朝鲜停止其核武器计划。但是自从2019年朝鲜领导人金正恩与时任美国总统川普之间的谈判破裂以来，以美国为首的外交会谈已经大幅放缓。当时美国拒绝了金正恩关闭一处旧的核中心以换取经济援助的要求。

There had not been any known test launches since March, as Kim has been working on fighting the coronavirus and trying to improve the economy. Experts have said the economic situation in the North is very poor.

自3月以来，朝鲜没有进行任何已知的试射，因为金正恩一直致力于抗击新冠病毒并试图改善经济。专家表示，朝鲜的经济形势非常糟糕。

The report of the tests comes before U.S. President Joe Biden's representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, was to meet with South Korean and Japanese diplomats⁴ in Tokyo Tuesday. The group was set to discuss nuclear diplomacy⁵ with North Korea.

这份试射报道是在美国总统拜登任命的朝鲜特使金成周二在东京会见韩国及日本外交官之前发布的。这群人打算讨论与朝鲜的核外交。

Defense¹ experts say the missile test was a clear message to Washington. But the test may also be a sign that the North is struggling to develop more advanced weapons, said Du Hyeogn Cha. He is with Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

国防专家表示，这次导弹试射向华盛顿发出了明确信息。但是这次试射也可能表明朝鲜正在努力开发更先进的武器，车斗铉这样表示。他在首尔峨山政策研究所工作。

At a congress of the ruling Workers' Party in January, Kim promised to improve North Korea's nuclear technology. He listed new equipment he hoped to build, including longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-powered submarines and spy satellites. North Korea has not carried out an intercontinental missile or nuclear test since 2017.

1月份在执政党劳动党代表大会上，金正恩承诺改进朝鲜的核技术。他列出了希望建造的新装备，包括射程更远的洲际导弹、核动力潜艇以及间谍卫星。自2017年以来，朝鲜尚未进行过洲际导弹或核武器的试验。

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said the North Korean missiles present a "serious threat to the peace and safety of Japan and its surrounding areas." He said Japanese leaders were working with the U.S. and South Korea to gather information on North Korea's latest tests.

日本官房长官加藤胜信表示，朝鲜导弹对日本及周边地区的和平与安全构成严重威胁。他说，日本领导人正在跟美国和韩国合作，收集更多关于朝鲜最新试验的信息。

Kim's powerful sister, Kim Yo-Jong, last month suggested that North Korea was ready to restart weapons testing. She also released a statement strongly criticizing the U.S. and South Korea for continuing their shared military exercises. She called the exercises the "most vivid expression of U.S. hostile policy" towards the North.

金正恩大权在握的姐姐金与正上个月暗示朝鲜已经准备好重启武器试验。她还发表声明强烈谴责美国和韩国继续进行共同军事演习。她称这些演习是美国对朝鲜敌对政策的最生动体现。

1 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。

2 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。