2006年VOA标准英语-India Tests Intercept of Incoming Missile

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
27 November 2006

Indian Army soldier stands next to a Prithvi missile on display during a parade, 13 Jan 2006

India has carried out a test in which it used homegrown missile technology to intercept¹ another missile. As Anjana Pasricha reports from VOA's New Delhi bureau, this is a relatively² new technology being developed by a handful of countries.

In Monday's test, scientists used India's surface-to-surface Prithvi II missile to target another missile.

Scientists said the "attacker" missile was launched from the Chandipur test range in Orissa state, and the "defender³" missile was fired a minute later from an island to intercept it over mid-sea.

Officials called the test a success, and the Defense⁴ Ministry⁵ said the country has achieved a significant milestone⁶ in missile defense.

Scientists gave no details, but say they are analyzing⁷ the data.

Defense analysts⁸ say the test was carried out to judge the effectiveness of the Prithvi missiles in intercepting⁹ enemy missiles from neighboring countries. Both China and Pakistan have missiles capable of hitting Indian cities.

Uday Bhaskar, at the government-funded Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis in New Delhi, says missile interception¹⁰ technology is a relatively new area being explored by a handful of countries. He says the test is significant because it demonstrates that India is exploring the same technology, although the development is at an early stage.

"Much of missile defense is predicated on the ability to intercept an incoming missile, and that itself is a fairly technical domain¹¹, and many countries are trying to acquire different degrees of proficiency," said Bhaskar. "So, to that extent, I would characterize it as an important step at a technological¹² level. But I would like to underline the fact that this is very nascent¹³."

Defense analysts say other Asian countries, such as China and Japan, are also investing heavily in missile interception technology, after the United States began placing a greater emphasis on missile defense. The United States was the first country to use it in combat, when Patriot¹⁴ missiles were used to shoot down Iraqi Scuds¹⁵ in the first Gulf¹⁶ War in 1991.

India's arsenal¹⁷ of missiles includes several short, medium and long-range missiles, capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. The Prithvi missile, which was used in Monday's test, has a range of about 250 to 300 kilometers.

1 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

2 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

3 defender   

n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人

参考例句：

• He shouldered off a defender and shot at goal.他用肩膀挡开防守队员，然后射门。
• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。

4 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。

5 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。

6 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

7 analyzing   

v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析

参考例句：

• Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
• He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句

8 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。

9 intercepting   

截取（技术），截接

参考例句：

• The police had been intercepting my mail, ie reading it before it was delivered. 警方一直截查我的邮件。
• We've been intercepting radio transmissions from Moscow. 我们已从莫斯科拦截到无线电信号。

10 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。

11 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

12 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

13 nascent   

adj.初生的，发生中的

参考例句：

• That slim book showed the Chinese intelligentsia and the nascent working class.那本小册子讲述了中国的知识界和新兴的工人阶级。
• Despite a nascent democracy movement,there's little traction for direct suffrage.尽管有过一次新生的民主运动，但几乎不会带来直接选举。

14 patriot   

n.爱国者，爱国主义者

参考例句：

• He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。
• He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

15 scuds   

v.（尤指船、舰或云彩）笔直、高速而平稳地移动( scud的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Of scuds metals conduct heat most quickly. They are the best heat conductors. 在所有的固体中金属传热最快，它们是最好的导热体。 来自互联网
• Launch Scuds – Fires many, inaccurate Scud missiles at the target (costs per use) 射飞毛腿：朝目标射很多打不准的飞毛腿（使用要钱） 来自互联网

16 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

17 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。