2006年VOA标准英语-Rumsfeld: N. Korean Missiles Still Threat, But

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
05 July 2006

U.S. Defense¹ Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the fact that North Korea's launch of a new long-range missile failed does not diminish the threat posed by the country's missile program. The secretary spoke² Wednesday, about 12 hours after the last of seven missile launches North Korea made, all of which ended harmlessly in the Sea of Japan.

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Donald Rumsfeld    
  
Secretary Rumsfeld says he was notified within one minute of the first North Korean launch, and that he participated in a series of conference calls with senior commanders responding to each launch as it happened, including the launch of the long-range missile.

"The Taepodong-2 is estimated to have the range that conceivably could reach the United States," said Donald Rumsfeld. "And the fact that it failed is a fact, but it does not change the nature of the launch."

The Defense Department says the long-range North Korean missile failed within a minute of its launch. The Department also says it detected all seven North Korean missile launches and determined³ quickly that they were not a threat to the United States or its territories. But Secretary Rumsfeld says that does not mean the United States is any more comfortable with North Korea's missile program.

"We have interests that are other than simply the land mass of the United States of America," he said. "Certainly, we have an alliance with Japan and we have an alliance with the Republic of Korea."

Secretary Rumsfeld says U.S. experts are continuing to analyze⁴ data from tracking the launches, and that he is being kept informed, but he declined to provide details, beyond confirming that the long-range North Korean missile only lasted between 38 and 40 seconds. The secretary said he does not think North Korea would have launched such an expensive missile and then intentionally⁵ destroyed it after such a short flight.

 
Bryan Whitman 
  
Earlier, Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman said the North American Air Defense Command, known as NORAD was able to assess the significance of the North Korean launches almost immediately.

"Each and every launch was detected, monitored, and interceptors were operational during the missile launches that took place," said Bryan Whitman. "The commander of NORAD was able to determine rather quickly that the missiles didn't pose a threat to the United States or its territories."

Whitman would not say exactly what 'interceptors' were operational. The new U.S. missile defense system is partly activated⁷ and has had about a 50 per cent success rate in tests. That system, based in Alaska and California, is designed to intercept⁶ long-range missiles like Taepodong-2 launched by North Korea. Shorter range missiles, which North Korea also launched, would be attacked, if necessary, by shorter-range, regionally-based systems.

Whitman says the Defense Department was prepared to respond to the North Korean launches if that had been necessary.

"We have well-established procedures for dealing⁸ with missile launches that potentially pose a threat to the United States or its territories," he said. "Those procedures were followed for these activities."

Whitman was apparently⁹ referring, at least in part, to the conference calls that involved Secretary Rumsfeld.

The Pentagon spokesman would not say what, if any, military steps the United States is taking or considering in the wake of the North Korean launches. He said the focus will likely shift to diplomatic efforts.

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 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 analyze   

vt.分析，解析 (=analyse)

参考例句：

• We should analyze the cause and effect of this event.我们应该分析这场事变的因果。
• The teacher tried to analyze the cause of our failure.老师设法分析我们失败的原因。

5 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

6 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。

7 activated   

adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The canister is filled with activated charcoal.蒸气回收罐中充满了活性炭。

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。