菲律宾考虑建设国防经济区

Philippines Woos Arms Manufacturers 菲律宾考虑建设国防经济区

BATAAN, PHILIPPINES—

The Philippines ongoing¹ territorial² tensions with China have led it to try to modernize³ its military, which for years had one of the smallest budgets in Asia. The country is spending more on more advanced ships and planes, but it is also trying to entice⁴ arms manufacturers to set up shop locally.

Each day 200,000 bullets are produced at the Government Arsenal⁵. But it is not enough to supply the Philippine Armed Forces with the ammunition⁶ it requires.

政府军工厂每天生产200000枚子弹。但这并不能满足菲律宾武装部队的弹药所需

The facility’s director, Jonathan Martir, explained a plan to open a defense⁷ economic zone, a tax-free place for foreign arms manufacturers to make more and better weapons for the Philippines.

这座设施工厂的主管乔纳森·玛特尔表示他想开放一个国防经济开发区,供外国军火制造商为菲律宾制造出更多更好武器的一处免税之地。

“We’re going to achieve self-reliance simply because we’re going to manufacture here in the Philippines... imagine us manufacturing high level equipment, weaponry, that we’ve never manufactured before,” he said.

“我们希望能够实现自力更生,因为我们要在菲律宾本地进行生产…想象我们制造之前从未生产过的高级装备,武器。”

Upgrading Manila's aging arsenal is just one part of the plan. Manila is also conducting joint⁸ exercises with Japanese and American forces, improving the country's ability to patrol and secure its thousands of remote islands.

为国家的老龄化武器更新换代只是这项计划的一部分。马尼拉正同日本，美国部队进行联合军事演习,提高这个国家巡逻及确保成千上万偏远岛屿安全的能力。

Beijing has built military outposts in parts of the South China Sea, known here as the West Philippine Sea. That includes a landing strip on a once-submerged reef.

中国已在自己的南海地区建立军事前哨站,而在菲律宾这个国家，这片区域被称为西菲律宾海。包括曾一度淹埋在礁上的着陆跑道。

Both countries say they are trying to avoid confrontation⁹, but Manila-based defense consultant¹⁰ Jose Antonio Custodio said there are no illusions about how the two-armed forces compare.

“Against a country like China and the lack of any capabilities¹¹ on the Philippine side, the West Philippines Sea installations can be overrun in barely half a day,” he said.

The effort to try to make those forces more formidable is taking shape at Government Arsenal, even though some of the equipment here dates back to the Second World War.

“The sorry state of our defense industry right now, even without the threat from the South China Sea, we still have to improve our capability¹² to manufacture our own ammunition,” Martir stated.

He added that the arsenal still needs presidential approval to allow foreign firms to make weapons here.

 

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

3 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

4 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

5 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。

6 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

7 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。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

10 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。

11 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

12 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。