2019年经济学人长翅膀的切尔诺贝利(2)（打印版）

Mr Elleman hypothesises, however, that Russia may use it for another purpose:

但Elleman假设，俄罗斯可能把它用于了另一种目的：

to create a long-lasting thermal battery which can provide unlimited electrical power for tasks such as missile guidance and warhead initiation.

创造一个持久的热电池，可以为各种任务，如导弹制导和弹头起爆，提供无限电功率。

Russia has admitted that an "isotope power source" was being tested,

俄罗斯承认对“同位素电源”进行了测试，

and Rosatom, the country's atomic-energy agency, has said a "nuclear battery" was involved.

并且该国原子能机构Rosatom已经表示其中涉及一个“核电池”。

Some Russian sources suggest it was this— rather than a reactor—which failed, exploding when it was pulled from the water.

一些俄罗斯消息人士称，就是这个东西，在从水中被拉出来的时候爆炸了，而反应堆失败的原因。

Why go to such trouble in the first place? Russia has ballistic missiles that can reach any part of the world,

首先为什么要费这么大的劲呢？俄罗斯拥有可到达世界任何地方的弹道导弹，

but it is worried that they may be vulnerable to current or future American defences.

但它担心它们可能会受到目前或未来美国防御的攻击。

Cruise missiles can fly along low, erratic paths capable of skirting those defences.

巡航导弹可以沿着能够绕过这些防御的低而不稳定的路径飞行。

But Russia's longest-range cruise missile, Kalibr, can travel only a few thousand kilometres,

但俄罗斯的最远程巡航导弹Kalibr只能飞行几千公里，

so hitting America would require launching it from planes, ships or submarines.

所以击中美国将需要从飞机、舰船或潜水艇上发射。

Burevestnik, by contrast, could be fired from deep inside Russian territory, and would thus be a more credible threat.

相比之下，Burevestnik可以从俄罗斯领土的深处发射，因此它将是一个更可信的威胁。

Pranay Vaddi, an arms-control expert at the Carnegie Endowment, a think-tank, suggests it might also serve as a bargaining chip.

智囊团卡内基研究院的一名军备控制专家Pranay Vaddi表示它也可被用作一个谈判的筹码。

"This may be an effort to gain leverage in arms-control negotiations, to force the United States to the table," he says.

“这或许也是为在军备控制谈判中获得影响力的一种努力，以迫使美国回到谈判桌前，”他说到。

New Start, a treaty that limits American and Russian nuclear forces, covers only ballistic missiles.

现在美国和俄罗斯核力的《新削减进攻性战略武器条约》仅涉及弹道导弹。

America does not seem keen on renewing it when it expires in 2021.

该条约将于2021年终止，届时美国似乎并不想更新条约。

The Russians may hope that Burevestnik will change America's attitude—if they can make it work.

俄罗斯人或许希望Burevestnik能够改变美国的态度—如果他们能成功的话。