美国国家公共电台 NPR--U.S. and South Korea formalize a series of steps to try to deter North Korea

U.S. and South Korea formalize a series of steps to try to deter¹ North Korea

Transcript²

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Jenny Town of the thank tank the Stimson Center about an agreement between the U.S. and South Korea aimed at deterring³ North Korea from escalating⁴ military aggression⁵.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

South Korea's president, Yoon Suk Yeol, addresses a joint⁶ session of Congress today. He was in Washington as President Biden announced a new military pact⁷ with South Korea.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Over the past seven decades, our alliance has grown stronger and more capable. The cooperation between our people, our commitment to one another, has grown deeper across every aspect of our partnership⁸.

INSKEEP: Now, as part of this agreement, the United States says it will send nuclear submarines to the waters off South Korea. We've called up Jenny Town, senior fellow at the Stimson Center and director of its 38 North program, which studies the two Koreas. Jenny, welcome back.

JENNY TOWN: Thank you. It's great to be back.

INSKEEP: The president alluded⁹ to it there - a seven-decade-old alliance. It goes back, formally, to the end of the Korean War, where the United States, of course, fought on the side of South Korea. So what is new about this agreement now?

TOWN: Well, this agreement really does address some of the requests that have come out of South Korea over the past several years to know more about how U.S. decision-making, how U.S. nuclear policy actually works. There's always been a sense of, you know, there's a lot of conventional capabilities¹⁰, a lot of conventional cooperation that's very integrated with the Combined Forces Command. But when it came to extended deterrence¹¹, there was a lot of, well, just trust us. You know, the U.S. will make the right decision at the right time. And so this is now really starting a deeper level of dialogue on nuclear policy, on the potential use. What are some factors that would affect and impact any kind of decision-making on the potential use of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula?

INSKEEP: I want to make this blatant¹², if I can. When you talk about nuclear deterrence, if South Korea is thinking about this, they're thinking, we don't have nuclear weapons. North Korea has nuclear weapons. We would like it known that if nuclear weapons are used against us, the United States will or may use nuclear weapons in retaliation¹³, which hopefully prevents any from being used at all. Is that what South Korea wants more assurances on?

TOWN: That is what South Korea wants more assurances on, even though it has been rather explicit¹⁴ that this is one of the tools that is at the disposal of the alliance at any given time.

INSKEEP: How much does it matter that nuclear-capable submarines from the United States go to South Korean waters or that area, even if they don't have nuclear missiles on board?

TOWN: It's really a sign that - again, that it's possible. This is something we do have. Strategic assets that have visited the region pretty frequently, especially at times of higher tensions, is a reminder¹⁵ that - you know, of the full weight of the alliance capabilities. It's meant to sort of signal a show of force and - as well as be a reassuring¹⁶ sign to the South Koreans that the U.S. is there, it's paying attention, that the Combined Forces are capable and that, you know, the - they're prepared to, as they say in Korea, fight tonight.

INSKEEP: What makes South Korea feel that it needs more reassurance¹⁷ now, granting there are these North Korean missile tests, but it seems there are always North Korean missile tests.

TOWN: Well, these days, there are always North Korean missile tests. I think, you know, there's a lot of factors. Like, since 2017, North Korea has been working on and demonstrated more and more capable intercontinental ballistic missiles. This makes South Korea very nervous that North Korea's ability to hold the U.S. also at risk directly would affect U.S. willingness and commitment to coming to South Korea's defense¹⁸ if something happened, worried that it could also be held hostage to North Korean nuclear missiles.

And as well as - you know, I think the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine had a real psychological effect in South Korea of what happens if you have a nuclear-armed - a large nuclear-armed adversary¹⁹ as a non-nuclear weapons country. And so I think there's just a lot of greater anxiety about the entire, you know, security situation in northeast Asia these days and whether or not the U.S. can be deterred²⁰ of - from defending South Korea or if they can even be distracted or even prevented from doing so.

INSKEEP: Jenny Town, it's always a pleasure talking with you. Thanks for your insights.

TOWN: All right. Thanks, Steve.

INSKEEP: Jenny Town is director of the 38 North Program at the Stimson Center.

1 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 deterring   

v.阻止，制止( deter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• However, investors say are a number of issues deterring business. 然而，投资者表示，有很多问题让他们却步。 来自互联网
• It's an effective way of deterring potential does online, the logic goes. 逻辑上这是抑制潜在线上威胁的有效方法。 来自互联网

4 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

5 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

6 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。

7 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

8 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

9 alluded   

提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In your remarks you alluded to a certain sinister design. 在你的谈话中，你提到了某个阴谋。
• She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles. 她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。

10 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

11 deterrence   

威慑，制止； 制止物，制止因素； 挽留的事物； 核威慑

参考例句：

• An extreme school of "disarmers" pronounced stable deterrence was a dangerous deception. “裁军论者”中的极端派声称，稳定的威摄是一种危险的骗局。
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。

12 blatant   

adj.厚颜无耻的；显眼的；炫耀的

参考例句：

• I cannot believe that so blatant a comedy can hoodwink anybody.我无法相信这么显眼的一出喜剧能够欺骗谁。
• His treatment of his secretary was a blatant example of managerial arrogance.他管理的傲慢作风在他对待秘书的态度上表露无遗。

13 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

15 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

16 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

17 reassurance   

n.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• He drew reassurance from the enthusiastic applause.热烈的掌声使他获得了信心。
• Reassurance is especially critical when it comes to military activities.消除疑虑在军事活动方面尤为关键。

18 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。

19 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

20 deterred   

v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣，可他却不罢休。
• Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. 杰里米没有因这一批评而却步。 来自辞典例句