时代周刊 新一轮核游戏 成败在此一举(8)

At the same time, the U.S. and Russia are accelerating their spending on nuclear forces.

与此同时, 美俄都在加大核力量方面的投入。

The current U.S. plan would require spending $1.2 trillion

按照目前的计划，美国需要1.2万亿美元的资金，

to modernize¹ the aging U.S. “nuclear triad” of bombers², submarines and land-based missiles over the next three decades.

在未来三十年内对老化的战略轰炸机、潜射弹道导弹和陆基洲际弹道导弹核三位一体进行现代化。

The U.S. is reinvesting in the labs and factories that produce warheads.

美国还恢复了对生产弹头的实验室和工厂的投资。

While the U.S. nuclear stockpile has been slashed³ over the past 30 years,

尽管过去30年里美国的核储备有所削减,

the U.S. military has said the remaining arsenal⁴ is unmatched.

美国军方表示,美国剩余的军火库仍然所向披靡。

Russia is in the midst of overhauling⁵ its nuclear forces,

俄罗斯正在大幅修整其核武库,

including new ICBMs, ballistic-missile submarines and modernized⁶ heavy bombers.

包括开发新的洲际弹道导弹、反弹道导弹潜艇和现代化的重型轰炸机。

It’s developing a massive RS-28 Sarmat ICBM

俄罗斯正在开发一个大型“RS-28萨尔马特”洲际战略导弹，

that boasts countermeasures designed to elude⁷ U.S. antimissile systems.

声称是专为避开美国反导系统而设计的导弹。

It’s also practicing nuclear snap drills that involve missile launches from the air, land and sea.

俄罗斯还在进行覆盖海陆空各型导弹的核演习。

THE REST OF THE WORLD is not blind to the accelerating U.S.-Russia competition.

对于美俄双方日益加剧的竞赛，世界其他国家并没有选择坐视不理。

While the two nations account for nearly 93% of the world’s nuclear arsenal,

尽管这两个国家的核武库占到了全世界的近 93%,

there are now nine countries with stockpiles.

但现在还有另外九个国家也拥有了核武库。

Not only do they have no plans for disarmament, but they aren’t seeking reductions.

他们不仅没有解除武装的计划, 也没有想要削减。

The number of nuclear weapons in the world has declined since the Cold War,

冷战以来，世界上核武器的数量有所下降,

from a peak of about 70,300 in 1986 to 14,550,

从1986年70300枚这样一个峰值降到了14550。

according to the Federation⁸ of American Scientists (FAS).

数据来自美国科学家联合会 (FAS)。

But the pace of reductions has drastically slowed.

然而, 削减的速度已经大幅放缓。

Around the globe, the perceived value of acquiring nuclearweapons has gone up,

在全球范围内, 核武器的拥有价值已经攀升,

while the repercussions⁹ of violating treaties has declined,

违反条约的影响则有所下降,

says Hans Kristensen, director of the nuclear-information project at FAS.

在 FAS 的核信息项目主任汉斯·克利斯登森说。

“We’re certainly in a dynamic strategic competition where all sides are arming themselves,” he says.

他表示: "我们确实是处在一个动态的各方都在武装自己的战略竞争中."

“If the dynamic is not stopped and reversed, it will almost inevitably¹⁰ escalate¹¹ into an arms race.

"如果这个动态没有停止或逆转, 它几乎会不可避免地会升级为军备竞赛。

That is in the nature of the beast.”

而这正是核竞争的野兽本质。”

1 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。

2 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 overhauling   

n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越

参考例句：

• I had no chance of overhauling him. 我没有赶上他的可能。 来自辞典例句
• Some sites need little alterations but some need total overhauling. 有些网站需要做出细微修改，而有些网站就需要整体改版。 来自互联网

6 modernized   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的过去式和过去分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• By 1985 the entire railway network will have been modernized. 等到1985年整个铁路网就实现现代化了。
• He set about rebuilding France, and made it into a brilliant-looking modernized imperialism. 他试图重建法国，使它成为一项表面华丽的现代化帝业。

7 elude   

v.躲避，困惑

参考例句：

• If you chase it,it will elude you.如果你追逐着它， 它会躲避你。
• I had dared and baffled his fury.I must elude his sorrow.我曾经面对过他的愤怒，并且把它挫败了；现在我必须躲避他的悲哀。

8 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

9 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

11 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。