VOA慢速英语2019 研究称全球军费开支创下1988年以来新高（在线收听）

Study: Military Spending Reaches Highest Levels Since 1988

Countries around the world are spending as much money on their militaries today as they did 30 years ago.

世界各国如今跟30年前一样，在军队上投入了大量资金。

Researchers say military spending worldwide in 2018 was fueled by increased spending in the United States and China, the world's two largest economies.

研究人员表示，中国和美国的支出增长推动了2018年全球军费开支的增长。中美两国是全球最大的两个经济体。

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported Monday that governments spent $1.82 trillion on troops and military equipment in 2018. That represents an increase of 2.6 percent on the total a year earlier.

斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所（简称SIPRI）周一报告称，2018年各国政府在军队和军事装备上投入了1.82万亿美元，比去年同期增长了2.6%。

SIPRI said the amount spent last year represents the most military spending since 1988. That was the year when spending information first became available as Cold War tensions began to ease.

斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所表示，去年的支出金额是1988年以来军费开支最高的一次。那一年，随着冷战紧张局势开始缓和，军费开支信息首次变得透明。

The Cold War lasted over 30 years. On one side was the Soviet Union and its allies, largely in Eastern Europe. On the other was the United States and its allies, mostly in western countries.

冷战持续了30多年。一方是苏联及其盟国，主要位于东欧。另一方是美国及其盟国，主要是西方国家。

Last year, U.S. military spending rose 4.6 percent to reach $649 billion.

去年，美国军费开支增长了4.6%，达到了6490亿美元。

The United States spent more than any other country on troops and military equipment. It was responsible for nearly 36 percent of total military spending worldwide. SIPRI noted that that amount is nearly equal to the combined spending of the next eight countries on the list.

美国在军队和军事装备上的支出高出其它任何国家，占到了全球军费总额的近36%。斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所指出，这一数字几乎等同于这份名单上接下来8个国家的总支出。

China was the second biggest spender. It spent $250 billion in 2018, an increase of 5 percent compared to the year before. China has increased defense spending every year for the past 24 years.

中国是第二大支出国。该国2018年支出了2500亿美元，比前一年增长了5%。中国在过去24年里，每年的国防开支都有所增长。

Nan Tian works as a researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure program. He said, "In 2018, the USA and China accounted for half of the world's military spending."

田南(音译:Nan Tian)在斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所担任武器和军费开支项目的研究员。他说：“2018年，中美两国占到了全球军费开支的一半。”

SIPRI said last year marked the first increase in U.S. military spending since 2010. The group added that President Donald Trump's defense spending request to Congress this year is the largest ever before adjusting for inflation.

斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所表示，去年标志着美国军费开支自2010年以来首次增长。该组织还称，若不考虑通货膨胀，川普今年向国会提交的国防开支要求是史上最高。

Trump has expressed support for strong national defenses, but promised to remove U.S. troops from conflict areas around the world.

川普对强大的国防表示了支持，但是承诺将美军撤离世界各地的冲突地区。

After the United States and China, the other top spenders are Saudi Arabia, India, France, Russia, Britain, Germany, Japan and South Korea.

在美国和中国之后，其它最高的军费支出国有沙特、印度、法国、俄罗斯、英国、德国、日本和韩国。

Saudi Arabia was the biggest spender per capita on defense, spending just a little more per person than the United States. Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition against Houthi forces in Yemen.

沙特在人均防务上是全球最大的支出国，平均到每个人头上的支出比美国略高一点点。沙特在也门正领导着一个反胡塞武装的军事联盟。

NATO spending target

北约支出目标

Trump has criticized some U.S. allies in Europe, especially Germany, for failing to meet NATO's spending target of 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The alliance has called members to spend at least that much on their militaries.

川普批评了一些美国在欧洲的盟友，尤其是德国，因为该国未能达到北约定下的占国内生产总值（简称GDP）2%的支出目标。欧盟呼吁成员国在军队上至少要投入这么多钱。

SIPRI said German military spending equaled 1.2 percent of its GDP last year. That number comes from GDP estimates for 2018 from the International Monetary Fund. Germany is Europe's largest economy.

斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所表示，德国的军费开支相当于该国去年国内生产总值的1.2%。这一数字来自于国际货币基金组织对2018年国内生产总值的估值。德国是欧洲最大的经济体。

Britain and France are the two largest economies in Europe after Germany. Britain spent 1.8 percent and France spent 2.3 percent of GDP on defense in 2018.

英国和法国是继德国之后，欧洲最大的两个经济体。2018年英国在国防上投入了该国国内生产总值的1.8%，法国投入了2.3%。

SIPRI added that military spending by all 29 NATO members was just more than 50 percent of the world's total.

斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所还说，北约所有29个成员国的军费开支略高于50%。

It noted that Russia left the top five spenders' list after a decline of 3.5 percent in 2018. Russia has been involved in the Syrian conflict and it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

该研究所指出，俄罗斯在2018年的军费支出下降了3.5%，跌出了最高支出榜单的前五名。俄罗斯卷入了叙利亚冲突，并于2014年从乌克兰吞并了克里米亚。

Even with a desire to improve Russia's military, President Vladimir Putin has been forced to cut spending because of lower oil prices. Oil is Russia's main export. Putin has called on the government to increase spending on programs aimed at helping Russian citizens.

即便俄罗斯总统普京有着增强俄罗斯军队的愿望，他也因为油价下跌被迫削减支出。石油是俄罗斯主要的出口产品。普京呼吁政府在帮助俄罗斯公民的项目加大支出。

Russian military spending began to decrease for the first time in 20 years in 2017. SIPRI estimated Russia's spending fell 20 percent.

2017年，俄罗斯的军费开支20年来首次开始下降。斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所估计俄罗斯的支出下降了20%。

Words in This Story

adjust – v. to change or move something in reaction to a new situation; to get used to

per capita – adj. or adv.f or each person

gross domestic product – n. the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year

annex – v. to take over or to claim ownership