2006年VOA标准英语-US Tests Missile Defense Amid North Korea Tensi

By Al Pessin
Pentagon
21 June 2006

The U.S. Missile Defense¹ Agency is conducting a test in the Pacific Wednesday, but an official says the event was long-planned and is not related to tension over a possible North Korean missile launch.  Meanwhile, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has rejected a North Korean suggestion for direct talks on the issue.  And there is an unconfirmed media report that U.S. navy ships are moving into position to monitor any North Korean missile launch, and possibly direct weapons to shoot it down.

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In this photo provided by the Missile Defense Agency, an interceptor missile is lowered into a silo at Fort Greely near Fairbanks, Alaska (file photo)  
  
Officials say the missile defense test off the coast of Hawaii has been scheduled for a long time and is not related to the tension with North Korea.  Missile Defense Agency spokesman Rick Lehner says the exercise will not even test the type of interceptor that would be used if North Korea ever launched a missile at the United States.

"The one to be tested today is a sea-based version that is designed against short to possibly intermediate range ballistic missiles," he said.  "Any type of long-range ballistic missile attack directed at the U.S. in the future would be dealt with by the long-range interceptors based in California and Alaska."

According to a statement by the Missile Defense Agency, this will be the first test of an improved version of its interceptor missile, which it says is scheduled for operational deployment² aboard U.S. navy ships later this year. 
 
 
The Sea-Based X-band Radar³ is so powerful it can identify baseball-sized objects from thousands of miles away (file photo) 
  
The Washington Post newspaper reported Wednesday that U.S. navy ships with special radar capability⁴ have been moved into position near North Korea to monitor any missile launch, and potentially to direct interceptor missiles to shoot it down.  But officials will not comment on the specific capabilities⁵ or alert status of the missile defense system, which is still in its development and testing phase.

Meanwhile, the number two diplomat⁶ at North Korea's mission to the United Nations has suggested direct talks to address U.S. concerns about a possible missile launch.  But on Wednesday U.S. ambassador John Bolton rejected that suggestion.

John Bolton (file photo)  
  
"I must say you don't normally engage in conversations by threatening to launch inter-continental ballistic missiles," said Mr. Bolton.  "And it's not a way to produce a conversation, because if you acquiesce⁷ in aberrant⁸ behavior you simply encourage the repetition of it, which we're obviously not going to do.  So, main point remains⁹ that North Korea should not launch."

North Korea has long sought direct talks with the United States, but U.S. officials say any dialogue must be in the context of six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program.

Ambassador Bolton says if North Korea launches a missile there would "absolutely" be a response stronger than a press release, and that there is broad support for such a response.  But he would not say what that might be, saying consultations¹⁰ are continuing and the priority is to prevent the launch.

Reports from satellite imagery in recent days have indicated preparations for a North Korean launch of a long-range ballistic missile that some analysts¹¹ believe could reach U.S. territory.

The U.S. missile defense system is designed to respond to such a threat, but the system has had many problems and is not yet fully¹² operational.  Officials say it is a difficult technological¹³ challenge to detect, track and destroy a small missile traveling through space at a high rate of speed, and to do so within just a few minutes.  But some tests have been successful, and news reports say the system could get a "real world" test if North Korea goes ahead with its launch

1 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。

2 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

3 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

4 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。

5 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

6 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

7 acquiesce   

vi.默许，顺从，同意

参考例句：

• Her parents will never acquiesce in such an unsuitable marriage.她的父母决不会答应这门不相宜的婚事。
• He is so independent that he will never acquiesce.他很有主见，所以绝不会顺从。

8 aberrant   

adj.畸变的，异常的，脱离常轨的

参考例句：

• His aberrant behavior at the party shocked everyone.他在晚会上的异常举止令所有人感到震惊！
• I saw that the insects and spiders were displaying the same kind of aberrant behavior.我看到昆虫和蜘蛛正在表现出相同反常的行为。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

13 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。