美国有线新闻 CNN 卫星图片显示朝鲜试验场举行排球赛 美韩大规模军演启动

 

Moving to the Korean Peninsula, where officials are examining satellite images of a potential volleyball game. It's a popular sport in the communist nation of North Korea, and according to 38 North, a service that monitors the secretive country, these pictures appear to show volleyball games taking place at a North Korean nuclear test site. People who work there might be having some down time. They might be standing¹ by for orders from their nation's leader, Kim Jong-un. The U.S. military says North Korea is able to carry out a nuclear weapons test at anytime and it's not likely to announce it first.

Its neighbor to the north, China, is reportedly making preparations for trouble in North Korea. A U.S. defense² official says Chinese bombers³ were put on high alert this week and that an extraordinary number of Chinese warplanes are being prepped for possible service.

Why is China concerned?

For one thing, it's North Korea's closest ally. North Korea depends on China for 80 percent of its international trade. For another, if war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula and the North Korean government collapses⁴, refugees may try to flood over the country's border with China.

It also doesn't like the possibility of a reunified Korea under a South Korean government. South Korea is an ally of the U.S.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is Max Thunder, a massive air exercise between the U.S. and South Korea. There is about 80 aircraft involved in this, more than 1,500 personnel.

Now, we're told it's routine: It is annual. The lieutenant⁵ colonel in charge of it said that it has been planned for months, and they don't have a specific enemy in mind when they're carrying out this exercise.

But, of course, with what is happening on the Korean Peninsula, and that right now, means that this is very much in the spotlight⁶. We know that North Korea has blamed the United States for pushing to almost the brink⁷ of war. And there is rhetoric⁸ on both sides being very strong at this point.

But from this point of view, the people who are involved in this particular exercise say that it's just important for them to be able to know how to work with each other in case of a war. We're being told that this is as close a simulation as you can get to a possible war situation.

Now, of course, North Korea does not like these military options. They see this as a practice for invading North Korea. The U.S., though, says that they are defensive⁹. China doesn't like them either. They have even suggested to the U.S. and South Korea that if they actually halt these drills, then North Korea may suspend their nuclear and missile program.

It's not a new suggestion, and it's not a suggestion that the United States accepts.

Paula Hancock, CNN, at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea.

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 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。

3 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》

4 collapses   

折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 )； 倒塌； 崩溃； （尤指工作劳累后）坐下

参考例句：

• This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
• Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台，抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。

5 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

6 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

7 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

8 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

9 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。