东京方面谴责朝鲜最近的导弹试射是“不可原谅的、鲁莽的行为”，此前朝方的导弹落在距离日本海岸250公里的海上。

　　“The missile appears to have fallen in our exclusive economic zone. It’s an intolerable, reckless action and poses a grave threat to our national security,” said Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, yesterday.

　　“这枚导弹似乎落在我国的专属经济区。这是一起无法容忍的、鲁莽的行动，对我国的国家安全构成严重威胁，”日本首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)昨日表示。

　　Japanese defence officials believe it was the first time a missile has landed in the country’s exclusive economic zone — an area stretching up to 200 nautical miles, or roughly 370km, from a country’s coastline.

　　日本防卫官员认为，这是首次有一枚导弹落在该国的专属经济区——从一国的海岸线向海上延伸200海里（合370公里）的区域。

　　The midrange Rodong missile was launched from Eunyul in south-west North Korea early yesterday and travelled about 1,000km before crashing into the ocean west of Japan’s Akita prefecture, the officials said.

　　这些官员们表示，这枚“芦洞”(Rodong)中程弹道导弹是昨日上午从朝鲜西南部的殷栗郡(Eunyul)发射的，在飞行约1000公里后落在日本秋田县以西的海上。

　　The latest launch comes amid ever-increasing bellicosity from Pyongyang, which last month warned the US it would pay a “terrifying price” for its efforts to thwart the country’s nuclear programme. It also coincides with broader geopolitical tensions surrounding the decision by Seoul and Washington to place a missile defence system on the Korean peninsula, a move roundly criticised by China.

　　进行最新导弹试射之际，平壤方面的好战言论不断升级，包括上月警告美国将因为阻扰朝鲜的核武计划而付出“可怕代价”。此举还正值韩美在朝鲜半岛部署导弹防御系统的决定引发更广泛地缘政治紧张；中国严厉批评韩美的这一决定。

　　Despite a UN ban, Pyongyang frequently fires missiles into the waters separating it from Japan. Two weeks ago it launched two Rodongs and one shorter-range missile.

　　尽管面临联合国(UN)禁令，但平壤方面经常向朝鲜和日本之间的海上发射导弹。两周前，朝鲜曾发射两枚“芦洞”导弹和一枚短程导弹。

　　Mr Abe said he had strongly protested to Pyongyang about the “clear violation” and would “deal with the matter resolutely in collaboration with the United States and South Korea”.

　　安倍表示，他已向平壤方面强烈抗议这一“明显侵犯”，并将“与美国和韩国合作，坚决处理此事”。

　　The test is likely to embolden Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s president, who on Tuesday doubled down on plans to install the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery, better known as Thaad, by the end of 2017.

　　这起试射很可能强化韩国总统朴槿惠(Park Geun-hye)的决心，她在周二更强势地坚持了到2017年底部署“末段高空区域防御系统”（THAAD，简称：萨德）的计划。

　　“By launching a ballistic missile that can be tipped with a nuclear warhead in the future, North Korea directly and blatantly demonstrated its provocative ambition to target seaports and airfields across South Korea and even its neighbouring countries,” South Korea’s military said yesterday.

　　“通过发射一枚未来可以安装核弹头的弹道导弹，北韩直接且悍然展示了其瞄准韩国各地海港和机场，甚至邻国的挑衅野心，”韩国军方昨日表示。

　　The deployment of Thaad was announced last month, with the missile shield billed as a means to protect South Koreans as well as the 28,500 US troops in the country.

　　部署萨德是在上月宣布的，这一导弹防御系统被标榜为保护韩国人民和2.85万驻韩美军的手段。

　　However, the decision has come under fire from local people — they fear the radar system may harm their health — and from Beijing, which sees it as a geopolitical ploy aimed at constraining China’s strategic ambitions.

　　但是，这一决定引发当地人的不满（他们害怕雷达系统可能损害他们的健康），并受到北京方面的严厉批评，认为它是一个地缘政治伎俩，目的是制约中国的战略雄心。

　　Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, was quick to condemn the proposed installation, saying it exceeded Seoul’s defence requirements.

　　中国外交部长王毅很快谴责部署萨德的决定，称此举超出首尔方面的防卫需求。

　　Analysts expect Beijing to hit back by slapping trade tariffs on export-dependent South Korea, while local media have reported that Korean celebrities — the country’s biggest cultural export — are already being sidelined from Chinese television shows.

　　分析师们预计，北京方面将发起报复，包括对依赖出口的韩国开征贸易关税，另据中国媒体报道，韩国明星（该国最大的文化出口）已经受到中国电视节目冷落。

　　North Korea, meanwhile, is believed to be preparing a fifth nuclear weapons test. At a regional meeting last month, Ri Yong-ho, the country’s foreign minister, lambasted the US over its “never-ending nuclear blackmails”.

　　与此同时，朝鲜据信正准备进行第五次核试验。在上月一个地区会议上，朝鲜外长李勇浩(Ri Yong-ho)抨击美国进行“永无止境的核讹诈”。

　　He said: “The United States will have to pay dearly a terrifying price.”

　　他说：“美国将不得不付出高昂的可怕代价。”