VOA慢速英语2015 朝鲜远程导弹开发取得进展

AS IT IS 2015-04-02 North Korea Takes Steps Toward Long-Range Missiles 朝鲜远程导弹开发取得进展

A top United States intelligence official says that North Korea has made progress in developing long-range missiles. This comes as the possibility of deploying¹ a U.S. missile defense² system in South Korea has gained attention.

James Clapper is the National Intelligence Director for the United States. He recently wrote to the U.S. Congress saying that North Korea has made progress in developing a missile that could reach the U.S.

He said that North Korea has taken steps to test a long-range inter-continental ballistic missile, or ICBM.

David Stilwell is an official with the U.S. Department of Defense. He recently said that the North Korean missile threat has created what he calls a “demand” for the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea. THAAD is an acronym³ for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense.

Shin In-kyun is a security expert with the Korea Defense Network. He said South Korea is more concerned with short-range missile threats, not ICBMs.

The THAAD missile defense system is able to track objects up to 1,000 kilometers away. It is designed to stop ballistic missiles at high altitudes.

He said ICBMs cannot attack South Korea due to the limits of the missiles’ firing range. He believes that Mr. Clapper’s comments on ICBMs actually expressed concern about a possible cut in the U.S. defense budget.

China and Russia oppose the use of a THAAD system in South Korea. They say the system could possibly be used to intercept⁴ their missiles. They say this would increase U.S. military capabilities⁵ in the area.

Officials in South Korea have avoided any formal declaration on THAAD. They say no official request has come from the U.S. and that no official consultations⁶ have been made. They also say South Korea has not decided⁷ whether to place a THAAD system on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea has not started testing any ICBMs. But experts with the U.S.-Korea Institute say there is photographic evidence that shows rocket engine testing and construction in North Korea. They say that North Korea may have a functioning ICBM within the next three to five years. But ongoing⁸ sanctions and technical problems could delay development by years or even decades.

North Korea also must complete a number of tests before the ICBM is ready for use. Shin In-kyun said a missile must go through at least ten firing tests and must pass at least seven. He estimates it will take several more years for North Korea to build a working ICBM.

It is not known how close North Korea is to developing a small nuclear device that could be used on a ballistic missile.  General Curtis Scaparrotti is the Commander of U.S. Forces Korea. Last year, he said he believed North Korea has the expertise⁹ and ability to build a small nuclear device. South Korean Minister of Defense Han Min-koo also said North Korea has made progress in its nuclear device technology.

Words in this Story

acronym – n. a word formed from the first letters of each one of the words in a phrase

ballistic missile – n.  a weapon that is shot through the sky over a great distance and then falls to the ground and explodes

intercept – v. to stop and take someone or something that is going from one place to another place before that person or thing gets there

sanctions – n. actions taken or orders given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country, etc.

1 deploying   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的现在分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Provides support for developing and deploying distributed, component-based applications. 为开发和部署基于组件的分布式应用程序提供支持。
• Advertisement, publishing, repair, and install-on-demand are all available when deploying your application. 在部署应用程序时提供公布、发布、修复和即需即装功能。

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 acronym   

n.首字母简略词，简称

参考例句：

• That's a mouthful of an acronym for a very simple technology.对于一项非常简单的技术来说，这是一个很绕口的缩写词。
• TSDF is an acronym for Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities.TSDF是处理，储存和处置设施的一个缩写。

4 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

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 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》

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

9 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。