VOA标准英语2010年-Explosion Sinks S. Korean Navy Ship in

South Korean officials are not yet pointing any fingers but say they are not ruling out the possibility that the vessel¹ was the target of a North Korean torpedo² attack.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (C) talks with Defense³ Minister Kim Tae-young (2nd R) during National Security Council ministers meeting in Seoul, 26 Mar⁴ 2010

South Korean officials are not ruling out the possibility of a North Korean attack in the sinking of one of the South's naval⁵ vessels⁶.  About half the more than 100 people on board the ship were rescued, and search efforts are still under way for the remaining crew.  An explosion damaged the ship in a historically tense disputed border area.

 

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ordered an emergency meeting of senior security officials Friday night, hours after an apparent explosion caused a South Korean patrol boat to sink. 

Lee Gi-sik, with South Korea's Joint⁷ Chiefs of Staff, told reporters the military's primary focus was on saving those aboard.

He says at 9:45pm local time, the South's ship was passing southwest of South Korea's Baekryoung island when it began sinking due to damage on its bottom side.  He says other vessels were mobilized and dozens of people were rescued from the distressed⁸ ship.

Baekryoung island is located in waters west of the Korean peninsula, very close to what is called the Northern Limit Line.  The maritime⁹ border was designated by the United Nations at the signing of a 1953 armistice¹⁰ to halt fighting in the Korean War.

North Korea has never accepted the border as valid¹¹, and the North and South have fought at least three separate naval clashes in the area in the past 11 years.

South Korean officials are not yet pointing any fingers but say they are not ruling out the possibility that the vessel was the target of a North Korean torpedo attack.

Lee says a South Korean naval vessel detected an unidentified object on its radar¹² and fired several warning shots.  He says he cannot confirm what the object was.

North Korea warned this month it was bolstering¹³ its defenses in response to routine annual military drills South Korea conducts with the United States.
 

1 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

2 torpedo   

n.水雷，地雷；v.用鱼雷破坏

参考例句：

• His ship was blown up by a torpedo.他的船被一枚鱼雷炸毁了。
• Torpedo boats played an important role during World War Two.鱼雷艇在第二次世界大战中发挥了重要作用。

3 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。

4 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

5 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

6 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

9 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。

10 armistice   

n.休战，停战协定

参考例句：

• The two nations signed an armistice.两国签署了停火协议。
• The Italian armistice is nothing but a clumsy trap.意大利的停战不过是一个笨拙的陷阱。

11 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

12 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。

13 bolstering   

v.支持( bolster的现在分词 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• Why should Donahue's people concern themselves with bolstering your image? 唐纳休的人为什么要费心维护你的形象？ 来自辞典例句
• He needed bolstering and support. 他需要别人助他一臂之力。 来自辞典例句