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2006年VOA标准英语-Future of US Nuclear Arsenal in Flux after

时间:2007-03-06 16:00来源:互联网 提供网友:noelgg   字体: [ ]
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

By Al Pessin
Washington
20 January 2006

The United States has dismantled1 its entire fleet of Peacekeeper missiles, the most modern, powerful and capable inter-continental ballistic missiles in the U.S. arsenal2. The dismantling3 was completed last September, in keeping with a treaty President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed in 2002. The treaty calls for the nuclear arsenals4 on both sides to be reduced by two-thirds by the year 2012. Experts say both countries will still have plenty of nuclear missiles for defense5 and deterrence6, but there are questions about what will happen to those nuclear deterrents8 in the future. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

-----------------------------------------------

The de-activation of the last of the U.S. military's 50 Peacekeeper missiles, also known as MX missiles, and their 500 independently targeted warheads was, in a way, a major event.

"It is both substantive9 and it is symbolic10," said Lieutenant11 General Frank Klotz, the deputy commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command and one of the military's foremost experts on nuclear missiles.

"The substantive aspect of it is we've removed from our active arsenal 50 of our most capable, our most modern and our most powerful inter-continental ballistic missiles, with the capacity of up to 500 warheads from military service. It's also symbolic in the sense that it indicates an achievement, or a step toward achieving our president's objective of achieving the lowest possible level of nuclear weapons consistent with our national security needs as well as those of our friends and allies," he said.

But the dismantling of the last Peacekeeper missile went almost unnoticed. Experts like Philip Coyle say that is because the United States has plenty of other land-based nuclear missiles, as well as sea- and air-based nuclear forces. "We have more than enough nuclear weapons as it is now, and don't need more. The issue that the United States faces with its nuclear weapons is a longer term issue," he said.

Mr. Coyle is a senior adviser12 at the private research group the Center for Defense Information, and spent six years as an assistant secretary of defense during the Clinton administration.

"The really grand issue with nuclear weapons is should all of those countries who have nuclear weapons try to keep replacing them with new ones, or should the world's nuclear powers gradually build down their stockpiles and get rid of them so this is simply not an issue for the long term future," he said.

The long term future is the subject of much discussion among experts like Mr. Coyle and inside the Bush administration. A government document called the Analysis of Alternatives of the Land-Based Strategic Deterrent7 is several months overdue13, and is still being reviewed by senior defense officials.

But General Klotz at Space Command says the short-term plan is in place. "The thinking, at least from the perspective of Air Force Space Command, is at least initially14 the idea would be to continue the process which we are already doing of upgrading the Minuteman Three missile(s). So at the end of the day, you might have a missile which is based upon Minuteman Three capabilities15 and technologies, but has some very substantial differences from the missile which exists today," he said.

The first generation of Minuteman missiles went into production in 1961, more than 20 years before the Peacekeepers were put into service. But the Minutemen have been upgraded several times and further enhancements to the most advanced version of the missile are in progress.

General Klotz says the newer missiles were de-activated, rather than the older ones, specifically to reduce international tension, as provided under the treaty with Russia.

"Over the course of the history of negotiations16 between the United States (and) first Soviet17 Union and then Russia, one of the objectives which we were driving for was to enhance what's called 'Strategic Stability.' And the idea is that one of the most stable situations is where you have intercontinental ballistic missiles with fewer numbers of warheads," he said.

General Klotz says the Minuteman missiles should be able to provide the land-based portion of the U.S. nuclear defense and deterrence force at least until the year 2020. Beyond that, he will not speculate.

Some experts say the Minutemen can continue to function in that role for 50 years or more beyond 2020. But others say a new generation of missiles and warheads will be needed for land, sea and air forces, along with renewed nuclear testing as part of their development. And that is something the world's nuclear powers have agreed not to do, at least for now.

The first indication of long-term U.S. nuclear missile policy should come in the Analysis of Alternatives document, which is expected to be published soon.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 dismantled 73a4c4fbed1e8a5ab30949425a267145     
拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 ); 拆卸; 废除; 取消
参考例句:
  • The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
  • The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。
2 arsenal qNPyF     
n.兵工厂,军械库
参考例句:
  • Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
  • We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。
3 dismantling 3d7840646b80ddcdce2dd04e396f7138     
(枪支)分解
参考例句:
  • The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。
  • The dismantling of a nuclear reprocessing plant caused a leak of radioactivity yesterday. 昨天拆除核后处理工厂引起了放射物泄漏。
4 arsenals 8089144f6cfbc1853e8d2b8b9043553d     
n.兵工厂,军火库( arsenal的名词复数 );任何事物的集成
参考例句:
  • We possess-each of us-nuclear arsenals capable of annihilating humanity. 我们两国都拥有能够毁灭全人类的核武库。 来自辞典例句
  • Arsenals are factories that produce weapons. 军工厂是生产武器的工厂。 来自互联网
5 defense AxbxB     
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。
6 deterrence d230b01f8463627e6282c5e0e4f1c166     
威慑,制止; 制止物,制止因素; 挽留的事物; 核威慑
参考例句:
  • An extreme school of "disarmers" pronounced stable deterrence was a dangerous deception. “裁军论者”中的极端派声称,稳定的威摄是一种危险的骗局。
  • Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。
7 deterrent OmJzY     
n.阻碍物,制止物;adj.威慑的,遏制的
参考例句:
  • Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
  • I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网,免得鸟歇上去。
8 deterrents 7fd4769090c2c4c06dabffcf0eaea9b1     
制止物( deterrent的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Whereas attractants, repellents, and many incitants are olfactory substances, stimulants, and deterrents are usually gustatory. 引诱剂,排斥剂还是其他的兴奋剂都是嗅觉物质,但刺激剂和阻抑剂常常是味觉物质。
  • A lack of empathy for and knowledge of foreign business practices are deterrents to one's success. 投入不够以及对对外商业惯例知识的不足会对一个人成功造成很大的威胁。
9 substantive qszws     
adj.表示实在的;本质的、实质性的;独立的;n.实词,实名词;独立存在的实体
参考例句:
  • They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
  • A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议,但也需要感情上的支持。
10 symbolic ErgwS     
adj.象征性的,符号的,象征主义的
参考例句:
  • It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
  • The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。
11 lieutenant X3GyG     
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。
12 adviser HznziU     
n.劝告者,顾问
参考例句:
  • They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
  • Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。
13 overdue MJYxY     
adj.过期的,到期未付的;早该有的,迟到的
参考例句:
  • The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了,被坏天气耽搁了。
  • The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了,因为房租过期未付。
14 initially 273xZ     
adv.最初,开始
参考例句:
  • The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
  • Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。
15 capabilities f7b11037f2050959293aafb493b7653c     
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
16 negotiations af4b5f3e98e178dd3c4bac64b625ecd0     
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过
参考例句:
  • negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
  • Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。
17 Soviet Sw9wR     
adj.苏联的,苏维埃的;n.苏维埃
参考例句:
  • Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
  • Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。
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TAG标签:   VOA标准英语  Future  US  Nuclear  Arse  Future  US  Nuclear  Arse
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