VOA标准英语2008年-North Korea Missile Site Said to Be Capable of

One of the world's foremost analysts² of North Korea's ballistic missile programs says reports of missile engine testing at a newly revealed facility appear credible³. As VOA Seoul Correspondent Kurt Achin reports, North Korea is apparently⁴ able to test its missiles under more realistic conditions than ever.

South Korean media have been reporting this week, indications North Korea may have tested engines for some of its largest and longest-range missiles earlier this year.

Joseph Bermudez is a senior analyst¹ with the Jane's group of defense⁵ and intelligence publications. He says the test would be consistent with North Korea's decades-old missile development program.

"North Korea has routinely conducted ballistic missile engine, space launch vehicle engine, testing for the past 10-15 years. It would not be unusual that they would do that now," he said.

The tests are suspected to have taken place at a facility Bermudez took the lead in making public this week. A report published by Jane's Defence Weekly features satellite photographs of a 10-story missile tower and launch pad, located in a Southwestern region of North Korea. Bermudez says North Korea probably began building it about eight years ago.

"The North Korean missile and space launch facility near Pongdong-ni is the most advanced North Korean launch facility to date," he said.

Bermudez says North Korea has usually tested missile engines by separating them from the body of the missile that would carry it. He says the new facility may make future tests more realistic.

"This facility appears that it could actually test the engine while it's in the airframe. What this does, it gives you an additional capability⁶ to test how your subsystems will react to the vibrations⁷ and possibly heat of the engine," explained Bermudez.

North Korea has devoted⁸ abundant resources and attention to missile development since the 1970s. It is believed to have about 800 missiles, most of them short-range weapons capable of reaching Japan and South Korea. In 2006, Pyongyang tested a long-range missile theoretically capable of reaching the United States, but it failed less than a minute after launch.

That long-range test took place just a few months before North Korea conducted a test explosion of its first nuclear weapon. Bermudez says the nuclear and missile programs are designed to complement⁹ each other.

"North Korea wants nuclear weapons, and it wants to mount those... on its ballistic missiles," he said.

Some security experts believe North Korea may be able to reach the United States with a ballistic missile by about 2012, under the most favorable set of conditions. Mounting a nuclear weapon on a long-range missile and delivering it accurately¹⁰ is a far more complex task. Whether Pyongyang might achieve that remains¹¹ a matter of speculation¹².

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

4 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

5 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。

6 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

7 vibrations   

n.摆动( vibration的名词复数 )；震动；感受；（偏离平衡位置的）一次性往复振动

参考例句：

• We could feel the vibrations from the trucks passing outside. 我们可以感到外面卡车经过时的颤动。
• I am drawn to that girl; I get good vibrations from her. 我被那女孩吸引住了，她使我产生良好的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

9 complement   

n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足

参考例句：

• The two suggestions complement each other.这两条建议相互补充。
• They oppose each other also complement each other.它们相辅相成。

10 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。