CNN News: 美国有史以来首次尝试拦截洲际导弹

The U.S. director of national intelligence says because of its growing missile and nuclear capabilities, the Asian country of North Korea is increasingly becoming a grave national security threat to the U.S.
美国国家情报局主管称，由于朝鲜不断发展的导弹和核能力，亚洲国家朝鲜正日益对美国国家安全构成严重威胁
America has a few ways it could respond. It could launch a preemptive strike on North Korea, which carries a lot of risks. It can work with other countries to try to pressure North Korea to stop, which the U.S. is doing now. It can also refine and test its own defense technology, like a $40 billion missile defense system.
美国有一些可以回击的办法。它可以对朝鲜发动先发制人的攻击，但这会带来很多风险。它可以与其他国家合作，试图向朝鲜施压，迫使其停止所为——美国目前所为即是如此。它还可以改进并测试自己的防御科技，比如建立价值400亿美元的导弹防御系统。
U.S. officials say it`s like trying to hit a bullet with another bullet. The U.S. military attempted an exceptionally difficult missile interception, its first ever to shoot down a model of a long range intercontinental ballistic missile.
美国官方称，这就像是试图用一颗子弹去击中另一颗。美国军方尝试做了一次异常困难的导弹拦截——其有史以来首次击落一个远程洲际弹道导弹的模型。
In a test taking place over the Pacific Ocean, a mock enemy ICBM fired from the Marshall Islands was targeted by an interceptor fired from an underground silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base north of Santa Barbara. U.S. officials say the interceptor hit its target, the stakes couldn`t be higher.
在太平洋海域进行的一项测试中，一架发射自马绍尔群岛的模拟敌方洲际弹道导弹被一枚拦截器击中。该拦截器发射自圣巴巴拉北部的范登堡空军基地的一个地下筒仓。美国官方称，拦截器击中了目标，风险极其高。
How much pressure are they under to make this work?
他们承受多大的压力才完成这项工作?
So, this is a very crucial test for the Pentagon and for the Missile Defense Agency. North Korea is working on development of intercontinental ballistic missile that would be designed to target and hit the United States.
这对五角大楼和导弹防御局来说是一个非常重要的测试。朝鲜正在研制洲际弹道导弹，目的是瞄准并攻击美国。
Adding to the pressure, the U.S. military`s spotty track record in these tests. In a little over a decade, only about half the interceptors have hit their targets and three of the previous four tests failed.
雪上加霜的是，美国军方在这些测试中却表现不佳。在过去的十多年里，只有大约一半的拦截器击中了目标，而且此前4次测试中有3次均以失败告终。
Critics say the interceptors, based in California and Alaska were rushed into deployment and have had several mechanical problems.
批评人士称，加州和阿拉斯加的拦截器都是紧急部署的，并且还存在一些机械问题。
Sometimes, the kill vehicle did not separate from the rest of the interceptor and at times, there have also been problems with the kill vehicle itself.
而有时候，杀伤器还会偶尔无法与拦截器的其他部分成功分离，有时杀伤器本身也会出现问题。
The interceptor test comes as Kim Jong-un crows about a missile his regime test-fired this week, which it claims has new in-flight guidance systems to make it more accurate.
此次导弹拦截试验正值金正恩政权宣称在本周试射导弹期间，且据称该导弹拥有能使其更加准确的新的空中导航系统。