《中英對照讀新聞》China building second aircraft carrier：PLA colonel 人民解放軍大校：中國正在建造第二艘航空母艦

◎顧佳欣

China is building its second aircraft carrier, a senior naval officer has told media, the most explicit confirmation yet of a widely expected move that will boost Beijing’s maritime power.

一位高階海軍官員告訴媒體，中國正在建造第二艘航母，這是中方迄今最明白之確認，各界早已普遍預期中國會有此舉以加強北京的海軍力量。

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China’s first aircraft carrier was a 300-metre Soviet-era vessel bought from Ukraine and commissioned in September 2012 -- at the time a milestone for the country’s growing military might.

中國的第一艘航母為一艘由烏克蘭購入、長300公尺的蘇聯時期船艦，於2012年9月服役—為當時中國軍事力量茁壯的里程碑。

The news follows reports last week of another double-digit spending boost for China’s military -- the world’s largest -- during 2015, as the country pursues a series of territorial disputes with its neighbours.

該新聞傳出前，上週才有報導指正當中國與鄰國發生一系列領土糾紛之際，全球人數最多的中國軍隊開支又一次呈現兩位數成長。

Senior colonel Liang Fang said China "accumulated a lot of experience" from the first vessel, the Liaoning, and told Internet portal Sohu it had now taken the "next step".

海軍大校梁芳告訴入口網站搜狐說，中國從第一艘航母遼寧號「累積了許多經驗」，並已進行「下一步」。

Beijing has rapidly expanded its military in recent years, rattling its neighbours and attracting the attention of the United States, which is making a foreign policy "pivot" towards Asia.

北京近年來已快速拓展軍事力量，對鄰國劍拔弩張並引起了美國的注意，美國則正採行將重心轉回亞洲之外交政策。

新聞辭典

commission：動詞，（軍艦）服役、將…投入使用、委託；名詞作權限、委員會、佣金、犯罪行為等。例句：The queen commissioned the artist to paint her portrait.（王后委任該藝術家繪製她的肖像。）

milestone：名詞，里程碑。例句：The new drug was a milestone in the treatment of heart disease.（新藥乃是治療心臟病的里程碑。）

accumulate：動詞，累積、聚積。例句：Evidence of her guilt is accumulating.（對她的罪狀之證據正在累積中。）