中國航母服役 象徵意義大於實際意義
China officially welcomed its first aircraft carrier to its navy on Tuesday, offering a public display of its ambitions to challenge U.S. naval supremacy in Asia in the midst of a territorial dispute with Japan that has inflamed nationalism at home.
週二，中國第一艘航空母艦正式交付海軍。這是在中日領土爭端引燃中國國內民族主義情結之際，中國公開展示其挑戰美國在亞洲制海權的雄心壯志。The carrier, christened the Liaoning after China's northeastern province, is at least several years away from minimal combat readiness, military experts say. In particular, Chinese fighter pilots are still learning skills needed for taking off and landing on a moving deck. Diplomats say China has yet to land a plane on the vessel.
軍事專家說，以中國東北部省份遼寧命名的航母距離達到最低戰備狀態至少還有幾年時間。特別是中國戰鬥機飛行員目前仍在學習在移動甲板上起飛和降落飛機所需的技術。外交人員說，中國還沒有飛機在這艘航母上降落。But the addition of the Liaoning to the fleet Tuesday received broad coverage in China's state-run media. President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao were among the leaders at a ceremony in Dalian, the port city where the carrier was refurbished, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. The commissioning led the national nightly television news broadcast, which showed Mr. Hu presiding over the ceremony while wearing the Mao-style suit he reserves for military functions.
然而，“遼寧艦”週二的交接入列引發了中國國有媒體的廣泛關注。新華社稱，中國國家主席胡錦濤和國務院總理溫家寶等領導人出席了“遼寧艦”在大連的交接入列儀式。大連是座港口城市，該航母就是在這裏改造完成的。中國國家電視臺晚間新聞的主要內容就是關於“遼寧艦”的正式入役。畫面顯示，胡錦濤身穿中山裝出席了入列儀式。一般在軍事場合下胡錦濤纔會穿中山裝。
Mr. Wen, reading a letter on behalf of the country's leaders, said putting the aircraft carrier into service would 'be of great and far-reaching significance in inspiring patriotism, national spirit and driving national-defense technologies,' according to Xinhua. 'It will also be of great significance in enhancing national defense power and the country's comprehensive strength.'
溫家寶宣讀了中國領導人的賀電。據新華社報道，賀電說：這艘航母順利交接入列對於提高我軍現代化水平，促進國防科技工業技術進步和能力建設，增強國防實力和綜合國力；對於振奮民族精神，激發愛國熱情具有重大而深遠的意義。The carrier's formal handover to the navy from contractor China Shipbuilding Industry Corp. is largely symbolic. It comes just before China's Oct. 1 National Day as well as a sensitive once-a-decade changeover of top political leaders set to begin in the coming weeks. It appeared in part designed to reinforce a domestic message as China verbally defends its territorial claims against neighbors including Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam.
這艘由中國船舶重工集團公司(China Shipbuilding Industry Corp.)正式交付給中國海軍的航母，其象徵意義大於實際意義。該航母的服役恰好趕在10月1日中國國慶節之前，而且再過幾周，10年一次的敏感的中國領導人換屆選舉就將拉開帷幕。所以從一定程度上說，“遼寧艦”的交付似乎是爲了強化國內的信息，因爲中國目前與日本、菲律賓和越南等鄰邦都有領土之爭，而中國都是在口頭上捍衛其主權。China holds claim to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, known in Chinese as the Diaoyu. It also faces potentially volatile disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines and others over energy-rich waters in the South China Sea.
中國聲稱擁有東中國海(East China Sea，中國稱東海)釣魚島主權。該島爲日本所控，在日本叫尖閣列島(Senkaku)。此外，中國與越南和菲律賓等國就南中國海(South China Sea，中國稱南海)蘊藏豐富能源資源的水域也存在可能一觸即發的爭議。Tens of thousands of Chinese have protested─at times violently─against Japan's control over the Senkaku during the past several weeks, underscoring the public pressure leaders face to defend Chinese territorial claims. Top Chinese political leaders are also grappling with a resurgent U.S. military presence in the region, after more than a decade where the Pentagon focused on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
過去幾周，中國國內有成千上萬人就日本對釣魚島的控制爆發了抗議活動，有些活動甚至帶有暴力色彩，這也凸顯出中國領導人在捍衛領土主張方面所面臨的民衆壓力。此外，中國領導人還在努力應對美國重新在亞洲積聚軍事力量的問題。在此之前的十幾年裏，美國五角大樓把主要精力都放在了伊拉克和阿富汗戰爭上。The development of an aircraft carrier has long been promoted as a symbol of rising national strength. It reinforces the government's narrative that China under the Communist Party is rapidly emerging as a benevolent regional actor just as the U.S. is struggling to retain the influence it has enjoyed in the Asia-Pacific since 1945.
發展航空母艦在中國長期以來一直被宣傳爲國家實力增強的標誌。此外，這也強化了中國政府的說法，即中國在中共的領導下正快速崛起爲一個友好的地區大國。而此時的美國卻正爲保持其1945年以來在亞太區享有的影響力而舉步維艱。'China will not join any arms race, pose a threat to other countries or exceed its national and economic strength to develop arms,' Xinhua said in a commentary Tuesday.
新華社週二發表的一篇評論文章說，中國不會與任何國家進行軍備競賽，不會對任何國家構成軍事威脅，更不會超出國力和經濟實力來發展武器裝備。The Pentagon has reported rising overall numbers of overall Chinese naval vessels in recent years as well as a greater proportion of which the U.S. considers modern. The Chinese navy possesses about 75 principal surface combatants, like destroyers and frigates, and around 60 submarines, according to the U.S. Defense Department.
五角大樓曾經在報告中提到，最近幾年中國海軍艦艇整體數量不斷上升，被美國認爲現代化的艦艇比例增加。據美國國防部說，中國海軍擁有大約75艘主要水面作戰艦艇，如驅逐艦和護衛艦，以及大約60艘潛水艇。China's military could add to its projected power if it were eventually able to deploy aircraft carriers as well as necessary support vessels. That could include running longer and more sophisticated sea and air missions to assert sovereignty over the South China Sea. Currently, its jets don't have sufficient range to operate for extended periods to the outer limits of China's territorial claims, experts say.
如果中國軍方最終能夠部署航母以及必要的支援艦，中國軍方的力量投射可能會增強，例如中國將能夠執行距離更長和更復雜的海上和空中任務，宣示對南中國海的主權。據專家說，目前，中國飛機的最大航程不足，無法在中國領土主張的外部界限長時間飛行。A Chinese company purchased the carrier's empty hull from Ukraine in 1998, and it made its first sea-trial under Chinese control in August 2011.
1998年，一家中國公司從烏克蘭手中購買了這艘航空母艦的空殼。2011年8月，這艘航母在中國的控制下進行了第一次試航。China's neighbors have reacted warily to its growing clout. The U.S. is forging strategic partnerships with long-time ally the Philippines as well as with Vietnam. Vietnam is also in the process of acquiring six Kilo-class submarines from Russia while the Philippines has been pressing the U.S. for defense pledges in the event of a territorial conflict with China.
中國的鄰國對中國日益擴大的影響力反應謹慎。美國正在與長期盟友菲律賓以及越南建立戰略伙伴關係。越南也在從俄羅斯收購六艘基洛級潛艇；與此同時，菲律賓一直在敦促美國做出防務方面的承諾，一旦與中國發生領土衝突時可以獲得幫助。Chinese leaders see a modern navy as necessary to protecting Chinese assets and interests increasingly spread across the world. China's navy in recent years has been taking part in antipiracy missions in the in the Gulf of Aden, for example, though it isn't likely the aircraft carrier will be participating in missions far from China's shores in the immediate term.
中國領導人認爲，有必要通過一支現代的海軍隊伍來保護中國不斷向全世界拓展的資產和利益。例如，最近幾年，中國的海軍一直在亞丁灣參與打擊海盜的行動。不過，這艘航空母艦不太可能立刻參與到遠離中國的行動中。In an annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments, the U.S. Department of Defense said some components of China's first indigenous aircraft carrier may already be under construction. The first of several indigenous carriers isn't likely be ready until after 2015, the report said.
美國國防部在遞交給美國國會的中國軍事發展年度報告中說，中國第一艘國產航母的一些部件可能已經在建造之中。報告說，第一批國產航母在2015年之前不太可能準備就緒。Chinese aircraft carriers are the cornerstone of a multidecade effort by Beijing to modernize its forces. China's military spending in 2012 is forecast to rise to 670.2 billion yuan (about $106 billion), an 11.2% jump over spending a year earlier, according to government figures.
中國的航空母艦是數十年來中國政府努力實現武裝現代化的基石。政府的數據顯示，中國2012年的軍費支出預計將增長至人民幣6,702億元（大約1,060億美元），較上年增加11.2%。Other Chinese military advances that could counter the U.S. include the development of specialized missiles designed to target large ships, such as U.S. aircraft carriers operating in the Western Pacific. One antiship ballistic missile under development, the DF-21D, has a range of more than 1,500 kilometers, or 900 miles, according to the Pentagon.
中國其他能與美國對抗的軍事進展包括，針對大型船隻的專門導彈，包括美國在西太平洋上的航母。據五角大樓說，反艦彈道導彈DF-21D正在開發之中，該導彈的射程超過1,500公里（900英里）。
