Home built aircraft carriers a strategic need

承载着光荣与梦想的中国国产航母

据央视新闻报道，我国第二艘航空母舰下水仪式今天上午在中国船舶重工集团公司大连造船厂举行。第二艘航空母舰由我国自行研制，2013年11月开工。目前，航空母舰主船体完成建造，动力、电力等主要系统设备安装到位。出坞下水是航空母舰建设的重大节点之一，标志着我国自主设计建造航空母舰取得重大阶段性成果。

让我们来一睹风采、

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https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=j1316h7y58m&width=500&height=375&auto=0

China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the second such vessel, will soon be commissioned [1], say reports. Designed to be a base for fighter jets and helicopters, the country’s second aircraft carrier is the first of the Type 001A class.

报道说，中国第一艘国产航空母舰，也就是中国第二艘航母，很快就会服役了。作为战斗机和直升机的基地，中国第二艘航空母舰是首艘001A级别的航母。

[1]commission:

1)[vt] to formally choose someone to do a special piece of work, or to formally ask for a special piece of work from someone （正式地）安排（某人）做，委托（某人）做 

The newspaper commissioned a series of articles on the worst excesses of the fashion industry. 

报社请人撰写了一系列针砭时装业极端倾向的文章。

2)[vt,usually passive] specialized military to give someone the official authority to be an officer in the armed forces 委任（或任命）…为军官 

Grandfather was commissioned as Group Captain in the RAF just before the war. 

就在战争爆发前夕祖父被任命为皇家空军上校。

The "homemade" aircraft carrier is expected to have a displacement [2] of about 50,000 metric tons, and conventional engines and fighter jet launch systems, which are used on CNS Liaoning, China’s first aircraft carrier. However, on-board fighter jets may still have to resort to ski-jump ramps instead of the more advanced catapult-assistance take-off.

这艘“自制的”航空母舰预计排水量为5万公吨，并配有常规引擎和战斗机发射系统。中国第一艘航空母舰辽宁号也使用了这些技术。然而，舰载战斗机可能仍然需要使用滑跃起飞坡道，而不是更加先进的弹射器辅助起飞。

[2]displacement:

1)the situation in which people are forced to leave the place where they normally live 被迫移居他乡 

The recent famine in these parts has caused the displacement of tens of thousands of people. 

最近，这些地区闹饥荒，迫使数万人逃往他乡。  

2)specialized physics the weight of liquid that is forced out of position by an object that is floating on or in it 排水量

CNS Liaoning, rebuilt from a former Soviet cruiser, Admiral [3] Kuznetsov-class carrier Varyag, is primarily used for training and research, while the new carrier will serve naval combat and defense missions, as well as non-combat missions ranging from fighting terrorism and piracy to taking part in rescue operations. Pilots and commanders for the new carrier have been trained and its equipment tested on Liaoning for future operations.

辽宁号由前苏联巡洋舰--库兹涅佐夫海军上将级航母瓦良格号重建而成，主要用于训练和研究。然而新的航母会执行海军作战任务和防卫任务，以及打击恐怖主义、海盗和参与救援的非战斗任务。新航母的飞行员和司令经受了严格的训练，舰上的设施也在辽宁号上进行了测试。

[3]Admiral: an officer of very high rank in the navy 海军将军；海军上将；舰队司令 

Admiral Nelson/Horatio Nelson 海军上将纳尔逊

Although the new aircraft carrier will be a much-improved version of Liaoning, it will not be as advanced as its US counterparts [4], including the nuclear-powered US Nimitz-class and the latest Gerald Ford-class carriers, in terms of size, scale and combat capability. Also, it will take a few more years to complete the functional operations of the new vessel's devices and weapons before it can embark on sea trials.

尽管这艘航母是辽宁号的强化提升版，但是它还不能和美国的航母相提并论，比如核动力航母尼米兹级航母和最新的杰拉尔德·福特级航母，新航母在大小、规模和作战能力上都处于弱势。研究人员还需花几年的时间完善这艘航母的设备以及武器的操作，之后这艘航母才能进行海上试航。

[4]counterpart: a person or thing that has the same purpose as another one in a different place or organization （与不同地方或组织的人或物）作用相同者，相对应者 

The prime minister is to meet his European counterparts to discuss the war against drugs. 

首相将会见欧洲各国首脑就打击毒品犯罪进行商讨。

This is all the more [5] reason Beijing should intensify its research in and enhance its capacity to build aircraft carriers. Such vessels are a necessity for a major power aspiring to better protect its legitimate interests in the open seas, as well as to safeguard regional stability and international sea lanes. Since strong naval powers like the United States are unlikely to exchange equipment and technologies used in their top carriers, China should emulate successful models and learn how to build more advanced carriers.

这是北京方面加大研究力度，提升建造航母能力的原因。这样的战舰是在公海维护合法权益的主要力量，也是维护区域稳定和国际海上航道的必要条件。由于像美国这样强大的海军不会交换他们在顶级航母中运用到的设施和技术，中国应该模仿已经成功的模型，并学习怎样建造更加先进的航母。

[5]all the more: even more than before 更加，越发，格外 

Several publishers rejected her book, but that just made her all the more determined. 

几个出版商拒绝出版她的书，但那恰恰使得她更加坚定。

Two aircraft carriers, regardless of their size, are not enough for a country such as China. The basic principle is that a country the size of China should have at least three aircraft carriers－one for training, one for naval duty and one for maintenance. Six of the 11 US aircraft carriers are deployed in the Pacific Ocean and the rest in the Atlantic Ocean, which help Washington to maintain a formidable maritime presence across the globe.

即使不考虑大小，仅仅两艘航母对于中国这样的大国来说还是不够的。一个基本原则是像中国这样的大国最起码要有三艘航母—一艘用来训练，一艘用来完成海军任务，一艘用来维护。美国11艘航母中的6艘都部署在太平洋，其余5艘部署在大西洋，这些航母有助于华盛顿方面在全球保持令人敬畏的海上存在感。

China has no intention of challenging the US' global dominance nor will it seek to strengthen its navy beyond its defense-oriented strategic need. Chinese vessels are mainly used for self-defense and to preserve regional security. And there is plenty of room for improvement with regard to their capability and combat readiness.

中国无意挑战美国全球统治地位，也无意使海军力量超过防御战略需求。中国的战舰主要用于自卫和维护地区安全。这些战舰在能力和战备方面还有很大的改进空间。

Since aircraft carriers will continue to play a key role in securing open sea operations, China's efforts to design and build a competent carrier from scratch [6] are more than justified. Besides, China needs to convince its neighbors with which it has maritime disputes that the carriers will not be used to flex its military muscles but to make the region safer.

因为航空母舰将继续在保护公海行动中扮演关键角色，中国从零开始建造航母再正当不过了。此外，中国需要使它那些有海上争议的邻居们相信，这些航母不是用来秀军事肌肉的，而是用来使此地区更加安全的。

[6]from scratch: from the beginning, without using anything that already exists 从头开始，从零开始 

Ben built the shed from scratch. 

本从零开始把棚屋搭了起来。

* start from scratch 白手起家

这一短语是从体育运动中来。在18世纪中期，“scratch”被用作体育词汇，意思是“地上划出的起跑线（a line scratched on the ground）”。后来，“start from scratch”的意思就演变为了“从头开始，从无到有，白手起家”。

1）To begin on an even footing, with no advantage or handicap : 

We're gonna have a good life together starting from scratch. 

2）To begin with the very first and simplest steps; build from the ground 

So they threw their plans away and started from scratch.

来源:Chinadaily&爱语吧