英文原文

SEOUL PLANS FIRST SATELLITE LAUNCH

South Korea plans to make its first satellite launch today in a step that could test North Korea's commitment to recent rapprochement moves and rekindle fears of an Asian arms race.

Although North Korea's self-claimed satellite launch in April appeared to have failed, the growing technological prowess demonstrated by firing a long-range rocket unnerved politicians in Seoul. Seoul has also been eager to demonstrate its capabilities as China, India and particularly Japan have moved into space missions.

Japan has set next month for the debut launch of a new unmanned resupply spacecraft for the International Space Station.

South Korea's government has been unabashed in wanting its space programme expanded with an eye to putting astronauts into space. Russian rockets have in the past carried South Korean satellites and, last year, the first Korean astronaut. Russia has also provided critical assistance for South Korea's rocket programme.

North Korea insists its rocket launch in April marked the successful launch of a satellite that is now beaming patriotic anthems from space. The US, South Korea and Japan contest this and say Pyongyang was simply upgrading its ballistic weapons. Stung by UN Security Council sanctions over the launch, Pyongyang has said it expects the UN to show impartiality by condemning South Korea's rocket launch.

“North Korea's reaction will be a barometer of how committed it is to the recent positive trend,” said Andrew Gilholm, senior analyst at Control Risks, the security consultancy, referring to a recent thawing of ties between Seoul and Pyongyang.

Pyongyang has freed US and South Korean detainees and has pledged to co-operate on investment and tourism projects.

After North Korea's launch, politicians in the south complained South Korea was being held back by its adherence to the Missile Technology Control Regime, an informal agreement with the US that restricted southern scientists to working on ballistic missiles with a range of less than 300km. North Korea's rocket flew about 3,000km.

中文参考翻译

韩国计划于今日首次发射卫星，此举可能考验朝鲜对近期和解姿态的承诺，并再次引发人们对亚洲军备竞赛的担忧。

尽管朝鲜4月份自称的卫星发射似乎失败了，但其发射远程火箭所展示出的不断发展的技术实力，让首尔的政界人士感到不安。随着中国、印度以及特别是日本都启动了太空任务，韩国也一直渴望能够展示其能力。

日本将于下月首次向国际空间站发射新的无人驾驶补给飞船。

韩国政府一直毫不掩饰其有意扩大太空项目，包括把宇航员送上太空。俄罗斯火箭曾在过去运载过韩国卫星，并在去年将韩国首位宇航员送上太空。俄罗斯还为韩国的火箭项目提供了关键协助。

朝鲜坚称，4月份的火箭发射标志着该国成功发射了卫星，目前卫星正从太空发送爱国歌曲。美国、韩国和日本反驳了这一说法，它们表示，平壤只是升级了其弹道武器。朝鲜对联合国安理会因其发射火箭而出台的制裁耿耿于怀，称预期联合国将谴责韩国发射火箭，以示公正。

安全咨询机构控制风险集团(Control Risks)高级分析师安德鲁•吉洛姆(Andrew Gilholm)表示：“朝鲜的反应，将显示其在多大程度上致力于延续最近的积极趋势。”他指的是最近韩国与朝鲜紧张关系有所缓和。

平壤已释放了拘留的美国和韩国人员，并承诺在投资和旅游项目上予以合作。

在朝鲜发射火箭之后，韩国政界人士抱怨称，韩国受到“导弹及其技术控制制度”(Missile Technology Control Regime, MTCR)的限制。MTCR是韩国与美国签署的非官方协议，它意味着韩国科学家受到限制，只能开发射程小于300公里的弹道导弹。朝鲜的火箭射程为3000公里。