朝鮮稱美韓軍演“將把局勢推入核戰階段”

The US and South Korea have begun their annual joint military exercises, heightening tensions with Pyongyang that earlier this month threatened to erupt into a potential nuclear conflict.

美國和韓國已開始年度聯合軍事演習，這將加劇與朝鮮的緊張關係。本月早些時候，朝鮮威脅將引爆一場潛在的核衝突。

The reclusive regime in North Korea regularly lambasts the Ulchi-Freedom Guardian manoeuvres, saying they are a rehearsal for invasion. This year has been no different, with North Korean state media threatening “merciless strikes” against the US if provoked.

朝鮮政府經常抨擊美韓“乙支自由衛士”(Ulchi-Freedom Guardian)演習（注：題圖爲韓國警察參加“乙支自由衛士”演習），稱這是侵略演練。今年並無不同，朝鮮官方媒體威脅稱，如被挑釁將對美國展開“無情打擊”。

However, the number of US troops involved in this year’s war games has been cut to 17,500 from 25,000 in 2016, a move that James Mattis, US defence secretary, denied could be interpreted as pandering to Pyongyang.

然而，參加今年軍演的美軍數量從2016年的2.5萬人降至1.75萬人，美國國防部長詹姆斯?馬蒂斯(James Mattis)否認此舉可被解讀爲迎合朝鮮。

“The numbers are by design to achieve the exercise objectives, and you always pick what you want to emphasise,” Mr Mattis said.

“人數是爲了達到演練目標而設計的，你總是會選擇你想要強調的地方，”馬蒂斯表示，“目前，我們非常強調指揮所作戰，因此要將各方面的努力融合起來。”

“At present, there is a heavy emphasis on command post operations, so the integration of all the different efforts.”

與一年一度的“禿鷲”(Foal Eagle)聯合軍演（包括大規模實地演練）不同，“乙支自由衛士”軍演基於電腦化模擬，官員們表示，這種演習屬於防禦性質。

Unlike the annual Foal Eagle drills that involve extensive field manoeuvres, the Ulchi-Freedom Guardian war games are based on computerised simulations that officials say are defensive in nature.

上週日，朝鮮官方媒體批評美國，稱這些演習是“缺乏基本判斷的魯莽行爲”。

On Sunday, North Korean state media criticised the US, calling the exercises “a reckless act bereft of even elementary judgment”.

朝鮮的聲明稱：“特朗普集團宣佈針對朝鮮展開不計後果的核戰爭演習，還有叫囂‘斬首行動’、‘特殊任務’、‘先發制人攻擊朝鮮’以及‘預防性戰爭’，這些都是魯莽的行爲，將把當前局勢推入不可控制的核戰爭階段。”

“The Trump group’s declaration of the reckless nuclear war exercises against the DPRK along with the vociferous call for the ‘beheading operation’, ‘special operation’, ‘pre-emptive attack on the North’ and ‘preventative war’, is reckless behaviour driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war,” said the statement, referring to North Korea by its official abbreviation.

美國和韓國拒絕了中國和俄羅斯提出的聯合提議：暫停軍演，換取朝鮮凍結核和彈道導彈試射計劃。

Both the US and South Korea have rejected a joint proposal from China and Russia to suspend military exercises in exchange for a freeze in North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

美韓聯合軍演高度隱祕，但據信，其中包括模擬戰場以及衛星圖像，以推斷朝鮮軍隊駐地和金正恩(Kim Jong Un)的領導風格。除了1.75萬美軍，預計有數萬名韓國人蔘加，還有來自英國、澳大利亞、丹麥和哥倫比亞的士兵。