衛星圖像顯示朝鮮正拆除導彈試驗檯

SEOUL, South Korea — Satellite imagery indicates that North Korea is razing some facilities used for testing one of its most dangerous missiles after its leader, Kim Jong-un, announced a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests, according to an analysis released this week.

韓國首爾——據本週發佈的分析報告稱，在朝鮮領導人金正恩宣佈暫停核試驗和遠程導彈試驗後，衛星圖像顯示，朝鮮正在拆除一些用於測試該國最危險導彈之一的設施。

A “key missile test stand” that was used for testing missile ejections from canisters was demolished at a test site near Kusong in North Korea’s northwest, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., an expert on the country’s weapons systems, said in a report published Wednesday on the website 38 North.

朝鮮武器系統專家小約瑟夫·貝穆德斯(Joseph S. Bermudez Jr)在北緯38度網站(38 North)週三發佈的報告中說，朝鮮西北部龜城附近某試驗場內用於從發射筒試射導彈的“關鍵導彈試驗檯”被拆除。

The Kusong test site was being closely monitored by missile experts because North Korea launched its first solid-fuel midrange ballistic missile, known as Pukguksong-2, from there in February last year.

自朝鮮去年2月發射了首枚固體燃料中程彈道導彈“北極星-2型”(Pukguksong-2)後，導彈專家便開始對龜城試驗場進行密切監視。

Besides its intercontinental ballistic missiles, solid-fuel missiles have been among the most worrisome additions to North Korea’s growing arsenal of ballistic missiles. They can be launched faster and are easier to transport and hide, making them more suitable for surprise attacks.

除洲際彈道導彈外，在朝鮮彈道導彈庫的增長中最令人擔憂的還有固體燃料導彈。它們可以更快發射，更易運輸藏匿，更適用於突襲。

Work to raze the missile test stand and nearby support structures began in the second week of May and appeared nearly complete in satellite imagery taken on May 19, Mr. Bermudez said. He said the stand was the only known facility in North Korea used for land-based, canister-launched ballistic missile ejection tests, which are critical for developing the solid-propellant Pukguksong-2 or longer-range systems.

貝穆德斯表示，拆除導彈試驗檯和附近輔助建築的工作始於5月的第二週，5月19日拍攝的衛星圖像顯示工作幾乎已經完成。他表示，該試驗檯是朝鮮唯一已知用於陸基發射筒發射彈道導彈試驗的設施，對於研發使用固體燃料的北極星-2型或更長射程的導彈系統至關重要。

Militaries use canisters to “cold launch” missiles, ejecting them high into the air before their fuel ignites. The North’s Pukguksong series are cold launch missiles.

軍隊使用發射筒“冷發射”導彈，會在點燃燃料前將其射至高空。朝鮮的北極星系列便是冷發射導彈。

If North Korea had indeed perfected cold launch technology, it would help the nation better protect its mobile missiles from environmental damage while being driven around, and from fiery exhaust during launch. The cold launch method can also make missiles harder to detect once fired.

如果朝鮮確實已完善了冷發射技術，將有助於朝鮮更好地保護機動導彈在運送過程中免受環境破壞，發射時高溫燃氣的影響。冷發射法也可以在導彈發射後使其更難被發現。

During a military parade in April last year, North Korea also showed off very large, apparently intercontinental, ballistic missiles encased in tubes or canisters, indicating that the North was also developing cold launch long-range missiles.

在去年4月的一次閱兵中，朝鮮還展示了裝在管內或是發射筒內的巨大彈道導彈——顯然是洲際導彈，這表明朝鮮也在發展冷發射遠程導彈。

The significance of the removal of the test stand was unclear.

拆除試驗檯的意義尚不清楚。

Mr. Bermudez said it could not be determined whether North Korea was suspending missile ejection tests or was planning to build similar facilities in the future.

貝穆德斯表示，朝鮮是在暫停導彈發射試驗還是計劃在未來建造類似設施，還無法確定。

Jeffrey Lewis, a North Korea specialist at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Calif., tweeted that the test stand was used to test missile cold ejections, not for flight tests. He said he would strongly dispute the characterization of the facility as “key.”

加利福尼亞蒙特雷(Monterey)米德爾伯裏國際研究學院(Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey)的朝鮮問題專家傑弗裏·劉易斯(Jeffrey Lewis)在推文中說，該試驗檯被用於測試導彈冷發射，而非飛行測試。他說，他強烈反對將其列爲“關鍵”設施。

The Kusong test site was not the only place North Korea has tested its Pukguksong-2 system. In May last year, it launched the same missile from Pukchang, south of Kusong. South Korean officials suspected that a North Korean missile that exploded shortly after takeoff from the east coast in April last year may also have been a Pukguksong-2 missile.

朝鮮不止在龜城試驗場測試過北極星-2型系統，在去年5月，朝鮮在龜城南部的北倉發射了相同的導彈。韓國官員懷疑，去年4月從東海岸發射不久後爆炸的朝鮮導彈或許會是一枚北極星-2型導彈。

Mr. Kim, North Korea’s leader, announced on April 20 that he would discontinue nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, doing so as his government negotiated with Washington on holding a summit meeting with President Trump. North Korea invited outside journalists to watch the shutting down of its only known nuclear test site on May 24.

朝鮮領導人金正恩4月20日宣佈，他將暫停核試驗和洲際彈道導彈試驗。此時他的政府正與華盛頓展開談判，討論與特朗普總統舉行首腦會晤。5月24日，朝鮮邀請了外國記者觀看朝鮮唯一已知核試驗場的關閉過程。

The summit meeting is now scheduled to take place in Singapore next Tuesday.

首腦會晤現在定於下週二在新加坡舉行。

After a series of tests, North Korea declared late last year that it had mastered the ability to launch a nuclear missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

在進行了一系列試驗後，朝鮮在去年年末宣佈已掌握了能打至美國本土的核導彈能力。

But its Hwasong-series intercontinental ballistic missiles use liquid fuel. Unlike solid-fuel missiles, liquid-fuel rockets have to be loaded with fuel just before launching, a process that can take up to an hour and make the missile vulnerable to a pre-emptive strike.

但朝鮮的火星(Hwasong)系列洲際彈道導彈使用的是液體燃料。與使用固體燃料的導彈不同，液體燃料火箭必須在發射前進行燃料裝載，這一過程可花費一個小時，使導彈易受先發制人的攻擊。

As United States officials were sorting out the final details for Mr. Trump’s summit meeting with Mr. Kim, a top United Nations expert on human rights in North Korea urged Mr. Kim to start freeing prisoners under a general amnesty ahead of the meeting next week.

在美國官員解決特朗普與金正恩會晤最後細節的時候，一位身在朝鮮的聯合國人權高級專家敦促金正恩在下週會晤前實行大赦，着手釋放囚犯。

Such an amnesty would send “a good signal,” Tomás Ojea Quintana, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, told reporters in Geneva, according to Agence France-Presse. “There is no rule of law in the country,” he added.

根據法新社(Agence France-Presse)報道，這位身在朝鮮的聯合國人權特別調查員托馬斯·奧赫亞·金塔納(Tomás Ojea Quintana)告訴日內瓦記者，這樣的大赦將會發出“一個好的信號”。“在這個國家裏沒有法治，”他補充說。

North Korea has been denounced as one of the worst human rights violators in the world, accused of extrajudicial killings, torture, chronic food insecurity, lack of freedom of expression and running a network of prison camps. Human rights groups are demanding Mr. Trump put human rights on his agenda when he meets with Mr. Kim.

朝鮮被指責爲世界上人權侵犯最嚴重的國家之一，被指控法外處決、酷刑、食品長期無保障、缺乏言論自由，還管理着監獄集中營網絡。人權組織要求特朗普在與金正恩舉行會晤時將人權提上日程。