India fires long-range missile

　　India successfully tested its longest-range missile for the first time yesterday, ­firing a nuclear-capable weapon with a range that would allow it to strike China’s biggest cities, including Beijing.

　　印度昨日首次成功试射了其最远程的导弹。该导弹可携带核弹头，射程覆盖中国各大城市，包括北京。

　　The firing of Agni V, which has a range of 5,000km, comes as India’s policy makers weigh the future threat of China, seen by New Delhi as a rising military rival in the region.

　　印度试射射程达5000公里的“烈火-5”型(Agni V)导弹的同时，该国的政策制定者们正对中国未来对印度的威胁加以权衡。在印度政府眼中，中国是该地区正在崛起的军事对手。

　　“The launch of Agni V sends a clear message to Beijing,” said Uday Bhaskar, a former Indian navy commodore who is now a security analyst based in New Delhi. He added that India’s goal remained neutralising the threat coming from China.

　　曾任海军准将、如今在新德里担任安全分析师的乌代•巴斯卡尔(Uday Bhaskar)表示：“烈火-5型导弹的发射向中国政府发出了一个明确的信号。”他接着说，印度的目标仍是消除来自中国的威胁。

　　While some of China’s more nationalistic newspapers were angry at the launch, Beijing’s foreign ministry refrained from criticism. “India and China are not economic rivals but co-operative partners,” said foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin when asked about Agni V.

　　尽管中国一些民族主义色彩较为浓烈的报纸对印度此次试射表示愤怒，但中国外交部却没有使用批评性质的措辞。中国外交部发言人刘为民在回应有关烈火-5型导弹的提问时表示：“中印两国不是竞争对手而是合作伙伴。”

　　Yesterday’s test means India has become only the sixth country in the world to deploy an intercontinental missile capable of travelling more than 5,000km. The US, China, Russia, the UK and France, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, are the only other countries with such a capability, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

　　昨日的试射成功意味着，印度已成为世界上第六个能够发射射程在5000公里以上的洲际导弹的国家。国际战略研究所(International Institute for Strategic Studies)表示，除印度之外，只有联合国安理会(UN Security Council)五个常任理事国（美国、中国、俄罗斯、英国和法国）有此能力。

　　India has become one of the fastest growing arms buyers in the world, following a decade of sustained economic growth. It plans to boost military spending by 13 per cent this fiscal year to about $38bn, according to government data. In contrast, China’s defence expenditure is budgeted to rise to $110bn in 2012.

　　经过10年的持续经济增长，印度已成为世界上军购规模增长最快的国家之一。印度政府数据显示，该国计划在本财年将军费提高13%，至380亿美元左右。与之相比，中国2012年的国防支出预算将增至1100亿美元。

　　New Delhi is making a range of military hardware purchases, including a new multi-role jet fighter strike force worth as much as $20bn. The aim is to overhaul its defence equipment as part of an effort to counter threats from China and its nuclear-armed neighbour Pakistan.

　　印度政府正在进行一系列军事硬件采购，包括组建一支价值高达200亿美元的新式多用途喷气式战斗机部队。印度的目标是对国防装备进行彻底更新，以求对抗来自中国和拥有核武器的邻国巴基斯坦的威胁。