中國先進武器在中東戰場試身手
In recent weeks, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have fired volleys of what are widely thought to be the Chinese-designed C-801 or C-802A anti-ship missiles at US warships in the Gulf of Aden.
近幾周，也門胡塞(Houthi)叛軍向亞丁灣的美國軍艦發動了炮火攻擊，各方普遍認爲，他們使用的是中國設計的C-801或C-802A反艦導彈。
While no American vessel has been hit, one missile damaged a high-speed ferry operated by the United Arab Emirates. No casualties have been reported.
雖然沒有美國船隻被擊中，但阿聯酋一艘快速運輸船被一枚導彈毀損，所幸沒有人員傷亡報告。
With Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen contributing to a humanitarian crisis and thousands already dead, the Obama administration and other western governments are under pressure to halt arms sales to Riyadh.
以沙特爲首針對也門發起的空襲已造成數千人喪生，引發了一場人道主義危機，奧巴馬(Obama)政府及其他西方政府受到了停止向利雅得出售武器的壓力。
Meanwhile, Chinese arms are playing an increasing role in the conflict.
與此同時，中國武器在這場衝突中派上了越來越大的用場。
The missile attacks off Yemen have raised the profile of a new generation of Chinese strategic weapons, many of which are being used in combat for the first time in dirty wars throughout the Middle East and Africa.
從也門方向發起的導彈攻擊提升了中國新一代戰略武器的名氣——在中東和非洲各地的骯髒戰爭中，許多中國新式武器首次被用於戰鬥。
While low-tech hardware such as the Type-56 assault rifle, a variant of the Russian AK-47, have been widely used for decades, the Middle East is becoming the proving ground for a new generation of advanced Chinese weapons such as missiles, aircraft and drones.
幾十年來，諸如56式突擊步槍（蘇聯AK-47突擊步槍的中國仿製版）等低技術含量的中國武器就已被廣泛使用，但目前中東正成爲中國新一代先進武器如導彈、飛機和無人機等的試驗場。
The Chinese and many other navies would be quite impressed with the amount of destruction [the anti-ship missile] caused on the high-speed ferry, said Rick Fisher, senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center in Washington.
華盛頓國際評估和戰略中心(International Strategy and Assessment Center)高級研究員裏克.費舍爾(Rick Fisher)表示，
And this is only the beginning of a greater use of Chinese weapons in the Middle East and elsewhere.
中國及其他多國海軍將會對那艘（被反艦導彈擊中的）快速運輸船的毀損程度感到印象深刻，而這只是開始，中國武器在中東及其他地區將得到越來越廣泛的使用。
In the five years to 2015, China overtook Germany to become the world’s third-largest arms trader as arms exports rose 143 per cent, according to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
根據斯德哥爾摩國際和平研究所(Stockholm International Peace Research Institute)彙編數據，在截至2015年的五年裏，中國超過德國成爲全球第三大武器貿易國，期間其武器出口增長了143%。
The US remains the biggest arms exporter.
美國仍是最大武器出口國。
The attack on the US warships was good advertising, said Col Yue Gang, a retired officer in the People’s Liberation Army.
中國人民解放軍(PLA)退役上校嶽剛表示，這次美國軍艦遭受到的攻擊是很好的廣告。
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, which makes the missiles, declined to comment.
製造這些導彈的中國航天科工集團公司(CASIC)對此不予置評。
Gary Li, a Beijing-based consultant for APCO Worldwide, said Chinese arms makers had become used to seeing their weapons on YouTube videos or TV news.
安可顧問公司(APCO Worldwide)駐北京的Gary Li表示，中國武器製造商已漸漸習慣在YouTube或電視新聞上看到他們的武器。
The only way Chinese weapons can be tested in combat is in regional small wars, he said.
他說：中國武器獲得實戰檢驗的唯一途徑是在地區性小規模戰爭中。
If the weapons work, it’s a great advertisement.
如果這些武器管用，就是很棒的廣告。
If they don’t, this can be blamed on local operators.
如果沒有，就可以歸咎於當地戰鬥人員。
This is something all arms manufacturers do.
所有武器製造商都這麼幹。
The very fact Chinese kit is starting to appear in conflicts around the world is good publicity for them.
中國武器開始在世界各地的衝突中亮相，這本身就能起到很好的宣傳效果。
Until now, China’s largest arms client has been Pakistan, which has used drones and a jointly produced fighter aircraft, the J-17, against Islamist militants in South Waziristan.
到目前爲止，巴基斯坦一直是中國出口武器的最大客戶。在對南瓦濟里斯坦(South Waziristan)伊斯蘭武裝分子的打擊中，巴方使用了無人機和中巴聯合生產的JF-17戰鬥機（中國稱爲梟龍，代號FC-1——譯者注）。
One attraction for Islamabad is reliability of supply.
對伊斯蘭堡來說，中國武器的一個優點是供應的可靠性。
This year alone, the US Congress cancelled $430m in subsidies for the purchase by Islamabad of eight F-16s, saying Pakistan had not done enough to fight militants.
僅在今年，美國國會就取消了爲巴基斯坦購買8架F-16戰機提供4.3億美元補貼，理由是巴基斯坦沒有采取足夠有力的措施打擊武裝分子。
The US has a congress but China doesn’t, said a senior Pakistani official.
美國有個國會，中國沒有，一名巴基斯坦高官表示，
The Chinese don’t interfere in other people’s internal affairs as the Americans do.
中國不干涉別國內政，但美國喜歡這樣做。
What good is American technology if they pull the rug from under your feet unexpectedly?
美國技術有什麼好的？——如果他們會出其不意給你來個釜底抽薪的話。
China has not signed the 2014 Arms Trade Treaty, which supposedly limits transfer of arms to governments that could use them for war crimes.
中國目前沒有簽署聯合國2014年生效的《武器貿易條約》(Arms Trade Treaty)，該條約限制向可能將武器用於戰爭罪行的政府提供武器。
The US has signed but not ratified the treaty.
美國雖已簽署，但尚未批准該條約。
Another advantage for arms importers is in the price.
對武器進口方來說，中國武器的另一項優勢是價格。
Pakistan and China have not publicly disclosed the cost of a J-17, but western officials believe it is half the price of a similar western aircraft.
中巴兩國沒有公開披露JF-17戰機的價格，但西方官員認爲其價格只有西方類似戰機的一半。
China has also sold its CH-4 drone — visually identical to the US General Atomics Reaper drone — to countries to which the US reportedly refuses to sell drones, such as Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
中國還將彩虹4無人機——外觀神似美國通用原子公司(General Atomics)的死神(Reaper)無人機——出售給伊拉克、尼日利亞、沙特阿拉伯和巴基斯坦等國，據報道，美國拒絕向這些國家出售無人機。
Questions about the combat effectiveness of Chinese weapons remain.
中國武器的戰鬥力仍然令人抱有疑問。
Their combat record is so limited it is hard to make a comparison [with US weapons], said Peter Singer, an expert on drone warfare at the New America Foundation in Washington.
華盛頓新美國基金會(New America Foundation)的無人機作戰專家彼得.辛格(Peter Singer)說：它們的作戰記錄非常有限，很難（與美國武器）進行比較。
While most Chinese arms are sold to governments, videos suggest that some advanced weapons find their way into the hands of militant groups in Syria.
中國武器主要賣給政府，但有視頻顯示，部分先進武器會流入敘利亞武裝組織的手中。
While successes have been trumpeted by dealers, failures are still common.
雖然軍火商吹噓中國武器的威力，但失誤卻很常見。
Chinese commentators are quick to say that what is being supplied to the Middle East is far from their best equipment.
中國評論家很快回應稱，目前爲中東提供的武器遠非他們最好的裝備。
