Donald's Dilemma: North Korea
① Kim Jong Un's quest for a nuclear bomb that can hit the continental United States will test President Donald Trump's deepest instincts and define America's position in the world.
② Will he opt for diplomacy or war?
③ Mr Trump could fall back on deterrence and containment.
④ But that would leave American cities vulnerable to a North Korean strike.
⑤ Or he could break with the past and use force, risking war and a catastrophic loss of life in north-east Asia.
⑥ Mr Trump's choice will test America's alliances with South Korea and Japan, while around the world other partners will study how he weighs their interests.
⑦ The president's choice will also shape the century-defining relationship between America and China: the two superpowers could end up working together more closely, or fighting each other.
⑧ For 25 years American presidents have been able to avoid choosing between diplomacy and military action.
⑨ Mr Trump does not have that luxury.
▍生词好句
quest /kwɛst/: n. 追寻
continental /kɒntɪˈnɛnt(ə)l/: adj. 大陆的
instinct /ˈɪnstɪŋ(k)t/: n. 本能
opt for…: 倾向于做某事
diplomacy /dɪˈpləʊməsi/: n. 外交
deterrence /dɪˈtɛr(ə)ns/: n. 威慑
containment /kənˈteɪnm(ə)nt/: n. 限制
vulnerable /ˈvʌln(ə)rəb(ə)l/: adj. 脆弱的
strike /strʌɪk/: n. 袭击
catastrophic /katəˈstrɒfɪk/: adj. 灾难性的
alliance /əˈlʌɪəns/: n. 联盟
weigh /weɪ/: vt. 掂量；权衡
