Name: 這張照片幾乎引發了一場核戰爭 (This photo almost started a nuclear war)
Uploaded: 2021-02-06T21:01:30.000Z
Duration: 5 min 43 s

US President John F Kennedy deploys a fleet of warships to Cuba.

美國總統 John F Kennedy 向古巴部署了一支軍艦艦隊。

To intercept Soviet cargo ships, which are already on the way, transporting nuclear missiles to the island.

攔截已經在路上將把核導彈運送到島上的蘇聯貨船。

Kennedy strategically called the impending showdown:

Kennedy 在戰略上稱即將進行的決戰：

"A strict quarantine of all offensive military equipment.”

「嚴格隔離所有攻擊性的軍事裝備。」

What it really was, was a blockade – which is an act of aggression.

它實際上，是一種封鎖 (一種侵略性的行為)。

One wrong move on either side would trigger an all out nuclear war.

任何一方的一個錯誤舉動都會引發全面的核戰爭。

而這一切都始於一週前的這裡。

With an aerial photograph that doesn't seem to show much, unless you're looking for something specific.

一張似乎沒有顯示出什麼的航拍照片，但是仔細看就會找到特定的東西。

Pretty much immediately following the allied victory in World War II, the United States and Soviet Union became bitter enemies,

盟軍在二戰勝利後，美國和蘇聯幾乎是立刻就成為了死敵，

kicking off a decades-long struggle for global influence known as the“Cold War”.

並掀起了一場影響全球長達數十年的鬥爭，即所謂的 「冷戰」。

Espionage and intelligence were at the center of this conflict, most crucially surrounding the mutual buildup of nuclear arsenals capable of unprecedented levels of destruction.

間諜和情報是這場衝突的中心，而最關鍵的是圍繞在相互都能建立出能造成空前破壞的核武庫。

But the US initially had a hard time keeping track of their nemesis.

但美國最初很難掌握他們勁敵的行蹤。

The Soviet Union was notoriously secretive, and hid itself, and its actions from the world.

蘇聯是出了名的神祕，並向世界隱藏自己及其行動。

"An iron curtain has descended across the continent."

「鐵幕已經在整個大陸落下。」

「Nobody knows what Soviet Russia intends to do in the immediate future."

「沒有人知道蘇俄在近期內打算做什麼。」

Then-US President Dwight D Eisenhower saw a solution that built on experimental intelligence gathering from World War II:

時任美國總統的 Dwight D Eisenhowe 看到了一個建立在二戰實驗性情報收集基礎上的解決方案，

In the late 1950s, the new high-altitude U-2 spy plane took photo reconnaissance to the next level.

1950 年代末，新型高空 U-2 間諜機將攝影偵察提高到一個新的水準。

It was equipped with a powerful camera and could fly at a staggering height of 70,000 feet or roughly 13 miles above Earth's surface.

它配備了強大的攝像頭，並可在離地球表面 7 萬英尺或約 13 英里的驚人高度飛行。

“These cameras are described as capable of spotting a golf ball on a putting-green from 40,000 feet.”

「這些攝影機稱作能在 4 萬英尺的地方發現在果嶺上的高爾夫球。」

In 1961, Eisenhower authorized the creation of a new surveillance arm of the CIA:

1961 年，Eisenhower 授權成立中情局新的監視部門，

the National Photographic Interpretation Center, or NPIC.

即國家攝影解說中心，簡稱 NPIC。

This small team of photo interpreters was trained in photogrammetry the science of determining measurements from photographs.

這支小型的照片解說團隊接受了攝影測量培訓，可以從照片中確定測量結果。

Using this method, an expert photo interpreter could identify specific equipment hidden in the tiny details of photographs

使用這種方法，專業的照片解說員可以識別隱藏在照片微小細節中的特定設備，

and recognize signs of nuclear missile site construction.

並識別核導彈基地建設的跡象。

After the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, where the US attempted to overthrow Cuba's communist government, ties between the Soviet Union and Cuba strengthened.

在 1961 年入侵豬灣失敗後，美國試圖推翻與蘇聯關係增強的古巴共產政府。

The US worried that the Soviets might use Cuba as a nuclear missile base.

美國擔心蘇聯會把古巴作為核導彈基地。

If so, they would suddenly have the Western Hemisphere within range of nuclear weapons.

如果是這樣，他們就能驟然地將西半球納入核武器的射程之內。

The CIA began flying U-2 missions over Cuba and bringing the imagery to the NPIC,

中央情報局開始在古巴上空執行 U-2 飛行任務，並將影像帶到國家情報局。

whose photo interpreters pored over every detail, searching for evidence of Soviet presence on the island.

其照片解說員仔細檢查每一個細節，尋找蘇聯在島上存在的證據。

It was like looking for a needle in a mile-long haystack – that's how much film a single U-2 mission yields, covering huge amounts of land.

這就像在一英里長的乾草堆裡找一根針，這就是 U-2 一次的任務所產生的膠卷數量，覆蓋大量土地。

But on October 15th, 1962, Dino Brugioni, a senior photo interpreter, found something.

但在 1962 年 10 月 15 日，資深的照片解說員 Dino Brugioni 發現了一些東西。

This photo proved, beyond doubt, that the Soviets were building nuclear missile sites in Cuba.

這張照片毫無疑問地證明，蘇聯人正在古巴建造核導彈基地。

Brugioni identified military tents and trucks, arranged in known-Soviet patterns.

Brugioni 確定了軍用帳篷和卡車按照已知的蘇聯模式排列，

And, most critically, missile transport trailers measuring 65 feet in length.

而且，最關鍵的是，飛彈運輸拖車的長度為 65 英尺，

Which, when compared to a photo taken in Moscow, made it a perfect match for the Soviet SS-4,

這與在莫斯科拍攝的照片對比後，發現它與蘇聯的 SS-4 完全吻合。

which had a range of 1,100 nautical miles, meaning American cities as far as Washington, DC would be in reach.

它的射程為 1100 海里，這意味著遠至華盛頓特區的美國城市都可以到達。

When the NPIC briefed Kennedy on what they'd found, the president ordered a scaling up of U-2 missions to photograph and analyze all of Cuba.

當 NPIC 向 Kennedy 彙報他們的發現時，總統下令擴大 U-2 任務的規模，以拍攝並分析整個古巴。

Photo analysts updated Kennedy daily and in secret on their progress, which gave them time to decide how to confront the Soviet Union.

照片分析員每天祕密地向 Kennedy 彙報最新進展，這讓他們有時間決定如何與蘇聯對抗。

Given the evidence, Kennedy was strongly advised to launch air strikes against the missile sites and invade Cuba.

鑑於證據確鑿，Kennedy 被強烈建議對導彈基地發動空襲，並入侵古巴。

But he took a more measured approach with his "strict quarantine of all offensive military equipment.”

但他採取了更謹慎的方式，就是他的「嚴格隔離所有攻擊性軍事裝備」的政策。

Which kicked off 6 intense days between the US and the Soviet Union,

這拉開了美蘇之間 6 天緊張關係的序幕，

with Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev calling Kennedy's move “an act of aggression that pushes mankind to the abyss of world nuclear missile war.”

且蘇聯總理 Nikita Krushchev 稱 Kennedy 的舉動是 「將人類推向世界核導彈戰爭深淵的侵略行為。」

"Round the clock processing of their film shows that work on the missile sites is being accelerated."

「對他們的膠捲進行 24 小時不間斷的處理，表明飛彈發射場的工作正在加快進行。」

The damning photos were revealed to allies at the United Nations, as the US military rapidly mobilized and was placed on high alert, and Cuba prepared for another invasion.

當美軍迅速動員起來並處於高度戒備狀態，且古巴為再次入侵做準備的同時，證據確鑿的的照片在聯合國向盟友曝光。

But when Soviet freighters reached the quarantine line….

"A Soviet-chartered vessel Amaruchla is stopped, boarded, and inspected, then cleared to proceed to Cuba."

「一艘蘇聯租用的 Amaruchla 號船被攔截並登船檢查，然後獲准前往古巴。」

"Apparently the Soviet vessels loaded with offensive weapons have turned back."

「顯然，裝載攻擊性武器的蘇軍艦艇已經折返。」

A few days later, Kennedy received a message from Kruschev.

幾天後，Kennedy 收到了 Kruschev 的消息。

The Soviet Union had agreed to withdraw from Cuba in exchange for the US removing missiles it had placed in Turkey and Italy.

蘇聯已同意從古巴撤軍，以換取美國拆除其在土耳其和意大利放置的飛彈。

So, the nuclear missile sites were dismantled and the Soviets left.

於是，核導彈基地被拆除，蘇聯人離開了，

Transporting their nuclear missiles with them back across the Iron Curtain.

將他們的核導彈一起運回鐵幕。

In a personal thank you letter to the NPIC, Kennedy emphasized the importance of the analysis

Kennedy 在給 NPIC 的私人感謝信中，強調了分析的重要性，

and interpretation of the Cuban photography in advising the US's response in what is now called the Cuban Missile Crisis.

和對古巴照片的解說，為美國在現在所謂的古巴導彈危機中的回應提供建議。

"In summary: the Soviet Union did embark upon a bold venture to establish clandestinely in the Western Hemisphere a major offensive weapons base."

「綜上所述，蘇聯確實進行了一次大膽的冒險，在西半球祕密建立了一個重要的攻擊性武器基地。」

"That they were deterred in this effort is in large part attributable to the type of reconnaissance photography that we have just reviewed."

「他們之所以受到阻嚇，在很大程度上歸因於我們剛剛回顧過的偵察攝影。」

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這張照片幾乎引發了一場核戰爭 (This photo almost started a nuclear war)

specific

evidence

determine

scale