The controversial bombs are prohibited by multiple countries,

這些有爭議性的炸彈被許多國家禁止，

but they are part of an 800-million-dollar aid package the Biden administration says will strengthen Ukraine's offensive against Russian forces.

但它們是拜登政府 8 億美元援助計劃的一部分，拜登政府稱該計劃將加強烏克蘭抵禦俄羅斯軍隊的攻勢。

Russia has already spread tens of millions of these bomblets across Ukrainian territory.

俄羅斯已經朝烏克蘭境內投擲數千萬枚這些小炸彈。

Here's a breakdown of how the cluster munition works and why the United States plans on sending them despite humanitarian concerns.

以下分析說明集束炸彈運作方式以及美國為何在有人道主義考量下，仍計劃軍援此類炸彈。

US cluster munitions, also known as dual-purpose improved conventional munition,

美國集束炸彈又被稱為兩用改進型常規彈藥（DPICM），

are a type of weapon that spreads small bomblets over a wide area.

它們是一種朝廣闊區域散佈小炸彈的武器。

What DPICMs bring to a battlefield is anti-armor and anti-personnel capability.

DPICM 在戰場的貢獻是反裝甲與反殺傷能力。

A common type of cluster munition is fired in artillery shells, which is what the US is expected to give Ukraine.

一種常見的集束炸彈是以砲彈發射，而美國正是預計送此類炸彈往烏克蘭。

They can also be in the form of rockets or dropped from a plane.

它們也可能是火箭形式或從飛機上投擲。

The weapon opens mid-air to release tens or hundreds of smaller explosive munitions or submunitions.

武器會在半空中打開，釋放數十、數百枚較小的爆炸性炸彈或子彈藥。

These submunitions can be loaded with charges that can penetrate armor

這些子彈藥可裝載能穿透裝甲的炸藥

or munitions that can strike multiple human targets across an area as large as several football fields.

或能夠攻擊幾個足球場那麼大區域內的多個人體目標的彈藥。

Clearly, a capability that would be useful in any type of offensive operations.

顯然地，這種能力在任何類型的進攻行動中都會很有用。

In Ukraine, Russia has used these munitions as far back as the first days of the invasion, according to Human Rights Watch.

人權觀察組織稱俄羅斯早在入侵初期就已經將這些炸彈用在烏克蘭領地。

The group said one attack struck residential areas in Kharkiv, killing at least three civilians.

該組織指出，一次針對哈爾科夫住宅區的攻擊至少讓 3 位平民喪生。

Specifically, they say Russia has used 9M55K Smerch rockets.

具體而言，他們說俄羅斯用了 9M55K Smerch 火箭。

Those are composed of submunition containers that have a tail fin and a fuse and sit at the front of the rocket.

它們由帶有尾翼和引信、位於火箭前端的子彈藥容器組成。

The submunitions are designed to attack both people and equipment.

子彈藥被設計來攻擊人與設備。

Behind those is the propellant.

後面是推進器。

After the rocket is launched, the container ejects the submunitions, commonly by combining an explosive charge and a spin mechanism.

火箭發射後，子彈藥從容器中彈出，一般是結合炸藥和旋轉機制。

When the fuse of each submunition is triggered⏤on the ground or in the air⏤it explodes.

當每個子彈藥的引信被觸發時，不論是在地面或空中都會爆炸。

But some of them can also fail to detonate.

但其中一些也可能引爆失敗。

These are referred to as duds, a common issue with cluster munitions.

這些被稱為啞彈，是集束炸彈的一個常見問題。

Duds can cause long-term hazards as they may detonate after conflicts end and harm civilians.

啞彈可能造成長期危害，因為它們或許會在衝突結束後爆炸並傷害平民。

Human rights groups say the first significant use of cluster weapons was by German and Soviet forces in World War II.

人權組織表示，德國和蘇聯軍隊在第二次世界大戰中首次大規模使用集束武器。

The munitions released by German planes were commonly called butterfly bombs,

德國飛機釋放的彈藥俗稱蝴蝶炸彈，

with an attack on the British port of Grimsby, killing almost as many people after the raid as during it.

襲擊英國格里姆斯比港，突襲後被殺害的人數幾乎與突襲期間一樣多。

This bomb may go off as soon as it's even lightly touched.

這種炸彈只要輕輕一碰就有可能爆炸。

It may also go off by itself up to half an hour after it's landed.

它也可能在著陸後半小時內自行爆炸。

The US made extensive use of cluster munitions during the Vietnam War, also dropping them in neighboring Laos.

美國在越南戰爭期間大量使用集束炸彈，還在緊鄰的寮國投擲。

And since then, unexploded bombs dropped by American planes have killed or maimed thousands of Laotians.

從那之後，美國飛機投擲的未爆彈使得數以千計的寮國人喪生或殘疾。

More recently, during the war in Iraq, the US showered more than 1 million bomblets during a 3-week period of major combat.

最近，在伊拉克戰爭期間，美國在為期三週的主要戰鬥中投放了超過 100 萬枚炸彈。

Since 2008, more than 110 countries have signed an international convention on cluster munitions

自 2008 年以來，已有 110 多個國家簽署了集束炸彈國際公約，

that prohibits all use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of cluster bombs.

禁止一切集束炸彈的使用、轉讓、生產以及儲藏。

Russia and Ukraine have not signed the agreement, and the US is among several other NATO countries that are also not signatories.

俄羅斯和烏克蘭尚未簽署該協議，美國等其他幾個北約國家也不是簽署國。

The DPICM ammunition we are delivering to Ukraine will consist only of those with a dud rate less than 2.35%.

我們提供給烏克蘭的 DPICM 將僅包括那些啞彈率低於 2.35% 的炸彈。

Compare that to Russia, which has been using cluster munitions across Ukraine, with dud rates of between 30 and 40%.

相較於俄羅斯在烏克蘭各地使用、啞彈率在 30% 至 40% 間的集束炸彈。

Cluster munitions are already being used by both sides in the war in Ukraine.

烏克蘭戰爭雙方都已經使用了集束炸彈。

The difference is that Russia is using cluster munition to attack, to invade Ukraine.

不同的是，俄羅斯是使用集束炸彈攻擊、入侵烏克蘭。

Ukraine is using cluster munition to protect itself against an aggressor.

烏克蘭則是使用集束炸彈自保，免於侵略者侵犯。

According to Human Rights Watch, Ukraine inherited a stockpile of cluster munitions after the breakup of the Soviet Union,

據人權觀察稱，烏克蘭在蘇聯解體後繼承了一批集束炸彈，

and the Biden administration decided to provide US cluster munitions after written assurances that the weapons wouldn't be used in civilian areas.

拜登政府在收到書面保證不會在平民地區使用這些武器後，決定提供美國集束炸彈。

Even allies who were signatories to the Oslo Convention,

連簽署了《奧斯陸公約》的盟國，

while they cannot formally support something that they've signed up to a convention against,

雖然他們不能正式支持他們已經簽署反對的事件，

have indicated, both privately and many of them publicly, over the course of today that they understand our decision.

他們在今天都私下甚或公開地表示他們理解我國的決定。

The Pentagon says the cluster munitions could be effective when used against Russian armored formations and trench lines,

美國國防部表示，集束炸彈在對付俄羅斯裝甲部隊和戰壕線時可能會有效，

and US officials have defended the decision to supply the weapons as necessary

而美國官員辯稱提供武器為必要行為，

to prevent Ukraine from running low on artillery ammunition at a critical stage in the conflict.

目的在於防止烏克蘭在衝突關鍵階段炮彈短缺。

By providing Ukraine with DPICM artillery ammunition,

透過提供烏克蘭 DPICM，

we will ensure that the Ukrainian military has sufficient artillery ammunition for many months to come.

我們將確保烏克蘭軍隊在為來的數月間，有足夠的火力。