美國官員表示「不意外」
U.S. defense officials have said that China’s newest nuclear-powered submarine — the first of the country’s new Zhou-class vessels — sank between May and June this year.
美國國防部官員表示，中國最新的核子動力潛艇——該國首艘新型周級潛艇——在今年5月至6月間已沉沒。
(national) defense國防vessel(n.)船、艦sink-sank-sunk或sink-sunk-sunk沈沒
However, Chinese authorities have neither confirmed nor denied this claim as of the end of September.
不過，截至9月底，中國當局既未證實也未否認這項說法。
neither…or…既不～也不～as of~截至～為止
The U.S. came to its conclusion on the submarine sinking based on an analysis of satellite imagery taken by Maxar Technologies.
美方的結論是根據馬薩爾科技拍攝的衛星影像分析得出的。
conclusion(n.)結論come to a conclusion…得出、歸結出某項結論=arrive at or reach a conclusionbased on…根據imagery(n.)(集合名詞不可數)圖像、影像image(n.)(可數)圖像;影像
According to CNN, a Zhou-class submarine, noted for its distinctive x-shaped tail, was observed in a March 10 image docked at the Shuangliu shipyard on the Yangtze River in Wuhan.
根據CNN報導，3月10日的影像顯示周級潛艇停靠在武漢長江邊的雙柳造船廠，該潛艇以其獨特的X型尾舵著稱。
noted for…以～聞名或著稱=known for…distinctive(adj.)與眾不同的、獨特的、特別的=uniquedock(v.)(使)靠岸;(使)停泊;(使)進港
At the time, the vessel, which a senior U.S. defense official described as the newest “first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine,” was under construction.
當時，這艘潛艇正在建造中，美國高階國防官員形容其為最新的「一級核動力攻擊潛艇」。
describe A as B 將A描述、形容為Bunder construction建造中
Satellite imagery from June tells a different story, with Euronews reporting that a June 15 image shows the submarine to be “either fully or partially submerged just under the river’s surface.”
不過，6月時的衛星影像卻顯示了不同的情況，歐洲新聞網報導，6月15日的影像顯示潛艇「完全或部分沉入河面下」。
tell a different story 呈現不同的情況、是另外一回事with O OC附帶狀況的說明submerge(v.)(使)潛入水中、(使)沒入水中、浸沒
Tom Shugart, an expert at the Center for a New American Security who analyzed the satellite imagery, told CNN that he had never seen so many cranes in one spot before, leading him to believe that the Zhou-class vessel had sunk.
分析這些衛星影像的新美國安全中心專家湯姆·舒卡特告訴CNN，他從未見過這麼多的起重機聚集在一處，這使他相信周級潛艇已經沉沒。
had V-p.p.過去完成式crane(n.)起重機;吊車leading=which ledlead sb. to do sth.致使或促使某人去做某事
He added that the submarine had gone missing after the June image was taken, which further supported his suspicion of this outcome.
他補充說，潛艇在6月拍攝到影像後便消失，這進一步支持了他的猜測。
substantiate(v.)證明…屬實;證實
American officials have said it is “not surprising” that China would conceal the loss of its newest, most cutting-edge submarine.
美國官員表示，中國隱瞞其最新、最先進的潛艇沉沒的事實「並不令人驚訝」。
conceal(v.)隱藏、隱匿、隱瞞、隱蔽=hidereveal(v.)揭露、透露=disclosecutting-edge(adj.)領先的;最新的;尖端的cutting-edge design前衛的設計cutting-edge technology尖端的技術plow(n.)犁
This is especially so, given that Beijing’s efforts to modernize the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s submarine force have been a top priority in China’s competition with the U.S. to build the world’s best military.
特別是考量到北京為使人民解放軍海軍潛艇部隊現代化所做的努力，一直是中國在與美國競爭建立世界最強軍隊當中的首要之務。
given that…有鑑於=considering that…modern(adj.)現代化的modernize(v.)使現代化the People’s Liberation Army Navy人民解放軍海軍top priority首要之務Safety is our top priority.安全是我們的首要任務。competition(n.)競爭=rivalry
According to Congressional Research Services, China is expected to expand its submarine fleet to 65 vessels by 2025 and 80 by 2035.
根據美國國會研究服務處的資料，到2025年，中國的潛艇艦隊將擴增至65艘，到2035年則將增至80艘。
fleet(n.)船隊;艦隊the Spanish fleet西班牙艦隊
This will be a marked increase in the number of vessels over the next decade, as China reportedly only operated 56 submarines in 2023, with only 12 of them being nuclear-powered.
這代表未來十年潛艇數量將顯著增加，因為據報導，中國在2023年服役潛艇僅有56艘，其中只有12艘是核潛艇。
marked(adj.)明顯的;顯著的=significant=noticeableoperate(v.)操控、操作、營運