日本巡逻机在该国领海外附近地区发现多艘不明身份的潜艇，东京随后发出警告说，如果潜艇进入日本水域，日本政府可能下令采取保障安全的行动。事态的发展可能在中日领土争端持续之际，进一步加剧东京与北京之间的紧张关系。
Japan's defense ministry said a submarine was spotted by a P-3C Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol aircraft Sunday night passing near Kume Island in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture in the East China Sea. The ministry said the submarine had left the area by Monday morning.
日本防卫省说，周日夜间，日本海上自卫队的一架P-3C巡逻机在日本位于东中国海(East China Sea，中国称东海)的冲绳县久米岛(Kume Island)附近发现一艘潜艇。防卫省说，周一早间前，这艘潜艇已离开该水域。
In a separate incident, another unidentified submarine was detected traveling west of Amami-Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture on May 2.
在另外一起事件中，今年5月2日，日本方面发现另外一艘不明身份的潜艇驶过鹿儿岛县奄美大岛(Amami-Oshima)以西水域。
Japanese media said government officials believe the submarines were likely to have been Chinese. China's foreign ministry didn't respond to faxed questions seeking comment.
日本媒体说，政府官员认为，潜艇可能是中国的。中国外交部没有回应记者请求置评的传真。
While the submarines didn't violate international maritime law岸they didn't enter the 12-nautical-mile territorial waters near the areas in question岸their sightings rattled Japanese officials and led the government to issue a warning that an order deploying the military to maintain maritime security could be issued if submarines enter Japan's territorial waters.
尽管潜艇没有违反国际海洋法──潜艇没有进入争议地区附近12海里宽的海域，但它们的出现令日本官员感到不安，政府随后发出警告说，如果潜艇进入日被领海，日本政府将可能下令派遣军队维护日本的海洋安全。
'These are serious acts. If [submarines] enter our territorial waters while underwater, we would have to implement maritime security action,' Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament Tuesday. Defense Minister Itsunori onodera said the government won't reveal information on the nationality of the submarines due to intelligence concerns.
日本首相安倍晋三(Shinzo Abe)周二对议会说，这些行为都很严重；如果潜艇在水下进入我国领海，我们将必须采取保障海洋安全的行动。日本防卫大臣小野寺五典(Itsunori Onodera)说，由于情报方面的担忧，政府不会透露有关潜艇国籍的信息。
Japan's top government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said Monday that the two incidents were publicized as it was deemed 'worthy of attention.'
日本内阁官房长官菅义伟(Yoshihide Suga)周一说，这两起事件被公开，是因为此事值得引起注意。
While the Japan Coast Guard is responsible for protecting Japan's coastlines, the defense minister can order the Self-Defense Forces to be deployed for maritime security operations if the situation is considered beyond the coast guard's capabilities.
尽管日本海上保安厅负责保卫日本的海岸线，但如果局势被认为超出了海上保安厅的应对能力，那么防卫大臣可以下令派遣自卫队实施保障海上安全的军事行动。
There have been two such occasions in the past around Japanese waters. In the first case in March 1999 the SDF chased two North Korean spy ships and fired warning shots after the ships were spotted off Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture.
过去，在日本海域附近发生过两起这样的事件。一起事件是在1999年3月，日本自卫队在石川县能登半岛(Noto Peninsula)附近水域发现两艘朝鲜间谍船，自卫队进行驱逐并开枪示警。
The second incident took place in 2004 when a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine entered Japanese territorial waters near Okinawa Prefecture's Ishigaki Island. While international law calls on submarines to surface and raise their national flags when cruising in the territorial waters of a foreign nation, the submarine didn't.
另一起事件发生在2004年。当时，一艘中国核动力潜艇进入冲绳县石垣岛(Ishigaki Island)附近的日本领海。尽管按照国际法规定，一国潜艇在别国领海行驶时，必须浮上水面，并悬挂本国国旗，但中国潜艇却没有这样做。
The sightings and warning follow months of renewed tension between Japan and China over a group of strategically important and resource-rich islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese.
在此次潜艇事件和警告之前，中日因东中国海一组争议岛屿而紧张关系再次升温，且紧张局势已经持续了数月时间。争议岛屿具有重要战略价值且资源丰富，在日本被称为尖阁列岛(Senkaku)，在中国被称为钓鱼岛。
On Monday, the Japan Coast Guard said three Chinese maritime surveillance vessels entered Japanese territorial waters near the islands. The incident prompted Shinsuke Sugiyama, director general of the foreign ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, to lodge a protest with China through its minister to Japan, Han Zhiqiang.
周一，日本海上保安厅说，三艘中国海监船进入争议岛屿附近的日本领海。此事促使日本外务省亚洲及大洋洲事务局局长杉山晋辅(Shinsuke Sugiyama)通过中国驻日公使韩志强向中方提出了抗议。
A coast guard official said Tuesday that the intrusions brought the number of days this year that Chinese ships have entered Japanese waters near the islands to 24 days, surpassing the total of 23 days Chinese vessels entered territorial waters last year.
一位日本海上保安厅官员周二说，这次中国海监船进入日本领海后，今年中国船只进入争议岛屿附近日本海域的天数增加到了24天，超过了去年全年中国船只进入日本领海的天数（23天）。
The territorial dispute between Tokyo and Beijing flared up again last September when the Japanese government bought three islands in the chain from their private owners, prompting a wave of anti-Japan protests across China. Tensions escalated further in January when Tokyo said a Chinese warship locked weapons-controlling radar on a Japanese ship and helicopter.
中日领土争端去年9月再次升温。当时日本政府从私人岛主手里买下了争议岛屿中的三座岛屿，引发中国各地掀起了反日抗议浪潮。今年1月，东京说，一艘中国海军舰艇用火控雷达锁定日本舰机，中日紧张关系进一步加剧。
