In a bid to bolster its military presence in the Indo-Pacific, Germany sent two naval vessels to the region on Tuesday amid mounting tensions between China and Taiwan, as well as concerning developments in the contested South China Sea.

　　為加強在印度-太平洋地區的軍事存在，德國週二向該地區派遣了兩艘軍艦，以應對中國和台灣之間以及有爭議的南海問題日益緊張的局勢。

in a bid to：企圖
bolster：（v.）支撐；加固
amid：（prep.）在……當中；為……所環繞
mounting：（a.）持續增加的；持續上升的

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　　The supply ship Frankfurt am Main, which carrying 200 personnel, departed from the town of Wilhelmshaven on Germany's North Sea coast, while the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg left from the Spanish harbor of Rota. These vessels will rendezvous at sea, and then serve in the Indo-Pacific region, including the South China Sea. The mission aims to ensure that Europe and Germany "have a greater presence in the Indo-Pacific region, one of the most economically important regions".

　　搭載200名人員的補給艦「法蘭克福號」從德國北海沿岸的威廉港鎮出發，而巡防艦「巴登-符騰堡號」則從西班牙羅塔港起航。這些船隻將在海上會合，並將在包括南海在內的印太地區服役。這項任務旨在確保歐洲和德國「在印太地區擁有更大的影響力，該地區是經濟上最重要的地區之一」。

depart：（v.）出發
frigate：（n）巡防艦
因frigate最初的設計是為了護衛船團，以避免運輸船艦遭潛水艇或潛艦等船隻襲擾，所以特別強調反潛作戰能力，現今已成一般中等國家的海軍作戰主力，體型較護衛艦corvette（台灣稱之為輕型巡防艦）大一倍。
rendezvous：（v.）會合（尤指秘密地）；在指定地點會面
onward：（adv.）向前

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　　China, in recent years, has consistently issued threats of reunification with Taiwan by force, frequently employing assertive military actions to convey its dissatisfaction with US policies in the region. China also claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory in spite of the latter’s strong objections.

　　近年來，中國不斷發出武力統一台灣的威脅，頻繁採取強硬的軍事行動表達對美國在該地區政策的不滿。中國也聲稱民主治理的台灣是自己的領土，儘管後者強烈反對。

reunification：（n.）重新統一
assertive：（a.）武斷的；肯定的
territory：（n.）領土
objection：（n.）反對

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　　According to an estimate, some 40 % of Europe’s foreign trade flows through the South China Sea. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China, despite an international tribunal ruling that Beijing has no legal basis for these claims.

　　據估計，歐洲約40%的對外貿易經過南海。儘管國際法庭裁定北京的主張沒有法律依據，北京仍宣稱對幾乎整個南海都擁有主權。

claim：（v.）宣稱
sovereignty：（n.）主權；統治權
despite：（adv.）儘管；雖然
despite跟in spite of的用法跟although一樣，都不能和but並用。
tribunal：（n.）特別法庭

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　　“Since several allied navy vessels have passed （the Taiwan Strait）, this obviously is an option. But no decision has been taken yet,” said Pistorius. While the ships will traverse the South China Sea, it remains unclear whether they will navigate through the Taiwan Strait like the United States has done, a decision likely to irk China, Germany’s principal trade partner. China.

　　皮斯托利斯表示，「由於幾艘盟軍的海軍艦艇已經通過（台灣海峽），這顯然是一個選擇。但尚未做出任何決定。」雖然這些船隻將穿越南海，但目前尚不清楚它們是否會像美國一樣穿越台灣海峽，這項決定可能會激怒德國主要貿易夥伴中國。

traverse：（v.）橫越；貫穿
navigate：（v.）航行於……
irk：（v.）使厭煩；使惱火
principal：（a.）主要的