随着东亚地区因领土争端引发的紧张局势频频爆发，在截至今年3月的一年中，为应对中国和俄罗斯飞机，日本战机的升空次数远超近几年，总次数创冷战结束以来最高水平。
As territorial tensions flared in East Asia, Japan's air force scrambled jets against Chinese and Russian planes far more often during the year that ended in March than in recent years, pushing the total number of such maneuvers to the highest since the end of the Cold War.
日本自卫队(Self-Defense Forces)周三称，截至3月31日的一年中，其战机为应对外国飞机一共升空810次，较此前一年的567次增加43%，也是自截至1989年3月的一年以来首次突破800次关口。
Japan's Self-Defense Forces said Wednesday it scrambled jets against foreign aircraft 810 times during the year ended March 31, breaking the 800-mark for the first time since the year ending March 1989. The latest total was a 43% increase from 567 a year earlier.
日本战机升空的次数大幅增加主要是为了应对中国飞机活动的增多。中日两国围绕东中国海(East China Sea, 中国称东海)上一组存在主权争议岛屿的紧张关系持续发酵，两国舰船和飞机频频上演相互追逐的游戏。截至今年3月底的一年中，日本战机为应对中国飞机而升空的次数大幅增至415次，此前一年为306次，截至2010年3月底的一年中仅38次。
Bumping up the number was increased activity against Chinese planes, with the two nations playing cat-and-mouse games involving ships and planes as tensions persisted over a group of contested islands in the East China Sea. Sorties against Chinese planes soared to 415, compared with 306 a year earlier, and just 38 in the year ending March 2010.
不过令日本担忧的并不只有中国。截至今年3月底的一年中，日本战机为应对俄罗斯飞机的升空次数达359次，远高于此前一年的248次。
China wasn't the only concern. The Japanese air force scrambled 359 times against Russian planes last year, up from 248 a year earlier.