South Korea frees Chinese fishermen after fatal clash

南韩释放三位中国渔民

One Chinese fisherman died in the clash

这起撞击事件造成一名中国渔夫死亡

South Korea has released three Chinese fishermen following a fatal clash between their trawler and a South Korean patrol ship earlier this month.

南韩本月稍早已释放了中国渔船和南韩巡逻舰严重撞击事件中的三位中国籍渔民。

Seoul says the incident happened in the Yellow Sea as coast guards tried to prevent Chinese boats from fishing illegally off South Korea 's west coast.

南韩表示，这起发生于黄海的意外起因于海巡队欲阻止中国渔船在南韩的西岸非法越界补鱼。

It said the trawler intentionally struck the patrol ship to allow others to sail back into their waters - but the boat sank after the impact.

据说中国渔船刻意地撞击巡逻舰好让其他渔船回到中国海域，但在撞击后这艘渔船随即沉没。

One fisherman died in the clash.

这起意外撞击事件造成一名中国渔夫死亡。

Four South Korean coast guards were wounded as the Chinese fishermen attacked them with metal bars.

四位南韩海巡队员也在中国渔民以铁棒攻击时受伤。

The clash triggered a diplomatic stand-off between Beijing and Seoul .

这起撞击事件引进了中韩外交上的僵局。

Seafood demand

海产需求

The three Chinese fishermen had been freed and were now preparing to return home, the South Korean coast guard said on Saturday.

南韩海巡队周六宣布，这三名中国籍渔民已经获释并且准备返家。

"We decided not to indict these crew as they were not actively involved in the crime at that time," a South Korean coast guard official was quoted as saying by the Yonhap news agency.

南韩通讯社根据一位海巡队官员表示:「我方决定不指控这些中国渔民，因他们当时并非蓄意造成这起遗憾的事件。」

(Ps.既然认为不是刻意干麻用crime字???)                                   

 "They also fully co-operated in our investigation," said the official.

「中方亦对我们的调查活动高度配合」

Seoul had earlier vowed to deal sternly with the fishermen.

南韩先前已表示，一定会严正地和渔民一起处理此事件。

Scores of Chinese fishing boats are captured for illegal fishing every year, South Korean officials say.

南韩官员透露，每年都有很多中国渔船因非法补鱼被逮捕。

Chinese vessels appear to be going further afield to feed growing domestic demand for seafood.

中国渔船似乎逐渐往外发展以应付日益增加的海产需求。

In September, a confrontation between two Japanese patrol boats and a Chinese trawler in the East China Sea provoked a bitter diplomatic spat.

九月时，两艘日本巡逻艇和一艘中国渔船在中国海东方的对峙也引起了外交上一阵激烈的口水战

The latest clash comes amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula and in the waters around it.

这起撞击事件使朝鲜半岛及周边海域原就紧张的局势有加剧的迹象

Last month North Korea - incensed by live-fire military exercises conducted close to its coast by the US and South Korea - shelled a South Korean island.

上个月美国和南韩在靠近北韩海岸进行联合实弹军事演习，激怒了北韩而砲击南韩延坪岛。


注:原新闻出处: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12078176