Rex Tillerson got strangely carried away at his confirmation¹ hearing. He’s on the verge² of becoming the U.S. secretary of state but at one point he seemed to be channelling the bellicosity³ of his soon-to-be-boss president-elect Donald J. Trump⁴.

前埃克森美孚CEO在国务卿审议听证会上出奇的激动。他似乎被他即将上任的上司川普的好斗个性所感染了。

The former CEO of Exxon Mobil was right to criticize the Chinese government for threatening the freedom of the seas and bulldozing its neighbours’ territorial⁵ claims by building artificial islands in disputed parts of the South China Sea.

这位埃克森美孚前任CEO正确地批评了中国政府，即在南海争议部分造岛威胁海洋自由和否定了邻国对南海的领土申诉。

But Mr. Tillerson didn’t just criticize Beijing. He went far beyond that. He said that the United States should respond by surrounding the artificial islands preventing the Chinese Navy and Air Force from being able to access military installations on land that China claims as part of its territory. As he put it China’s “access to those islands is not going to be allowed.” It would amount to a blockade – an act of war. That would literally⁶ start the Trump administration with a bang.

但是蒂勒森先生不仅仅只是指责了北京。他所言远不止如此。他说，美国应该包围那些人造岛屿以阻止中国海军和空军的军事设施进入那些中国声索主权的岛屿。他放话说“那些岛屿将禁止进入。”这相当于封锁——一种战争行为。这些言论简直为特朗普的行政团队开了个好头。