threat to/of

要想正确地理解上面的句子,必须首先弄清 the(a) threat to 与 the(a) threat of 这两个结构的不同用法和含义。the(a) threat to 是指“对……的威胁”。例如：

1. a threat to the safety of... 对……安全的威胁

2. a dire threat to the freedom of the press 对新闻自由的严重威胁

3. He felt that I was becoming a real threat to his plans. (EED) 他觉得我会成为实现他的计划的真正的威胁。

4. The murderer was a threat to society. (MD) 这个凶杀犯是对社会的威胁。

the(a) threat of 则是指“……的威胁”，即 the threat 与 of 短语构成同位关系，如同 the city of Rome, the virtue of thrift 一样(参见 of $^{2}$ )。

the threat of punishment $\$approx The threat is punishment.

请看下面的实例：

1. ... the ever-growing threat of flooding (EED) ……日益增长的洪水的威胁

2. The threat of flood has been relieved. 洪水的威胁已经解除了。

3. The threat of an economic depression hangs over the world. (FWF) 经济衰落的威胁笼罩着全世界。

可见,上引原文中的 the threat 与 an unstoppable pre-emptive attack 也是一种同位关系:The threat is an unstoppable pre-emptive attack.

[试译]那么,这是不是意味着美国的作战卫星构成一种能发动先发制人的进攻而不被遏止的威胁?