MR TONER: Okay. Look, the decision was quite clear in its description of what is an island and what is a rock, so I would just refer you to its legal definition.
发言人：恩……是这样……“裁决”已经非常清楚地表述了什么是岛，呃……，什么是礁。我只能建议你，呃……去看它的法律定义。
QUESTION: It can’t be both?
中国记者：不能“二者皆是”？
MR TONER: I can – (laughter). Arguably – excuse me. But --
发言人：我……噗……可论证地……(笑了……)
QUESTION: Does it really – does it quote the song? I am a rock and I am an island?
他国记者：这跟一首歌应不应景——我是一个“礁石，我是一个“岛屿”？
MR TONER: Great song, by the way, but unrelated to this discussion. (Laughter.) But – and I can give you that, but I don’t need to read it to you. But look, it – basically there are – there’s a very clear definition within the finding, or the court ruling, that delineates what is an island, legitimate island, and what is a rock.
发言人：(笑了……)是首好歌……但跑题了……(继续笑……)是这样……岛屿跟礁石的有着很清楚的定义……我能把这定义给你，但我不能在这读给你听哈……(说这句话的时候伴着间歇的笑……)
QUESTION: Yeah, but the question is: Does the U.S. Government – do you have your official definition of the land features in South China Sea? Because what if the ruling, it’s contradict to what you find if it’s island or rock?
中国记者：是。但我的问题是，美国有没有对南海岛礁属性的官方定义？万一你们的定义可能与裁决结果相矛盾呢？
MR TONER: We’re not at this point in time going to challenge the definition that they’ve put in there legally at this point.
发言人：目前我们……呃……呃……不会……呃……去挑战裁决作出的合法定义。
虽然南海临时仲裁庭“裁决”将太平岛定义为礁，但公开资料显示，美国政府发布的南海地图中明确将太平岛定义为“岛屿”。
华盛顿智库战略与国际问题研究中心等多家研究机构刊登分析文章指出，太平岛确实是岛，并非礁石。2010年1月美国政府发布了南海地图与地理描述，明确把太平岛以及附属岛屿标记为岛，并注明了岛屿的经纬度。可面对常设仲裁法院7月12号违背常理的裁决，美国国务院发言人却并不愿意反驳。
