deterrent

Nuclear weapons have long been regarded as a deterrent against large-scale conventional warfare.长期以来，核武器一直被视为对大规模常规战争的一种威慑。

Stricter penalties serve as a deterrent only when enforcement is consistent and credible.只有在执行一致且可信的情况下，更严厉的惩罚才能起到威慑作用。