Hourly News updated 18:00 2011/10/19

 China warns of "grim situation" in foreign trade

China's Ministry¹ of Commerce is warning of a "quite grim situation" for the country's foreign trade as new global uncertainties² weigh on the world's second largest economy.

Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang was speaking after China's exports slowed to 17.1 percent year-on-year growth in September from 24.5-percent growth in August.

He predicts trade growth will retreat later this year due to such factors as rising costs, exchange rate changes and carryover effects.

 

 

Taiwan delegation³ arrives in Tianjin for cross-strait talks

A delegation from Taiwan has arrived in Tianjin for the next round of cross-strait negotiations⁴.

Speaking head of the talks, Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation head, Chiang Pin-kung, says the cross-Strait peace is hard-earned and should be treasured. 

Chiang and Chen Yunlin, president of the Chinese mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, are set to sit down for their seventh round of talks since the two organizations resumed discussions in June 2008. 

The two sides are expected to sign agreements connected to cross-strait nuclear power cooperation, as well as an investment protection deal.

 

 

Stranded⁵ Chinese sailors returning from Thailand after deadly attack

Altogether 96 Chinese sailors and their 14 ships have returned home, after being stranded in northern Thailand for nearly two weeks.

They are back in Yunnan province in southwest China, after being forced off the Mekong river, which was shut down to shipping⁶ traffic following the murders of a dozen Chinese sailors earlier this month.

There are still 12 more Chinese ships waiting to return home.

The authorities say those vessels⁷ and their 68-sailors should be arriving back in China within the next few days.

 

 

Rising flood waters endanger urban Bangkok

The governor of Thailand's capital Bangkok is warning that the city may soon be overwhelmed by flood waters as a huge amount of water from the north threatens to deluge⁸ inner parts of the city. 

During an inspection⁹ tour north of Bangkok, Sukhumbhand Paribatra said it will be more difficult to control the water from the north among the scattered¹⁰ rivers and water channels.

To date, floods have ravaged¹¹ some low-lying areas in the capital and aroused fears among local residents.

More sandbags and water pumps have been prepared to shore up defenses along Bangkok's northern perimeter¹³ to brace¹⁴ for the country's worst flooding in more than 50 years.

 

 

S. Korea presses Japan for efforts to address wartime crimes

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has urged Japan to make more efforts to address Japan's colonial atrocities¹⁵ as the two countries seek forward-looking relations. 

He was speaking after talks with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.

The talks came at a time when Seoul is pressing Tokyo to compensate¹⁶ Korean women forced into sexual slavery during World War II. 

Tokyo has rejected Seoul's recent proposal for talks over the issue, angering South Koreans.

 

 

Chinese army sends medical team to flood-hit Pakistan

The Chinese armed forces will send a 50-member medical team to assist with humanitarian¹⁷ relief work in flood-hit Pakistan.

The Defense¹² Ministry says the medical team is leaving on Thursday and will work in Pakistan for about 10 days.

The team will head to the country's most devastated¹⁸ areas to assist Pakistan's armed forces.

Nearly 7 million people in southern Pakistan have been affected¹⁹ by floods triggered by heavy monsoon²⁰ rains in August and September.

 

 

Police bust²¹ cross-border ring trafficking guns to China's Tibetan regions

Chinese police have busted²² a ring that smuggled²³ guns from northern Myanmar and sold them to several predominantly Tibetan regions in southwest China

17 people were arrested during the operation that started in March. 

Nine guns, including eight pistols and a rifle, along with more than 260 bullets were confiscated²⁴.

The nationalities of the ring members have not been disclosed.

 

 

Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Australia for 10 day visit

Queen Elizabeth II has arrived to Australia for a 10-day visit during which she will travel to four cities and open a meeting of leaders of mostly former British colonies. 

The 85-year-old monarch²⁵ and her 90-year-old husband Prince Philip were given a warm welcome despite the ruling Labor²⁶ Party's desire for the British monarch to be replaced by a president as Australia's head of state.

Australians rejected a proposal to make the country a republic at a referendum in 1999.

The queen will open next week's meeting of the 54-nation Commonwealth²⁷ in the western coastal²⁸ city of Perth.

 

 

100-year-old man completes marathon

A 100-year-old runner has become the oldest person to complete a full-distance marathon when he finished the race in Toronto on Sunday.

Indian-born Fauja Singh earned a spot in the Guinness World Book of Records for his accomplishment²⁹.

It took Singh more than eight hours to cross the finish line and the last competitor to complete the course.

The run was Singh's eighth marathon. He ran his first at age 89.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告

3 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

6 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

7 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 deluge   

n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥

参考例句：

• This little stream can become a deluge when it rains heavily.雨大的时候，这条小溪能变作洪流。
• I got caught in the deluge on the way home.我在回家的路上遇到倾盆大雨。

9 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

10 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

11 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

12 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

13 perimeter   

n.周边，周长，周界

参考例句：

• The river marks the eastern perimeter of our land.这条河标示我们的土地东面的边界。
• Drinks in hands,they wandered around the perimeter of the ball field.他们手里拿着饮料在球场周围漫不经心地遛跶。

14 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

15 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

17 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

18 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

19 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

20 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

21 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

22 busted   

adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• You are so busted! 你被当场逮住了！
• It was money troubles that busted up their marriage. 是金钱纠纷使他们的婚姻破裂了。

23 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

24 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

25 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

26 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

27 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

28 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

29 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。