CRI Hourly News 2012 09 03

 13 dead, 2 missing in Jiangxi colliery blast

 

13 miners are confirmed dead, and 2 are still missing, after an explosion in a coal mine in Jiangxi yesterday.

The blast happened at a mine in the city of Pingxiang.

Rescue attempts to reach the 2 miners are being hampered¹ by high temperatures and additional risks of explosions.

Meanwhile, the death toll² from last week's coal mine explosion in Sichuan has climbed to 45.

One other is still listed as missing.

17 others caught up in that incident are still listed in serious condition.

Mine mismanagement is being blamed for the accident.

 

 

China launches emergency response to southwestern floods

 

Flooding has left 12 dead and 15 missing in Sichuan.

174-thousand others have been moved out of harms way, or are still in need of help.

The flooding is also affecting Chongqing.

Close to 150-thousand people in that municipality have been evacuated³ since the heavy rains began late last week.

One person has been killed there.

Further south in Yunnan, 5 villagers are missing following a mudslide triggered by a heavy downpour in a mountainous region of the province.

The central authorities have initiated⁴ emergency response plans for the southwest of the country.

 

 

Japan's islands survey 'illegal and invalid⁵'

 

The Chinese foreign ministry⁶ has made "solemn representations" to the Japanese government again, following another landing of Japanese citizens on the Diaoyu Islands.

The ministry has issued a statement, saying "any unilateral action by the Japanese side on the DiaoyuIslands is illegal, invalid."

The survey group, organized by Tokyo's prefectural government, was comprised of 25 people.

They were there to do surveys around waters near the islands, including real estate assessments⁷.

Tokyo's prefectural government is preparing another survey on the islands in October.

Tokyo's Governor has vowed⁸ to take part in the forthcoming trip, despite possible disapproval⁹ from the central government.

 

 

U.S. drone strike kills 13 civilians¹⁰ in central Yemen: official

 

A U.S. drone strike targeting al-Qaida in central Yemen has mistakenly killed at least 13 civilians.

The strike reportedly missed its suspected al-Qaida target and mistakenly hit two vehicles.

The drone was said to be going after an al-Qaeda leader.

This is the 3rd flawed drone strike in Yemen, following 2 failed U.S. air raids last year.

The previous failed drone strikes left more than 40 civilians dead in Abyan and the northeastern province ofMarib.

Those strikes drew wide-spread protests against the Yemeni and U.S. governments.

The United States has beefed up anti-terror cooperation with the Yemeni government since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February.

 

 

Oil spill threatens marine¹¹ life off Cape¹² Town

 

The wreckage¹³ of a derelect ship is said to be starting to threaten marine life and nearby beaches in South Africa.

The authorities near Cape Town say they're worrried about local penguins¹⁴ and other sea birds.

The Turkish ship actually ran aground in 2009.

Local authorities say the ship is starting to spread, what they call, "black oil fingers."

The ship was transporting coal to Gibralter 3-years ago when it ran aground.

 

 

Rail ministry loses US$1.4b in H1

 

China's Ministry of Railways is reporting its first-half net loss has reached 8.8-billion yuan.

Rising operating costs and mounting debt levels are being blamed.

The ministry's total expenses have come in at 421.5 billion yuan through the first six months.

That is more than half the spending for last year.

The money the ministry has raised via bank loans and bonds are declining as well.

The ministry of Railways has only been able to take in about 311-billion yuan over the first 6-months.

In July, the ministry raised its budget for infrastructure¹⁵ construction to 470-billion yuan, up from the original 406-billion yuan.

 

 

Manufacturing shrinks for 1st time in 9 months

 

China's manufacturing is now in official contraction¹⁶.

The official Purchasing Managers' Index has come in at 49.2 for August.

In July the reading came in at 50.1

This is the first time in 9-months the PMI has come in under the boom-or-bust 50 level.

New orders have declined 0.3-percent.

New export orders have remained flat at 46.6.

On the back of the new figures, the Australia and New Zealand Banking¹⁷ Group is estimating the full-year GDP of China may come in weaker than first expected.

The projection¹⁸ now is 7.8 percent, down from 8.2 percent previously¹⁹ predicted.

 

 

UBS: China's economy to continue to moderate

 

United Bank of Switzerland is predicting that China's economy will continue to weaken in August.

The upcoming Consumer Prices Index, a main gauge²⁰ of inflation, will show a rebound²¹ to 2 percent driven by growth in food prices.

That is up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month.

Meanwhile, it forecasts that the Producer Price Index, the inflation gauge at the wholesale²² level, will have fallen 3.2 percent.

Exports are likely to have expanded by a 2.5 percent in August.

The UBS expects China's economy will recover slowly in the second half.

Meanwhile it also says the banking sector²³ is likely to achieve the 7.5 percent growth target set by the government despite the slowing recovery.  

 

1 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

2 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

4 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

5 invalid   

n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的

参考例句：

• He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
• A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。

6 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。

7 assessments   

n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价

参考例句：

• He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句

8 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

9 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

10 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

11 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

12 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

13 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

14 penguins   

n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹，企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

15 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

16 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

17 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

18 projection   

n.发射，计划，突出部分

参考例句：

• Projection takes place with a minimum of awareness or conscious control.投射在最少的知觉或意识控制下发生。
• The projection of increases in number of house-holds is correct.对户数增加的推算是正确的。

19 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

20 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

21 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

22 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

23 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。