Hourly News 每日新闻 2013-07-24

 Psychological intervention¹ for Gansu quake survivors²

The official death toll³ from Monday's earthquake in Gansu has risen to 95.

Over a thousand others are being treated for injuries.

Around 220-thousand have been relocated.

Meanwhile, new calls are being made for the construction of quake-proof housing in the Province.

Most of the buildings that collapsed⁴ in Monday's earthquake were mud-brick houses that were unable to withstand a strong earthquake.

The 6.6-magnitude earthquake levelled over 5-thousand homes.

 

China starts 5-year ban on new gov't buildings

The central authorities here in China have begun a 5-year ban on the construction of new government buildings as part of its ongoing⁵ anti-corruption and frugality⁶ campaign.

The ban includes the construction of new government buildings, training centers and hotels.

The directive says all violations⁷ will be - quote - "harshly punished".

The new policy paper says government funds and resources should be more spent on developing the economy and boosting the public's well-being⁸.

The CPC leadership has vowed⁹ to improve the party's working style through eliminating extravagance and bureaucracy.

 

Chinese president urges deepening reform, opening up

Chinese president Xi Jinping has issued a new call for a deepening of the reform and opening-up policy.

Xi Jinping says the reforms should be "comprehensively deepened".

He also says it is crucial to maintain "a spirit of reform and innovation".

The comments have been made while on an inspection¹⁰ tour in Hubei.

 

Chinese VP calls for patriotism¹¹ among HK youth

Chinese Vice¹² President Li Yuanchao is calling for patriotism among young people in Hong Kong.

Li Yuanchao has made the comments during a meeting with around a thousand youth representatives from Hong Kong.

He says the principle of "one country, two systems" has been a success and should be carried on.

 

Myanmar president meets Chinese senior military official

Myanmar President Thein Sein has met with the visiting vice-Chair of China's Central Military Commission. 

This is Fan Changlong's first foreign trip since taking up the post.

Thein Sein is describing Fan Changlong's trip to Myanmar as a sign of the friendly ties between the country's two armed forces. 

Fan Changlong arrived in Yangon on Monday as part of a 3-day official visit to Myanmar.

The trip will also take him to Kazakhstan and Thailand.

 

China calls for substantive¹³ progress between Palestine and Israel: UN envoy¹⁴

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations says the Chinese government is hoping to see "substantive progress" in peace talks this week between the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

China's UN deputy representative Wang Min has issued the statement at a Security Council session.

Wang has also told the Security Council session that China's stance on the issue includes the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 border, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Wang Min has also called on the Israeli side to halt its settlement activities and lift its current blockade of the Gaza Strip.

He also says the Security Council should play a bigger role in pushing forward the Middle East peace talks.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are expected to go to Washington later this week to resume the long-stalled peace talks which have been brokered¹⁵ by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

 

Syrian opposition¹⁶ to meet with UN Security Council members: UK

Leading officials with the Syrian opposition-in-exile is set to hold talks with the UN Security Council later on this week.

The UK is putting together the meeting.

The key issues are expected to include human rights, refugees and humanitarian¹⁷ access to the embattled country.

It's unclear whether international arms for the rebel forces will be discussed.

The British are describing the forthcoming session on Friday as an opportunty for a "frank and informal" discussion with the Syrian opposition.

 

Iraq's al-Qaida claims responsibility for attacks on prisons

Al-Qaida in Iraq is claiming responsibility for this week's prison breaks near Baghdad.

The group claims the move is a response to the Iraqi Shiite-led government's "crimes" against Sunni Iraqis. 

Iraqi officials have confirmed more than 500 inmates¹⁸ managed to escape from Abu Ghraib. 

Authorities have imposed curfews around both prisons.

Manhunts are underway. 

The coordinated¹⁹ assaults on the prisons left 29 people dead and 39 others wounded.

The prison breaks are the latest in a string of violence which has been gripping Iraq in recent weeks.

 

Egyptian army preparing for offensive against terrorists in Sinai: Israeli DM

Israel's defense²⁰ minister has revealed the Egyptian military is reportedly set to launch a major offensive in the Sinai.

Moshe Yaalon says he's been told the Egyptian military is moving in heavy armor and gunships into the region.

The move reportedly comes amid a major upswing in violence in the restive²¹ region over the past couple of weeks.

A series of sniper attacks on Egyptian defense forces has left over 2-dozens soldiers dead over the course of the last two weeks.

At the same time, Israeli forces are also beefing up their presence along the shared border in the Sinai with Egypt.

 

Bus overturn kills 16 in Jiangxi

16 people are dead following a bus crash last night in Jiangxi.

10 others remain in hospital.

The bus lost control and overturned.

All the victims are local farmers who were traveling to a pear plantation²² in neighbouring Fujian.

 

10 trapped underground in NW China mine fire

10 workers are trapped underground following a fire in a sulfur²³ mine in Shaanxi.

Local authorities say 27 workers were underground when the fire broke out in the mine in Chengcheng County, which is about 100-kilometers northeast of the provincial²⁴ capital, Xi'an.

9 of those who managed to escape are being treated in hospital.

It's believed a short in an electrical cable sparked the blaze.

1 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

2 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

3 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。

4 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

5 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 frugality   

n.节约，节俭

参考例句：

• We must build up our country with industry and frugality.我们必须勤俭建国。
• By frugality she managed to get along on her small salary.凭着节俭，她设法以自己微薄的薪水生活。

7 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

8 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

9 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。

10 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。

11 patriotism   

n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。

12 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

13 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

14 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

15 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

16 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

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 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

20 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。

21 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

22 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

23 sulfur   

n.硫，硫磺（=sulphur）

参考例句：

• Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.炼钢厂排放出的硫形成了酸雨。
• Burning may produce sulfur oxides.燃烧可能会产生硫氧化物。

24 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。