Hourly News 每日新闻 2013-12-18

 China urges Japan to stick to peaceful development

The Chinese government has released a new statement, calling on Japan to take the path of peaceful development.

The comment comes after the Japanese cabinet approved a new defense¹ policy package to further expand its military.

Japan's newly approved defense package includes a 5-year defense buildup plan that envisions a 5-percent increase in military spending.

Tokyo is also seeking a more "proactive" security role for its Self-Defense Forces abroad.

The Chinese government says Asian countries, including China, have to be highly watchful² and alert about Japan's actions, given Japan's past.

 

Chinese ambassador attends Kim Jong-il memorials

Chinese foreign ministry³ says China's ambassador to North Korea has attended a ceremony marking the second anniversary of the death of late country leader Kim Jong Il.

Thousands of high-level officials have attended a ceremony in Pyongyang to remember the late leader.

The event has seen North Korea's political and military elite⁴ publicly pledge their loyalty⁵ to current leader Kim Jong-un.

The memorial event comes just days after the execution of Jang Song-thaek, Kim Jong Un's uncle-in-law and widely viewed as the country's Number-2 man.

 

Chinese premier⁶ congratulates Merkel on reelection

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has sent a congratulatory message to German Chancellor⁷ Angela Merkel on her reelection.

Merkel has been reelected in a vote in Germany's lower house of parliament for a third term. 

Her coalition⁸ government will lead the country for the next four years.

Li Keqiang says he is looking forward to maintaining close cooperation between the two sides.

 

China sends 9th peacekeeping contingent⁹ to Sudan

China has deployed¹⁰ another batch¹¹ of UN peacekeepers to Sudan.

This is the 9th time China has sent a peacekeeping contingent to the country to join in UN missions.

The 100-member-strong team is being tasked with engineering and medical work.

China now has almost 2-thousand troops around the world in 10 UN peacekeeping missions.

 

Guangzhou Evergrande's Club World Cup campaign ended with a 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich

From the Club World Cup in Morocco,

European champions Bayern Munich closed in on its fifth trophy¹² of 2013 by beating China's Guangzhou Evergrande 3-0 to reach the Club World Cup final.

Bayern will next face the winner between Atletico Mineiro of Brazil and Moroccan champion Raja Casablanca in Saturday's final.

 

India downgrades U.S. diplomatic privileges after arrest of diplomat¹³

India has downgraded U.S. diplomatic privileges after the arrest of an Indian diplomat by U.S. authorities in New York last week.

India has started stripping U.S diplomats¹⁴ and their families of privileges including the ability to withdraw all airport passes and has stopped import clearances¹⁵ for the U.S. Embassy.

New Delhi police also removed barricades¹⁶ from outside the U.S. Embassy which were set up as a safety measure. 

Devyani Khobragade, India's deputy consul¹⁷ general in New York, was charged last week with making false statements and visa fraud to obtain a work visa for her housekeeper¹⁸.

If convicted, Khobragade faces a maximum sentence of 10 years for visa fraud and five years for making a false declaration.

 

Russia to buy Ukraine bonds

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow will buy 15 billion US dollars' worth of Ukrainian government bonds and sharply cut the price of natural gas for Ukraine.

The announcement comes after Putin held talks in Moscow with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych who is facing massive protests for his decision to halt a trade pact¹⁹ with the EU.

Ukraine, with a heavy 134-billion-U.S. dollar external debt, is struggling to keep its economy going.

The country also serves as a key conduit for Russian natural gas exports to Europe.

 

Clashes renew in South Sudan amid arrests of top officials

Gunfire has erupted again in South Sudan's capital Juba, a day after security authorities launched wide-range arrests among senior political leaders.

Heavy gunfire was reported inside the general military command on Tuesday.

The clash came after the President Salva Kiir said the security forces had arrested 10 senior political figures over "attempted coup²⁰" by the former vice²¹ president Riek Machar.

Earlier, Kiir imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew after 26 people were killed after violent clashes erupted in Juba on Sunday.

Former Vice President Machar was sacked by Kiir in July.

The two men, who are from different ethnic²² groups which have clashed in the past, have long been political rivals.

 

63,000 captured in anti-drug campaign

China's Ministry of Public Security says Chinese police have captured 63-thousand suspects in its latest anti-drug campaign.

Police have also seized over 18 tons of drugs including heroin²³ and methamphetamine.

The ministry also says eight police officers have been killed and another 18 injured in the operations.

 

China Mobile makes quick 4G inroads

China Mobile has signed agreements with 10 mobile phone manufacturers and retailers²⁴, their latest foray into the fledgling 4G market.

The agreements saw China Mobile join with domestic manufacturers such as Lenovo, Xiaomi, and Oppo, as well as retailers and online platforms including Jing Dong, TMall, Suning, and Gome.

The deals are expected to speed up sales of 4G mobile phones.

Egyptian TV to air popular Chinese drama for first time

Egyptian state television is set to air a popular Chinese soap opera.

Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Song Aiguo says it will be a first in Egypt. 

'Jin Tailang's Happy Life', which has been dubbed²⁵ in Arabic, is part of a media cooperation protocol²⁶ between China and Egypt.

1 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。

2 watchful   

adj.注意的，警惕的

参考例句：

• The children played under the watchful eye of their father.孩子们在父亲的小心照看下玩耍。
• It is important that health organizations remain watchful.卫生组织保持警惕是极为重要的。

3 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。

4 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

5 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

6 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

7 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

10 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

11 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

12 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

13 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

14 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 clearances   

清除( clearance的名词复数 )； 许可； （录用或准许接触机密以前的）审查许可； 净空

参考例句：

• But I can't get to him without clearances. 但是没有证明我就没法见到他。
• The bridge and the top of the bus was only ten clearances. 桥与公共汽车车顶之间的间隙只有十厘米。

16 barricades   

路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The police stormed the barricades the demonstrators had put up. 警察冲破了示威者筑起的街垒。
• Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另一些人年轻时就死在监牢里或街垒旁。

17 consul   

n.领事；执政官

参考例句：

• A consul's duty is to help his own nationals.领事的职责是帮助自己的同胞。
• He'll hold the post of consul general for the United States at Shanghai.他将就任美国驻上海总领事(的职务)。

18 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

19 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

20 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

21 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。

22 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

23 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

24 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

25 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。