Hourly News 每日新闻 2013-12-20

 Theater Roof Collapse¹ in London Leaves Dozens Injured

A portion of roof from central London's Apollo Theater has collapsed² during a performance seriously injuring at least 7 people and leaving some 88 others wounded.

The theater was packed with around 720 people in attendance for a performance of the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time when the collapse occurred.

So far no deaths have been reported.

 

China's fancy funerals go up in smoke

Chinese central authorities have told government officials to set an example with "simple and civilized³ funerals".

The rules are banning officials from setting funeral parlors⁴ in public places, which is still a common mourning practice particularly in rural regions.

The government document particularly stipulates⁵ government officials are no longer allowed to receive public memorial services with only some exceptions.

It also says body farewell ceremonies should be "modest and strictly⁶ controlled in scale".

This is yet another significant rule the central authorities have rolled out in their anti-extravagance offensive.

 

Chinese President meets visiting Bolivian President

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Bolivian President Juan Evo Morales Ayma here in Beijing.

The two leaders have pledged to enhance cooperation in varies fields between China and Bolivia.

Morales is also scheduled to visit the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China, where he will witness the launch of Bolivia's first telecommunications satellite.

 

China's Premier⁷ meets US commerce and trade officials ahead of US-China trade talks

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says economic cooperation between China and the US needs to improve.

He made the comment after meeting a US trade delegation⁸ in Beijing, ahead of annual high-level trade talks between the two countries.

Li says China expects the US to ease restrictions⁹ on Chinese high-tech¹⁰ products and create a favorable environment for Chinese investment.

US officials say America is willing to expand cooperation when it comes to bilateral¹¹ trade, investment, telecommunications, agriculture, food safety and other issues.

The Joint¹² Commission on Commerce and Trade was established in 1983.

It's the main forum¹³ for addressing bilateral trade issues and promoting commercial opportunities between China and the US.

 

Chinese FM meets up with Israeli President

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged all sides in Iran nuclear talks to comply with their obligations in order for peace to prevail.

Wang made the statement while meeting up with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem as part of his Middle East tour.

While meeting up with Wang Yi, Peres says the international community including China must prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Wang Yi is also due to visit Algeria, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.

 

China hopes for efforts from new U.S. ambassador

China has expressed hope the new U.S. ambassador to China will enhance trust and cooperation between the two countries.

The comment comes following reports of U.S. President Barack Obama intending to nominate six-term Senator Max Baucus of Montana as the new U.S. ambassador. 

The 72-year-old Baucus has played a pivotal role in some of Obama's major initiatives including the tax reform proposal and passage of healthcare overhaul¹⁴ in 2010.

The incumbent¹⁵ U.S ambassador Gary Locke is expected to step down next year.

 

UN peacekeeping base attacked in South Sudan

The United Nations says its peacekeeping base in South Sudan's Jonglei State has been attacked by the country's second-largest ethnic¹⁶ group.

It is reported rebels from the ethnic group the Nuer attacked the base, targeting civilians¹⁷ of the majority Dinka ethnic community.

32 civilians were taking refuge in the base at the time of the attack.

The U.N says it has lost contact with the base and fears there may have been several fatalities¹⁸.

 

Putin to pardon oil tycoon¹⁹ Khodorkovsky

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will soon pardon jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodor-kovsky after more than a decade in prison.

Khodor-kovsky was due to be released in August next year.

He was found guilty of fraud and tax evasion²⁰ in 2005 and convicted of embezzlement²¹ in a second case in 2010.

The pardon comes after Russia's State Duma, or lower house of parliament granted amnesty to about 25 thousand people on Wednesday to mark the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution.

 

ICC prosecutor²² asks for adjournment²³ of Kenyatta trial

An International Criminal Court prosecutor has requested an indefinite delay to the trial of Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta, due to lack of evidence after the withdrawal²⁴ of two witnesses.

Fatou Bensouda says the case against Kenyatta does not satisfy the standards required at trial.

Kenyatta, who was elected as President of Kenya in March this year, is charged with five counts of crimes against humanity.

The charges include murder, deportation²⁵ or forcible transfer and other inhumane acts allegedly committed during the post-election violence in Kenya in 2007 and 2008.

Over 1-thousand people were killed in the violence.

 

China willing to bid for FIFA Club World Cup

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke says several countries including China have expressed their willingness to bid to host the FIFA Club World Cup.

The bid to host the Club World Cup will start in February with the final decision being made by September next year. 

Guangzhou is widely considered the most likely place to host among Chinese cities.

1 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

2 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。

3 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

4 parlors   

客厅( parlor的名词复数 )； 起居室； （旅馆中的）休息室； （通常用来构成合成词）店

参考例句：

• It had been a firm specializing in funeral parlors and parking lots. 它曾经是一个专门经营殡仪馆和停车场的公司。
• I walked, my eyes focused into the endless succession of barbershops, beauty parlors, confectioneries. 我走着，眼睛注视着那看不到头的、鳞次栉比的理发店、美容院、糖果店。

5 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

6 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

7 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。

8 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。

9 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

10 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

11 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

12 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

13 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

14 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

15 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

16 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。

17 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。

18 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

20 evasion   

n.逃避，偷漏(税)

参考例句：

• The movie star is in prison for tax evasion.那位影星因为逃税而坐牢。
• The act was passed as a safeguard against tax evasion.这项法案旨在防止逃税行为。

21 embezzlement   

n.盗用，贪污

参考例句：

• He was accused of graft and embezzlement and was chained and thrown into prison.他因被指控贪污盗窃而锒铛入狱。
• The judge sent him to prison for embezzlement of funds.法官因他盗用公款将其送入监牢。

22 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

23 adjournment   

休会； 延期； 休会期； 休庭期

参考例句：

• The adjournment of the case lasted for two weeks. 该案休庭期为两周。
• The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case. 律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。

24 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

25 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。