中国经济增长速度放缓令投资者感想担忧

China's Manufacturing Slowdown Worries Investors 中国经济增长速度放缓令投资者感想担忧

Concerns over China’s economy increased after a disappointing report on the nation’s manufacturing was released Tuesday. Stock price measures for exchanges around the world fell. Shanghai’s main stock index lost over one percent. Shares in Tokyo lost almost four percent while shares on exchanges in Europe and the U.S. also were down.

China’s official manufacturing index fell to its lowest level since 2012 in August. And a survey by the company Markit said that factory activity was at its lowest level in more than six years.

China is seeking to evolve from an export-driven economy toward one based on services and domestic consumer demand. However, the country is struggling with market reforms meant to make the economy more efficient.

In Tokyo, Japan’s Foreign Minister Tara Aso suggested Tuesday that the Chinese economy should be the main issue discussed at a meeting of the G20 major economies. Speaking in Indonesia, International Monetary¹ Fund Director Christine Lagarde said developing economies should watch for effects of China’s economic slowdown. Ms. Lagarde said that China’s slowdown was not sharp or unexpected. But it is clear, she said, that the country is adjusting to a new growth model.

China has announced many measures to support stock prices, but they have continued to fall. Shanghai’s main stock index has fallen by about 40 percent since June. The government announced new measures to support stock prices on Tuesday. They include policies that support company mergers³, cash payments by companies to their shareholders⁴, or dividends⁵, and having state companies buying back their own stock on the market.

Europe struggles with migrant wave

Europe is trying to deal with what is being called its biggest wave of migrants since World War Two. On Tuesday, German Chancellor⁶ Angela Merkel called on European countries to quickly develop a joint⁷ asylum⁸ policy. She said such a policy should include setting up migrant registration⁹ centers at important transit¹⁰ points.

The 28-member EU plans to hold emergency talks on the migrant issue on September 14.

Also, the International Organization for Migration¹¹ said Tuesday that more than 350,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean¹² Sea into Europe. The intergovernmental agency said that most have entered Greece. Others have arrived in Italy while smaller numbers have gone to Spain and Malta. About 2,600 migrants have died, most from drowning at sea.

In Hungary, officials shut down, and then reopened Budapest's main train station. The move left hundreds of migrants waiting outside the station. Most come from conflict areas of the Middle East. They were seeking to board trains to Austria and Germany. Hungary is one of the main migrant entry points to the European Union.

In Alaska, President Obama calls for urgent action on climate change

President Barack Obama walked on a melting Arctic glacier¹³, a river of ice, in Alaska Tuesday. The president is on a three-day visit to the state. The American leader is urging nations to act quickly to cut the release of gasses linked to climate change.

The president called climate change the defining threat of this century. He said the world is “not acting¹⁴ fast enough.”.

Mr. Obama also called on the U.S. Congress to approve an earlier date for the delivery of a new heavy icebreaking ship costing $1 billion. The heavy ship is needed to ensure safe waterways in dangerous Arctic waters, which are also rich in resources. The U.S. has two such ships while Russia has 40.

Earlier, ministers from 11 countries and the European Union restated a commitment to take "urgent" action to slow the pace of global warming in the sensitive Arctic region. Officials from the U.S., France, South Korea, Singapore and other countries announced their promise in a joint statement at the GLACIER Conference in Alaska held by the U.S.

Thai officials arrest bombing suspect

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha says a suspect matching the description of the bomber¹⁵ of a shrine¹⁶ in Bangkok has been arrested.  The Thai leader said the suspect is “not Thai” and was seized near the border with Cambodia. The August 17 bombing killed 20 people and injured more than 100.

The suspect was arrested Tuesday and is being questioned by police in the capital.

Police are seeking three more suspects in the bombing. Officials on Tuesday released a photograph of a Turkish man and a drawing of two other men. The two are wanted for “illegal possession of explosives.”

The military says a female Thai suspect, whose picture was released Monday, is in another country and is cooperating with the investigation¹⁷.

Protesters call for the ouster of Lebanon’s environment minister

Reuters news agency reports that Lebanese protesters occupied the environment ministry¹⁸ in the capital Beirut on Tuesday. Witnesses say the protesters are calling on minister Mohammad Machnouk to resign. Lebanon has been hit by a series of protests against the government started by a dispute over uncollected waste in the country.

Words in the News

Registration –n. the act or process of entering information about something in a book or system of public records

Survey –n. a study of something in order to make a judgement about it

Evolve –v. to change or develop slowly often in a better, more complex, or more advanced state

Adjust –v. to change (something) in a minor¹⁹ way so that it works better

Merger² –n. the act or process of combining two or more businesses into one business

1 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

2 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

3 mergers   

n.（两个公司的）合并( merger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Mergers fall into three categories: horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate. 合并分为以下三种：横向合并，纵向合并和混合合并。 来自辞典例句
• Many recent mergers are concentrated within specific industries, particularly in retailing, airlines and communications. 现代许多合并企业集中进行某些特定业务，在零售业、民航和通讯业中更是如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

4 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

5 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

6 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。

7 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。

8 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

9 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

10 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

11 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

12 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

13 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

14 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

15 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

16 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

17 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

18 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。

19 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。