China to conduct moveable cultural relics census

 China to conduct moveable cultural relics¹ census²

BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The State Council, or China's cabinet, has announced the country's first census on moveable cultural relics, in a move to better gauge³ and protect the state of the country's relics.

According to a circular released on Monday, the four-year census will cover all cultural relics preserved by state organs, public service units, state-owned enterprises, the People's Liberation Army, armed police units and other state-owned organizations in the Chinese mainland.

Due to run from October 2012 to December 2016, the program will be divided into three phases: a preparation stage that will include setting standards, developing software and training personnel; the main survey phase that will last from 2013 to 2015; and a one-year period of database construction and results releasing.

Information to be collected in the census will include quantities, types, distribution and preservation⁴ status.

In the circular, the State Council described the census as an action that will "help the country better grasp and scientifically evaluate the situations and values of its relics, improve the relics registration⁵ and protection system as well as exert intensified⁶ efforts to protect relics."

A special leading group is to be formed under the State Administration of Cultural Heritage to supervise and coordinate⁷ the project, according to the circular.

The move comes amid increasing public scrutiny⁸ over the country's relics protection drive, especially after the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City, former home of Chinese emperors, suffered a string of incidents involving thefts and damage to relics.

In one case, a Chinese man was sentenced to 13 years in jail and fined 2,000 U.S. dollars for breaking into the heavily guarded site on May 8, 2011, and stealing nine pieces of art made of gold and jewels.

Describing the country's relics protection efforts as "disproportionate" to its wealth of ancient history, a report on law enforcement inspections⁹ pertaining¹⁰ to the Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics revealed earlier this year that some local governments would demolish¹¹ at will cultural heritage sites during urban construction.

Last year, a five-year census found that about 17.77 percent of the country's fixed¹² cultural relics are in relatively¹³ poor condition and 8.43 percent are preserved in poor condition.

1 relics   

[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸

参考例句：

• The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。
• Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

2 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

3 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。

4 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

5 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？

6 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

8 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

9 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 pertaining   

与…有关系的，附属…的，为…固有的(to)

参考例句：

• Living conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin. 生活条件与他们祖国大不相同。
• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school. 视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。

11 demolish   

v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等)

参考例句：

• They're going to demolish that old building.他们将拆毁那座旧建筑物。
• He was helping to demolish an underground garage when part of the roof collapsed.他当时正在帮忙拆除一个地下汽车库，屋顶的一部份突然倒塌。

12 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

13 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。