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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Broadcasting Time: 07:00-08:00, GMT+08:00, 2010-04-17
Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.
In This Edition:
Rescuers continue to search for survivors1 three days after an earthquake leveled homes in northwestern China, killing2 over a thousand people.
The world's leading emerging countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China, say they will push for a swift reform of international financial institutions to give developing countries a greater voice.
A United Nations report says Pakistan has failed to properly protect its former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and "severely3 hampered4" a UN inquiry5 into her assassination6 .
China's property market undergoes a new round of tough government regulation amid unaffordable housing prices and fears of an asset bubble.
Hot Issue Reports
Death Toll8 Rises to 791 in NW China Quake
Rescuers continue to search for survivors three days after an earthquake leveled homes in northwestern China, killing over one thousand people.
The 7.1-magnitude earthquake, which struck Yushu county in Qinghai province early Wednesday, has left more than 11,000 people injured, including some 12 hundred serious cases. More than 400 people remain missing.
Chinese Premier9 Wen Jiabao visited the quake zone to oversee10 the rescue work. He pledged not to give up while there is still hope of finding survivors.
"Just as I said, our priority is saving lives. As long as there is the slightest hope, we will make efforts that are 100-fold and never give up, especially within the 72 hours after the quake."
The premier visited survivors and local residents who were made homeless by the quake. He assured them that the government will pull out all the stops to help them.
"Now is the critical period for saving lives. We must unite to rescue people."
At a meeting with local officials, the Premier demanded they act fast in treating the injured and transport the seriously injured to better hospitals in neighboring cities as soon as possible. According to the Health Ministry11, more than 1,000 critically injured survivors have been transferred out of the quake zone.
The Red Cross Society of China said that it had allocated12 more than 410,000 U.S. dollars of relief funds and goods to the quake –hit region.
Red Cross Regional Disaster Management Delegate Gu Qinghui said more attention will be given to take care of the injured.
"For the moment, I mean, the priority is still getting to the search and rescue for the people still under the rubble13, but, moving on from this in the next 48 hours we'll really be focused on how to support those people injured, and how to get them proper medical treatment."
Around 7,500 rescuers working in Jiegu Town, the worst-hit region, have saved about 6,900 people. Another 2,500 rescuers are on their way.
BRICs to Push for Reform of International Financial Institutions
The world's leading emerging countries, Brazil, Russia, India and China, say they would push for a swift reform of international financial institutions to give developing countries a greater voice.
CRI's Xiao Yi reports.
Reporter: The leaders of the so-called BRIC countries met in their second summit in Brasilia, reiterating14 their call for the G20 group to play a central role in global financial decision-making. They expect the quota15 reform of the International Monetary16 Fund to be concluded by the G20 Summit in November this year.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told a news conference after the summit that the BRIC nations have an essential role in restoring the new global international order.
"Brazil, Russia, India and China have a fundamental role to play in the construction of the new international order which is more fair, representative and secure."
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev also spoke17 highly of BRIC's role.
"Russia has benefited from the development and cooperation that comes from our participation18 in the BRIC group. It has been crucial in order to get over the international economic crisis and reform the world's financial institutions."
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh explained that the BRIC grouping was not born out of a crisis but an act of long-term faith in the four economies as the group is becoming increasingly influential19.
"The global economic and financial crisis has permitted a new relevance20 for the BRIC. Sustaining global economic recovery and making it inclusive would be the major challenges before us in the near future."
Chinese President Hu Jintao, who decided21 to end his visit to South America early to oversee the relief effort following the strong quake in northwest China, said the summit had been productive.
"Our four countries are going to increase exchanges and cooperation in fields like trade, finance, technology and culture. We are also increasing communication and coordination22 on important regional and international issues. We will further expand practical cooperation to bring real benefits to our countries and their people."
The four countries also signed an agreement which will deepen cooperation among the four member countries' development banks, that would allow them to increase investment in various infrastructure23 projects and strengthen ties.
The leaders agreed to hold the next BRIC summit in China next year.
UN investigators24 blame bad security for Bhutto death
A United Nations report says Pakistan has failed to properly protect its former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and "severely hampered" a UN inquiry into her assassination .
Bhutto was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack after an election rally in late December 2007, weeks after she returned to Pakistan from eight years in self-imposed exile.
The investigation25 was done by a three-member commission chaired by Chile's UN Ambassador Heraldo Munoz.
Munoz said that Bhutto's death could have been prevented if the government under then-President Pervez Musharraf, the Punjab state government, and the Rawal-pindi District Police had taken adequate security measures.
He urged the Pakistani government to conduct a thorough review of intelligence agencies "based on international best practices" and reform of the police.
"It remains26 the responsibility of the Pakistani authorities to do what has yet to be done, in the case of the assassination of Ms. Benazir Bhutto, that is to carry out a serious and credible27 criminal investigation that determines who conceived, planned, financed and executed this hideous28 crime and bring those responsible to justice.
The commission did not make a judgment29 on whether the failure to provide adequate security was deliberate.
Eruption30 of Icelandic Volcano Casts Shadow on Businesses
Some businesses across Europe have been severely affected31 by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano that has halted air traffic across the continent.
A flight ban was imposed because of concerns about pilot visibility and jet engine failure from the volcanic32 ash.
The impact has been immediate33 on the floral industry which relies on flowers being flown in from abroad.
Steve Holgate runs a flower wholesale34 business in Manchester, England. He says he is still trying to calculate the effect on his business.
"We have had problems already with some roses that we'd normally get from Africa. They again would come to us over the weekend, and they're not coming, and we don't know when they're coming yet."
One of Holgate's customers, florist35 Fiona Stirling, is also worried about her business. She says she hopes the flights will soon resume in time for the busy wedding season.
"Well, it is a worry if we can't get carnations36 into the country by flight. You know, we'd certainly miss these as a good sale. They're very popular, the spray carnations from Israel, roses from Kenya. A lot of florists37 would worry with all the weddings that are pre-booked for this season."
Flight delays and cancellations will continue as the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption is expected to move south and east
Light News
Q&A China's stock-index futures38 debut39
China's much-anticipated stock-index futures market was launched on Friday.
According to the securities regulator and the China Financial Futures Exchange, the futures contracts are agreements to buy or sell the CSI 300 Index at a preset value on an agreed date.
Earlier, CRI's Larry Chen spoke to Dow Jones Newswires Shanghai Bureau Chief Shen Hong, about how stock-index futures trading will influence China's investment market.
Experts Call for Market-Oriented Measures to Make Homes Affordable7
China's property market is undergoing a new round of tough government regulation amid unaffordable housing prices and fears of an asset bubble.
Some economists41 predict that the government's measures will keep property speculation42 in check and satisfy low-income residents' housing needs.
But others argue that the government should take more market-oriented policies to assist disadvantaged citizens rather than merely interfering43 in the property market.
Xu Weiyi reports.
Reporter:
The State Council, China's Cabinet, has decided to raise the minimum down payment for second-home purchases to 50 percent.
It's also set a 30 percent minimum down payment for purchases of first homes that are larger than 90 square meters.
Yao Jingyuan, chief economist40 with the National Bureau of Statistics, says the measures are aimed at curbing44 property speculation.
"Property speculation is one of the driving forces behind the surge in housing prices. With the new measures, speculative45 home buyers will have to pay higher costs when investing in the housing market. So, housing prices may go down to some extent as property speculation will be on the decline."
Meanwhile, the State Council has strengthened its efforts to help low-income house buyers.
It's urged local governments to increase land supply for the construction of government-controlled houses to 70 percent of the total land approved for property development.
But, Dong Fan, a researcher from Beijing Normal University, does not favor the measure.
"If we build government-controlled houses on a massive scale, we cannot prevent corruption46 among some officials and property developers during the process of construction and delivery of the houses. Thus, the needy47 group of home applicants48 still cannot obtain a house."
The Ministry of Land and Resources has announced that the government will build three million non-commercial flats for low-income residents.
Dong Fan points out that the government should also explore other effective ways to meet residents' housing needs.
"The government-controlled houses are a good way to solve the housing problem. But we should not build so many. I think the government should take more market-oriented policies and avoid harming the natural operation of the property market. For example, the government can directly subsidize low-income home buyers and tenants49 to satisfy their housing needs."
The National Bureau of Statistics has reported that the average housing prices in 70 major Chinese cities rose nearly 12 percent in March from a year earlier.
Among them, two cities in southern Hainan Province recorded the fastest growth rates, both exceeding 50 percent.
Such soaring prices have deprived many residents of access to a decent house.
For CRI, this is Xu Weiyi
Q&A with Paul Ryding on Formula One Racein Shanghai 2'06
As Shanghai prepares for the Formula 1 race this weekend, all eyes are on the Red Bull Racing50 team that won the previous race in Malaysia. However, it would be a mistake to count the other teams out as two practice sessons got underway.
Earlier, CRI's Larry Chen spoke with Paul Ryding who is in Shanghai covering the match.
That was CRI Paul Ryding who is in Shanghai for the race. For more indepth coverage51, log on to our website at crienglish.com for our special coverage.
India's Queer Film Festival Is On the Horizon
In other news....
India's movie capital Mumbai is getting ready to host the International Queer Film Festival during which it will showcase more than 100 gay, lesbian, and transsexual-themed films from 25 countries.
The organizers say "queer" is an umbrella term that includes people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender.
Adeem Ahir is a representative of transgender community and film festival jury member.
"We look forward to this film festival, and this is basically an initiative to mainstream52 issues about transgender and also put them in very nice manner so that people really understand the meaning of being a transgender."
The festival is called "Kashish," which means "attraction or allurement53."
Festival director Sridhar Rangayan hopes that more people will attend the festival.
"You know it's the film festival for everybody. We want everybody to come and see and understand what being queer means."
The four-day event will begin on April 22. It will bring together filmmakers, writers, academics, activists54 and movie stars to celebrate diversity in human sexuality.
Media Digest/Stock/Weather
China Daily reports that commercial cinema has all but forced Chinese art films out of movie theaters and they are in urgent need of support, if they are to survive.
Wang Quan'an, whose drama "Apart Together" won best screenplay at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival, said despite an investment of no more than 2 million yuan for his films, making money in the domestic art film market is almost impossible, given the lack of media promotion55 and screening venues56.
Some estimates of box office earnings57 for art films shown in cinemas in the past few years put the figure at no more than 3 million yuan.
---
National Geographic's Magazine reports that astronomers58 have found dozens of new planets within our solar system; with half a dozen have "wrong way" orbits.
Each of the six extrasolar planets, or exoplanets, orbits in the opposite direction as its star's rotation59. Such backward motion is unlike anything seen in our solar system. What's more, the discovery of these odd exoplanets challenges a leading theory for the formation of planets, which in turn means that fewer Earthlike planets may exist in the universe.
In general, it's believed that all planets form out of disks of dust and gas that swirl60 around some young stars. The theory goes that these disks should rotate in the same directions as the stars inside. Planets that coalesce61 out of the disks should therefore share the same orbital direction.
收听单词发音 |
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survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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assassination
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| n.暗杀；暗杀事件 | |
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affordable
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| adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的 | |
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toll
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| n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟) | |
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premier
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| adj.首要的；n.总理，首相 | |
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oversee
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| vt.监督，管理 | |
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ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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allocated
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| adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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rubble
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| n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾 | |
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reiterating
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 ) | |
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quota
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| n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额 | |
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monetary
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| adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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participation
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| n.参与，参加，分享 | |
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influential
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| adj.有影响的，有权势的 | |
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relevance
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| n.中肯，适当，关联，相关性 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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coordination
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| n.协调，协作 | |
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infrastructure
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| n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施 | |
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investigators
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| n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 ) | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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credible
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| adj.可信任的，可靠的 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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eruption
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| n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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florist
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| n.花商；种花者 | |
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carnations
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| n.麝香石竹，康乃馨( carnation的名词复数 ) | |
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florists
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| n.花商，花农，花卉研究者( florist的名词复数 ) | |
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futures
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| n.期货，期货交易 | |
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debut
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| n.首次演出，初次露面 | |
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economist
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| n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人 | |
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economists
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| n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 ) | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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curbing
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| n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 ) | |
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speculative
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| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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needy
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| adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的 | |
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applicants
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| 申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 ) | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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coverage
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| n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖 | |
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mainstream
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| n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的 | |
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allurement
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| n.诱惑物 | |
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activists
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| n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
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promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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venues
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| n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点 | |
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earnings
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| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
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astronomers
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| n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 ) | |
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rotation
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| n.旋转；循环，轮流 | |
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swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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coalesce
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| v.联合，结合，合并 | |
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