【英语时差8，16】水与永续会议西班牙开幕

 Expo 2008, themed on the world's dwindling¹ water resources, opened in the Spanish city of Zaragoza on June 14, days after the riverside site narrowly escaped flooding.

King Juan Carlos officially opened the 25-hectare (62-acre) exhibition on the night of June 13. Organizers hope 6.5 million people will visit before it closes in mid-September, providing a major economic boost to the northern city, Spain's fifth largest.

The Expo features Europe's biggest fresh water aquarium², a 76-meter (250-ft.) water tower and 140 pavilions, themed around different climate zones and representing 105 countries.

Organizers stress the Expo's environmentally friendly credentials³. The site is four times smaller than that built for Seville when Spain last hosted an Expo in 1992, and even the tourist shop's carrier bags are made of potato starch⁴.

Two thousand environmental experts will produce a "Zaragoza Charter" outlining recommendations to solve problems such as the lack of clean water for 1.2 billion people and the danger of wars fought over dwindling water resources.

Taipei, Beijing reach historic pactsNegotiators from Taiwan and China reached the landmark⁵ agreement on June 12 to launch regular direct charter passenger flights across the Taiwan Strait on weekends starting July 4 and to allow Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan from July 18.

Negotiators from Taiwan and China opened their first formal talks in almost a decade on June 12, aiming to forge an agreement on expanded charter flights as a step toward restoring transport links severed⁶ 59 years ago.

The 19-member Taiwanese team is being led by Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the quasi-governmental Straits Exchange Foundation, and includes two vice⁷ Cabinet ministers－the highest-ranking Taiwanese officials ever to participate in bilateral⁸ talks.

The sides set up the dialogue mechanism⁹ in the early 1990s, agreeing to set political differences aside in favor of boosting economic ties and private exchanges. China stepped away from talks in anger over steps by Taiwan to shore up its independent identity. Beijing insists the island is Chinese territory to be reunified by force if necessary.

1 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

2 aquarium   

n.水族馆，养鱼池，玻璃缸

参考例句：

• The first time I saw seals was in an aquarium.我第一次看见海豹是在水族馆里。
• I'm going to the aquarium with my parents this Sunday.这个星期天，我要和父母一起到水族馆去。

3 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

4 starch   

n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆

参考例句：

• Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews.玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。
• I think there's too much starch in their diet.我看是他们的饮食里淀粉太多了。

5 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

6 severed   

v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 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。

9 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。