Hourly News 每日新闻 2014-02-01

 Six new human H7N9 cases in China

Six new cases of the H7N9 bird flu were reported in China on Friday, as more live poultry¹ markets in the country were shut down.

One of the new cases has already been deadly.

The victim, a 67-year-old woman, was found dead in Guangdong. Her case is one of five in that province.

The other involves a 75-year-old woman in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. She is listed in critical condition.

for Shane, bjh-hourly: China's New Year's Eve fires kill 10

10 people have been killed by fire across China on the eve of Spring Festival.

More than a thousand fires were reported between 8 p.m. Thursday and 1 a.m. Friday.

This, despite nationwide police patrols looking for fire hazards, and nearly 180-thousand firefighters standing² by.

It's a tradition for Chinese people to light fireworks during Spring Festival to bring good fortune, but lighting³ firecrackers is an easy way to cause fires.

 

China Exclusive: "Green" fireworks fail to curb⁴ pollution

It seems that the 'green' fireworks introduced to help curb smog during Spring Festival have failed to have the desired effect.

The product is made with improved black powder and other chemicals, and shouldn't effect PM2.5 readings.

But those fireworks are about 10-to-15 percent effective, and a store owner in Shanxi province says the green alternative has not been selling as well as officials may have hoped.

In Beijing, people have been asked to replace fireworks with flowers and electronic substitutes, to curb smog in the capital.

Syria peace talks conclude with no concrete progress

The Syria peace talks have concluded with no concrete progress.

UN-Arab League Special Envoy⁵ to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters that this round of Syria talks was a "difficult start" and progress was slow, but the sides "have become used to sitting in the same room" and have "engaged in an acceptable manner." 

Brahimi suggested the next round of talks resume on Feb. 10, which was agreed by the delegates of the opposition⁶ while those of the government side said that they needed to consult with Damascus first.

 

Russia urges mediators not to place new demands on Iran/xinhua

A senior Russian diplomat⁷ is urging the six world powers involved in the Iranian nuclear talks not to submit new demands on Tehran.

The official says such a move would undermine the trust that's been established between Iran and the P5+1 nations.

Those nations are being advised to adhere strictly⁸ to the interim⁹ nuclear deal reached in Geneva in November.

Under the deal, Iran has suspended a uranium enrichment program in exchange for the easing of western sanctions.

 

S. Korea slams Abe's comments over disputed islets

South Korea's government has issued a statement denouncing the latest remarks from Japan's prime minister regarding an ongoing¹⁰ territorial¹¹ dispute.

Shinzo Abe has said that Tokyo is considering requesting a hearing before the International Court of Justice.

The argument is over some islets off the east coast of Korea, called Dokdo by the South Korean side and Takeshima by the Japanese.

South Korea's foreign ministry¹² has dismissed Abe's comments as "empty rhetoric¹³ and a meaningless thing."

Thai court announces not to issue injunction over emergency state

Thai Civil Court has decided¹⁴ not to issue an injunction over the legality of the emergency state decree, issued earlier this month by the government.

The court announced that as the decree does not state that the government will crack down against protesters, there is no need to issue a suspension.

Britain, France vow¹⁵ to strengthen cooperation in defense¹⁶, nuclear energy

British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande have agreed to beef up the two countries' cooperation in defense, nuclear energy and climate policy.

Britain and France inked the cooperation deals at the UK-France Summit 2014 held in Britain.

Ukrainian president signs amnesty bill, repeals¹⁸ anti-protest law

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed into law a bill that grants amnesty to all detained protesters and approved the repeal¹⁷ of controversial legislation that has fueled the mass riots in Ukraine.

The amnesty law envisages¹⁹ that the police would free all protesters arrested during demonstrations²⁰ since Nov. 21, on conditions that they abandon the buildings they have seized within 15 days. 

The amnesty bill and the scrap²¹ of controversial legislation are part of the series of concessions²² from Yanukovych to opposition aimed at ending the two-month protests, which left at least four people dead and hundreds others, including police officers, injured.

AU summit wraps up with strong echoes for continued pursuit of peace and development

African leaders have wrapped up their 22nd summit in the Ethiopian capital, vowing²³ to continue the push for a more peaceful, integrated and prosperous Africa. 

Newly appointed chairperson of the continental²⁴ body, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, said Africa is fully²⁵ aware of the tasks and challenges that lie ahead of its development path, and would strive to build capacity to respond to the tasks and challenges. 

He stressed the need for expeditious²⁶ operationalization of an African Standby Force to resolve conflicts, and encouraged member states to contribute to the force.

1 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

4 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

5 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

8 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。

9 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

10 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

11 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

12 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。

13 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

14 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

15 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

16 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

17 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

18 repeals   

撤销，废除( repeal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The measure repeals a previous law that prevented local governments from targeting specific breeds for sterilization. 这项法令的出台将废止之前一项限制地方政府针对某种犬类采用绝育措施的法律。

19 envisages   

想像，设想( envisage的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The board envisages that there will be a high profit. 董事会预期将会获得高额利润。
• The paper reviews and envisages the development trend of carbon electrode. 本文对炭电极的发展方向做了回顾与展望。

20 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

21 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

22 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

23 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

24 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

25 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

26 expeditious   

adj.迅速的，敏捷的

参考例句：

• They are almost as expeditious and effectual as Aladdin's lamp.他们几乎像如意神灯那么迅速有效。
• It is more convenien,expeditious and economical than telephone or telegram.它比电话或电报更方便、迅速和经济。