Hourly News 每日新闻 2013-09-20

 US Secretary of State Kerry and Chinese counterpart Wang on Syria

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China welcomes the agreement between the US and Russia to put Syria's chemical weapons under international supervision¹.

Wang Yi made the remarks during a bilateral² meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington, the latest in an attempt to strengthen Chin US ties.

He said ultimately the issue of Syria needs to be resolved through political means and the Chinese side would play "a positive and constructive³ role" at the UN in helping⁴ resolve the crisis.

Wang and Kerry have also discussed the importance of cooperation in trying to achieve a nuclear-free North Korea.

 

Putin comments on Syria chemical weapons developments

Russia is to submit evidence to the U.N. Security Council that the Syrian opposition⁵ has used chemical weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says a US attack on Syria is provocative⁶.

He adds that the perpetrators have relied on "primitive⁷" technology, using old Soviet-made ammunition⁸ no longer in the Syrian army's inventory⁹.

Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the United States and its Western allies of funding and arming al-Qaida-linked groups fighting in Syria against the government.

Laverov made the comments in a letter addressing the United Nations on Thursday.

A UN report released Monday confirmed that chemical weapons were used in the attack, but did not ascribe blame.

Meantime, in a statement delivered at the State Department, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the United Nations Security Council must be prepared to draw up a "binding¹⁰" resolution, after UN inspectors¹¹ have come up with ample evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria.

 

No abnormality detected in crippled plant after strong quake hits Fukushima, Japan

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake has struck Japan's Fukushima Prefecture early this Friday morning, with strong tremors¹² felt in Tokyo. 

The epicenter is reported to be close to the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

So far there are no immediate¹³ reports of damage or injury and no tsunami¹⁴ warnings.

Tokyo Electric Power says they have not found any abnormalities in the Fukushima Daiichi plant. 

It follows inspections¹⁵ of radiation and equipment at the crippled nuclear power facility.

The No. 2 nuclear plant in Tokai is also reported to be normal.

In March 2011, the Fukushima plant was destroyed following a quake-triggered tsunami which caused multiple meltdowns in four of the plant's reactors¹⁶.

It led to the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

The plant has recently been in the spotlight¹⁷ again, following the leakage¹⁸ of highly contaminated water from the stricken complex.

 

Storms leave 97 dead, 58 missing in Mexico

The death toll¹⁹ from two devastating²⁰ storms has climbed to 97 in Mexico with at least 58 people still missing.

Local authorities are taking efforts to determine whether the missing are still alive.

The disaster, which is the first time since 1958 that two storms have hit the country's opposite coasts within 24 hours, has triggered some of the country's worst flooding and landslides²¹. 

Around 40-thousand tourists in Acapulco resorts are stranded²² and nearly 50-thousand people nationwide have had to evacuate²³ their homes.

 

5 killed in armed attack outside prison in SE Turkey

Five people have been killed in an armed attack outside a prison in southeastern Turkey.

Reports say unknown assailants attacked the group, including a mother and her four children, who came to visit a relative in the prison in Mardin province.

Turkish security authorities have launched an operation to find and arrest the gunmen, who fled the scene.

 

Colombian peace talks recess²⁴

The latest round of peace talks between the Colombian government and the country's largest guerrilla group have concluded in Havana, cuba without any new agreement. 

14th round of peace talks between government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia focused on what the rebel political participation²⁵ would look like if a peace deal was struck.

The two parties announced in a joint²⁶ statement that talks are set to resume on October 3rd.

Earlier, the two sides settled on a partial accord of agrarian²⁷ reform.

 

Five killed in China makeshift house fire

Five people have been killed in a house fire in central China's Hunan Province.

The fire broke out in a makeshift house in Fangyuan township Thursday morning.

The fire burned 100-square meters of the house and killed five people living inside.

An investigation²⁸ into the cause of the fire is underway.

 

China issues alert for super typhoon Usagi

China's meteorological authority has issued an alert for this year's 19th typhoon Usagi.

Usagi was upgraded to a super typhoon Thursday evening.

Later, the National Meteorological Center issued a yellow alert for the typhoon, the third highest on the country's four-tier weather warning system.

The administration says Usagi may become one of the strongest typhoons to hit China's south eastern coast this year.

1 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

2 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。

3 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 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。

6 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

7 primitive   

adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物

参考例句：

• It is a primitive instinct to flee a place of danger.逃离危险的地方是一种原始本能。
• His book describes the march of the civilization of a primitive society.他的著作描述了一个原始社会的开化过程。

8 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

9 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

10 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

11 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 tremors   

震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动

参考例句：

• The story was so terrible that It'sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。
• The story was so terrible that it sent tremors down my spine. 这故事太可怕，它使我不寒而栗。

13 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

14 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

15 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》

16 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

17 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

18 leakage   

n.漏，泄漏；泄漏物；漏出量

参考例句：

• Large areas of land have been contaminated by the leakage from the nuclear reactor.大片地区都被核反应堆的泄漏物污染了。
• The continuing leakage is the result of the long crack in the pipe.这根管子上的那一条裂缝致使渗漏不断。

19 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

20 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

21 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

22 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

23 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

24 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

25 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

26 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。

27 agrarian   

adj.土地的，农村的，农业的

参考例句：

• People are leaving an agrarian way of life to go to the city.人们正在放弃农业生活方式而转向城市。
• This was a feature of agrarian development in Britain.这是大不列颠土地所有制发展的一个特征。

28 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。