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Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.
In This Edition
China voices its opposition2 to the expansion of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The UN-Security Council authorizes3 an African-led international military intervention4 force to support the government of Mali.
And descendants of the ancient Mayan civilisation5 hold a traditional "Last Sun" ceremony to welcome the start of the new Mayan calendar.
Hot Issue Reports
China Echoes Putin's Remarks on Relationship
China has echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin's remarks that ties between the two neighbors' are at their highest level in history.
"Sino-Russian relationship is at its highest level and has entered a new stage in which the two nations are each other's important developmental opportunity and primary preferable partner. China is willing to work with Russia to implement8 the consensus9 and agreements reached between our leaders. We also would like to strengthen our mutual10 political support and constantly promote cooperation in such sectors11 as energy, aerospace12, high-tech13 and culture."
Putin has affirmed his satisfaction with the current Russia-China ties while answering questions during his annual press conference.
China voices opposition to Israeli settlement expansion
China has reiterated14 its opposition on the expansion of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, amid widespread international concern about the Israeli moves.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
"China firmly oppose the construction of Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territories in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. We express our grave concern to Israel's announcement to build such settlements in the E1 territory. China urges Israel to take concrete measures to restore mutual trust with Palestine and make constructive15 efforts to push forward the Middle East peace process and maintain regional peace and stability."
Israel is under diplomatic pressure from the international community over its plans to build 3-thousand houses in the West Bank settlements, East Jerusalem and the E1 territories connecting the two areas.
Construction in E1 has been particularly criticized because it could block the territorial17 formation of a future Palestinian state.
Protests Start in Cairo before Second Stage of Constitution Vote
Protesters have began camping in central Cairo on the eve of the second round of voting in Egypt's referendum on its controversial constitution.
The gathering18 in Tahrir Square follows weeks of protests and clashes between supporters of President Mohammed Morsi and his opponents.
"No one is looking for what's best for Egypt. Everyone is looking for what is good for themselves. We need people who are seeking the best for the Egyptian people, who will work for a better Egypt."
"I would have respected the results of the referendum if I felt that there were no violations20 in the process and no fraud."
Liberals, Christians21 and others have criticized the percieved Islamist domination of the constitution process.
The first round of voting has drawn22 an unexpectedly low turnout, around 32-percent and was boycotted23 by most judges who traditionally monitor it.
Rights groups have reported numerous violations and unofficial results from the first of the two votes which is showing that 56-percent voted "yes" for the constitution.
The second round of voting is set for Saturday.
Japan to Pull Out of Golan Peacekeeping Mission
The Japanese government has announced it is to pull out of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights due to worsening security conditions on the border with Syria.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura.
"We have reached the conclusion that it is not possible for our personnel to conduct a meaningful mission while securing their safety. Therefore, we will be pulling out our personnel from U.N. Disengagement Observer Force shortly."
Japan's 47-man strong force, which is part of the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force, is to return home within one month.
The one-thousand strong UN force has been monitoring the ceasefire between Israel and Syria in Golan Heights since 1974.
Around 800-personnel patrol the Syrian side of the 1973 Golan Heights ceasefire line.
Tokyo says the situation there has started to spiral out control of the UN force recently.
UN Authorizes International Force in Mali
The UN-Security Council has authorized24 an African-led international military intervention force to support the government of Mali in trying to repatriate25 the country's north from insurgent26 control.
Tieman Coulibaly is Mali's Foreign Minister.
"Mali is pleased with the adoption28 of this resolution which conveys the commitment of the international community at its side in the struggle against terrorism and trans-national organized crime."
Indigenous29 Tuareg rebels took advantage of a military coup30 in the country back in March to gain control of the Sahara region of Mali and declare an independent homeland.
Since then the Tuaregs have been surplanted by jihadists who have since imposed strict sharia law across the region.
Republicans cancel budget vote
House republicans have cancelled plans to pass the so-called "Plan B" budget.
The Republicans reportedly didn't have enough votes to see the bill move through the house, as the Democratic Senate has already said it won't allow the legislation to pass.
The Republican "Plan B" would only allow taxes to rise for Americans making over 1-million US dollars a year.
The Obama administration has been pushing for tax increases for anyone making over 400-thousand dollars a year.
"Both sides want to get the best possible deal, but both sides know if they don't come up with a deal, there will be incredible pressure put upon them by the American people. People shouldn't prepare for the worst case scenario33 of them not coming up with a deal. They should position themselves to take advantage of the environment that will exist after a deal had been consummated34."
Failure to reach a budget deal before the end of the year will trigger automatic tax increases and spending cuts worth some 600-billion US dollars.
Mayan Descendants Mark Start of New Calendar
The Guatemalan descendants of the ancient Mayan civilisation have held a traditional "Last Sun" ceremony to welcome the dawning of the start of the new Mayan calendar on Friday.
December 21st marks the end of an age in the 5-thousand year-old Mayan calendar, an event which had been predicted as the end of the world or, just an excuse for a party.
The Mayan descendents have converged37 on ruins in Guatemala city to pay respects to their ancient civilization.
For many, the event is an opportunity for the country's indigenous to unite and remember their ancestral roots and traditions.
Some are saying it is also time for humans to start looking to the ancient Maya as a model for coexistence with nature:
"Human beings have to decide if they want to continue in this situation we are in. To be a whole human being we need to respect the land, the forests, the mountains, the rivers, and the oceans. That is to say, human beings cannot exist without the existence of these elements."
The Mayans dominated today's Central American region for some 2-thousand years before mysteriously abandoning their cities around 900 CE.
They were known for building soaring temples and elaborate palaces.
Light News
Central rural work conference opens in Beijing
China's annual Central Rural Work Conference has taken placee in Beijing.
The meetings are designed to map out policies for next year's development of agriculture and the country's rural regions.
Improving the management of agricultural businesses and the requisition of farmland are expected to top the agenda.
For more on the issue, Paul James spoke7 earlier with Prof. Feng Xingyuan with the Rural Development Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
CSRC to drop barriers for Chinese overseas listing
China Securities Regulatory Commission is to lower the threshold for overseas IPOs.
Currently Chinese companies applying for an overseas IPO must meet certain thresholds for net assets, profits and fundraising targets.
Analysts believe the move will ease the pressure of the A share market.
Wu Bangdong from Changjiang Securities:
"It will have little influnce on the A share market in the short term, because it need time for domestic companies to digest this policy. In the medium to long term,it will balance the supply and demand of the A share market."
Currently, over 800-Chinese companies are seeking approvals to list on the Shanghai or Shenzhen exchanges.
The new rules will take effect in January.
China to Expand a Hydroelectric Plant in Zimbabwe
China and Zimbabwe have signed off on a deal for the extension of a hydroelectric plant project in southern Zimbabwe.
The deal between Sinohydro and the Zimbabwe Power Company is worth 400-million-US dollars.
The project is designed to expand an existing hydroelectric plant to try to ease the country's power shortage.
Zimbabwe Power Company managing director Noah Gwa-riro.
"Kariba South Power Station extension will bring an extra capacity of 300 megawatts onto our grid41. So the benefit we are getting from this project is being able to produce more (power) during the peak period. It will reduce our deficit42."
The project is due to start in the coming year.
It's expected to take 4-years to finish.
At the moment it's failing to produce enough power because of failing equiptment.
and Zimbabwe has to buy most of its electricity from neighboring countries.
China's Art Market to Go Global
Statistics show that the overall trading volume of China's art market reached 211 billion yuan. last year. Alongside the fast development of themarket, Beijing is gradually growing into a center for the world art . But what obstacles are in the road CRI's Shen Ting has the report.
Reporter: Industry insiders agree on the urgent need to establish China's art market as a global institution at the 1st Chinese Art Market Development Summit held in Beijing.
Officials, scholars and art dealers43 exchanged opinions on the current situation and possible prospects44 for China's art market at the summit, themed "Beijing --- A Maturing Art Market Center for the World". All sides believe art market regulations and legislation are the first imperatives45 to deal with if China wants to claim its status as an international art market.
Guan Yu, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, says the improvement of the auction46 market order and regulations in taxes are the most pressing needs for China's art market.
"The inverted47 structure between the primary market and secondary market is the first issue we have to deal with if we want to enter the international market. Also, we are lagging behind in terms of art market legislation."
Tuo Zuhai, deputy director of the Department of Art Market at China's Ministry of Culture, says the ministry is already on its way of establishing rules for the country's art market.
"We plan to work in the following four aspects: first, set up industrial qualification standards for art appraisers; second, regulate art appraisal48 procedures and publicize relevant information; third, regulate art sales procedures; and fourth, apply technological49 methods into art appraisals50."
Mei Jianping, a professor of finance at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, says China's art market is still regional, and to go global it needs to move forward toward a market-based scheme.
"I think the Chinese art market has made great strides over the past twenty years. Most of the transactions are restricted to Chinese art, not international art. I think, going forward, China needs to make it art market global and rule-based, not entrepreneurial-driven, more market-based, less government intervention in the evolution of the market."
Mei Jianping also notes that the industry is in heavy need of graduates with art degrees if they want to deliver on more professional practices.
For CRI, this is Shen Ting.
'Gangnam Style' in line for UK dictionary inclusion
Korean pop sensation Psy may cement his place in popular culture with recognition from a British dictionary.
Psy's signature song "Gangnam Style" has been chosen as Collins Dictionary's words of the year.
Appearing on the Collins words of the year list is no guarantee of insertion in the next dictionary.
But the dictionary's consultant51 editor Ian Brookes says Gangnam Style stands a very good chance.
There are twelve words of the year in total, and one for each month.
Collins received over 7-thousand submissions53 on its online database.
[Media Digest]
SHANGHAI DAILY: "Taxis can be booked using app on smartphone"
Shanghai's two largest cab companies are starting to offer a free, instant taxi-booking app through smartphones' global positioning service.
The app transmits a caller's position and send back the taxi's position and possible arrival time to the cell phone.
Shanghai Dazhong Taxi Co started its service early this month and Shanghai Qiangsheng Taxi Co is expected to launch a trial next week.
Both companies now offer only Chinese versions of the smartphone services, while developer of Qiangsheng's system said they will consider introducing an English version after the Chinese one runs smoothly54.
Dazhong's system, now only for iPhone, can be downloaded from www.96822.com. It can search for vacant cabs within 500 to 1,000 meters to the caller and send the cab's position, plate number and booking number to the caller's smartphone.
Qiangsheng's system can be used by iOS and Android.
GLOBAL TIMES: "New air rescue only for the rich"
A year after the Beijing Red Cross announced its new emergency air rescue service, it has only been used twice, by a foreigner and a patient covered by a foreign insurance policy.
The service is out of reach to most Chinese. Even in life-threatening situations, people must pay upfront to use the service.
Official from Beijing Red Cross says the air emergency rescue services can cost over 100-thousand yuan or 16-thousand US dollars a trip, which is too expensive for most people.
To make the service more accessible as it enters its second year, the Beijing Red Cross is negotiating with insurance companies to launch air rescue insurance next year.
When a patient phones 999, the center will contact with the airline companies first and to apply for a flight.
During the same time, the emergency center will send doctors to the patients to see whether their condition is suitable for the air transportation.
JAKARTA POST: "Charity initiatives to mark Xmas, NYE events"
As Christmas is a perfect moment for sharing, the InterContinental Bali Resort in Jimbaran is one of Indonesia's hotels holding a special charity initiative in the spirit of giving back to the local community.
A tree decorated with wooden angels will be displayed in the hotel lobby.
These angels can be purchased for a small donation and the funds raised will go to the children of Panti Salam orphanage55 for their education and daily living costs.
Designed to transcend56 boundaries and embrace diversity, the program will celebrate the spirit of the festive57 season by taking different needs into careful consideration.
Visiting an orphanage located in the north part of Denpasar to share the joy of Christmas with the children is one of the items on the year-end agenda for Harris Hotel and Resort Sunset Road.
So the orphans58 have more fun at this special moment, the team will also bring them Christmas cupcakes prepared by the hotel's chefs.
REUTERS: "Whole grains linked to lower prediabetes risk"
A new research shows that eating whole grains is associated with a decreased risk of prediabetes, a blood sugar elevation60 that can precede diabetes59 in adults.
Swedish residents who ate food containing more than 59 grams of whole grains per day were 27 percent less likely to become prediabetic compared with residents who ate 30 grams or less.
The American Diabetes Association estimates that one in four Americans older than 20 have prediabetes.
Nearly a quarter of people with prediabetes eventually develop full-blown diabetes.
Previous research has linked whole grain rich diets with a decreased risk of diabetes, but the new study makes the connection to the disease precursor61.
Whole grains range from oatmeal to popcorn62, from brown rice to whole wheat - as long as the entire kernel63 is consumed.
点击收听单词发音
1 bilateral | |
adj.双方的,两边的,两侧的 | |
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2 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
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3 authorizes | |
授权,批准,委托( authorize的名词复数 ) | |
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4 intervention | |
n.介入,干涉,干预 | |
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5 civilisation | |
n.文明,文化,开化,教化 | |
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6 ministry | |
n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
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7 spoke | |
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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8 implement | |
n.(pl.)工具,器具;vt.实行,实施,执行 | |
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9 consensus | |
n.(意见等的)一致,一致同意,共识 | |
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10 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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11 sectors | |
n.部门( sector的名词复数 );领域;防御地区;扇形 | |
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12 aerospace | |
adj.航空的,宇宙航行的 | |
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13 high-tech | |
adj.高科技的 | |
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14 reiterated | |
反复地说,重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15 constructive | |
adj.建设的,建设性的 | |
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16 annexed | |
[法] 附加的,附属的 | |
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17 territorial | |
adj.领土的,领地的 | |
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18 gathering | |
n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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19 skeptical | |
adj.怀疑的,多疑的 | |
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20 violations | |
违反( violation的名词复数 ); 冒犯; 违反(行为、事例); 强奸 | |
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21 Christians | |
n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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22 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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23 boycotted | |
抵制,拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24 authorized | |
a.委任的,许可的 | |
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25 repatriate | |
v.遣返;返回;n.被遣返回国者 | |
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26 insurgent | |
adj.叛乱的,起事的;n.叛乱分子 | |
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27 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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28 adoption | |
n.采用,采纳,通过;收养 | |
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29 indigenous | |
adj.土产的,土生土长的,本地的 | |
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30 coup | |
n.政变;突然而成功的行动 | |
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31 analysts | |
分析家,化验员( analyst的名词复数 ) | |
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32 economist | |
n.经济学家,经济专家,节俭的人 | |
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33 scenario | |
n.剧本,脚本;概要 | |
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34 consummated | |
v.使结束( consummate的过去式和过去分词 );使完美;完婚;(婚礼后的)圆房 | |
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35 economists | |
n.经济学家,经济专家( economist的名词复数 ) | |
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36 hurl | |
vt.猛投,力掷,声叫骂 | |
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37 converged | |
v.(线条、运动的物体等)会于一点( converge的过去式 );(趋于)相似或相同;人或车辆汇集;聚集 | |
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38 hurdles | |
n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 );跳栏;(供人或马跳跃的)栏架;跨栏赛 | |
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39 abide | |
vi.遵守;坚持;vt.忍受 | |
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40 scrapped | |
废弃(scrap的过去式与过去分词); 打架 | |
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41 grid | |
n.高压输电线路网;地图坐标方格;格栅 | |
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42 deficit | |
n.亏空,亏损;赤字,逆差 | |
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43 dealers | |
n.商人( dealer的名词复数 );贩毒者;毒品贩子;发牌者 | |
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44 prospects | |
n.希望,前途(恒为复数) | |
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45 imperatives | |
n.必要的事( imperative的名词复数 );祈使语气;必须履行的责任 | |
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46 auction | |
n.拍卖;拍卖会;vt.拍卖 | |
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47 inverted | |
adj.反向的,倒转的v.使倒置,使反转( invert的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48 appraisal | |
n.对…作出的评价;评价,鉴定,评估 | |
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49 technological | |
adj.技术的;工艺的 | |
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50 appraisals | |
估计,估量,评价( appraisal的名词复数 ) | |
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51 consultant | |
n.顾问;会诊医师,专科医生 | |
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52 fiscal | |
adj.财政的,会计的,国库的,国库岁入的 | |
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53 submissions | |
n.提交( submission的名词复数 );屈从;归顺;向法官或陪审团提出的意见或论据 | |
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54 smoothly | |
adv.平滑地,顺利地,流利地,流畅地 | |
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55 orphanage | |
n.孤儿院 | |
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56 transcend | |
vt.超出,超越(理性等)的范围 | |
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57 festive | |
adj.欢宴的,节日的 | |
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58 orphans | |
孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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59 diabetes | |
n.糖尿病 | |
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60 elevation | |
n.高度;海拔;高地;上升;提高 | |
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61 precursor | |
n.先驱者;前辈;前任;预兆;先兆 | |
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62 popcorn | |
n.爆米花 | |
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63 kernel | |
n.(果实的)核,仁;(问题)的中心,核心 | |
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64 revert | |
v.恢复,复归,回到 | |
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