中国7月份通胀率创10年新高 CHINA'S SPIRALLING INFLATION RAISES PROSPECT OF TIGHTENING MEASURES   By Richard McGregor in Beijing Tuesday, August 14, 2007   China's inflation rate hit a 10-year high of 5.6 per cent in July, raising expectations of further tightening measures and increasing concerns about an eventual knock-on impact on the real economy. The spurt in inflation comes at a sensitive time in China's political calendar, ahead of the five-yearly communist party congress in October, when stability is at a premium. Outbreaks of inflation have triggered political upheaval in the past, most famously in the late 1980s, when rising prices were an important factor in provoking street protests that paralysed Beijing in 1989.

英国《金融时报》马利德(Richard McGregor)北京报道

2007年8月14日 星期二

中国7月份的通货膨胀率达到5.6%，创10年来新高，不仅增强了外界对中国政府将进一步采取紧缩政策的预期，也加剧了人们对实体经济最终将受到冲击的担忧。 通货膨胀率的突然加速，正值中国政治日历中的敏感时期。5年一度的中共全国代表大会即将在10月纷举行，届时，稳定将是压倒一切的中心任务。 通胀爆发在过去曾引发政治动荡，其中最著名的是在80年末期，当时，不断上升的价格是激发1989年北京街头游行、并导致北京一度瘫痪的重要因素。

据本周一公布的一项调查，英国多达1100万的司机不会看简单的公路地图。

该调查发现，英国超过四分之三的司机不会辨认公路地图图标，仅有1%的司机能通过“幼童军认图测试”。

开展此项调查的eSure公司的保险和业务开发部经理柯林•巴塔布耶尔说：“大多数幼童军（译者注：参加童子军野外生存训练的八岁至十二岁的儿童）的认图能力比大多数成年人都要好，这实在令人尴尬。”

16%的英国司机严重依赖全球定位系统，所以他们的车里都没备地图。

英国国家陆地测量局的斯科特•辛克莱说：“司机们应该在看地图技能方面补补课了。高科技固然好，但纸制地图不会出现突然没电的状况，（是最可靠的。）”

辛克莱说：“没有哪个正儿八经的登山者会完全依靠GPS设备来识别方向，以防出现没电或失去信号的状况，这对于开车的人来说应该是一样的。”

该项对1000名英国司机的调查发现，英国人看地图能力太差造成司机们每年开了360亿英里的冤枉路。

（英语点津姗姗编辑）

Do I have to draw a map for you? [ 2007-08-10 17:48 ] As many as 11 million British motorists are unable to read a basic road map, according to a survey released Monday. As many as 11 million British motorists are unable to read a basic road map, according to a survey released Monday. The poll revealed over three quarters of British drivers were unable to identify the motorway map symbol, while only one percent of motorists would pass the Cub Scout Map Reader test. "It's pretty embarrassing the majority of Cub Scouts have better map-reading skills than the majority of the adult population," said Colin Batabyal, head of underwriting and business development at eSure, which carried out the survey. Sixteen percent of British drivers have become so heavily reliant on satellite navigation systems that they have given up keeping a map in their car. "It's time for motorists to take a refresher in map-reading skills," said Scott Sinclair of national mapping agency Ordnance Survey. "Technology is great but the batteries won't run out on a paper map. "No serious hill walker would rely totally on a GPS device in case the power goes or the signal is lost, so it should be the same for the motorist," added Sinclair. The survey -- based on a poll of 1,000 UK drivers -- estimated Britons' poor map-reading skills resulted in 36 billion wasted miles being driven each year.

中国的肥胖“负担” FAT CHINA   Paul French analyses obesity with Chinese characteristics Monday, August 13, 2007   CHINA FACES AN obesity crisis in its cities. A combination of rising incomes, greater food choices and the one-child policy leading to a spoiling of children is pushing up rates of urban obesity. What is particularly interesting about the growing obesity crisis is that, with obesity linked to a range of illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, various cancers and strokes, whatever the government or individual citizens do to try and stem the problem in future, for a generation it is mostly too late. Unlike economic statistics – GDP, inflation, FDI etc – which can fluctuate with China's fortunes and the fortunes of the wider world economy making forecasts problematic, obesity will lead to higher incidences of disease and illness and these will be real and unavoidable pressures on China's healthcare and welfare system. The size of the problem Unlike in the UK, obesity in China is largely suffered by the wealthy, not the poor. Every two to three years China is resizing (see table on page 2). In 1982, 7% of the population were defined as overweight; that has now risen to 15%, with 90 million of these designated as chronically obese, and prone to heart disease, hypertension, and type-2 diabetes which has increased from 4.6% to 6.4% in ten years. Even if China addressed its obesity issue immediately, the bubble of diabetes suffering would still exist, and need to be addressed.

保罗•弗伦奇(Paul French)分析有中国特色的肥胖症

2007年8月13日 星期一

中 国城市正面临着肥胖危机。收入的不断增长、食品选择的日益丰富以及导致溺爱的独生子女政策交互作用，推升了城市肥胖率。对于日益深化的肥胖危机，特别有趣的一点是，由于肥胖与糖尿病、高血压、各种癌症和突发病等一系列疾病相关，因此无论政府或公民个人怎样尝试并预防未来的问题，对一代人而言已经太晚了。国内生产总值(GDP)、通货膨胀、外国直接投资等经济统计数据，可以随着中国财富波动，也可以随着范围更广的世界经济财富波动，这可能使预测出现问题。但与这些统计数据不同，肥胖将导致更高的疾病发病率，而这将对中国医疗卫生和福利体系造成真实、不可避免的压力。 问题的规模 与英国不同，中国的肥胖问题主要发生在富人身上，而不是穷人。每隔2、3年，中国就会“调整尺寸”。1982年，中国人口的7%被认定为超重；目前这一比例已升至15%，其中9000万人被认定属于慢性肥胖，而且有可能患心脏病、高血压和2型糖尿病，其中2型糖尿病的患病比例在10年中由4.6%升至6.4%。即使中国立刻解决了肥胖问题，人们遭受糖尿病困扰的现实仍将存在，而且需要加以解决。中国的肥胖问题更多发生在年轻人身上，而不是老年人。在北京和上海的学生中，有五分之一的孩子现在被中国卫生部确认患有临床肥胖症（这是在中国的最高比例）。肥胖问题还主要是一种城市现象——全国有5%的人口被确认为肥胖症患者，但在各大城市这一比例已升至20%。

姚明婚后打算：备战奥运第一 Yao says "Games first, babies second" [ 2007-08-09 16:56 ] Chinese basketball superstar Yao Ming marries his 7-year girlfriend Ye Li China's newly wed basketball sensation, Yao Ming, said babies would take a back-seat to Olympic preparations as the host country began the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Games. The 7ft 6in (2.26 meter) Houston Rockets centre, who wed his 6ft 2in basketballer girlfriend Ye Li at a private ceremony in Shanghai on Monday, was briefly caught off guard when China's Olympic hurdling champion, Liu Xiang, asked about his family plans on Tuesday. "Having children...there's no plan at present. I will be concentrating on preparing for the NBA season and next year's Olympics," Yao said in comments published on Chinanews.com on Wednesday. "To participate in the Olympics in your home country, it's an opportunity I will really cherish," Yao said. Yao also revealed that his wedding ceremony, at which dozens of security guards kept a massive media throng at bay outside a Shanghai hotel, was deliberately timed. "Getting married on August 6 was to use the focus of the Olympics to divert attention away from my wedding," he said, keeping tight-lipped about honeymoon plans. On Wednesday, China marked the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics which will start 8.08 p.m. local time on the eighth day of the eighth month. Eight, unsurprisingly, is a lucky number in China.   (Reuters) 在中国迎来2008年北京奥运会倒计时一周年之际，刚步入婚姻殿堂的篮球巨星姚明表示，备战奥运第一，生孩子暂不考虑。 本周一，这位身高2米26的NBA火箭队中锋与他身高1米90的女友、女篮队员叶莉在上海举行了一个家庭式婚礼。周二，我国跨栏奥运冠军刘翔问起了姚明的“婚后计划”，把他弄了个措手不及。 据中国新闻网周三报道，姚明说：“要孩子……目前还没这个打算。我要集中精力备战NBA新赛季和明年的奥运会。” 姚明说：“有机会在自己的祖国参加奥运会，我会非常珍惜。” 姚明在上海举行婚礼当天，一大群媒体记者被保安挡在了酒店门外。据姚明透露，他的婚礼选在那天举行是有意的。 “选在今年8月6日结婚，是想借奥运的光，分散各界对我结婚的注意力。”姚明没有透露他们的蜜月计划。 昨天，中国举行了2008年北京奥运会倒计时一周年的庆祝活动。北京奥运会将于北京时间2008年8月8日晚8时零8分开幕。无疑，“8”在中国是个幸运数字。 （英语

中国联想打印度的主意 LENOVO FACTORY TO FOCUS ON BOOMING DOMESTIC MARKET   By Amy Yee in New Delhi Friday, August 10, 2007   As part of an aggressive push to make a bigger global splash, Lenovo is diving deeper into India. The computer maker's new plant in northern India is due to open next month and aims to triple Lenovo's annual production capacity in the country to 3m computers. Lenovo, the Chinese manufacturer that bought IBM's personal computer business in 2005, is investing $30m in factories in India's Himachal Pradesh state and Monterrey, Mexico. While the Mexican plant will cater to customers across the Americas, the Indian plant will focus on the growing domestic market. Lenovo also plans to base its global marketing operations in Bangalore to take advantage of India's lower costs. Advertising campaigns from the new centre are to be used in all markets except China.

英国《金融时报》艾米•叶(Amy Yee)新德里报道

2007年8月10日 星期五

联 想(Lenovo)正大力提升全球影响力，举措之一就是进一步深入印度市场。这家电脑制造商在印度北部的一家新厂将于下月开业，计划将联想在印度的电脑年生产力提升至300万台，为目前的3倍。 这家中国电脑制造商2005年收购了IBM的个人电脑业务，目前正斥资3000万美元在印度喜马偕尔邦和墨西哥蒙特雷建厂。墨西哥工厂将供应美洲地区市场，而印度厂的重点则是成长中的本土市场。 联想还计划将全球营销业务总部设在印度的班加罗尔，以利用印度低廉的成本。新营销中心的广告活动将在中国之外的所有市场开展。

北京奥运的建筑盛宴 CONSTRUCTION SECTOR FEASTS ON CAPITAL'S BUILDING BANQUET   By Mure Dickie in Beijing Friday, August 10, 2007   Rory McGowan, a partner at engineering design consultant Arup, looks from his window at a Beijing skyline studded by the skeletal hulks of skyscrapers under construction – including the $600m-plus (�35m, £294m) China Central Television tower he is helping to build. “The international architectural roadshow has come to Beijing and the purpose is the Olympics,” Mr McGowan says. The whirlwind of construction that has enveloped China's capital in preparation for the games has been a feast for Arup. Along with the CCTV tower and a neighbouring 30-storey hotel and cultural centre, the firm is helping to build the National Stadium, the National Aquatics Centre and an airport terminal. Beijing's makeover goes far beyond such signature projects, however.

作者：英国《金融时报》王明(Mure Dickie)北京报道

2007年8月10日 星期五

工 程设计咨询公司奥雅纳(Arup)合伙人罗里•麦高恩(Rory McGowan)透过窗户望着北京的地平线，这里到处是建设中摩天大楼的骨架——其中包括他帮助建设的造价逾6亿美元的中国中央电视台(CCTV)大楼新址。 麦高恩表示：“国际建筑路演已来到北京，而目标就是奥运会。” 建设旋风已席卷备战奥运的中国首都，对奥雅纳公司而言，这是一场盛宴。除央视大楼和附近一座30层的酒店及文化中心以外，该公司还在帮助建造国家体育场(National Stadium)、国家游泳中心(National Aquatics Centre)和一个机场航站楼。然而，北京的改造远远不只这些标志性项目。

中国将拨款11亿美元 加强食品安全 BEIJING SETS ASIDE $1BN TO RESTORE FAITH IN FOOD SAFETY   By Geoff Dyer in Shanghai Thursday, August 09, 2007   China will spend $1.1bn (�00m, £540m) to improve food safety by 2010 and give more power to regulators as the country scrambles to restore confidence in its products after a series of scandals. The spending plan, which began two years ago but was only announced yesterday, includes a new laboratory and improved inspection facilities for monitoring food and drug safety. “Once the plan has been completed, the abilities of the regulator will be substantially increased,” said Yan Jiangying, an official with the State Food and Drug Administration. “There will be an enormous improvement in the system for guaranteeing food and drug safety for the public.”

英国《金融时报》杰夫•代尔(Geoff Dyer)上海报道

2007年8月9日 星期四

中国政府在2010年之前将拨出11亿美元，用于加强食品安全，并将赋予监管机构更多权力。在一系列有关中国产品质量的丑闻爆发后，中国当前正忙于重树全球对其产品的信心。 这项投资计划在两年前已经开始实施，但直到昨日才公布。计划内容包括建立一个新的实验室，以及完善食品药品安全监管设施。 国家食品药品监督管理局(State Food and Drug Administration)官员颜江瑛表示，在计划实施完成以后，监管机构的能力会有很大提高。保证人民群众食品药品安全的体系会有很大改善。

I don't care if I'm richest in world... 我不在乎自己是不是首富     2007-08-07 18:14:48     CRIENGLISH.com I don't care if I'm richest in world... 　 我不在乎自己是不是首富 Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim, who is estimated by some calculations(1) to be wealthier than Microsoft founder Bill Gates, said Thursday he did not care if he was the world's richest person. "It's water off a duck's back(2) to me," the cigar-smoking Slim told foreign correspondents(3). "I don't know if I'm No. 1, No. 20, or No. 2,000. It doesn't matter." In July, a journalist who tracks the fortunes of wealthy Mexicans said Slim was worth an estimated $67.8 billion and had overtaken Gates as the world's richest person. Slim hit the No. 1 spot after a recent surge(4) in the share price(5) of his America Movil, Latin America's largest cell phone company, according to Eduardo Garcia of the online financial publication Sentido Comun. Garcia said that made him close to $8.6 billion wealthier than Gates, whose estimated worth was $59.2 billion. Slim, 67, told foreign journalists at a luncheon(6) on Thursday that making sure his job was compatible with his family or personal life was more important than his wealth. Forbes magazine reported in April that Slim had overtaken billionaire U.S. investor Warren Buffett for the No. 2 spot in the world's richest stakes, but it is not scheduled to recalculate(7) Slim's wealth until next year. Slim, known for his Midas(8) touch in turning struggling businesses into profit-making machines, told Reuters this year he did not calculate his fortune on a regular basis(9). In Mexico, a small elite(10) holds most of the country's wealth and about half the population lives on less than $5 a day. Slim said Thursday his charitable(11) foundations planned to invest $300 million in the next few years to build 100 schools in poor regions of Mexico that will focus on digital education. The plan would later be expanded throughout Latin America. 1. calculation：计算 2. water off a duck's back：不产生影响的，犹如水珠在光滑的鸭子脊背上无法停留 3. correspondent：报社派驻国外的通讯记者 4. surge：汹涌、澎湃 5. share price：股价 　 周四，墨西哥电信大亨Carlos Slim说他并不在乎自己是否是全世界最富有的人。据一些统计显示他比微软创始人Bill Gates还富有。   Slim抽着雪茄对国外记者说：“根本无所谓的事情。我不知道自己是第一、第二还是第两千，无所谓。” 七月，一位追踪墨西哥富人财富数量的记者说Slim目前身家578亿美元，代替Gates成为世界第一富豪。 根据在线财经网站Sentido Comun的Eduardo Garcia透露，由于Slim在拉丁美最大手机厂商America Movil购买的股票价格大幅度增长，他俨然成为了世界首富。 Garcia说他比Gates592亿美元的资产多出将近86亿。 六十七岁的Slim在周四的午宴上说比起财富来，他的工作更应该适应家庭和个人生活。 福布斯四月份公布Slim已经超过美国投资商Warren Buffett荣登富豪榜榜眼，但是明年之前还没有重新估算Slim财富的计划。 Slim将勉强维持的生意变成造钱机器，迈入富豪榜，说今年没有定期核算资产。 在墨西哥，一小部分精英分子拥有国家的大部分财富，大约一半人口每天的生活费不到5美元。 周四，Slim说他的慈善机构在未来几年内将捐献三亿美元在墨西哥贫困地区建造100所学校，重点扶持项目是数字教育。慈善计划此后还将扩展到整个拉丁美。   中国国际广播电台 译

美国：母乳喂养 幸福的源泉 Moms find breast is best [ 2007-08-08 09:38 ] The percentage of U.S. mothers who breast-feed their babies has reached the highest level on record amid mounting evidence that it provides many health benefits to the child, U.S. officials said on Thursday. The percentage of U.S. mothers who breast-feed their babies has reached the highest level on record amid mounting evidence that it provides many health benefits to the child, U.S. officials said on Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 74 percent of American women who gave birth in 2004 breast-fed their babies, continuing an upward trend since the early 1990s. "We've made quite a bit of progress," CDC epidemiologist Dr. Celeste Philip, lead author of a CDC report on breast-feeding, said in a telephone interview. Breast-feeding rates just about reached the government's target of 75 percent, the report showed. But many women did not stick exclusively to breast-feeding in the first months after birth as recommended by experts, turning instead to baby formula, the report showed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that women who do not have health problems exclusively breast-feed their infants for at least the first six months, with breast-feeding continuing at least through the first year as other foods are introduced. The CDC backs these recommendations, Philip said. The CDC report found that among infants born in 2004, the rate of exclusive breast-feeding through the first three months after birth was 31 percent, shy of the government's goal of 60 percent, and through six months was 11 percent, below the government target of 25 percent. The report detailed racial and socioeconomic disparities among women who provide their babies exclusively breast milk in these first months, with black, teen-age, rural, less-educated, lower-income and unmarried mothers less likely to do so. 点击查看更多双语新闻 (Reuters) 据美国官员上周四介绍，美国妈妈母乳喂养的比例创空前纪录，目前已有大量证据表明母乳喂养对孩子的健康有很多好处。 据疾病控制及预防中心介绍，在2004年生育的美国妈妈中，有74%的人母乳喂养孩子，自上世纪90年代早期开始，这一比例就在不断上升。 疾病控制及预防中心母乳喂养报告的主要撰写者、流行病学家西莱斯特·菲利普博士在接受电话采访时说：“我们在这方面进步很大。” 报告显示，目前美国母乳喂养的比例刚刚达到政府75%的目标。但很多女性在孩子出生后的头几个月并没有按照专家的建议坚持纯母乳喂养，而是加入了一些代乳品。 美国儿科学会建议身体健康的女性至少在最初的六个月对孩子进行纯母乳喂养。母乳喂养至少应持续至孩子一周岁，同时可以添加一些其它食品。菲利浦博士说，疾病控制及预防中心对这些建议表示支持。 疾病控制及预防中心的研究报告表明，在2004年出生的新生儿中，头三个月得到纯母乳喂养的比例为31%，低于政府60%的目标；头六个月得到纯母乳喂养的比例为11%，低于政府25%的目标。 报告中详细分析了在头三个月至六个月对孩子进行纯母乳喂养的女性在种族和社会经济方面的差别。报告显示，黑人女性、不到20岁的女性、农村地区、受教育水平低、收入较低的女性、以及未婚妈妈进行纯母乳喂养的比例较低。 （英语点津姗姗编辑）

中国：网民年轻化 上网娱乐化
Entertainment tops Net users list
[ 2007-07-19 16:31 ]

Most of the country's Internet users go online to chat or seek entertainment rather than look for jobs or conduct business. Most of the country's Internet users go online to chat or seek entertainment rather than look for jobs or conduct business. According to a report released by China Internet Network Information (CNNIC) yesterday, China's Internet users totaled 162 million in the first six months of this year. The country reported 137 million users last year. The rapid growth could be translated into almost 100 new users per minute in the past six months. At this rate of increase, China is expected to overtake the United States, the world's leader, by the end of next year. The US had 211 million Internet users at the end of last month. Although the number of China's Internet users has been on the rise since 1994, when first introduced to the country, the research showed most users were interested in chat rooms and entertainment, and not job searches, education, and e-banking. About 75 percent read online news and used search engines for information. More than 60 percent regarded online music and videos as an important source of entertainment. Only 21 percent used e-banking services, and 3.9 percent booked tickets through the Internet. Wang Enhai, an official with CNNIC, and an author of the report, said the phenomenon is due to China's Internet infancy and the fact most users were young people. "China's Internet market is just emerging and there are still a lot of things to be done before a mature online business environment can be established," Wang said. According to CNNIC, the number of China's Internet users under 24 years old was 58 million, about 35.8 percent of the country's total Internet population. This segment of the population, comprising mostly students, spends a lot of time playing online games, listening to music and watching videos. 点击查看更多双语新闻 (China Daily)

我国大多数互联网用户上网进行的主要活动是聊天和娱乐，而不是找工作或从事商务活动。 中国互联网络信息中心昨天发布的一份报告显示，今年上半年，中国的网民总数达到1.62亿人。去年这一数字为1.37亿。 在过去六个月中，中国网民的数量以每分钟近一百人的速度激增。 按照这一增速，中国有望于明年年底超过美国，成为全世界网民规模最大的国家。截至上月底，美国的网民数量达到2.11亿人。 尽管自1994年互联网引入中国以来，网民数量一直增长，但调查显示，大多数网民对网上聊天和娱乐较感兴趣，而不是网上求职、网络教育和网上银行。 约75%的网民在网上浏览新闻以及使用搜索引擎搜索信息。 超过60%的人将在线音乐和在线视频视为娱乐生活的重要组成部分。 仅有21%的人使用过网上银行服务，3.9%的人曾在网上订票。 中国互联网络信息中心官员、调查报告的撰写者之一王恩海说，这一现象的主要原因是中国的互联网尚处于起步阶段，而且大多数互联网用户都是年轻人。 他说：“中国的互联网市场才刚刚兴起，建立一个成熟的在线商务环境仍有很多事情要做。” 据中国互联网络信息中心数据，中国24岁以下的网民达到5800万，占网民总数的35.8%。 而且其中的大多数人是学生，他们经常在网上打游戏、听音乐、看视频。 （英语点津姗姗编辑）

北京的天空：因奥运而晴朗？   AIR QUALITY ASSURANCES FAIL TO ALLAY COMPETITOR CONCERNS   By Mure Dickie in Beijing Wednesday, August 08, 2007   It was the kind of day that can make Beijing summers a trial: a thick, foul-smelling smog sat low over the city, fed by the Chinese capital's rapidly industrialising hinterland and expanding car population. But though the view from Sun Weide's office was yielding little more than shades of grey, the spokesman for the Beijing Olympic organising committee was unworried about its implications for next year's games. “The air quality in Beijing has been improving,” Mr Sun declared. “I think the athletes will be happy.”

英国《金融时报》王明(Mure Dickie)北京报道

2007年8月8日 星期三

这 种天气让北京的夏日如同受罪：厚重、难闻的烟雾低低地压在城市上空。这要归咎于中国首都中心地区迅速工业化，以及汽车数量不断上升。 从孙维德的办公室向外望去，最多也就是看到层层灰色。孙维德是北京奥组委(Beijing Olympic organising committee)发言人，他并不担心这种情况对明年奥运会的影响。 孙维德宣称：“北京的空气质量一直在改善。我相信参赛运动员会感到满意。”

布什厚礼送夹克 布朗不领“情”
Bush gives Brown a bomber
[ 2007-08-06 09:28 ]

US President George W. Bush gave Brown a present of a fur-trimmed leather bomber It is an unlikely gift to give a man seldom seen out of a suit. Perhaps the giver, George Bush, was stuck for ideas, and tried to think of something he'd like to find in his stocking on Christmas morning. Or, more likely, he's trying a bit of subtle American humour on the recipient, Gordon Brown. US President George W. Bush gave Brown a present of a fur-trimmed leather bomber -- or aviator -- jacket when the prime minister visited him at his Camp David retreat, north of Washington. The brown jacket has a name tag with the prime minister's official title -- "Rt Hon (Right Honourable) Gordon Brown" -- on the left breast and a Camp David badge with the presidential seal on the other. The gift, in a large, gold-papered box, was left in full view in Brown's chartered British Airways Boeing 767 jet as it returned to London on July 31. Brown's first meeting as prime minister with Bush was a far cry from the get-together between Mr. Bush and Tony Blair in 2001, at which the President wore his own bomber jacket and Mr. Blair a pair of very tight purple cords. And the contrast was apparently deliberate-Downing Street is said to believe the 2001 meeting set the tone for a relationship that made it difficult for Mr. Blair to speak candidly to Mr. Bush. In any case, the new Prime Minister rarely goes out in public in anything but a jacket and tie. The value of the jacket from President Bush is likely to exceed the ￡140 limit on ministerial gifts, which means Mr Brown must decide whether to buy it. Although Brown reaffirmed the "special relationship" between the two countries and continued support for the fight against global extremism, he did not give a gung-ho impression of wanting to be Bush's "wing man".  (AP)

送这个礼物给一个习惯穿西装的人似乎有点不讨巧。 也许是布什实在想不出送什么礼物好，所以索性就送了个他自己希望得到的圣诞礼物。 或者更可能的是，他想在戈登·布朗身上玩一把美国式幽默。 英国首相戈登·布朗在华盛顿北部的总统度假山庄戴维营会见美国总统布什时，收到布什送给他的一件毛领皮制飞行员夹克。 这件棕色夹克的左胸处有一个带有“戈登·布朗阁下”字样的标签，右胸处则缀有一个“戴维营”徽章和总统印章。 7月31日，在布朗首相乘坐英国航空波音767包机返回伦敦的途中，这个装在一个大金色纸盒中的礼物被打开。 布朗出任首相后与布什的首次会面与2001年布莱尔与布什的会面截然不同，当时布什穿了件飞行员夹克，而布莱尔则穿了条紧身灯芯绒裤。 这一差别显然是有意为之--据说，唐宁街认为2001年的会面为之后的英美关系奠定了基调，布莱尔总是很难与布什总统开诚布公的对话。 无论怎样，英国的新首相还是习惯以西装革履的形象出现在公众面前。 布什总统送给布朗的这件夹克价值可能超过了140英镑的限额（英国政府规定内阁官员在外交事务中可接收的私人礼物限额为140英镑），这意味着布朗必须得拿主意是否要掏腰包买这件礼物。 尽管布朗首相一再重申两国的“关系不同寻常”，而且将继续支持全球反恐战争，但他并没有表现出要当布什“小跟班”的意思。 （英语点津姗姗编辑）

Vocabulary:  far cry   :大不相同的东西 gung-ho :起劲的；强烈的

威瑟斯彭成为雅芳首位全球形象大使
Reese Witherspoon heeds Avon call to be spokeswoman
[ 2007-08-03 16:16 ]

Reese Witherspoon Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon heeded Avon's call on Wednesday to become the direct-sale cosmetics company's first ever "Global Ambassador." Her duties include acting as a spokeswoman for Avon's cosmetics and its army of sales representatives. She will also be the honorary chairwoman of the Avon Foundation that focuses on such issues as breast cancer and domestic abuse. "As a woman and a mother I care deeply about the well being of other women and children throughout the world and through the years, I have always looked for opportunities to make a difference," said Witherspoon, who has two children by ex- husband, actor Ryan Phillippe. In a brief interview with Reuters after her news conference, she said she got involved because Avon has a real interest in helping women across the world. "I tried to do the best with balancing work and family. My children are the biggest priority in my life," said the actress who filed for divorce from Phillippe last November after seven years of marriage. Witherspoon, who won the 2005 Oscar for best actress for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in "Walk the line," signed a multi-year agreement, but her compensation was not disclosed. In addition to her other duties, Witherspoon will also be involved in product development initiatives, and appear globally in Avon advertising, web sites and in the company's brochures. (Reuters)

奥斯卡影后瑞茜·威瑟斯彭于本周三与雅芳化妆品直销公司正式签约，成为该公司历史上首位“全球形象大使”。 瑞茜的职责包括担任雅芳美容产品及销售代表的代言人。此外，瑞茜还将担任雅芳基金会的名誉主席。该基金会主要致力于乳腺癌的防治及家庭暴力等问题。 威瑟斯彭说：“作为一个女人和一位母亲，多年来我一直非常关心世界上其他女性和儿童的身心健康，我也一直在寻找契机能对此有所贡献。”她与前夫瑞安·菲利浦有两个孩子。 新闻发布会后，威瑟斯彭接受了路透社的简短采访，她说到她之所以加入雅芳是因为，多年来雅芳一直致力于帮助全世界的女性。 她说：“我尽可能的保持事业和家庭的平衡，孩子对于我来说是最重要的。”威瑟斯彭于去年11月向结婚七年的丈夫菲利浦提出离婚诉讼。 威瑟斯彭凭借其在电影《一往无前》中饰演琼·卡特·卡什一角荣获2005年奥斯卡最佳女主角奖。她与雅芳公司签署了一项多年的合约，但她的报酬并未公开。 除了其它职责外，威瑟斯彭还将参与雅芳公司的产品开发计划，并将出现在雅芳全球广告、网站及公司的宣传手册中。   （英语点津姗姗编辑）

“冒牌贝克汉姆”现身美国
Bogus Beckham bends truth in LA calls
[ 2007-08-03 09:22 ]

David Beckham An imposter pretending to be soccer superstar David Beckham made a dozen crank calls to county offices to chat about charity work and drop names of celebrity friends, officials said. County Public Information Officer Judy Hammond said the bogus Beckham also suggested bringing underprivileged kids to a practice session of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckham's new team. Clerk Maria Saenz and student worker Susana Guillen, avid fans of the real Beckham, "were just jumping up and down" after the first call. Officials realized the calls were a hoax after Department of Children and Family Services staffers grilled the caller. "It just smacked of bogusity," department spokeswoman Louise Grasmehr said. Representatives of Beckham confirmed he had not made the calls. The matter was being investigated to "see if it rises to the level of some kind of offense," sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said. County Chief Executive William T. Fujioka said officials were never really duped. "We're not country bumpkins," he said. (AP)

据有关官员介绍，近日，一个冒充足球巨星贝克汉姆的人给县政府办公室打了很多骚扰电话，他在电话中谈到与慈善工作有关的事，并提到一些明星朋友的名字。 县公共信息办公室职员茱迪·哈蒙德说，这个冒牌贝克汉姆还提到要带贫困儿童去小贝新加入的洛杉矶银河队进行足球训练。 职员玛丽亚·萨耶恩兹和学工苏珊娜·吉伦都是小贝的“粉丝”。两个人接到冒牌贝克汉姆的第一个电话后“高兴得上窜下跳”。 儿童与家庭服务部的工作人员对打来电话的人进行盘问后，有关官员意识到这是场恶作剧。 儿童与家庭服务部的女发言人路易斯·格拉斯莫尔说：“感觉就有点像个冒牌的。” 经贝克汉姆的经纪人证实，小贝并没有打这些电话。 警方发言人史蒂夫·惠特莫尔说，警方对这一事件进行了调查，以“确认这一事件是否到了违法的地步”。 县长威廉姆·T·藤冈说，县政府的官员们从未受过骗。 他说：“我们都不是乡巴佬，（没那么好骗）。” （英语点津姗姗编辑）

Vocabulary:  crank call  :恶作剧电话；骚扰电话 dupe :deceive（欺骗；愚弄） country bumpkin :指乡巴佬、土包子