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21 | China, Not-So-Free Trade

Beijing has cried foul to the World Trade Organization (WTO) after being whacked with a 35% U.S. tariff on Chinese tires in what some fear could lead to an escalating trade war. The U.S. argues that cheap imports were harming its tire industry; China has said it might limit U.S. auto and chicken imports in response.

 

U.S. Trade Barriers: Shots Heard Round the World

1983

Ronald Reagan imposes a 49% tariff on Japanese motorcycles at the request of Harley-Davidson. Three years later, Harley says it is no longer needed, and Reagan repeals it

1989

George H.W. Bush extends Reagan-era steel-import quotas--limiting them to 20% of the U.S. market--for an additional 2½ years

1995

Bill Clinton threatens Japan with a 100% tariff on luxury cars unless Tokyo eases its regulations against U.S. automakers. An 11th-hour deal scuppers the tariff

2002

George W. Bush imposes tariffs of up to 30% on imported steel in an effort to bolster the struggling U.S. industry. Facing a possible trade war with Europe and an official WTO rebuke, he repeals them in 2003

 

cry foul 鳴冤叫屈

whack 重擊

tariff 關稅

escalate 升級

Harley-Davidson 哈雷摩托車 △

repeal 廢除，撤銷

quota 配額

luxury cars 豪華車

scupper 毀掉

bolster 援助，支撐

rebuke 譴責

 

22 | Washington, Crime Falls; Inequality Persists

Despite predictions that the Great Recession would foment a wave of lawlessness, U.S. crime dropped 1.9% from 2007 to 2008, according to statistics compiled by the FBI. Violent crimes were down across the board, and rapes fell to their lowest level in 20 years. But the news is not all good: burglary spiked, and black men remained about six times as likely as white men to be murdered.

 

foment 煽動，引發

lawlessness 不法行為

across the board 全面

spike 上升

 

23 | Paris, Carbon Emissions Plunge

The recession has its silver linings. According to a forthcoming report by the International Energy Agency, sluggish trade, dwindling industrial output and greener government policies have put global carbon dioxide emissions on track to drop 2.6% in 2009, the largest slide in 40 years. Analysts hope the dip will bolster efforts to reach a new climate pact in Copenhagen in December. But so far, despite repeated calls for action, world leaders have made scant progress toward replacing the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

 

plunge 驟降，下跌

silver linings 指黑暗中的一線曙光，困難情況下的希望

sluggish 不景氣的，緩慢的

dwindling 不斷減少的

industrial output 工業產值

dip 下降

bolster 支持

pact 協定，條約

scant 不足的，不充分的

Kyoto Protocol 京都議定書 △

 

24 | Washington, Senate Focuses on Health Care

More than 500 amendments have been submitted for the 10-year, $856 billion health-care bill proposed by Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, but it remains to be seen how many will make it in. While the Montana lawmaker has said he doesn't expect to materially alter the bill's structure, he plans to use the markup period to address concerns from fellow Democrats over its cost. Baucus not only must keep the 13 Democrats on the 23-member committee on board but also hopes to woo Senator Olympia Snowe, the sole Republican member expected to vote for the package.

 

amendments 修訂

materially 實質上，重大地

alter 改變

markup period 這里指美國國會議案審定期 △

 

25 | Washington, U.S. Poverty on the Rise

According to new U.S. Census data, the recession has hit middle- and low-income families hardest, widening the gulf between them and the rich. Lower incomes boosted poverty rates in 31 states and Washington, D.C., from 2007 to 2008, compared with increases in just 10 states the year before. Overall, the U.S. rate hit an 11-year high of 13.2%, while the number of Americans receiving food stamps rose 13%.

 

census 人口普查

gulf 鴻溝

food stamps 食品券，多發放給貧民與失業者

 

26 | Indonesia, Earthquake Shakes Sumatra

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Padang, a city of 900,000 on the northwest island of Sumatra, cutting power and telephone lines and trapping thousands of people underneath collapsed buildings. The initial death toll of 75 is expected to rise as victims are pulled from the rubble. Aftershocks triggered landslides and were felt as far away as Malaysia and Singapore. Hours earlier, a quake in the Pacific had sent a tsunami crashing into Samoa and American Samoa, killing at least 100.

 

Sumatra 蘇門答臘

magnitude 這里表示震級

initial 初步的

rubble 廢墟

aftershock 余震

landslide 山體滑坡

tsunami 海嘯

 

27 | BEIJING, China military spotlighted in national day parade

China's biggest military parade in a decade will show off an army bristling with formidable new capabilities and deliver a potent message to the U.S. and others not to underestimate Beijing's determination to defend its interests at home and abroad. The military display is expected to be the centerpiece of a grandiose parade through Beijing on Oct. 1 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. A preview rumbled through the Chinese capital a week ago, giving an excited citizenry and foreign military analysts a first-time glimpse at some cutting-edge weaponry.

 

military parade 閱兵

bristle with 這里表示充滿，以…裝備

formidable 強大的，可怕的

potent 強有力的

underestimate 低估

centerpiece 這里表示中心

grandiose 宏偉的

rumble 發出轟鳴

citizenry 公民

cutting-edge weaponry 尖端武器

 

28 | Stockholm, Science Stars Take a Bow

The first of this year's Nobel Prizes celebrated advances in harnessing light and understanding cells. Nine scientists (eight of them U.S. citizens) shared honors in physics, medicine and chemistry for work that has contributed to photography and antibiotics research, among other fields. Each prize includes a $1.4 million award.

 

take a bow 鞠躬答謝

harness 利用

antibiotics 抗生素

 

29| Washington, Challenge for Obama after Peace Prize Shock

Barack Obama yesterday received the Nobel peace prize just 263 days after taking office, triggering praise and incredulity across the world over a decision that rewards him more for promise than achievement. The US president said he was “surprised and humbled” by the Norwegian Nobel committee's decision, adding that he felt unworthy to be counted among the “transformative figures” of history who had previously won the prize. The Nobel Committee praised Mr. Obama for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples”, citing his fledgling push for nuclear disarmament and his reaching out to the Muslim world.

 

taking office 就職

incredulity 懷疑，不相信

humbled 謙卑的

transformative figures 變革人物，起到重大作用的人

fledgling 初出茅廬的，剛開始的

nuclear disarmament 核裁軍

 

30| Thailand, HIV Vaccine: A False Positive?

Closer scrutiny of last month's report of the first successfully tested AIDS vaccine suggests scientists spoke too soon. Analysis of a subset of data found that the vaccine's benefit may not be statistically significant; odds of being protected from infection could be no better than chance. Critics say the study's authors should have waited to publicize the results until after other scientists had vetted them.

 

vaccine 疫苗

a false positive 這里positive原指“HIV呈陽性”，這里false positive表示“檢測有誤”，暗合艾滋病疫苗研究成果可能不成立

scrutiny 仔細檢查

subset 子集

odds 可能性

publicize 公布

vet 診療，檢查