Ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　Ｗｏｒｌｄ_Around the World

　　 　　Current Affairs时事 　　Home 国内 　　Promise to Increase Investment in Rural Education
　　农村教育的投入有望加大
　　The Ministry of Education in China has pledged to invest billions of Yuan into rural education over the next four years. There will be an emphasis on internet based teaching and bringing computers to classrooms in rural schools. Improving existing school facilities and building new schools will also be a part of the plan. Another target of the plan is to exempt poor students from textbook fees and give them access to government subsidies to help them complete their nine-year compulsory education.
　　中国教育部已经做出保证，将在未来四年内为农村教育投入数十亿元人民币。重点将是网络化教学和将电脑引入乡村学校的课堂。而改进学校现有设施、兴建新校也在计划之内。计划中的另一个目标是，免除贫困学生的书本费、向其发放政府津贴，以便帮助他们完成9年义务教育。
　　
　　
　　Economy 经济
　　Bank of China Offers Stakes to Investors
　　中国银行向投资者提供风险资金
　　
　　The Bank of China plans to sell stakes worth USD $10 Billion to investors. The bank is looking for two or three overseas investors to buy strategic stakes by sometime next year. The move is expected to help the Bank of China recapitalize. Along with the other big state-owned banks, which include the Agricultural Bank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank, the Bank of China is racing to clean up non-performing loans in order to meet listing requirements.
　　中国银行计划向投资者出售价值一百亿美元的风险资金。这家银行正在寻求两三名要在明年某一时间购买战略风险资金的海外投资者。这一举措预期会帮助中国银行整合资金。中国银行与包括农业银行、工商银行在内其它大型国有银行一道，正在加紧清除不良贷款以便满足上市要求。
　　
　　
　　US States Raise Minimum Wage
　　美国各州提高最低工资水平
　　
　　An increasing number of states in the US have raised their minimum wages, ignoring the federal minimum rate of $5.15 which hasn"t increased in eight years. Twelve states have raised their rates since January 2004. Employers in Wisconsin, for example, must pay at least $5.70 an hour through June 2006, when the minimum wage rises again to $6.50 an hour. In all, 17 states have set minimum wage rates above the federal rate. About half of the 2 million minimum wage earners in the US work in restaurants. The buying power of the federal minimum wage rate is at its lowest point since 1949.
　　
　　在美国，有越来越多的州置5.15美元这个8年来没有涨浮的联邦最低水平于不顾，纷纷提高了他们的最低工资水平。自2004年1月起，已经有十二个州提高了它们的（工资）水平。例如，到2006年6月底之前，威斯康星州的雇主必须一直提供每小时不少于5.70美元的薪金，而最低工资在那时将会再次涨到每小时6.50美元的水平。总共有17个州已经将最低工资定到了联邦水平之上。在两百万名领取最低工资的美国人中，大约有一半是在饭店打工。而联邦最低工资水平的购买力自1949年以来已经降至了最低点。
　　
　　Technology 科技
　　Grand Theft Auto to be Restricted in Japan
　　《横行霸道》在日本遭禁
　　
　　The American video game, Grand Theft Auto III is to be banned from being sold to minors in the state of Kanagawa in Japan. The game, which is produced by Rockstar Games Inc., depicts random killing sprees in public places, cars being blown up and other acts of violence that Kanagawa officials fear teens might try to mimic. Retailers will be barred from selling the game to anyone under 18 and it will carry a "harmful product" label.
　　在日本神奈川县，美国电视游戏《横行霸道3》被禁止向未成年人出售。这款由Rockstar游戏公司制作的游戏渲染了在公开场合肆意屠戮、爆毁汽车以及其它一些暴力行为，而神奈川县官员担心这些可能会被青少年加以模仿。零售商将被禁止向18岁以下人士出售此款游戏，而且它将标上"有害产品"的标识。
　　
　　
　　Tianjin is China"s Mobile Phone Capital
　　天津成为中国手机之都
　　
　　Tianjin"s mobile phone manufacturing output has reached 49 million units per annum, accounting for 22.8% of the national total. Some experts predict that in the next few years Tianjin may become one of the world"s most competitive places to manufacture mobile phone components. It is forecasted that by 2010 Tianjin"s output will have increased to 80 million units per annum and the value of its telecom industry will exceed RMB 300 million.
　　
　　天津的手机产量已经达到每年4900万部，占全国总量的22.8%。一些专家预测，在未来几年内，天津可能成为世界上最具竞争力的手机配件产地之一。预计，到2010年，天津的产量将提至每年8000万部，而其电信行业的产值将超过3亿人民币。
　　
　　Sports 体育
　　Els Ditches Agent
　　艾尔斯改换经纪公司
　　
　　Ernie Els has severed links with major sports agent IMG after they circulated a letter, without his consent, offering sponsors the chance to play a round of golf with him for $200,000. Els, who currently ranks No.3 in the world, will here forth be represented by the British based company, International Sports Management. The move is a huge blow to IMG, who have dominated the world of professional golf for forty years.
　　厄尼・艾尔斯已经与大型体育经纪公司――国际管理集团断绝了关系，之前该公司未经他的同意，就发布信函，向赞助商提供交纳20万美元即可与他打一轮高尔夫的机会。自此以后，目前世界排名第三的艾尔斯将由设在英国的公司――国际体育管理集团进行代理。对统领职业高尔夫球界达四十年的国际管理集团来说，这一举动是一个巨大的打击。
　　
　　CNPC Becomes Olympic Games Sponsor
　　“中石油”成为奥运会赞助商
　　
　　The China National Petroleum Corporation will become the eighth official partner of the 2008 Olympic Games. CNPC will provide services to the Beijing Paralympics Games, the Chinese Olympic Committee and Chinese sports delegations to the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy as well as the 2008 Beijing Games.
　　
　　中国石油天然气集团公司将成为2008年奥运会的第八个官方合作伙伴。“中石油”将为北京残奥会、中国奥组委、以及参加2006年意大利都灵冬奥会和2008年北京奥运会的中国体育代表团提供服务。
　　
　　Culture文化
　　
　　Mystery of Ancient King"s Death May be Solved
　　古代国王死亡之迷有望破解
　　Three teams of scientists, backed by the Egyptian government and the National Geographic Society, have used forensic techniques to reconstruct the face of Tutankhamun, the boy king of Egypt, who died under mysterious circumstances more than 3000 years ago. In the process the scientists discovered that King Tut was approximately 19 when he died and does not appear to have suffered from a physical attack. He had a leg injury, however, which has led experts to speculate that he may have died from an infection.
　　
　　在埃及政府和国家地理协会的支持下，三组科学家运用法医技术，重新修复了3000年前神秘死亡的埃及少年国王――图坦卡门的面容。在修复过程中，科学家们发现，图坦卡门死亡之时大约有19岁，看起来没有遭受过身体侵害。但是，他有腿伤，这就使专家们推测他也许是因感染而导致死亡。
　　
　　What They Said
　　
　　"It would open a period of divisions, of doubts, of uncertainties".
　　French President, Jacques Chirac, warning French voters of the danger of rejecting the European Constitution, one day before they voted against it.
　　“这将开启一个充斥着分歧、疑惑和变数的时期。”
　　法国总统雅克・希拉克在提醒法国投票人要注意到否决欧洲宪法的危害时说道，而第二天法国人就投了反对票。
　　"It"s the worst pile of crap architecture I"ve ever seen in my life."
　　
　　Business tycoon Donald Trump, on the Daniel Libeskind designed Freedom Tower. (Trump has his own proposal for rebuilding on New York"s Ground Zero).
　　“这是我这辈子所曾见过的最烂的建筑。”
　　商业巨头唐纳德・ 特朗普在谈及丹尼尔・利伯斯金德设计的“自由塔"时说道。（特朗普对于纽约“零点地”的重建有其自己的方案）。
　　"I want to curse. Nine years. It"s been nine years since I"ve cursed on camera."
　　Ray Romano, star of CBS hit sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, saying that now the series has come to an end; he"d prefer to do an edgier cable series.
　　“我想说脏话。九年了。自我上次在镜头前说脏话已经有九年了。”
　　哥伦比亚广播公司热播情景喜剧《人人都爱雷蒙德》中的明星雷・罗马诺称，这部系列剧已经完结；而他更想拍一部更加尖锐的有线电视系列剧。
　　
　　（注：在美国，脏话是不能出现在公共网络的电视剧中的，而《人人都爱雷蒙德》即是此类电视作品；而在有线 付费网络的电视剧中，则可以使用粗话）
　　"Those were the two dumbest words I ever said."
　　George Tenet, former CIA director, on his assurance to President George W. Bush in 2002, that the CIA had "slam dunk" evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
　　“这是我曾经说过的最愚蠢的两个词。”
　　前中央情报局局长乔治・特尼特在谈及他于2002年向乔治・W・布什总统保证中央情报局持有关于伊拉克拥有大规模杀伤性武器的“slam dunk（确凿）”证据时说道。
　　"Evidently, this time he didn"t listen to me."
　　Pope Benedict XVI, on initially not wanting the responsibility of being Pope and praying to God that he would not be chosen.
　　 “显然，这次他没听我的。”
　　教皇本笃十六世在谈及起初不想承担作为教皇的职责并祈求上帝让其落选时说道。
　　
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　　震动乐团 《瓶子中的波希米亚》
　　
　　也许你还未曾听说过“震动乐团”，但毫无疑问他们很特别。他们的单曲《圣塔克鲁兹，你并不遥远》是一首充满阳光和爱情的精品，唤起了60年代的西海岸精神和“敲击乐队”的节奏感。或许你刚刚听说有关他们的传闻――做事低调的莫里西观看了他们的排练并当即邀请他们为其在皇家艾伯特音乐厅举办的音乐会捧场。尽管乐队成员都是在爱尔兰成长起来的，但他们对20世纪60年代的美国西海岸音乐有着共同的热情，而那种热情最终在他们的音乐里得到了体现。乐界流传着一句话――“关注这几个家伙吧”。
　　
　　Keren Ann Not Going Anywhere
　　
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　　凯伦・安 《守候》
　　
　　凯伦・安轻吟低唱的曼妙嗓音犹如在湿热日子里饮下冰冷的水，舒适畅快。不可否认，这名前途无量的创作型年轻歌手有着无以伦比的风格。她的歌曲，不论是忧郁的还是轻快的，在关掉CD机以后仍久久萦绕在耳边。她在美国发行的第一张专辑《守候》（她在法国已录制了两张大获成功的CD，而且与法国民谣传奇歌手亨利・萨尔瓦联手创作了后者畅销专辑《看得见风景的房间》中的绝大部分作品），是一张惊世之作，收录了11首制作精良、情柔意美的歌曲。
　　
　　Duran Duran Greatest
　　
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　　杜兰・杜兰 《世纪精选辑》
　　
　　尽管不可避免地要对20世纪80年代进行怀念，但事实却是那个年代一些最具影响力的声音永远都不会消失。“杜兰・杜兰乐队”的成员在构思《世纪精选辑》以前就已还清了他们的抵押借款，因此他们推出最佳专辑的真心是毋庸置疑的。《世纪精选辑》记录着这些少年偶像的足迹，从鼓舞人心的早期新浪潮时代，一直到后来的现代舞曲。而在两者之间，《拯救灵魂》等经典作品就证明了该乐队对流行音乐形式的精通把握，而“邦德”主题曲《雷霆杀机》则强调了他们与那个年代不可割舍的联系。
　　
　　Yuri Chika Good Luck to You
　　
　　Yuri Chika was born into a musical family and began to play the piano at the age of three. Since, her dedication to music has never waned. She made an impact on the music industry in 2001 with her debut album Hana. Two more hit albums followed. Despite having a busy schedule with recording, she still finds time to pursue her favourite pastimes; beachcombing and body boarding. This proximity to the sea is a heavy influence on her music. This year, Yuri Chika fans were given the gift of her fourth album, Good Luck to You.
　　
　　
　　有里知花 《祝你好运》
　　有里知花出生于一个音乐世家，三岁起就开始弹钢琴。自那时起，她对音乐的热情从未减弱。2001年，她以她的首张专辑《花火》轰动了音乐界。随后又推出了两张畅销专辑。尽管录音日程排得满满当当，但她仍然有时间来享受她最爱的消遣――海滨拾趣和划板冲浪。与大海的这般亲近，对她的音乐产生了重大的影响。今年，有里知花的歌迷将收到一份礼物――她的第四张专辑《祝你好运》。
　　
　　以上图片及文字资料由EMI中国部提供