看新聞學英語3

1、I want to be a friend to the Chinese: Maehara · Source: Global Times · 08:10 November 22 2010 · Comments By Xie Rongbin and Li Jian Editor's note: Sino-Japanese ties were strained after a collision between a Chinese trawler and Japanese Coast Guard patrol vessels in waters of the

2、East China Sea. Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, who is considered by some to be a "hawkish" politician, drew much attention amid the diplomatic row because of his comments on the incident and Japan's diplomacy. Thanks to the Japanese embassy in Beijing, Global Times reporters

3、Xie Rongbin and Li Jian (GT) recently had the opportunity to conduct a written interview with Maehara to talk about relations between China and Japan. Seiji Maehara, Japanese foreign minister Photo: AFPGT: Are you sending a signal of patching up strained relations between China and Japan by acceptin

4、g this interview with the Global Times?Maehara: My view regarding Japan-China ties is that as Japan and China are good neighbors, it serves the interests of our two countries and peoples to promote the strategic and mutually beneficial relations between us.Nowadays, Japan and China are getting incre

5、asingly interdependent on each other in trade and investment. Personnel exchange between the two sides are also getting closer. I would like to be a friend of 1.3 billion Chinese people and contribute to the strategic and mutually beneficial relationship.I have been to China more than 20 times, and

6、I have been impressed by all the visits. Among them, my trip to China's Inner Mongolia impressed me because I planted 550 trees there with my friends. After assuming the post of Japanese foreign minister and becoming responsible for Japan's policies toward China, I deeply felt that forefathe

7、rs of our two countries had planted and cultivated a lot of trees for Japan-China relations. I believe that I can become a good neighbor of the Chinese people as long as I take good care of the trees planted by our forefathers.It was unfortunate that, because of the recent maritime incident, some is

8、sues between China and Japan were unnecessarily magnified. I hope to share my above thoughts and ideas with the Chinese people through this interview.GT: Japanese media reported that you used "hysterical" to describe China's response to the maritime collision incident. Is that true? Do

9、 you want to make some explanations on the reports?Maehara: Japan had been calling on both sides to act calmly amid the aftermath of the collision incident. As the word's second- and third-largest economies, China and Japan bear a huge responsibility in promoting peace and prosperity of the regi

10、on and in the international community. So Japan and China should proceed from overall interests of our two countries and find ways to achieve co-existence and co-prosperity under a global prospective.GT: How does the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) strengthen relations between China and Japan?Maehar

11、a: Policies of the DPJ are advanced by both the government and the ruling party. We believe that, as close neighbors, China and Japan are very important to each other, and that bilateral ties are crucial to the Asia-Pacific region and the whole world at large. Even though there are problems occurrin

12、g between the two sides, it is necessary for the two neighbors to calmly deal with them.Japan realized its first power transfer since the end of World War II in a real sense in September 2009, but the DPJ values relations with China and the continuity of Japanese foreign policies. For Japan, China i

13、s an extremely important neighbor, and Japan- China ties are among the most significant bilateral relations. We will continue to promote the strategic and mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.There are some unsolved disputes between the two sides. We hold that top leaders of th

14、e two sides should establish a solid relationship of mutual trust to conduct constructive discussions on the issues.The DPJ has been consistent in attaching importance to personnel exchange between China and Japan. A DPJ delegation led by Katsuya Okada, secretary general of the DPJ, will visit China

15、 in December, and the trip is expected to strengthen mutual trust of the two countries.We would like to consolidate the future of Japan-China relations, which are based on solid mutual trust, by advancing exchange of young people, grassroots people and cultures between our two countries.GT: Media in

16、 Japan and other countries often call you a "hawkish" politician. Do you approve of that calling? Will Japanese foreign policies, especially policies on neighboring countries, lean toward toughness under your leadership?Maehara: I once studied at Kyoto University under Kousaka Masataka, Ja

17、pan's renowned scholar on international politics, and what Professor Masataka and me learned was "realism." My graduation thesis was China's Modernization. Both China and Japan conduct their diplomatic activities proceeding from their national interests. So I don't think I'

18、m a "hawkish" politician, but a realist advocating idealism.GT: Cooperation between China and Japan in economics and trade is very strong. Do you think such cooperation will influence political ties, or will it be hurt by political disputes?Maehara: Bilateral relations are deepening in an

19、unprecedented way. According to Japanese statistics, trade volume between China and Japan reached $232.3 billion in 2009, or 212 times more than that seen in 1972. China is already Japan's largest importer and exporter, and Japan is China's largest exporter. The personnel exchange between ou

20、r two countries is also enlarging quickly. About 3.32 million Japanese people visited China last year and about 1.24 million Chinese made trips to Japan.The close economic relationship lays a solid foundation for a comprehensive development of bilateral ties. Deepening relations between the two coun

21、tries will also make great contributions to the development of the Asia-Pacific region and the international community at large.GT: There are many discussions among Japanese media regarding China's rapid devel-opment? What is you point of view on the issue?Maehara: China has a close economic rel

22、ationship with Japan, and I think the development of China's economy serves as an opportunity for Japan, as this could bring Japan many interests. China still has much room for development, considering its per capita GDP.Japan hopes to see the balanced, stable and transparent development of Chin

23、a and will spare no efforts helping China develop toward the goal. I firmly believe that Japan- China cooperation could bring unprecedented peace and prosperity to Asia in the 21st century.BBC hostess regrets cat-eating comment · Source: Global Times · 08:18 November 22 2010 · Comment

24、s A BBC radio presenter slipped up by saying live on the air that Chinese people serve cats for meals, but she apologized for the blunder shortly after, the Plymouth-based daily The Herald reported Saturday.While discussing a book entitled Casper the Commuting Cat: The True Story of the Cat Who Rode

25、 the Bus and Stole Our Hearts, Judi Spiers said on the BBC Devon's Friday morning show, "10,500 copies have been sold, and the book has been translated into six different languages - Dutch, German, Portuguese, Italian and two dialects of Chinese. I don't know whether they'll enjoy t

26、hat; don't they eat cats?"The report said that the veteran presenter was forced to offer an apology just 10 minutes after the gaffe, and 30 minutes later a red-faced Spiers appeared on the air saying sorry."Earlier in the program I made a comment about Casper the cat, which some of you

27、 may have found offensive. I would like to apologize if you found the comment distasteful. Obviously I did not mean to offend," the presenter said.Yang Yamei, a Chinese student from the School of International Studies at Beijing University, told the Global Times, "We could do more to impro

28、ve our image overseas, fixing biased ideas as such.""Apology means literally nothing," Yang said, concerned about the consequence of Spiers' false remark on the listeners.She said sorry just because she was meant to say it, Yang added.The hostess has presented the 180-minute Judi

29、Spiers Show on BBC Radio Devon since 2005.On Friday's program in which she blundered, Spiers was talking about the biography written by cat owner Sue Finden, whose pet, Casper the cat, traveled 11 miles by bus regularly from his home in Plymouth but died in a hit-and-run accident earlier this ye

30、ar.Agencies - Global TimesChina sweep golds under Japan's 'mother of synchro' · Source: Global Times · 09:13 November 22 2010 · Comments China's gold medalists compete in the synchronised swimming combination final. Photo: ICChina swept the Asian Games synchronised swi

31、mming gold medals on Sunday under Japanese coach Ma-sayo Imura, leaving former power-house Japan in their wake for the second straight time.China won the combination title on the final day after twins Jiang Wen-wen and Jiang Tingting retained their duet crown on Friday and powered the hosts to grab

32、a second straight team gold on Saturday.Swimming to the soundtrack music of "Alice in Wonderland," the Chinese squad of 10 water ballerinas performed as individuals, pairs, fours, eights and a whole, dazzling with high jumps and lifts.They collected 97.125 points with Japan second at 94.00

33、0 and Kazakhastan third at 85.375.It was the first time that the combination was competed at the Asian Games since the aquatic sport made its debut in 1994."I am very pleased because we aimed for the three gold medals here," said Imura. The legendary Japanese coach guided China to their fi

34、rst ever Olympic synchro medal - a team bronze - at the 2008 Beijing Games.The 60-year-old assumed her second coaching job with China just a few months ago."They have shown what they have but they are still short of a perfect 10," she added."Russia still reign high above. If the Chine

35、se swimmers find what they should do to catch them, they will further improve." Known as Japan's "mother of synchro," Imura coached the Japanese national team for 27 years as they secured podium finishes in all six Olympic Games to Athens 2004, where they finished second behind Ru

36、ssia.China hired Imura as head coach for the first time just after they dethroned Japan as the region's long-time synchro leaders at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.Agencies Property price drop in the cards: report · Source: Global Times · 08:15 November 22 2010 · Comments By Liang F

37、eiProperty prices in China's first-tier cities may drop as much as 20 percent next year, according to a report released Saturday by Beijing-based Renmin University of China.Liu Yuanchun, deputy dean of the university's school of economics, told the Global Times Sunday that real estate compan

38、ies are currently facing a variety of financial issues, forcing them to scale back investments and reduce the selling price on some properties.Last Friday, China's central bank raised banks' reserve requirements by 0.5 percent for the second time in nine days, which demonstrates the governme

39、nt's determination in curbing inflation and, at the same time, tightening capital for real estate developers and potential buyers."The recent monetary policy adjustment, (plus) continuous government cooling measures and prevalent consumer 'wait-and-see' attitudes, have all served to drag down real estate prices," said Liu."Rea