Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi faces two years in jail after her sentence is halved

前缅甸领导人昂山素季刑期减半，面临两年监禁

Myanmar’s deposed① civilian② leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, faces two years in jail after her sentence was halved by the country’s military, state media MRTV reported on Monday. Earlier in the day, Suu Kyi was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of incitement③ and breaking Covid-19 rules, in the first verdict against the Nobel Peace Prize winner since the military seized power in February. Suu Kyi, 76, was Myanmar’s state counselor and de facto④ leader of the country before she was ousted and detained by the military 10 months ago and hit with almost a dozen charges that add up to combined maximum sentences of more than 100 years. They include several charges of corruption, violating Covid-19 pandemic restrictions during the 2020 election campaign, incitement, illegally importing and possessing walkie talkies⑤, and breaking the colonial-era Official Secrets Act. She has rejected all allegations and her supporters say the charges against her are political. (CNN)

12月6日，据缅甸广播电视台报道，被推翻的文职政府领导人昂山素季刑期减半，面临2年监禁。当天早些时候，这位诺贝尔和平奖得主因“煽动罪”和“违反防疫规定”，被今年2月夺政的军政府首轮判处了4年监禁。昂山素季现年76岁，之前是缅甸的国务资政和实际领导人。10个月前她遭军方罢黜并关押，受到十几项指控，最高刑期累计超过100年。这些指控包括贪腐、在2020年选举活动中违反防疫规定、煽动叛乱、非法进口并持有对讲机及违反殖民时代的《官方保密法》。昂山素季否认了所有罪名，支持者称对她的指控完全出于政治原因。

【注释】

① depose: [dɪˈpəʊz] v. to remove somebody, especially a ruler, from power 罢免；废黜

② civilian: [səˈvɪliən] adj. connected with people who are not members of the armed forces ｏｒ the police （与军人相对）文职人员的，公务员的，平民的

③ incitement: [ɪnˈsaɪtmənt] n. the act of encouraging somebody to do something violent, illegal ｏｒ unpleasant 煽动；鼓动

④ de facto: [ˌdeɪ ˈfæktəʊ] adj. existing as a fact although it may not be legally accepted as existing 实际上存在的（不一定合法）

⑤ walkie talkie: [ˌwɔːki ˈtɔːki] n. a small radio that you can carry with you and use to send ｏｒ receive messages 步话机，对讲机

Biden says U.S. will not put troops in Ukraine, as tensions with Russia ease

拜登称不会派兵乌克兰，美俄紧张关系缓和

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that putting American troops on the ground in Ukraine to deter① a potential Russian invasion was “not on the table②,” as tension between Moscow and Washington eased slightly after a virtual summit this week. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would send ideas to Washington within a week to follow up his talks with Biden on Tuesday about the Ukraine crisis. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Biden said he hoped there would be an announcement by Friday of high-level meetings with Russia and major NATO③ allies to discuss Moscow’s “concerns relative to NATO writ large④” and the possibility of “bringing down the temperature along the eastern front.” The United States has voiced growing unease about a Russian military buildup⑤ near Ukraine. Moscow denies aiming to invade Ukraine and instead warns of a creeping⑥ NATO expansion eastward. Biden said the United States had a moral and legal obligation to defend NATO allies if they are attacked, but that obligation did not extend to Ukraine. (Reuters)

美俄本周线上峰会后，莫斯科与华盛顿之间的紧张局势略有缓解，12月8日，美国总统拜登表示向乌克兰派兵以遏制俄罗斯入侵风险的做法“不在考虑之列”。俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京称，莫斯科将在一周内向华盛顿传达信息，延续7日与拜登就乌克兰危机的会谈议题。拜登在白宫对记者表示，他希望在10日之前宣布与俄罗斯和北约主要盟国举行高级别会谈，讨论莫斯科“对北约的明显关切”以及“降低东线紧张局势”的可能。美国已表达了对俄罗斯在乌克兰附近军事集结的日益不安，莫斯科则否认此举旨在入侵乌克兰，并警告北约停止暗中东扩。拜登称，如果北约盟国受到攻击，美国有道义和法律上的义务助其防卫，但此义务并不会延伸至乌克兰。 

【注释】

① deter: [dɪˈtɜː(r)] v. to make somebody decide not to do something ｏｒ continue doing something, especially by making them understand the difficulties and unpleasant results of their actions 制止；阻止；威慑；使不敢

② on the table: (of a plan, suggestion, etc.) offered to people so that they can consider ｏｒ discuss it （计划、建议等）提供考虑；提交讨论

③ NATO: [ˈneɪtəʊ] North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO is an organization to which many European countries and the US and Canada belong. They agree to give each other military help if necessary. 北约；北大西洋公约组织

④ writ large: being a large ｏｒ obvious example of the thing mentioned 明摆着；典型

⑤ buildup: [ˈbɪld ʌp] n. an increase in the amount of something over a period of time 逐步的增长

⑥ creeping: [ˈkriːpɪŋ] adj. (of something bad) happening ｏｒ moving gradually and not easily noticed （坏事不知不觉地）逐渐发生的，缓慢行进的

Olaf Scholz formally sworn in as German chancellor

朔尔茨正式宣誓就任德国总理

The German Bundestag① elected Olaf Scholz as chancellor② on Wednesday morning, as Angela Merkel bows out③ from the political stage. The morning vote by Germany’s lower legislative chamber—held by secret ballot and without debate—was seen as a formality④. Merkel wished Scholz the best of luck, using a German idiom that might be loosely translated as a “felicitous⑤ hand,” while carrying out “the best job there is.” Members of the parliament voted by 395 of 707 votes cast for Scholz to become Germany’s new head of government. However, not all members of Scholz’s so-called “traffic light coalition⑥” voted in favor. Had they done so, he would have had received 416 votes. There were 303 votes against, and 6 abstentions⑦. Over the course of the day, Merkel’s ministers were to formally hand over portfolios⑧ to their successors. Scholz, who served as finance minister under Merkel, presents his own brief⑨ to FDP leader Christian Lindner. (DW)

12月8日上午，德国联邦议院选举奥拉夫·朔尔茨为总理，同时安格拉·默克尔卸任，退出了政治舞台。德国下议院上午的投票以无记名方式进行，没有选举辩论，是一项必经程序。默克尔用一句德国习语祝朔尔茨好运，大致意思是希望他做这项“最理想工作”时“得心应手”。朔尔茨获得了议会成员707票中的395票，成为德国新政府首脑。然而，并非所有属于朔尔茨所谓“交通灯联盟”的议员都投了赞成票，不然他应该获得416票。有303人投了反对票，6人弃权。当天，默克尔政府的部长正式与继任者交接了工作，曾在默克尔手下担任财政部长的朔尔茨向自民党主席克里斯蒂安·林德纳递交了简报。

【注释】

① Bundestag: [ˈbʊndəstɑːk] n. an assembly of representatives of a league, confederacy, etc.; spec. (since 1949) the lower house of parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany （德国）联邦众议院

② chancellor: [ˈtʃɑːnsələ(r)] n. the head of government in Germany ｏｒ Austria （德国或奥地利的）总理

③ bow out: to stop taking part in an activity, especially one in which you have been successful in the past 退出，告别（尤指一度成功的事业）

④ formality: [fɔːˈmæləti] n. a thing that you must do as part of an official process, but which has little meaning and will not affect what happens 例行公事

⑤ felicitous: [fəˈlɪsɪtəs] adj. (of an action, expression, manner, etc.) admirably suited to the occasion; strikingly apt ｏｒ appropriate （行为、表达、姿态等）贴切的；恰当的；妥帖的；此处德文表达为“glückliche Hand”。

⑥ traffic light coalition: 在德国政治中，交通灯联盟（Ampelkoalition）【又译“红绿灯联盟”】指德国社会民主党、自由民主党和绿党组成的联合政府。它以各党派的传统颜色命名，分别为红色、黄色和绿色，与交通灯颜色匹配。

⑦ abstention: [əbˈstenʃn] n. an act of choosing not to use a vote either in favour of ｏｒ against something 弃权（不投票）

⑧ portfolio: [pɔːtˈfəʊliəʊ] n. the particular area of responsibility of a government minister （部长或大臣的）职责，职务

⑨ brief: [briːf] n. the instructions that a person is given explaining what their job is and what their duties are 任务简介；指示

Xi sends congratulatory letter to 2021 South-South Human Rights Forum

习近平向2021·南南人权论坛致贺信

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 2021 South-South Human Rights Forum, which opened in Beijing on Wednesday. Noting that human rights are a symbol of human civilization progress, Xi said putting people first and taking people’s longing for a better life as the goal is the responsibility of all countries. The Communist Party of China has always been a political party that respects and protects human rights, he stressed, adding that China stays committed to a people-centered approach, puts people’s interests front and center①, advances human rights through development and promotes whole-process people’s democracy, he said. China’s human rights cause has made remarkable achievements, and the Chinese people now have a greater sense of gains, happiness and security in terms of human rights protection, Xi said. (Xinhua)

12月8日，中国国家主席习近平向在北京开幕的2021·南南人权论坛致贺信。习近平指出，人权是人类文明进步的标志，坚持人民至上、把人民对美好生活的向往作为奋斗目标，是世界各国的责任。他强调，中国共产党始终是尊重和保障人权的政党；他进而表示，中国坚持以人民为中心，把人民利益放在首位，以发展促进人权，推进全过程人民民主。习近平称，中国人权事业取得了显著成就，中国人民在人权保障上的获得感、幸福感、安全感不断增强。

【注释】

① front and center: in ｏｒ into the most important position 在（或进入）最重要位置

New Zealand to ban smoking for next generation in bid to outlaw habit by 2025

新西兰年轻群体终身禁烟，拟于2025年建立无烟国家

New Zealand has announced it will outlaw① smoking for the next generation, so that those who are aged 14 and under will never be legally able to buy tobacco. New legislation means the legal smoking age will increase every year, to create a smoke-free generation of New Zealanders, associate② health minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said on Thursday. “This is a historic day for the health of our people,” she said. The government announced the rising age alongside other measures to make smoking unaffordable and inaccessible③, to try to reach its goal of making the country entirely smoke-free within the next four years. Other measures include reducing the legal amount of nicotine in tobacco products to very low levels, cutting down the shops where cigarettes could legally be sold, and increasing funding to addiction services. The new laws will not restrict vape④ sales. (The Guardian)

新西兰已宣布将禁止下一代吸烟，由此，法律生效时14岁及以下的民众将终身不能合法购买烟草制品。12月9日，卫生部副部长阿耶莎·维拉尔博士称，新立法意味着法定吸烟年龄将逐年提高，以打造新西兰无烟一代。她表示：“这一天对国民健康具有历史性意义。”除宣布提高法定吸烟年龄外，新西兰政府还采取了其他措施，其中包括让吸烟成为难以负担甚至难以做到的事，以努力实现未来四年内建成完全无烟国家的目标。措施还包括：将烟草制品中的尼古丁合法含量降至极低水平，减少香烟合法销售店，增加戒烟服务拨款。但此次立法将不限制电子烟的销售。

【注释】

① outlaw: [ˈaʊtlɔː] v. to make something illegal 宣布……不合法；使……成为非法

② associate: [əˈsəʊʃiət] adj. (often in titles) of a lower rank; having fewer rights in a particular profession ｏｒ organization （常用于职称）非正式的；准的；副的

③ inaccessible: [ˌɪnækˈsesəbl] adj. difficult ｏｒ impossible to reach ｏｒ to get 难以达到的；不可得到的

④ vape: [veɪp] n. an electronic cigarette 电子烟

Chinese astronauts give science lesson from space station

中国航天员在空间站讲授科学课

Chinese astronauts on Thursday beamed① back a science lesson from the country’s under-construction space station. The lecture focused on physics, aiming to illustrate how the weightless environment affects buoyancy②, the movement of objects and optics③. Students from five cities, including Beijing and the special administrative region of Hong Kong, peppered the astronauts with④ questions about living conditions in space and were treated to a virtual tour of the station. The event was also open to the public through a livestream⑤. Wang Yaping, the only woman aboard the station, served as the main instructor, while Ye Guangfu assisted and commander-in-chief Zhai Zhigang worked the camera. The three arrived at the station in October for a six-month stay, charged mainly with preparing the main Tianhe module⑥ for the arrival of two additional modules named Mengtian and Wentian ahead of completion by the end of next year. (ABC)

12月9日，中国航天员在建设中的空间站讲授了一堂科学课，着重介绍物理知识，旨在说明失重环境对浮力、物体的运动和光学的影响。来自香港特别行政区及北京等五个城市的学生向航天员提出了有关太空生活条件的问题，并进行了一次空间站的虚拟游览。同时，该活动还向公众全程直播。空间站唯一的女航天员王亚平担任主讲，叶光富协助，指令长翟志刚负责摄像。三位航天员10月抵达了空间站，将驻留6个月，其间主要负责让天和核心舱做好准备，在明年年底空间站完成建造前迎接另外两个太空舱——“梦天”实验舱与“问天”实验舱——的发射对接。

【注释】

① beam: [biːm] v. to send radio ｏｒ television signals over long distances using electronic equipment 发射（电波）；播送

② buoyancy: [ˈbɔɪənsi] n. the fact of floating, being able to float ｏｒ able to keep things floating 浮力；浮性

③ optics: [ˈɒptɪks] n. the scientific study of sight and light 光学

④ pepper with: to hit somebody/something with a series of small objects, especially bullets （以小物体）频繁击打；（尤指）向 … 不断射击

⑤ livestream: [ˈlaɪv striːm] n. a live broadcast of an event over the Internet 互联网直播，线上直播

⑥ module: [ˈmɒdjuːl] n. a unit of a spacecraft that can function independently of the main part （航天器上独立的）舱

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