雙語新聞 11-22-06

11-22-06

中國公路事故8名學生喪生 (Eight Children Die in Road Accident in China)

中國官方新華社報導，一輛運送學生的公交車在中國東北地區從橋上墜落，致使8名學生死亡，9人身受重傷。 新華社星期二報導，事故發生在中國黑龍江省距離哈爾濱市50公裏的地方。出事的公交車上大約有50名學生。 新華社報導說，初步調查結果表明，這輛公交車的司機沒有駕駛這類汽車的執照。中國公路死亡率居世界之高。中國政府報告顯示，去年中國有將近10萬人死於公路事故。

China's official Xinhua news agency says eight children were killed and another nine seriously injured when a bus carrying students plunged off a bridge in northeast China. Xinhua said Tuesday that the crash happened about 50 kilometers from Harbin in China's Heilongjiang province. The bus was carrying around 50 students. The Chinese news agency said initial investigations showed the driver did not have the proper license to operate a bus. China's roads are among the world's deadliest. Chinese government reports show almost 100 thousand people died last year in accidents on the country's roads.

中國回應歐盟貓狗皮交易禁令 (China Reacts to EU Ban on Dog, Cat Fur)

中國強調其保護動物的承諾，對歐盟計劃禁止貓、狗毛皮交易做出回應。中國外交部星期二說，虐待貓、狗的現象在中國並不普遍。外交部說，近年來，保護動物的意識一直在提高。 歐盟委員會星期一宣布，計劃禁止出售用貓、狗的真皮毛製造的玩具、服裝和其他產品。這項提議出台前，動物權益保護活動人士去年在捷克共和國發現了一個貓、狗毛皮加工廠。歐洲的許多動物毛皮都來自中國。

China is stressing its commitment to the protection of animals, in response to a plan by the European Union to ban trade in cat and dog fur. China's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that torture and cruelty against cats and dogs was not widespread in China. The ministry said awareness of protecting animals has been on the rise in recent years. On Monday, the European Commission announced plans to outlaw the sale of toys, clothes, and other products made with real cat and dog fur. The proposal came after an investigation by animal rights activists last year uncovered a cat and dog production facility in the Czech Republic. Many of the animal skins that have turned up in Europe came from China.

黎巴嫩領導人呼籲對傑馬耶勒被暗殺保持冷靜 (Lebanese Leaders Urge Calm Following Gemayel Assassination)

黎巴嫩領導人敦促民眾保持冷靜。與此同時，黎巴嫩舉國上下為星期二被刺殺的反敘利亞內閣成員傑馬耶勒舉行三天的哀悼。 黎巴嫩工業部長傑馬耶勒是在貝魯特郊外遭到槍擊，反敘利亞的黎巴嫩領導人認為敘利亞製造了這起事件。黎巴嫩總理西尼烏拉說，黎巴嫩不會被嚇倒。傑馬耶勒的父親、黎巴嫩前總統阿明敦促民眾保持克製，與此同時抗議者走上街頭，在貝魯特的部分地區示威遊行。 悼念者聚集現在比克費亞，傑馬耶勒的靈柩已經被送回他在比克費亞的家中。黎巴嫩取消了原定星期三獨立日的所有慶祝活動。 國際社會譴責這次暗殺行動。美國說這次暗殺是對黎巴嫩民選政府的恫嚇。 傑馬耶勒是兩年來在黎巴嫩被殺害的幾名反敘利亞政治人士之一。敘利亞否認與暗殺事件有關。

Lebanese leaders are urging calm while the country observes three days of mourning following Tuesday's assassination of an anti-Syrian cabinet member. Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was shot in a Beirut suburb in an attack anti-Syrian Lebanese leaders blame on Syria. Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora says the country will not be intimidated. Gemayel's father Amin, a former Lebanese president, urged restraint as protesters took to the streets in parts of Beirut. Mourners also gathered in Bikfaya, where Gemayel's coffin was brought to his family's home. Lebanon canceled all festivities for its Independence Day today (Wednesday). The international community condemned the assassination. The United States called the killing an act of intimidation against Lebanon's elected government. Gemayel is the latest anti-Syrian politician to be assassinated in Lebanon in the past two years. Syria has denied any role in any of the killings.

中國環境問題 (China - Environment)

中國官方媒體說，盡管中國政府努力改善環保，但是排放到中國河流和湖泊裏的汙染物質今年還是有所增加。《中國日報》援引中國國家環境保護總局的一份報告說， 中國在2006年上半年工業廢水排放量為120億噸，比去年同期上升了大約2.5%。 中國國家環保總局把這種情況歸咎於中國工業的蓬勃發展和地方政府不執行嚴格的環保政策。中國經濟快速發展，執行環保政策進展緩慢，主要原因是地方工業官員擔心短期內的經濟損失，因此不願意貫徹環保措施。

China's state-run media say the amount of pollution discharged in China's rivers and lakes has increased this year, despite government efforts to improve environmental practices. China Daily, citing a report by the State Environment Protection Administration, said that China produced more than 12-billion tons of industrial waste water in the first half of 2006. That figure is up around two-and-a-half percent from the same period last year. The environmental agency attributed the increase to the country's booming industries -- and to local governments not implementing strict environmental protection policies. Implementing environmental regulation has been a slow process in China's booming economy, in large part because local industrial officials are reluctant to follow through with measures for fear of short term losses.