【文章预读】

Trade wars
A lose-lose deal
If China cannot placate Donald Trump, it will fight him instead.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP has not yet started a global trade war. But he has started a frenzy of special pleading and spluttered threats. In the week since he announced tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, countries have scrambled to win reprieves. Australia, the European Union and Japan, among others, have argued that, since they are America’s allies, their products pose no risk to America’s security. If these appeals fail, the EU has been most vocal in vowing to retaliate, in turn prompting Mr Trump to threaten levies on European cars.

In China, ostensibly the focus of Mr Trump’s actions, the public response has been more restrained. Officials have said the two countries should strive for a “win-win outcome”, a favourite bromide in their lexicon. As a rival to America, China knows that an exemption from the tariffs is not on offer. It also knows that it needs to conserve firepower. If this is the first shot in a trade war, it is, for China, small bore. Its steel and aluminium exports to America amount to roughly 0.03% of its GDP, not even a rounding error.


【文章精讲】

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP has not yet started a global trade war. But he has started a frenzy of special pleading andspluttered threats. In the week since he announced tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, countries have scrambledto win reprieves. Australia, the European Union and Japan, among others, have argued that, since they are America’s allies, their products pose no risk to America’s security. If these appeals fail, the EU has been most vocal in vowing to retaliate, in turn prompting Mr Trump to threaten levies on European cars.

frenzy n.疯狂
pleading n.要求
spluttered adj.激动的
- splutter v.语无伦次地说
tariffs n.关税
steel n.钢铁
aluminium n.铝
scramble v.争夺（to struggle eagerly）
- scramble for a seat
reprieve n.暂时豁免
ally n.同盟appeal n.恳求
vocal adj.直言的（outspoken）
vow v.发誓
retaliate v.报复
prompt v.导致
levy n.征税

In China, ostensibly the focus of Mr Trump’s actions, the public response has been more restrained. Officials have said the two countries should strive for a “win-win outcome”, a favourite bromide in their lexicon. As a rival to America, China knows that an exemption from the tariffs is not on offer. It also knows that it needs to conserve firepower. If this is the first shot in a trade war, it is, for China, small bore. Its steel and aluminium exports to America amount to roughly 0.03% of its GDP, not even a rounding error.

ostensibly adv.表面地
-ostensible adj.表面的，假装的

-The ostensible reason for his call was to chat, but then he asked for money.
restrain v.限制
strive v.努力
bromide n.套话，陈词滥调
lexicon n.词典
rival n.对手
exemption n.免除
conserve v.保存
firepower n.火力
bore n.无趣
rounding adj.凑整的
- rounding error 四舍五入

【推荐句式表达】

1. pose (no) risk to…
2. strive for…
3. be (not) on offer