(单词翻译:单击)
路透社:罕见钻石以2670万美元拍卖
======精彩回顾=====
Russia summons U.S. ambassador over spy scandal
美国间谍丑闻 俄罗斯召唤美国大使
The U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul arrives at the Foreign Ministry in Moscow on Wednesday. Russia summoned him after expelling an American embassy employee accused of trying to recruit a Russian intelligence officer to work for the CIA. Moscow said he had been caught red-handed with disguises, special equipment and wads of cash. McFaul made no comment as he left the meeting. The incident came at an awkward time for the two countries, as they try to improve relations and bring the warring sides in Syria together for an international peace conference. Moscow did not threaten to take any further action.
周三，美国驻俄罗斯大使迈克尔·麦克福尔抵达俄罗斯外交部。此前，一名美国大使馆人员被指控试图招募一名俄罗斯情报官员为美国中央情报局工作，随后俄罗斯召见了麦克福尔。莫斯科表示嫌疑人当场被抓，当时穿着伪装，身上带有特殊设备和大量现金。事件发生正处美俄两国尴尬之际，他们试图改善关系，并将叙利亚交战双方带到国际和平的会议上来。莫斯科没有威胁要采取任何进一步行动。
Rare diamond sells for $26.7 million U.S. dollars at auction
罕见钻石以2670万美元拍卖
A large colourless diamond sells for a whopping $26.7 million (USD) at auction. The pear-shaped jewel was carved from a 236-carat rough diamond. It took 21 months to cut and polish the rare gem. Rahul Kadakia of Christie's describes the gem as flawless. He says it registers a weight of more than 101 carats and is a D color.
一颗巨大的无色钻石以高达2670万(美元)拍卖。这颗圆润的宝石由一颗236克拉的钻石雕琢而成。（艺术家）花费了21个月对这颗罕见的宝石进行切割和抛光。克利斯蒂拍卖行卡达·奇亚称这颗宝石是完美无瑕的。他称宝石的重量超过101克拉，属于D系颜色。
Rahul Kadakia, Head of Jewelry Christie's American and Switzerland, saying (English): "The 101-carat diamond was purchased by Harry Winston, the firm of Harry Winston which was recently acquired by the Swatch Group for one billion dollars. This was their first major purchase. To announce the acquisition, and the name of the diamond is the "Winston Legacy" to keep with the great legacy of Harry Winston and his firm, and with the future of the firm with the Swatch Group. And the stone made just about 27 million dollars, which is a new world auction record for a colourless diamond. The last one being 21.5 million which was achieved by the Archduke Joseph diamond." The diamond was originally found at a mine in Botswana that is co-owned by the government and De Beers.
美国和瑞士珠宝克利斯蒂拍卖行总管卡达·奇亚说：“海瑞温斯顿购买了这颗101克拉的钻石，最近哈利温斯顿公司被斯沃琪集团以十亿美元收购。这是他们的首次大买卖。为了宣布对海瑞温斯顿收购，钻石取名“温斯顿传奇”以保持哈里温斯顿和公司的伟大传奇，以及公司今后与斯沃琪集团的未来。该钻石以2700万美元拍卖，创造了无色钻石的成交记录。此前售价为2150万美元的钻石被约瑟夫大公钻石购得。”该钻石是在博茨瓦纳一矿山被发现，由政府和戴比尔斯共同所有。
Obama: Options remain open in Syria crisis
奥巴马：解决叙利亚危急方式悬而未决
Standing side by side with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged that there was some evidence that chemical weapons had been used in Syria but those findings need to be fully confirmed.
与土耳其总理埃尔多安并排而站，美国总统奥巴马确认已经发现了叙利亚使用化学武器的一些证据，但这些发现仍需要完全证实。
U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, SAYING: "I preserve the options of taking additional steps, both diplomatic and military, because those chemical weapons inside Syria also threaten our security over the long term as well as our allies and friends and neighbors." He also made it clear that the US would not go it alone.
美国总统奥巴马说：“我仍然会选择采取额外行动，包括在外交和军事层面上，因为从长远来看，叙利亚国内使用化学武器同样会威胁到我们及我们盟国、朋友和邻国的安全。”奥巴马同样明确表示美国将不会单独行动。
U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, SAYING: "It's not going to be something that the US will do by itself. And I don't think anybody in the region including the Prime Minister would think that US unilateral actions in and of themselves would bring about a better outcome inside Syria." He said the sooner Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leaves the better.
美国总统奥巴马说：“美国将不会单独行动。我不认为在该地区的任何人，包括总理阁下，会认为美国单边行动会给叙利亚国内带来更好的结果。”随后奥巴马表示，叙利亚总统阿萨德最好下台。
U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, SAYING: "We would have preferred Assad go two years ago; last year; six months ago; two months ago." Erdogan had been expected to push Obama, at least in private, for more assertive action on Syria, days after car bombs tore through a Turkish border town in what may have been the deadliest spillover of violence yet.
美国总统奥巴马说：“早在两年前、去年、六个月前、两个月前，我们就希望阿萨德下台。”前几天汽车炸弹袭击撕毁了土耳其边境的一城镇，可能酿成最为致命的暴力事件，因此埃尔多安，至少在私人层面，希望奥巴马能在叙利亚问题上采取更多果断的行动。
中国式过马路“凑够一堆人”VS“闯红灯罚款”
Beijing cracks down on jaywalkers
中国式过马路“凑够一堆人”VS“闯红灯罚款”
Jaywalking in Beijing now comes at a price. The city recently started fining pedestrians for ignoring crosswalk signs. But will it be enough to stop them?
It’s an all too common sight in Beijing. A red light and mob of pedestrians rushing across the street.
But now the city is slapping jaywalkers with fines. Beijing’s Traffic Management Bureau recently announced pedestrians who disobey crosswalk rules will be fined 10 yuan or about $1.60.
Chen Longbo, deputy director of Beijing Traffic Management Bureau, said:” In an effort to raise people’s awareness about traffic safety we are educating them and implementing fines for pedestrians who break traffic rules.”
The move is already generating a buzz among Beijing residents.
Old people can’t always see the traffic lights well. Children should also be educated about traffic rules in school not from fees.
But while the rules have already been challenged by some pedestrians here, they are also raising the important question about why jaywalking is so prevalent in China.
"The Chinese way of crossing the street" has become a common term among China’s netizens after videos showing crowds of jaywalkers hit the Internet. The term refers to hoards of pedestrians crossing the street at the same time, blocking traffic. According to media reports, 80 jaywalkers used this tactic to illegally cross a single intersection in Beijing last year. That was during a span of just five minutes and with a traffic cop on duty.
Results from a recent study by the Ministry of Public Security also support findings on the trend. The study found that more than 63 percent of traffic violators said they were simply following what others did.
“Before I would always cross the road on a red light if other people did. Now, I will just look to see if there are any policemen.”
Furthermore, traffic police say the practice of using safety in numbers could also be applied to dodging tickets.
A traffic policeman said:” If one person refuses to pay then others will follow suit. This could make it very difficult for us to implement the new rules.”
So while pedestrians may now think or at least look twice before crossing on a red, solving Beijing’s jaywalking problem will likely take much more than just a fine.
奥巴马演讲:推进房地产市场 支持房屋拥有者
Growing the Housing Market and Supporting our Homeowners
推进房地产市场 支持房屋拥有者
Hi, everybody. Our top priority as a nation is reigniting the true engine of our economic growth – a rising, thriving middle class. And few things define what it is to be middle class in America more than owning your own cornerstone of the American Dream: a home.
Today, seven years after the real estate bubble burst, triggering the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and costing millions of responsible Americans their jobs and their homes, our housing market is healing. Sales are up. Foreclosures are down. Construction is expanding. And thanks to rising home prices over the past year, 1.7 million more families have been able to come up for air, because they’re no longer underwater on their mortgages.
From the day I took office, I’ve made it a priority to help responsible homeowners and prevent the kind of recklessness that helped cause this crisis in the first place.
My housing plan has already helped more than two million people refinance their mortgages, and they’re saving an average of $3000 per year.
My new consumer watchdog agency is moving forward on protections like a simpler, shorter mortgage form that will help to keep hard-working families from getting ripped off.
But we’ve got more work to do. We’ve got more responsible homeowners to help – folks who have never missed a mortgage payment, but aren’t allowed to refinance; working families who have done everything right, but still owe more on their homes than they’re worth.
Last week, I nominated a man named Mel Watt to take on these challenges as the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Mel’s represented the people of North Carolina in Congress for 20 years, and in that time, he helped lead efforts to put in place rules of the road that protect consumers from dishonest mortgage lenders, and give responsible Americans the chance to own their own home. He’s the right person for the job, and that’s why Congress should do its job, and confirm him without delay.
And they shouldn’t stop there. As I said before, more than two million Americans have already refinanced at today’s low rates, but we can do a lot better than that. I’ve called on Congress to give every responsible homeowner the chance to refinance, and with it, the opportunity to save $3,000 a year. That’s like a $3,000 tax cut. And if you’re one of the millions of Americans who could take advantage of that, you should ask your representative in Congress why they won’t act on it.
Our economy and our housing market are poised for progress – but we could do so much more if we work together. More good jobs. Greater security for middle-class families. A sense that your hard work is rewarded. That’s what I’m fighting for – and that’s what I’m going to keep fighting for as long as I hold this office.
Thank you. And have a great weekend.
