help improving your chinese

lesson 67

在华私人保镖低调激增

The growing number of affluent Chinese has triggered an increase in personal protections services.
The growing number of affluent Chinese has triggered an increase in personal protections services. 


据美国《华盛顿邮报》报道,随着中国新富人数激增,因此对私人安全服务的需求也相应在增加。这些保镖很多是女性,他们平常是司机、保姆、或顶着秘书的身份。中国普通公民禁止拥有武器,但这些保镖是武术行家,通过几记快拳和劈掌就能制服来袭者,并解除他们的武装。

私人保镖现在所做的工作各色各样,从保护富有名人、商人到为上海世博会这样的大型活动提供安保协助。中国许多新富都低调行事,他们也越来越多的依靠私人安全公司寻求安全。

4日本人闯我军事禁区

据新华社报道,4名日本人因擅自进入河北石家庄某军事管理区并对军事目标进行非法录像,已被中方依法采取措施,并对其问题进行审查。安全部门透露其中一名日本人姓名为高桥定。国家安全机关称“目前此案正在调查”,没有透露更多细节。

内贾德演讲惹美代表离场

据美国有线新闻网报道,伊朗总统艾哈迈迪·内贾德周四在联合国大会上发表激烈言论, 他表示美国政府精心策划了“9.11”恐怖袭击事件,引得在场的美国和其他一些国家代表离场表示抗议。他称,美国政府内部有人为了挽救美国经济的衰退和以 色列,策划了这起袭击行动,而“大多数美国人以及其他国家及其政治家都赞同这一观点”。

中澳黄海举行实弹军演

中国海军护卫舰“洛阳号”与来华访问的澳大利亚海军“瓦拉蒙加”号护卫舰23日在中国黄海某海域举行联合军事演练。这是中国海军首次与西方舰艇进行联合演习。

月饼价跳水 卖不完喂猪

据《三湘都市报》报道,中秋节一过,月饼价格大跳水。各商家用尽各种促销手段,折扣低至2.5折。卖不完的月饼除一小部分会继续销售,大部分是回收喂猪。不过,生产厂家还是有厚利可图。

女子腰斩手术奇迹存活

据英国《每日邮报》报道,现年31岁的加拿大女子贾尼丝·奥森3年前怀孕时罹恶性软 骨肉瘤,为了摘除肿瘤,她接受了一项史无前例的高风险手术:身体被切成上下两半,清除肿瘤后,再用240多枚钢钉加以接回。手术后,贾尼丝安装了左腿义肢 和人工骨盆,奇迹般存活了下来。她是史上第一位接受腰斩手术而存活的人。继贾尼丝的成功手术之后,已有3名患者接受相同的手术,但是仅有1名女子存活。

“首堵”北京唤起单车记忆

据美国有线电视新闻网报道,上周五下午一场中雨造成北京交通瘫痪,也让北京人想起了过去的美好时光:短短几十年前,他们生活在“自行车王国”。

经济的腾飞让越来越多的人开始了“轮子上的生活”,但自相矛盾的是,北京的节奏反而被拖慢了。在北京,现在许多人宁愿骑车也不开车。北京目前有450万辆机动车,也许不久以后北京的主干道就要变成一个巨型停车场。

地铁行乞男骚扰女乘客

据《新京报》报道,北京地铁内一名行乞男子骚扰女乘客。该男子专挑单身年轻女士,如乞讨被拒,他不光出口伤人还在行为上骚扰她们。一名乘客用手机拍下照片,已经交给警方。警方表示会对其做出拘留处罚。

朱莉导演处女作定主角

据英国路透社报道,默默无闻的波黑女演员扎纳·马加维克意外的被选定为安吉丽娜·朱 莉导演电影处女作的女主角。该片讲述1992-1995年间波黑战争期间的浪漫爱情故事,一个塞尔维亚男人和一个波斯尼亚女人在战前邂逅。朱莉在今年八月 以联合国难民专员办事处亲善大使的身份访问波斯尼亚时,曾透露她将以此为背景拍摄一部自编自导的爱情电影,且片中角色均将由当地演员扮演。这部电影预计耗 资1500万美金,将于本周在布达佩斯开机。

“姚明丝瓜”

据《北京晨报》报道,家住顺义的李先生家长出了一根长2.46米的丝瓜,竟比姚明身高还要高。据李先生介绍,他每年都会从集市上买回丝瓜种子,开春种下。前几年他曾种出过1.9米的丝瓜,这次一下子竟然种出了2.46米的丝瓜。

-----------------------

Private bodyguards increase

The growing number of affluent Chinese has triggered an increase in personal protections services, The Washington Post reports. These bodyguards, many of whom are women, work as drivers, caretakers, or are disguised secretaries. Regular citizens in China are prohibited from carrying firearms, but bodyguards possess martial-arts skills to disarm or subdue an attacker with a few quick thrusts and hand chops.

Private bodyguards in China do everything from protecting wealthy celebrities and businessmen to assisting in security for such major events as the Shanghai World Expo. Many of China's new wealthy elite have decided to maintain a lower profile and increasingly, they are turning to private security companies for protection.

4 Japanese investigated in China

Xinhua reports that four Japanese are being investigated in China for having entered a military zone without authorization and illegally videotaped military targets in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, local state security authorities said Thursday. The state security authorities have taken measures against the four people according to the law. The security authorities only gave one name of the four Japanese nationals, Sada Takahashi. "Currently, the case is being investigated," the state security authorities said in a statement. No further details were provided.

US walks out on Iranian leader

Delegates from the United States and other nations walked out of the UN General Assembly on Thursday as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivered a fiery speech in which he stated that some segments within the U.S. government orchestrated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, CNN reported. He followed with the claim that the attacks were aimed at reversing "the declining American economy and its script in the Middle East in order to save the Zionist regime, and that the majority of the American people, as well as most nations and politicians around the world, agree with this view."

China-Australia hold naval drills

The Chinese naval frigate Luoyang, and the visiting Australian HMAS Warramunga, successfully completed a live-fire exercise in the waters of China's Yellow Sea on Sept.23. It was China's first joint-naval exercise with a Western navy ship.

Pigs dine on mooncakes

The price of mooncakes dropped abruptly after the Mid-autumn Festival. Shopping malls have launched various promotions, such as discounts up to 75 percent off, Sanxiang City Express reports. A small portion will remain on the shelf for a while, but the majority will be fed to pigs. Manufacturers still retain a lucrative profit.

Woman to survive being cut in half

A 31-year-old Canadian woman, Janis Ollson, has become the first person to survive being cut in half. She was reassembled with a prosthetic left leg and an artificial pelvis.
A 31-year-old Canadian woman, Janis Ollson, has become the first person to survive being cut in half. She was reassembled with a prosthetic left leg and an artificial pelvis. 


A 31-year-old Canadian woman, Janis Ollson, was diagnosed with sarcoma-a form of bone cancer, when she was pregnant three years ago, the Daily Mail reported. In order to remove the tumor, she agreed to undergo ground-breaking drastic surgeries that entailed being cut in half and then using more than 240 staples to put her back together. She survived and was reassembled with a prosthetic left leg and an artificial pelvis. She has become the first person to survive being cut in half. Since her groundbreaking surgery, three other patients have had the operation but only one has survived.

Traffic snarls former bike kingdom

The paralyzed traffic in Beijing after a moderate rain last Friday afternoon has caused local citizens to reminisce of the good old days when they lived in the famed "bicycle kingdom" only a few decades ago, CNN reported.

The soaring economy has put more people in cars and paradoxically, slows the city's tempo. Now in Beijing, many citizens would rather ride than drive. The city has more than 4.5 million vehicles and soon perhaps its wide highways will be huge parking lots.

Young beggar harasses females

A middle-school-aged beggar reportedly harassed female passengers on Beijing subway, according to Beijing News. The beggar targets young and single female passengers. He cursed and harassed them physically when they refused to give him money. A passenger took the beggar's image with her mobile phone and sent it to the police who say they plan to apprehend him.

Bosnian actress in Jolie's film

A largely unknown Bosnian actress Zana Marjanovic has surprisingly nabbed the lead role in Angelina Jolie's directorial debut about a Serbian man and Bosnian woman who meet on the eve of the 1992-95 Bosnian war, Reuters reported. The romantic drama, which was announced in August when Hollywood actress Jolie visited Sarajevo as a goodwill ambassador of the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, will be based on her own screenplay and will star regional actors. The film is expected to cost $15 million and will start shooting this week in Budapest.

Loofah outgrows Yao Ming

Mr. Li, in Shunyi District, Beijing, has planted a 2.46 meters long loofah, which is taller than Yao Ming, the Beijing Morning Post reported. Li said that every year he will buy seeds of loofah and plant them in spring. He had planted a 1.9-meter-long loofah several years ago; however, this 2.46-meter loofah is his masterpiece.