英语新闻一起读17

China parliament backs cut in economic growth

bbc.co.uk | 三月 15

★题目本身就很有意思，需要注意两个小词的用法，第一个是back，做动词有一个很重要的意思:支持，赞助government-backed loans政府担保的贷款；His claims are not backed by any scientific evidence.他的说法没有任何科学依据。Iranian parliament backs fuel rationing, price hike (新闻标题)，还有一个单词是cut：削减，减少。cut costs 减少开支。

China's parliament has endorsed(认可，赞同) government plans to reduce the country's economic growth target by half a percent, to 7%.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang acknowledged it would not be easy and described it as "taking a knife to our own flesh".

The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says China's leaders want to transform the economy by pursuing slower but more sustainable growth.

★transform:改变外形，改变性质/convert/alter→ transformation(彻底的)改变，改观 In recent years, the movie industry has undergone a dramatic transformation .近年来，电影业经历了彻底的变革。

sustainable:可持续的。例句：The government should do more to promote sustainable development.政府应该做更多工作来发展可持续农业。

He says they want to make clear the days of double-digit (两位数的)growth have ended. "This is not nail-clipping. This is like taking a knife to one's own flesh," Mr. Li told a news conference after a session of the National People's Congress ended in Beijing.

★news conference：记者招待会

Pollution crackdown(制裁，打击)

China's economy expanded by 7.4% last year from 7.7% in 2013, following a cooling of the property market, slowing factory activity and easing business and government investment. Growth of 7% in 2015 will mark the country's weakest expansion in a quarter of a century.

★expand：增加，扩展；进一步阐述。

Mr. Li also highlighted targets for tackling pollution.

Our correspondent says China's leaders face growing public anger over high levels of pollution caused by the country's turbo-charged development.

★highlight：突出，强调

He vowed to hold factories that polluted the atmosphere liable for excessive emissions.

★vow to do sth.发誓做某事/guarantee

excessive：过多的，过分的。

emission：排放物

"It's a project in which everyone in the society should take responsibility," Mr. Li said. "If you cannot change the environment you are in, you can modify your behaviours."

★modify：改进，调整，缓和→modification

The National People's Congress largely serves as a platform for China's ruling Communist Party to highlight reforms and set the tone for government policy.

tone:语气；音调；基调

set the tone (for / of sth) (=establish the general attitude or feeling of an event, activity etc)（为某事物）确定基调