Politics this week (2020.05.09) Part.01

Reversing course, Donald Trump said that America’s coronavirus task-force would continue, but also focus on rebooting the economy. More states began easing their lockdowns. Florida allowed shops to trade if they limit customers, except in the heavily populated corridor between Miami and Palm Beach. In Michigan, the scene of rowdy anti-lockdown protests, the Republican legislature refused a request from the Democratic governor to extend her stay-at-home order. She extended it anyway.

• course
  • the general direction in which sb’s ideas or actions are moving 方针；行动方向
  • 课程
• task-force
  • （为解决某问题而成立的）特别工作组
• populate
  • [often passive] 居住于，构成……的人口
    • a heavily/densely/sparsely/thinly populated country 人口密集╱稠密╱稀疏╱稀少的国家
    • The island is populated largely by sheep.
• corridor
  • （沿着重要道路或河道的）狭长地带；走廊地带
  • 走廊
• Palm Beach
  • 棕榈滩
  • palm
    • 棕榈树；手掌，手心
• rowdy
  • making a lot of noise or likely to cause trouble 吵闹的；惹是生非的
• legislature
  • 立法机构

America’s Supreme Court worked remotely for the first time, hearing arguments via teleconferences. The normally reticent Clarence Thomas, a justice on the court since 1991, asked questions, only his third comments during hearings in more than a decade. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is 87, was in hospital with an infection and took part from there.

• reticent
  • unwilling to tell people about things 寡言少语，不愿与人交谈
• take part (in sth)
  • 参与某事

America’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said there was “enormous evidence” that covid-19 came from a laboratory in Wuhan, but did not provide any. China reacted angrily. State television called him “evil”.

• secretary of state
  • （美国）国务卿
  • secretary
    • 部长，大臣；秘书

A Chinese journalist who had worked for state media was sentenced to 15 years in prison for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble…and bribery". “Picking quarrels” is a term often used by the government to describe political dissent.

• sentence
  • [often passive] 判决，判刑
• pick a fight/quarrel (with sb)
  • to provoke (an argument, fight, etc) deliberately 找碴儿
• bribery
  • the giving or taking of bribes 行贿；受贿
• dissent
  • （与官方的）不同意见，异议

Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s dictator, resurfaced without explanation after a three-week absence. State media published images of him touring a fertiliser factory.

• fertiliser
  • (= fertilizer) 肥料

A regulator in the Philippines ordered ABS-CBN, a big television network, to stop broad-casting after its licence expired. Rodrigo Duterte, the president, had previously complained about bias and had threatened to take it off the air. But officials insist that Mr Duterte has no strong feelings about renewing the licence.

• regulator
  • （某行业等的）监管者，监管机构
• broad-casting
  • （无线电和电视的）节目制作和播放；广播
• take … off the air
  • 停播……
  • on/off the air
    • broadcasting or not broadcasting on television or radio （电视、广播）正在╱停止播送

Dariga Nazarbayeva was removed as the head of Kazakhstan‘s Senate and thus as the first in line to the presidency. Her father, Nursultan Nazarbayev, resigned as president in 2019, but remains head of a powerful committee in charge of national security. The personal lives and financial affairs of Ms Nazarbayeva and her sons have been subject of legal proceedings in London in recent months.

• remove
  • 免除，解除（职务等）
• Kazakhstan
  • 哈萨克斯坦🇰🇿
• Senate
  • 参议院（两院制的立法机构之一，两院制起源于罗马共和国时期，当时设有全是贵族产生的元老院和罗马男性公民产生的平民大会，以互相制衡。）
• presidency
  • 总统/主席的职位（或任期等）
• committee
  • 委员会
• subject
  • (批评、研究或调查的) 对象
• proceeding
  • [usually pl.] 诉讼，诉讼程序

Israel’s Supreme Court refused to block a power-sharing deal between Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, and Benny Gantz, his old rival. It also rejected petitions that aimed to disqualify Mr Netanyahu because he faces prosecution on corruption charges. The rulings pave the way for a new government to be sworn in.

• power-sharing
  • 权力分享
• petition
  • (law) 申诉书
• disqualify
  • 使不合格，取消（某人）的资格
• prosecution
  • 起诉，检举，诉讼
• corruption
  • dishonest or illegal behaviour, especially of people in authority 腐败；贪污；贿赂；受贿
• ruling
  • 裁决，判决
• pave the way (for sb/sth)
  • （为 … ）铺平道路，创造条件
• swear sb ↔ in
  • [often passive] 使某人宣誓就职；使某人宣誓忠于某组织（或国家等）

Iraq’s parliament approved a new prime minister, nearly six months after the previous one resigned amid big protests. Mustafa al-Kadhimi, a former intelligence chief, was acceptable to both America and Iran. But he faces big challenges at home, where the coronavirus has frozen the economy and oil and gas revenues have plummeted. Earlier, Islamic State carried out several attacks in Iraq, killing at least 18 people.

• approve
  • to authorize or sanction （正式）批准，认可
• revenue
  • the money that a government receives from taxes or that an organization, etc. receives from its business 财政收入，税收收入；收益
• plummet
  • to drop down; plunge 暴跌，速降
• Islamic State
  • 伊斯兰国