Politics this week (2020.05.16) Part.01

Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, set out a path for easing lockdown in England. His message has changed from “stay at home” to “stay alert”. Restrictions will be eased in phases, depending on how quickly infections fall. Those who can’t work from home are urged to return cautiously to their jobs. Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales published their own advice.

• set out
  • to mark out (something, such as a design); lay out the plan of 规划，设计
• path
  • A path that you take is a particular course of action or way of achieving something 行动路线
• urge
  • 力劝，敦促

Emerging, into the light

France lifted many lockdown restrictions. Primary schools and nurseries have reopened. Most people are allowed to go back to work, with social distancing. Even hairdressers are operating again, but with compulsory masks and no coffee to chat over.

• primary school
• nursery
• hairdresser’s
  • (pl. hairdressers) 理发店
  • hairedresser
    • 理发师
• compulsory
  • （因法律或规则而）必须做的，强制的，强迫的
• chat over coffee
  • 一边喝咖啡，一边聊天
  • “Over” in this context means that you will be talking or taking some similar action during the time when you are eating or drinking something
    • We shall discuss this matter over a cup of tea.

New York state also took tentative steps towards reopening; three of its regions have met seven criteria, such as a 14-day decline in hospital admissions from covid. In Wisconsin the state Supreme Court ruled against the Democratic governor and overturned an extension to his stay-at-home order.

• tentative
  • 不确定的，暂定的
• overturn
  • to officially decide that a legal decision, etc. is not correct, and to make it no longer valid 推翻，撤销（判决等）

Anthony Fauci, an expert on infectious diseases who is advising the White House, told the Senate (via a video link) that rushing to end lockdowns before the pandemic has ended would result in more “suffering and death” and do more economic harm in the long run.

• Senate
  • 参议院（美国、澳大利亚、加拿大、法国等国家的两个立法机构之一）
• link
  • 通讯手段；交通路线
• rush
  • （使）仓促行事，匆忙行事，做事草率

The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, said that ballot papers for November’s elections would be posted to all homes. Far fewer polling stations will open than normal.

• ballot paper
  • (also ballot) 选票
• polling station
  • 投票站，投票点

William Barr, America’s attorney-general, astounded Washington by dropping the criminal case against Michael Flynn, Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, who had pleaded guilty to misleading the Mueller inquiry.

• attorney-general
  • （美国的）司法部长
  • （英国、加拿大等地的）总检察长，首席检察官
• astound
  • to surprise or shock sb very much 使震惊，使大惊
• drop
  • 停止，终止，放弃
• plead
  • （在法庭）申辩，认罪，辩护
  • plead guilty 认罪
• Mueller inquiry
  • 米勒调查案，是美国对于俄罗斯干涉2016年总统大选的执法和反情报调查。

Two advisers to Juan Guaidó, who is recognised by scores of democracies as Venezuela’s interim president, resigned after a failed attempt to topple the regime of Nicolás Maduro. One of them, Juan Rendón, a Miami-based member of the Venezuelan opposition, admitted negotiating a preliminary agreement with the American security firm behind the botched raid, but says he backed away from the plan.

• scores of
  • 大量，很多
• democracy
  • 民主国家
• interim
  • 暂时的，过去的
• topple
  • to make sb lose their position of power or authority 打倒，推翻，颠覆
    • a plot to topple the President
  • [SYN] overthrow
• -based
  • located in the place specified 位于……的
    • a Paris-based firm
• preliminary
  • 预备性的，初步的
• botched
  • 搞砸的
• back away from
  • to move away backwards from sb/sth that is frightening or unpleasant; to avoid doing sth that is unpleasant 避免（做讨厌的事）；退避

Moisés Escamilla May, a leader of Los Zetas, a Mexican drug gang, died in prison of covid-19. He was serving a 37-year sentence for crimes, including beheading 12 people in Yucatán. Mr Escamilla supplied cocaine to Cancún.

• serve
  • 服（刑）
    • serve a life sentence 服无期徒刑