大家觉得看新闻很难，很大的一个原因是好像到处是单字。但我们摊开中文报纸，看到密密麻麻的中文字，我们会不会觉得单字很多呢？不会吧，那么看英语新闻单字太多，就代表我们的水准不够、层次不够。我经常告诉同学们，当你看新闻英语的时侯，你的基点不要摆在语言这个层次上。你要提升至常识、知识、甚至经验上。
因为你已不是一张白纸，你对社会事务有一定的认识，你要运用你的常识、知识与人生经验，来协助你理解英语新闻。我们发现，如果你的基点愈是摆在语言这个层次上，那么语言对你来说就愈是问题。可是如果你的基点往上提高的话，你会惊奇的发现：语言不再是问题了！
咱们开始看新闻。新闻出处：http://www.ntdtv.com/xtr/big5/aReadArticle.jsp?id=26662
Rice’s trip to Beijing comes a week after China’s rubber-stamp parliament passed an anti-secession law that authorizes the use of force against Taiwan if it moves toward independence.
莱丝是在北京橡皮图章式的国会，通过了一项反分裂法之后来到北京；这项法案授权使用武力对付台湾，假如它朝向独立的话。
The Bush administration, which has said it would do whatever it took to help the island defend itself, fears the new law will ratchet up tensions in the region.
布希政府已经说它将尽一切可能来协助台湾自卫，布希政府害怕这项新的法律将会提升在这个地区的紧张。
Rice said, “The anti-secession law was not a welcome development because anything that is unilateral and increases tensions, which clearly the anti-secession law does – is not good. China and Taiwan are not going to be able to resolve this alone. They are going to eventually need each other to resolve this. And so while we remain absolutely committed to a “One China” policy, we also recognize that the most useful path ahead at this point would be to have means that reduce tension between the two sides.”
莱丝说：“反分裂法是不受欢迎的发展，因为反分裂法升高紧张，是不好的。中国和台湾都不能单独解决这个问题，他们最终需要共同解决问题。所以美国在信守一个中国政策的同时，美国也承认此时最有用的途径是采取降低紧张的办法。”
Beijing considers the island democracy of 23 million people a part of Chinese territory and has vowed to bring it back to the fold, by force if necessary.
北京认为2300万人民主的台湾是中国领土的一部分，并且誓言如果必要的话，将以武力收复。
Washington switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei in 1979, but the Taiwan Relations Act mandates that the United States supply the island with defensive weapons.
华盛顿在1979年与台北断交，而转与北京建交，但是台湾关系法规定美国应该提供台湾防御性武器。
Rice also said a European Union plan to lift an embargo on arms sales to China might alter the military balance in Asia, where the United States stations armed forces.
莱丝也说，欧盟计划解除对中国的武器销售禁运，可能会攺变亚洲的军事平衡，美国在亚洲有驻守军队。〈待续〉@
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