9月16日午间双语播报：罕见无暇巨钻即将拍卖

中国日报网双语精讲课重磅首发，更有100门外语课无限畅听，》》》》了解详情《《《《《

欢迎订阅主播“中国日报网”在喜马拉雅上的【China Daily 英语新闻】和【24节气英语说】两个专辑，通过我们的节目，不错过世界上发生的趣事！（未经授权，请勿转载）

1 / Nasal COVID vaccine in trials

鼻喷新冠疫苗临床试验

The University of Hong Kong said on Wednesday the clinical trials of a nasal spray vaccine for COVID-19, jointly developed by the university's department of microbiology and mainland institutions, have been approved. 

香港大学9月9日宣布，该校微生物学系与内地机构联合研发的鼻喷新冠疫苗已获批开展临床试验。

The State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases has been working on the vaccine with Xiamen University and Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy. It is the first nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine approved by China's National Medical Products Administration for clinical trials in humans. 

这款疫苗由港大新发传染病国家重点实验室与厦门大学、北京万泰生物药业股份有限公司共同研发，是首款通过国家药品监督管理局审批，获准开展人体临床试验的鼻喷式新冠疫苗。

HKU said in a statement its vaccine strategy has been selected as one of five vaccine technologies by the Ministry of Science and Technology for further evaluation.

港大在声明中称，这个疫苗研究项目得到科技部立项支持，是国家五个重点疫苗技术策略之一。

重点词汇：

nasal

英 [ˈneɪzl] 美 [ˈneɪzl]

n. 鼻骨；鼻音；鼻音字

adj. 鼻的；鼻音的

2 / Oracle picked as tech partner

传TikTok已牵手甲骨文

A deal between ByteDance, the parent of TikTok, and Oracle appeared to be edging closer after reports the Chinese company had chosen the software provider as its US technology partner. 

TikTok母公司字节跳动和软件企业甲骨文似乎已接近达成协议，此前有报道称，这家中国公司已选择甲骨文作为其在美国的技术合作伙伴。

If the deal is finalized, it will help keep the popular video-sharing app running in the US. Under ByteDance's latest proposal, Oracle will be the firm's technology partner and assume management of TikTok's US user data, sources told Reuters on Sunday. 

如果交易达成，将有助于这家广受欢迎的视频分享应用继续在美国运行。消息人士9月13日向路透社表示，根据字节跳动最新的方案，甲骨文将成为该公司的技术伙伴，并负责管理TikTok在美国的用户数据。

Oracle is also negotiating taking a stake in TikTok's US operations, they said. TikTok on Monday issued a statement to media, saying it had submitted a proposal to the US administration, which "we believe would resolve the administration's security concerns." 

目前甲骨文还在就入股TikTok美国业务进行谈判。9月14日，TikTok向媒体发表声明称，已向美国政府提交一份方案，TikTok称"我们相信该方案将解决政府的安全担忧"。

However, any deal for the TikTok assets must be reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US, a group chaired by the treasury secretary that studies mergers for national security reasons.

不过任何收购TikTok资产的交易都必须经过美国外国投资委员会的审查。该委员会由美国财政部长担任主席，负责以国家安全理由研究并购交易。

3 / Oversight of online lending

网贷加快接入征信体系

China will accelerate the process for the inclusion of credit information about online lending in its credit reference system to improve the institutions of joint punishment for dishonest borrowers, a regulatory official said. 

银保监会普惠金融部副主任冯燕9月14日表示，我国将加快推进网贷信用信息纳入征信系统进程，完善失信借款人联合惩治机制。

By the end of August, more than 200 online lending platforms had been connected to systems of the Credit Reference Center of the People's Bank of China, the central bank, and Baihang Credit, China's first licensed personal credit agency, said Feng Yan, deputy director of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission's Financial Inclusion Department, on Monday. The CBIRC has made remarkable achievements through special rectification of risks associated with internet finance.

冯燕表示，截至8月末，已有200余家网贷机构接入央行征信系统和百行征信系统。百行征信是我国首个获得授权的个人征信机构。冯燕说，互联网金融风险专项整治工作开展以来成果显著。

The number of online lending platforms still operating was 15 at the end of August, down 99 percent from the beginning of 2019. During the same period, the outstanding balance of this type of loans fell 84 percent, while the number of lenders declined 88 percent and the number of borrowers went down 73 percent, Feng said.

截至8月末，全国在运营的网贷机构剩余15家，较2019年初下降99%；借贷余额下降84%；出借人下降88%；借款人下降73%。

重点词汇：

dishonest

英 [dɪsˈɒnɪst] 美 [dɪsˈɑːnɪst]

adj. 不诚实的；欺诈的

rectification

英 [ˌrektɪfɪˈkeɪʃn] 美 [ˌrektɪfɪˈkeɪʃn]

n. 改正，矫正；[化工] 精馏；[电] 整流；[数] 求长

4 / Flawless diamond to be auctioned

罕见无暇巨钻即将拍卖

An exceptionally rare 102.39-carat diamond may become one of the most expensive stones ever to sell at auction when it goes under the hammer in Hong Kong next month. Although auction house Sotheby's declined to provide a pre-sale estimate, diamonds of similar size and quality have previously attracted bids anywhere from $12 million to more than $30 million. 

一颗非常罕见的重达102.39克拉的钻石将于下月在香港拍卖，届时它有望成为有史以来被拍卖的最昂贵的宝石之一。尽管苏富比拍卖行拒绝提供预售估价，但此前拍卖的尺寸和质量相似的钻石的成交价从1200万美元到超过3300万美元不等。

Cut from a 271-carat rough diamond discovered in 2018 in Ontario, Canada, the oval stone has achieved top rankings in each of the "four Cs" - cut, color, clarity and carat weight - by which a diamond is judged, the auction house said. 

苏富比称，2018年在加拿大安大略省发现了一颗271克拉的毛坯钻石，从中切割出了这颗椭圆形钻石。

It has been classified as "D color," the highest grading for a white diamond, and is considered to be internally and externally "flawless," placing it among the world's most chemically pure, transparent and symmetrical diamonds. 

在钻石的"四个C"标准中，即切工、颜色、净度和重量四个方面，这颗钻石都获得了最高等级。

It also belongs to a rare subgroup of diamonds that contain little to no nitrogen. Only seven D color flawless (or internally flawless) diamonds weighing more than 100 carats have ever appeared at auction before, according to Sotheby's. 

这颗钻石的成色为白钻中的最高等级——D级，被认为内部外部皆无瑕疵，堪称世界上化学成分最纯净、最透明、最对称的钻石之一。它也属于稀有的亚类钻石，几乎不含氮气。苏富比称，在此之前，拍卖史上一共只出现过7颗超过100克拉的成色D级的无瑕(或内部无瑕)的钻石。

Unusually, the rare oval diamond is being offered without a reserve, meaning it will be sold regardless of the size of the highest bid. Bidding will open online from Sept 15, with the sale concluding at a live auction in Hong Kong on Oct 5.

不同寻常的是，这颗罕见的椭圆形钻石将以无底价形式拍卖，这意味着意味着不论金额多少，只要是最高出价即可拍得这枚巨钻。网上竞拍将从9月15日开始，10月5日在香港的现场拍卖会上落槌。

重点词汇：

symmetrical

英 [sɪˈmetrɪkl] 美 [sɪˈmetrɪkl]

adj. 匀称的，对称的

重点单词怎么读？

Hi everyone, here are words you should know from today's news.

No.1 nasal

The University of Hong Kong said on Wednesday the clinical trials of a nasal spray vaccine for COVID-19, jointly developed by the university's department of microbiology and mainland institutions, have been approved. 

No.2 dishonest

China will accelerate the process for the inclusion of credit information about online lending in its credit reference system to improve the institutions of joint punishment for dishonest borrowers, a regulatory official said. 

No.3 rectification

The CBIRC has made remarkable achievements through special rectification of risks associated with internet finance.

No.4 symmetrical

It has been classified as "D color," the highest grading for a white diamond, and is considered to be internally and externally "flawless," placing it among the world's most chemically pure, transparent and symmetrical diamonds. 

To find more audio news, please subscribe to "China Daily English News" on ximalaya FM

 Thanks for listening~ See you tomorrow！