3月31日午间双语新闻：外媒：中欧班列需求暴涨 Suez jam may spur train use

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TCM epidemic prevention center planned
我国将建中医疫病防治基地

China plans to build a major center at the national level focusing on the use of traditional Chinese medicine in epidemic prevention and treatment, according to a top economic planner. Sun Zhicheng, a senior official with the social development department of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a press conference on Monday the center will be tasked with building a talent pool, formulating technical protocols for epidemic prevention and treatment, conducting TCM therapy research and stockpiling relevant medical supplies, among other functions. 
国家发改委社会发展司负责人孙志诚3月29日在新闻发布会上表示，我国将建设中医疫病防治重大基地，发挥疫病防治队伍组建、疫病防治技术方案制定、中医方药研制攻关、医疗物资储备等作用。

The center is expected to ramp up the country's capacity of rapid response, prevention, control and treatment in the face of new or emerging infectious diseases and other major public health events by using TCM, Sun said.
孙志诚说，该中心有望提升中医药面对新发突发传染病等重大公共卫生事件的快速反应能力和防控救治能力。

重点词汇
1、protocol
英 /ˈprəʊtəkɒl/  美 /ˈproʊtəkɑːl/ 
n.  医疗方案；科学试验计划；协议； 礼节； (计算机间交换信息的) 协议
vt. 拟定
vi. 拟定

2、stockpile
英 /ˈstɒkpaɪl/  美 /ˈstɑːkpaɪl/ 
n. 储备物资；库存；积蓄
vt. 贮存；储蓄；大量储备
vi. 积累；储备物资

3、ramp up
产能提升；；倾斜升温（每单位时间之温度上升）；斜升

Profits of SOEs rise in Jan-Feb
国企主要经济指标向好

China's State-owned enterprises registered robust growth in the first two months of 2021 despite low base effects, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. The combined profits of China's SOEs rose 150% year-on-year to 548.94 billion yuan in the first two months, MOF data shows. The growth rate offsetting base effects came in at 10.2% during the January-February period, the ministry said on its website. 
财政部网站3月29日发布数据称，今年前两个月，全国国有及国有控股企业主要经济指标同比增速较高，扣除2020年低基数因素，仍保持较好增长态势。今年1-2月，国有企业利润总额5489.4亿元，同比增长1.5倍，扣除低基数因素后，增长率为10.2%。

From January to February, SOEs saw their total revenue surge 33.7% year-on-year to over 10.19 trillion yuan, an 8.2% growth offsetting base effects. SOEs' debt-to-asset ratio came in at 64.3% at the end of February, flat with the level seen during the same period last year.
在营业总收入方面，今年1-2月，国有企业营业总收入超过10.19万亿元，同比增长33.7%，扣除低基数因素后，增长率为8.2%。数据还显示，2月末，国有企业资产负债率64.3%,与去年同期持平。

重点词汇
1、State-owned enterprises
国有企业

2、offset
英 /ˈɒfset/  美 /ˈɔːfset/ 
n. 抵消，补偿；偏离量；（测绘）支距；（电子）偏离；侧枝；（山的）支脉；（建筑）壁阶；弯管，支管；平版印刷
v. 抵消，弥补；衬托出；使偏离直线方向；用平版印刷术印刷，转印下一页；装支管
adj. 胶印的

3、 flat with
与……持平

Suez jam may spur train use
外媒:中欧班列需求暴涨

Although the giant container ship blocking the Suez Canal in Egypt was refloated on Monday, normalcy in shipping services might be possible only in about two to four weeks, experts said on Monday. Businesses affected by the blockage are exploring alternatives like the China-Europe freight train to move their cargo, they said. With European demand surging amid shipping delays at sea, transcontinental rail freight from China to Europe saw a sharp rise, the Financial Times reported. 
专家3月29日表示，虽然搁浅在埃及苏伊士运河中的重型货船已成功起浮, 但运河完全恢复正常通航可能需要两到四周时间，受运河堵塞影响的一些企业正在寻找中欧班列等替代方案来运输货物。据《金融时报》报道，受海运延迟的影响，欧洲大陆的运输需求增大，中欧班列业务量暴涨。

"In the past few days, daily inquiries about the China-Europe freight train have nearly tripled. Apparently, the inquiries reflect rising concerns about shipping uncertainties via the canal," said Zhou Shihao, founder and CEO of YQNLink, a Shanghai-based global intelligent logistics platform. 
总部位于上海的国际智慧物流平台"运去哪"创始人兼首席执行官周诗豪说，过去几天内关于中欧班列的日咨询量是平时的近三倍，很显然，这反映出市场对苏伊士运河航运不确定性的担忧在上升。

重点词汇
1、container
英 /kənˈteɪnə(r)/  美 /kənˈteɪnər/ 
n. 集装箱；容器

2、Suez Canal
苏伊士运河（位于埃及东北部）

3、refloat
/ˌriːˈfloʊt/ 
vt. 使再浮起；打捞

4、normalcy
美 /ˈnɔːrmlsi/ 
n. 常态

5、blockage
英 /ˈblɒkɪdʒ/  美 /ˈblɑːkɪdʒ/
n. 堵塞；封锁；妨碍

6、transcontinental
英 /ˌtrænzˌkɒntɪˈnentl; ˌtrænsˌkɒntɪˈnentl/  
美 /ˌtrænzˌkɑːntɪˈnentl,ˌtrænsˌkɑːntɪˈnentl/ 
adj. （尤指铁路）横贯大陆的；大陆那边的；洲际的

UK announces further relaxation
英国逐渐解除居家禁令

Many people in England emerged from their homes for the first time in weeks on Monday, after the nation's "stay-at-home" order was withdrawn and the country began to slowly emerge from its strict novel coronavirus lockdown. The relaxation was relatively modest; allowing an unlimited number of people from two households to meet outdoors, and groups of up to six people from multiple households to do likewise. It also permits outdoor sports to be played, such as golf and tennis. Weddings attended by a maximum of six people also have the go-ahead. 
英国正在慢慢从新冠严格封锁措施中解封，3月29日，该国解除居家令，英格兰地区的许多民众连续几周来首次走出家门。解封措施相对适度：允许两个家庭在户外见面，见面人数不限；允许多个家庭在户外见面，见面人数上限为6人；允许人们进行包括高尔夫和网球在内的户外运动；可以举办婚礼，但最多只允许6人参加。

Wales made similar adjustments on Saturday, and the devolved governments of Scotland and Northern Ireland will do likewise later this week. 
3月27日，威尔士做出了类似的调整，权力下放政府苏格兰和北爱尔兰也将在本周晚些时候做出同样的调整。

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the relaxations will be closely monitored, with variant strains of the virus that causes COVID-19 flaring in mainland Europe causing concern in the UK. "Despite today's easements, everyone must continue to stick to the rules. Remember; hands, face, space. And come forward for a vaccine when called," the BBC quoted him as saying. 
英国首相鲍里斯•约翰逊表示，由于新冠变异毒株在欧洲大陆流行，引起英国人民的担忧，将密切关注解封进程。英国广播公司引述鲍里斯的话说："尽管防疫限制措施有所放松，但每个人都必须继续遵守防疫规则，记住，勤洗手、戴口罩、保持社交距离，并在需要时前去接种疫苗"。

重点词汇
1、go-ahead
英 /ˈɡəʊ əhed/  美 /ˈɡoʊ əhed/
n. 批准，许可；放行信号
adj. 有进取心的，有开拓精神的；（比赛领先）跑动（或得分）的；前进着的

2、flare
英 /fleə(r)/ 美 /fler/ 
vt. 使闪耀；使张开；用发光信号发出；使外倾
vi. 闪耀，闪光；燃烧；突然发怒
n. 加剧，恶化；底部展开；（鼻孔）张开的意思；闪光，闪耀；耀斑；爆发；照明弹

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