stalagmite[ 'stæləgmait ] rising from the floor of a cave in China;chemicals in the stone tell a tale of说明了问题, 揭露了内情strong and weak cycles of the monsoon, the life-giving赋予生命的rains that water crops to feed millions of people
Dry periods coincided with the 灭亡demise of the Tang, Yuan and Ming dynasties, researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science科学杂志. (The end of existence or activity; termination) .ex: 干季风季节刚好和唐,元和明朝的灭亡周期吻合
The Wanxiang Cave万象洞,甘肃武都.
Chemical concentrations 化学浓度in the stalagmite indicate a series of fluctuations [ ,flʌktju'eiʃən ] 起伏涨落 lasting from one to several centuries and roughly similar to records of the Little Ice Age, Medieval warm period and Dark Age cold period recorded in Europe. 自1600至1850年即所谓「小冰期」,之前则为中世纪暖期(Medieval warm period);历史再往前,自罗马帝国分裂崩解后,欧洲的基督教会禁止占星,加上十字军东征,整个欧洲处于战乱,乃俗称的黑暗世纪(Dark Age)。
It stayed weak, with substantial fluctuation明显的波动
the Mayans in Mesoamerica [ ,mesəʊə'merikə, ,mez- ] . [考古]中亚美利加洲, 中美洲,玛雅.
National Science Foundations国家科学基金; Chinese Academy of Sciences中国科学院.
By Kim Yeon-hee and Chris Buckley – Fri Oct 24, 2:56 am ET
亚洲和欧洲盼望中国修复经济危机 周五,10.24日,东部时间
BEIJING (Reuters) – Asian and European leaders will look to China at a summit starting on Friday to help shore up a global economy described by President Hu Jintao as grim.
The unusually frank assessment by the Chinese leader underlined the timeliness of a two-day Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) of 27 EU member states and 16 Asian countries that had been shaping up as a staid, staged talking shop.(Fixed; permanent:固定的;永久的:)
"The current world economic situation is grim and complicated," Hu told Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ahead of the summit, Xinhua news agency reported.
“当前的世界经济形势严峻且复杂”,胡主席在会前见印尼总统苏西洛时说,新华通讯社报道。
The two days of formal ASEM sessions in Beijing‘s Great Hall of the People are set to be(准备好做sth) a march through an agenda covering economic cooperation, climate change and development.
But meetings on the sidelines were already clarifying what leaders want other countries to do -- and plan to do themselves -- to seek an escape from an economic slump.
On Friday morning, the ASEAN group of Southeast Asian states agreed at talks with Japan, China and South Korea to upgrade a long-established billion web of currency swap lines among central banks in the region.(To exchange (one thing) for another.)
The purpose is to allow a country plunging into a foreign exchange crisis to rapidly call up financial firepower by swapping its currency for those of its neighbors.
Asia has fared better during the latest bout of turbulence on global markets. ASEAN's leaders expressed confidence that the group's financial sector remained "solid and sound.“ (To get along:)(A contest between antagonists; a match:)
"Nevertheless, precautionary actions are needed to send a clear and unequivocal signal that ASEAN is resolute and better prepared than 10 years ago when the financial crisis hit the region in 1997," ASEAN in a statement after pre-summit talks late on Thursday.
Governments worry that banks, markets and currencies throughout the region will come under pressure as global economic conditions worsen. South Korea, even though it has 0 billion in currency reserves, had to unveil a 0 billion bailout package for its banks on Sunday.
"Leaders at the meeting shared the need of stepping up regional cooperation to cope with the global financial crisis and to coordinate policies," South Korea's presidential office said after the meeting with ASEAN that endorsed beefing up the swaps scheme. [口]加强, 补充(人数, 兵力)
The group agreed to complete that task by the first half of next year, but diplomats said the devil would be in the detail of the strings to be attached to activating the credit lines.
Thailand has proposed a parallel plan for Asian governments to pour part of their vast holdings of currency reserves into a 0 billion fund to buy shares, facilitate trade and build up infrastructure in the region.
A working group of finance ministry and central bank officials would look at the details next month, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo told Reuters.
China, which would have to make the biggest contribution, was lukewarm about the idea.
(Lacking conviction or enthusiasm; indifferent:)
应该必须作出最大的贡献的中国,对于以上的种种提议表现得不冷不热。
"I think China, Japan and South Korea will together explore how to further strengthen cooperation with ASEAN," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters late on Thursday.
Japanese officials said the Thai plan was just too vague, as was an idea floated last week by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for a billion fund to buy bad debt and recapitalize banks around the region hit by the financial crisis.
ASEAN, which groups Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and Brunei, is not alone in looking to Beijing for leadership.
The European Union wants China, with the world's biggest hoard of currency reserves and the world's fastest-growing major economy, to help shape global financial reforms and tackle the economic imbalances at the root of the present turmoil.
For a start, the EU wants China to agree to join a financial crisis summit in Washington next month that President George W. Bush has convened.
首先,殴盟想让中国同意加入下月在华盛顿由总统布什召集的金融危机峰会。
"I very much hope that China gives an important contribution to the solution of this financial crisis," Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said on Thursday. "I think it's a great opportunity for China to show a sense of responsibility."
Chinese spokesman Liu would say only that his government was "actively considering" attending the Washington summit.
中国发言人刘只是说他们的政府在“积极考虑”参加华盛顿峰会。
Not all the talk over the two days will be financial. The ASEM meeting will also discuss food security and global warming.
并不是两天以来的所有的对话都是金融,东盟会议也谈及食品安全和全球变暖问题。
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he wants the gathering to make a commitment to seeking a new climate change and greenhouse gas reduction pact at key talks in Copenhagen late next year. The current Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of 2012.