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Showdown at the G20 Summit G20高峰会议意见分歧

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Showdown at the G20 Summit    G20高峰会议意见分歧

In November 2010, leaders of the world’s strongest economies came together once again at the G20 (or G-20, Group of Twenty) summit in Seoul, Korea. The G20, which was formed in 1999, is a group which included 19 of the world’s largest economies plus the European Union. It meets twice a year to discuss vital economic issues. At the November meeting, currency policies and trade imbalances were at the top of the agenda. Leaders agreed not to devalue their currencies to gain competitive advantages, but no concrete measures were put in place to enforce this. At the close of the summit, the U.S. seemed disappointed, as no consensus was reached regarding how to handle trade imbalances. However, the Chinese were pleased that they did not receive additional pressure from other nations to allow their currency to appreciate. Some feel the latest talks mark a turning point in the balance of power between China and the U.S.; however, others claim that it’s too early to tell.

G20（G-20，二十个经济体）高峰会于去年11月在韩国首尔召开，世界最兴盛经济体之领袖们再次于会议上会面。G20于1999年成立，由世界上19个最大经济体与欧盟所组成。G20会议每年召开两次以讨论重要经济议题。于2010年11月的高峰会上，货币政策与贸易失衡是议程重点。元首们同意不会为了取得贸易竞争优势而将自家货币贬值，但无具体措施可以保证此事不会发生。高峰会结束时，美国对于如何处理贸易失衡未达共识而感到失望。然而，中国对于没有面临来自其他国家的升值压力而感到高兴。有些人认为此次高峰会显示了美国与中国间权力平衡态势之转移；但其他人则认为，现在就下此定论可是言之过早了。

Visiting Europe Gets Much Easier  轻松欧旅免签证

Traveling abroad has become much more convenient for millions of Taiwanese travelers. In November 2010, the European Parliament voted to include Taiwan in its Schengen visa-free program by an overwhelming majority, with 559 of the 612 members of the European Parliament casting their approval. The proposal then passed through the Council of the European Union, making it official. It allows Taiwanese visitors to stay in 35 European countries for a period of 90 days without having to obtain a visa. This news comes as a great relief for Taiwanese business travelers because it simplifies the process of planning trips overseas to participate in trade shows. In addition to making traveling easier, inclusion in the program is also a victory for the Taiwanese government, as it shows that Taiwan is developing closer ties with other nations in the international community.

出国旅游对几百万名台湾旅客而言可说是越来越方便了。2010年11月，612位欧洲议会议员中以559票的压倒性多数，赞成将台湾纳入免申根签证国家名单。这项提案也在欧盟部长理事会通过后正式生效。此提案让台湾人民享有90天内停留35个欧洲国家之免签证福利。这则消息可让台湾商务旅游者松了口气，因为将会简化参加国外贸易展览的程序。除了能让旅游更为简便外，能被纳入赴欧免签国家也是台湾政府的一大胜利，因为这显示台湾在国际社会上与其他国家的关系变得更加紧密。

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Vocabulary

单词发音

showdown [ˋʃo͵daʊn] n. 摊牌; 决一雌雄

currency [ˋkɝənsɪ] n. 货币

agenda [əˋdʒɛndə] n. 待议诸事项；议程

devalue [di`vælju] v.〔货币〕贬值

enforce [ɪnˋfors] v. 实施，执行

appreciate [əˋpriʃɪ͵et] v.（货币等）升值

mark [mɑrk] v. 明显表示，表明

parliament [ˋpɑrləmənt] n. 议会

cast [kæst] v. 投（票）

approval [əˋpruv!] n. 赞成；同意

inclusion [ɪnˋkluʒən] n. 内含物

international community  国际社会

Idiom

片语发音

in place  在正确的地方, 恰当  in the correct or usual position or order

turning point  转折点，转折点  the point at which a very significant change occurs; a decisive moment.

Schengen  申根公约 (是一项欧洲国家间的条约协议，其签约目的是取消相互之间的边境检查点)