[時事英文] Prime Minister Suga's Visit to Washington 菅義偉訪美行 Mr. Suga is the first foreign leader to be invited to the White House by President Biden, who has vowed to reinvigorate alliances. Japan already had the distinction last month of being the first international destination for the new U.S. secretaries of state and defense. •reinvigorate alliances 振興聯盟 •have the distinction of 有被授予... 的榮譽 •international destination 國際目的地 菅義偉是首位受拜登總統邀請訪問白宮的外國領導人。拜登已發誓要給美國在世界各地的盟友關係注入新的活力。日本在上個月頗為不同尋常地成了美國新任國務卿和國防部長出訪的首個國際目的地。 ★★★★★★★★★★★★ Typically, a Japanese prime minister has a slate of agenda items to tick off. This visit is no different. The two leaders are expected to talk about the coronavirus pandemic, trade, the importance of securing supply chains for components like semiconductors, the North Korean nuclear threat and shared goals on climate change. •slate (US) （尤指在政治活動中的）候選人名單 •agenda items 議事日程 •tick sth off 在（清單上）勾掉，做標記（表示已完成這件事） •secure supply chains 確保供應鏈 •shared goals 共同目標 通常情況下，日本首相訪美有一系列的議事日程。這次訪問也不例外。預計美日領導人將討論新冠病毒大流行、貿易、確保半導體等產品的零部件供應鏈的重要性、朝鮮核威脅，以及氣候變化方面的共同目標等問題。 ★★★★★★★★★★★★ This time, he said, “that’s not what we should do. I think we should talk big about the world and Asia-Pacific.” Such bold statements would run counter to Japanese officials’ deep-seated instincts. They have tended to avoid mentioning China or its most sensitive interests, preferring vague and sweeping language about the need to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region. •run counter to 違反了 •deep-seated instincts 根深蒂固的本能 •vague and sweeping language 模糊和籠統的語言 •maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region 保持印度太平洋地區的自由開放 這次，他說，「那不是我們應該做的。我認為我們應該談世界和亞太的大事。」這種大膽聲明違反了日本官員根深蒂固的本能。他們往往避免提中國或中國最敏感的利益，而是喜歡用模糊和籠統的語言談論保持印度太平洋地區自由開放的必要性。 Update: https://cnb.cx/3sFMLpw China’s response: https://s.nikkei.com/3dyedkS ★★★★★★★★★★★★ 文章來自《紐約時報》: https://nyti.ms/32qPpog #EEL時事英文 #政治時事英文

［時事英文］China Fights for Chip Independence 中國「晶片熱」背後 Computer chips are the brains and souls of all the electronics the country’s factories crank out. Yet they are mostly designed and produced overseas. China’s government is lavishing money upon anyone who can help change that. computer chips 電腦晶片 crank sth out 草草 (大量和快速) 生産 lavish money upon提供大量的資金給…* 電腦晶片是中國工廠生產的所有電子產品的大腦和靈魂。然而，它們大多在海外設計和製造。中國政府正在向任何能幫助改變這一現狀的人提供大量資金。 *lavish (v.) 揮霍，浪費；濫施 [（+on）] ★★★★★★★★★★★★ Their efforts are starting to pay off. China remains far from hosting real rivals to American chip giants like Intel and Nvidia, and its semiconductor manufacturers are at least four years behind the leading edge in Taiwan. Still, local companies are expanding their ability to meet the country’s needs, particularly for products, such as smart appliances and electric vehicles, that have more modest requirements than supercomputers and high-end smartphones. start to pay off 開始得到回報 host (v.) 為（網站）提供軟硬體支援 far from sth 遠未…；完全不… leading edge (n.) 尖端，前沿 meet the country’s needs 滿足國家需求 smart appliances 智慧家電 high-end (adj.) （產品）高價位的，高檔的 他們的努力開始得到回報。中國目前遠不足以成為英特爾(Intel)和英偉達(Nvidia)等美國晶片巨頭真正的競爭對手，其半導體製造商距離台灣的領先優勢都還至少落後四年。儘管如此，中國企業仍在擴大自身能力以滿足國內需求，尤其是在智能家電和電動汽車方面，這些產品的製造要求比超級計算機和高端智慧型手機要低。 ★★★★★★★★★★★★ Beijing’s recent love of chips began with the creation of a giant, chip-focused investment fund in 2014. The government set a lofty goal: China would produce 40 percent of the chips it consumed by 2020. That didn’t happen. Morgan Stanley analysts estimate that Chinese brands bought $103 billion in semiconductors last year, of which 17 percent was from local vendors. They predict the share will rise to 40 percent in 2025, far short of the government’s target of 70 percent. investment fund 投資基金 set a lofty goal 制定一個宏大的目標 local vendors 國內供應商; vendor 小販；攤主；賣主 semiconductor 半導體 far short of 遠低於 北京最近對晶片的著迷始於2014年成立的一個規模巨大、專注於晶片的投資基金。政府制定了一個宏大目標：到2020年，中國將生產其所消耗晶片的40%。這一目標未能實現。摩根士丹利(Morgan Stanley)分析師估計，中國品牌去年購入了價值1030億美元的半導體，其中有17%來自國內供應商。他們預測到2025年，這一比例將升至40%，遠低於政府設定的70%的目標。 《紐約時報》完整報導：http://nyti.ms/3pTb7ei 圖片出處: http://bit.ly/3rY2OQC ★★★★★★★★★★★★ #EEL時事英文 #科技時事英文 #財經時事英文

[時事英文] 名副其實的世界要處：台灣 Pound for Pound, Taiwan Is the Most Important Place in the World 什麼是「pound for pound」? ★★★★★★★★★★★ The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union perpetually threatened to spark conflict in nations all over the world, including battles over the control of a vast array of natural and industrial resources. The new Cold War, between the United States and China, is increasingly focused on access to just one industry in one place: computer chips made in Taiwan. spark conflict 引發衝突 the control of 控制～ a vast array of 各示各樣的 computer chips電腦晶片 美、蘇之間的冷戰永遠威脅著全世界並使各國引發衝突，諸如在控制大自然和工業資源方面的鬥爭。在美、中之間的新冷戰中，越來越多人關注一個首屈一指的產業：台灣製造的電腦晶片。 ★★★★★★★★★★★ Over the past year, Taiwan has taken a lead in the race to build thinner, faster and more powerful chips, or semiconductors. Its fastest chips are the critical building blocks of rapidly evolving digital industries like artificial intelligence and high-speed computing. take the lead in sth 率先～ semiconductors 半導體 building blocks 重要的組成中心 digital industries 數位產業 artificial intelligence 人工智慧 high-speed computing 高速計算 在過去的一年中，台灣在製造更薄、更快、更強大的晶片或半導體處於領先地位；它最快的晶片在數位產業的組成佔有一席之地，其中像是快速發展的人工智慧和高速計算。 ★★★★★★★★★★★ It is a small island of just 24 million people, but it is at the center of the battle for global technological supremacy. Pound for pound, it is the most important place in the world. As the Cold War between China and the United States intensifies, that importance will only continue to grow. at the center of 在～的中心 the battle for global technological supremacy 全球技術龍頭之爭 pound for pound 貨真價實，名副其實，名不虛傳* intensify 強化；增強 台灣是一個只有2400萬人的小島，但它卻是全球技術龍頭之爭的中心。這是世界上名副其實的要處。隨著中、美之間的冷戰加劇，台灣的地位只會日趨重要。 *Pound for pound 字面意思是: 同樣重量的情況下。首先出現在拳擊領域，用來形容某一重量級別的某一拳擊手在與其同級別和不同級別的拳手相比較之下的實力和價值。 ★★★★★★★★★★★ 資料來源: 《紐約時報》 http://nyti.ms/3mhOEWg #EEL時事英文 #科技時事英文