China Says It Is the World's Largest Trader|中国宣称它是全球最大的贸易国

China Says It Is the World's Largest Trader

　　China's latest trade figures show it is very likely to have overtaken the US as the world's largest trader. It would topple the position that the US has held for much of the last century and cross another milestone in rivaling the biggest economy in the world.

　　For some, it is surprising that China didn't already hold this position. After all, four years ago, China became the world's largest exporter of goods. However, it is the surge in imports that has propelled Chinese trade, both exports and imports, to hit a record US$4.16 trillion in 2013.

中国宣称它是全球最大的贸易国

　　根据中国最新的贸易数据显示，它很有可能已经超越美国而成为全球最大的贸易国。中国能与全球最大的经济体匹敌，势将推翻美国已保持了大半个世纪的地位，也将跨越另一项里程碑。

　　让某些人很惊讶的是，中国竟然还没主宰这项地位。毕竟在四年前，中国就已成为全球最大的货物出口国。不过因进口量激增，推动了中国不论是在进口或出口上的贸易量，并于 2013 年创下四兆一千六百亿美元的贸易额纪录。

 

Panama Canal Celebrates Centennial

　　The Panama Canal officially opened on August 15, 1914, and was touted as the Eighth Wonder of the World. This year is the 100th anniversary of its opening, which cost US$375 million and basically opened up trade to the Americas. At the time, the Panama Canal was the largest and most difficult engineering project ever undertaken. Each ship takes an average of eight to 10 hours to transit, and 52 million gallons of water are used when the ships pass through the series of locks. Officials are planning a big celebration later this year.

巴拿马运河庆百年

　　巴拿马运河于 1914 年八月十五日正式开通，它还被赞扬为世界第八大奇迹。今年是该运河开通的一百周年，这条运河耗资三亿七千五百万美元，基本上打开了通往美洲的贸易门户。在当时，巴拿马运河是有史以来所进行规模最大也最困难的工程。每艘船只平均得花上八到十个小时穿过运河，而当船只穿过层层的水闸时会耗费掉五千两百万加仑的水。官方正规划今年稍晚时为该运河举行盛大的庆祝。

 

Americans See Growing Gap between Rich and Poor

　　Income inequality is back in the news at a time when the American public believes there is a growing gulf between the rich and poor that is likely to continue, according to recent surveys. US President Barack Obama focused on the issue in a recent speech in which he said this could be the defining challenge of our time.

　　Sixty-five percent of Americans said in a Pew Research Center survey that they believed the income gap between the rich and poor had widened over the last decade. Most of those people also said it was a bad thing for society.

 

美国人目睹贫富差距愈来愈大

　　根据最近的调查显示，美国民众认为贫富之间的鸿沟很可能持续扩大时，收入不均的问题也再度攻占新闻版面。美国总统欧巴马在最近的一场演说上强调，这项议题可能会是我们这个时代的重大挑战。

　　根据佩尤研究中心的调查显示，百分之六十五的美国人认为在过去十年来贫富收入差距已扩大了。其中大多数人也表示，这样的情况对社会来说并不是件好事。