4月30日午间双语新闻：全国两会召开时间确定

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1 /Games fate hangs in the balance

东京奥运不会再度延期

The postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will have to be canceled if the coronavirus pandemic isn't brought under control by next year, the organizing committee's president said in comments published Tuesday. 

在本月28日发表的专访中，东京奥组委主席森喜朗表示，如果新冠肺炎疫情明年还无法得到控制，东京奥运会将不得不被直接取消。

The pandemic has already forced a year-long delay of the Games - which are now scheduled to open on July 23, 2021 - but Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said no further postponement was possible. 

疫情已经迫使本届奥运会延期一年，目前延期后的开幕日期定为2021年7月23日，但森喜朗表示无再次延期可能。

In an interview with Japan's Nikkan Sports daily, Mori was categorical when asked if the Olympics could be further delayed until 2022 if the pandemic remains a threat next year, replying: "No. In that case, the Olympics will be cancelled". In the interview, Mori also said organizers were considering holding joint opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympics and the Paralympics in an effort to cut costs.

在接受日本《体育日刊》采访时，当被问到若明年疫情仍存在威胁奥运会是否会进一步延期至2022年时，森喜朗明确回答："不会。如果出现那种情况，奥运会将被取消。"采访中，森喜朗还表示，为节约办赛成本，组委会正在考虑将东京奥运会与残奥会的开闭幕式合并举行。

重点词汇：

bring under control

把…控制起来

2 /Nicotine substitutes banned

法国禁售尼古丁替代品

France banned online sales of nicotine replacements - such as nicotine gum and patches - after a widely reported Paris study found smokers were less likely to be admitted to hospital for COVID-19. 此前，巴黎有一项研究被广泛报道，该研究指出吸烟者因感染新冠病毒住院的可能性更低。法国近日禁止网上销售尼古丁胶姆糖和尼古丁贴片等尼古丁替代品。

According to Jean-Pierre Changeux from France's Pasteur Institut, a co-author of the study, the theory is that nicotine may adhere to cell receptors, thus blocking the virus from entering people's cells. In a draft legal text published last week, the government warned there could be a run on nicotine replacements thanks to the study. 

该研究的合著者、法国巴斯德研究所的让-皮埃尔·昌格斯表示，他们的理论是，尼古丁可能会附着在细胞受体上，从而阻断病毒进入人体细胞。在上周发布的法律草案中，法国政府警告称，受这项研究影响，国内可能会掀起一阵抢购尼古丁替代品的热潮。

Still, the researchers warned of the dangers of nicotine in their study, and that smoking remains extremely dangerous for your health. An overview of the current studies on the link between COVID-19 and smoking suggested that COVID-19 patients who smoked were more likely to be admitted to intensive care.

尽管如此，研究人员还是在研究报告中警告尼古丁有危险，指出吸烟对健康依然极其有害。一份关于新冠肺炎和吸烟之间联系的当前研究综述指出，吸烟的新冠肺炎患者更可能住进重症监护室。

重点词汇：

receptor

英 /rɪˈseptə(r)/ 美 /rɪˈseptər/

n. [生化] 受体；接受器；感觉器官

3 /Two sessions to open in late May 

全国两会召开时间确定

This year's two sessions - China's most important annual political event – will be held in late May in Beijing, according to official releases on Wednesday. 

根据官方29日发布的消息，我国最重要的年度政治活动全国两会已定于5月底在北京召开。

The third plenary session of the 13th National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, will kick off on May 22, while the third plenary session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, will start on May 21, the releases said. 

十三届全国人大三次会议将于5月22日开幕，全国政协十三届三次会议于5月21日开幕。

The term "two sessions" refers to the annual full session of the NPC, which customarily begins on March 5, and the annual plenary session of the CPPCC National Committee, which should be open on March 3. Both the sessions this year were postponed in February, as the nation was focusing on fighting the novel coronavirus epidemic at the time.

两会指的是"全国人民代表大会会议"和"中国人民政治协商会议全国委员会会议"，按照惯例，分别于每年的3月5日和3月3日召开。今年2月，为了聚力新冠肺炎防控攻坚战，我国决定推迟两会召开时间。

重点词汇：

plenary

英 /ˈpliːnəri/ 美 /ˈpliːnəri/

n. 全体会议

adj. 充分的；全体出席的

customarily

英 /ˈkʌstəmərəli/ 美 /ˌkʌstəˈmerəli/

adv. 通常，习惯上

4 /E-tickets for high-speed trains

全国高铁普及电子客票

With the adoption of e-ticket service on the high-speed line linking Lanzhou of Gansu province and Urumqi of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Wednesday, all 1,075 high-speed and intercity railway stations on the Chinese mainland will allow passengers to check in without a paper ticket, said the China State Railway Group. The move will streamline boarding procedures and improve services, the company said. 

中国国家铁路集团有限公司表示，本月29日，甘肃兰州至新疆乌鲁木齐高铁将全线实施电子客票，至此，内地1075个高铁和城际铁路车站实现了电子客票全覆盖，此举将简化进站程序，改善服务。

When entering the station and checking in, passengers need only swipe an identification card at the self-service counters. The service was introduced on the island-looping high-speed rail line of Hainan province in November 2018. It was then promoted to the majority of the high-speed railway stations across the country during the fourth quarter last year.

旅客只需在自助闸机处刷有效身份证件即可进站、乘车。2018年11月，海南环岛高铁率先开始电子客票应用试点，去年第四季度，电子客票推广至全国绝大多数高铁车站。

重点词汇：

streamline

英 /ˈstriːmlaɪn/ 美 /ˈstriːmlaɪn/

n. 流线；流线型

vt. 把…做成流线型；使现代化；组织；使合理化；使简单化

adj. 流线型的

island-looping

环岛

Hi everyone, here are words and phrases you should know from today's news.

No.1 bring under control

The postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will have to be canceled if the coronavirus pandemic isn't brought under control by next year, the organizing committee's president said in comments published Tuesday. 

No.2 plenary

The third plenary session of the 13th National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, will kick off on May 22, while the third plenary session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, will start on May 21, the releases said. 

No.3 customarily

The term "two sessions" refers to the annual full session of the NPC, which customarily begins on March 5, and the annual plenary session of the CPPCC National Committee, which should be open on March 3. 

No.4 streamline

The move will streamline boarding procedures and improve services, the company said. 

No.5 island-looping

The service was introduced on the island-looping high-speed rail line of Hainan province in November 2018. 

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