8月10日午间双语新闻：世卫考虑用星座命名变异毒株？

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1 /  Tokyo Games gives ‘gift of hope'
东京奥运会正式落下帷幕

Held under the specter of a pandemic and threats of cancellation, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games wrapped up on Sunday as a success story that brought hope to the world. International Olympic Chief Thomas Bach declared the Tokyo Games "unprecedented" and the "most challenging Olympic journey" as he addressed the near-empty 68,000-seat Olympic Stadium at the closing ceremony. "In these difficult times we are all living through, you give the world the most precious of gifts: hope," Bach told athletes attending the ceremony.
东京奥运会8月8日正式闭幕，本届奥运会在新冠疫情的阴霾下举办，并几度面临被取消的危险，但最终成功举办，这给世界带来了希望。闭幕式在原本可容纳6.8万人的奥运主体育场空场举行，国际奥委会主席托马斯·巴赫在致辞中说，东京奥运会是一届前所未有的奥运会，是一趟最具挑战的奥运旅程。巴赫向在场的运动员们表示："在困难时期，你们带给了全世界最珍贵的礼物，希望。"

Over the 16-day sports extravaganza in Tokyo, a total of 339 medal events were held across 33 sports with skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing and karate making their debuts. A total of 94 different countries and regions claimed a medal at Tokyo, more than at any other Games. The US topped the medal table with 39 golds, 41 silvers and 33 bronzes. Team China was in second with 38 gold, 32 silver and 18 bronze medals, followed by Japan with 27 gold, 14 silver and 17 bronze medals.
东京奥运会历时16天，共有33个大项，最终产生339枚金牌，新设滑板、冲浪、竞技攀岩和空手道等项目。共有94个国家或地区的运动员获得东京奥运会奖牌，创历届奥运会之最。美国以39金41银33铜位列东京奥运奖牌榜第一，中国以38金32银18铜位列奖牌榜第二，东道主日本以27金14银17铜位居第三。

重点词汇 
1、specter
英 [ˈspektə(r)]  美 [ˈspektər]
n. 幽灵；妖怪；恐怖之物
 
2、cancellation
英 [ˌkænsəˈleɪʃn]  美 [ˌkænsəˈleɪʃn]
n. 取消；删除
 
3、extravaganza
英 [ɪkˌstrævəˈɡænzə]  美 [ɪkˌstrævəˈɡænzə]
n. 狂妄的言行；内容狂妄的作品；铺张华丽的表演
 
4、debut
英 [ˈdeɪbjuː; ˈdebjuː]  美 [deɪˈbjuː]
n. 初次登台；开张
vi. 初次登台

2/  Torrential rains affect Sichuan residents
四川暴雨10余万人受灾

Torrential rains have affected more than 100,000 residents in Southwest China's Sichuan province and forced the emergency evacuation of over 7,000 people, local authorities said Sunday.
当地政府8月8日表示，四川省的暴雨已造成10余万人受灾，7000多人被迫转移避险。

The heavy downpours lashed the northeastern part of Sichuan, including the cities of Bazhong, Nanchong and Dazhou, from 8 am Saturday to 8 am Sunday, flooding roads and raising the water levels of several local rivers above warning levels, according to the Sichuan provincial water resources department. A monitoring station in Yingshan county under Nanchong saw precipitation of 424.8 mm in the 24-hour period, the department said. Disaster relief and rescue efforts are underway.
据四川省水利厅表示，8月7日上午8点至8日上午8点，暴雨袭击了包括巴中、南充和达州在内的四川省东北部地区，道路被淹没，当地数条河流的水位超过警戒水位。南充市营山县某监测站24小时降水量达到424.8毫米。目前有关部门正在开展救灾和救援工作。

重点词汇 
1、evacuation
英 [ɪˌvækjuˈeɪʃn]  美 [ɪˌvækjuˈeɪʃn]
n. 疏散；撤离；排泄

2、precipitation
英 [prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn]  美 [prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn]
n. [化学] 沉淀，[化学] 沉淀物；降水；冰雹；坠落；鲁莽

3/ Elephant herd approaches traditional habitat
北移亚洲象群安全渡过元江

The herd of 14 wild Asian elephants roaming in southwest China's Yunnan province is approaching their traditional habitat. At about 8 pm Sunday, the herd crossed the Yuanjiang River with artificial guidance, according to the headquarters in charge of monitoring their migration. More efforts will be made to ensure the security of the herd on their way back, according to the headquarters.
云南北移亚洲象安全防范工作省级指挥部有关负责人表示，8月8日20时左右，14头野生亚洲象在人工引导下安全渡过元江干流，不断接近其原栖息地。后续，现场指挥部将继续全力保障象群安全，帮助其尽快回家。

It has been around 17 months since the herd bid farewell to their original habitat in a nature reserve in Yunnan's Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture. Wild Asian elephants, a flagship species in the rainforest, are under A-level state protection in China. Thanks to stronger environmental and wildlife protection efforts, its population in the country has grown to about 300, mostly scattered in the province of Yunnan.
17个月前，象群从原栖息地——西双版纳傣族自治州一个自然保护区出走。野生亚洲象是我国一级保护动物，主要生活在热带雨林中。近年来我国不断改善环境，加大野生动物保护力度，境内野生亚洲象数量已增加到约300头，主要分布在云南省。

重点词汇 
1、roam
英 [rəʊm]  美 [roʊm]
vi. 漫游，漫步；流浪
vt. 在…漫步，漫游；在…流浪
n. 漫步，漫游；流浪
 
2、migration
英 [maɪˈɡreɪʃn]  美 [maɪˈɡreɪʃn]
n. 迁移；移民；移动
 
3、autonomous
英 [ɔːˈtɒnəməs]  美 [ɔːˈtɑːnəməs]
adj. 自治的；自主的；自发的

4、prefecture
英 [ˈpriːfektʃə(r)]  美 [ˈpriːfektʃər]
n. 县；管区，辖区；地方官的任期

4/  COVID variant constellation names considered
世卫考虑星座命名变异毒株

New coronavirus strains could be named after constellations once the Greek alphabet is used up, a World Health Organization boss has suggested. The agency started naming new mutations after letters of the Greek alphabet back in May. So far, 11 variants have been named - including the Delta, Beta and Alpha strains.
世界卫生组织官员表示，一旦希腊字母用完，考虑用星座来命名新的新冠变异毒株。世卫组织自今年5月开始用希腊字母来命名新冠变异毒株。截至目前，世卫组织已经用希腊字母命名了11种新冠变异毒株，包括阿尔法变异病毒、贝塔变异病毒、德尔塔变异病毒。

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's COVID-19 technical lead, said the WHO is looking at new names in case they go through all 24 letters of the Greek alphabet. At the moment, constellations are being considered. The WHO is looking at proposals to make sure no one is upset with the names, she added.
世卫组织新冠疫情技术部门负责人范科霍夫表示，世卫组织正在为新冠变异毒株寻找新的命名方式，以防24个希腊字母不够使用。范科霍夫表示，目前，该组织正在考虑以星座命名。范科霍夫称，世卫组织正在研究提案，确保没有人对新的命名感到不满。 

重点词汇 
1、constellation
英 [ˌkɒnstəˈleɪʃn]  美 [ˌkɑːnstəˈleɪʃn]
n. [天] 星座；星群；荟萃；兴奋丛
 
2、mutation
英 [mjuːˈteɪʃn]  美 [mjuːˈteɪʃn]
n. 突变；变化；元音变化