9月20日午间英语新闻：美国纽约州宣布：公立学校春节放一天假！

>Policy incentives spur home purchases
多地落实“认房不认贷”政策 市场回暖迹象明显

Ever since major cities in China launched policy incentives in late July to warm up the housing market, real estate agent Wu Lei's phone has turned into a 24/7 hotline, with a flood of inquiries on property purchase being made every day.
7月下旬以来，中国多地出台支持房地产新政，刺激房市回暖，房产经纪人吴磊的电话已经变成了一条全天候热线，每天都有铺天盖地的购房咨询。

"We are currently working around the clock to greet visitors. Some homebuyers are willing to make even late-night appointments," said Wu, who works in Beijing for real estate agency 5i5j.
在北京我爱我家房地产中介公司工作的吴磊表示：“我们目前正在加班加点地接待顾客，有些购房者甚至愿意在深夜预约看房。”

Property agents such as Wu have been very busy lately because policy measures, adopted to help the troubled real estate sector recover, are buoying up market sentiments and helping drive up transactions for both new and pre-owned homes, which in turn are contributing to the overall economic recovery, experts said.
专家表示，像吴磊这样的房地产经纪人最近非常忙碌，因为楼市刺激政策提振了市场情绪，并有助于推动新房和二手房交易，助力经济复苏。

So far, more than 20 cities — including first-tier cities Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, and Shenzhen, also in Guangdong — have adopted the policy to recognize households with mortgage records but no local property ownership as first-time homebuyers, making them eligible for favorable down payments and lower mortgage rates.
到目前为止，包括北京、上海、广州、深圳一线城市在内的20多个城市已经采取了“认房不认贷”政策。居民家庭（包括借款人、配偶及未成年子女）申请贷款购买商品住房时，家庭成员在本市名下无成套住房的，不论是否已利用贷款购买过住房，银行业金融机构均按首套住房执行住房信贷政策。

Various regions have also introduced a combination of encouraging policies, such as trade-ins for new homes, tax subsidies and reduced interest rates on housing loans.
各地还推出了一系列鼓励政策，如以旧换新购房活动、购房契税补贴和降低存量首套住房贷款利率等。

According to realty market analysis provider China Index Holdings, Beijing witnessed a 16.9 percent weekly increase in new home sales area to 103,000 square meters last week. Shenzhen saw a 3.8 percent weekly rise in new home sales area to 38,000 sq m during the same period.
房地产市场分析公司中指控股数据显示，北京上周新房销售10.3万㎡，环比增长16.9%，深圳上周新房销售面积约3.8万㎡，环比增长3.8%。

重点词汇：
mortgage
英/ ˈmɔːɡɪdʒ /
美/ ˈmɔːrɡɪdʒ /
n.按揭，抵押贷款；抵押贷款额
v.抵押；（为眼前好处）使承受（未来）风险

>New York adds Lunar New Year as public school holiday
美国纽约州宣布：公立学校春节放一天假！

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation on Saturday to declare Lunar New Year a public school holiday across the state.
当地时间周六（9月9日），美国纽约州州长凯茜•霍楚尔签署法规，宣布春节为纽约州公立学校法定假日。

"By designating Lunar New Year as an official school holiday, we are taking an important step in recognizing the importance of New York's AAPI community and the rich diversity that makes New York so great," Hochul said in a statement.
霍楚尔在声明中表示，通过将农历新年指定为公立学校法定假日（public school holiday），“我们向认同纽约州的美国亚裔社群和丰富的族裔多样性迈出重要一步”。

"It is not just a day off from school - it is an opportunity for our children to learn about and celebrate their own or different cultures and traditions," she added.
她说，这一举措不仅意味着学校可以放一天假，更重要的是让青少年有机会了解并庆祝本族裔或其他族裔的文化传统。

Representative Grace Meng said, “It was an honor to join Governor Hochul as she signed this historic bill, and I applaud her for making it the law of the land in our state. When I was in the State Assembly in 2009, I led the bill to establish a New York City school holiday for Lunar New Year, and I remember how people laughed at it. There were so many naysayers who told me that it would never happen. Now, look at how far we have come. I am proud of the work I have done to help get us to this point, and I thank all who played a role as well. And in Congress, I am continuing the fight by pushing legislation I authored that would make Lunar New Year a federal holiday.”
民主党华裔众议员孟昭文对霍楚尔的工作表示赞赏，她说，当她2009年在州议会任职时，领导了一项将纽约市农历新年指定为公立学校假日的法案，人们不屑一顾，并声称这永远不会发生。孟昭文表示，她将在国会继续推动把春节定为联邦假日的立法工作。