4月23日午间英语新闻：美方向中国返还38件文物艺术品

> US returns 38 pieces of cultural relics to China
美方向中国返还38件文物艺术品

Chinese officials received 38 pieces of cultural relics returned by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office on Wednesday.
国家文物局17日在中国驻纽约总领事馆接收美国纽约曼哈顿区检察官办公室向中国返还的38件文物艺术品。

The handover ceremony, held at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, was attended by Li Qun, deputy minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, along with Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping, and Matthew Bogdanos, chief of the Antiquities Trafficking Unit at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
返还仪式17日下午在中国驻纽约总领馆举行，文化和旅游部副部长、国家文物局局长李群、中国驻纽约总领事黄屏和美国纽约曼哈顿区检察官办公室打击文物非法贩运部门负责人马修·博格达诺斯出席了仪式。

In his remarks at the ceremony, Li, who is also director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, said that the renewed cooperation between China and the US in cultural relic returns signifies mutual trust and progress in artifact repatriation efforts.
国家文物局局长李群在仪式上的讲话中说，中美两国再次实现文物返还合作，标志着双方在文物追索返还行动上相向而行、相互信任。

China will continue to actively fulfill the memorandum of understanding with the US on preventing the illegal entry of Chinese cultural relics into the US, and work with the US to establish a mechanism for information sharing on stolen relics, using the wisdom and strength of both countries to safeguard cultural heritage and promote mutual understanding through cultural exchanges, Li said.
中方将继续积极履行中美关于防止中国文物非法入境美国的政府间谅解备忘录，与美方建立健全被盗文物信息通报机制，为保障文物安全、促进文明交流互鉴贡献两国的智慧和力量。

Huang said the event is a positive implementation of the San Francisco Vision reached by the leaders of both countries in November last year and will greatly enhance cultural exchanges and friendship between China and the US. 
黄屏表示，本次合作是积极落实两国元首“旧金山愿景”的体现，将极大增进中美文化交流和两国人民友谊。

This year marks the 45th anniversary of China-US diplomatic relations, and it is hoped that people from all walks of life in China and the US will continue to work together to promote stable, healthy, and sustainable development of China-US relations, said Huang. 
今年是中美建交45周年，希望中美各界有识之士继续携手与共，持续推动中美关系稳定、健康、可持续发展。

Bogdanos emphasized the significance of the return of these cultural relics in fostering cultural exchanges.
博格达诺斯强调了归还这些文物对促进文化交流的重要意义。

Most of the 38 pieces of cultural relics returned Wednesday are Tibetan Buddhist artifacts from China, dating from the Yuan to Ming and Qing dynasties, with a rich variety and exquisite craftsmanship. Among them, ivory carvings, wooden sculptures, and fragments of murals are particularly rare and hold significant historical, artistic, and scientific value.
此次返还的38件中国文物艺术品大部分为中国藏传佛教文物，时代为元至明清时期，类别丰富、工艺精湛，其中的牙雕、木雕作品以及壁画残片较为罕见，具有重要的历史、艺术和科学价值。

The artifacts were seized by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in March. After receiving the artifacts in New York, the National Cultural Heritage Administration will arrange for their timely return to China.
今年3月，由美国纽约曼哈顿区检察官办公室缴获。上述文物在纽约接收后，国家文物局将适时安排文物回运工作。

China and the US signed a memorandum of understanding that aims to prevent the illegal importation of Chinese cultural artifacts into the US in January 2009. Its validity was extended for the third time, starting from Jan. 14 this year.
中美于2009年1月首次签署关于防止中国文物非法入境美国的政府间谅解备忘录。其有效期从今年1月14日起第三度顺延。

So far, 504 pieces or sets of Chinese cultural relics have been delivered in 15 batches from the US to China.
到目前为止，已实现了15批次504件/套流失美国的文物艺术品回归中国。

重点词汇
1、relics
英/ ˈrelɪks / 美/ ˈrelɪks /
n. 遗迹；遗骸；纪念物

2、attorney
英/ əˈtɜːni / 美/ əˈtɜːrni /
n. 律师；代理人

3、handover
英/ ˈhændəʊvə(r) /
美/ ˈhændoʊvər /
n. 移交

4、trafficking
英/ ˈtræfɪkɪŋ /
美/ ˈtræfɪkɪŋ /
n. 非法交易（尤指毒品买卖）
vi. 交易（traffic 的现在分词）

5、memorandum
英/ ˌmeməˈrændəm /
美/ ˌmeməˈrændəm /
n. 公务便条，备忘录；协议备忘录；建议书，报告；合同书，（法律文件细节的）摘要

6、San Francisco Vision
旧金山愿景

7、exquisite
英/ ɪkˈskwɪzɪt / 美/ ɪkˈskwɪzɪt /
adj. 精致的，精美的；剧烈的；细致的，有鉴赏力的
n. 花花公子

8、craftsmanship
英/ ˈkrɑːftsmənʃɪp /
美/ ˈkræftsmənʃɪp /
n. 手艺，工艺；精工细作；手工艺品