04-23-08

奥运火炬抵达澳大利亚 (Olympic Torch Arrives in Australia)

在堪培拉市准备应对大规模抗议之际，奥运火炬抵达澳大利亚，星期四在堪培拉举行火炬传递。载着火炬的飞机星期三从雅加达飞抵澳大利亚首都郊外的一个军用机场。澳大利亚原住民在欢迎仪式上演奏传统音乐，然后火炬被送到一个秘密地点。

支持西藏的活动人士用激光束在悉尼的一座大桥上打出“不要焚烧西藏”的字样。

中国驻澳大利亚大使章均赛星期二告诉当地一家电视台说，如果火炬受到攻击，中国的火炬护卫人员将用他们的身体保护它。但是，堪培拉负责安全的最高官员后来确认了澳大利亚总理陆克文先前的中国火炬护卫者将不会参与火炬传递保安工作的声明。

中国官方的英文中国日报刊登了该报一位副总编及奥运火炬传递活动发言人的一篇文章，为奥运火炬护卫人员进行辩护。

The Olympic flame has arrived in Australia for Thursday's Canberra leg of the torch relay, as the city prepares for major protests. A flight carrying the flame from Jakarta arrived Wednesday at a military airfield outside the Australian capital. Australian Aborigines played traditional music at a welcoming ceremony before the torch was taken to a secret location.

Pro-Tibet activists used lasers to project the words "Don't Torch Tibet" onto a bridge in Sydney.

China's ambassador to Australia Zhang Junsai told a local television station Tuesday that Chinese flame attendants will protect the flame with their bodies if it is attacked. But Canberra's top security official later confirmed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's previous statement that the Chinese attendants will not be performing a security role.

China's official English-language newspaper, the China Daily, published an article by a deputy editor and Olympic torch spokesman defending the torch attendants.

美战舰将抵达香港 (US Warships to Arrive in Hong Kong)

美国“小鹰号”航空母舰在被中国拒绝入境5个月之后，将在未来几天内停靠香港。美国驻香港总领事馆发言人说，“小鹰号”航母和6艘辅助舰只上的7000名水兵将停靠香港。

去年11月，“小鹰号”航母战斗群原预定停靠香港，但被告知北京不准它进入中国水域。后来，北京改变了决定，但这些战舰已经在返回基地港口的途中。

数以千计的水兵因此无法与已经飞抵香港庆祝美国感恩节假日的亲人会面。自从“小鹰号”事件后，今年已经有两艘美国战舰停靠过香港。

The U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk will dock in Hong Kong within the next few days, five months after it was denied entry by China. A spokesman for the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong says seven-thousand sailors from the carrier and six support ships will make the port call.

The carrier battle group was scheduled to dock in Hong Kong last November until it was informed that Beijing would not let it enter its waters. The decision was later reversed, but the vessels were already on their way back to their home ports.

Thousands of U.S. sailors were unable to meet with family members who had flown to Hong Kong to celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving. Since the Kitty Hawk incident, two U.S warships have visited Hong Kong this year.