05-08-08

中国儿童病毒死亡人数达三十人 (Death Toll from Child Virus Hits 30 in China)

中国说，又有两名儿童死于一种危险的肠道病毒，全国的死亡人数增加到30人。官方新华社今天(星期四)报导说，最新的两名死于EV71病毒的儿童来自中国南部海南省。

这次疫情爆发严重影响中国东部的安徽省，阜阳市有22名儿童死亡。另外，广东、浙江、广西和湖南也有儿童死亡。

这种病毒导致严重的手口足病，引起高烧、瘫痪和病毒性脑炎。新华社星期三说，今年报告了将近2万个手口足病例。

中国和世界卫生组织试图打消民众对这种病毒的恐惧心理，说明这并不是已知病毒的更厉害的变种。

China says two more children have died of a severe intestinal virus, raising the nation's death toll to 30. The state-run Xinhua news agency reports today (Thursday) that the latest victims of "enterovirus 71" died on the southern island province of Hainan.

The outbreak has gripped the eastern province of Anhui, where 22 children died in the city of Fuyang. Children also have died in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Guangxi and Hunan.

The virus causes a severe form of hand, foot and mouth disease that can lead to high fever, paralysis and viral meningitis. Xinhua said Wednesday that nearly 20-thousand cases of hand, foot and mouth disease have been reported this year.

China and the World Health Organization have tried to calm people's fears about the virus, saying it is not a more virulent strain than seen before.

达赖喇嘛代表称与中国会谈富有建设性 (Dalai Lama Representatives Say Talks with China Constructive)

达赖喇嘛的特使说，尽管双方存在重大分歧，中国政府还是愿意就西藏局势举行进一步会谈。西藏流亡政府发言人图腾桑波对美国之音说，双方最近在中国南方城市深圳的会谈中都提出了“具体的建议”。他表示，会谈的气氛与以往不同，并说中国政府代表看来愿意解决中国治下的藏人所关心的问题。

图腾桑波说，西藏流亡精神领袖达赖喇嘛的特使敦促中国释放北京严厉镇压3月西藏反政府抗议活动以来被拘留的人，并为受伤的人提供医疗。

Envoys for the Dalai Lama say China is willing to hold further talks about the situation in Tibet, despite major differences between the two sides. A spokesman for the Tibet government-in-exile, Thubten Samphel, tells VOA that during the recent talks in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, each side made "concrete proposals." Samphel says the mood at the talks was different from previous meetings and notes that China's representatives appeared willing to address concerns of Tibetans living under Chinese rule.

He says envoys of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader urged China to release people who have been detained since Beijing's harsh crackdown on anti-government protests in Tibet in March, and provide medical treatment for those who were injured.