News Catch-up of January 7, 2011

[Green]

① The average import price of foreign-made cell phones is less than 400,000 won.

외국산 휴대폰의 평균 수입가격이 40만원도 되지 않는 것으로 나타났습니다.

② The world population is projected to reach 7 billion by the end of this year.

올해 말에는 전 세계 인구가 70억 명을 넘을 것으로 보입니다.

③ South Korea's stock market lured nearly 30 percent of foreign equity funds poured into emerging Asian countries last year.

지난해, 아시아 주요 주식시장에 대한 외국인 순매수액 중 약 30%가 한국에 몰렸던 것으로 나타났습니다.

④ A Chinese newspaper published the first state media report about pictures circulating online that appear to show a prototype of China's first stealth fighter jet making high-speed taxi tests.

중국 관영언론이, 인터넷에 유포된 중국 스텔스 전투기의 고속활주 테스트 사진에 대해 보도했습니다.

⑤ An Italian law has taken effect that bans shopkeepers from issuing single-use plastic bags.

이탈리아에서 1회용 비닐봉지의 사용을 금지하는 법안이 시행에 들어갔습니다.

<News Article #1>

Chinese Newspaper Reports on Jet

A Chinese newspaper published the first state media report about pictures circulating online that appear to show a prototype of China's first stealth fighter jet making high-speed taxi tests. The report didn’t confirm‎ the existence of the prototype or the authenticity of the photographs, but quoted one Chinese defense analyst who played up its significance. The analyst said that if the reports were true it would reflect well on China’s fast industrial advancement, which has already been highlighted by high-speed railways and space exploration. A military expert at China’s National Defense University, however, dismissed the reports calling them ‘speculation’ and saying that starting from scratch on a fighter jet would not be in the best interest of China’ self-defense. Several unofficial websites published grainy mobile-phone video that appears to show the fighter jet – known as the J-20 – conducting high-speed taxi test, which are usually the final stage before a test flight.

중국 관영언론이, 인터넷에 유포된 중국 스텔스 전투기의 고속활주 테스트 사진에 대해 보도했습니다. 중국 군부나 정부는 공식 확인하지 않고 있지만, 군사 전문가들의 평가를 보도, 중국의 스텔스 전투기 개발이 사실임을 뒷받침하고 있습니다. 그러나 중국 국방대학교의 한 전문가는 전투기 생산이 중국의 자위를 위해 전투기 생산은 우선순위가 아니라고 말했습니다.

**Key Expressions

1. play something up : ~을 중시하다, 강조하다

- to emphasize something; to be a booster of something.

ex) The press played the scandal up so much that everyone became bored with it.

ex) They really played up the scandal.

2. reflect on somebody/something : -에 영향을 미치다

- to influence the reputation of a person, group, or organization

ex) The outstanding work of our scientists reflects well on the entire university.

ex) If someone on our staff does a bad job, it reflects badly on all of us.

Usage notes: always used with an adverb and said of both good and bad influences on a reputation

3. start from scratch : 처음부터 시작하다

- to start from the very beginning; to start from nothing.

ex) Whenever I bake a cake, I start from scratch. I never use a cake mix in a box.

ex) I built every bit of my own house. I started from scratch and did everything with my own hands.

<News Article #2>

Plastic Bags Outlawed in Italy

An Italian law has taken effect that bans shopkeepers from issuing single-use plastic bags. Stores in Italy, which uses 20 billion bags a year, will be forced to turn over a new leaf and can only offer paper, biodegradable plastic or cloth bags. In banning plastic bags, Italy joins the ranks of other countries and cities like Mexico City, San Francisco and other cities in California. Other areas have taken a different approach and began charging a fee for plastic bags. Earlier this year Washington D.C. saw plastic bag usage drop by 85 percent in one month after it instituted a five-cent fee. Some Italians worry that changing the law out of the blue will result in difficulties. Said one Florence-based lawyer, “We should take it slowly, because we do not have the cultural background to know how to deal with this.”

이탈리아에서 1회용 비닐봉지의 사용을 금지하는 법안이 시행에 들어갔습니다. 비닐봉지 사용을 금지하는 곳은 이탈리아 외에 멕시코 시티, 샌프란시스코, 그리고 캘리포니아의 도시들도 참여하고 있습니다. 워싱턴 DC는 비닐봉지 하나에 5센트씩 부과해 한 달 사이에 비닐봉지의 사용률을 85%나 낮췄습니다.

**Key Expressions

1. turn over a new leaf : 새 사람이 되다

- to start behaving in a different way (leaf : new page of a book)

ex) Apparently he's turned over a new leaf and he's not drinking any more.

Usage notes: usually suggesting an improvement in behavior

2. out of the blue also out of a clear blue sky : 갑자기, 난데없이

- happening suddenly and unexpectedly

ex) Then one day, completely out of the blue, I had a letter from her.

ex) The attack came out of a clear blue sky.

[Green]

Have you ever heard about "matinee"? It is a kind of daytime performances of opera or play. This program provides cheaper price than normal price of evening performance.

[Green]

I hope EBers who are interested in opera or play could enjoy this program with economical price ! ^^

[Tommy]

Yes, I've heard about it and It is a great exression. I cann't come up with any exact word for it in Korean but 조조할인 maybe belongs to it....

[알코올]

Thanks a lot...