世贸英语游乐园

An army career can be glamorous for many college graduates. PHOTO BY ZHAO XINXHANG

英语词汇解析

component 元件

criteria 标准

backdrop (事件的)背景

enlist 征募, 服役期间

idle 空闲的

mastery 精通、熟练

merit citation 功绩嘉奖

modernize 使现代化

multinational [l]多国的

nutrition 营养学

obligation 义务, 职责

outnumber 数目超过

pharmaceutical 制药的

preferential 优先的

quota 限额

sacred 神的, 神圣的

sortie 突围反击

superior 上级

tuition compensation 学费补偿

unfold 开展

WANT to be the next Xu Sanduo? The TV drama Soldiers' Sortie (Shibing Tuji) might have caused millions of young people to dream idly of putting on an army uniform and going off to boot camp.

In fact, some of the 6.1 million students graduating might consider doing just that. Last month, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced that there will be 120,000 job openings this year for college grads.

So, one out of every 50 grads has a chance if he or she would like to march down to the local recruiting office. Anyone enlisting will get preferential treatment in tuition compensation and in job opportunities.

This decision comes against a backdrop of bad employment news and a cooling economy. This year's recruitment quota outnumbers last year's 39,000 by about three-fold.

"It's important to pull in fresh, talented people who can deal with the new equipment and a high-tech military to modernize the nation's defense," said Bai Zixing, a senior officer in the PLA General Staff Department.

The age limit for college recruits has been raised to 24, and there's one more important policy change: Grads who have already volunteered to sign up can quit if they change their minds after finding another job before November, the deadline for enlistment. This gives grads an extra choice in starting a career.

Benefits

The following is a list of preferential things that college grads qualify for if they join the army:

A one-time recruitment payment of up to 24,000 yuan, to cover four years of college tuition and loans (this has to be returned if the person is forced to leave the army before completing the service contract).

Priority in promotions and in getting admitted to military academies.

Anyone with a bachelor's degree or above and a good performance record can be promoted to the rank of officer directly, if they meet certain other criteria. An ordinary soldier may need a couple of years longer to get there.

Anyone with a junior college degree can go on for a bachelor's degree without having to take the entrance exams.

Anyone wanting to take the grad school entrance exam after completing their service can add 10 points to the exam results.

Anyone getting a merit citation second class can enter grad school without taking the exam after completion of the service obligation.

There's no restrictions on things like going abroad after the service period, unless one deals with confidential work in the army.

7月22日，中国长江地区上演了数百年难遇的日全食(total solar eclipse)奇观。美国国家航空航天管理局(NASA)表示，此次日全食是本世纪全食时间最长的一次。路透社摄影记者用镜头拍下了这一珍贵瞬间，让我们一睹为快--

7月22日（周三），亚洲部分地区可看到日全食。此次日全食全程6分多钟，约上万民众能看到日全食导致的天色渐暗景观。 A '+a[findWord('total solar eclipse',a)][2],1);">total solar eclipse began its flight on Wednesday across a narrow path of Asia, where it was expected to darken the skies for millions of people for more than six minutes in some places.

美国国家航空航天管理局（NASA）透露，此次日全食是本世纪全食时间最长的一次，覆盖了半个地球，宽度约250公里（155英里），经过世界上两个人口最多的国家---中国和印度。 The longest '+a[findWord('total solar eclipse',a)][2],1);">total solar eclipse of the 21st century will be visible in a roughly 250 km-wide (155 miles) corridor, according to the US space agency '+a[findWord('NASA',a)][2],1);">NASA, as it travels half the globe and passes through the world's two most populous nations, India and China.

NASA还表示，此次日食于印度当地时间凌晨5：28开始，持续时间长达6分39秒，最后在到达太平洋时结束。 The eclipse began at 5:28 am local time in India and will last up to a maximum of 6 minutes, 39 seconds when it hits the Pacific Ocean, according to '+a[findWord('NASA',a)][2],1);">NASA.

日食过程中，地球上的科学家们将有机会亲眼目睹罕见的日冕现象（太阳大气最外层，只有在发生日食时才能被看到）。 Eclipses allow earth-bound scientists a rare glimpse at the sun's '+a[findWord('corona',a)][2],1);">corona, the gases surrounding the sun.

在印度西海岸金融中心孟买北部可最早看到日全食，位于恒河上的印度古城Varanasi也能看到日食景观。 Starting on India's west coast north of financial capital Mumbai, it took in the ancient Hindu holy city of Varanasi on the '+a[findWord('Ganges river',a)][2],1);">Ganges river.

数以万计的民众穿过Varanasi狭窄的街道，聚集在恒河水中。很多印度教徒相信，这样能让自己得到救赎。（注：许多印度教徒相信，日食是邪恶战胜了正义，魔鬼吃掉了太阳神。在日食期间，印度教寺庙将关闭。为驱赶恶魔，印度教徒会在恒河水中沐浴或者在其他圣河和圣湖沐浴，并吟唱特别的咒语。） Tens of thousands of people snaked through the narrow lanes of Varanasi and gathered for a dip in the Ganges, an act considered to lead to salvation from the cycle of life and death.

阴霾的天空下，男人、女人和孩子双手抱在一起，走到恒河中，他们吟诵印度教圣歌，向太阳祈祷。 Amid chanting of Hindu hymns, men, women and children waded into the river with folded hands and prayed to the sun as it emerged in an overcast sky

村民Bhailal Sharma来自印度中部，同行者约有百人。他说：“长辈们说这是为来世积福的最好机会，所以我们都来了。” "We have come here because our elders told us this is the best time to improve our after-life," said Bhailal Sharma, a villager from central India, who came to Varanasi with a group of about 100 people.

预计在到达太平洋前，此次日食会覆盖孟加拉国、尼泊尔、不丹、缅甸及中国的金融中心--上海。 The eclipse was due to sweep through Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and China's financial hub Shanghai, before heading to the Pacific.

位于邦加罗尔的印度天体物理研究所主任Harish Bhatt表示：“这是本世纪最长的一次日全食，对科学研究意义非凡。如此长久的持续时间为科学家们进行某些高难度实验提供了一个难得的机会。” "In the 21st century this is the longest," said Harish Bhatt, dean at the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics. "This is indeed quite an important event for scientific experiments. Its long duration provides you an opportunity to make very complicated, complex experiments."

在中国，北京、上海、重庆、杭州、兰州等地都有部分群众看到了日食景观，并用手机等拍下了现场照片。 People in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou and Lanzhou watched the eclipse and took photos on their mobiles.

上海在9时40分许出现日全食奇观，白昼一度宛如黑夜。据中央电视台报道，上海市交警部门今日增设了许多临时停车点，以满足司机停车观看日全食奇观。截至上午7时，上海市交警部门已接到500余起事故报告。 The '+a[findWord('total solar eclipse',a)][2],1);">total solar eclipse occured in Shanghai at around 9:40, turning the sky dark as night. With so many drivers stopping to observe the eclipse, Shanghai traffic police had to increase the number of temporary parking spaces, according to CCTV. As of 7 A.M., around 500 accidents had been reported.

在武汉，当月亮把太阳全部遮住，天色完全黑了下来，路灯都要打开，现场群众非常兴奋，纷纷拍照留念。 The sky turned black as the moon covered the sun in Wuhan. Street lamps were turned on as the crowd excitedly watched the progress of the eclipse.

约11时03分53秒，日全食带从浙江的舟山群岛入海东去，此次日全食奇观结束。 By around 11:00 the eclipse was visible from the Chushan Islands, Zhejiang Province to the East, the last place from which it could be seen.

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