China (n.中國) on Tuesday pledged (v.承諾) easier access (n.機會) for U.S. (n.美國) companies to key (adj.重要的) sectors (n.領域) of its economy by removing barriers (n.障礙) to its huge market in government contracts (n.合約) and offering a foothold (n.立足之地) to U.S. mutual (adj.互相的) funds (n.基金).
      The pledges (n.承諾) were made in two days of the once-a-year (adj.一年一度的) Strategic (adj.戰略的) and Economic Dialogue (n.對話) between the world's two biggest economies (n.經濟體系), which ended with both sides hailing (v.讚揚) progress in their often tense (adj.緊張的) relationship.
      "We are seeing very promising (adj.樂觀的) shifts (n.改變) in the direction of Chinese (adj.中國的) economic policy (n.政策)," U.S. Treasury (n.財政部) Secretary (n.部長) Timothy Geithner (n.蓋特納) said, though he repeated that China needs to let its yuan (n.中國元、人民幣) currency (n.貨幣) rise more rapidly.
      "We discussed everything, whether it was something that was sensitive (adj.敏感的) to us or sensitive to them, all these difficult issues (n.課題) including human rights (n.人權)," U.S. Secretary of State (n.國務卿) Hillary Clinton (n.希拉莉) said.
      Still (adv.然而), Vice (adj.副的) Finance (n.財政) Minister (n.部長) Zhu Guangyao (n.朱光耀) said that while (conj.儘管) the two sides agree the yuan needs to strengthen, Beijing (n.北京) will move at its own speed.
      (Reuters, May 10)

      中國周二承諾讓美國公司更容易涉足中國各個重要的經濟領域，不但會移除其龐大政府合約市場的障礙，並會讓美國互惠基金得以踏足中國。
      這兩個全球最大經濟強國的關係一向緊張，但雙方在一年一度的“戰略與經濟對話”兩天會談結束後作出以上承諾，並讚揚進展良好。
      美國財政部部長蓋特納說：“我們看到中國在經濟政策方面作出了令人樂觀的改變。”但他重申，中國必須讓人民幣更快速升值。
      美國國務卿希拉莉說：“我們無所不談，即使是對我們或他們敏感的課題，所有難題都談及，包括人權問題。”
      然而，財政部副部長朱光耀說，儘管雙方同意必須加強人民幣，北京會以自己的步伐發展。
    （路透社，五月十日）

      閱讀指引
      1. foothold (n)　/'f?痸th?瑆?痸ld/，FOOT-hold　立足之地、一個席位
      解讀：foothold便是a hold for the feet（雙腳的支撐點），因而指立足之地，或引申指一個席位；取得立足之地、一個席位，可說get / gain / obtain / secure / establish a foothold；而提供一個立足之地，除了如文中用動詞offer(ing)外，也常用give或provide。
      2. mutual (adj)　/'mju:t?瓿u?瑆l/，MEW-chu-oll　互相的、彼此的
      解讀：文中的mutual fund(s)常叫信託基金，也叫共同基金，而香港則多叫互惠基金；有不少常用詞都含有mutual一字，例如mutual attraction是互相吸引，mutual trust是彼此信任，mutual consent是雙方同意。
      3. promising (adj)　/'pr?忀m?笈s?笈?痯/，PROM-miss-sing　有希望的、樂觀的
      解讀：動詞promise解作承諾、保證，例如︰I promise not to tell anyone（我保證不告訴任何人）；它也可指使……很可能，例如︰It promises to be a cool summer（夏季可望會清涼），因而引申出形容詞promising的意思。