05-02-08

達賴喇嘛代表啟程赴中國會談 (Dalai Lama's Envoys Depart for Meeting in China)

西藏流亡精神領袖達賴喇嘛的特使啟程前往中國，將與中方舉行會談以找到解決西藏局勢問題的辦法。

在今天(星期五)的聲明中，達賴喇嘛辦公室表示兩位特使將在星期六抵達中國“與中國領導層的代表進行非正式會談”。

聲明說，特使將轉達達賴喇嘛對於中國對3月間開始於西藏、後來擴散到其他地區的抗議處理方式的關注。特使還將就如何在那些地區恢復平靜提出建議。

這將是自後來轉成暴力的示威發生後達賴喇嘛的代表和中國政府的第一次會面。雙方過去曾經數次會面，但是雙方關係沒有什麼改善。

Envoys of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, are on their way to China for talks aimed at finding a solution to the situation in Tibet.

In a statement today (Friday), the Dalai Lama's office says the two envoys will arrive in China on Saturday for "informal talks with representatives of the Chinese leadership."

It says the envoys will convey the Dalai Lama's deep concerns about how China handled protests that started in Tibet in March and have since spread to other Tibetan regions of China. The envoys will also offer suggestions on how to bring peace to the region.

The meeting will be the first official contact between representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government since the protests turned violent. The two sides have met several times in the past, but with little improvement in relations.

中國東部致命病毒爆發致死人數上升 (Death Toll Rises from Lethal Virus Outbreak in Eastern China)

中國官方媒體報導，在中國東部地區爆發的一種病毒性腸道疾病又導致一名兒童死亡，使得死亡人數上升到21人。

新華社說，受害者都是安徽省阜陽市的。阜陽市是71型腸道病毒爆發的中心，從三月份以來，已經有兩千九百名多名兒童感染這種病毒而生病。但是上個星期才出現有關報導。

幼齡患者的病症包括發燒、泡疹、口瘡以及手、腳出現濕疹。

新華社說，目前仍有700人住院治療，其中36人病情嚴重。幾乎所有患者都是六歲以下的兒童，其中大多數都不到兩歲。

Chinese state-run media says another child has died from an intestinal virus outbreak in eastern China, bringing the death toll to 21.

Xinhua news agency says all the victims lived in Fuyang City in Anhui province. The city is the epicenter of an outbreak of enterovirus 71 that has now sickened more than 29-hundred children since March. The outbreak was not reported until last week.

The young victims' symptoms include fever, blisters, ulcers in the mouth, and rashes on the hands and feet.

Xinhua says more than 700 remain hospitalized, 36 of them in serious condition. Nearly all of the cases have been among children younger than six, with most under two.