“地名+ -based”在写作中，尤其是新闻中非常实用，表示（总部）位于某地，一个词组就可以把后面名词的地点属性表达清楚，非常符合新闻的简洁原则。我们经常在新闻中看到“伦敦的一家报纸”，“总部位于日内瓦的联合国机构”等，英文的说法就是“a London - based newspaper”和“the Geneva - based UN organizations”。

High-end sports cars, the fast, luxurious and very, very expensive. Each has its own claim to fame. But one has become an icon - Ferrari. 跑车之高档、高速、奢华、昂贵，每一样都能让人出尽风头，但有一个品牌特别受推崇：法拉利。

Russia plans to cut its army from 1.13m to 1m people by 2013, Russian Defense Minister said. 俄罗斯国防部长说，俄罗斯计划在2013年之前将军队裁员至100万。

Spain beat Italy 4-2 in the penalty shootout during the last Euro 2008 quarterfinal match to reach the last four. 欧洲杯最后一场1/4决赛的比赛中，西班牙队在点球大 战中，4比2胜出，淘汰意大利队，晋级四强。

Ask for the moon 表达的含意为：to want something that you cannot reach or have; to try for the impossible ，在汉语中大致可以表达为 "想入非非"、"异想天开"、"痴人说梦"等等。此外， 这一短语还可以表达为 cry for the moon。例句：You are asking for the moon if you hope the teacher won't give us homework. 你如果有让老师不给我们留作业这样的怪念头那真是异想天开。

People's poor sleep may result from a high-fat diet, according to a study presented at SLEEP 2008. The study suggested that the more fat people consume each day, the more times they wake up throughout the night, and the greater chance of abnormal breathing. 一份由2008国际睡眠医学大会提供的研究报告表明，进食高脂肪食物可能会影响 人的睡眠质量。报告还说，人们白天消耗的脂肪越多，夜间睡觉时醒来的次数就 会越多，不正常呼吸的可能性也会大大增加。

South Koreans are cutting down on cosmetic surgery amid the economic slowdown, surveys showed. "We saw a 30% drop in double eyelid operations," a surgeon in Seoul said. 调查显示，由于经济萧条，韩国做整容手术的人开始减少。首尔一名外科医 生说：“割双眼皮手术减少了30%。”

"Pins and needles"最初用来形容"如针扎的麻痛感"，例如长期保持一个姿势导致的身体麻痛。该词大概于19世纪中期开始被英国人广泛使用。随着时间的推移，这个词不仅仅指代麻痛感，还可用来形容"某种焦灼的等待、期盼"，与汉语中的"如坐针毡"不仅意通，而且神似。请看例句：He suffered from pins and needles while waiting for the test results. 他如坐针毡，焦急地等待着考试结果。

A Japanese toy maker will launch a karaoke machine measuring mere 7cm this year, letting children hone their vocal skills. This karaoke machine will be sold in October in Japan, targeting those too young to enter the karaoke parlors. It will be priced at 10000 yen (RMB687).(See photo) 日本一家玩具制造商计划推出一款世界上最小的卡拉OK机，让儿童练习唱功。这款小卡拉OK机长7厘米，预计今年10月上市，目标消费群体为年龄太小不能进卡拉OK厅的儿童，预计零售价为1万日元(约合639元)。(见图)

China and Japan reached principled consensus on the East China Sea issue, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu announced. 外交部发言人姜瑜宣布，中日双方就东海问题达成原则共识。