>National reading campaign for 2021
中宣部部署2021全民閱讀

China will launch a national reading campaign for 2021, according to an official circular.
中宣部辦公廳近日印發(fā)《關(guān)于做好2021年全民閱讀工作的通知》。

As this year marks the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the campaign will focus on that theme and promote the reading of key publications on the history of the CPC, the country, reform and opening-up, and socialist development among the general public, says the circular released by the general office of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.
通知指出，2021年將緊緊圍繞慶祝建黨100周年，在廣大群眾中深入做好黨史、新中國(guó)史、改革開(kāi)放史、社會(huì)主義發(fā)展史等重點(diǎn)出版物閱讀推廣。

The document asks authorities to go down to communities, ramp up the supply of quality reading materials and update reading facilities in public spaces.
通知還要求有關(guān)部門(mén)深入基層群眾，加強(qiáng)優(yōu)質(zhì)出版內(nèi)容供給，改善公共場(chǎng)所閱讀條件。

Efforts are also urged to improve access to reading services among key groups, including rural migrant workers and their children, as well as people with disabilities. Digital reading technologies are also encouraged.
重視保障城市務(wù)工人員及隨遷子女、殘障人士等群體的基本閱讀需求，鼓勵(lì)使用數(shù)字閱讀技術(shù)。

>Wind blows sandstorm back
強(qiáng)沙塵暴席卷北方多地

Due to shifting wind and weather conditions, a massive sand and dust storm will be blown back to northern China, the National Meteorological Center said on Wednesday.
中央氣象臺(tái)3月17日表示，受大風(fēng)和氣象條件變化影響，強(qiáng)沙塵暴天氣在我國(guó)北方地區(qū)卷土重來(lái)。

The sandstorm, which had shrouded Beijing in thick brown dust on Monday, moved away from the capital on Tuesday but continued to sweep through many areas, including the Xinjiang Uygur, Inner Mongolia and Ningxia Hui autonomous regions, as well as the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Henan and Hubei.
3月15日，我國(guó)首都北京遭遇強(qiáng)沙塵暴天氣，漫天黃沙，次日沙塵在北京退去，但卻進(jìn)入了新疆、內(nèi)蒙古、寧夏、青海、甘肅、陜西、山西、河北、山東、河南、湖北等許多地區(qū)。

Most of those regions were to be affected by the sandstorm until Thursday, according to the center, which reminded people in affected areas to be prepared and close windows and doors. "People are advised to wear masks and other protective gear to prevent possible damage to their eyes and respiratory tract," an earlier notice from the center said.
中央氣象臺(tái)預(yù)計(jì)，沙塵天氣將影響上述地區(qū)中的大部分直至3月18日，提醒當(dāng)?shù)厝罕娮龊梅婪稖?zhǔn)備，關(guān)閉門(mén)窗，并注意帶好口罩等防塵用品，以免沙塵對(duì)眼睛和呼吸道造成損傷。

The notice also warned drivers to pay more attention to road safety due to poor visibility.
沙塵天氣能見(jiàn)度低，駕駛員要注意道路安全。

>Visa rules eased for many foreigners
接種中國(guó)疫苗享簽證便利

China will simplify visa applications for many foreign nationals who have been inoculated with Chinese-produced COVID-19 vaccines, the latest step toward normalizing personnel exchanges.
為有序恢復(fù)中外人員往來(lái)，中國(guó)將對(duì)已接種中國(guó)生產(chǎn)的新冠肺炎疫苗的外籍人員提供來(lái)華簽證便利。

Starting on Monday, Chinese embassies in multiple countries, including Japan, Israel, Thailand, Pakistan and the Philippines, will have streamlined visa application procedures in such cases.
從3月15日起，中國(guó)駐日本、以色列、泰國(guó)、巴基斯坦、菲律賓等國(guó)大使館均針對(duì)上述情況發(fā)布了簡(jiǎn)化簽證申請(qǐng)流程的通知。

The US, Germany, Australia and Greece are also included in the plan.
其他適用國(guó)家還包括美國(guó)、德國(guó)、澳大利亞和希臘。

Those planning to visit for business purposes and who have been inoculated with a Chinese vaccine can prepare their visa application and inoculation materials, and apply for visas according to requirements from pre-epidemic times, according to a notice issued by the Chinese Embassy in the US.
中國(guó)駐美國(guó)大使館網(wǎng)站發(fā)布公告稱，因商業(yè)目的赴華并已接種中國(guó)生產(chǎn)的新冠疫苗的簽證申請(qǐng)人，可按照疫情前要求準(zhǔn)備簽證申請(qǐng)材料和疫苗接種材料并遞交申請(qǐng)。

The notice said that vaccinated passengers traveling to China by air are still required to provide negative certificates of nucleic acid tests and IgM antibody tests before boarding and should comply with Chinese regulations on quarantine and observation after arriving.
關(guān)于搭乘航班赴華人員須憑新冠病毒核酸檢測(cè)及血清抗體檢測(cè)雙陰性證明乘機(jī)的要求不變。有關(guān)人員入境后應(yīng)遵守中方關(guān)于隔離觀察的相關(guān)規(guī)定。

>Fed keeps interest rates near 0
美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)決定維持零利率

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at the record-low level of near zero, as inflation debate heats up, driven by COVID-19 vaccination progress and the latest relief package.
雖然通貨膨脹辯論升溫，但受新冠疫苗接種進(jìn)程和最新一攬子救濟(jì)方案的影響，美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)3月17日決定繼續(xù)維持基準(zhǔn)利率接近零的歷史最低水平不變。

The Fed also said it will continue an asset purchase program, and buy at least $120 billion of bonds a month, increasing its holdings of Treasury securities by at least $80 billion and of agency mortgage-backed securities by at least $40 billion.
美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)還表示，將繼續(xù)實(shí)施資產(chǎn)購(gòu)買(mǎi)計(jì)劃，每月購(gòu)買(mǎi)至少1200億美元債券，每月增持至少800億美元的國(guó)債和至少400億美元的住房抵押貸款支持證券。

Fed officials expect the US economy to grow by 6.5% this year, better than the previous projection of 4.2% in December.
美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)官員預(yù)計(jì)2021年美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)將增長(zhǎng)6.5%，高于去年12月時(shí)預(yù)測(cè)的4.2%。

Most Fed officials expected that interest rates would remain near zero at least through 2023, but seven out of the 18 participants looked for a hike in 2023.
美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)多數(shù)官員預(yù)計(jì)，至少到2023年底，利率將保持在接近零的水平，但是18人中有7人預(yù)計(jì)2023年會(huì)加息。

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