draw (ATTRACT), cement, jump off, in the making

Most Chinese tourists in the first group emphasized the island's familiarity, as they have heard of the customs, food, vistas and even politics of Taiwan for years. 'I feel so lucky to visit the island,' said Bai Chengruei, a 71-year-old retired researcher from Beijing. 'I have seen so many scenes I have learned from TV.'

在首批赴台的大陸遊客中﹐許多人都談到這片島嶼對他們來說有似曾相識的感覺﹐因為多年來他們已經對這裡的習俗、食物、風景甚至是政治耳濡目染。來自北京的退休研究員、71歲的白成瑞（音）說﹐能來台灣他感到很幸運﹐自己看到了許多以前在電視里看到的畫面。

Another big draw: Taiwanese television. The nation's broadcasters carry a number of shows that criticize Taiwan's president and senior officials. Some guests told others to stay in hotels to watch TV in the evenings, according to their Taiwanese tour guides.

還有一個引人入勝之處﹕台灣的電視節目。裡面有許多批評台灣總統和政府高官的節目。台灣導游介紹說﹐有些大陸遊客建議他們的同伴晚上在賓館里看看電視。

Stalled Switch to Digital TV A Classic Tale of Breakdown

The nation's switch to all-digital broadcasts has been more than a decade in the making. The federal government has spent nearly $2 billion to help people prepare. Broadcasters spent another $1.2 billion to run warning ads and millions more to upgrade equipment. Until last week, the United States...

(By Kim Hart and Peter Whoriskey, The Washington Post)

The focus in Shanghai was on the concerts, on Wednesday and Thursday. The Philharmonic was one of only a few major international orchestras not to have played here, and the appearances were two years in the making, said Qian Shi Jin, the artistic director of the Shanghai Grand Theater. The orchestra came to China in 2002, but because of time constraints had to choose between Shanghai and Beijing, and the capital won out, Philharmonic officials said.

Man Decides Not to Jump Off Ledge, Then Falls

(By Derek Kravitz, The Washington Post)

Will Banks Be Forced to Jump Off Bridge?

A sudden retrenchment in debt markets is likely to nip at profits at the big banks that have been financing the leveraged-buyout boom around the globe.

TODAY'S PAPERS

The Jump Off

By Daniel Politi

Posted Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008, at 6:20 AM ET

The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with Attorney General Michael Mukasey's announcement that the Justice Department has opened a formal criminal investigation into the CIA's destruction of interrogation videotapes. Mukasey said that after a preliminary inquiry that began on Dec. 8 "there is a basis for initiating a criminal investigation of this matter." The attorney general didn't clarify what evidence might have been discovered or what crimes could be under investigation but everyone agrees the main focus is likely to be obstruction of justice.

Crossing a bridge in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, a jumping-off point for hiking trails.

By acquiring a stake in the pay-television broadcaster Premiere, Rupert Murdoch has cemented the German company's status as a takeover candidate in a saga that hinges on the next auction of Bundesliga soccer rights.


Go to Article from Reuters via The International Herald Tribune»


cement (GLUE) Show phonetics
noun [U]
a substance which sticks things together:
Dentists use cement to hold crowns and bridges in place.



cement Show phonetics

verb [T]

ce・ment

  


━━ n. セメント; 接合剤; 接合［結合］するもの; （友情などの）きずな.

━━ v. （セメントを）塗る; 接合［結合］する, （友情などを）固める.

 cement mixer　コンクリートミキサー.

jump off　（攻撃などを）開始する.

jumping-off (place *or* point)

1. A starting point for a journey or venture, as in This tiny village is the jumping-off place for our trek into the desert. This usage probably alludes to jumping into the water. [Early 1800s]
2. A very remote spot; also, the last place to be reached. For example, This was the jumping-off point for the first gold miners in Alaska. [Early 1800s]

in the making

If something was a period of time in the making, it took that amount of time to make:

The film was several years in the making.

draw (ATTRACT) Show phonetics
verb [T] drew, drawn
to attract attention or interest:
He's an excellent speaker who always draws a crowd.
Does he wear those ridiculous clothes to draw attention?
Could I draw your attention to item number three on the agenda?

draw Show phonetics
noun [C usually singular]
someone or something that a lot of people are interested in:
We need someone at the event who'll be a big draw and attract the paying public.