News - Taiwan votes with one eye on China

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Ma Ying-jeou isn't a charismatic figure. He calms rather than inspires. He's a soft spoken administrator who promises to govern by consultation.

Explanation:
charismatic (adj.) 超凡魅力的
figure (n.). 身份
calm (v.) (使)鎮定
inspire (v.) 鼓舞, 感動, 激發
govern (v.) 統治

And he's just what many Taiwanese seem to want in a new president after eight years of tempestuous domestic politics and butting heads with China on the international front.

Explanation:
tempestuous (adj.) 暴亂的
domestic (adj.) (使) 國內的
politics (n.) 政治
butting (n.) 用頭撞人(犯規動作)
heads (adj) 正面朝上的

If he wins Saturday's election, there's sure to be a sigh of relief in Washington, which usually finds itself caught in the crossfire whenever tensions flare between China and Taiwan. Ma is promising to improve relations with China and stop pushing independence for Taiwan — something China angrily rejects, claiming the island as its own province.

Explanation:
sigh (n.) 歎息
relief (n.) (痛苦等的)減輕, (債務等的)免除, 救濟
crossfire (n.) 交叉火力, 困境
tensions (v)緊張(狀態), 不安
flare (n, vi) 閃光, 突然燒起來
province (n.) 省(一個國家的大行政區)

Ma is the front-runner, but his 20-point lead in opinion polls has dropped into single digits as opponent Frank Hsieh mounts a fierce final-stage rally. On Friday, Hsieh's campaign unveiled a new TV ad showing Tibetan monks staging a candlelight vigil to protest the Chinese clampdown in their homeland.

Explanation:
mount (v.) 爬上
fierce (adj.)<美>極討厭的, 難受的, <英方>精力旺盛的
rally (n.) 集會
unveile (v.) 使公諸於眾, 揭開, 揭幕,
monks (n.) 修道士, 僧侶
staging (n.) 分段運輸
candlelight (n.) 燭火, 黃昏
vigil (n.) 守夜
protest (v.) 主張, 斷言抗議
clampdown (n.) 壓制, 取締
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News-Original

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Ma Ying-jeou isn't a charismatic figure. He calms rather than inspires. He's a soft spoken administrator who promises to govern by consultation.
And he's just what many Taiwanese seem to want in a new president after eight years of tempestuous domestic politics and butting heads with China on the international front.
If he wins Saturday's election, there's sure to be a sigh of relief in Washington, which usually finds itself caught in the crossfire whenever tensions flare between China and Taiwan. Ma is promising to improve relations with China and stop pushing independence for Taiwan — something China angrily rejects, claiming the island as its own province.
Ma is the front-runner, but his 20-point lead in opinion polls has dropped into single digits as opponent Frank Hsieh mounts a fierce final-stage rally. On Friday, Hsieh's campaign unveiled a new TV ad showing Tibetan monks staging a candlelight vigil to protest the Chinese clampdown in their homeland.

Reference by http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080321/ap_on_re_as/taiwan_s_front_runner