The Economist 2017.08.01

原文：By the mid-1990s China’s economy was booming and commerce consigned dissidents to the margins once again. In the eyes of Western officials, China was becoming too rich to annoy. The world’s biggest firms were falling over themselves to enter its market. America, Britain and other countries set up “human-rights dialogues”—useful for separating humanitarian niceties from high-level deal making. The global financial crisis in 2008 tipped the balance further. The West began to see China as its economic saviour. Earlier this month leaders of the G20 group of countries, including China’s president, Xi Jinping, gathered in Germany for an annual meeting. There was not a peep from any of them about Mr. Liu, whose terminal illness had just been made known.

words and expressions:

1. consign: to put sb/sth in an unpleasant situation把…置于（令人不快的境地）；打发；发落

e.g. A car accident consigned him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

2. fall over yourself to do sth(informal) to try very hard or want very much to do sth特别卖力；迫不及待；煞费苦心；不遗余力

e.g. He was falling over himself to be nice to me.他尽力对我友好。

3.nicety/ˈnaɪsəti/ the small details or points of difference,especially concerning the correct way of behaving or of doing things细节；细微的差别

4. tipped the balance:to affect the result of sth in one way rather than another使天平倾斜；使结果倾向某方；起决定性作用

5. .savior/ˈseɪvjə(r)/救星；救助者；The Saviour救世主

6.peep something that sb says or a sound that sb makes 说话；出声音

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paraphrase:

By the mid-1990s China’s economy was booming and the（删除）commerce put those political prisoners into danger again. Many international companies were trying so hard to wedge into its market. American, Britain and some other countries set up a “human right dialogue” to separate humanitarian niceties from high level deal making. The 2008 crisis tipped the balance further. Western leaders regarded China as their savior. Earlier this month leaders of G20, including Chinese president Xi Jingping, gathered at Germany for annual meeting. There is no peep from all of them about Mr. Liu, whose death was just made known.

Analyzing:

1.mid-1990s上世纪九十年代中叶，有连字符，有s

2.wedge不可以用在这；wedge有两个意思，1）squeeze sth into a narrow space, so it cannot move easily. 2)把……楔牢