KMT Vice Chair Sean Lien boarded a flight to China’s Xiamen on Friday to attend the 16th Straits Forum the following day. He was joined by several KMT officials, including the commissioners of Yunlin and Kinmen, Taipei Councilor Liu Tsai-we and head of the KMT’s Mainland Affairs Department.

　　國民黨副主席連勝文週五搭機前往廈門參加隔日登場的海峽論壇，多名國民黨政府官員隨行，包括雲林縣長張麗善、金門副縣長李文良、台北市議員柳采葳在內，以及大陸事務部主任林祖嘉也同行。

commissioner：（n.）政府官員
councilor：（n.）議員

──────────────────

KMT Deputy Chairman Sean Lien （連勝文） who was in China to attend the 16th Straits Forum as the head of a KMT delegation made the remarks in an interview with Chinese media on Friday. He said that the Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） is hindering cross-strait relations, while the Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） has to keep“putting out fires”the DPP started. “It is absurd that the ones setting fire are sometimes considered heroes, while those putting out the fires are derided,” Lien said.

　　作為國民黨代表團團長抵中國出席第十六屆海峽論壇的國民黨副主席連戰週五接受中國媒體採訪時表示，民進黨正在阻礙兩岸關係，而國民黨則必須繼續為民進黨「滅火」。連戰說：「放火的人有時被視為英雄，而救火的人卻受到嘲笑，這是荒謬的。」

delegation：（n.）代表團
remark：（n.）評論
hinder：（v.）阻礙
absurd：（a.）荒謬的
deride：（v.）嘲笑；譏弄

──────────────────

　　Lien said that mutual understanding is vital in developing peaceful cross-strait relations. Information on cross-strait relations is fragmented and much of the Internet-based commentary is polarizing and biased, leading to miscommunication and misunderstandings, Lien said, adding that the best way is to meet in person and communicate.

　　連戰表示，相互理解在發展兩岸關係和平中至關重要。有關兩岸關係的資訊是碎片化的且許多基於網路的評論都是兩極分化和偏見的，導致溝通不良和誤解，並補充說最好的方式是親自會面和溝通。

mutual：（a.）互相的
vital：（a.）重要的
fragmented：（a.）碎片化的；支離破碎的
commentary：（n.）評論
polarizing：（a.）使兩極分化；使截然對立
biased：（a.）偏袒一方的；有偏見的

　　In his opening remarks at the Straits Forum yesterday, Lien reiterated the KMT’s commitment to cross-strait peace and exchanges on equal footing and stressed the party’s adherence to the “1992 consensus” and opposition to Taiwan independence.

　　連戰昨天在海峽論壇致開幕詞時重申國民黨對兩岸和平與平等交流的承諾，並強調堅持92年共識，反對台獨。

reiterate：（v.）重申；反覆講
commitment：（n.）承諾；保證
footing：（n.）立足點
equal footing表示「立足點平等」，原意為大家的機會一致。談判的場景中會有此說法，表示勢均力敵。
adherence：（n.）堅持；嚴守規則或信念

──────────────────

　　The Straits Forum is seen as a part of China’s United Front strategy against Taiwan. According to China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, some 7,000 Taiwanese were invited to participate this year. But there’s been no sharp increase in airline passengers from Kinmen to Xiamen, or in traffic through the Mini Three Links so that It’s estimated that the number of Taiwanese participants in this United Front activity will be smaller compared to previous years, said Mainland Affairs Council minister Chiu Chui-Cheng.

　　海峽論壇被視為中國對台統戰策略的一部分，據國台辦宣稱今年邀請7000位台灣嘉賓參加。不過陸委會主委邱垂正表示，金廈航班和小三通流量並沒有顯著增加，預期國人參加人數相比於往年較少。

United Front：（n.）統戰
United Front即統一戰線，指政治競爭上掌握「聯合次要敵人，打擊主要敵人」的原則。首先由列寧提出，毛澤東於1939年「共產黨人」雜誌發刊詞上表示「統一戰線」為中國共產黨「三大法寶」之一。
participate：（v.）參與
the Mini Three Links：（n.）小三通
compare：（v.）比較
compare後面常接 to或者with，兩者略有差別。compare 若表示「比喻」僅能在後面加上介系詞to +N.，意思為「比喻A就像是B一樣」，用來說明兩者的「相似之處」，是A like B的進階用法，表示使用者覺得A跟B是相同的，沒有較勁的意味。比如，Shakespeare compared the world to a stage. 莎士比亞把世界比作舞台。若compare 用於表示「與…相比」、「相較於」或者「對照」則to +N.或with +N.皆可使用，強調「差異之處」，有較勁的意思。比如說，I hate that my mom compares me to/with my brother every time.我討厭我媽每次都把我跟我弟弟拿來作比較。
previous：（a.）先前的

──────────────────

　　The Straits Forum is known as a China-hosted platform which aims to deliver a “United Front” rhetoric and sow discord within Taiwan, the Mainland Affairs Council said. The government supports cross-strait interactions without predetermined political stances, but is against events that attempt political manipulation, the agency said.

　　陸委會表示，海峽論壇被認為是中國主辦的平台，旨在發表「統一戰線」言論，並在台灣內部挑撥離間。該機構表示，政府支持兩岸無既定政治立場的互動，但反對企圖政治操縱的活動。

rhetoric：（n.）煽動性語言；雄辯
sow：（v.）播種
discord：（a.）不一致；不協調
predetermined：（a.）預先確定的；事先安排的
stance：（n.）公開表明的觀點；立場
manipulation：（n.）操縱