[Reuters] Murder of Didi passenger prompts China clampdown, outrage
Murder of Didi passenger prompts China clampdown, outrage
China pledged on Monday to tighten oversight of its transport industry and warned that the country did not need ride-hailing firms which compromised on passenger safety, days after a Didi Chuxing passenger was raped and murdered by her driver.
The killing of a 20-year-old passenger who rode in the Didi vehicle on Friday in the eastern city of Wenzhou is the second such incident since May, denting the image of the Beijing-based company, which is the world’s largest ride-hailing firm by number of rides and is expanding globally.
Didi declined to comment on Monday. It has suspended its Hitch carpooling service and previously said that it felt deeply responsible and would complete by Sept. 1 a new compliance operation to be inspected by the ministries and the public.
After a 21-year-old flight attendant was murdered in May, allegedly by her Didi Hitch driver, the company took steps including limiting the hours during which carpool drivers can pick up passengers of the opposite sex, and testing an “escort mode” on its app enabling passengers to share their routes and destinations with emergency contacts.
The latest killing has been one of the most discussed topics on China’s Twitter-like Weibo service since the weekend, with Didi’s official apology post gaining more than 500,000 comments.
Many Chinese netizens said that they wanted to see key changes being made and that public trust was being eroded as it was not the first incident.
“I don’t dare to use Didi in the future,” one said.
- prompt:(v) [prɒm(p)t] 激起, 引起, to make people say or do something as a reaction. back
The decision prompted an outcry among prominent US campaigners. 那项决定激起了美国著名活动家的强烈抗议.
- clampdown:(n) [‘klæmpdaʊn] 取締, 壓制, sudden firm action that is taken to reduce crime. back
He is seeking a system of global financial regulation, including a clampdown on traders, speculation and tax havens. 目前他正在寻求全球体系的金融规范措施, 包括取缔贸易商、投机者和避税天堂.
What happens to the clampdown on people traffickers across the central Mediterranean if there is another power shift in Libya? 如果利比亞發生另一場權力轉移, 打擊整個地中海中部的人口販子的行動將會怎樣?
- outrage:(n) [‘aʊtreɪdʒ] 憤怒, 震怒, a feeling of great anger and shock. back
The case generated public outrage. 这案件激起了公愤.
- pledge:(v) [pledʒ] 保證, 許諾, to make a formal, usually public, promise that you will do something. back
The new governor pledged to reduce crime. 新任州长承诺降低犯罪率.
Both sides have pledged to end the fighting. 雙方都已承諾終止紛爭.
- tighten:(v) [‘taɪt(ə)n] 使變緊, to close or fasten something firmly by turning it. back
Tighten the screws firmly. 把螺丝拧紧.
- oversight:(n) [‘əʊvəsaɪt] 監管, to be in charge of something. back
He has general oversight of all training courses. 他全面负责所有的培训课程.
ride-hailing:(n) 約車 back
hailing: 揮手呼叫, if you hail a taxi, you wave at it in order to stop it because you want the driver to take you somewhere.
I hurried away to hail a taxi. 我匆忙离开去挥手招了一辆出租车.
The new rules could deal a significant blow to Didi Chuxing, China’s ride-hailing giant, and smaller rivals that must now find new - and probably more expensive - drivers in two major markets. 新规则可能会给中国最大的网约车公司滴滴出行及其更小的竞争对手造成重大打击，这些公司现在必须在这两个主要市场寻找新司机，而且也许要付出更高的工资.
- compromise:(v) [‘kɒmprəmaɪz] 讓步, 妥協, to reach an agreement in which everyone involved accepts less than what they wanted at first. back
She admitted that she was unable to compromise. 她承认自己无法作出妥协.
- rape:(v) [reɪp] 強姦, to force someone to have sex, especially by using violence. back
She had been raped and stabbed. 她遭到强奸, 还被刀捅了.
- incident:(n) [‘ɪnsɪd(ə)nt] 事件(尤指不平常的重要的或暴力的), an event, especially one that is unusual, important, or violent. back
Roads were sealed off because of a major incident. 因为发生重大事故, 道路被封锁了.
- dent:(v) [dent] 損害, 傷害, to damage or harm something. back
The scandal has dented his reputation. 这桩丑闻损害了他的名誉.
- decline:(v [dɪ’klaɪn] 謝絕, to say no politely when someone invites you somewhere, offers you something, or wants you to do something. back
Offered the position of chairman, Smith declined, preferring to keep his current job. 对担任主席的邀约, Smith 拒绝了，他宁愿留在现在的职位上.
- hitch:(v) [hɪtʃ] 搭便車, 搭順風車, to get free rides from the drivers of passing cars by standing at the side of the road and putting a hand out with the thumb raised. back
He plans to hitch right round the coast of Ireland. 他计划就环绕爱尔兰海岸搭便车旅行.
- compliance:(n) [kəm’plaɪəns] 服從, 遵守, when someone obeys a rule, agreement, or demand. back
Patients should have a history of good compliance with treatment. 病人必须积极配合治疗.
- inspect:(v) [ɪn’spekt] 檢查, 視察, to make an official visit to a building, organization etc to check that everything is satisfactory and that rules are being obeyed. back
The building is regularly inspected by the fire-safety officer. 消防安全官定期巡视这座大楼.
- ministry:(n) ‘mɪnɪstrɪ 部門, a governement department that is responsible for one of the areas of government work, such as education or health. back
The latest hurdle is an Environment Ministry report due this month on the impact of the Posco project. 最新的一个阻碍是本月环境部门针对 Posco 公司项目的影响所作出的报告.
attendant:(n) [ə’tend(ə)nt] 服務員, 侍者, someone whose job is to look after or help customers in a public place. back
flight attendant: 空服人員
She walks into a small pet shop and explains her need to the attendant. 她走进一家小型宠物店，向服务员说明了自己想要的宠物.
allegedly:(adv) [ə’ledʒɪdlɪ] 據說, back
allege:(v) [ə’ledʒ] 宣稱, 指控, to say that something is true or that someone has done something wrong, although it has not been proved.
alleged:(a) [ə’ledʒd] 被指稱的, 涉嫌的, an alleged crime, fact etc is one that someone says has happened or is true, although it has not been proved.
He was allegedly knocked unconscious by a police baton, but in the confusion of a protest, and without video evidence, the exact circumstances of his death could not be proved. 据称，他是被一根警棍打得失去知觉的，但是在抗议活动的一片混乱之中，由于缺乏录像证据，他的确切死因无法验明.
- escort:(n) [‘eskɔːt] 陪同人; 護送者, 護送車輛, a person or a group of people or vehicles that go with someone in order to protect or guard them. back
In fact, I could only go around with a Red Army escort. 事实上，只有在一名“红军”的陪同下，我才能到处走走.
My sister needed an escort for a company dinner. 我妹需要一個人陪同去參加公司晚宴.
- apology:(n) [ə’pɒlədʒɪ] 道歉; something that you say or write to show that you are sorry for doing something wrong. back
The minister had to issue a formal public apology for his remarks. 部长不得不为他的言论作出正式的公开道歉.
- netizen:(n) [‘netizən] 網民, someone who uses the Internet, especially someone who uses it in a responsible way. back
China and India have far larger numbers of netizens than any Western nation. 中国和印度的网民数量远远超过任何一个西方国家.
- erode:(v) [ɪ’rəʊd] 漸漸削弱, 逐步損害(權力或信心), to gradually reduce something such as someone’s power or confidence. back
Repeated exam failure had eroded her confidence. 考试屡屡不及格削弱了她的自信心.
Her confidence has been slowly eroded by repeated failures. 屢屢失敗, 他的自信心逐漸受損了.