“His description of China took it as a given that China is a leading
global power and a central member of the international system,” Mr.
Kennedy wrote of Mr. Hu, “and such standing is not conditional on U.S.
approval.”
given = assumption, something assumed or taken for granted.
quid pro quo = An equal exchange or substitution;something for something
a little 8g from an interesting blog article (Source: http://www.thechinabeat.org/?p=3059)
"I’m particularly interested to see: 1) Whether Chinese first lady Liu
Yongqing will eat the standard fare put on the table as everyone else.
She typically travels with her own chef and food; and 2) Whether the
American media will get a good photo of the back of Hu Jintao’s head to
determine once and for all if he has a bald spot. Chinese media are
forbidden to ever shoot him from behind. CNN, please…"
碰巧又遇到了关于孔子宣扬抄袭的一段文评: You could even imagine a place where a culture hero claimed “I transmit, I do not invent (or create).” (This saying is attributed to Kongzi, known as Confucius, in The Analects.) 孔子说过这句话吗:I transmit, I do not invent?原文是怎么说的?难怪浙大张主编会说传统教育宣扬拷贝粘贴。
“There are some traditional practices that may endure in
China, such as having novices quote from authorities as part of their
education, and there is a tendency to regard communication as effective based on the results it produces.”