China
（ A new policy would allow farmers to “subcontract, lease, exchange or swap” land-use rights.）
By JIM YARDLEY
BEIJING — After days of uncertainty, the governing Communist Party（1） on Sunday announced a rural reform policy that for the first time would allow farmers to lease or transfer land-use rights（2）, a step that advocates say would raise lagging incomes(3)in the Chinese countryside.
The new policy, announced by Chinese state media, is a major economic reform and is also rich in historical resonance（4）, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the land reforms enacted by the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, which were considered the first critical steps in the policies that have fueled China’s rapid economic growth. （5）
For President Hu Jintao, whose tenure has disappointed some reformers, the new policy seems intended to position him as a worthy heir to Deng.（6）
“The new measures adopted are seen by economists as a major breakthrough in land reforms initiated by late leader Deng Xiaoping 30 years ago,（7）” reported Xinhua, the country’s official news agency.
Under the current system, farmers are assigned small plots of land. Under the new policy, the government will establish markets where farmers can “subcontract, lease, exchange or swap” land-use rights or join cooperatives.（8） Reform advocates say allowing leasing or transfer would enable the creation of larger, more efficient farms that could increase output.
The fate of the reform program has been uncertain for the past week. Analysts had expected an announcement last Sunday after the conclusion of an important annual Communist Party planning session. But the communiqué released after the meeting made no mention of land reform, fueling speculation that opponents may have derailed the plan.（9）
（未完待续）
注释：
1. the governing Communist Party：执政党，注意《纽约时报》用的是：governing 和Communist, 前者是个贬义词，the governed感觉不爽，没有自由。而Communist在西方文化语境中是个非常贬的词，常与Nazi并用，表示集权与压迫，与西方自由、民主的观念直接抵触。
2. lease or transfer land-use rights： 转租或转让土地使用权利。
3. lagging incomes: 农民的收入远远低于城市和经济发展水平。
4. is also rich in historical resonance：与1978年邓小平的改革呼应。注意resonance这个词用得非常妙！
5. fueled China’s rapid economic growth：fuel很妙，原意为：加燃油。
6. a worthy heir to Deng：邓小平不错的继承人。注意这个worthy 的用法。同时前面那个seems, 也很巧妙，暗含“不确定之意”。
7. land reforms initiated by late leader Deng Xiaoping 30 years ago：由逝世不久的邓30年前发起的土地改革。
8. subcontract, lease, exchange or swap” land-use rights or join cooperatives：允许农民以转包、出租、互换、转让、股份合作等形式流转土地承包经营权，发展多种形式的适度规模经营（新华社中文原文。）
9. fueling speculation that opponents may have derailed the plan：此处的-ing分词很好，同时derail the plan: 让原有计划脱轨，泡汤。这个derail, 很新鲜。
文件指出，有条件的地方可以发展专业大户、家庭农场、农民专业合作社等规模经营主体。土地承包经营权流转，不得改变土地集体所有性质，不得改变土地用途，不得损害农民土地承包权益。
