China to Moon by 2020

BEIJING (AP) -- China plans to land a human on the moon by 2020, the
country's chief space official said in comments broadcast by state
television.

"By 2020, we will achieve visiting the moon," said Luan Enjie,
director of the National Aerospace Bureau. Luan used a verb that
specifically describes a human act.

Luan said that would follow the launch of a probe to orbit the moon by
2007 and an unmanned lunar landing by 2010.

China's once-secret space program has released a stream of such
disclosures following the Oct. 15 flight of astronaut Yang Liwei on
the country's first manned space voyage.

"We will focus on deep space exploration. The first target selected is
the moon," Luan said Thursday.

The broadcast on a channel of China State Television that is directed
at foreign audiences said Luan spoke at a national forum on science
and the humanities. It didn't say where or when the forum took place.

The space program is a key prestige project for the communist
government, which launched its first satellite in 1970.

The government said earlier this month it would probably launch its
second manned space flight within two years, carrying a two-member
crew. Officials also have said the government plans eventually to send
up a permanently manned space station.

But until Luan's comments, officials had denied having plans for a
manned lunar landing. They insisted that, in contrast to the
U.S.-Soviet space race of the 1960s, China was moving at its own
careful, cost-effective pace.

On Wed, 3 Dec 2003 12:20:38 +1100, "Alan Erskine"
wrote:

"Steve Dufour" wrote in message
. com...
BEIJING (AP) -- China plans to land a human on the moon by 2020, the
country's chief space official said in comments broadcast by state
television.

"By 2020, we will achieve visiting the moon," said Luan Enjie,
director of the National Aerospace Bureau. Luan used a verb that
specifically describes a human act.

No it doesn't. The U.S. visited the Moon after the Soviets had been there
with the Luna landers. "We" does not necessarily mean people.

Perhaps he spoke in Chinese


--

Find out about Australia's most dangerous Doomsday Cult:
http://users.bigpond.net.au/wanglese/pebble.htm

"You can't fool me, it's turtles all the way down."

In article , Alan Erskine wrote:
"Steve Dufour" wrote in message
om...
BEIJING (AP) -- China plans to land a human on the moon by 2020, the
country's chief space official said in comments broadcast by state
television.

"By 2020, we will achieve visiting the moon," said Luan Enjie,
director of the National Aerospace Bureau. Luan used a verb that
specifically describes a human act.

No it doesn't. The U.S. visited the Moon after the Soviets had been there
with the Luna landers. "We" does not necessarily mean people.

Whilst your statement is indeed correct, note the phrasing of the report
- you don't often see "George W. Bush today announced that he had had a
meal with Republican leaders to discuss future White House appointments.
The President used a verb that specifically described eating." in AP
reports.

Note, also, that senior Chinese officials being quoted on Chinese
television have a habit of speaking English, not Chinese. It is entirely
plausible, though I wouldn't care to say for sure, that in that language
it's quite possible for a form of the very "to visit" to have explicit
"look, people, real people, they're going" connotations.

"Visit" is indeterminate in English. It may not have been so
indeterminate in the original. (Anyone here speak Chinese and can
comment? I can't even manage "Help, I speak no Chinese", which is my
usual baseline...) I can't see them adding that line unless there was a
reason...

That said, I can't help but feel this is yet another example of the
"completely misinterpreting Chinese press releases" which Western news
agencies appear to have adopted as a competitive sport. You seem to be
able to set your watch - okay, calendar - by the regularity with which
"Chinese Moon Base Plans Revealed" crops up these days.

--
-Andrew Gray

In article , Andrew Gray wrote:

Note, also, that senior Chinese officials being quoted on Chinese
television have a habit of speaking English, not Chinese. It is entirely

Um. Er. That was quite a silly mistake, and I'm sure you all believe me
when I say that I really meant "...speaking Chinese, not English".
Really.

(but, hey, what would Usenet be without embarassing errors...)

--
-Andrew Gray

No it doesn't. The U.S. visited the Moon after the Soviets had been there
with the Luna landers. "We" does not necessarily mean people.


We is an inclusive pronoun, it includes the speaker. If we does not mean
people, that means whatever said it was not a person either.

Tom

No it doesn't. The U.S. visited the Moon after the Soviets had been there
with the Luna landers. "We" does not necessarily mean people.


We is an inclusive pronoun, it includes the speaker. If we does not mean
people, that means whatever said it was not a person either.

Tom

I "visit" Web sites a lot but I'm not really there. :-)

I believe what they are refering to is "We" the Chinese people. Chinese has
modifier words which denote whether it is an object or person in the verb
tense. Hense they plan to visit with 'people' rather than 'things' or
'objects', suggesting a manned mission. The Chinese are big on competition
so if the other super powers have done it, their accomplishments would give
them equal status. Also, China is currently trying to prove to the world
that they are as technologically advanced as the rest of the G7 countries.
Too bad they don't consider human rights as equally important. -- Kim Au
"Andrew Gray" wrote in message
. ..
In article , Alan Erskine
wrote:
"Steve Dufour" wrote in message
om...
BEIJING (AP) -- China plans to land a human on the moon by 2020, the
country's chief space official said in comments broadcast by state
television.

"By 2020, we will achieve visiting the moon," said Luan Enjie,
director of the National Aerospace Bureau. Luan used a verb that
specifically describes a human act.

No it doesn't. The U.S. visited the Moon after the Soviets had been
there
with the Luna landers. "We" does not necessarily mean people.

Whilst your statement is indeed correct, note the phrasing of the report
- you don't often see "George W. Bush today announced that he had had a
meal with Republican leaders to discuss future White House appointments.
The President used a verb that specifically described eating." in AP
reports.

Note, also, that senior Chinese officials being quoted on Chinese
television have a habit of speaking English, not Chinese. It is entirely
plausible, though I wouldn't care to say for sure, that in that language
it's quite possible for a form of the very "to visit" to have explicit
"look, people, real people, they're going" connotations.

"Visit" is indeterminate in English. It may not have been so
indeterminate in the original. (Anyone here speak Chinese and can
comment? I can't even manage "Help, I speak no Chinese", which is my
usual baseline...) I can't see them adding that line unless there was a
reason...

That said, I can't help but feel this is yet another example of the
"completely misinterpreting Chinese press releases" which Western news
agencies appear to have adopted as a competitive sport. You seem to be
able to set your watch - okay, calendar - by the regularity with which
"Chinese Moon Base Plans Revealed" crops up these days.

--
-Andrew Gray