2020年7月21日，美国政府悍然单方面要求中国在七十二小时内关闭驻休斯敦总领事馆，且未申明原因。中国外交部发言人汪文斌指出，此举严重违反国际法和国际关系基本准则以及《中美领事条约》的有关规定，严重破坏中美关系。作为回应，24日上午中国要求美国关闭驻成都总领事馆。这一事件被认为是中美紧张关系升级的重要迹象。
△图片来源：Go Nakamura/Getty Images
1. tit-for-tat 以牙还牙/针锋相对
China immediately promised to retaliate for the "unprecedented escalation," raising the specter of a tit-for-tat battle that could prompt Beijing to shutter at least one U.S. consulate soon and adopt more punitive measures later.
中国立即承诺将对这一“史无前例的事态升级”进行反击，这意味着一轮针锋相对的斗争，可能会促使中国在短期内至少关闭一个美国领事馆，之后还会采取更具惩罚性的措施。
（英文摘自2020.07.23The Washington Post网站）
China considers closure of U.S. consulate in Wuhan in a tit-for-tat response.
中国用以牙还牙的方式进行反击，考虑关闭美国驻武汉领事馆。
（英文摘自2020.07.22fxstreet.com网站）
2. 'shock and awe' strategy 震慑策略
It looks more like a 'shock and awe' strategy to distract U.S. voters from the Trump administration's disastrous response to the pandemic.
它看起来更像是一种震慑策略，目的是转移美国选民的注意力，使他们不去关注特朗普政府对此次疫情灾难性的应对。
（英文摘自2020.07.23The Washington Post网站）
'shock and awe' strategy refers to a military strategy based on achieving rapid dominance over an adversary by the initial imposition of overwhelming force and firepower.
震慑策略是指一种基于通过率先施加压倒性兵力和火力以迅速压制对手的军事策略。
（英文摘自oxfordreference.com网站）
3. fan (up) 煽动/激起
Because of the willful and reckless stigmatization and fanning up of hatred by the U.S. side, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. has received threats to the safety and security of Chinese diplomatic missions and personnel more than once.
由于美方肆意污名化和煽动仇视，中国驻美国大使馆已经收到针对中国驻美外交机构和人员不止一次的安全威胁。
（英文摘自2020.07.23The Washington Post网站）
He also said that the Chinese Embassy in Washington has received bomb and death threats, and accused the U.S. government of fanning hatred against China.
他还说中国驻华盛顿大使馆已收到炸弹及死亡威胁，并指责美国政府煽动对中国的仇恨。
（英文摘自2020.07.22click2houston.com网站）
4. high drama 极富戏剧性
Among the first inklings that the general public received of high drama unfolding was when a local TV station, KPRC 2, started broadcasting footage of fire engines standing with their lights flashing in the dark outside the consulate building.
公众所接收到的第一波极富戏剧性的线索是，当地一家电视台——KPRC 2开始播放在领事馆大楼外的黑暗中闪着灯的消防车镜头。
（英文摘自2020.07.22Financial times网站）
△图片来源：Associated Press网站
5. bad blood 不和/嫌隙
It adds to bad blood between the US and China, which are increasingly at odds over a host of issues including trade, rival military ambitions, Hong Kong and efforts to stem the coronavirus pandemic.
这加剧了中美间的不和，双方在诸如贸易、相互敌对的军事野心、香港问题以及新冠病毒应对等诸多问题上的矛盾越来越深。
（英文摘自2020.07.23Financial times网站）
Coronavirus travel bans are likely to exacerbate bad blood between the United States and China at a time when sharing information and cooperation is critical to battling global health emergencies.
在信息共享与合作对于应对全球突发卫生事件至关重要的时代，新冠病毒旅行禁令可能会加剧中美间的不和。
（英文摘自2020.02.04npr.org网站）
△图片来源：The Guardian网站
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