拜登駁斥媒體報導
US President Joe Biden has refuted a media report that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, declined an offer from him for a face-to-face summit.
美國總統拜登駁斥媒體報導，報導稱中國國家主席習近平拒絕他提出進行實體高峰會談的邀約。
refute(v.)駁斥;反駁;否認…的正確性(或真實性)refute a theory or argument 駁斥理論／論點counterpart(n.)等量齊觀的對手decline(v.)(委婉)拒絕reject(v.)(斷然)拒絕summit(n.)高峰會;領袖會議
Citing several people briefed on a 90-minute call between the two leaders last Thursday, the Financial Times reported that Xi snubbed Biden’s proposal to have an in-person meeting.
英國《金融時報》引述知情人士報導，上週四兩位領導人通話90分鐘，期間習近平拒絕了拜登面對面會晤的提議。
cite(v.)引述;引用brief(adj.)短暫的;簡短的(v.)做簡報;向…介紹情況;給…指示snub(v.)冷落、怠慢in person本人;親自
The Chinese president insisted instead that Washington adopt a less harsh tone towards Beijing, according to the sources.
消息人士稱，習近平堅持主張華盛頓不應對北京採取那麼嚴厲的語氣。
insist(v.)堅持insist that S (should) RV…harsh(adj.)令人不快的、嚴酷的、嚴厲的harsh criticism嚴厲的批評
The report also said that while the G20 summit, scheduled to take place in Italy in October, has been suggested as a possible venue for a face-to-face meeting between the two, the Chinese president has not left his country ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
報導還稱，雖然原定於10月在義大利舉行的G20峰會被認為是兩國元首面對面會談的可能場合，但自從新冠疫情爆發以來，習近平就沒有出過國。
(which is) scheduled to…預計…venue(n.)(公共事件的)發生場所;舉行地點;會場
On Wednesday, when questioned by reporters if he was disappointed that Xi did not want to meet with him, the US president declared what the report said was not true.
週三，當記者詢問拜登，是否對習近平不想與他會面感到失望，拜登總統說報導內容並非屬實。
when questioned by…=when he was questioned…
Meanwhile, Biden’s national security advisor Jake Sullivan also said in a statement that the report was “not an accurate portrayal of the call.”
同時，拜登的國家安全顧問沙利文也在一份聲明中表示，該報導「並未準確描述通話內容」。
national security advisor國家安全顧問accurate(adj.)準確的;精確的;正確的portrayal(n.)描述=description
The last time Biden and Xi talked over a call was seven months ago.
拜登和習近平上一次通話是在七個月前。
During their communication last Thursday, the two leaders exchanged views about the need to make certain that rivalry between the world’s two largest economies does not escalate into a war.
在上週四的談話中，兩位領導人就確保世界兩大經濟體之間的對抗不會升級成戰爭的必要性交換了意見。
make certain that…=make sure…=ensure…確保escalate(v.)(使)增強、(使)擴大、(使)加劇、(使)惡化escalator(n.)手扶梯
The latest call was described by a US official as a test to see if “direct top-level engagement could end what had become a stalemate in ties” as US-China relations are said to be at their worst in decades.
美方官員描述，拜登與習近平最近一次的通話是為了測試「高層直接接觸能否結束僵局」，因為美中關係可說是處於幾十年來最糟糕的狀態。
describe…as… 把～形容為～if…=whether…是否engagement(n.)接觸;交流stalemate(n.)僵局=deadlock=impasse=standoffbreak a diplomatic stalemate打破外交僵局ties(n.)關係=relations