美國《福布斯》雜志8月31日推出全球100位“女強人”，沉穩干練的德國總理、“鐵娘子”默克爾榮登榜首，取代美國國務卿賴斯成為全球最有影響力女性。在公布的100名女性榜單上，中國國務院副總理吳儀、中國人民銀行副行長吳曉靈、海爾集團總裁楊綿綿也都榜上有名，分別居第3、第35和第70位。 《福布斯》對上榜的三位中國女性評價都非常高，其中，中國國務院副總理吳儀在開拓維護新市場的同時，還為加強知識產權保護和改善貿易不均衡局面做出了巨大貢獻。

Vice premier Wu Yi poses for a group photo with women at home and abroad in Beijing in this March 7, 2006 file photo. [newsphoto] She is known as "China's iron lady," but impresses the world with her soft tone and charming smiles.  She dreamed of becoming a great entrepreneur in her youth, but turned into the only female figure in China's core of political power. Elegant and intelligent, Vice-Premier Wu Yi, 67, is the world's third most powerful woman, according to a Forbes magazine list published on Friday. It also said German Chancellor Angela Merkel overtook US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as the world's most powerful woman, with Rice ranking second. But Wu is not the only influential Chinese woman to feature on the list. She is joined by Wu Xiaoling, 59, vice-governor of the People's Bank of China, and Yang Mianmian, 65, chairwoman and executive director at the Haier Group, the world's fourth-largest manufacturer of household appliances . They respectively rank 35th and 70th on the list of the world's 100 most powerful women. China's resource-starved and fast-paced economy has kept Vice-Premier Wu busy this year, the US-based magazine said. "Among the issues on her very full plate are addressing intellectual copyright concerns and trade imbalances while nurturing new markets," it said. She placated the European Union when she declared that "bilateral trade co-operation is in the common interests of both sides." She announced more than US$18 billion worth of government contracts, including an estimated US$5 billion order for Boeing aircraft, while visiting the United States in April. She also travelled to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on an official goodwill visit, part of international efforts to tackle the DPRK nuclear issue. "In my eyes, Wu is a wise and capable woman, and a little bit aggressive. Her benevolent smiles always give others a sense of security ," said Chen Ruya, who works for a foreign consultancy company in Beijing. Her outstanding performances in China's diplomatic activities guaranteed her place on the list, Chen said. Wu helped hammer out five trade agreements with Russia in 1999 and oversaw delicate negotiations for China's accession to the World Trade Organization. Wu ranked second in 2004 and 2005 on the Forbes' list. Its annual listing is based on a power ranking that is a composite of visibility measured by media citations and economic impact. (China Daily)

Vocabulary:

entrepreneur: 企業家 household appliances: 家用電器 a sense of security: 安全感 （英語點津陳蓓編輯）