Japan on Tuesday marked the 18-month anniversary of the tragic earthquake and tsunami that triggered the devastating nuclear accident in the country's northeast. With his prefecture still reeling from the crisis, Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato spent the day in Beijing, where he went to ask Chinese aviation officials to restart a suspended flight service between Shanghai and Fukushima, hoping to give the local economy a boost. But the meeting was abruptly canceled.
       本周二是引发了日本东北部严重核事故的日本大地震和海啸18个月纪念日。重灾区日本福岛县目前仍在努力从危机中恢复。福岛县知事佐藤雄平(Yuhei Sato)当天来到了北京，他此行的目的是寻求中国航空官员重新开通上海到福岛的航班，希望借此提振当地经济。但是这次会议却被突然取消。
       It appears the cancellation was the latest diplomatic casualty of the territorial tiff between the Asian neighbors. The Japanese embassy in Beijing told prefectural officials the meeting was called off because of the row between the two countries over disputed islands and Monday's announcement by the Japanese government that it has decided to purchase the isles.
       显然，这次会议成为了日中两个亚洲邻国之间领土争议的最新牺牲品。日本驻北京大使馆告诉福岛县官员，这次会议被取消是因为两国因争议岛屿产生分歧，以及日本政府周一宣布购买争议岛屿的决定。
       The islands are controlled by Japan, which calls them the Senkaku, but claimed by China and Taiwan, which call them the Diaoyu.
       日中争议岛屿目前由日本控制，但中国大陆和台湾都宣布对岛屿拥有主权。这些岛屿在日本被称作尖阁列岛(Senkaku)，中国大陆和台湾称之为钓鱼岛。
       Japan's embassy in Beijing relayed the cancellation notice from China's civil aviation authority to Mr. Sato less than an hour before the meeting was to take place at 9 a.m. local time (2300 GMT), according to a Fukushima official.
       福岛县的一名官员说，会议原定于当地时间上午9点召开。在会议开始前一个小时，日本驻北京大使馆向佐藤雄平转达了中国民用航空总局取消此次会议的通知。
       The snub almost seemed inevitable, given the worsening territorial situation. The last time tempers rose to such a heated state over the islands was in 2010, when protests were mounted, trade restricted, high-level meetings postponed and friendship events canceled.
       鉴于领土争端日益加剧，福岛县知事的这次冷遇看起来几乎不可避免。上一次双方出现类似的对立是在2010年，当时，两国爆发抗议活动，两国之间贸易受到限制，高层会议推迟，友好活动被取消。
       The flight route Gov. Sato wanted reinstated has been suspended since last year's disasters. Mr. Sato had also planned to ask Chinese officials ─ who visited Fukushima in May ─ to ease travel restrictions that put off Chinese from visiting Japan.
       佐藤雄平想要重新恢复的这条航线自从去年日本发生地震和海啸之后就一直被关闭。佐藤雄平还计划寻求让中国官员放宽对中国居民赴日旅游的限制。中国官员5月份曾经访问过福岛县。
       The Shanghai flight was one of two international routes to Fukushima's small airport. The other, to Seoul, also remains suspended. The governor visited South Korea earlier this year to make a similar plea.
       与上海之间的航班是福岛县小型机场仅有的两条国际航线之一。另一条与首尔之间的航线目前同样处于关闭状态。佐藤雄平今年早些时候曾为此访问韩国。
       But the trip hasn't been a complete disappointment ─ not yet, at least. The governor is set to meet the operator of the flight route China Eastern Airlines, on Wednesday morning. That meeting is still scheduled to go ahead, for now, according to the Fukushima official.
       但是这次访问并非完全让人大失所望，至少目前还没有。佐藤雄平定于周三上午会见这条航线的运营商中国东方航空股份有限公司(China Eastern Airlines Co.)。上述福岛县官员说，这次会见目前仍然在日程之内。