All Aboard for the Lunar New Year Express in China

Don't bother calling your supplier in China in about a week. There is a good chance he will be closed for the Lunar New Year -- and most of his staff will be packed onto trains heading back to their hometowns.
There is a good chance ...极有可能；the Lunar New Year 阴历（农历）新年；staff员工；pack 包装,捆扎,塞满；head back to one's hometown 返乡
 
You think traffic is tough around Thanksgiving? Try getting stuck among the 156 million Chinese taking trains around the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday, which this year starts on Feb. 18.
tough 困难的；stick  v. 钉住,粘贴,坚持；get stuck among 呆（困）在...之中； take trains 乘火车

Every year, there is a flood of humanity around the Lunar New Year as migrant workers in the cities -- who labor in the factories, construction and service industries that are powering China's astonishing growth -- scramble to find a way home. On top of all the rail passengers, the government estimates that two billion trips are taken by road around the weeklong holiday.
a flood of humanity 潮水般的人；migrant workers 农民工；labor v. 劳动；service industries 服务行业；power China's astonishing growth 为中国令人惊讶的增长提供动力；scramble to do sth.抢着做某事（尤指混乱地）；on top of 除了；rail passenger铁路旅客，乘客（travel by rail乘火车旅行)；take trips by road  乘汽车旅行

This huge annual migration offers an insight into many of the strengths, weaknesses and worries that underlie China's transformation into a global economic superpower. One change: The government isn't raising rail-ticket prices as it usually does around the holiday period, in part because of complaints about price gouging and a growing recognition of the hardships the migrants face.
huge annual migration 一年一度的大规模迁徙；offer an insight into sth. 使我们了解某事；underlie 位于...之下,成为...的基础；transformation into 转变为；a global economic super power 全球经济超级大国 ；raise prices 提高价格；complaints about sth.对...的抱怨；price gouging价格欺骗；a growing recognition of 越来越意识到；migrant 移居者（就是指农民工,替换前文migrant workers)

The vast majority of migrants going home will be packing China's trains in journeys that can easily last two days. After years of neglect, the Chinese government is spending billions of dollars on improving rail lines and is promising more comfortable and faster trips on new bullet trains. Beijing intends to spend 1.25 trillion yuan, or about $160 billion, between now and 2010.
The vast majority of 绝大部分；years of neglect 多年的忽视；rail lines铁路线；bullet trains 子弹头列车；Beijing 在这里替换the Chinese government；intend to do sth. 计划做某事；trillion万亿

The riders may have Hao Jinsong to thank for the decision not to raise ticket prices. A graduate student at the China University of Politics and Laws, Mr. Hao sued the Ministry of Railways to get it to stop raising ticket prices during the holiday rush. He claimed that prices were raised without the required public hearing, but he also sought to show that people could use the court system to seek redress. 'We needed a test case. We found a target and then went for it,' Mr. Hao said.
rider 替换前文passenger；have sb. to thank for sth. 要为某事感谢某人；graduate student 研究生；China University of Politics and Laws中国政法大学；sue 控告，起诉；the Ministry of Railways 铁道部；the holiday rush 假日高峰；the required public hearing 必要的公开听证；the court system 法律体系；seek redress 寻求 赔偿,救济,矫正；a test case 典型判例

The problem of prices is particularly acute for the migrants who depend on trains, which are a cheaper alternative to buses and planes, whose ticket prices are simply unattainable for many people. The salaries of construction workers are sometimes withheld by foremen who fear they won't come back after the holiday. This year, the government organized a special train to carry home 1,200 people who work on Olympics projects in Beijing.
acute problem 尖锐的问题；a cheaper alternative to sth. 某物的较便宜的替代品；unattainable 难到达的,难得到的(在本文中等于unaffordable）；construction workers 建筑工人；withhold the salaries 扣留，拖欠工资；foreman 工头；organize a special train 组织一趟专列；project 工程

All that mass movement leaves a big gap in what has become the world's factory floor. The Taiwan technology companies that are some of the biggest manufacturers in China say they either scale down or suspend their operations during the holiday week. Quanta Computer Inc., one of the world's biggest makers of laptop computers, and Asustek Computer Inc., one of the biggest makers of computer motherboards, both say they shut down their manufacturing operations during the holiday. Delta Electronics Inc., which makes electric-power supplies, says it only operates about 30% of its production capacity in China during the holiday.
mass movement 大规模的迁徙（替换前文huge migration)；leave a gap 造成了断档；manufacturer/maker 制造商；scale down 缩小规模；suspend one's operations 暂停运营；laptop computers 台式机；computer motherboards 电脑主板；shut down 关闭production capacity 产能

Once these workers get home, they can look forward to the traditional Lunar New Year treat of pork dumplings -- especially appropriate to celebrate the start of the Year of the Pig. （www.wsj.com华尔街日报)
treat 大餐；prok dumpling 猪肉水饺；appropriate 适当的，合适的