Chinese authorities said on Sunday that it is baseless speculation1 to say that an ultimatum2 had been given to force relatives of those who died in a fatal high-speed train crash in east China to agree to accept government compensation.
周日中国政府表示，铁道部向动车事故遇难者家属下达最后通牒、强迫其同意政府赔偿一事纯属子虚乌有。
文中的ultimatum一词即为最后通牒的意思，来自于拉丁语，指谈判破裂前最后的话。在diplomatic negotiation（外交谈判）破裂前，一般一国会就某个问题用书面公告他们，限定在肯定时间内同意其条件，不然就采取某种coercive measures（强制手段），譬如threat of force（武力威胁），economic blockade（经济封锁），sever diplomatic relations（断绝邦交）等等。
Ultimatum现在已不限于外交范围，平时生活和商务往来中也时常会用到这个词，而且一般都以dispatch/deliver/give an ultimatum to的形式出现。比如：He gave his daughter an ultimatum: unless she sTOPped taking drugs he would throw her out of the house.（他给女儿下了最后通牒：她如果不戒毒，就把她从家赶出去。）
