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标题: 关注社会:中国有望成为全球最大黄金市场 [打印本页]

作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-21 08:43     标题: 关注社会:中国有望成为全球最大黄金市场

India has for decades been the world's largest gold market, but in the final quarter of 2011 demand tumbled by almost half from a year earlier as a collapse in the value of the rupee made gold more expensive for Indian buyers.
几十年来,印度一直是全球最大的黄金市场,但去年第四季度印度黄金需求同比下降近一半,主要原因是卢比贬值,导致黄金对印度买家来说变得更为昂贵。
"It is likely that China will emerge as the largest gold market in the world for the first time in 2012," said Marcus Grubb, managing director for investment at the WGC, a lobby group for the gold mining industry.
“2012年,中国很可能会首次成为世界最大的黄金市场。”世界黄金协会投资部董事总经理郭博思(Marcus Grubb)表示。该协会是黄金开采行业的游说组织。
Thursday's prediction comes after a surge in Chinese gold demand last year, with imports from Hong Kong — a proxy for overall import demand — more than tripling from 2010. In the second half of the year, as Indian demand waned, China edged ahead as the world's top consumer, according to data from GFMS, the consultancy, that were published by the WGC on Thursday.
去年中国内地的黄金需求大幅增长,从香港进口的黄金数量(总体进口需求的晴雨表)比2010年增长两倍以上。根据咨询机构——黄金矿业服务有限公司(GFMS)的数据,去年下半年,随着印度黄金需求减弱,中国一跃成为全球最大的黄金消费国。这些数据由世界黄金协会在周四发布。
China has become an increasingly important driver of the gold price, with large purchases propping up prices late last year as western investors were selling.
中国已成为左右金价的一大因素,重要性日益上升。去年底,在西方投资者纷纷减持之际,来自中国的大量买盘对金价形成了支撑。
On Wednesday night, gold was trading at $1,726 a troy ounce, up 13.5 per cent from a late December low but still 10 per cent below the nominal record high of $1,920 set in September. Paulson and Co, one of the largest hedge fund investors in gold, revealed in a regulatory filing this week that it had sold 45 per cent of its holdings of gold exchange-traded funds in the second half of the year.
周三晚,金价报每盎司1726美元,较去年12月底的低位高出13.5%,但仍比去年9月创下的名义历史新高每盎司1920美元低10%。对冲基金中最大的黄金投资者之一保尔森公司(Paulson and Co)在本周提交监管部门的材料中披露,该公司去年下半年减持了45%的黄金ETF(交易所交易基金)。
Mr Grubb predicted that Chinese consumption would rise this year at pace similar to the 20 per cent increase in 2011. That implies jewellery and investment demand of about 925 tonnes in 2012. On the other hand, he said Indian demand could fall from its level of 933 tonnes in 2011.
郭博思预计,今年中国黄金消费量的增幅将与去年相当。去年增幅为20%。以此计算,2012年中国金饰和黄金投资需求将达925吨左右。另一方面,他表示,今年印度黄金需求可能低于2011年933吨的水平。
"The dynamic in those two economies is radically different," he said. "There might be more challenges to the Indian market [than the Chinese market] in the next 12 months."
郭博思表示:“这两个经济体的动态截然不同。在未来12个月内,印度市场面临的挑战可能(比中国市场)更多。”
Indian economic growth has slowed, with the government recently cutting its forecast for growth in this fiscal year ending in March to 7 per cent, having steadily pared back previous projections of nearly 9 per cent.
印度经济增长已经放缓,政府最近调低了对截至3月份的这一财年的经济增长预测,经过几番下调,这一预测数字已从最早的近9%下调为7%。
"You've effectively seen foreign direct investment dry up in India," Mr Grubb said. "That feeds down into the economy with slowing growth and less liquidity available. That really impacts the rupee, and gold looks horribly expensive to local consumers."
郭博思表示:“你可以看到,印度外来直接投资已几近枯竭,这对经济产生了影响,导致增长放缓、流动性减少。这实际上对卢比汇率造成了冲击,在本地消费者眼里,现在黄金看起来非常贵。”
In China, on the other hand, Mr Grubb predicted further strength as both growth and inflation remain relatively high, driving local consumers to invest in bullion to protect their wealth. Savers have poured their money into gold because of the lack of alternative investment options in China, were bank deposits carry negative real interest rates and property prices have been sliding.
另一方面,郭博思预计中国黄金需求将进一步走强,因为国内经济增长仍然较为强劲,通胀水平仍然较高,这会促使中国消费者投资黄金,以达到财富保值的目的。在中国,由于银行存款实际利率为负、房价持续下滑,而此外又没有多少投资途径,所以储户们纷纷把资金投在黄金上。
Chinese gold consumption has already risen by 140 per cent between 2007 and 2011, as growing wealth and the liberalisation of the domestic gold market drive a surge in consumption. Beijing has encouraged gold consumption, announcing in August 2010 measures to promote and regulate the local gold market, including expanding the number of banks allowed to import bullion.
从2007年到2011年期间,中国黄金消费量增长了140%,财富的增长和国内黄金市场的放开带动了黄金消费的增长。中国政府鼓励黄金消费,于2010年8月出台了一些促进和监管本地黄金市场发展的措施,包括允许更多银行从事黄金进口业务。
Elsewhere last year, demand for gold in Europe surged as investors fretted about the worsening eurozone debt crisis. European investment in coins and bars rose 26 per cent to 375 tonnes, the WGC said, making the region the largest market for physical gold investment products.
在其他地区中,欧洲黄金需求大幅上升,原因是投资者对持续恶化的欧债危机感到不安。世界黄金协会表示,去年欧洲在金币和金条上的投资增长了26%,达375吨,使该地区成为实物黄金投资产品的最大市场。
Additional reporting by Leslie Hook in Beijing
何丽(Leslie Hook)北京补充报道
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-21 10:20

奥巴马就苹果创始人乔布斯去世发表的声明时间:2011-10-08 10:26来源:口译网 作者:口译网 点击:5184次Statement by U.S. President Obama on the Passing of Apple Chief Steve Jobs
October 5, 2011


美国总统奥巴马就“苹果”创始人史蒂夫·乔布斯去世发表声明
2011年10月5日


Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators — brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.


得知乔布斯去世的消息,我和米歇尔感到非常悲痛。乔布斯是美国最伟大的创新者之一,他敢于与众不同地思考,大胆地相信自己能够改变世界,并拥有足够的才智做到这一点。


By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity.  By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last.  Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.


他在自己的车库里创建起全世界最成功的公司之一,展示了美国的独创精神。他开创了个人电脑时代并将因特网放进我们的口袋,信息革命也因此而来到人们的身边,并变得直观而有趣。他还把自己的才华用在讲故事上,把快乐带给了数以百万计的儿童和成年人。乔布斯喜欢说自己把每天都当做最后一天来过。因为他这样做了,他就此改变了我们的生活,重新定义了整个行业,并创造了人类历史上最罕见的奇迹之一:他改变了我们每个人观察世界的方式。


The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him.


世界失去了一位有远见的人。乔布斯的成功所赢得的崇高敬意莫过于这样一个事实:世界上许多人是通过他发明的产品得知他辞世的消息的。我和米歇尔向乔布斯的妻子劳伦、他的家人以及所有爱他的人送上我们的哀思与祈祷。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-22 10:41

Renren is getting defriended. Since it listed in New York last May, the Chinese social networking site's shares have fallen by almost two-thirds. This week, it braced investors for operating losses of $15m to $17m in the fourth quarter, almost triple its third-quarter loss. The company will also take a $3m writedown on an acquisition made before listing. All unfriendly news for investors in probably the biggest social network site in the world's biggest internet market, where Facebook is blocked.

人人网(Renren)正在受到冷落。自去年5月在纽约上市以来,这家中国社交网站的股价已跌去近三分之二。上周,人人网让投资者绷紧了神经,因为其业绩报告显示去年第四季度的运营亏损达1500万至1700万美元,几乎是第三季度亏损的三倍。人人网还将对上市前完成的一起收购做300万美元的减记处理。对这家可能是全球最大互联网市场中最大的社交网站的投资者来说,这些都是不利的消息。Facebook在中国市场受到屏蔽。

In some ways Renren resembles Facebook. The group's founder and chief executive, Joseph Chen, started out targeting university students whom he hoped would be the most appealing demographic to advertisers. But Renren faces some problems unique to China. Social networking in the country has turned more to information-seeking as opposed to information-sharing, as a result of Beijing's grip on regular news media. For example, microblog site Sina Weibo is rapidly snapping up Renren's friends. It says its total registered users hit 250m in September, up one-quarter in three months. User numbers at Renren — it claims to have 147m — grew by just one-tenth over that period. Yet another rival is Tencent's social network site Pengyou (meaning friend), which focuses on teenagers. It claims that its user numbers overtook Renren's in the first half of 2011 and are growing faster.

人人网在某些方面和Facebook很相像。该公司创始人、首席执行官陈一舟(Joseph Chen)最初也把用户群定位为大学生,希望他们未来成为对广告商最具吸引力的人群。但是,人人网面临着一些中国市场独有的问题。由于政府对一般新闻媒体进行管制,社交网络在中国更多地变成了查找信息、而不是分享信息的工具。例如,微型博客网站新浪微博(Sina Weibo)正在飞速抢走人人网的用户。新浪微博表示,去年9月其注册用户总数已达2.5亿,在三个月内增加了四分之一。人人网则表示用户数达到1.47亿,同期增幅仅为十分之一。人人网还有一个对手,那就是腾讯(Tencent)旗下的社交网站朋友网(Pengyou),该网也把用户定位于年轻人。朋友网表示,2011年上半年其用户数已超过人人网,并且还在以更快的速度增长。

Competition is hurting Renren's ability to attract revenue. Although sales picked up by about half last year, Renren's users generated just 7 cents per month, compared with 41 cents at Facebook. And that revenue is expensive. Renren spends half of its revenues on sales and advertising, compared with one quarter at Facebook. To compensate, Renren has tried to diversify into group buying and video. The former remains fiercely competitive and Renren's efforts so far are lossmaking. Video requires expensive bandwidth. Investors caught up in the hype of Facebook should remember that Renren is a friend with differences.

竞争削弱了人人网的创收能力。尽管去年销售额增加了约五成,但人人网用户每个月贡献的收入仅占7%(而Facebook达到41%)。而且,这一收入成本高昂。人人网在销售和广告上的支出是营收的一半,而Facebook只有四分之一。作为补救措施,人人网开始尝试多元化经营,增加了团购和视频业务。团购领域竞争仍十分激烈,而人人网团购业务迄今仍在亏损。视频业务则需要价格昂贵的带宽。沉迷于Facebook上市宣传的投资者应当记住,人人网可是一个不一样的“朋友”。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-22 10:42

A major ingredient to taking the pain out of a stressful day at work is a supportive partner at home, a new study has confirmed.

一项新研究证实,家有贤内助确实能较大地减轻工作压力带来的焦虑和疲惫。

It may not seem like a groundbreaking conclusion but the study, from Florida State University, is the first to quantify the effects that a sympathetic ear can have at home and at work.

这看起来也许并不是什么开创性的研究结果,不过佛罗里达州立大学的这一研究却是首次将怀着同情心倾听在家庭中和职场中的作用进行量化。

Professor Wayne Hochwarter, author of the study, found that highly stressed employees had a 25 percent higher level of concentration levels if they had a harmonious home life.

该研究的作者韦恩•霍赫瓦特教授发现,在高压下工作的员工如果家庭生活和谐的话,注意力水平比其他人高出25%。

They were also 33 percent more likely to have positive relationships with colleagues, and a 20 percent higher level of job satisfaction.

此外,这些人和同事保持良好关系的可能性要高出33%,工作满意度也要高出20%。

Previous studies have linked work—related stress to a range of mental and physical illnesses, such as depression and obesity.

先前的研究曾将工作压力和一系列精神和身体疾病联系起来,包括抑郁症和肥胖症。

But this study shows how stress can be a vicious circle — adversely affecting the way employees perform at work, which can lead to even more workplace stress.

不过本研究显示,压力也可以造成恶性循环——对员工的工作表现产生负面影响,从而带来更多的工作压力。

Professor Hochwarter said the mental and physical wellbeing of employees were at risk if they came to work still stressed from the day before.

霍赫瓦特教授说,如果员工开始一天的工作时仍受到前一天压力的困扰,那么他的精神和身体健康就会受到危害。

He said: "When you're still angry or upset from yesterday's stress, your workday will likely go in only one direction — down."

他说:“如果你依然因为昨天的压力而感到恼怒或心烦,你这天的工作表现只会向一个方向发展——直线下降。”

And there were obvious benefits at home as well. Professor Hochwarter's paper said employees with strong home support were 25 percent less likely to suffer from after—work fatigue.

家庭对减轻工作压力则有显著的效果。霍赫瓦特教授的论文称,拥有强大的家庭支持的员工下班时感到疲惫的可能性比其他人低25%。

Having an awareness of a partner's daily work demands — such as deadlines, a lack of adequate resources and bad bosses — could ensure that couples always communicated, and a partner could see when their loved one was underplaying or exaggerating a problem.

了解伴侣日常工作上的一些要求——例如任务完成的最后期限、缺少足够的资源以及苛刻的上司——可以保证伴侣之间保持沟通顺畅,而且其中一方可以看出自己的爱人是对问题轻描淡写还是在夸大问题。

The ability to bring a partner back to the middle — building them up when they feel down in the dumps, or talking them down when they are overly agitated — also played a crucial role.

让伴侣恢复平和心态的能力——在伴侣情绪低落时帮助其建立信心,或在伴侣过度激动时让其冷静下来——也发挥着关键的作用。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-22 14:10

According to the Annual Report on the Chinese Rule of Law, 2012, a bluebook jointly launched by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Social Sciences Academic Press, almost 40 percent of Chinese officials find "nakedness," or putting their family members and finances abroad, acceptable, China.org.cn reported.

中国社会科学院、社会科学文献出版社日前联合发布了2012年《法治蓝皮书》。据中国网报道,蓝皮书调查显示,近乎近四成公职人员认可当“裸官”,即家庭人员和财产均在海外。

According to the bluebook's findings, the spouses and children of highly-ranked officials are more likely to be granted foreign citizenship or permanent residence, a phenomenon which is likely to jeopardize the government's decision making on the grounds of confidentiality, according to the bluebook's conclusions.

蓝皮书认为,高层官员的配偶和子女更有可能获得外国国籍或永久居住权。因为涉及保密因素,这种“裸官”现象会妨碍政府的政策制定。

Recommendations published in the bluebook state that increased supervision of high-level officials, including implementing necessary legal measures, could curb the phenomenon.

蓝皮书提出建议,要加强对“裸官”的监管,包括以必要的法律手段来控制这种现象。

The bluebook also found that public opinion demands greater transparency with regard to government expenditure on entertaining guests.

蓝皮书还显示,公众要求政府应给公务宴请费用更高的透明度。

In terms of government transparency, Beijing's municipal government tops the list, followed by Tianjin and Jiangsu. The Ministry of Commerce has been hailed as the most transparent ministry in the State Council.

政府透明度北京居首;另外,天津市、江苏省分列第二、三位。商务部居国务院各部委之首。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-22 14:12

A potentially costly dispute over the name of the iPad computer tablet may not be the only trademark problem facing Apple Incorporated in China. The China Daily newspaper reports Monday that at least 39 Chinese companies and individuals have attempted to register the names iPhone or iPad as trademarks for products as varied as hiking shoes, veterinary drugs and diapers. The newspaper says six manufacturers, including a flashlight manufacturer, got as far as preliminary approval before their applications were challenged.

由平板电脑iPad名称引发的争端可能给在中国的苹果公司带来潜在的巨大损失,但这可能不是苹果公司唯一的在华商标问题。据《中国日报》星期一报道,至少有39家中国公司和个人已经试图给“iPhone”和“ iPad”这些名称注册商标,产品涉及登山鞋、兽医药品和尿布等。《中国日报》说,包括一家手电筒生产商在内的六家制造业者已经得到初步批准,但它们的申请后来受到质疑。

The disclosure comes as a dispute over the iPad name has led authorities in several cities to seize the hand-held computers from Chinese retailers, threatening iPad sales in the world's largest computer market and, potentially, Apple's ability to export the tablets from the country where they are made.

这一消息被披露时,有关iPad名称的争端让数个中国城市当局从零售商那里没收这种手持电脑。这给 iPad在世界最大的电脑市场的销售带来威胁,并有可能威胁苹果公司从这种平板电脑的生产国对外出口iPad的能力。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-22 14:16

Mother: I left two pieces of cake in the cupboard this morning, Johnny, and now there is only one piece left. Can you explain that?

Johnny: Well, I suppose it was so dark that I didn't notice the other.

妈妈: 约翰尼,我今天早上在橱子里放了两块点心。现在就剩下一块了。你能解释一下吗?

约翰尼: 嗯,我想是因为里面太黑我没看到另外那块。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-22 14:19

Teacher: Tom, why are you late for school every day?

Tom: Every time I come to the corner, a sign says, School-Go Slow.

老师: 汤姆,您为什么每天上学迟到?

汤姆: 我每次路过拐角,一个路标上面写着:学校——慢行。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-22 14:21

1. Be Productive

1. 工作高效

Surprising your manager with peakproductivityis a surefireway to impress and prove you are a valuableassetto the company. If you feel your productivity slipping, take strides to step up your game and increase your daily and weekly output.

向老板展示你超高的工作效率绝对是惊艳老板、向其证明你是公司的宝贵财富的好方法。如果你觉得工作效率在下降,那就要尽快赶上大部队,并提高你的日产出量和周产出量。

2. Speak up

2. 及时沟通

Talk to your direct manager, teammates, and HR when you have questions, ideas, or concerns. Everyone appreciates clear communication and brainstorming, and the healthiest way to get support is to ask for it.

如果你遇到问题、有了新想法或者打算,你就应该及时和你的老板、合作伙伴、还有人事经理沟通交流。所有人都喜欢真诚的交流和集思广益,而且这也是得到别人支持的好方法。

3. Follow through

3. 坚持到底

If you said you would do something or were assigned to do something, do it. It's quite simple, really.

如果你承诺要做某事,或者你被安排完成某项任务,那你就去做。这个道理很简单,没什么好说的。

4. Be Honest

4. 诚实坦率

Lying never helps anyone grow. Be honest about your efforts, workload, skills, and needs. Your boss will appreciate your frankness. She may even be able to help you.

撒谎永远不可能助你进步。诚实对待你的努力、你的工作、你的技能和你的需求。老板会欣赏你的坦率,甚至还可能助你一臂之力。

5. Be a Team Player

5. 团队合作

It's crucialto speak up for yourself, but don't excludeyourself from your department or unit. Work with your co-workers to meet your common goal.

脱颖而出很重要,但也不要忘了你是团队的一员,你要和同事合作才能完成你们的共同目标。

6. Show Gratitude

6. 学会感恩

Everyone loves feeling loved. You welcome feedback, rewards, and recognitionfrom your boss, and she will do the same. When she sneaksyou a small gift, compliment, or helpful tip, thank her in person, in an email, or in a handwritten note. Illustratinghow much her effort means to you will encourage her to keep the gratitudecoming.

每个人都喜欢被爱的感觉。你希望从老板那里得到反馈、表扬和认可,老板也是一样。当老板给你送了个小礼物,或是对你赞扬了一番,又或者给你帮了把手,记住要感谢老板,无论你是当面感谢也好,还是通过邮件或者手写的小卡片也好,表达你对老板的感谢之情会让老板也备受鼓舞。相对地,她也会感谢你。

7. Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance

7. 平衡工作与生活

Your boss expects you to work diligentlyand be productive, but she doesn't expect you to live for work. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance will make you a happier person at home and at work. Everyone wins.

老板当然希望你工作认真又高效,但是,老板不希望你只会工作。平衡好工作与生活的关系会让你在家在单位都感到更快乐。这就是共赢。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-22 14:30

TODAY women earn almost 60 percent of all bachelor's degrees and more than half of master's and Ph.D.'s. Many people believe that, while this may be good for women as income earners, it bodes ill for their marital prospects.

如今几乎60%的学士学位、超过一半的硕士和博士学位是由女性获得的。很多人相信尽管这也许能帮助女性多赚取些收入,但对他们的婚姻前景却不妙。

As Kate Bolick wrote in a much-discussed article in The Atlantic last fall, American women face "a radically shrinking pool of what are traditionally considered to be 'marriageable' men — those who are better educated and earn more than they do." Educated women worry that they are scaring away potential partners, and pundits claim that those who do marry will end up with unsatisfactory matches. They point to outdated studies suggesting that women with higher earnings than their husbands do more housework to compensate for the threat to their mates' egos, and that men who earn less than their wives are more likely to experience erectile dysfunction.

正如凯特·鲍力克去年秋季发表在《大西洋月刊》上一篇广为讨论的文章中写道的那样,美国女性“正面临着传统上适婚男性急剧减少的状况。这些男性受到的教育良好,而且赚得也多。受过良好教育的女性担心他们会让潜在的伴侣望而却步,专家声称最终那些结婚的人婚姻都不尽人意。他们暗示过去的研究显示 收入比丈夫高的女性做的家务多,这样可以弥补对男性伴侣自尊的威胁,而且收入比妻子地低的男性更有可能患勃起功能障碍。

Is this really the fate facing educated heterosexual women: either no marriage at all or a marriage with more housework and less sex? Nonsense. That may have been the case in the past, but no longer. For a woman seeking a satisfying relationship as well as a secure economic future, there has never been a better time to be or become highly educated.

要么不碰婚姻,要么就是婚后家务不断、且鲜有性生活,女异性恋者的命运就该如此吗?胡扯。过去也许是这样,现在变了。女性想要有个满意的伴侣和稳定的经济未来,没有比提高教育水平更好了。

For more than a century, women often were forced to choose between an education and a husband. Of women who graduated from college before 1900, more than three-quarters remained single. As late as 1950, one-third of white female college graduates ages 55 to 59 had never married, compared with only 7 percent of their counterparts without college degrees.

一个多世纪以来,女性通常不得不在教育和丈夫之间做出选择。1900年前,女大学生中超过3/4 的人单身。1950年时,年龄在55至59之间的有1/3拥有大学学历的白人女性从未嫁人,相比没有大学学历的对照组,这一比例仅占7%。。

Some of these women chose to stay single, of course, and that choice has always been easier and more rewarding for educated women. But the low marriage rates of educated women in the past were also because of the romantic and sexual prejudices of men. One physician explained the problem in Popular Science Monthly in 1905: An educated woman developed a "self-assertive, independent character" that made it "impossible to love, honor and obey" as a real wife should. He warned that as more middle-class women attended college, middle-class men would look to the lower classes to find uneducated wives.

其中有些女性选择单身,当然,这个选择对受过良好教育的女性是容易做的、也是值得的。但是过去受过良好教育的女性结婚率低也是由于男性的浪漫和性别偏见。一位内科医生在1905年的《大众科学期刊》上这样解释这个问题:受过良好教育的女性形成了“自信、独立的品质”,这样她们就没有了现实生活中妻子应有的热爱、尊重和服从的性格。他警告到:越来越多的中产阶级女性去念大学后,中产阶级男性将向更低的阶级去寻找那些没受过教育的人做老婆。

That is exactly what happened in the mid-20th century. From 1940 to the mid-1970s, the tendency for men to marry down educationally became more pronounced and the cultural ideal of hypergamy — that women must marry up — became more insistent.

20世纪中叶的情况就是如此。从1940年至20世纪70年代,男性娶的女性受教育的水平没自己高的现象比较普遍,高攀(女性嫁给比自己好的男性)的文化理想也是一贯坚持的。

Postwar dating manuals advised women to "play dumb" to catch a man — and 40 percent of college women in one survey said they actually did so. As one guidebook put it: "Warning! ... Be careful not to seem smarter than your man." If you hide your intelligence, another promised, "you'll soon become the little woman to be pooh-poohed, patronized and wed."

二战后的约会指南建议女性,要抓住男人的心,女人得“装傻充愣”,在一份调查中,40%的大学女性称他们就是这样做的。一本手册如此建议:“当心!...... 别让自己看上去比你的男人聪明。” 如果能隐藏你的智慧,“很快你就会变成小女人,被男人怜爱和保护,并步入婚姻。”

Insulting as it may have been, such advice was largely sound. Studying national surveys on mate preferences, David M. Buss, a psychologist at the University of Texas, and his colleagues found that in 1956, education and intelligence were together ranked 11th among the things men sought in a mate. Much more important to them was finding a good cook and housekeeper who was refined, neat and had a pleasing disposition. By 1967, education and intelligence had moved up only one place, to No. 10, on men's wish lists.

尽管听起来不太顺耳,这些建议大体上还是正确的。研究全国的择偶喜好调查之后,得克萨斯大学的心理学家戴维·布斯和他的同事发现,1956年时,在男性寻求伴侣的品质中,教育和智力并列排名第11位。他们更想找的是找个好厨师和家庭主妇,她得待人礼貌、举止高雅、心情开朗。 1967年时,男士的意向榜单上,教育和智力支上升了1位,排到第10位。

Men in the postwar period were threatened by the thought of a woman with more or even as much education as they had. One man who taught at a women's college in the 1950s told me his colleagues used to joke that once they knew a woman had earned a Ph.D., they didn't even need to ask what she had specialized in: clearly, it was in "Putting Hubby Down."

二战后,一想到有个女人的受到的教育比自己多,甚至一样多,男人就会觉得受到威胁了。20世纪50年代曾经在女子学院任教的一位男士告诉我说,知道一个女性有了博士学位之后,他们甚至不会问她从事什么专业研究,就开玩笑地说专业是“把相公比下去。”

But over the past 30 years, these prejudices have largely disappeared. By 1996, intelligence and education had moved up to No. 5 on men's ranking of desirable qualities in a mate. The desire for a good cook and housekeeper had dropped to 14th place, near the bottom of the 18-point scale. The sociologist Christine B. Whelan reports that by 2008, men's interest in a woman's education and intelligence had risen to No. 4, just after mutual attraction, dependable character and emotional stability.

30多年过去了,这些偏见大部分已经不复存在了。1996年时,智力和教育状况已经上升到男人寻求伴侣理想的品质排名的第5 位。找一位厨师和家庭主妇已经降到第14位,接近一共18个排名的底部了。社会学家克里斯汀·威尔兰(Christine B. Whelan)称,2008年时男性对女性的教育和智力状况的兴趣已经上升到第4位了,仅次于彼此的吸引、可靠的品质和稳定的情感。

The result has been a historic reversal of what the economist Elaina Rose calls the "success" penalty for educated women. By 2008, the percentage of college-educated white women ages 55 to 59 who had never been married was down to 9 percent, just 3 points higher than their counterparts without college degrees. And among women 35 to 39, there was no longer any difference in the percentage who were married.

这个结果是对经济学家埃莱纳·罗斯称为受过良好教育女性的“成功”惩罚的历史性颠覆。截止到2008年,55岁至59岁的始终未婚的受过大学教育的白人女性比率已经下降到9%,只比没有大学学位的白人女性高3个点。而且,对于35岁至39岁的女性来说,有没有受过大学教育不再有区别。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-22 14:31

African-American women are less likely to marry than white women overall, but educated black women are considerably more likely to marry than their less-educated counterparts. As of 2008, 70 percent of African-American female college graduates had married, compared with 60 percent of high school graduates and just 53 percent of high school dropouts.

总体来说,非裔美国女性结婚的比白人女性少,但与教育水平不太高的黑人女性相比,受到良好教育的黑人女性结婚的可能要大得多。自2008年以来,70%的非裔女大学生结婚了;相比之下,高中毕业的结婚率只有60%;高中辍学的则只有53%。

One reason educated heterosexual women may worry about their marriage prospects today is that overall marriage rates have been slipping since 1980. But they have slipped less for educated women than for anyone else. Furthermore, college-educated women, once they do marry, are much less likely to divorce. As a result, by age 30, and especially at ages 35 and 40, college-educated women are significantly more likely to be married than any other group. And according to calculations by the economist Betsey Stevenson, an educated woman still single at age 40 is much more likely to marry in the next decade than her less educated counterparts.

如今受到良好教育的异性恋女性对婚姻前景担心的一个原因是,1980年以来总体的结婚率一直在下降。但与其它人群相比,受到良好教育的女性结婚率下降较小。而且,一旦受过大学教育的女性结婚了,就不太可能离婚。结果,30岁左右,特别是在35至40岁期间,受大学教育的女性比其它人更有可能结婚。根据经济学家贝特西·史蒂文森的测算,与受到教育不太高的女性相比,40岁仍单身的受到良好教育的女性在下一个10年结婚的可能性会加大。

Even for women who don't marry, it's better to be educated; a 2002 study found that never-married white women with more education than average lived "the longest, healthiest lives of all groups."

甚至对未结婚的女性来说,受教育也是好事;2002年的一份研究指出,在所有人中,受教育水平高于普通人的终身未嫁的白人女性“活得时间最长,生活也最健康”。

ONE of the dire predictions about educated women is true: today, more of them are "marrying down." Almost 30 percent of wives today have more education than their husbands, while less than 20 percent of husbands have more education than their wives, almost the exact reverse of the percentages in 1970.

有个关于受教育女性的可怕预测现在成事实了:如今很多受到良好教育的女性“下嫁”了。现在约有30%的妻子的教育水平比他们的丈夫高,而丈夫学历高于妻子的不足20%,这基本上与1970年的情况完全相反。

But there is not a shred of evidence that such marriages are any less satisfying than marriages in which men have equal or higher education than their wives. Indeed, they have many benefits for women.

但是没有丝毫的证据说明这样的婚姻没有男性学位高于(或等于)妻子的那样令人满意。实际上对女性有很多好处。

In a forthcoming paper from the Council on Contemporary Families, Oriel Sullivan, a researcher at Oxford University, reports that the higher a woman's human capital in relation to her husband — measured by her educational resources and earnings potential — the more help with housework she actually gets from her mate. The degree to which housework is shared is now one of the two most important predictors of a woman's marital satisfaction. And husbands benefit too, since studies show that women feel more sexually attracted to partners who pitch in.

哈佛大学研究员奥瑞儿·沙利文(Oriel Sullivan)在《当代家庭协会》发表的一篇论文称, 与丈夫相比,女性的人力资本(用教育资源和可能的收入来衡量)越多,干家务时伴侣给予她的帮助也就越多。家务被分担的程度是现在两个最重要的估计女性婚姻状况的指标之一。而且,这也有利于男性,因为研究显示女性对教育水平不高的伴侣更有性吸引力。

Speaking of which, educated wives also get better sex, whatever their partner's educational level, according to the sexuality researchers Pepper Schwartz and Virginia Rutter. They are more likely to receive as well as give oral sex, to use a greater variety of sexual positions and to experience orgasm regularly.

提到这一点,性研究员佩珀·施瓦兹(Pepper Schwartz) and弗吉尼亚·瑞特( Virginia Rutter)认为受到良好教育的妻子的性生活更加和谐,而不论他们伴侣的教育水平如何。他们更愿意口交或被口交,更可能使用多种体位和经常达到性高潮。

Certainly, some guys are still threatened by a woman's achievements. But scaring these types off might be a good thing. The men most likely to feel emotional and physical distress when their wives have a higher status or income tend to be those who are more invested in their identity as breadwinners than as partners and who define success in materialistic ways. Both these traits are associated with lower marital quality. Few women really want to marry a man whose penis rises and falls in tandem with the size of his paycheck or the prestige of his diploma.

当然,有些男人也会受不了女人的成就。但是把这类男人吓跑也许是件好事。当妻子的地位或收入超过自己时,他们的身心很可能会沮丧,而且他们往往认为自己是家庭的支柱而不是伴侣,他们往往用物质的方式定义成功。这两种品质与低质量的婚姻是联系在一起的。钱包鼓、学历高的时候,那话儿就竖起来了,否则就蔫下去了,这样的男人是没有女人真正愿意嫁的。

Yet when the journalist Liza Mundy interviewed young women for her forthcoming book on female breadwinners, she found that most wanted a mate they could "look up to" or "admire" — and didn't think they could admire a man who was less educated than they were. During a talk I recently gave to a women's group in San Francisco, an audience member said, "I want him to respect what I know, but I also want him to know just a little more than me." One of my students once told me, "it's exciting to be a bit in awe of a guy."

但是当她为新书采访一些女性家庭支柱时,记者丽莎·曼迪(Liza Mundy) 发现绝大数人都希望找个可以“ 仰望 ”或“ 羡慕”的对象,不希望他们羡慕的人受到的教育比不上自己。最近在旧金山跟一个女性团体谈话时,一名观众说,“我希望他尊重我知道的东西,而且我还希望他知道的比我多。” 有个学生也曾经告诉我,“对一个人有点敬畏也是比较有趣的。”

For a century, women have binged on romance novels that encouraged them to associate intimidation with infatuation; it's no wonder that this emotional hangover still lingers. Valentine's Day is a perfect time to reject the idea that the ideal man is taller, richer, more knowledgeable, more renowned or more powerful. The most important predictor of marital happiness for a woman is not how much she looks up to her husband but how sensitive he is to her emotional cues and how willing he is to share the housework and child-care. And those traits are often easier to find in a low-key guy than a powerhouse.

爱情小说常让人将崇拜、敬畏当成了喜欢,而一个世纪以来,女性都喜欢读这些小说。这种情感需求还是会遗留在脑际的。理想的男人应该是更高大的、更富有的、更有知识的、更加出名的或者更加强劲的。情人节是抵制这些观点的最佳时机。女人婚姻幸福最重要的一个因素不是她多么仰慕丈夫,而是丈夫对妻子的情感暗示有多敏感,有多愿意分担家务和照看孩子。而且与强人相比,这些品质在不打眼的人身上会更容易被发现。

I am not arguing that women ought to "settle." I am arguing that we can now expect more of a mate than we could when we depended on men for our financial security, social status and sense of accomplishment. But that requires ditching the Lois Lane syndrome, where we ignore the attractions and attention of Clark Kent because we're so eager for the occasional fly-by from Superman.

我并不是说女人应该“凑合”过下去。除了依赖男人获得经济支撑、社会地位和成就感之外,我觉得从男人身上可以获得更多其它东西。但这需要摆脱路易斯·莱恩(Lois Lane)综合症,因为它让我们忽略了克拉克·肯特的魅力和关怀,因为我们太渴望见到身边偶尔飞过的超人。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-23 09:07

When Xi Jinping was catapulted to the top of the Communist party hierarchy in 2007 the only thing most people in China knew about him was that he was married to a hugely popular military folk singer called Peng Liyuan.

当习近平2007年一跃登上中共权力体系巅峰时,中国大部分人对他的唯一了解就是:这个人是著名军中民歌演唱家彭丽媛的丈夫。

So the party's propaganda machine turned to Ms Peng, a major general in the People's Liberation Army, to introduce the man selected by a conclave of political power brokers to be the next leader of the world's most populous nation.

于是,中共的宣传机器转向了彭丽媛,借宣传这位中国人民解放军少将歌唱家来介绍习近平——他由中共高层少数人秘密挑选出来,作为世界第一人口大国的下一代领导人。

"The first time I met him my heart pounded and I felt immediately that this was my ideal husband, he was so pure and thoughtful," she said in an interview with Chinese state media. Ms Peng also described him as humble and dedicated to his work as a party official.

彭丽媛在接受中国国家媒体采访时如此回忆与习近平的第一次见面:“当时我心里一动——这不就是我心目中理想的丈夫吗?人纯朴又很有思想。”彭丽媛还说,习近平为人谦和,是个工作勤恳的党干部。

Like most of China's top political leaders Mr Xi is an enigmatic figure whose manicured official biography and public pronouncements offer few hints of what his policies might be when he ascends the communist throne.

如中国大多数最高领导人一样,习近平是个神秘的人物。从他经过修饰的官方简历和公开发表的演说中,我们很难找到多少线索,来推断他在登上中共权力宝座以后会采取怎样的政策。

In China and overseas, people have been projecting their own biases and preferences on to the man who will almost certainly succeed president Hu Jintao as Communist party general secretary at the end of this year and president and head of the military soon after.

在中国和海外,人们一直将自己的偏好套用到习近平身上。习近平几乎肯定会在今年年底接替胡锦涛担任中共中央总书记,并随后出任中国国家主席和中共中央军事委员会主席。

Some say he is a strong nationalist leader who could try to confront the west, others argue he is pro-western but isolated and some hopeful liberals even quietly speculate that he could be a Chinese Gorbachev, itching to introduce democracy the first chance he gets.

有人说,习近平是一名强硬的民族主义领导人,可能试图与西方对抗;也有人称,习近平是亲西方的,但孤立无援;一些乐观的自由主义者甚至默默猜测,习近平可能就是中国的戈尔巴乔夫,渴望一有机会就推行民主。

His visit to the US this week, where he was received as if he was already head of state, has done little to illuminate his political leanings although it has thrust him into the global spotlight, where he appeared confident if somewhat colourless.

习近平本周访问美国,受到的接待规格之高,仿佛他已经是中国最高领导人了。此行让习近平成为了全球的焦点,但未能提供多少线索,让世人了解他的政治倾向。面对全球媒体的关注,习近平的表现,除了多少有些缺乏特色之外,总的来说,颇为自信。

But contrary to appearances and his airbrushed official bio, Mr Xi's path to the pinnacle of Communist power has been anything but boring.
但与其外在表现以及经过粉饰的官方简历不同,习近平登上中共权力巅峰的道路绝非平淡无奇。

Born the "princeling" son of a revolutionary general in 1953, he was surrounded by privilege from a young age, living in a compound for top Chinese leaders with the kind of comforts – servants, telephones and a steady food supply – that most citizens in the impoverished nation couldn't dream of.

1953年,习近平出生于一个革命将领家庭,“太子党”的出身让他自幼享受许多特权。在高级领导人专属的干部大院里长大,有勤务兵、电话和稳定的食品供应——这些在当时一贫如洗的中国是大多数人所无法想象的。

But all of that was snatched away when his father, Xi Zhongxun, who was by now a vice-premier, was detained in 1962 in one of Mao Zedong's vicious purges. Gone were the trappings of the elite and the status of the young Xi, who for the next 15 years would be branded the son of a counter-revolutionary.

但在1962年,这一切都没有了。那一年,习近平之父、时任副总理的习仲勋在毛泽东的一次残酷清洗中被打倒。年少的习近平一下子失去了**的待遇和地位,在之后的15年里,他的身份都是反革命分子的儿子。

Things only got worse as the Cultural Revolution engulfed the nation in the late 1960s and he was shipped out to the countryside at the tender age of 15 to toil with the peasants as one of millions of "sent-down educated youth". In a small village in northern Shaanxi Province he slept like the locals on a flea-infested bed made of bricks in a cave dug into the yellow dirt. "I ate a lot of bitterness at that time," Mr Xi later wrote. "But my experience there had a profound influence on me and formed my down-to-earth, striving character."

到上世纪60年代后期,随着文化大革命在全国范围内兴起,情况变得更糟。年仅15岁的习近平与数百万“下乡知青”一起,下放到农村,与农民一起辛苦劳动。在陕西北部的一个小村庄里,习近平和当地的农民一样,睡在窑洞里满是跳蚤的炕上。“我那时吃了很多苦,”习近平后来写道,“但那段经历对我有很深的影响,使我形成了踏实肯干、不屈不挠的性格。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-23 09:08

Friends of his say it was this experience that instilled in him an all-consuming desire to become a top party official and return to the leadership compounds of his youth.

他的朋友们说,习近平对于进入中共高层、重返幼年时代干部大院的强烈渴望,正是来源于这段经历。

While his father languished in prison he tried 10 times to join the same party that had brought so much suffering to his family but was refused because of his "bad class background". He finally convinced the party to admit him in 1974 and a year later he was accepted to Beijing's elite Tsinghua University.

就在父亲在狱中饱受折磨期间,习近平曾10次申请加入为他的家庭带来如此多痛苦的共产党,但都因“阶级成分不好”而被拒绝。1974年,中共终于批准习近平入党,一年后,他被精英云集的清华大学录取。

While he studied chemical engineering, the Cultural Revolution ended, Deng Xiaoping came to power and Mr Xi's father was rehabilitated before being sent by Deng to rule Guangdong Province. In 1979 Mr Xi was given a plum job as assistant to Geng Biao, China's defence minister and an old comrade of his father.

习近平在清华化工系学习期间,文革结束,邓小平上台,父亲得以平反,之后受到邓小平的任命赴广东省任省长。1979年,习近平获得了一份不错的工作:担任当时的中央军委秘书长(后来担任国防部长)、父亲的老战友耿飚的秘书。

According to friends of Mr Xi and his family, he made a "calculated" decision in 1982 to head back out to the countryside in order to build his resumé as a grassroots official. He was eventually appointed governor of Fujian, the province that lies just across the strait from Taiwan, in 2000 and then party secretary of prosperous Zhejiang Province in 2003.

据习近平和习家的一些朋友透露,1982年,习近平经过仔细的“考量”做出了一个决定:重返农村,以打造一份出身基层的履历。2000年,习近平最终被任命为福建省省长,2003年,又被任命为富庶省份浙江省的省委书记。

His elevation to vice-president and presumptive heir to Mr Hu in 2007 came just months after he was parachuted into Shanghai to replace disgraced former party secretary Chen Liangyu, the most senior official to be arrested for corruption in more than a decade.

2007年,习近平“空降”上海,接替不光彩下台的上海原市委书记陈良宇(十多年来因腐败而被捕的最高级别的中共官员)。仅几个月后,他就被提升为国家副主席,成为胡锦涛的预定接班人。

This leap from obscurity to centre stage came partly thanks to his efforts carefully to cultivate his own image as a humble, down-to-earth public servant, after he suffered a major setback a decade earlier. In 1997, amid a backlash against the "princelings", he came last in an internal vote by Communist elites to select the party's 344-member Central Committee.

习近平在登上中央舞台之前一直默默无闻,这部分原因在于,经历过10年前的那次重大挫折之后,习近平一直努力塑造自己谦和、踏实的人民公仆形象。1997年,恰逢“太子党”遭到反弹之时,在中共高层的内部投票中,习近平进入了总共344人的中共中央委员会,但他是得票数最低的中央候补委员。

In an opaque system known for endemic graft and corruption, Mr Xi is regarded as "clean", although he is not immune to controversy.

在一个贪污腐败盛行的不透明体系中,习近平被视为“清官”,但他也难免受到争议之扰。

Critics point out that his doctoral degree in law from Tsinghua was received for an on-the-job course in "applied Marxist theory and ideological education" and some commentators have claimed he plagiarised all or part of the thesis he wrote while governor of Fujian.

批评人士指出,习近平只参加了清华大学马克思主义理论与思想政治教育专业的在职学习,却获得了法学博士学位;还有一些评论人士宣称,习近平担任福建省长期间撰写的毕业论文部分或全部涉嫌抄袭。

His and Ms Peng's only child, a daughter, is studying as an undergraduate under an assumed name at Harvard, leading many to question his confidence in China's own elite education system.

习近平和彭丽媛的独女目前化名在哈佛大学(Harvard)念本科,这令许多人质疑习近平对中国本土精英教育体系的信心。

None of these concerns will derail Mr Xi's rise to the top at the end of this year. But it remains a mystery what path he will decide to take once he finally reaches the goal he set for himself as a young man.

这些问题没有一个会妨碍习近平在今年年底登上最高领导人之位。但当他最终实现了年少时设定的理想目标之后,他究竟将会决定走哪条道路,这还是个谜。

"We don't know much about his views on political reform or how he will approach relations with the west," says Cheng Li, an expert in elite Chinese politics at the Brookings Institute. "To a certain extent Xi may not know himself which way he will go."

“关于他对政治改革的看法,或者他将如何处理与西方的关系,我们知之甚少,”美国布鲁金斯学会(Brookings Institute)研究中国上层政治的专家李成表示。“某种程度上,习近平自己可能都不知道未来他将走哪条路。”

The writer is the FT's Beijing bureau chief

本文作者是英国《金融时报》北京分社社长
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-23 10:01

This report and other recent studies show that online learning, distance learning, and self-learning in general, are not only more convenient, but, in fact, more effective than the classroom, for high school, college and adult learners. In the last decade, the Internet, the MP3 player, the iPhone, and other mobile devices,as well as social networking sites, language exchange communities, online learning systems, university courses online and more, have changed how we deal with knowledge. The walls of academia, and the costs of learning, are crumbling before our eyes and ears.
本篇报道和其他近期研究都显示普遍而言,网络课程、远程教育和自学比起传统高中、大学和成人教育模式等,不仅更加方便、而且效率更高。在过去的十年当中,互联网、mp3随身听、iPhone、其他便携式设备以及网络社区、网上教育课程、高校网络教程等等都改变了我们学习知识的方式。高等教育的围墙、大笔的学费都在我们眼前崩塌。

For those who are conditioned to think that learning only happens in a classroom, the world of self-learning can be a little daunting. How do we best take advantage these new opportunities.
对于那些认为学习只能在教室中进行的人而言,自学可能会吓怕他们。那么我们怎么才能最好的利用自学这种新兴的学习方法呢?下面以自学外语为例,为大家介绍一些小诀窍。

1. Get interested
第一步:对所学之物感兴趣

Make no mistake. Your interest in the subject is the essential driver of success. You can't learn what you do not want to learn. Emotion is an important part of the learning process. If you are even moderately interested in a subject, give yourself a chance. The key is to get started. If you can create some pleasurable routines, you may find that the subject grows on you. “L’appetit vient en mangeant” (the appetite comes with eating) as they say in French.
可别搞错了,兴趣是成功学成某件事的根本要素!你不想学的东西当然学不会。在学习过程中保持热情至关重要。所以如果你对某件事有些兴趣,那就给自己一个学习的机会。关键是要“开始”!如果你能创造一些让自己开心的学习模式,那么就能好好开始学习这门科目。就像他们在法语里说的那样:吃着吃着就有胃口了!

很多同学因为看美剧或动漫而对英语、日语产生了强烈的兴趣,这就是一个很棒的开始。如果你能抓住这个兴趣,把兴趣发展到语言学习中,你就不仅仅能得到看剧的快乐,更能为自己添加一种新的能力。不要担心自己学不下来,总要给自己一个机会开始。

2. Expect problems and you won’t be disappointed.
第二布:降低期望值,这样就不会对自己失望

Don't expect to understand things, much less remember them, the first time you study them. Trust that things will get clearer as your brain comes to grips with new information. It is like a jig-saw puzzle or a cross-word puzzle. As you start to put the pieces together, or string the words together, the full picture becomes clearer. The brain learns all the time, but on its own schedule. Learning does not take place according to a schedule laid down by a curriculum or teacher. Some things are easier to learn than others. Some things just take longer to click in. Keep at it, and you will gradually find that things that seem difficult at first, will become second nature with time.
当一开始学习的时候,别指望能一下就全部理解、更别说记住所有知识点了。要相信,随着你了解越来越多的新知识、你的头脑也会变得清晰起来。这就像是拼图、或者填字游戏那样:当你把图形一个一个拼起来、或是把单词一一填进去,整个大局就会清楚。大脑其实随时都在学习,不过它也有自己的节奏。学习的过程是不会按照一个课程、或是老师给你规定的进行的。有的东西比其他好学,有的东西就是需要花更多时间。坚持下去,你慢慢就会发现那些一开始看上去很难的东西也会随着时间变得简单了。

3. Cover the same ground from different angles.
第三步:从不同的角度学习同一个知识点。

Your brain is struggling to form patterns to cope with new input from your learning activities. Sometimes, no matter how long you focus on one subject, your brain is not going to pick it up. If you are stuck, move on. Then cover the same general information from a different source, a different book, or a podcast, or an online lecture or a video. Try to become a grazing learner, roaming the countryside, rather than a feedlot learner, just standing there in one spot, munching on the same bale of hay. The broader your base, the easier it is to learn. Just as the “rich get richer”, the more you know, the more you can learn.
在新知识的学习过程中,你的大脑会通过固有模式来接受新的知识点。有的时候,不管花多长时间对着一个科目,你就是记不住它。如果卡在这种时候,就略过它。跟着从其他的信息来源:比如不同的书籍、播客、线上课程或视频来重新学习同一个知识点。试着把自己变成一个“放养”的学习者——在知识的草原上四处周游;而不是“圈养”的学习者——只站在一个点上学习,反复咀嚼一个知识点。看地越广、就能学的轻松。就像是“有钱的更有钱”的道理那样,你知道的越多、就能学的越多。

4. Anytime is learning time.
第四步:随时都是学习时间!

Take full advantage of the Internet, iTunes, and various mobile devices, not to mention good old-fashioned books and magazines. Learn during “dead time”. Listen in your car, on the train, or while jogging. Have your learning with you while waiting in the doctor's office, or listen while checking out at the supermarket. Anytime is learning time. Remember, you are learning through exposure, not by nailing things down. It is more like moisture accumulation in a cloud, rather than building a brick wall.
一定要好好利用互联网、iTunes和其他多种移动便携设备,更不用说书籍和杂志这样的传统学习资源啦!把那些“死时间”也都利用起来:开车、坐火车、或者慢跑时都可以听课。在医院排队、或是超市等结账的时候你有没有在听课呢?其实随时都可以是学习时间。记住,你要与学习材料耳鬓厮磨来学习,而不是痛苦地一点一点去啃材料。这个过程更像是一朵云的形成,是水汽的一点点累计;而不像砌一面墙那样,把砖堆上去就好。

网络课程最大的优势就在于“随时随地”!只要有网络,学习时间由你定。有的人适合早起,一清早最有效率;可有的人就是天生的夜猫子,早晨的学习效率无论如何都高不起来。现在都不用担心了,你完全可以按照适合自己的时间点来调节、来学习。

5. Be a multimedia learner.
第五步:做一个多媒体学习者

The more varied your learning content, and the more varied the ways in which you learn, the clearer the puzzle will become. Different learning activities suit different people, at different times of the day. Vary your activities in order to keep your interest level up. Even if listening and reading work best for you, treat yourself to the odd video lecture, or get-together with other learners. This will renew your batteries.
你学习的内容越多、来源越多,你就会对知识点越清楚。不同的人适合不同的学习方法,每天的学习“兴奋点”也不错。所以最好能找到自己的一套学习规律来保持自己的“兴奋度”。即便听和读是你习惯的学习方式,也要让自己试着去听听看视频的演讲、或是跟其他学习者交流。这会让你重新充满精力!

6. Join learning communities.
第六步:加入学习社区

The “loneliness of the distance learner” is a thing of the past. Join a learning community on the web, where members share their knowledge and experience. Search for the communities that suit your interests and learning style. You will find encouragement, advice and stimulus from fellow learners, as well as from tutors, teachers and coaches. In these communities, you can measure your progress against your own goals, or compare your experience with that of other learners. You can even teach and help others, which is a great way to learn.
“远程教育是孤独的”概念已经成为过去。现在你可以加入一个网络学习社区,和大家一起分享知识与经验。找一个符合你兴趣和学习方式的社区。在那里你可以从其他学习者身上找到鼓励、建议和动力,同时也有导师、老师和教练给你提供支持。在这些社区中,你能更好地检验自己的学习进度、也可以和其他学习者竞争。甚至,你还可以教授或帮助其他人,这的确是一个学习的好方法!
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-27 08:22

One of the odd stories to come out of the French-speaking province of Quebec last year was the announcement that intensive English courses would be offered to students in state schools. Odd, because in the past half-century, much of the Québécois identity has been built on resisting English. Authorities throw the book at people for doing things that would be normal elsewhere in Canada. Last autumn, the Montreal newspaper La Presse revealed that two real estate executives had made presentations in English to a Montreal-based pension fund, violating the province's language laws, which give workers the right to a French-speaking environment.

去年,以法语为官方语言的加拿大魁北克省传来了一则不同寻常的消息:该省宣布将在公立学校中面向学生开设英语精读课程。之所以说它不同寻常,是因为在过去半个世纪中,魁北克人的民族认同在很大程度上建立在抵制英语这一基础上。在加拿大其他地方被视为正常的事情,在魁北克却会受到当局最严厉的惩罚。去年秋天,蒙特利尔报纸《La Presse》曝光了一件事:两名房地产行业的高管使用英语向一支总部位于蒙特利尔的养老基金做报告。这种行为违反了魁北克省的语言法。在该省,员工有权享有一个讲法语的工作环境。

Now, school authorities in Quebec City are questioning whether the time is ripe for introducing those English classes after all. Their hesitation has left French-speaking parents angry. On one hand, those parents want their children to cherish their own community and its language. On the other hand, English is the international language of business, and their children will have a hard time climbing the social ladder without it.

如今,对于引入此类英语课程的时机到底是不是已经成熟,魁北克市学校当局提出了质疑。他们的犹豫不决令那些讲法语的家长们感到愤怒。一方面,父母希望子女珍视他们自己的社交圈和语言。另一方面,在英语已成为国际商务语言的情况下,如果不会讲英语,他们子女在提高自身社会地位的过程中将遭遇重重障碍。

Self-contradiction besets all governments as they try to work out a role for English in their national culture. Long-time Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad was, as a young man, a promoter of Malay. He made it the language of school instruction two decades ago. But in 2003, he came up with a plan to teach mathematics and science in English, reasoning that most technical literature on those subjects was in English. It was a flop. English-language ability, among both teachers and students, had dropped more precipitously since independence than Dr Mahathir cared to admit. But when the government suggested discontinuing the programme in 2009, parents flew into a rage.

那些试图在自身文化中为英语寻找到合适定位的政府,都无法摆脱这种矛盾。长期担任马来西亚总理的马哈蒂尔•穆罕默德(Mahathir Mohamad)年轻时曾是马来语的推动者。20年前,他使马来语成为了学校的教学语言。但2003年时,他又提出一项新计划,也就是用英语来教授数学和科学,原因是这些学科的大部分技术文献都是用英语撰写的。此举彻底受挫。马来西亚教师和学生的英语能力自该国独立以来已急剧下滑,尽管马哈蒂尔博士本人不愿承认下滑得有那么厉害。然而,当2009年马来西亚政府建议中止该计划时,家长们却强烈不满。

Not all cultures have the same historical anguish over English that Malaysians and Québécois do. But almost all are being dragged ineluctably towards giving English a bigger role in their societies. More than a dozen EU countries require that English be taught in schools. In Thailand and China, the government has fostered English-language learning circles. Francophone Rwanda switched over in 2009 to English school instruction. English spreads wherever there is democracy or markets or even the slightest inclination towards them.

在英语这个问题上,并不是所有文化都遭遇了马来西亚人和魁北克人遭遇的那种历史痛苦。但如今,几乎所有的文化都不得不在各自的社会中赋予英语更加重要的角色,这已成为一种不可避免的趋势。已有十余个欧盟(EU)国家要求本国学校教授英语。在泰国和中国,政府对英语学习圈子进行了扶持。法语国家卢旺达2009年时将学校教学语言改为英语。一个地方只要拥有民主或市场、甚至只要具备向民主或市场靠拢的最轻微倾向,英语就会该地蔓延开来。

So now we can all talk, we peoples of the world. The universalisation of English has happy consequences. But like the building of the Tower of Babel, it has negative ones, too. English as a lingua franca offers unfair advantages to the half-billion people who speak English as a native language. We sometimes assume that English is a world standard only for superficial interactions — hotel personnel saying "How was your stay?" or business consultants importing words like "benchmarking" into their own languages. But French and German professors, for instance, often grumble that it is hard to build a career when academic journals are all in English.

于是,现在全世界的人可以彼此交流了。英语的普及产生了积极的影响。但是,就像建造巴别塔(Tower of Babel)一样,它也带来了消极影响。对以英语为母语的5亿人来说,作为通用语言的英语为他们提供了一种有失公平的优势。我们有时只是出于泛泛交流的原因,就将英语视为一种世界标准——比如酒店工作人员说的那句“How was your stay?”(您住得愉快吗?),或是商业顾问们引入到自己母语中的“benchmarking”(标杆管理法)等词汇。但法国和德国的教授却经常抱怨道,在所有学术刊物都以英语为书面语言的情况下,他们的职业发展困难重重。这只是一个例子。

Meanwhile, there can be a diversity-stifling effect to "diversity". When universities, whether in Quebec or Paris or Catalonia, teach classes in global English, they can adorn their student bodies with exotic people from around the world — the most talented ones, the flower of their respective cultures. But the net effect can be to turn these varied young people into extremely unvaried adults. Language shapes mentalities — how deeply is harder to say. But the spread of English may be limiting our ability to think in different ways.

另一方面,英语的普及可能会扼杀“多样性”。当各所大学——不管是魁北克、巴黎还是加泰罗尼亚的大学——都用全球性的英语授课时,它们能够吸引到来自世界各地的留学生,来充实自己的学生队伍。这些留学生极具天赋,是各自文明的奇葩。但这种做法的最终结果却是把这些原本特点各异的年轻人培养成了毫无差异的成年人。语言可以塑造人们的心智。这种塑造力到底有多大,愈发难以说清。但英语的扩张也许正在抑制我们以不同方式思考问题的能力。

In a fascinating piece written for the New York Review of Books last June, the novelist Tim Parks described his suspicion that world authors today write with an eye to the translatability of their work into English. They "had already performed a translation within their own languages", he writes. Mr Parks was grateful for the directness this produced, but worried it came at a price in literary variety. Global English allows writers to go "not quite as far but in half the time", as the old Cure song used to have it.

小说家蒂姆•帕克斯(Tim Parks)去年6月为《纽约书评》(New York Review of Books)撰写了一篇颇有意思的文章,他在文章中谈到了自己的一点怀疑:世界各国的作家如今在写作时都会考虑,自己的作品是否容易译成英语。帕克斯在文中指出,作家们“在成文时实际上是在用母语翻译英语版的内容。”这样做能使文章译成英语后通俗易懂,对此帕克斯予以了肯定,但他担心这会牺牲文学的多样性。就像《The Cure》乐队的那支老歌所唱的,全球性的英语让作家虽然“走得没那么远,但用时却减少了一半”。

The writer Robert McCrum wrote in his recent book Globish that there are 4bn people who understand English, if we're generous about what we mean by English. One can only rub one's eyes. Anyone who is now 38 years old or older was alive at a time when 4bn was more than the whole population of the planet. It reached that level in 1974, just seven years before Fran•ois Mitterrand came to power in France. His culture minister, Jack Lang, waged a fight against the linguistic imperialism of English. A later government would specify that 40 per cent of popular songs on the radio had to be in French. That law gave rise to a lot of laughter in Washington and London. It doesn't seem quite so crazy as it did back then.

作家罗伯特•麦克拉姆(Robert McCrum)在他最近所写的《全球语》(Globish)一书中谈到,如果我们对英语下一种宽泛的定义,那么目前世界上有40亿人懂英语。你或许会对此大感意外。如果你现在的年龄在38岁或以上,那么你的人生中曾经有过这样一段日子:那时,全世界的人口总和还不到40亿。全球人口在1974年时达到40亿,7年后,弗朗索瓦•密特朗(Fran•ois Mitterrand)执掌了法国的政权。密特朗时期的文化部长雅克•朗(Jack Lang)发起了一场反抗英语语言霸权的斗争。那之后的历届法国政府将会规定:电台播放的流行歌曲中,法语歌必须占到40%。这部法律在华盛顿和伦敦一度成为笑料。今天,这个主意似乎并没有当初看上去那样疯狂。

The writer is a senior editor at The Weekly Standard
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-27 08:54

China says it has lodged an official complaint with Tokyo, after the mayor of a Japanese city again denied the well-documented pre-World War Two massacre of several hundred thousand Chinese civilians by Japanese troops in 1937. Nanjing officials suspended all contacts late Tuesday with its Japanese sister city, Nagoya. The action came hours after the Chinese consulate in Nagoya protested Mayor Takashi Kawamura's assertion that the so-called Nanjing massacre "probably never happened." Chinese and Western historians estimate that between 200,000 and 300,000 Chinese were killed by Imperial Japanese forces during a six-week period beginning in December 1937. Many Chinese, including war survivors, still voice resentment toward Japan.

中国表示已向日本提出正式交涉。在此之前,日本名古屋市长再次否认第二次世界大战前日本军队于1937年屠杀了成千上万名中国平民,尽管有详实的记录记载这次屠杀。南京官员星期二晚中断了与日本姊妹城市名古屋的一切联系。在南京采取这一行动前几个小时,中国驻名古屋领事馆抗议名古屋市长河村隆之所说的所谓南京屠杀“可能根本没有发生过”。 中国和西方历史学家估计有大约20万到30万中国人在1937年12月开始的六个星期期间被日本帝国军队杀死。 很多中国人,包括一些战争幸存者仍然仇视日本。

Kawamura also raised the ire of China in 2009, when he told the Nagoya city council that the Nanjing death toll cited by Beijing was inflated. In 2005, protests erupted across much of East Asia over Japan's approval of revisionist history textbooks that also minimize the impact of its wartime activities. Protesters also targeted Japanese efforts to gain a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

河村隆之2009年的言论也曾惹恼中国。他当时对名古屋市议会说,南京的死亡人数被北京夸大了。2005年,东亚各地爆发示威,抗议日本通过修改历史教科书。修改的历史教科书把日本在战争时期活动的影响最小化。抗议者还抗议日本争取获得联合国安理会常任理事国地位。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-27 09:20

China's exponential growth over the last decade is admired globally, but could eventually come with a price: social unrest.

过去10年里,中国呈几何级数的经济增长让全世界艳羡不已,但这最终可能也会让中国付出一个代价:社会不稳。

According to the head of Europe's largest aluminum producer Norsk Hydro, China's new and still growing middle class is likely to get increasingly frustrated at the restrictions its ruling class impose.

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images欧洲最大的铝业生产商挪威海德鲁公司(Norsk Hydro)首席执行长说,对于规模还在壮大的中国新兴中产阶级来说,统治阶层施加的限制很可能会让他们越来越感觉到失望。

"My concern is the long-term situation in China, when hundreds of millions of people are middle class ─can they accept that the freedom they experience is not of the same degree as in democratic nations in the West?" says Svein Richard Brandtzaeg.

布兰采格(Svein Richard Brandtzaeg)说,我担心的是中国的长期形势;当数亿人迈入中产阶级的行列,他们是否能接受这样的事实,即自己所获得的自由在程度上同西方民主国家有所不同?

"This could increase the temperature of Chinese society, although I'm not saying there will be a revolution. But if the government continues to handle its population in the same way, it'll find that it is faced with a nation demanding democracy."

布兰采格说,这会让中国社会矛盾加剧,不过我并不是说会爆发革命。但是如果政府继续以同样的方式对待它的人民,它就会发现它所面对的是一个要求民主的国家。

China is already struggling with inflation, Mr. Brandtzaeg says, with Norsk Hydro facing salary increases of 20% a year at its operations there, with the concept of these generous wage hikes backed by the government.

中国已经受到通货膨胀的困扰。布兰采格说,海德鲁在中国的工厂面临着每年为其员工加薪20%的压力,而这种大幅提薪的要求也得到了政府的支持。

While keeping its huge population happy is clearly critical for the country, Mr. Brandtzaeg says that at least one other negative consequence of Chinese growth is already being seen.

很显然,让庞大的人口感到满意对中国来说至关重要。然而布兰采格说,除此之外,至少还有一个由中国经济增长带来的消极后果已经开始显现。

"Rising costs will influence the appetite for foreign direct investment into China and this investment could start to reverse the other way as a result," he adds.

成本上升将影响外国直接投资进入中国的动力,结果可能导致这类投资开始向相反的方向流动。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-27 09:20

China's exponential growth over the last decade is admired globally, but could eventually come with a price: social unrest.

过去10年里,中国呈几何级数的经济增长让全世界艳羡不已,但这最终可能也会让中国付出一个代价:社会不稳。

According to the head of Europe's largest aluminum producer Norsk Hydro, China's new and still growing middle class is likely to get increasingly frustrated at the restrictions its ruling class impose.

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images欧洲最大的铝业生产商挪威海德鲁公司(Norsk Hydro)首席执行长说,对于规模还在壮大的中国新兴中产阶级来说,统治阶层施加的限制很可能会让他们越来越感觉到失望。

"My concern is the long-term situation in China, when hundreds of millions of people are middle class ─can they accept that the freedom they experience is not of the same degree as in democratic nations in the West?" says Svein Richard Brandtzaeg.

布兰采格(Svein Richard Brandtzaeg)说,我担心的是中国的长期形势;当数亿人迈入中产阶级的行列,他们是否能接受这样的事实,即自己所获得的自由在程度上同西方民主国家有所不同?

"This could increase the temperature of Chinese society, although I'm not saying there will be a revolution. But if the government continues to handle its population in the same way, it'll find that it is faced with a nation demanding democracy."

布兰采格说,这会让中国社会矛盾加剧,不过我并不是说会爆发革命。但是如果政府继续以同样的方式对待它的人民,它就会发现它所面对的是一个要求民主的国家。

China is already struggling with inflation, Mr. Brandtzaeg says, with Norsk Hydro facing salary increases of 20% a year at its operations there, with the concept of these generous wage hikes backed by the government.

中国已经受到通货膨胀的困扰。布兰采格说,海德鲁在中国的工厂面临着每年为其员工加薪20%的压力,而这种大幅提薪的要求也得到了政府的支持。

While keeping its huge population happy is clearly critical for the country, Mr. Brandtzaeg says that at least one other negative consequence of Chinese growth is already being seen.

很显然,让庞大的人口感到满意对中国来说至关重要。然而布兰采格说,除此之外,至少还有一个由中国经济增长带来的消极后果已经开始显现。

"Rising costs will influence the appetite for foreign direct investment into China and this investment could start to reverse the other way as a result," he adds.

成本上升将影响外国直接投资进入中国的动力,结果可能导致这类投资开始向相反的方向流动。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-27 09:22

users must register with their real identities will probably delay the company's revenue-generating plan until the second half of this year.

从那以来,曹国伟已两次推迟了商业化时间表,预计本月他将再次这么做。新浪员工表示,政府要求所有微博用户必须登记真实身份,这很可能将公司的创收计划推迟至今年下半年。

"That will create a lot of negative sentiment with investors," says Alicia Yap, an analyst at Barclays Capital. "The post-New Year rally will not be sustainable."

“这将在投资者当中产生非常大的负面情绪,”巴克莱资本(Barclay Capital)分析师埃利西亚•雅普(Alicia Yap)表示。“新年后新浪股价的涨势将无法持续下去。”

Such concerns were reinforced this week, when government officials said that Weibo users who failed to register under their real names by March 16 would no longer be allowed to post messages. Local media have reported that only 3m new users have registered on Sina Weibo over the past month – down from about 20m in earlier months.

政府官员最近表示,从3月16日起,没有实名注册的用户将不准在微博上发言,这使投资者的担忧进一步加剧。中国媒体报道称,新浪微博过去一个月新增用户仅300万人,低于以往几个月大约新增2000万人的水平。

The company's share price already reflects some of these concerns. Following a series of government moves towards tighter censorship of social media, and falling profitability because of the soaring cost of marketing Weibo, Sina shares have lost 54 per cent since their peak of $142.83 on April 19 last year.

这些担忧已经在新浪的股价中得到了反映。继政府采取一系列措施收紧对社交媒体的审查,同时微博营销成本飙升导致盈利能力下降后,新浪股价已从去年4月19日142.83美元的高位下跌54%。

Sina has not been idle, though. "The company has been working hard to lay the ground for monetisation, and it is moving closer," says Dong Xu, a social media expert at Analysys International, an internet research company in Beijing. That includes hiring engineers to strengthen its skills in developing applications and to adjust its platform to new needs.

不过,新浪未曾懈怠。“新浪一直在努力为微博商业化打基础,现在离目标更近了,”北京互联网调研公司易观国际(Analysys International)的社交媒体专家董旭表示。新浪的努力包括招募工程技术人员来加强应用开发方面的技能,以及调整其平台以满足新的需求。

Unlike Tencent, China's largest internet company by revenues and Sina's main rival in the social space, Sina is essentially a media company. Advertising accounted for 77 per cent of its 2011 revenues of $484m, Morgan Stanley estimates.

与中国营收最高的互联网公司、新浪在社交媒体领域的主要对手腾讯(Tecent)有所不同,新浪在本质上是一家媒体公司。据摩根士丹利(Morgan Stanley)估计,新浪2011年营业收入为4.84亿美元,其中广告收入占到77%。

Investors hope the company can build a business beyond advertising, similar to Facebook, which last week filed for its long-awaited stock market debut to raise $5bn. Such a model would resemble Tencent, whose broad spread of revenue streams has made it much less vulnerable to cyclical swings when advertising falls.

投资者希望新浪把自己打造成一家类似于Facebook、不仅依赖广告的企业。上周,Facebook提交了期待已久的上市申请,打算融资50亿美元。这种模式将和腾讯很相似,腾讯拥有广泛的收入流,这意味着当广告收入下降时,该公司受到周期波动的影响要小得多。


Sina has taken steps to prepare for that, including the launch of a gaming platform and a virtual currency. But that is all at an experimental stage and there is scepticism about some areas of monetisation.

新浪已采取行动向这个方向努力,包括推出一个游戏平台和一种虚拟货币。但这些都处于试验阶段,而且外界对某些领域的商业化前景表示怀疑。
"So far, most things are free," says Xu Zhiming, founder of Kuaishubao, an online bookstore that uses Sina Weibo for its order management and customer relations.

在线书店快书包(Kuaishubao)的创始人徐智明表示,“大多数东西迄今都是免费的。”目前,快书包使用新浪微博进行订单管理和客户关系管理。

Sina has made its gaming platform free of charge for the first year. Even if it were to start charging, analysts' expectations are very low. This is partly because Sina's user base, which consists largely of white-collar workers in China's largest cities, "are not gamers", says Mr Dong of Analysys.

新浪的游戏平台第一年对用户免收费用。即便开始收费,分析师们的预期也很低。易观国际的董旭表示,部分原因在于,新浪的用户群以中国各大城市的白领为主,他们“不是游戏玩家”。

That would leave Sina with advertising. The two main areas of potential here would be the country's soaring e-commerce market and highly targeted ads similar to those on Facebook. Many Chinese e-commerce sites have already linked up to Weibo, but Sina has yet to demand a revenue share for that.

这使得新浪必须依赖广告。两个具有潜力的主要领域将是中国蒸蒸日上的电子商务市场,以及类似于Facebook的具有高度针对性的广告。许多国内电子商务网站都和新浪建立了链接,但新浪尚未提出收入分成要求。

The biggest disappointment for industry experts has been lack of progress in targeted ads.

最令行业专家失望的一点是,新浪在定向广告上进展甚微。

"In theory, Sina has an incredible asset with all this user data, but they don't appear to know how to analyse those data," says a Beijing advertising agent.

一家北京的广告代理商表示,“在理论上,所有这些用户数据都是新浪的宝贵资产,但他们好像不懂得如何分析这些数据。”

Despite healthy advertising demand in general, that weakness in reading the data impedes progress, especially in the current political climate. "Brands worry that they could be tied to re-tweeted messages that might be sensitive," says Barcap's Ms Yap.

尽管广告需求总体上保持稳健,但解读数据方面的弱点妨碍了新浪的发展,尤其是在当前的政治气候下。“各品牌担心,它们可能受到转发的敏感信息的牵连,”巴克莱资本的雅普表示。

All these things are much less of a problem for Tencent. Although it has a microblog of its own, the Shenzhen-based company sees the service mostly as a tool to wear down Sina and make sure it does not challenge Tencent's lead in social networking in China.

对腾讯而言,所有这些都不算什么问题。尽管腾讯也推出了自己的微博,但这家总部位于深圳的公司主要把微博服务视为拖住新浪的一种工具,确保新浪不会挑战自己在中国社交网站领域的领先地位。

Says a Tencent executive: "We have no plans to monetise our microblog. We don't need to."

一位腾讯高管表示:“我们还没有使微博商业化的计划。我们不需要这么做。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-27 10:53

Apple has entered the textbook market. The tech giant introduced iBooks textbooks a couple of weeks ago when it announced its iBooks 2 platform.

几周前,苹果公司在iBooks 2平台的发布会上正式推出iBooks,此举表明这一科技巨头正式进军教科书市场。

They are digital books in a variety of subjects from astronomy to zoology taking in science, maths, history and geography.

电子教科书涵盖了从天文学到动物学等多种主题,包括科学,数学,历史和地理等科目。

Apple developed its iPad-based textbooks in conjunction with major textbook publishers. The company offers a collection of textbooks for high school students.

苹果同一些知名教科书出版商展开合作,研发基于iPad平台的教科书。目前苹果已经推出了一套高中电子教材。

Apple claims it offers a "new textbook experience" and suggests its interactive iBooks textbooks are "the next chapter in learning".

苹果表示将创造一场 “教科书新体验”,并暗示这种互动式的电子教科书将会“开启学习的新篇章”。

It sounds like good news for pupils and students. Think of it. No more carrying heavy backpacks full of textbooks. Every textbook you require can be stored on your iPad.

这听上去对于中小学生来说是个好消息。想想看,不用再背着装满课本的,沉甸甸的书包,因为所有书都可以储存在你的iPad里。

No more having to buy expensive textbooks which you will only use for a year or two and then sell or give away.

也不必再去买那些昂贵的课本,这些课本只能用一两年,之后不是卖掉,就是送人。

Of course there's a catch. You need to own an iPad and as you know, it is not cheap. You also need to buy digital textbooks, mostly priced each at $14.99 (94.74 yuan) or less.

当然凡事有利就有弊。你需要拥有一部iPad,众所周知其价格不菲。此外你还要买电子课本,大多数定价不高于14.99美元(合94.74元人民币)。

Textbook publishing was worth $8.7 billion in the US alone last year. Will digital books take over completely in education?

去年,单是美国的教科书出版业的市值就达到87亿美元。那么电子书将会彻底抢占整个教育市场吗?

Is learning going to evolve into something we do on an electronic tablet computer? You can appreciate the attractions.

我们正步入用平板电脑的学习时代吗?你可以感受到这其中的魅力所在。

Instead of boring old textbooks which are quickly out of date you can have an interactive learning experience.

随着那些无聊又陈旧的课本被迅速淘汰,你便可以体验到互动学习的乐趣。

You can play videos, examine geometrical problems in 3D, listen to music and commentary, make notes and mark passages electronically. You can also share stuff on social networking sites with fellow students.

你可以播放视频,利用3D来解析几何难题,收听音乐以及评论,在电子屏幕上记笔记,做文章注释,还可以与同学在社交网站上分享资料。


The book is dead; long live the tablet computer.

传统课本短命,平板电脑万岁。

But wait a minute. Not so fast. Let's consider the evolution of learning. Thousands of years before books, man was depicting hunting scenes on the walls of caves.

但先等一下,别这么快!我们先回顾一下学习的演变过程。在书籍出现前的数千年里,人类一直都是在洞穴的墙壁上描绘捕猎场景。

As early as 2700 BC Egyptians were converting papyrus into thick forms of paper or parchment ready to receive markings from reed pens.

早在公元前2700年,埃及人便开始把纸莎草纸改进为较厚的纸张或是羊皮纸,以便用芦苇制成的笔记录文字。

In the Middle Ages in Europe monasteries became centers of learning. While some monks ploughed and grew crops, brother monks laboriously copied and illustrated bibles by hand on vellum or parchment.

到了中世纪的欧洲,修道院成为学习中心。当一些僧侣耕种农作物时,另一些同伴卖力地在牛皮纸或羊皮纸上抄写圣经,并手绘插画。

China developed printing, using signs cut into wooden blocks. Books were printed rather than written out by hand. Every candidate for the civil service boned up on Confucius' precepts in printed form.

之后,中国利用篆刻木块制成字体模板发明了印刷术。至此书籍已可印刷出版而并非手工抄写。所有文官的候选人都要用功研读印刷成册的孔子训词。

In 1273 a handbook for Chinese farmers and growers of raw silk was printed, according to Geoffrey Blainey, writer of A Very Short History of the World. Soon 3,000 copies were in circulation, at a time when the same task would have called for a year's labor by a monastery full of Italian monks writing out the books by hand.

《世界简史》的作者杰弗里?布莱尼表示,1273年,一本为中国农民和养蚕者编写的印刷手册问世。不久,便有3000本书流通于世。当时,若是同样一本书,则需要一间修道院里所有意大利僧侣花费一年时间才能抄写完。

The great leap forward in learning came thanks to the printing press. Johannes Gutenberg of Mainz in Germany was perhaps the first European to print a book using not only a printing press but also metallic type.

人类学习历史上的一大飞跃要多亏了印刷机的问世。来自德国美因茨市的约翰内斯?古滕贝格可能是第一位不仅使用机器印刷,还使用金属字块来印刷书本的欧洲人。

His techniques were copied and adapted. Thanks to the printing press, cheap books were possible.

他的技术被广泛采纳应用,因为有了印刷机,书本才会变得这么便宜。

And the rest, as they say, is history. Will Apple revolutionize learning? That remains to be seen.

常言道,剩下的事情地球人都知道了。那么苹果会引领一场学习的变革吗?让我们拭目以待吧!
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-27 10:57

Talks between the top nuclear negotiators from the U.S. and North Korea went into "overtime" Thursday after a day of what were described as "substantive and serious" discussions. U.S. negotiator Glyn Davies told reporters in Beijing the sides were in "mid-negotiations" and had decided to have dinner together and then pick up the talks again on Friday. He said the teams had covered a "number of issues" but declined to go into detail about any sticking points such as the issue of nuclear enrichment.

星期四美国和朝鲜高级核谈判代表的会谈进入加时期。此前双方用了一整天时间进行了被形容为“实质性的严肃讨论”。美国谈判代表戴维斯在北京对记者说,双方正在谈判中,已经决定共进晚餐,然后在星期五继续会谈。他说,双方谈判涉及了一些问题,但是他不愿提供有关棘手问题的细节,比如浓缩核材料问题。

This is the third round of meetings between the countries since July, but the first since North Korea's new leader, Kim Jong Un, succeeded his father late last year. Davies and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Kye-gwan, met with aides for more than two hours Thursday morning at North Korea's embassy and then resumed the talks in the afternoon at the U.S. Embassy.

这是去年七月以来美、朝间的第三轮谈判。也是金正恩在去年底继承父亲金正日权力以来第一次美、朝会谈。戴维斯跟朝鲜首席谈判代表金桂冠举行了会谈。两人的助手们也出席了会谈。星期四上午会谈持续了两个多小时,会谈地点是朝鲜驻北京使馆。当天下午,双方又在美国使馆继续会谈。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-29 09:17

Under great academic pressure, a high school student at a famous school in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, killed his mother at home on February 7, Legal Daily reported.

据《法制日报》报道,河南省郑州市某高中名校,一名学生因学习压力大,于2月7日在家中亲手杀死了自己的母亲。

A new term had just started and the student and his mother had an argument about his learning state. Then the boy said: "Mom, I have prepared something for you. Lower your head and close your eyes."

新学期伊始,母子俩因学习状态发生争执。之后,男生说:“妈,我给你准备了一样东西,你把头低下,把眼睛闭上。”

His mother did so, and he took the prepared dumbbell to pound his mother's head. After smashing two times, he cut the mother's throat with a paper knife. Then he tied his mother's neck using a shoelace and knotted it. He went to school after his mother was confirmed dead, with a quilt covering her body.

他的母亲照做后,他举起准备好的哑铃砸向母亲,砸过两下,又用裁纸刀在母亲喉咙割了两下,还用鞋带缠上母亲的脖子并打了结。确定死亡后,他用被子把母亲的尸体盖住,然后去上学。

Being asked by the investigators whether he regretted killing his mother, he casually replied: "I do not regret it. Through doing so I longer need to learn under so much pressure."

办案人员问其是否后悔杀死母亲时,他随口答道:“不后悔。我可以不用学习了,不用压力那么大了。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-29 09:21

1. Choose a day to dump your boyfriend. Make sure it is a completely insignificant date. Don't add insult to injury by breaking up with him on his birthday, Valentine's Day or the anniversary of the day his dog died.

甩掉男朋友需要挑日子。不要在特殊的日子里把人家甩了,比如他的生日、情人节、交往周年纪念日或者是他的爱犬死掉的纪念日。

2. Keep your distance for at least a week prior to the date you have set. Don't call, message or visit your boyfriend during this time. If he calls you or stops by, tell him you are busy. This gives you time to consider what to say and to be certain you really want to go through with it. Your boyfriend is also likely to sense that something is up, and will (hopefully) start to prepare himself emotionally.

在你选定分手日子之后,这个日期之前至少一个星期,不要跟他太亲密。不要给他打电话、发短信或者是去找他。如果他给你打电话或者来找你,告诉他你很忙。这是给你时间考虑要怎么跟他说以及给你时间确定真的要这么做。这样也会让你男朋友一些暗示,让他有一定的心理准备。

3. Meet at a place where you are both comfortable, but one that is not too crowded with people. You don't want him to feel embarrassed or humiliated if he gets choked up or teary. Make sure it is someplace you will be able to leave quickly and easily, just in case he starts to make a scene or things become heated.

找一个让你们俩都觉得比较舒服的地方见面,但是要注意,这里的人不要太多。你不会希望他哽咽或者哭泣的时候因为旁边人太多而尴尬。另外这个地方需要让你容易快速离开,以防万一他反应过度。

4. Be honest with your boyfriend about your reasons for wanting to break up. Get right to the point. At the same time, be sensitive and choose your words carefully. It's a good idea to rehearse what you are going to say several times before you meet. Have the conversation while looking in a mirror.

诚实地告诉他你想和他分手的原因。直接开门见山就好,同时说话时候的用词要非常注意。在见面前你最好先对着镜子说几遍练习一下。

5. When stating your reasons for breaking up, start your sentences with "I" instead of placing blame. For example, instead of saying "You don't make me happy," you might say, "I'm not happy."

当你再说分手原因的时候,最好用“我怎么怎么样”的句子,而不是责怪。比如说“你让我不开心”就没有“我不开心”的说法要差。

6. Wish him the best. Tell him that you truly hope he finds someone who will love him the way he deserves to be loved—then reiterate that it's just not you. Don't say anything that might give him false hope, such as "I'll still be here if you need someone to talk to."

祝福他。告诉他你真心希望他能找到更好的、更直的他爱的人——而这个人不是你。不要给他任何假的希望,比如“如果想找人聊聊可以找我”之类的话。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-29 09:58

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/ ... py-obama-on-google/
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-29 14:56

A new report says China's rapid economic growth is unsustainable unless the country makes major free-market reforms. World Bank President Robert Zoellick released an executive summary of the report, which was jointly prepared by World Bank and Chinese experts. Zoellick said Monday in Beijing that the study had the full support of top leaders including Vice President Xi Jinping, who is slated to assume China's top posts in the coming months.

一份新报告称,如果中国不进行大规模的自由市场改革,中国快速的经济增长不会持续下去。世界银行行长佐利克公布了报告的概要,这份报告由世界银行和中国专家共同撰写。佐利克星期一在北京说,这份报告得到包括中国国家副主席习近平在内的高层领导人的全力支持,人们普遍认为习近平将在几个月内成为中国最高领导人。

Zoellick said the study finds China's economy is at a turning point where the central role of state enterprises must be reduced to make room for private companies. The study also urges the government to provide better protection for the rights of farmers whose land is at risk and of migrant workers seeking jobs in the cities. Other recommendations call for China to shift away from its emphasis on exports and encourage more domestic consumption. The report says private banks should be allowed to play a larger role, and interest rates should be determined by market forces.

佐利克说,中国经济已经到达一个转折点,国有企业的主导角色必须被削弱,为私营企业让路。报告还敦促中国政府对逐渐丧失土地的农民和大城市的外地民工的权益提供更多保护。报告还呼吁中国从强调出口外销逐渐转变为鼓励国内消费。报告称,中国应允许私有银行发挥更大作用,利率应由市场调节。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-29 14:56

HEFEI — A pretty teenager suffered horrific burns to her face and body when she was splashed with lighter fluid after she had spurned the advances of a classmate.

安徽省合肥市,花季少女因拒绝同班同学的求爱,遭到对方泼洒打火机油焚烧毁容,受害少女面部及身上各处严重烧伤。

Zhou Yan, 17, incurred second and third—degree burns to 30 percent of her body, particularly around her head, neck and chest, following the alleged attack by 17—year—old Tao Rukun in the bedroom of her home last September.

2011年9月,17岁的周岩被同岁的同学陶汝坤在家中袭击惨遭毁容,烧伤面积超过30%,烧伤深度达二度、三度,其头面部、颈部、胸部等严重烧伤。

Zhou required intensive care in hospital for a week before she was out of danger, but after months of treatment, she has had to leave hospital prematurely and is now recovering at home — in the bedroom where the attack took place.

周岩在医院接受了一周的重症特别护理才脱离生命危险,但在接受几个月的治疗后,她不得不提早离开医院在家里恢复治疗。周岩现在住的卧室,就是当时毁容袭击发生的地点。

This is due to a dispute between her family and Tao's over payment of medical expenses.

周岩的父母与陶汝坤一家就医药费的赔偿问题产生了纠纷。

According to Zhou Yan's mother Li Cong, Tao started asking Zhou to be his girlfriend a few years ago. Li then transferred her daughter to another junior middle school to get away from Tao, but to no avail.

据周岩的妈妈表示,陶汝坤在几年前就开始纠缠周岩要求她做其女朋友,家里为了帮周岩躲避陶汝坤的骚扰就将女儿转学到另一所中学读书,但最终悲剧还是发生了。

"Tao's parents were nice to us and frequently visited my daughter in hospital at first. But all that changed when Xu Congxiao, Tao's mother, asked me to sign the paperwork for her son's bail appeal while he awaited trial," Li Cong said in an interview with local television.

李聪在接受当地电视台的采访时表示,“陶汝坤的父母刚开始对我们很友好,经常来医院看望我女儿。但后来他的母亲许从笑要我在一份关于陶汝坤取保候审的材料上签字。我们拒绝签字后,他们就不再支付治疗费用。”

Li added that Tao's parents were local government officials. Tao's father works for Hefei urban planning bureau and his mother is with Hefei Audit Bureau.

陶汝坤的父母都是当地政府机关的工作人员。母亲是合肥市审计局办公室主任,父亲则在合肥市规划局计划财务处上班。

After help with their son's bail request was refused by Li Cong, Tao's parents refused to pay any further medical bills. Zhou Yan was then transferred to her home in December when her family fell into arrears of more than 100,000 yuan ($15,900)in medical expenses, said local media.

根据当地媒体报道,在李聪拒绝为陶汝坤的取保候审材料签字后,陶汝坤的父母就拒绝再支付治疗费用。周岩自12月开始就被迫出院,家里现在拖欠医院10多万元治疗费用。

But the family's plight received wide media and public attention last week, when Li Cong posted their story and "before and after" pictures of her daughter on Sina Weibo.

上周,周岩的母亲李聪把此事件以及女儿在毁容前后的照片传上新浪微博,周岩一家的困境引起了媒体和公众的广泛关注。

Tao Rukun was arrested by Hefei police on Sept 18, the day after the attack, and is currently being held at the First Detention Center in Hefei.

陶汝坤在毁容事件发生后的9月18日被合肥警方拘捕,目前被关押在合肥第一看守所。

His father Tao Wen posted an apology letter on weibo on Saturday, saying he would do everything possible to help Zhou Yan and would accept the legal judgment on his son.

周六陶汝坤的父亲陶文在微博上发表致歉信,表示会竭尽全力为周岩治疗,并接受儿子应承担的法律判决。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-29 15:26

No Problem

A bald man took a seat in a beauty shop.

How can I help you? asked the stylist.

I went for a hair transplant, the guy explained, but I couldn't stand the pain. If you can make my hair look like yours without causing me any discomfort, I'll pay you $5,000.
No problem, said the stylist, and he quickly shaved his head.

没问题

一个秃头的男人坐在理发店里。

发型师问:有什么可以帮你吗?

那个人解释说,我本来去做头发移植,但实在太痛了。如果你能够让我的头发看起来像你的一样,而且没有任何痛苦,我将付给你5000美元。

没问题,发型师说,然后他很快帮自己剃了个光头。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-2-29 15:26

No Problem

A bald man took a seat in a beauty shop.

How can I help you? asked the stylist.

I went for a hair transplant, the guy explained, but I couldn't stand the pain. If you can make my hair look like yours without causing me any discomfort, I'll pay you $5,000.
No problem, said the stylist, and he quickly shaved his head.

没问题

一个秃头的男人坐在理发店里。

发型师问:有什么可以帮你吗?

那个人解释说,我本来去做头发移植,但实在太痛了。如果你能够让我的头发看起来像你的一样,而且没有任何痛苦,我将付给你5000美元。

没问题,发型师说,然后他很快帮自己剃了个光头。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-1 08:32

所谓西医看病看病情的结果,中医治病看病的起因。而中医养生离不开季节,比如“冬吃萝卜夏吃姜”就是以时间为根本来养生的。雨水节气期间要怎么养生呢?一句话:养脾胃,不要吃太油腻。

The 24 solar terms classify the whole year into 24 phases in order in accordance to the earth's climatic change caused by the change of the sun's site change.

一年又24个节气,二十四节气是根据太阳在黄道(即地球绕太阳公转的轨道)上的位置来划分的。

Rain more and temperature higher, nurse and harmonize Liver and Spleen, more outdoor activities to prevent being spring sleepy.

气温回升,降水增多,冰雪消融。注意调养脾胃,增加运动以缓解春困。

The rains(Yu Shui,雨水) is the period of rainfall in the whole year. In Chinese traditional medicine theory, the period of the rains plays the important role in caring spleen and stomach. The harmony of spleen and stomach can improve and regulate the physical metabolism. In Chinese traditional medicine, the root of human health is Yuan Qi(元气, Original Qi), and the root of Yuan Qi in human body is spleen and stomach. The poor spleen and stomach are the predominant causes of different diseases. So in the aspect of eating, people had better not eat too much oily and fat food but the red Chinese date, lotus, leek, spinach, orange, honey and sugarcane.

雨水节气是一年24个节气的第二个节气,雨水节气期间雨水较多。传统中医理论认为,降雨期间是调理脾胃的最佳时期。脾胃“和谐”有助于改善和调节身体的新城代谢。据中国传统医学。人类健康的根本是元气(气)(中医认为,脾胃为“后天之本”,“气血生化之源”),脾胃主元气。脾胃失和是引起疾病的主要根源。因此,在饮食方面,人们最好不要吃太油腻和脂肪含量过高的食物,而要吃红枣、莲藕、韭菜、菠菜、蜂蜜和甘蔗。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-1 09:10

CHINA’S economic reforms have seen few breakthroughs in the past few years, or so the analysts tend to think. As the country prepares for big changes due in its top leadership after a Communist Party congress late this year, senior officials are becoming even less inclined than usual to take risks that might damage their careers. And with the economy still growing rapidly, despite the rest of the world’s problems, many of them see no urgent need for change.

分析人士倾向于这么一个观点,中国的经济改革在过去的数年中停滞不前。今年年底召开的党代会即将产生新一届领导人,相比平常,这个时候高级官员们不愿冒政治风险采取改革措施。尽管世界其他地区经济形势严峻,但中国的经济仍在持续快速增长,官员们也普遍缺乏改革的急迫性。

The World Bank thinks differently. In a 468-page report, “China 2030”, it has set out a huge range of policy measures it says are needed in order to prevent the country from eventually falling into a “middle-income trap” of much slower growth. Its suggestions range from weakening the grip of state-owned enterprises to letting the market play a bigger role in the setting of interest rates. Such ideas have been aired by others before, but World Bank officials suggest there is a chance their report could help nudge China into action.  

但是世界银行对此持不同观点,在其发布的长达468页的报告《中国2030》中,它指出,为了避免中国最终滑落到“中等收入陷阱”导致低增长,中国需采取一系列的改革措施。报告提出的建议,既包括减小国有企业对经济的控制,也提出要让市场在资源配置中发挥更大的作用。这些建议之前也被提出过,但是世界银行的官方建议无疑能够更有效地督促中国开始行动。

It will certainly be widely noted in China. Unlike the bank’s last report of this kind (“China 2020”, published in 1997), this one was co-authored with a government think-tank, the Development Research Centre (DRC) of the State Council. The DRC is an influential organisation which supplies the government with policy advice. The finance ministry was also involved. A deputy prime minister, Li Keqiang, who is expected to take over as prime minister from Wen Jiabao next year, is thought to have played an active role in arranging this co-operation between officialdom and the bank.

与之前的报告不同(《中国2020》,1997年发布),这个报告将能在中国引起广泛注意,因为这个报告是由中国政府智库国务院发展研究中心(DRC,向中国政府提供政策研究最有影响力的组织)和世界银行共同起草的,财政部也参与了编写工作。据外界猜测,现任副总理李克强(被认为将在明年接替温家宝总理)在本报告编写过程中,在世界银行和政府机构之间做了大量的协调工作。

Having the DRC’s name on the document gives China’s reformers cover. The World Bank is viewed with suspicion by hardliners, who see it as a meddler in the affairs of developing countries and a purveyor of ideas that could undermine party rule in China. With a semi-official stamp of approval on it, the report will be less easy for conservatives to dismiss as part of a Western plot. In turn, it’s believed, the DRC used the World Bank as cover in its discussions with foot-dragging bureaucrats (“Don’t blame us for these proposals, blame the bank”). At times, behind closed doors, the DRC argued for even bolder reforms than the bank itself was suggesting.

国务院发展研究中心在文件上的署名给中国的改革者们提供了挡箭牌。顽固派对世界银行持怀疑态度,他们认为世界银行喜欢干预发展中国家内部事务、向它们兜售思想,这可能会破坏中国的政党政治。有半官方机构(国务院发展研究中心DRC)的署名,使得该报告不太容易被保守派批驳为西方国家阴谋的一部分。而反过来,国务院发展研究中心(DRC)在与一些拖后腿的官僚机构讨论问题时也把世界银行当做挡箭牌(“不要因这些建议而指责我们,去指责世界银行”)。有时,在紧锁的大门之内,国务院发展研究中心(DRC)所讨论的改革议题甚至比世界银行所建议的更为大胆。

The bank, however, should be prepared for disappointment. In the buildup to the party congress, a bit of reformist posturing is only to be expected. Different factions in the party want to air their agendas in order to influence the policy choices of the new leaders. A hint of this emerged in a commentary in the People’s Daily (in Chinese) on February 23rd. It said some officials wanted to keep things as they were in order to avoid criticism, but that this would eventually result in an even greater crisis. “No matter how thorough plans are, or how intelligently crafted they are, reforms will always be attacked,” it said, giving warning that mere “tinkering” with reform had been the downfall of great nations and parties.

世界银行很可能要准备好迎接失望。在党代会的议程中,几乎是看不到一点改革者的姿态的。党内各派别正大造舆论试图影响到新领导人选的确定。人民日报(国内版)在2月23日的一篇社论透露了这点,它谈到,一些官员为免受批评而止步不前,而这将导致产生更大的危机。“无论计划得多么周全,实施得如何智慧,改革必然会招致攻击”,它警告,如果改革只是“修修补补”,那么将会使党和国家的垮台。

Also on February 23rd, details emerged of a proposal by the People’s Bank of China (long an outlier among Chinese bureaucracies for its reformist hue) for accelerating reform of capital controls with the aim of making the yuan a global reserve currency. The plan was published in the China Securities Journal (in Chinese). But despite the World Bank’s efforts to persuade the Chinese government that reform is relatively easy to manage in good times, prospects for quicker action still look dim, at least in the near term.

在2月23日,中国人民银行(长期因改革者的姿态而在中国官僚机构中处于局外人的地位)的一个建议的细节被披露,它指出应以人民币成为全球储备货币为目标,加快资本项目的改革步伐。该计划已在《中国证券周刊》(国内版)发布。尽管世界银行努力劝说中国政府现在已经是着手进行这项改革的绝好时期,但没有看到任何启动改革的措施,也未看到相关迹象。

China’s new leaders will likely take at least a few months to consolidate their power and settle in before they feel confident enough to tackle economic reforms that affect powerful vested interests, such as the bureaucracy that controls state enterprises or the ministry of commerce. (Nicholas Lardy of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC, describes the influence of these groups in a detailed chapter in his new book, “Sustaining China’s Economic Growth After the Global Financial Crisis”). Even then, it is very unlikely that those who take over leadership of the party in a few months’ time will be any stronger than their predecessors when it comes to taking on the conservatives.

中国的新领导层很可能要花上数月时间用来稳定地位和巩固权力,然后才有自信去启动那些能影响到强大的既得利益集团的经济改革措施。既得利益集团是指那些控制中央企业和商务部门的机构(华盛顿皮特森国际经济研究所的尼古拉斯·拉迪,在他的一部新书《在全球经济危机之后持续增长的中国经济》中描写了这些集团的强大影响力)。即使在之后,那些花费数月时间接班的党领导,也会变得越加保守,不太可能比他们的前任更为激进。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-1 14:34

He Qiangcheng, 22, a senior and geology major from Sichuan Normal University, has almost given up trying to act like his childhood hero, Lei Feng.

22岁的何强成(音译)是四川师范大学地理专业的一名大四学生,他几乎已经放弃以儿时的英雄——雷锋为榜样了。
"I once tried to help a woman with heavy luggage, and she gave me a suspicious look," he complains.
他抱怨说:“有一次我想帮一位女士提她那个重重的行李箱,但却招致怀疑的目光。”
"Then another time, when I returned a lost dining card to the canteen, the staff asked me to use up the cash on it rather than bothering to find the owner."
“还有一次,当我把拾到的饭卡还给食堂时,工作人员竟然让我把里面的钱花了,不必费心去寻找失主。”
But, despite having met with rejections, He still wants to be like his idol.
但尽管屡遭拒绝,何强成还是希望成为像心中偶像那样的人。
His hero, Lei Feng, was a People's Liberation Army soldier who came to represent altruism, modesty and devotion.
他心中的英雄雷锋是一名喜欢助人为乐,具有谦虚品质和奉献精神的解放军战士。
March 5 will mark the 50th year of Lei's death. In 1963, Chairman Mao Zedong designated the day as "Learn From Lei Feng Day" and started a national campaign for people to copy his deeds.
今年3月5日是雷锋逝世50周年纪念日。1963年,毛主席宣布这天为“学雷锋日”,从而掀起一场全民学习雷锋事迹的运动热潮。
Several decades after the campaign was initiated, there has been a debate about whether the spirit of Lei lives on, and whether an altruistic role model is relevant anymore in a materialist society.
此后的几十年间,一直存在这样一种争论:在物质社会中,雷锋精神是否长存?这种无私楷模的形象是否还有价值?
Some think it no longer rings a bell. "In a world when everyone emphasizes the importance of 'me', many of my peers think there's little ground for giving up one's interests purely for the sake of others," says Lin Zi'en, 19, a sophomore English major from South China Normal University in Guangdong.
有些人认为雷锋精神已经过时。华南师范大学英语专业大二学生、19岁的林子恩(音译)说:“现在的社会都很强调‘自我’意识,我身边许多同伴都觉得没什么理由去完全舍己利他。”
Commentators, however, point out those who regarded Lei's spirit as being outdated have misinterpreted its meaning.
而评论人士则指出,那些认为雷锋精神过时的人其实是误解了其真正的意义。
Yang Haibin, deputy secretary of China Communist Youth League Beijing Committee said: "learning from Lei Feng could be a mutually caring and benefiting act, which is the basis of civilized society. "
共青团北京市委副书记杨海滨表示:“学习雷锋可以是一种相互关心,彼此受益的行为,是文明社会的基础。”
And, Lei's spirit can be modern and relevant, says Yang. He believes that lending a helping hand for no reward is an early form of volunteering.
同时,杨海滨认为,雷锋精神具备与时俱进的特点且意义重大,这种无私助人的行为是志愿者行为的早期形式。
"It's also about being content with a simple and humble way of life," Yang says.
他还表示:“这也是对于简单且谦逊的生活方式所产生的一种满足感。”
Hu Danhua, 21, an international business major from China University of Political Science and Law, agrees. "I've gained peace of mind and spiritual fulfillment through small acts of kindness, such as teaching village pupils. I could obtain it from nowhere else," Hu says.
就读于中国政法大学国际贸易专业、21岁的胡丹华(音译)对此表示认同:“通过山村支教这样的一些小小善举,我收获了心灵的宁静以及精神上的成就感。这是我从其他地方收获不来的。”
In a society with material abundance but a lack of moral fiber, it seems hard to cherish the Lei Feng spirit.
在一个物欲横流却缺乏道德品行的社会里,我们似乎很难去珍视“雷锋精神”。
Reports of passers-by hesitating to help people in need are shocking. Cases in which good Samaritans have landed in trouble are well publicized.
当人们需要帮助时,路人都为是否出手而犹豫不决,此类报道令人震惊。见义勇为者遭遇大麻烦的案例被广为传播。
But Liu Jifeng, director of the military high technology training department at the National University of Defense Technology, says it is important to help others as much as you can. "If everyone turns a blind eye to the bad side, our whole social system will be in danger," Liu says.
但国防科技大学军事高科技培训部主任刘戟锋认为,尽最大力量去帮助他人,这十分重要。刘戟锋说:“如果每个人都对阴暗面视而不见的话,我们的整个社会都将处于危险之中。”
As Lei Feng's anniversary draws near, his spirit has been promoted in a more approachable way.
随着雷锋纪念日的邻近,各界开始采用一种更为大众接受的方式来推广雷锋精神。
Guangdong provincial government has updated its campaign slogan from "sacrificing yourself to benefit others" to "doing each other a favor".
广东省政府将他们的活动口号由原来的“舍己为人”改为“互相帮助。”
In Changsha, Hunan, the hometown of Lei Feng, the slogan is "doing my duty".
雷锋的故乡湖南长沙市的活动口号则是“这是我应该做的”。
Lei's followers among the post-80s and 90s generation regard these moves as humanizing the role model.
雷锋精神的80后、90后追随者将这一切视为让雷锋楷模更人性化的举动。
They're encouraged to develop their unique interpretation and ways of spreading goodwill.
他们被提倡以他们独特的方式诠释善意、传播善举。
For instance, Shan Haiping, 19, a freshman English major from Zhejiang Ocean University, believes the spirit means guarding one's principles.
例如,浙江海洋学院英语专业大一新生、19岁的单海萍(音译)就坚信雷锋精神就是坚守自己的行事原则。
"It's about doing things you feel worthwhile," she said.
“做那些你认为值得的事。”单海萍如是说。
Hu Zhongping, professor of education in South China Normal University, says Lei Feng's spirit teaches us to be a good person, who contributes to society.
华南师范大学教授胡中平(音译)认为,雷锋精神教导我们要做对社会有贡献的好人。
"It's all about encouraging those who are self-centered to think from other people's perspectives as well," Hu says.
胡中平表示:“雷锋精神可以鼓励那些以自我为中心的人更多地去站在别人角度思考问题。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-1 14:37

1.Why do we need leap years?

为什么我们需要闰年?
Leap years are necessary to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the sun. Since our calendar has exactly 365 days in a year, we would lose almost six hours from our calendar every year if we did not add February 29 to every fourth year.
闰年是对地球绕太阳运转所需时间和公历时间之差所作的调整。公历规定一年有365天,而实际上地球绕太阳公转一周所需的时间是365天5小时48分46秒。如果不算上这个差值的话,那么每四年我们就要少掉一天,所以才有了2月29日。
2.Why February 29?
为什么偏偏是2月29日?
Our calendar is based on the early Roman calendar, which had only 10 months beginning in March.
我们现在使用的公历是基于早期的罗马日历,当时一年只有10个月,三月份为一年的开始。
January and February were added around 700 BCE by Numa Pompilius to reflect a lunar calendar; this made February the last month of the year.
一月和二月是在公元前700年左右,由第二代罗马国王怒马-庞皮利乌斯加上去的,是为了与阴历相匹配。因此,二月就成了一年中最后的一个月份了。
Julius Caesar introduced Leap Years around 45BCE by adding one day to the last month of the calendar year, February.
公元前458年,凯撒引进了闰年的概念,在一年的最后一个月加上一天,也就是在二月加上一天。
3.How to calculate a leap year?
如何计算闰年?
Caesar declared that every year evenly divisible by four would be a leap year. While simple, this rule actually created too many leap years to keep the Roman and lunar calendars aligned. More than 1500 years later, a new formula was introduced with the Gregorian Calendar, which we still use today.
凯撒制定的《儒略历》规定每四年一闰。这种方法虽然简单,但是与阴历相比,《儒略历》会造成过多的闰年。于是,在1500年后,一种新的纪年方法,即现在使用的由罗马教皇格里高利十三世完善修订的格里历。
4.What if you are born on February 29?
你是那个出生在2月29日的幸运儿吗?
(1) There is 1 in 1461 the chances of being born on leap day.
出生在2月29日的概率是每1461人中有一个。
(2) 4 million people in the world were born on February 29th.
世界上有约400万人出生在2月29日这天。
5.Leap year records
不可思议的闰年出生记录
(1) most children born on February 29
在2月29日生过最多小孩的人
Mrs. Karin Henriksen (Norway) gave birth to 3 children on consecutive Leap Days;her daughter in 1960 and her sons in 1964 and 1968.
挪威的Karin女士在连续的三次2月29日这天分别生下了三个孩子,她的女儿出生在1960年2月29日,两个儿子分别出生在1964年2月29日和1968年2月29日。
(2) most generations born on February 29
祖孙三代都出生在2月29日
In the Keogh family (Ireland and Great Britain), the father was born on Leap Day, 1940, the son in 1964 and the granddaughter in 1996.
英国的Keogh一家祖孙三代都出生在2月29日,爷爷出生在1940年2月29日,儿子出生在1964年2月29日,孙女出生在1996年2月29日。
6.You won't see another February 29 for 1460 days!
你要再过1460天才会遇到下一个2月29日!
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-1 14:42

A Great Man

Teacher: Would Shakespeare be a great man if he were still alive today?

Student: Of course. He must be a great man, for so far nobody has lived to over 400 years.

一名伟人

老师: 如果莎士比亚还活着,他会是一名伟人吗?

学生: 当然。因为到目前为止,还没有人活到400多岁。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-1 14:46

One day a visitor from the city came to a small rural area to drive around the country roads,see how the farms looked,and farmers earned their living. The city man saw a farmer in his yard, holding a pig up in his hands,and lifting it so that the pig could eat apples from an apple tree. The city man said to the farmer,I see that your pig likes apples,but isnt that quite a waste of time? The farmer replied,"Whats time to a pig?"

一天,有一个城市里的游客来到一个小乡村,在乡间路上开着车,想看看农庄是什么样子,也想看看农夫怎样种田过日子。这位城里人看见一位农夫在宅后的草地上,手中抱着一头猪,并把它举得高高的,好让它能够吃到树上的苹果。城里人对农夫说,我看你的猪挺喜欢吃苹果的,但是,这不是很浪费时间吗?那位农夫回答说,时间对猪有什么意义?
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-1 14:47

What to Eat and Drink

美食攻略

Delicious seafood i of course, a staple of this water town. Local favorites such as steamed fish shouldn't be missed; but non-seafood dishes are also popular, like the braised mutton.

美味的海鲜自然是这座水乡的招牌菜。当地最受欢迎的美食,例如蒸鱼,是绝对不容错过的;不过非海鲜类美食也很受欢迎,譬如红烧羊肉。

For dessert, try the delicious and beautifully presented Gusao Cake, served in a traditional red lacquered box.

至于甜点,不妨试试可口又好看的姑嫂饼,这些饼会被盛在一个传统的红漆盒子中端上来哦。

Sanbai wine, a liquor distilled from rice or sorghum, is still made by hand in old-fashioned distilleries using the same methods that have been employed for centuries.

三百酒是一种由大米或高粱蒸馏而成的酒。在老式酿酒厂里,人们仍然以纯手工的方式按数百年沿袭下来的方法酿酒。

Also try the delectable chrysanthemum tea that is a specialty of the region.

你还得试试甘美的菊花茶,也是本地特产哦。

Wuzhen has plenty of night life as well. Visit Chashi Jie for lively cafes and bars to enjoy your leisure time. For entertainment, take in a show on the ancient Xiuzhenguan Square stage, or the Xizha stage that floats on the water.

乌镇同样有丰富的夜生活。到茶市街那些热闹的咖啡厅和酒吧享受休闲时光吧。要找娱乐消遣则可以到修真观的古戏台,或是到西栅水上戏台看表演。

With many sites of historical and cultural interest, the poetic town of Wuzhen deserves to be on your first touring destination in China.

乌镇这座充满了诗意的小城拥有众多历史和文化景观,值得成为你中国之旅的第一站。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 08:22

Sina Corp has warned that its popular microblogging service will suffer from Beijing's requirement that users of Sina Weibo register under their real names.

新浪公司(Sina Corp)警告称,其人气颇高的微博服务——新浪微博(Sina Weibo)将受到中国官方实名制要求的打击。
The real-name registration requirement, which the Chinese government has said must be completed by March 16, "will have a negative impact on user activity in the short term," Charles Chao, chief executive, told investors yesterday.
中国政府规定,实名认证必须最迟在3月16日完成。新浪首席执行官曹国伟(Charles Chao)昨日对投资者表示,这将在短期对用户活动造成负面影响。
The warning is set to sour sentiment towards Sina shares, as it comes just as investors are getting impatient to see the company make money from Sina Weibo.
这一警告势必打击新浪股票的人气,因为新浪发布警告之际,投资者正迫不及待地期待该公司利用新浪微博创收。
Sina reported a $9.3m net profit, 14 cents per share, for the fourth quarter of 2011 as opposed to a $100m loss a year earlier. However, excluding writedowns and other adjustments, earnings more than halved to 21 cents per share compared with a year earlier.
新浪报告2011年第四季度实现930万美元净利润,相当于每股14美分,而该公司在上年同期亏损1亿美元。不过,若剔除减记和其它调整项目的影响,第四季度每股收益则同比下降一半多,至每股21美分。
In the face of new government restrictions, slow moves by Sina to monetise Weibo and fierce competition in the microblogging market, the stock fell to $48 by the end of last year from a $142 peak last April, but it has recovered more than 13 per cent in 2012.
面对新的政府限制措施、新浪在推进微博商业化方面动作迟缓,再加上微博市场竞争激烈,新浪股价从去年4月每股142美元的峰值降至去年底的每股48美元,但进入2012年以来已反弹逾13%。
Sina said it aimed to start monetising Weibo in the second half of this year, an announcement long awaited by investors, but did not expect to see significant revenue contributions from the Twitter equivalent until next year. The company plans to make money from Weibo mainly through advertising, fees from enterprise accounts and revenue sharing from virtual goods.
新浪表示,力求在今年下半年启动微博商业化(这项宣布是投资者期待已久的),但在明年之前并不预期这项类似于Twitter的服务会对营收作出显著贡献。该公司计划主要通过广告、企业账户收费和虚拟商品营收分成等渠道来利用微博创收。
A platform it launched last year on which third-party developers can offer games to Weibo users will end its free period in June, Mr Chao said.
曹国伟表示,新浪在去年开通、让第三方开发商向微博用户提供游戏的一个平台,到今年6月将结束免费试用期。
Before that, Sina plans to pour more money into the service than last year. Mr Chao said he expected $160m of Weibo-related costs this year, compared with about $120m in 2011.
在此之前,新浪计划向这项服务投入比去年更多的资金。曹国伟表示,他预期今年会有1.6亿美元的微博相关成本,高于2011年的1.2亿美元。
That comes as prospects for online advertising — Sina's main source of revenue — are uncertain. The company said it expected revenue in the first quarter to grow less than 10 per cent year-on-year, compared with 19 per cent last year. Mr Chao pointed to a drop of more than 3 per cent in traditional ad spending in the Chinese market in January as ecommerce companies are cutting their ad spend, and because of an expected decline in advertising by car companies, the largest advertisers on Sina's online portal, this quarter.
目前,新浪的主要营收来源——在线广告——的前景存在不确定性。该公司表示,预期今年首季营收同比增长不到10%,而去年同期的同比增长达到19%。曹国伟指出,1月份中国市场传统广告支出下降逾3%,原因是电子商务公司纷纷削减广告支出,同时汽车企业在第一季度的广告支出预期也会下降。汽车企业是新浪门户网站上的最大广告商。
The new government rules are already affecting Sina Weibo. Mr Chao said more than 40 per cent of users who tried to complete registration failed to pass the identity verification. He said they would probably no longer be allowed to post messages after the March 16 deadline.
新的政府规定已经在影响新浪微博。曹国伟表示,40%以上试图完成注册的用户未能通过实名认证检验。他说,这些人在3月16日的最后期限过后很可能不再能发表内容。 译者:和风
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 10:47

It's most people's biggest health fear. But whether you get dementia, scientists now believe, is mostly a matter of lifestyle; it hinges on what you eat every single day. Here's a guide to making the choices that will preserve a healthy mind—starting right now!

痴呆症是人们十分惧怕的疾病。不管你是否有痴呆,科学家们认为,它的出现与人的生活方式紧密相关;它取决于我们每天吃什么。早年选择合理饮食,有利于保护我们健康大脑,避免大脑受损。我们应该予以重视了!

When it comes to aging, life can be cruel. There's plenty to...well...let's come right out and say it: think about. What will happen to my looks? What will happen to my body?

许多人步入老年之后,随着年龄增加,生活会遇到各种不便、困难与痛苦。如何应对这些变化,有许多事情值得我们思考。如何看待这个问题?首先我们得从注意自己身体变化做起。

Will I still be able to pursue my interests? What will happen to my mind?

生活能不能有自己嗜好?每天饮食对我们大脑会有什么影响?

That last question is now the second leading health concern (after cancer) among adults in at least four Western countries—France, Germany, and Spain, as well as the United States—according to a recent survey by the Harvard University School of Public Health and the Alzheimer Europe consortium. Fear of developing dementia would likely stir even more concern if Americans didn't mistakenly believe a cure for Alzheimer's disease exists (more than 45 percent of U.S. respondents think there is an effective treatment). Despite the lack of a cure, great progress has been made in the past three decades in understanding the disease.

哈佛大学公共卫生学院和欧洲阿尔茨海默疾病联盟最近一份调查称,大脑痴呆症已成为仅次于癌症第二大健康问题,在西方国家如法国、德国、西班牙和美国等的成年人中尤其如此。美国人对痴呆症的担忧引发的焦虑,似乎对老年痴呆症治疗丧失了信心:问卷调查发现,只有百分之四十五多美国人认为,老年痴呆症有希望找到医治方法。虽然治愈目前尚无取得成功,但三十年来对该病的理解已取得巨大进步。

The most common cause of dementia, or severe cognitive decline, and the sixth leading cause of death in the U. S., Alzheimer's disease is marked by difficulty storing new memories and recalling recent events, loss of ability to track day-to-day information, a disrupted sense of time and space, social withdrawal, irritability, and mood swings. The neurodegenerative condition typically manifests after age 60. Life expectancy in the U.S. is currently about 78 years and rising. The 5.4 million Americans who suffer from the illness include 13 percent of those over age 65.

据调查,老年痴呆症已成为美国第六大杀手。痴呆症最常见症状是,认知能力急速下降,存储记忆困难,难以回忆发生事情,不能跟踪记住发生信息,没有时间与空间感觉,离群孤僻,个性暴躁和情绪极端不稳。特别是年龄超过60岁之后,这种神经衰退症状尤其突出。美国现在人口平均寿命大约为78岁,并有增加趋势。但是,美国患有痴呆症病的人数却有540万,其中有13%的痴呆病人年龄超过65岁;中国老年痴呆的患者数也呈显著上升趋势,据统计,目前患者总数约有600万,10%的病人年龄超过65岁。

Scientists attribute the debilitating disorder to the gradual accumulation between brain cells of a toxic protein, beta-amyloid, that blocks the transmission of information from cell to cell, wipes out synapses, and disrupts basic neuron function, leading to cell death. Inflammatory processes are also involved in memory loss.

科学家们认为,造成大脑失调不断恶化主要原因是,脑细胞毒蛋白与β(贝它)淀粉样蛋白逐渐沉淀积聚,阻碍细胞间信息传递,使神经突触消失,神经功能下降,从而导致细胞死亡。在这病变过程中,同时也引起记忆损失。

The vast majority of Alzheimer's cases—over 99 percent—occur spontaneously; they are not linked to genetic factors. But they are linked to obesity. Researchers find that the same lifestyle choices that lead people to become obese or develop heart disease also increase the risk of developing dementia.

绝大多数老年痴呆症病患者(99%以上)是自然而然形成的,与遗传基因并无关系,但与肥胖有关。研究人员已经证实,肥胖和引发心脏病的生活方式给痴呆症疾病带来重大风险。

It comes down to this: Choices we make throughout life about what we put in our bodies may protect against Alzheimer's, or delay its onset. At the very least, says neuroscientist Gary Wenk, "We can slow down the time that it takes for someone to get symptoms." Professor of psychology, neuroscience, and molecular virology, immunology, and medical genetics at The Ohio State University, Wenk is author of the book Your Brain on Food.

研究得出结论:在我们整个人生中,选择正确的生活方式,每天吃些什么,能有效地预防老年痴呆症,或推迟它的发生。神经科学家加里 温克(Gary Wenk )说,至少“可延迟痴呆症状出现。” 加里 温克是美国俄亥俄州州立大学心理学、神经科学、分子病毒学、免疫学和医学遗传学教授,是《大脑与饮食(Your Brain on Food)》一书作者。

Heading off dementia, he insists, starts with what we eat. Food should be thought of the same way as the drugs we put in our body. They're all made up of chemicals. Everything we consume prompts a reaction in the brain. Picking the right foods can minimize damage to neurons and preserve a healthy mind as you age.

他认为,我们预防痴呆症应从日常饮食开始。食物如同进入我们体内的药品一样,全是化学物质构成的。我们吃下所有食物都会在我们大脑产生反应。选择正确食物对我们年迈之后有助于降低大脑神经细胞的损坏,保护好我们大脑健康。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 19:26

US President Barack Obamas account on popular social network Google Plus has been swamped by Chinese posts, which analysts said indicates the Chinese publics wish to communicate with high-ranking leaders through new media.

美国总统奥巴马的社交网络Google+页面近日遭中国网友的评论刷屏,分析家认为这反映了国内民众希望能同高层领导通过新媒体进行交流的愿望。

The latest entries on Obamas Google Plus page over the weekend were related to the upcoming presidential election. They have attracted around 1,000 comments, mostly in simplified Chinese with some English translations.

奥巴马于1月31日让自己的Google+帐号通过了实名认证,主要是为了推广即将到来的总统大选。奥巴马的Google+页面迅速吸引了中国网友1000多条评论,多为简体汉语,也有一些英语留言。

Information released earlier on the page also received massive numbers of replies in Chinese during the past two days, although the social website has been inaccessible to Chinese Web users since its launch in June last year.

谷歌公司自去年6月推出此项社区服务系统以来,中国网友无法登陆Google+页面。但上周Google+在内地暂时解封,在过去的两天里,奥巴马的Google+页面就被中国网友的评论刷屏了。

Chinese comments on his page range from joking expressions to seemingly serious discussions on certain topics. “Its everyones obligation to promote the Chinese language,” joked a user named Joe Zhao.

中国网友的评论从调侃到关于一些议题的严肃讨论,包罗万象。一名叫Joe Zhao的网友戏称:“推广汉语,人人有责”。

One of the followers, named Eric Chen, explained that many Chinese people came here to post because they could visit the website “without depending on some special tools。” Referring to VPN or proxy needed to open facebook and twitter in mainland.

一名叫Eric Chen的关注者解释到有如此多的中国网友来评论,是因为他们可以在“不利用特殊工具”的情况下就能访问Google+。这里的特殊工具,指的是在中国大陆网友需要利用虚拟专用网络和代理服务器才能登陆facebook和twitter。

According to a BBC report, Internet users in many parts of the mainland found on February 20 they could access Google Plus, prompting some of them to suggest occupying the site. AFP reported that Google Plus appeared to be available in the mainland Sunday on some peoples mobile devices.

根据BBC新闻报道,2月20日,中国大陆的部分网友发现可以登陆Google+页面,于是他们开始了这场声势浩大的网络占领运动。法新社报道,上周日Google+页面似乎在内地的有些移动装置上也可以使用。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 19:44

With hundreds of thousands of ‘apps’ available, smartphones allow users to do anything from checking their bank balance to booking a flight. But 71 per cent of owners use them simply to make a call, text or check Facebook, research shows. In fact, the study revealed that a typical person exploits only 10 per cent of their phone’s functions.

  科技的变革日新月异,手机应用也以秒的速度翻新、翻新、再翻新式的“强奸着”人们的智商与神经。有数据显示,在智能手机市场上,大约71%的普通民众搞不懂“智能为何物”,手拿智能手机却只拿它来:打电话、发短信、再甚者也就是拿它来更新更新微博了。虽然,厂商们“不遗余力”渲染花样翻新的智能手机的N种智能功能,但是事实上,有数据显示,普通用户只能“探索到”智能手机中10%的功能而已。

  The survey – of 2,000 users – also found more than half had felt ­pressured to get the latest or most ­popular smartphone, such as Apple’s iPhone4 or a BlackBerry. The devices, which will be the top gadget on Christmas lists this year, are really pocket computers. As well as the capacity for the downloadable programs known as ‘apps’, they can browse the internet and send and receive emails.

  这项调查对象是2000名使用智能手机的用户,调查发现,大型手机厂商比如苹果、蓝莓推出新型机型、或者新型手机应用,50%的民众会感觉“有压力”,而非兴奋.。在圣诞节假日期间,高科技物品,比如智能手机、迷你电脑都属于厂商主推的圣诞主打圣诞礼物。而如今网上充斥着可下载的“眼花缭乱”的手机应用会让老百姓“一头雾水”。所以,民众选择回归原始“大哥大”的用途也不是没有道理。

  The research by Envirofone, which recycles mobiles, estimates there are 11million smartphones in the UK. While there are many useful apps offering train information or sat-nav functions, others are bizarre. Jon Butler, of Envirofone, said: ‘The latest phones have become status symbols which look flash but aren’t fully utilised.’

  该调查由英国手机回收网站“Envirofone”牵头,统计在英国上千万手机使用者。虽然调查员承认,也不是所有的手机应用都“一无是处”,有一些智能功能的确给人们带来了方便,比如说可以提供火车票信息的手机应用、全球定位系统等等,这些应用贴近生活、容易学习和使用,受到了用户的喜爱。来自回收网站的工作人员Jon Butler说:“花样翻新的智能手机在一定程度上被‘功利化’了,人们拿手机的目的不再是使用它,而是炫耀自身的社会地位。所以大多数的手机应用自‘投产’到‘停产’从未被人们发觉。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 19:46

Warren Buffett officially names farmer son Howard as successor.

巴菲特选定“务农儿子”霍华德为接班人

In an interview with 60 Minutes that will air this Sunday, Warren Buffett announces his choice of son Howard — or "Howie", as he's known in the family — as his successor at Berkshire Hathaway.

在于上周日播出的《60分钟》访谈栏目中,沃伦•巴菲特宣布,他已选定儿子霍华德成为自己在伯克希尔•哈撒韦公司中的继承人。霍华德在家族中被称为“Howie”。

The elder Buffett tells interviewer Leslie Stahl that his son will serve as a "guardian" of the company's "values" rather than a CEO, as long as the company's board approves. When America's second richest person Buffett Sr. dies, 56-year-old Howard will be "non-executive chairman", an unpaid position.

在于上周日播出的《60分钟》访谈栏目中,沃伦•巴菲特宣布,他已选定儿子霍华德成为自己在伯克希尔•哈撒韦公司中的继承人。霍华德在家族中被称为“Howie”。老巴菲特告诉采访者莱斯利•斯塔尔,只要董事会批准,霍华德今后就将成为公司“价值”的“守护者”,而不是首席执行官。将来美国第二富豪巴菲特去世后,现年56岁的霍华德将出任“非执行总裁”一职,但没有薪水。

Howie won't direct strategy at the multi-billion-dollar investment firm, and he'll keep his day job as a corn and soybean farmer. (His own son Howard W. Buffett is also a farmer, and one of Forbes' Names You Need To Know for 2011.)

霍华德不会参与这家资产数十亿美元的投资公司的战略决策,并且他平常仍然是种植大豆和玉米的农场主。(霍华德的儿子霍华德?W•巴菲特也在“务农”,他还上榜《福布斯》2011年度值得关注人物)。

"You worry that somebody will be in charge of Berkshire that uses it as their own sandbox in some way," Buffett explains to Stahl in Sunday's interview.

沃伦•巴菲特向采访者斯塔尔解释说:“大家会担心掌管伯克希尔?哈撒韦公司的人会以某种方式为他们自己牟利。”

"That changes the way that decisions are made in reference to the shareholders. The odds of that happening are very, very, very low, but having Howie there adds just one extra layer of protection."

“这会影响那些和股东利益相关的决策。发生这种情况的几率非常,非常,非常低,但是有霍华德在,就又增加了一层保险。”

For his part, Howie doesn't think he'll be called upon to take over any time soon. "He won't leave until he's buried in the ground," he says of his dad, who is healthy at age 81.

对霍华德来说,他不觉得自己会很快走马上任。他说:“他会一直干到入土。”沃伦•巴菲特今年81岁,还非常健康。

Berkshire Hathaway's stock price has remained largely unchanged in the hours since the announcement, possibly due to the non-executive nature of Howie's future role. Shares in the Omaha, Nebraska firm trade at over $100,000 apiece.

巴菲特宣布这一决定后,伯克希尔•哈撒韦公司的股价一直保持平稳,这很可能是由于霍华德未来角色的“非执行”性质。目前这家位于内布拉斯加州奥马哈市的公司股价超过10万美元。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 19:47

There are 140 million people who were born in the 1990s in China, accounting for 11.7 percent of the population, the China Youth Daily reported.

据《中国青年报》报道,中国目前有1.4亿人生于1990年代,占总人口的11.7%。

The post-90s "computer mouse generation" had a modern, secure environment to grow up in and enjoyed the most advanced technology in human history. This group currently makes up the largest percentage of online users in China.

这些“90后”被称作“鼠标一代”,他们在一个现代、安全的环境中长大,享受着人类历史上最先进的技术,他们是中国最大的网民群体。

Horizon Research Consultancy Group recently released a research report on the group value and consumption behavior of the post-90s generation. The researchers found that the generation is more individualistic.

日前,零点研究咨询集团发布了一项对“90后”群体价值观和消费行为的研究报告。研究发现,“90后”更加强调个体。

"Success" means "a happy family" and second "a great career" for the mouse generation, the study showed.

他们认为,成功的标志首先在于“家庭幸福”,其次是“事业有成”。

Post-90s generation consumers made many consumption decisions themselves. For example, 84.3 percent insist on buying their clothes themselves.

他们有着高度的消费决策权,比如84.3%的人坚持认为,买什么衣服要自己决定。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 19:50

The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms (节气). Lìdōng (pīnyīn) is the 19th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 225° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 240°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 225°. In the Gregorian calendar, it usually begins around November 7 and ends around November 22.

      Lidong signifies the beginning of winter in East Asian cultures.

      立冬在11月7-8日之间,即太阳位于黄经225°。立,建始也,表示冬季自此开始。冬是终了的意思,有农作物收割后要收藏起来的含意,中国又把立冬作为冬季的开始。

      立冬节气,高空西风急流在亚洲南部地区已完全建立。此时高空西风南支波动的强弱和东移,对江淮地区降水天气影响很大。当亚洲区域成纬向环流,西风南支波动偏强时,会出现大范围阴雨天气。此外,纬向环流结束和经向环流也会建立,并有寒潮和大幅度降温。

      立冬前后,中国大部分地区降水显著减少。中国东北地区大地封冻,农林作物进入越冬期。中国江淮地区的“三秋”已接近尾声,中国江南则需抢种晚茬冬麦,赶紧移栽油菜,中国南部则是种麦的最佳时期。另外,立冬后空气一般渐趋干燥,土壤含水较少,中国此时开始注重林区的防火工作。

      二十四节气是中国古代订立的一种用来指导农事的补充历法,是在春秋战国时期形成的。二十四节气能反映季节的变化,指导农事活动,影响着千家万户的衣食住行。那么用英语该如何表达它们呢?

      二十四节气 The 24 Solar Terms

      立春 Spring begins

      雨水 The rains

      惊蛰 Insects awaken

      春分 Vernal Equinox

      清明 Clear and bright

      谷雨 Grain rain

      立夏 Summer begins

      小满 Grain buds

      芒种 Grain in ear

      夏至 Summer solstice

      小暑 Slight heat

      大暑 Great heat

      立秋 Autumn begins

      处暑 the Limit of Heat

      白露 White dews

      秋分 Autumn Equinox

      寒露 Cold dews

      霜降 Hoar-frost falls

      立冬 Winter begins

      小雪 Light snow

      大雪 Heavy snow

      冬至 Winter Solstice

      小寒 Slight cold

      大寒 Great cold
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 19:52

Fourteen percent of Chinese millionaires have or are in the process of applying for emigration, while half are considering immigrating to a foreign country, according to a new report by the Hurun Research Institute and Bank of China.
      胡润联合中国银行发布的一项报告显示,中国14%的千万富豪目前已移民或者正在申请移民,还有近一半在考虑移民。

      Based on interviews with rich Chinese in 18 cities nationwide, the report found the average wealth of interviewees exceeded 60 million yuan. The average age of interviewees was 42.
      两机构访问了全国18个重点城市的千万级别以上的高净值人群,受访人群的平均财富达到6000万元以上,平均年龄42岁。

      According to the report, one third of Chinese with assets of more than 10 million yuan have investments overseas, with most putting their money in real estate.
      报告显示,中国高净值人群(可投资资产超过1000万元)中拥有海外资产的已达1/3,投资标的以房地产为主。

      Half of those surveyed said they invested overseas for their children's education. One-third invested for emigration.
      子女教育成为富豪海外投资的主因,一半的高净值人群因为子女教育而进行海外投资, 1/3的人海外投资是为了移民。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 19:53

When visiting the U.K. and looking to see what phones the locals use, odds are that every other one has Google Android device in hand. Research from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech by way of the Mobile Business Briefing indicates that Android phones command a 49.9 percent market share in the U.K., up from 29 percent a year ago. Much of the Android share comes at the expense of a competitor you might expect to be hurting too badly: Apple's iPhone.
      如果你在英国,你会发现街上每两个人中就有一个使用的是安装谷歌安卓系统的智能手机。市场研究公司 Kantar Worldpanel ComTech通过移动商业简报完成的研究发现,安卓手机在英国市场的市占率达49.9%,环比上升了29%。而安卓手机的市场份额大多数来自于苹果公司的iPhone。

      The data shows that Apple's market share in the U.K. has fallen to 18.5 percent, which is down from 33 percent last year. That reduction has allowed Research In Motion to capture the no. 2 spot with 22.5 percent of sales. Other notable figures outside the top three include Nokia devices (6 percent) and Microsoft handsets with a scant 1.4 percent of sales.
      数据显示,苹果公司在英国的市场份额已经下跌至18.5%,环比下跌了33%。苹果公司市场份额的下跌也成全了RIM公司,后者以22.5%的份额登上了第二名的宝座。排在前三名之外的还有诺基亚6%,微软1.4%。

      There are a few reasons I can think of that explain the numbers, and I expect a bit of a reversal in the next six months or so. First, even though the iPhone 4 was a popular model for more than a year, other Android phones arrived to the market before the traditional yearly iPhone refresh. I suspect some in the U.K. decided not to wait for the iPhone 4S and instead purchased a new Samsung or HTC device. Indeed, these two handset makers accounted for 83 percent of all Android sales in the U.K. in the three-month period ending Oct. 2.
      为什么市场份额会有这么大的变动?我想原因有很多,而且我预计在未来6个月内将有一定的反弹。首先,虽然iPhone 4已经流行了一年多,但更多的安卓手机趁苹果公司新款发布会之前进入了市场。我猜测一些人决定不再等待iPhone 4S,转而购买了三星或者HTC的新款手机。截至10月2日,在过去的三个月期间,这两大手机生产商占据了英国安卓手机83%的份额。

      The lack of a new iPhone model also came at a time when smartphone adoption in the country was hitting its stride. Kantar Worldpanel ComTech says 69 percent of U.K. handset sales in the most recent quarter were smartphones. With a growing demand, consumers are likely to gravitate toward the newest device models.
      新款iPhone发布之前也恰逢英国智能手机用户大幅增长的阶段。市场研究公司 Kantar Worldpanel ComTech称,在英国最近一个季度销售的手机当中有69%是智能手机。随着需求量的增长,消费者更加容易被最新款手机所吸引。

      Will the market share mix continue with Android leading the pack? I imagine Android will continue to be the market leader, but Apple will leapfrog back over RIM thanks to the new iPhone 4S. There are surely buyers for both iPhones and BlackBerry devices, but in general, RIM still doesn't offer near the experience, functionality or diversity of applications found on the latest iPhone. Perhaps that will change when RIM launches phones with the new BBX platform, but that's looking like a 2012 event at this point.
安卓手机还会继续引领市场吗?我预测这个问题的答案是肯定的,但苹果公司也会凭借 iPhone 4S重新超越RIM公司。虽然存在同时使用 iPhone和黑莓的用户,但总体看来,RIM公司的产品仍然无法提供象 iPhone那样的用户体验、丰富的功能或者多样的应用程序。也许当RIM公司发布全新BBX平台的手机之后,情况会有所改变。但现在看来,那也许要等到2012年了。

      And RIM will soon be facing a new challenge from Nokia, which has long been a cherished brand in Europe. The latest Windows Phones devices built by Nokia will be available in the U.K. starting this month. Microsoft's newest software, combined within Nokia's excellent hardware will mean that RIM is likely to be facing multiple challengers for that no. 2 spot.
      而且RIM公司即将面临来自欧洲老牌劲旅诺基亚的挑战。这个月,诺基亚的新款微软手机就会进入英国市场。微软最新的软件加上诺基亚优秀的硬件,RIM公司想要保住第二的位置实属不易,面临的对手可不止一个而已。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 19:55

China's television watchdog has capped the amount of entertainment programs that satellite channels can broadcast, Xinhua reported.
      据新华社报道,国家广播电影电视总局周二发布电视上星频道娱乐节目限制令。

      From the start of next year, each of the country's 34 satellite channels will be limited to two such programs each week, said a statement issued on Tuesday by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
      从明年起,国内34个电视上星综合频道每周播出娱乐节目总数不超过两档。

      A channel can broadcast a maximum of 90 minutes of content defined as entertainment every day during the prime time hours of 7:30 pm to 10 pm.
      每个电视上星综合频道每天19时30分至22时播出的娱乐类节目时长不超过90分钟。

      The watchdog will also control the total number of entertainment shows nationwide.
       广电总局还将控制全国范围内娱乐节目的总数。

      During prime time every day, the 34 channels can show only nine entertainment programs in total, the statement said, adding that channels should increase the number of news programs, educational programs and documentaries.
      每天的黄金时段,全国电视上星综合频道播出娱乐类节目总数控制在9档以内,并扩大新闻、科教、纪录片等多种类型节目播出比例。

      Every channel has also been ordered to create a program that promotes traditional virtues and socialist core values.   
      各电视上星综合频道要开办一个弘扬中华民族传统美德和社会主义核心价值体系的栏目。

      Channels have been forbidden from taking decisions based purely on audience viewing figures, and directed to place greater emphasis on social values.
      另外,不得单纯以收视率排名衡量一切,要更多重视栏目的社会价值。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 20:00

An Apple employee is in trouble with his bosses after the prototype of its top-secret iPhone 5 was left in a bar... just as happened with the iPhone 4. The as yet unreleased gadget was supposedly 'misplaced' at Cava22, a tequila bar in San Francisco. Apple's security team was called in after reports that the gizmo had been sold over the internet for ?120 and a 22-year-old man was questioned. However, technology website Cnet.co.uk reports that the San Francisco Police Department said Apple had not reported the item as lost. Cava22 owner Jose Valle has said that neither the SFPD or Apple have contacted him, although he does remember getting calls about a lost iPhone last month. It follows a very similar incident in April 2010 when a then-unreleased iPhone 4 was left in a the beer garden of a German bar in California by an Apple engineer.

苹果前CEO乔布斯的离去,让“犹抱琵琶半遮面”的iphone5的期待值提上了新的高度,去年iphone4的问世前就出现了苹果员工酒吧弄丢未经问世iphone4的新闻,这一回iphone5的问世又一次“遭遇了原型机遗失酒吧”的泄露门。据悉,前日美国旧金山警方日前报案遗失一部手机,报道称,手机遗失在旧金山一家名为Cava22的酒吧中,该机在网上售价120英镑,警方接获报案后,苹果依据电子追踪查出手机位置,并会同警方至一22岁男子家中调查。但并未在该男子家中搜出手机,该男子也坚称不知情。然而报道发出后,苹果官方否认了iphone5原型机遗失,而酒吧Cava22老板也否认了苹果曾因原型机遗失而联系过他,这一则“似曾相识”的新闻让苹果的粉丝回忆起去年4月,iphone4发布前在加利福尼亚一德国酒吧被苹果工程师“被遗失”的新闻。

  While there is not yet any official confirmation from Apple that the release of a new iPhone is imminent, there are widespread reports that an October launch is slated for the iPhone 5, around two months after this incident took place. That release date would be supported by images that appeared on the internet this week.

  虽然,这一次的“泄露门”事件苹果官方并对此发布任何评论,而该事件是否会影响iphone5的10月发布我们目前还不得而知。万众期待的iphone5的山寨版已经是满天飞了,值得注意的是,为抗击市场上泛滥的山寨苹果产品,苹果近日特别成立了一支有着FBI背景的“反山寨”全球安全队。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 20:01

London's 2012 Games will be the first Olympics to be broadcast live in 3D, Panasonic announced today. Manolo Romero, the firm's director of Olympic Broadcasting Services, revealed a pool of global broadcasters is being brought on board to make it happen. So far, 14 have agreed but 'it will be more in the next few weeks'.
  据悉,一位松下集团的高级负责人指出,在2012年伦敦奥运会举行期间,全球观众将有机会看到包括开幕式和闭幕式在内的所有大型赛事与活动的立体影像。松下集团将采用特殊的设备和技术对超过200小时的奥运会录像进行处理,以让其达到最佳的3D效果。奥林匹克广播服务公司首席执行官马诺洛? 罗梅罗称部分设备已经各就各位。

More than 40 venues will be filmed using the technology, covering the opening and closing ceremonies and more than 12 sports, some of which will be covered in 3D for the first time. For the on-site production Panasonic will provide 3D equipment including camcorders, TV monitors and a technical team for live 3D TV production at London 2012.

  据悉,有超过40场馆会用到3D技术、当然也包括开幕式和闭幕式,而且,3D技术所涉及的体育项目多达12个,有许多体育项目是首次以3D技术进行直播。

  It is a tie-up between Panasonic, a worldwide Olympic sponsor, the Olympic Broadcasting Services and the International Olympic Committee. Describing the move to 3D as 'historic', Mr Romero told a technology conference in Berlin: 'We believe that this will be the most significant step in the sporting history of broadcasting.'

  此外,奥林匹克广播服务和全球顶级合作伙伴松下已经达成一项协议,由松下提供设备和技术,实现2012年伦敦奥运会现场3D直播。OBS首席执行官马诺洛·罗梅罗说:“在过去的20多年中,松下一直是奥林匹克运动和主办国广播组织的重要合作伙伴。我们很自豪地宣布这一伙伴关系的达成,以实现奥运会史上的首次现场3D直播。我们有信心,由松下团队提供的3D技术援助将帮助我们实现这前所未有的直播。最终,我们相信这第一现场3D直播奥运会将使2012年伦敦奥运会成为广播技术史上最辉煌的一次赛事。”

  Takumi Kajisha, Panasonic's corporate communications managing director, said: 'It is no doubt that the Olympic Games provides the best ever content for the 3D market and 3D will drastically change the way we enjoy the Games in the living room.

  松下公司主管执行官Takumi Kajisha表示:“与奥运会合作对于凸显我公司在3D市场上的技术应用有着至关重要的作用,对我们来说是前所未有的机遇。”

  The challenge at London 2012 will be to cover a range of sports effectively and in a fresh way in the new format. Onlookers should notice a difference in coverage with the 3D format, according to Mr Romero. He said: 'We do not want to do tricks with sport. We want to show it as it is but we also want to show what is possible in 3D. 'We will study to see how to change the coverage of the traditional sports. We have producers studying how to do this.' The problem of not enough people having 3D equipment is fast being overcome.

  马诺洛·罗梅罗说道:“奥运会作为一项公平的体育赛事平台,承载着全世界顶尖领域选手的信任,实现3D全覆盖对于防止错判、误判有着独有的优势。对于传统体育赛事的直播方法我们会予以颠覆性的革新。目前最大的问题则是3D眼镜设备不能人人普及,但是这个问题很快就会克服。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 20:05

China has overtaken the UK to become Australia’s biggest source of migrants in an historic shift that underlines the strengthening ties between the two Asia Pacific nations.
中国已经取代英国成为澳大利亚最大的移民来源国. 这一具有历史性意义的转变突显了中国和澳大利亚这两个亚太国之间的关系不断加强.

Migrants from China jumped a fifth to nearly 30,000 out of Australia’s total annual intake of 168,685, according to government figures published on Wednesday. The rise comes at a time when Australia is grappling with skilled worker shortages, especially in its booming mining and energy industries that are investing record sums to meet China’s demands for commodities and fuel. China is Australia’s biggest two-way trading partner.
周三澳洲政府公布的数据显示, 澳大利亚每年的吸纳移民总人数为168685人, 其中中国人占30000人, 较去年增长五分之一. 此次增长恰逢澳洲正在对抗熟练工人短缺困境, 特别是在快速增长的矿业和资源行业尤为严重. 澳洲正在这两个行业上进行空前的投资, 以满足中国对大宗商品和燃料的需求. 中国是澳洲最大的双边贸易伙伴.

Australia’s jobless rate has flat-lined this year at about 4.9 per cent, considered close to full employment, and the government has forecast it will fall to 4.5 per cent in 2013. The greater migrant numbers from China helped offset the continued decline from the UK, where numbers fell for a fifth straight year to slightly less than 24,000. India, now Australia’s third biggest migrant source, has also declined in recent years and fell 6 per cent to 21,768.
今年, 澳大利亚的失业率与去年持平, 约4.9%左右, 接近充分就业. 而且该国政府预测, 失业率会在2013年下降至4.5%. 来自中国的更大数量的移民, 弥补了英国不断减少的移民数量. 英国今年已经连续第五年对澳大利亚移民减少, 今年对澳移民人数略少于24000人. 印度如今是澳大利亚第三大移民来源国. 但是近来年印度对澳大利亚的移民数量也在不断减少, 今年比去年减少6%, 总移民人数为21768人.

Australia's image in India was tarnished by a string of brutal Indian student bashings in 2009, while Canberra has also cracked down on disreputable vocational education schools that were temporarily used by foreign students, including those from India, to attain working visas. Chris Bowen, the Australian immigration minister, said the bulk of the new arrivals in the 2010-11 migration programme were skilled workers. “Skilled migrants deliver significant benefits … as their employment contributes to economic growth and their relative youth offsets some of the impacts of the aging labour force,” he said.
澳大利亚在印度的形象被2009年的一系列的对留澳印度学生的残酷打击大大破坏, 同时澳大利亚政府对外国学生(包括印度学生)为获取工作签证而暂时就读的名声不好的职业教育学校予以取缔. 澳大利亚移民部长克里斯•鲍恩表示, 2010-2011的移民计划中通过的新移民人群大多数是熟练工人. “熟练移民工人为澳大利亚创造巨大的收益, 因为他们的就业促进了澳大利亚的经济增长,而且由于他们都相对年轻, 这有助于抵消工人力量老龄化的不良影响.” 鲍恩表示.

Mr Bowen is locked in a legal battle over Canberra’s plan to deport 800 asylum seekers entering Australian waters illegally by boat to Malaysia in exchange for 4,000 of its refugees. The top occupations in the skilled migrants stream were accountants, computing professionals, cooks and registered nurses.
鲍恩现在正在忙着处理一个关于澳洲政府计划遣送800名非法乘船进入澳大利亚水域的政治难民的法律诉讼. 澳洲政府希望通过将这800名难民运往马来西亚, 以换取身处该国的4000名澳洲籍难民. 熟练移民工之中, 最吃香的几个职位是会计师, 计算机专业人士, 厨师和注册护士.
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 20:12

Scientists have confirmed what every urbanite has long suspected – life in the city is more stressful.

  科学家们证实了城市人长期以来的疑虑:城市生活压力更大。

  Researchers have shown that the parts of the brain dealing with stress and emotion are affected by living among the crowds.

  研究人员发现,在拥挤的人群中生活会影响大脑中处理压力及情感的区域。

  The findings help shed light onwhy those who are born and raised in urban areas are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression and schizophreniathan those brought up in the countryside.

  该发现有助于解释为什么相对于在乡村里长大的人来说,在城市中出生长大的人患焦虑症、抑郁症和精神分裂症的可能性更大。

  The team of international scientists behind the finding are unsure why city life is so bad for the nerves.

  研究该现象的科学家来自不同国家,他们目前还不清楚为什么城市生活会损伤大脑神经。

However, past studies have shown that exposure to green space reduces stress, boosts health and makes us less vulnerable to depression. The findings come from the brain scans of 32 healthy volunteers from urban and rural areas.

  但是过去的研究显示,多接触绿地可以减轻压力、增强体质、并能降低患抑郁症的风险。研究人员对来自城市和乡村的32名健康志愿者进行了脑部扫描。

  Dr Jens Pruessner of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Quebec, who helped carry out the study, said: ‘Previous findings have shown that the risk for anxiety disorders is 21 per cent higher for people from the city, who also have a 39 per cent increase for mood disorders.

  魁北克道格拉斯心理健康研究所的詹斯 普鲁斯纳医生参与实施了该研究。他说:“之前的研究显示,城市人患焦虑症的几率要比乡村人高21%,这些人有情绪障碍的可能性也比乡村人高39%。”

  ‘In addition, the incidence of schizophrenia is almost doubled for individuals born and brought up in cities. These values are a cause for concern.’

  “另外,在城市中出生长大的人患精神分裂症的几率几乎是乡村人的两倍。这些数据令人关切。” 
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-2 20:24

地球是太阳系从内到外的第三颗行星,也是太阳系中直径、质量和密度最大的类地行星。它也经常被称作世界。英语的地球Earth一词来自于古英语及日耳曼语。地球已有44~46亿岁,有一颗天然卫星月球围绕着地球以27.32天的周期旋转,而地球以近24小时的周期自转并且以一年的周期绕太阳公转。迪士尼有同名纪录片。

Why the Earth Is Round

地球为什么是圆的?

Our never-thought to ask question for today is: Why is the earth round? Why not a cube? A cube? No,that's silly. Is it? Why? Because…,because really big things like to be round for some reason. Exactly right.And that reason is gravity.

今天,我们“从未想过的问题”是:地球为什么是圆的?为什么不是方形的?方形?那太可笑了。是吗?为什么?因为……因为非常大的东西通常都是圆的。完全正确。这个原因就是重力。

Think of it this way. Suppose the earth were a cube. Then some points on its surface would be farther away from the center than others. The corners, for example, would be much farther out than the rest.

我们这样想,假设地球是一个立方体。而地球表面的某些端点离中间或其它端点比较远。比如,立方体的各个角离得很远。

Since gravity works equally on everything, there would be a tendency to pull those uneven places down. The surface would even itself out. The only geometrical object in which every point on the surface is the same distance from the center is a sphere.

由于重力对所有物质的作用是相等的,因此不均匀的地方会被向下拉。表面使其本身变得平均。唯一一个表面上的每个角到中心距离都相等的几何物体就是球体。

But wait a minute,I've seen pictures of asteroids that have all sorts of crazy shapes.Why aren't they round? Only because they aren't big enough for gravity to be a determining factor. If an asteroid were to suddenly become as big as a moon, it would indeed rearrange itself gradually into a sphere.

等一下,我看过很多行星的图片,它们都是奇形怪状的。它们为什么不是圆的?那只是因为行星太小,重力不能成为其决定因素。如果行星突然变得和月亮一样大,它就会真正重新安排逐渐变成一个球体。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-5 10:55

Lei Feng (December 18, 1940 — August 15, 1962) was a soldierof the People's LiberationArmy in the People's Republic of China. Lei was characterised as a selflessand modestperson who was devoted tothe Communist Party and the people of China. In the campaignof "Learn from ComradeLei Feng", initiated by Mao in 1963, Lei became a cultural iconsymbolizingselflessness, modesty, and dedicationthe youth of the country were encouraged to follow his example.

雷锋(原名雷正兴,1940年12月18日-1962年8月15日),中华人民共和国中国人民解放军战士。雷锋的形象一直和“无私奉献、谦虚待人、忠于党、忠于人民”联系在一起。1963年的3月,毛泽东主席题词“向雷锋同志学习”,自此雷锋就成为一代代青少年学习的榜样,成为“乐于助人、勤俭节约”的文化楷模。今天是3月5日“学雷锋日”,让我们读着雷锋叔叔的语录,一起“学习雷锋好榜样”!

1. There is a limitto one's life, but no limit to serving the people. I would devote my limited life to limitlessly serving the people.

1.人的生命是有限的,可是,为人民服务是无限的,我要把有限的生命,投入到无限的“为人民服务”之中去。

2. If a person truly wants to study something, they can always find time. The key is whether they can budget their time in an efficientway.

2.要学习的时间是有的,问题是我们善不善于挤,愿不愿意钻。

3. For our life, we should be diligentand create wealth with our own hands, devoting ourselves to the liberation of human beings...That is the true happiness.

3.我觉得人生在世,只有勤劳,发奋图强,用自己的双手创造财富,为人类的解放事业——共产主义贡献自己的一切,这才是幸福的。

4. If you are a drop of water, do you moistenan inch of the land? If you are the first sunlight, do you illuminatethe dark hours? If you are food, do you fosteruseful life? If you are one of the smallest screws, will you always stickwith the status of your life? If you want to tell us what you are thinking, do you disseminatethe most beautiful ideal day and night? When you are alive do you always remember to work hard and realize your efforts will affect future lives and let the world become more beautiful day by day? I would like to ask you, what have you brought about for the future? In our life, we should not only be spenders.

4.如果你是一滴水,你是否滋润了一寸土地?如果你是一线阳光,你是否照亮了一分黑暗?如果你是一颗粮食,你是否哺育了有用的生命?如果你是一颗最小的螺丝钉,你是否永远守在你生活的岗位上?如果你要告诉我们什么思想,你是否在日夜宣扬那最美丽的理想?你既然活着,你又是否为了未来的人类生活付出你的劳动,使世界一天天变得更美丽?我想问你,为未来带来了什么?在生活的仓库里,我们不应该只是个无穷尽的支付者。

5. We should treat comrades like the breezein spring, work hard like summer's sunshine, conquerdifficulties like the autumn's bisesweeping witheredleafs, and treat the enemy as ruthlessas the cold winter.

5.对待同志要象春天般的温暖,对待工作要象夏天一样火热,对待个人主义要象秋风扫落叶一样,对待敌人要象严冬一样残酷无情。

6. A person for the revolutionarycause, just like a screw for a machine.

6.一个人的作用,对于革命事业来说,就如一架机器上的一颗螺丝钉。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-5 10:56

From the makers behind the viral iPhone 5 concept that envisioned the device with a stunning laser keyboard comes a breathtaking new vision for the iPad 3, with an edge-to-edge retina display and 3D multiplayer hologram for gaming.

曾经在网上疯狂传播的iPhone 5概念设计视频,为未来的iPhone引入了迷人的激光键盘,该视频背后的设计师今天再次推出惊人之作-全新功能的iPad 3概念设计,它为未来的iPad配置了“边到边”视网膜显示器和应用于多人游戏的三维全息图像。

Now, this is exactly what not to expect to be unveiled at Apple's iPad press event next week. A flurry of feature speculations have taken the web by storm following the news that the company will launch a product on March 7 in San Francisco, but this clever video from Aatma Studio — whose iPhone 5 Concept Features video raked in nearly 50 million views on YouTube — takes it a step further and opens up a world of possibilities for the future of tablets.

现在我们并不会期望这个设计会在苹果下周的iPad发布会上出现。苹果将于3月7日在三藩市推出iPad新版本的新闻公布后,网上热烈讨论传说中的iPad 3新功能,Aatma工作室更为进取,为平板电脑未来的可能性开辟了新思路,它过去创作的“iPhone 5概念功能”这个创意视频在YouTube上的点击率高达5000万次。

For example, it toys with the option of a 2560 x 1140 resolution edge-to-edge retina display, which gives the allusion of a larger visual screen area. In the video, the entire screen serves as the home button.

例如,该设计虚构出分辨率达2560x1140的“边到边”视网膜显示器,可以形成更大视域的屏幕。在视频中,整个屏幕如同家居中的按键。

Although this notion is already possible with today's tech advancements, it doesn't seem likely for the next-generation iPad, especially since the event invitation features an image of a touchscreen device with a frame.

尽管这样的构想在技术上可行,但它不大可能成为下一代iPad的功能,而且在苹果向媒体发出的产品发布邀请函上可以肯定新版iPad仍然带有个框框。

However, Aatma plays up the possibility in the video. It takes one iPad and places it next to another and the first takes over the screen of the second — similar to having two screens for a desktop computer.

Aatma工作室在视频中玩了点新意,将一个iPad放在另一个iPad旁边,两个iPad的画面拼合在一起,就象一部台式电脑的两个屏幕。

"Although the tablet form factor is great, we felt the need for a larger visual real estate," Pramod Modi Shantharam, the CEO and animation director at Aatma, told Mashable. "We eliminated the black border of current iPad and thought it would be a great visual experience for users who bring their iPads together utilizing their internal magnets."

“尽管平板电脑的尺寸和外型相当不错,但我们希望有更大可视范围的设备出现。”Aatma的CEO、动画总监Pramod Modi Shantharam说:“我们去除iPad的黑色边框,对于将多台iPad放在一起实现内部连网的玩家来说,这是一个不错的视觉体验。”

This would allow users to stream videos or watch a movie on two iPad screens at once. The studio used internal magnets with near field communications (NFC) technology to make it happen.

它允许用户同时在两个iPad屏幕上播放视频或观看电影。该工作室利用基于近场通信技术(NFC)的内部连网方式来实现这个功能。

"Consider a scenario where a family of four brings their individual iPads together at an airport while waiting for their flight with a master iPad controlling all screens," Shantharam added. "This could facilitate new original forms of media content in the future."

Shantharam说:“想像一下这样的情景,一家四口在机场等候时,将四部独立的iPad放在一起,然后由其中一部控制所有屏幕。这种技术可以促进新媒体形式的诞生。”

But perhaps the most innovative feature in the video is a 3D multiplayer hologram for gaming. Game controllers project out onto the surface of the table, while two players play a football game with the help of the two combined iPads.

视频中最具创意的功能可能是为游戏设计的可多人操作的3D全息图。利用投影在桌面上的游戏控制器,两名玩家可以通过两部相连的iPad玩足球游戏。

"The 3D holographic display was a popular feature in our iPhone 5 concept video and we wanted to extend that to the iPad," Shantharam said. "Users could experience a three-dimensional floating holographic screen with combined iPads, making it an exciting use case for multiplayer games."

Shantharam还说:“在“iPhone 5概念功能”视频中,3D全息图显示器是个热点,我们希望将这个功能延伸到iPad上。用户可以通过相连的多台iPad体验三维悬浮全息屏幕,它将成为多人游戏中的亮点。”

Do you think future iPads will embrace this technology? Which feature of the concept was most fascinating to you? Let us know in the comments.

你认为未来的iPad会取用这种技术吗?你最认同哪种概念功能?请在评论中发表你的意见。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-6 14:19

A Chinese court Wednesday heard arguments in Apple's appeal in the high profile "iPad" trademark lawsuit over its blockbuster tablet computer.

中国法庭星期三听取苹果公司在iPad商标争端上诉中的有关辩词。有关苹果公司备受欢迎的平板电脑产品的这起诉讼引发高度关注。
Judges with the Guangdong high court are expected to announce the date for their decision whether Apple or the Taiwan-based IT company Proview has the rights to use the iPad name on devices sold in China. The case has high stakes for both Apple — one of the world's most profitable companies — and Proview Electronics, a once-strong computer display manufacturer that now is on the verge of bankruptcy.
预计,广东省高级人民法院的法官将宣布判决结果的日期。判决将决定苹果公司和总部设在台湾的信息技术企业唯冠公司谁将拥有对中国境内销售的产品使用iPad名称的权利。此案对双方都事关重大,苹果是世界上最具效益的公司之一,而唯冠这家一度强盛的计算机显示器生产厂家现在濒临破产。
Stan Abrams, a Beijing based lawyer and professor of foreign investment and intellectual property law at the Central University of Finance and Economics, said that while Apple could have avoided the suit by being more careful, Proview has also made mistakes.
斯坦·艾布拉姆斯是一名居住在北京的律师,也是中央财经大学的外国投资和知识产权法教授。他说,虽然苹果本可以更加谨慎从而避免诉讼,但唯冠也犯了一些错误。
Between 2001 and 2004 Proview registered an iPad trademark in Europe and six other markets through its flagship company, Proview Taiwan. The group's largest operation, Proview Shenzhen, registered the trademark for the name within China. In preparing for the launch of the iPad, Apple bought the "global" iPad trademark from Proview, a portfolio that the U.S. company believed included the Chinese trademarks.
从2001年到2004年,唯冠通过台湾唯冠在欧洲和其他六个市场注册iPad商标。深圳唯冠在中国注册了同一商标。苹果公司在准备推出iPad时,从唯冠购买了“全球”iPad商标,并认为此举涵盖了中国的iPad商标。
Proview has since claimed to the contrary, and a Shenzhen court recently agreed that Apple does not own the rights to the name within China. Apple is now appealing that decision.
此后,唯冠提出不同解释,深圳一家法院最近判定苹果公司在中国不拥有iPad商标权。目前苹果公司正就这一判决提出上诉。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-6 14:25

People in China are among the most fearful of getting old, a new global survey suggests.

据一项全球最新调查显示,在最怕变老的国家名单中,中国榜上有名。

According to Bupa, a British healthcare organization, which asked 12,262 people in 12 countries about their attitudes toward aging, 28 percent of the Chinese polled said they feel depressed when they think about getting old.

英国保柏健康小组调查了12个国家上万人对于“变老”的态度后,称28%的中国人一谈到变老就沮丧起来。

And although 72 percent of all respondents aged 65 and over said they do not feel old, the survey conducted in June and July this year found more than half of those aged 45 to 54 in China already consider themselves to be elderly. About 30 percent of Chinese respondents said they worry about who will look after them in later years, while 91 percent agreed the government of the world's most populous nation should improve care for the elderly.

  这项在六月到七月发起的调查还显示,尽管65岁以上人群中72%的人表示他们不觉得自己老了,在中国45至54岁人群中却有54%的人已把自己看成是老人。30%的被调查者称害怕老无所依,更有超过9成的人认为政府需提高对老年人的关怀。

However, because people in China think about their future earlier, research suggests the country could be one of the best prepared for addressing the aging problem. About one third of Chinese respondents - more than double the global average - said they have put money aside for retirement, while 46 percent have taken out insurance, the poll showed.

  尽管如此,研究称,由于中国人较早考虑自己的晚年,中国应该是为解决养老问题准备最充分的国家之一。调查还显示,大约有三分之一的调查对象——比全球平均比例的两倍还多——称已经为退休后的生活开始攒钱,而46%的人则已经不把养老保险计算在内。

  Meanwhile, the Bupa survey revealed France is the most "young-at-heart" nation, with almost one third of French respondents believing people are only old when they pass 80. Indians appeared to be the least bothered of all countries surveyed about getting older (70 percent) and the best prepared with 71 percent of Indians stating that they have already made some kind of preparation for their later years.

  调查还显示,法国是心理最年轻的国家,将近三分之一的法国人认为只有过了80岁才算老。印度人似乎最不担心变老(70% 认为不影响自己的心情),同时印度也是为养老准备最充分的国家,71%的印度人已经开始为晚年着手准备了。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-6 15:15

Many people try to lose weight and never manage to, and this is why you need to make the most of the best exercise that it around. Walking.

      If you think about the things that you do in your life, you probably find that you get out of walking whenever you can. Whether that's taking the car to the shops that are just around the corner, or taking a lift when you're only going up one floor of the building.

      If you try to change your life so that you are walking more, you will find that you're able to burn more calories and therefore lose more weight. You should try to take the stairs rather than the lift wherever you can, as this means that you will raise your heart beat higher.

      In addition to this, if you take the bus a lot, then you should try getting off a couple of stops earlier than you might have done in the past. Not only will this help for you to get more exercise, but it will also help you to save a little bit of money at the same time because you won’t have to pay for as much time on the bus as you would have done in the past.

      If you get a newspaper delivered to your door, think about whether you could walk to the shops in the morning and pick it up instead. This would raise your metabolism at the most important time in the day.

      If you choose to take these tips, then you should find that you are able to lose a little more weight than you are at this moment in time. Every little helps, no matter how small, so even getting out of the house and walking around the block is better than simply sitting at home and not doing anything at all.

许多人都曾立下豪言壮语减肥,但都是半途而废。所以你需要充分利用你周围最好的锻炼方式—步行。

      如果你觉得在生活中已经在步行的话,你会发现无论什么时候你都可以出去散步。这比开车汽车去近在拐角处的商店或乘电梯上去坐一层楼都要好的多。

      如果你想改变你的生活,你就必须行动起来开始走,你能够燃烧更多的卡路里,这样有助于减轻更多的体重。尽你所能努力爬楼梯而不是乘电梯,因为这会使你的心率加快。

      此外,如果你坐公共汽车较多,那么你应该试试你以前从未做过的提前几站下车。这不仅可以帮助你得到更多的锻炼,而且也会帮你在同一时间节省一些钱,因为你不再需要支付更多的公车费用。

      一份报纸送到你家门口时,你要考虑是否早上能走到商店而不是只去将它拾起来。这将提高你一天中最重要的新陈代谢。

      如果你选择采取这些,那么你就会发现,你的体重在一点一点减轻。每一个小的环节,无论多么细微,即使走出屋子走动也会比单纯坐在家里不做任何事情要强的多。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-7 09:24

在人生路上你可能会需要以下几句话共勉:

1. Focus on what you have, not on what you haven't.

不要总想着你那些没有的,多想想那些你拥有的。

2. Struggling with problems is a natural part of growing.

面对问题、解决问题是成长中非常自然的一部分。

3. Worrying is literally a waste of energy.

担忧其实是在浪费精力。

4. You have the capacity to create your own happiness.

你有能力创造你自己的幸福。

5. Everything that happens is a life lesson.

生命中发生的所有事都是重要的一课。

6. Giving up and moving on are two very different things.

放弃和放手其实是两码事。

7. Distance yourself from negative people.

离消极的人远点儿。

8. You must love yourself too.

你也要爱你自己。

9. Don't let others make decisions for you.

不要让别人帮你做决定。

10. Laughter is the best medicine for stress.

会心一笑是治愈压力的一剂最有效的良药。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-7 14:41

GDP growth

国内生产总值增长目标

China sets its GDP growth target at 7.5 percent this year, down from 8 percent in 2011, according to a government work report to be delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the 11th National People's Congress annual session Monday.

国务院总理温家宝5日向十一届全国人大五次会议作政府工作报告时提出,2012年国内生产总值预期增长7.5%。

This is the first time for the Chinese government to lower its economic growth target after keeping it around 8 percent for seven consecutive years.

这是我国国内生产总值预期增长目标八年来首次低于8%。

Previously, China had announced it would target GDP growth of 7 percent from 2011 to 2015, the country's 12th Five-Year Plan period.

此前的2011-2015“十二五”规划纲要中确定,今后五年国内生产总值年均增长7%。

Fiscal policy

财政政策

China will continue to follow a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy, carry out "timely and appropriate anticipatory adjustments and fine-tuning", and make its policies "more targeted, flexible, and anticipatory", Premier Wen said in the report.

温家宝说,2012年,我国将继续实施积极的财政政策和稳健的货币政策,“根据形势变化适时适度预调微调,进一步提高政策的针对性、灵活性和前瞻性”。

Income gap

收入差距

The government will take further steps to adjust taxes for high-income groups, and strictly standardize the supervision of pay and bonuses for senior managers in state-owned enterprises and financial institutions.

政府将加大对高收入者的税收调节力度,严格规范国有企业、金融机构高管人员薪酬管理。

"We will quickly reverse the trend of a widening income gap," Premier Wen said in the report.

温家宝说:“我们将尽快扭转收入差距扩大的趋势。”

Land rights

土地权利

"We will place farmland under strict protection, and formulate and promulgate regulations concerning compensation for the expropriation of rural collective land," said Premier Wen.

温家宝在工作报告中指出,政府将“严格保护耕地。制定出台农村集体土地征收补偿条例”。

Old-age pension scheme

养老金计划

"By the end of the year, we will have achieved full coverage of the new old-age pension system for rural residents and the old-age pension system for non-working urban residents," Premier Wen said at the meeting.

“我们计划在今年年底前,实现新型农村社会养老保险和城镇居民社会养老保险制度全覆盖。扩大各项社会保险覆盖面,增加企业退休人员基本养老金。”温家宝说。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-7 14:42

China says it supports resolving the issue of Iran's nuclear program through dialogue, echoing comments made this week by U.S. President Barack Obama. But Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told reporters in Beijing Tuesday that countries should be able to have and use nuclear technology for non-weapons purposes. He said China is opposed to anyone in the Middle East developing nuclear weapons.

中国发表了与美国总统奥巴马本周讲话类似的观点,表示支持通过对话解决伊朗核项目问题。但是中国外交部长杨洁篪星期二对记者说,如果不以核武器为目的,各国应该可以拥有并使用核技术。杨洁篪说,中国反对中东地区任何国家发展核武器。

The comments come a day after the U.N.'s nuclear agency chief said there are "serious concerns" about a possible military element to Iran's nuclear program. A team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited Iran last month, but was denied access to the Parchin military complex near Tehran. Iran's ISNA news agency said Tuesday that Tehran will allow inspectors to visit the site. The IAEA chief, Yukiya Amano, said Monday the agency is aware of "some activities" at the site, and that they believe "going there sooner is better than later." Israel and Western powers accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian energy program, a charge Tehran denies.

在杨洁篪发表上述讲话的前一天,联合国国际原子能机构总干事天野之弥说,对伊朗核项目中可能包含军事内容感到“严重关切”。国际原子能机构的一批检查员上个月访问了伊朗,但是被拒绝进入德黑兰附近的帕琴军事基地。伊朗学生通讯社星期二报道说,德黑兰将允许检查员访问这个地点。国际原子能机构总干事天野之弥星期一说,国际原子能机构知道该基地有“一些活动”,该机构认为应该尽早进入基地为好。以色列和西方国家指责伊朗假借民用核能项目之名企图发展核武器。伊朗否认这个指控。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-9 14:15

Women in China have been enjoying increasing independence and respect in the economic and political arenas as well as their family households, Xinhua reported.

据新华社报道,中国妇女在经济生活、政治生活、以及家庭生活中越来越有独立性,也愈加受到尊重。

China had about 137 million female workers by October 2010, accounting for 42.6 percent of the country's workforce. This compared to just 610,000 female workers, or 7.5 percent, in 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded.

2010年10月,中国女职工达1.37亿,占总职工数的42.6%。而1949年中华人民共和国成立时,女职工仅有61万,是总职工数的7.5%。

Meanwhile, women have started to outshine their male counterparts in journalism, teaching, healthcare and the police force.

如今,很多女性在新闻、教育、医疗、警察机关等领域比男同事做的还要好。

Furthermore, in a move to encourage women in rural regions to participate in politics, female officials were elected into all village committees in Shandong, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hunan and Guangdong provinces, all of which completed leadership reshufflings in 2011.

在鼓励农村妇女参政的活动中,2011年完成领导换届的山东、浙江、安徽、湖南、广东五省的所有村委会均有妇女入选。

The relatively small number of female politicians in China is a topic of criticism by Western media. However, the ratio of female lawmakers on the national stage stands at 22 percent, compared with only 17 percent in the U.S.

中国的女政治家相对较少,这一直遭到西方媒体的非议。但是中国全国人大女代表的比例为22%,美国女性立法者的比例也才仅有17%。

In addition to entering the political arena, Chinese women are also amassing personal fortunes.

除了参政,中国妇女还忙于累积个人财富。

China now has more self-made female billionaires than any other country in the world, and many of these women entrepreneurs have rags-to-riches stories that have inspired others to follow suit.

据了解,中国白手起家的女性亿万富翁数量比其它任何国家都多,她们由穷至富的故事也激励了很多人。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-9 14:20

一九五八年六月七日

……如果你是一滴水,你是否滋润了一寸土地?如果你是一线阳光,你是否照亮了一分黑暗?如果你是一颗粮食,你是否哺育了有用的生命?如果你是一颗最小的螺丝钉,你是否永远守在你生活的岗位上?如果你要告诉我们什么思想,你是否在日夜宣扬那最美丽的理想?你既然活着,你又是否为了未来的人类生活付出你的劳动,使世界一天天变得更美丽?我想问你,为未来带来了什么?在生活的仓库里,我们不应该只是个无穷尽的支付者。

June 7, 1958

"If you were one drop of water, do you moisten the field? If you were a ray of sunshine, do you brighten the darkness? If you were a morsel of food, do you provide others with nutrition? If you were the tiniest bolt, do you stay in place and fulfill your duty? If you want to tell others your ideals, do you preach them day and night? When you are alive do you always remember to work hard and realize your efforts will affect future lives and let the world become more beautiful day by day? I want to ask you: What do you contribute to the future? In life you must be a giver and not just a taker."
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-9 14:26

This year's session of the National People's Congress is taking place amidst renewed government exhortations for people to study Lei Feng, a humble young man Mao turned into an icon of model behavior, whose only goal was to serve the party.



Congress delegate and lieutenant general, Zhao Gang, says he admires Lei Feng's love of country and mankind, qualities that outshine the actual things he did.



"We can see great things from what Lei Feng did, even though they were just small things. It's just like the reflection of the sun in a drop of water," said Zhao.



Last year, 27 year old Zhang Liangliang and his friends made a movie where an ordinary guy tries to become a superhero by emulating Lei Feng.



"People born in the 1960s or 1970s, perhaps they believe in Lei Feng. Now, though, young people born in the 1980s or 1990s doubt that he was able to actually do all the selfless good deeds that he is credited with," said Zhang.



The film Lei Feng Xia (or Lei Feng Man) has been seen by millions of people online. Zhang says his favorite part is when Lei Feng struggles to clean up his neighborhood.



"He uses a spatula to scrape off advertisements that were stuck on the ground. I've done that before. It's like someone comes to glue the ad there, then another person comes to clean it up, then someone puts something else on top of the same spot," Zhang noted.



As modern Chinese society grows wealthier, official media bemoan a national decline in morality because of things like official corruption and public apathy.



Guangxi delegate Wang Aiqing says this is why China still needs Lei Feng's spirit of selflessness.



"People these days are only pursuing success, fame, their own interests and money, which means they're not really well-grounded," said Wang.  "They need to go back to a good starting point."



Lei Feng died in 1962, at the age of 21. A complete edition of writings attributed to him was recently published, as part of more than 100 new Lei Feng-themed publications planned for this year that include poems, speeches, letters and analyses of his life.



今年的全国人大会议,正值政府鼓励人民学雷锋,这位普通的年轻人被毛泽东推为行为样板,因为他的目标就是为党服务。

人大代表兼中将赵刚说,他仰慕雷锋爱国爱人民的精神,这些品质比他干的实事更加闪光。

“雷锋做的虽然只是一些小事,但可以从中看到伟大的东西。他的精神就像是太阳照在水滴上一样光芒四射。”

去年,27岁的张亮亮和朋友拍了一部电影,讲述一个普通人想通过学雷锋成为超级英雄的故事。

“生在六七十年代的人可能会相信雷锋,不过,如今的80后和90后会怀疑他是否真的做过这些被表彰的好事。”

数百万人在线观看了电影《雷锋侠》,张说他最喜欢的部分,就是雷锋设法清洁社区的情节。

“他用铲刀去铲掉粘贴在地上的广告,我以前也干过。某人在那里贴广告,另一个人把广告清除,然后这人又在同样的地方再贴上广告。”

随着当代中国越来越富裕,官方媒体哀叹诸如官员腐败和公众冷漠造成全国道德水平的下降。

广西代表王爱清说,这就是为什么中国现在仍然需要雷锋这种无私的精神。

“如今的人们只会追名逐利,只管追求成功和金钱,这说明他们很浮躁,需要回到更好的起点上。”

雷锋于1962年去世,享年21岁。最近出版了一全套赞美雷锋的作品出版,今年计划以雷锋为主题出版100多部作品,这是其中的一部分。这些将出版的作品包括诗集,演讲,信件和对雷锋生命的解析。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-9 14:28

The SpareOne mobile phone is absolutely unique — running on one AA battery, it keeps its charge for up to 15 years.

待机时间超长的“节约一号”手机非常独特:只需一节AA电池,就能保持电量长达15年。

It has no camera, web browser or other hi-tech extras such as touchscreens.

这款手机没有摄像头、网络浏览器、或者触摸屏等高科技附加设备。

It's designed simply to work as a phone — and built to last.

手机只设计了通话等最基本功能,最大限度地延长待机时间。

The phone goes on sale on March 15, priced at £60 in the UK and $70 in the US.

这款手机定于3月15日发售,在英国的售价60英镑,在美国售价70美元。

The phone is designed as a "backup" phone you can keep in the glove compartment for emergencies.

这款手机是作为“备用”手机设计的,你可以把它放在汽车储物箱里应急。

The idea is that you can keep it there without worrying if it's charged or not.

创意之处就在于,你可以把它放在那里,不用担心有没有电。

Many modern mobiles will lose their charge over time, even if switched off.

很多现在的手机不管是不是关着机,时间久了都会损失电量。

Its makers say that SpareOne is ideal to leave in the car for emergencies, or to pack in travel luggage – especially if you or your loved ones plan to go off the beaten track (or off—piste).

制造商称,“节约一号”放在车里应急用,或者装进旅行包再理想不过了,特别是你和心爱的人要去比较偏僻的地方时(或者去野外滑雪)。

The SpareOne can be pre—programmed for instant access to phone numbers of key contacts, including the relevant emergency services in any location.

人们还可以通过设定“节约一号”的程序,使其能够立即接通紧急联系人,包括在任何地点接通相关的应急服务。

That single battery offers a talk time of up to 10 hours.

单块电池的最长通话时间可达10小时。

As the phone's developer, XPAL Power, says: "It's essentially designed to make and receive the most important calls, no matter what."

手机制造商XPAL能量公司表示:“这款手机本质上是用来接打最重要的电话的,不管是什么。”

The SpareOne's is also able to automatically transmit its location via its mobile ID, plus has a built—in torch.

这款手机还可以通过手机ID自动发送位置信息,此外还有一个内置电筒。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-12 14:16

Dream on, Athens. When Beijing presented its 2012 budget this week, the main concern from investors was that the government was not going to run a big enough deficit.

希腊人做梦也不敢想,中国政府本周发布2012年预算时,投资者的主要担忧竟是——政府的预算赤字不够大。

But a closer look at the spending plan reveals that China may have a couple of accounting tricks up its sleeve: its true deficit is likely to be quite a bit larger than the finance ministry claimed.

但更细致地阅读这份预算草案,就会发现中国政府偷偷运用了一些会计技巧。中国真正的赤字规模可能比财政部声称的数字大很多。

Before delving into the numbers, it is worth emphasising why a bigger deficit in China would actually be a good thing, both in the short term and the long term.

探究具体数字之前,我们有必要强调一下,为什么中国扩大财政赤字规模,无论从长期还是短期来看,其实是件好事。

This year, with exporters facing global headwinds and the domestic property market dipping, Chinese growth is bound to slow. The question is whether the government will be able to ensure that this slowdown is moderate and not sharp.

今年,中国出口部门在全球市场面临巨大压力,国内房地产市场也转冷,中国经济增长势必放缓。因此问题就成了政府能否确保经济放缓过程是温和的,而不会太过剧烈。

The weight of that task is going to fall on fiscal policy, because the central bank is unwilling to loosen monetary policy too much for fear of stoking inflation. Hence the disappointment among investors when the finance ministry announced that it was targeting a deficit of 1.5 percent of GDP, just a touch higher than last year. More spending is needed to make up for the gaps left by weak exports and sluggish construction. And with low levels of public debt, China can also easily afford this.

由于央行担忧刺激通胀,不愿过多放松货币政策,因此这项任务会落在财政政策上。所以,当中国财政部宣布将预算赤字设为相当于国内生产总值(GDP)的1.5%之时,投资者颇为失望,这个水平仅比去年略高。中国需要更大的开支力度,才能填补出口走软、建设乏力造成的经济增长缺口。目前较低水平的公共债务水平,意味着中国能够负担得起更大的开支。

From a longer-term perspective, a bigger fiscal deficit is also a vital ingredient in the economic rebalancing that is required to keep Chinese growth on track. As Mark Williams with Capital Economics wrote this week: “Many inside and outside of government have agonised for years over what policy changes are needed to boost domestic demand. There is a straightforward answer: government should simply spend more itself.”

从长远来看,扩大财政赤字也是中国实现经济再平衡的一个关键手段之一,而再平衡则是维持中国经济增长不脱离正轨的必要措施。凯投宏观(Capital Economics)的马克?威廉姆斯(Mark Williams)本周撰文称:“政府内部和外部的许多人,多年来一直在为需要作出哪些政策转变来推动内需而困扰。有一个直截了当的答案,就是政府自己应该花更多的钱。”

We can be thankful, then, that the government appears to have under-reported its spending plans. Its forecast deficit of 1.5 percent of GDP looks more like a 2.4 percent shortfall on closer inspection, according to Citigroup economists.

那么,对于政府在公布预算草案时似乎对赤字打了折扣的做法,我们应该心存谢意才对。花旗集团(Citigroup)经济学家分析道,尽管中国政府宣布的预计赤字相当于GDP的1.5%,但经过更细致的研究,赤字将实际上相当于GDP的2.4%。

They highlighted two accounting oddities that explain this discrepancy.

这些经济学家们指出了两项反常规的会计操作,可以解释二者的差距。

First, excess revenue of Rmb270bn last year was plunked into a "fiscal stabilisation fund", allowing Beijing to leave it out of the 2011 accounts and count it as revenue this year. If counted as 2011 revenue, which it clearly was, this year's deficit would be higher by 0.5 percent of GDP.

第一,去年2700亿元人民币的额外财政收入,被划入“预算稳定调节基金”。这使得北京方面得以将其列在2011年财政收入之外,计入今年的收入。如果将这笔资金计入2011年的收入(显然应该如此),那么今年财政赤字规模将会增加GDP的0.5%。

Second, Rmb192bn of local spending was booked last year but will not actually happen until this year. Accounted for as 2012 expenditure, which it is, China's deficit would rise by a further 0.35 percent of GDP.

第二,计入去年支出的1920亿元人民币地方政府财政开支,实际上今年才会发生。如果计入2012年支出(显然应该如此),那么财政赤字还会再增加GDP的0.35%。

Citi's conclusion? That premier Wen Jiabao's forecast of 7.5 per cent GDP growth this year could prove conservative — as Chinese official forecasts generally have done in recent years. Citi says: “The proactive fiscal policy should be supportive of above 8 percent growth in 2012.”

花旗集团的结论是,温家宝总理对中国经济今年增长7.5%的预期,可能有些保守,近几年中国的官方预测通常如此。花旗集团表示:“积极的财政政策应当能在2012年支撑超过8%的经济增长。”

So rest assured, China has plenty of fiscal fire-power in reserve and is preparing to deploy more of it than the finance ministry would have you believe.

所以投资者可以放心了,中国有充足的财政火力,而且准备部署的火力规模比财政部愿意让你相信的更多。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-12 14:31

Nothing succeeds like confidence. When you are truly and justifiably confident, it radiates from you like sunlight, and attracts success to you like a magnet.

信心成就一切。当你真正自信时,它就像灿烂的阳光一样从你身上散发出来,就像磁铁一样将成功吸引到你身上。

It's so important to believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it under any circumstances, because if you believe you can, then you really will. That belief just keeps you searching for answers, and then pretty soon you can get it (them).

相信自己非常重要。要相信自己无论在任何情况下都会成功。因为如果你相信你能做到,那么你就真的会做到。这种信念促使你不断的去寻找答案,而不断的探索就意味着你很快就会找到答案。

Confidence is more than an attitude. It comes from knowing exactly where you are going, exactly how you are going to get there. It comes from a strong sense of purpose. It comes from a strong commitment to take responsibility, rather than just let life happen.

信心不只是一种态度,它来源于你确切地知道自己要去干什么并且确切地知道怎么去干。它来源于强烈的目标感。它来源于勇于承担责任的许诺,而不是让生命放任自流。

One way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experience behind you.

培养自信的一种方法是去做你害怕做的事情,并取得成功。

Confidence is compassionate and understanding. It is not arrogant. Arrogance is born out of fear and insecurity, confidence comes from strength and integrity.

信心是富有同情心和善解人意的。它一点都不傲慢自大。傲慢是由于害怕和缺乏安全感才产生的,而信心则出于坚强和正直。

Confidence is not just believing you can do it. Confidence is knowing you can do it. Knowing that you are capable of accomplishing anything you want, and live your life with confidence.

信心并不是仅仅认为你可能会成功,而是确信你一定能成功。确信你有能力实现自己的愿望,并充满信心的生活着。

Anything can be achieved through focused, determined effort, commitment and self-confidence. If your life is not what you want it to be, you have the power to change it, and you must make the changes on a moment by moment basis. Live your priorities, live with your goals and your plan of action, live each moment with your priorities in mind. Act with your own purpose, and you will have the life you want.

如果你足够专心、坚决和自信,那么任何事都能做成。如果生活不像你预想的那样,你有力量去改变它,但是你必须一步一步的去实现这些改变。铭记你生命中最重要的事情。有目标有计划地去生活。为你的目标而奋斗,你就会拥有自己想要的生活。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-12 14:35

An estimated 10 million Chinese women are married to gay men, according to retired Qingdao University professor Zhang Beichuan. The wives are often trapped in unhappy unions since they can't easily leave due to Chinese law and the social stigma this would hold, Reuters reported.

据路透社报道,青岛大学退休教师张北川称,中国约有1000万妇女与同性恋男子结婚。这些妻子受困于不幸的婚姻,而受中国法律和社会名声的束缚,她们又不易脱身。

Zhang, citing a survey of more than 1,500 Chinese gay men, estimates that 80 to 90 percent of gay men in China intend to marry or have already married.

张北川援引对中国1500余名同性恋男子的调查,估算80%至90%的同性恋男子打算或已经结婚。

China's Confucian tradition, together with its one-child policy, has increased pressure on homosexual men to conform to heterosexual norms, Zhang said. But breaking free from such marriages is not easy in China. Divorce rates are rapidly rising but divorce is still considered shameful, especially for women.

张北川表示,中国的儒家传统思想以及独生子女政策迫使同性恋男子接受异性婚姻。但是,从此类婚姻中解脱在中国并不容易。虽然离婚率越来越高,但是离婚还是被认为是可耻的,特别是对妇女来说。

Chinese law is quite vague on this issue and offers little help to women who might have difficulties proving their husbands are in homosexual relationships and thus the women can't find a way out through divorce.

中国法律在这个问题上很模糊,而对于那些很难证明丈夫是同性恋的妇女,法律提供不了帮助,因此,这些妇女并不能通过离婚找到解脱的途径。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-12 14:40

Contented Married Life

A man was telling one of his friends the secret of his contented married life, "My wife makes all the small decisions," he explained, "and I make all the big ones, so we never interfere in each other's business and never get annoyed with each other. We have no complaints and no arguments."

"That sounds reasonable," answered his friend sympathetically. "And what sort of decisions does your wife make?"

"Well," answered the man, "she decides what jobs I apply for, what sort of house we live in, what furniture we have, where we go for our holidays, and things like that."

His friend was surprised. "Oh?" he said. "And what do you consider important decisions then?"

"Well," answered the man, "I decide who should be Prime Minister, whether we should increase our help to poor countries, what we should do about the atom bomb, and things like that."

令人满意的婚姻生活

一个男人告诉他的朋友自己婚姻幸福美满的秘密,“小事都由我妻子决定,”他解释说:“而我只管大事,我们从不互相干涉,从不生对方的气。我们从来没有抱怨、没有争吵。”

“听起来很有道理,”他的朋友深有同感,“有哪些事情由你妻子作决定呢?”

“嗯,”那个人回答说:“她决定我申请什么工作,我们住什么房子,买什么家具,去哪里度假这些事情。”

他的朋友很惊奇的问道:“哦?那么你决定哪些重要事情?”

“嗯,”他回答:“我决定谁来当首相,我们是否要增加对贫困国家的援助,怎么处理原子弹等等这些问题。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-27 10:06

It is no secret that it is no longer that cheap to make things in China. But now, it is becoming expensive to sell there, too.

中国的制造业成本已经不再那么低廉,这并非什么秘密。但现在,中国市场的销售成本也变得越来越高。
Neiman Marcus, the US multi-brand luxury retailer, plans to enter China via e-commerce rather than traditional bricks-and-mortar. And it is not the only one. A report due to be published on Friday shows that the spiraling cost of doing business in the country is driving other foreign companies with new products away from traditional retailers and into the arms of e-commerce firms.
销售多个品牌奢侈品的零售企业奈曼-马库斯(Neiman Marcus),计划以电子商务方式进军中国,而不打算在那里建立传统的实体店。奈曼-马库斯并不是唯一一家这样做的企业。上周五发布的一份报告显示,受中国营商成本飞涨的影响,一些手中拥有新产品的外国企业正在远离传统零售商,转而投入电子商务企业的怀抱。
The problem for retailers looking to get into China may be two-fold. Listing costs are high — but brand recognition may not travel online. The Neiman Marcus news was greeted with scepticism by local retail analysts. Shaun Rein of China Market Research in Shanghai said: "nobody knows who Neiman Marcus is in China."
希望进入中国市场的零售商面临两重问题。一方面,开店的成本很高;另一方面,若只在网上销售,恐怕难以树立品牌知名度。中国当地的零售业分析师对奈曼-马库斯的做法持怀疑态度。位于上海的中国市场研究集团(China Market Research)的雷小山(Shaun Rein)表示:“在中国,没人知道奈曼-马库斯是谁。”
Rumours have been swirling for years about Neiman trying to get retail space on the Shanghai Bund for a large new store. Most analysts see it as essential for foreign brands — especially luxury brands — to have bricks and mortar shops to bolster their credibility in a country where seeing is still believing.
数年来一直有传言称,奈曼-马库斯试图在上海外滩搞块零售店面,开一家新的大型门店。多数分析师认为,对外国品牌、尤其是奢侈品品牌来说,开设实体店是至关重要的,这样做可以提升可信度,毕竟这仍是个讲究“眼见为实”的国家。
"Customers really need to be able to see and touch the product and feel the brand heritage in a physical environment," said Rein. "Luxury sales are booming online but people still tend to equate e-commerce with cheap," he said, adding "I don't think it's possible for a foreign brand to come in and sell at high prices just online".
“顾客们真的需要能够看到、摸到产品,在现实环境里感受品牌的底蕴。”雷小山说,“奢侈品的在线销量增长很快,但人们仍倾向于认为电子商务等同于廉价。我认为,若只靠网上销售,外国品牌是不可能进入中国市场并卖出高价的。”
But the costs of physical retail space may force a rethink. According to the report by Data Driven Marketing Asia, the marketing consultancy, the cost of listing one new product "with an established supermarket chain can be as high as $27,000".
但实体零售店的成本可能会迫使外国品牌重新做出考虑。营销咨询公司数达企业管理咨询(Data Driven Marketing Asia,简称DDMA)发布的报告显示,一种新产品在“成熟连锁超市”上架的成本或“高达2.7万美元”。
This adds to steep rises in labour, rental, logistics and marketing costs. Distribution costs increased 200 per cent over the past five years. Warehousing cost was up 23 per cent last year, while the cost for advertising on CCTV, the national broadcaster, has risen almost 50 per cent since 2007. And retail rents in China's largest cities are forecast to increase by an average 12 per cent this year, according CB Richard Ellis. The cost of employing more experienced white-collar staff in the more affluent parts of China has risen almost 60 per cent over the past three years.
此外,劳动力、场租、物流和营销成本也在急剧上涨。过去五年间,分销成本上升了200%。仓储成本去年提高了23%。而在中国中央电视台(CCTV)做广告的成本自2007年以来已提高了近50%。世邦魏理仕(CB Richard Ellis)称,预计中国最大型城市的零售店铺租金今年将平均上涨12%。过去三年里,在中国较富裕地区雇佣较有经验白领的成本提高了近60%。
Sam Mulligan, China Director at DDMA, said: "Over the past three years, these costs have started to become prohibitive. When we work with customers on a new market entry, once we get to formulating a retail strategy, the metrics fall out of the window."
DDMA中国总经理萨姆?穆里根(Sam Mulligan)说:“过去三年里,这些成本已开始变得令人望而却步了。我们在与客户讨论进入市场的新尝试时,一到制定零售战略这一步,就感慨各项成本高得离谱。”
As a result, companies are shying away from traditional retailers. Yihaodian, the online grocer in which Walmart recently raised its stake to 51 per cent, is trying to grab that business by offering a one-stop-shop service for new market entrants. It helps them register their brands, deals with import formalities, transport, logistics and advertising.
因此,企业开始避开传统零售商。在线零售商“一号店”正在努力抓住这个商业机遇,手段是为新进入市场的企业提供一站式店铺服务。一号店会帮助它们注册品牌、处理进口手续、运输、物流和广告等事宜。沃尔玛(Walmart)最近刚把在一号店的持股比例提高到51%。
Yihaodian has already seen a steep increase over the past six months in requests from foreign companies that want to bring new products into the Chinese market. The online retailer saw the number of products available in its store jump to 180,000 in the fourth quarter of 2011 from just 50,000 a year earlier.
想将自己的新产品引入中国市场的外国企业,纷纷请求进驻一号店。最近六个月,这类请求的数量大幅增长。2011年第四季度,这家在线零售商的网店中出售的产品已激增至18万种,而一年之前只有区区5万种。 译者:王柯伦
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-27 10:08

A proverb is a short, well known saying that expresses a common truth or belief. Many proverbs give advice about the best way to live.

谚语是一个短语,众所周知,表达一个共同的真理或信仰。许多谚语生活的最佳方式的意见。
Recently, we presented a program about proverbs. We asked our listeners to send us their favorite proverbs. A short time later, we received suggestions from around the world. We heard from listeners in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
最近,我们提出有关谚语方案。我们要求我们的听众发来自己喜欢的谚语。很快,我们收到了来自世界各地的建议。我们听到的是来自非洲,亚洲,欧洲和南美洲的听众。
The top proverb among these listeners is this one: "Where there is a will, there is a way." This means that you can rise above your problems if you have a goal and work very hard.
这些听众之间的顶部有句谚语是这样一句:“哪里有意愿,就有一种方法。” (有志者,事竟成。),这意味着,你可以超越你的问题,如果你有一个目标,工作很辛苦。
Some listeners liked another proverb: "Strike while the iron is hot." This means it is best to take action quickly and at the right time. Another favorite proverb was, "God helps those who help themselves."
一些听众喜欢另一句谚语:“趁热打铁。” (趁热打铁),这意味着它是最好迅速采取行动,并在合适的时间。另一个最喜欢的格言是“上帝帮助那些能自己帮助自己的。” (自助者天助之。)
Xu Da-ju from China wrote that his country has thousands of proverbs. Several of them are also used in the United States. One example is "Birds of a feather flock together." This means that people who are alike often become friends or spend time together.
徐大柱从中国写道,他的国家有成千上万谚语。其中有几个是在美国使用。一个例子是“物以类聚,人以群分。” (物以类聚,人以群分。)这意味着,人们都经常成为朋友一起消磨时光。
Another proverb is "Blood is thicker than water." This means family ties are stronger than other relationships. A similar proverb states "Charity begins at home." A person should help his family or close friends before helping others.
另一句谚语:“血是血浓于水。”(血浓于水),这意味着家庭关系是强于其他关系。类似的谚语状态“仁爱从家里开始。”(仁爱始于家)。在帮助别人之前,一个人应该帮助他的家人或亲密的朋友。
Alina from China sent us this proverb: "He who would climb a ladder must begin at the bottom." That is good advice when working around your home or looking for a job.
阿丽娜从中国送给我们这个谚语:“他会爬上梯子,必须从底层开始。”(千里之行,始于足下。)这是个好建议,工作时在你的家里或找工作。
Antonio Jose from Brazil says his favorite proverb is "Tell me who walks with you, and I'll tell you who you are." Didier Vermeulen of France sent us this one: "It does not matter the speed you go. The most important thing is to never stop."
来自巴西的何塞·安东尼奥说,他最喜欢的格言是:“告诉我,你与谁走,我会告诉你,你是谁。”(观其友知其人。)迪迪埃韦尔默朗从法国给我们送来了一句:“它不会管你走的速度,最重要的事情是永远不会停止。“(重要的不是速度,而是永不放弃。)
Wafaa from Egypt says his favorite proverb is, "Think twice, act wise." He also says he is making an effort to use this saying in his life.
来自埃及的wafaa说,他最喜欢的格言是“三思而后行,明智的行为。”(三思而后行)他还说,在他的生命中他正在努力使用此说。
Another favorite proverb among our listeners is "Practice makes perfect." This means you will become good at something if you keep doing it. Another popular proverb is: "If you want something done right, do it yourself."
另一个在我们的听众中喜爱的谚语是“熟能生巧。”(熟能生巧),这意味着你将成为更好,如果你继续做下去。另一种流行的谚语是:“如果你得到想要的东西,你自己做”(自己动手,丰衣足食)
Najeeb from Afghanistan sent us this proverb: "If you risk nothing, then you risk everything."
Najeeb从阿富汗带给我们这样的谚语:“如果你没冒任何风险,那么你的风险是一切没有。”(万事不冒险将一事无成。)
And, here is the favorite proverb of Marius Meledje in Ivory Coast: "Your defeat now is your victory in the future." He says it means you can learn from your mistakes. This will help you do better when facing similar situations in the future.
这里是马吕斯在象牙海岸Meledje最喜欢的谚语:“你失败的现在,是你未来的胜利。”他说,这意味着你可以从错误中吸取教训(失败是成功之母。)。这将帮助您做的更好时,在未来面临类似的情况。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-27 10:29

Robert Zoellick announced on February 17 that he would not seek a second mandate as president of the World Bank. Little has been heard since from Washington or Brussels about possible replacements. Does this mean there is some hesitation in the US administration about which American to nominate? Or does it mean that the unwritten convention, Robert Zoellick announced on February 17 that he would not seek a second mandate as president of the World Bank. Little has been heard since from Washington or Brussels about possible replacements. Does this mean there is some hesitation in the US administration about which American to nominate? Or does it mean that the unwritten convention, allocating the leadership of the IMF and the Bank respectively to Europe and the US, is at last giving way to the idea that the World Bank should be managed by the most qualified person, whatever his or her origin?
罗伯特·佐利克(Robert Zoellick)在2月17日宣布不再寻求连任世界银行(World Bank)行长职务。从那以后,华盛顿和布鲁塞尔对可能的接替人选都几乎没有做出任何表态。这是否意味着美国政府对提名哪个美国人有些犹豫?还是意味着国际货币基金组织(IMF)和世界银行的领导职务分别由欧洲人和美国人担任的不成文惯例终于开始松动,取而代之的观点是世界银行应当由最有资格的人领导,无论他来自哪个国家?
As chief economists and senior vice-presidents of the World Bank from 1997 to 2007, we urge the US administration and the international development community to end an outdated and counterproductive monopoly on selecting the head of that global institution. We believe it is time to adopt an open and efficient selection procedure, clearly open to candidates from developing countries. And it is time that the pious declarations of commitment to such a process showed some sincerity. To say it is merit-based, and to choose an American repeatedly, shows scant respect to the citizens of other countries.
作为1997年至2007年间世界银行的首席经济学家和高级副行长,我们敦促美国政府和该国际发展机构,终止对这家全球性机构负责人选择程序的垄断,这种垄断已经不合时宜,且产生了负面的作用。我们相信,采取一种公开、高效的,对发展中国家候选人明确开放的遴选程序的时机已经到来。对这样一种程序的庄严承诺,现在也该显示出一些诚意了。一边声称遴选程序“任人唯贤”,一边却总是选择美国人,并没有对其他国家的公民显示足够的尊重。
Developed countries have a majority of voting shares in the World Bank and the IMF, and so control the leadership of these institutions. We are now close to the turning point where developing countries will represent half of real global output. They already drive global growth. More important, the developing countries represent 6bn of the 7bn world population.
发达国家在世界银行和IMF中拥有多数的投票权份额,因而控制着这两家机构的领导权。我们现在已经逼近发展中国家在全球实际经济产出中贡献一半的时刻。它们已经是全球经济增长的推动力量。更重要的是,发展中国家代表着70亿全球总人口中的60亿人口。
Our recommendation is not to swap an arbitrary rule, by which the president of the World Bank must be American, for another, only slightly less arbitrary, by which he or she should come from a developing country. It is to allow the best people to be considered for that position, whatever their origin.
我们的建议并不是把一种随意的规则(世界银行行长必须是美国人),替换成另一种没那么随意的规则(行长应当来自发展中国家),而是允许考虑让最佳人选担任行长职务,无论他来自哪个国家。

The developed countries have declared the importance of an "open, transparent and merit-based process" many times. They have recognised the importance of trust, credibility and collaboration in overcoming global challenges, particularly that of poverty. Yet when the moment comes for decision, they cannot resist the temptation to perpetuate the monopoly. This is not only hypocritical, it also destroys the trust and spirit of collaboration needed to manage the profound problems facing the world.
发达国家已经多次公开强调一种“开放、透明、任人唯贤”的程序的重要性。它们认识到,要想克服全球挑战,尤其是贫困的挑战,互信、公信力以及协作具有重要意义。然而到了做出决定的时刻,它们却难以抵挡继续垄断的诱惑。这不仅虚伪,而且还会破坏应对当前世界面临的深远问题所需的信任和协作精神。
Developed countries' control of the selection process also discourages developing countries from putting forward a candidate who might have broad support among them. As a result, there is a risk that the choices offered the Executive Board will, in practice, be very limited.
发达国家对选择程序的控制,也会打击发展中国家提名本来可能在发展中国家中拥有广泛支持的候选人的积极性。结果,提交给理事会(Executive Board)的候选人名单也会十分有限。
A more open procedure could rely, as with some other international organisations, on a small selection committee appointed by the board of the Bank. Its task would be to draw up a shortlist from candidates nominated by member countries or by others. The final choice would then be made by the World Bank's board according to its usual voting rules. This simple procedure would be consistent with the institution's present governance and with the plurality of well-qualified candidates.
更开放的程序,可以像其他国际组织一样,依靠一个由世界银行理事会任命的、小型的遴选委员会来执行,其任务将是从各成员国及其他各方提名的候选人中,挑选出入围名单。最终人选则由世行理事会按照正常的投票规则确定。这个简单的程序,既符合世界银行当前的治理方式,也能实现胜任的候选人的多样性。
Criteria for shortlisting candidates could be similar to those listed by the IMF board in the procedure that led to the appointment of Christine Lagarde: distinguished record as an economic policymaker, outstanding professional background, familiarity with banking and finance, diplomatic and managerial skills. In the case of the World Bank, solid knowledge and experience of development policy should be added to this list.
挑选入围候选人的标准,与IMF理事会任命克里斯蒂娜·拉加德(Christine Lagarde)为总裁的程序相似:作为经济政策制定者的杰出履历、出色的专业背景、熟悉银行和金融业、拥有外交和管理技巧。对于世界银行而言,除了以上这些标准,还应加上在发展政策方面需具备扎实知识和丰富经验这条要求。
This last requirement means that suitable candidates are more likely to come from developing countries, where there are leaders who combine the other qualifications with proven ability to put development into practice and international experience.
最后一项要求意味着合适的候选人更有可能来自发展中国家。发展中国家有一些领导者,既拥有其他领域的能力,在将发展政策应用到实践方面又有公认的能力,同时还具有国际经验。
We do not wish to name candidates; we simply note that there is an important principle at stake, that breaking it is destructive, that the appropriate criteria are reasonable and clear, and that there are first-class people from developing countries with skills and experience that are difficult to match. Let the competition be open; let the US and Europe live up to their words and let them behave as if it really is a World Bank.
我们不想给出候选人的名字。我们只是想指出,一个重要的原则正在动摇,如果这个原则被打破,会有破坏性的后果,恰当的选择标准应当合理、明确,而且发展中国家拥有一些能力和经验都令人难以匹敌的一流人才。竞争应当公开。美国和欧洲也应当遵守诺言。应当把世界银行当作真正的“世界”银行。
The writers are former chief economists and senior vice-presidents of the World Bank
作者曾任世界银行首席经济学家和高级副行长
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-27 14:11

The story. Taobao.com was founded in 2003 by Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce company, as a defensive move against its US rival Ebay, which had set up in China the previous year.
故事。2003年,中国电子商务企业阿里巴巴(Alibaba)创建了淘宝网(Taobao.com),此举旨在防御2002年进入中国市场的美国竞争对手eBay。
The challenge. When Ebay launched in China it had global revenues of more than $2bn. As a young, domestic entity, Taobao was taking on a huge rival while also fending off many similar small competitors in the sector, where barriers to entry were low.
挑战。eBay进入中国之际,其全球收入已经超过了20亿美元。淘宝则是一家年轻的本土企业,在面对来自eBay的强大竞争的同时,还要应对业内众多与自身类似的小型竞争对手。电子商务行业那时的进入门槛很低。
The strategic response. Noting that Ebay in China was charging users to list products and services, Taobao allowed them to list for free in order to build a big cohort of sellers and buyers. Critical mass would eventually attract revenue-generating activities, such as online advertisements.
战略对策。淘宝注意到,eBay在中国向在其网站上展示产品和服务的用户收取费用,而淘宝却不收费,以此建立起庞大的卖家和买家用户群。只要用户数量达到一定规模,就会最终带来能够产生收入的业务,如在线广告等。
Taobao also presented itself as very much a Chinese enterprise. For instance, the screen names of online moderators were derived from characters in popular Chinese kung-fu novels.
淘宝还强调自己是一家土生土长的中国企业。例如,淘宝在线客服的“花名”,就取自中国流行武侠小说中的人物。
Next, Taobao aimed to be more innovative than Ebay in customer service. In 2003 Taobao started Aliwangwang, its instant communication tool, to help buyers and sellers interact.
下一步,淘宝的目标是推出比eBay更具创新性的客户服务。2003年,淘宝推出即时通讯工具阿里旺旺(Aliwangwang),帮助卖家和买家进行互动。
It also introduced the online payment system Alipay a year later. Online credit card or debit card payment was very rare in China and customers usually paid cash on delivery. Alipay formed partnerships with leading Chinese banks and signed a long-term agreement with China Post, which meant customers without a debit or bank card could fund their Alipay accounts at any of its 66,000 offices.
2004年,淘宝推出了在线支付系统支付宝(Alipay)。那时,中国人很少使用信用卡或者借记卡进行在线支付,客户通常在收货时用现金支付。支付宝和中国的大银行达成合作,并且和中国邮政(China Post)签署了长期协议,如此一来,客户即使没有借记卡或者银行卡,也可以通过中国邮政遍布各地的66000家邮局向支付宝账户汇款。
What happened. Taobao developed into a diverse e-commerce platform where businesses sell a very wide range of items to online shop owners who then sell on to consumers.
结果。淘宝发展成为多元化的电子商务平台,在这个平台上,企业向在线商店店主销售各式各样的产品,店主再卖给消费者。
At the end of 2006, Ebay shut its main website in China and formed a joint venture with Hong Kong- headquartered Tom Online.
2006年底,eBay关闭了在中国的主站,与总部位于香港的Tom在线(Tom Online)建立了一家合资企业。
Taobao continued to build a network of ventures around its core operations. In 2007 it set up Alisoft.com, where small Taobao sellers could buy customised software from independent vendors to help with functions such as customer relations or managing inventory.
淘宝则继续围绕核心业务,建立起业务网络。2007年,淘宝软件(Alisoft.com)成立,淘宝上的小卖家可以在此向独立供应商购买定制软件,用于客户关系或库存管理等。
In 2008 Taobao integrated Alimama.com, an online ad company with a network of more than 400,000 specialised websites where Taobao sellers could affordably post ads to reach their target audiences.
2008年,淘宝整合了在线广告公司淘宝联盟(Alimama.com)。淘宝联盟拥有覆盖40多万家专业网站的网络,淘宝卖家可以以不贵的价格向目标受众发布广告。


These complementary ventures formed a network, with Taobao at the centre surrounded by interlinked companies. All cross-sold and cross-marketed each other's services and offered packaged deals to Taobao sellers.
这些业务相互补充,形成网络,淘宝位于网络的核心,被各个相互联系的企业所围绕。这些企业互相进行服务的交叉销售和交叉营销,把众多服务打包起来提供给淘宝卖家。
As this "ecosystem" developed it attracted other businesses to use Taobao, Alipay, Alisoft and Alimama's platforms to provide further customised services to Taobao sellers.
这套“生态系统”逐渐发展起来,又吸引了其他企业使用淘宝、支付宝、阿里软件和淘宝联盟的平台,向淘宝卖家提供更加深度定制的服务。
The extent and reach of the ecosystem became too hard for rivals to replicate.
这套生态系统的规模和影响之大,竞争对手已经无力模仿。
By 2010 Taobao served more than 80 per cent of China's e-commerce market, with 170m registered users and revenues of more than Rmb20bn from online advertising and fee-paying services such as shop design and sales training.
截至2010年,淘宝占有中国电子商务市场80%以上的份额,注册用户达1.7亿,在线广告和店铺设计、销售培训等付费服务的收入超过了200亿元人民币。
Meanwhile, Ebay moved its business focus to cross-border e-commerce, where Chinese consumers sell to overseas consumers. It holds a leading position in that segment.
与此同时,eBay的业务重心转移到跨境电子商务方面,中国的商家利用它向海外消费者销售产品。它在这个领域处于领先地位。
Key lessons. How Taobao kept Ebay out of the market and became China's dominant e-commerce platform in a relatively short space of time holds lessons for Chinese and western companies alike.
关键经验。淘宝如何在相对较短的时间内,把eBay拒于中国市场之外,成为中国最重要的电子商务平台,其经验值得中国和西方企业学习。
First, Taobao provided services and solved problems for the smaller businesses that are the driving force behind China's economic boom. For instance, Alipay enabled people to pay for goods and services easily.
首先,小企业是中国经济繁荣的推动力量,淘宝为这些小企业提供服务、解决问题。例如,支付宝让人们可以轻松地进行支付,购买商品和服务。
Second, Taobao set up or integrated services that complemented each other and used this ecosystem to create a bar to competition.
第二,淘宝创建或者整合了互补的服务,并用这套生态系统筑起竞争壁垒。
Third, Taobao identified how to help people buy and sell. By making online shopping easy, safe and fun it helped many first-time online buyers build confidence in e-commerce.
第三,淘宝找到了帮助卖家销售和买家购物的办法。淘宝使网上购物变得简单、安全和有趣,让很多初次接触网上购物的买家对电子商务树立起信心。
Mark Greeven, Shengyun Yang, Tao Yue, Eric van Heck and Barbara Krug
本文作者马克·格雷芬(Mark Greeven)、杨盛赟、岳韬、埃里克·范埃克(Eric van Heck)和芭芭拉·克鲁格(Barbara Krug)是伊拉斯谟大学(Erasmus University)鹿特丹管理学院(Rotterdam School of Management)的教师
The writers are faculty members at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
译者:倪卫国
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-27 14:16

Many years after receiving my graduate degree, I returned to the State University of New York at Binghamton as a faculty member. One day in a crowded elevator, someone remarked on its inefficiency. I said the elevators had not changed in the 20 years since I began there as a student.

获取研究生学位多年以后,我回到位于宾翰顿的纽约州立大学当教员。一天,电梯里很拥挤,有人抱怨电梯效率太低。我说自我在那里当学生起,20年来电梯一直没有换过。

When the door finally opened, I felt a compassionate pat on my back, and turned to see an elderly nun smiling at me. "You'll get that degree, dear," she whispered. "Perseverance is a virtue."

最后当电梯门打开时,我感到有人在我的背上同情地拍了一下,回过头来我看到一位年长的修女正在朝我微笑。“你会拿到学位的,亲爱的,”她低声说道:“坚持不懈是一种美德。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-27 14:56

U.S. officials say the United States and China have agreed to coordinate their response to a scheduled North Korean missile launch that has overshadowed this week's nuclear security summit in Seoul. An aide to U.S. President Barack Obama says Chinese President Hu Jintao expressed his nation's "serious concern" about the planned launch at a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Obama on Monday. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes briefed reporters on the meeting. He said Mr. Hu told the U.S. president that China has already expressed its concern to Pyongyang. He said the two leaders agreed to consider what steps to take next if the launch goes ahead.

美国官员表示,美中两国同意协调它们对朝鲜计划进行的导弹发射的回应。朝鲜的这一发射计划给本周在首尔举行的核安全峰会蒙上阴影。美国总统奥巴马的一位助手说,中国国家主席胡锦涛星期一在与奥巴马进行一对一会晤时表示,中国“严重关切”这次计划的导弹发射。美国副国家安全顾问本.罗兹在这次会议上对记者发布了这一消息。他说,胡锦涛对美国总统说,中国已经向平壤表达了这一关切。他说,如果朝鲜发射导弹,美中两位领导人同意考虑今后将采取何种举措。

In remarks Sunday, Mr. Obama had urged China to stop turning a blind eye to North Korea's nuclear defiance and use its influence to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. China is North Korea's main ally and trading partner, but Beijing says its political influence over Pyongyang is limited. In a speech at Hankuk University in Seoul earlier Monday, Mr. Obama warned Pyongyang that it could continue down the road it is on, but that would lead to more broken dreams, more isolation and ever more distance between the people of North Korea and the dignity and opportunity they deserve.

奥巴马在星期日的讲话中敦促中国不要再对朝鲜在核项目问题上的对抗行为视而不见,而要利用其影响力节制朝鲜的核野心。中国是朝鲜的主要盟友和贸易伙伴,但是北京当局说,他们对平壤的政治影响力有限。奥巴马星期一早些时候在首尔的韩国外国语大学发表演讲时警告平壤说,平壤可以继续走现在的老路,但是这条道路将让朝鲜更多的梦想破灭、导致朝鲜更加孤立、并让朝鲜人民距离他们应有的尊严和机遇越来越远。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-29 15:34

An expert has identified an animal captured in east China's Shangdong province as a Siberian husky dog; a domestic animal that resembles wolves in appearance, the Shangdong Business Daily reports.

据《山东商报》报道称:一名专家鉴定于山东捕获的疑似狼动物实则为西伯利亚哈士奇,一种外形似狼的家养宠物。

People have been on high alert since a grey wolf reportedly killed two villagers and wounded five others in Tengzhou, Shangdong province on Monday, March 19. Three days after local police shot the animal dead, they captured another animal which they also suspected of being a wolf and took it to the area's local zoo as a 5-year-old she-wolf.

有报道称,3月19日星期一这天,一只灰狼在山东滕州咬死2名村民,另咬伤5人。人们自此便高度警戒起来。当地民警随后将这只伤人野狼击毙。三天后,民警又捕获到另一只疑似狼的动物。后这只“5岁母狼”被送往当地动物园。

Police believe it was responsible for attacks on seven people, two of whom died.

民警认定它就是袭击7人并致其中2人死亡的那只狼。

But a local man surnamed Wang claimed it was his pet dog Lady that he had reared for two years, and who was gentle in nature.

但当地市民王先生却声称这只“疑似野狼”是他养了两年的宠物狗——性情温顺的“Lady”.

Xing Hao, a local zookeeper, told China Central Television: "Its cry is like that of a wolf and the corners of its eyes are tilted, not straight like that of a dog. Its tail is also straight, not sticking up like a dog, and its ears are upright. All these indicators are in line with a wolf's characteristics."

当地动物园饲养员邢浩(音译)在接受中央电视台采访时表示:“它叫起来像狼,眼角倾斜,不像狗的眼角,是平的。它的尾巴是平直下垂的,不像狗的尾巴那样会向上翘。耳朵直立着。所有这些都符合狼的特点。”

But Wang disagreed. "It's not a wolf but my dog. I recognized her at a glance from a news photo," Wang told China Daily.

但王先生并不同意这一说法。“这不是狼,这是我的狗。我在新闻图片中一眼就认出了她。”王先生在接受《中国日报》采访时称。

"Her name is Lady and she is very gentle. I have raised her for nearly two years. At around 11 am last Friday, she ran away from home and never came back."

“她叫Lady,性情温顺,我已经养了近两年了。上周五上午11点左右,她从家里跑了出去就再也没回来。”

Wang said he now works in another city in Shandong and was only told of events by friends on Friday night.

王先生说,他现在山东省的另一座城市工作,所以周五晚才从朋友那得知这件事。

"I recognize my Lady," he said. "I hope I can get my pet back as soon as possible."

“我认得我的Lady,”他说,“我希望能尽快把我的狗带回来。”

"During her capture, she was hurt badly both physically and mentally. She's very scared of people," he claimed, relying on reports from family and friends who went to see the dog on Saturday.

王先生表示自己的家人和朋友周六那天去看了这只狗,他说:“她被抓时,身心都受到了很大的伤害。她现在很害怕人。”

"It's quite understandable for local departments to do this, as they want to protect local residents," Wang said.

“我可以理解当地部门的做法,他们只是想保护村民。”王先生说。

"But Tengzhou is a small place where huskies are hardly ever seen. It's very possible that people mistook her for a wolf."

“但滕州地方小,很少会见到哈士奇。人们很有可能把它误认成狼。”

A vet from Shensheng Pet Clinic, who didn't give her name, said there was "no significant difference" between some breeds of husky and wolf, as they share a common ancestor.

一位来自申盛宠物医院(音译),不愿透露姓名的兽医表示,有些品种的哈士奇和狼没有“明显差异”,因为它们拥有共同的祖先。

"Most people don't know this and it's very likely to have been a wrong identification," she said.

她说:“大多数人并不知道这一点,所以这很可能是次错误的鉴定。”

Ma Jinsheng, a zoology expert, visited the zoo in Tengzhou on March 26. After close observations and a number of experiments, Ma confirmed that the animal was in fact a husky dog.

3月26日,动物学专家马金生教授来到滕州动物园。在进行了严密观察和一系列实验之后,马教授确认,这只动物实际上就是哈士奇犬。

"This animal's eyes aren't as angular as a wolf's; and the color of its fur doesn't match that of a wolf. Most importantly of all, it's very friendly towards humans," Ma said after conducting a controlled experiment using food. The husky dog accepted food from Ma Jinsheng, while in contrast, a real wolf kept at the zoo shied away as soon as Ma approached.

马教授在进行了一次喂食对照实验之后表示:“这只动物眼睛的倾斜度不如狼;毛色也与狼不同。最重要的是,它对人类很友好。”这只哈士奇接受了马教授给的食物,而园中真正的狼则恰恰相反,马教授稍一靠近它们就跑开躲了起来。

Ma stated that the most absolute and scientific way to determine the true identity of the animal is to take samples of its fur and conduct DNA analysis.

马教授表示,确定该动物身份最准确也是最科学的方法便是取得该动物的皮毛样本,进行DNA分析鉴定。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-29 15:42

Prevention: A brisk 30 minute walk a day can protect against bowel cancer Regular exercise can significantly cut the risk of bowel cancer, research shows. Just 30 minutes of activity a day has been shown to reduce the chance of developing polyps – growths which can become cancerous – by a third. Scientists from Washington University School of Medicine found that people who took regular exercise were 30 per cent less likely to develop the larger polyps most at risk of becoming cancerous.

  积雪融化、春天又踏着她轻盈的脚步来到了我们身边,在当今快节奏的繁忙的工作中如何能保持身心健康,“春季将如何养生”又是一个摆在我们面前的重要课题。有来自华盛顿大学医学院的专家建议,每日30分钟的有氧慢走可以有效减少患上大肠癌的机率,换句话来说,慢走可以降低胃肠道息肉(胃肠道粘膜局限性增生形成的隆起肿物)的生长速度,具体数字能达到30%,看来,慢走是白领春季养生的最佳选择之一。

    The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, looked at data from 20 previously published pieces of work. Lead author Dr Kathleen Wolin said: ‘Exercise has many benefits, including boosting the immune system, decreasing inflammation in the bowel and helping to reduce insulin levels.’ Bowel cancer is the third most common form of the disease, and the second most common among women. There are around 38,600 cases a year in the UK. The researchers analysed data from 20 existing studies and found people who lead sedentary lifestyles are more likely to have growths.

  据悉,这项实验结果发表在《英国癌症杂志》期刊上,有专家Dr Kathleen Wolin 说:“锻炼有许多益处,包括提高自身免疫系统抵御外界侵蚀的能力、降低体内胰岛素水平并减少肠道炎症的机率等等。”据悉,大肠癌是第三大癌症,而且女性发病的机率会很高。在英国,这种疾病的数量异常庞大,每年共有3万8千多的类似案例发生,研究人员经过调查证实,有“久坐的不良生活习惯”的人群最容易患上此类疾病。看来,亚健康生活带来的弊端越来越显现了,而且城市白领的亚健康趋势呈上升趋势,我们要意识到,需要社会关注的问题不仅仅局限于大肠癌而已了。

  People who took regular exercise were 16 per cent less likely to develop bowel polyps and 30 per cent less likely to develop large or advanced polyps which are more likely to develop into cancer. Professor Wolin said: 'We've long known that an active lifestyle can protect against bowel cancer but this study is the first to look at all the available evidence and show that a reduction in bowel polyps is the most likely explanation for this.

  有数据显示,每日能做有规律运动的人比不愿意运动的人患上大肠癌的机率低16%,而胃肠道长息肉的机率也大大减少30%。教授 Wolin 说:“虽然我们都知道有规律的运动可以减少患上大肠癌的机率,但是这次的实验是首次提供具体数据证实了我们的假想。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-29 16:02

Walking is a great way to get in shape without breaking the bank (it's free and you do it everyday). But there are other benefits to this exercise that you may not have realize. Here's some fun facts to encourage you to lace up your walking shoes.
步行是塑身的超棒方式,不花钱,而且可以每天进行。但还有一些你不知道的好处。看了以下有趣内容,可以鼓励你系上运动鞋带。

Whether you stroll, saunter, amble or stride, walking is good for you. In his book, The Lost Art of Walking, Geoff Nicholson extols the virtues of walking, and delves into how and why we walk. Besides providing physical, psychological and social benefits, this simple, free activity can transform your life, he suggests. Here’s how:
不管是溜达、漫步、逛逛,还是大步走,步行都有好处。吉奥夫.尼克尔森在《消失的步行艺术》一书中,大力称赞步行好处,探究步行方式和原因。他说,除了生理、心理和社交方面的好处外,该简单、免费的活动还能改变你的生活。如下:

Promotes Good Health
From a health perspective, walking is the key to managing weight, controlling blood pressure, and reducing the risk of a stroke, breast cancer, diabetes and myriad other ailments. A brisk daily walk lengthens your life, decreases the risk of depression and elevates your mood and sense of wellbeing. According to Harvard teaching hospital Beth Israel Medical Centre, walking lowers total cholesterol and increases high-density lipoproteins (HDL) or the “good cholesterol”.
锻炼好身体
从健康角度看,步行在以下几方面能起到关键作用:控制体重;控制高血压;降低中风、乳癌、糖尿病和其他各种疾病的风险。每天轻快走,可以长寿,减少抑郁风险,提升精神气,让人感觉更健康。根据哈佛大学附属医院贝西.伊萨瑞中心的研究表明,步行降低总胆固醇水平,并提高高密度——即“好胆固醇”——水平。

Keeps You Mentally Refreshed
From a psychological viewpoint, walking offers an opportunity to clarify thoughts, to solve problems and to reduce stress. If you establish a rhythm that is relaxing and peaceful, walking can also become a form of meditation.
让你精神好
从心理学角度看,步行提供了以下时间:理清思路,解决问题,还有减压。假如进行放松、平和的步行,也是一种冥想方式。

Allows for Social Bonding
Walking regularly with someone else enables a friendship to blossom as the pair of you exercise. You can also schedule regular walk “dates” with your spouse or partner and use the time to discuss issues without distractions.
紧密人际关系
和别人一起进行有规律的步行,可以在锻炼中发展友谊。你可以通过安排好步行时间,和配偶或者伴侣进行“约会”;还可以不受干扰地讨论问题。

Lets You See the World Around You
Also, the best way to explore some of the world’s great cities – such as New York, London, Paris and Rome – is on foot. Walking stimulates the senses and enables you to enjoy a rich engagement with life around you. According to Nicholson, the poet William Wordsworth circumnavigated the world seven times during his lifetime. Wordsworth reputedly delighted in the simple truth that “going for a walk is an invitation for surprise”.
看看外面的世界
游玩世界上的大城市,如纽约、伦敦、巴黎和罗马,最好的方式也是步行。步行让感觉更敏锐,能让你发觉周围生活的丰富多彩。根据尼克尔森的说法,诗人威廉姆.沃兹华斯一生中环游世界七次。“出门散步,来自惊奇的邀请”,沃兹华斯一直心悦诚服地相信这个简单真理。

Here are some tips to get going:  
Get a walking buddy and commit to meet each week at a set time.
Get a dog and you’ll have a constant walking companion.
Choose a location that is picturesque but accessible.
Start with a moderate walk, then increase the pace and distance.
Include some hills and stairs.
Use an umbrella if it rains: the worst that can happen is that you get wet!
以下是几个小贴士:
1、找一个步行伙伴,坚持每星期在固定时间见面;
2、养一条狗,那步行伙伴就一直有了;
3、找个风景好、交通便利的地方;
4、开始步行要适度,逐步提高强度,增加距离;
5、要有一些山和楼梯;
6、如果下雨,要撑伞;如果淋湿了,那可糟了!
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-29 16:21

For years the advice has been clear: eating five portions a day of fruit and vegetables is the key to a healthy life. But five may no longer be enough.

  在我们日常的饮食中,蔬菜与水果需占摄取食物总量的5成,这也是维持健康的身体与生活状态的关键之一。不过现在看来,50%的蔬果已经不足以满足需求了。

  A study has found that to get maximum defence against heart disease, you need to eat at least eight daily servings of fresh food.

  据一份最新的健康研究显示,为了能更好的预防心血管方面的疾病,我们每天所要食用的蔬菜与水果至少要占到饮食总量的8成。

  The Government’s five-a-day advice has its roots in World Health Organisation guidelines to include 14oz of vegetables in a daily diet.

  更具世界健康卫生组织所倡导的“每餐需含有14盎司蔬菜的标准”,英国政府向国民建议,每日摄取的食物中最还有一般为蔬果类。

  But there have been doubts over whether eating more than this level of fruit and veg meant even greater health benefits. Now the new study suggests every extra portion provides added protection.

  不过有人也对此提出了怀疑,多下更多吃蔬菜与水果就是否一定以为着又会更健康的身体。而现在,这份研究证明,提高健康食物所占的体重将对人体提供多大的保护。

  Significantly, those in the ­highest category – eating eight or more a day – have a 22 per cent lower chance of dying from heart disease than those who consume three ­ portions, the UK average.

  更要中的是,从英国国民健康水平的平均值来看,每日摄入近8成的蔬果的人要比那些仅仅吃“3份”蔬果的人罹患心脏病的概率小22%。

A ‘portion’ weighs just under 3oz, equal to a small banana, a medium apple or a small carrot. The findings come from an ongoing European investigation into diet and health, looking at 300,000 people in eight countries.

  这其中所指的每一份大概相当于三盎司,也就是一只小香蕉,中等个头的苹果,或小一些的萝卜。这究报告是在研究了八个国家的30万人口的饮食与健康水平后得出的结果。

  Dr Francesca Crowe, of Oxford University, is working on the project. She said that although ischaemic heart disease (IHD) – the most common form – was less likely in those who ate lots of vegetables, it could be explained because these people might also have healthier lifestyles.

  来自牛津大学的克洛维博士参与了这项调查研究。她指出,比较常见的缺血性心脏病很少出现在那些摄入很多蔬菜水果的人群中,同时,这位人的健康的生活状态也是保护他们免于心脏病威胁的原因之一。

  However, the study specifically showed a reduced risk of dying from IHD of around four per cent for each additional portion of fruit and veg consumed above the lowest category, which was those who ate two or fewer portions.

  研究充实指出,对于那些摄取蔬果量处于做低标准的人,也就是每日仅有“2份”的人来说,饮食中每增加“一份”的蔬果比重,患上缺血性心脏病的几率就将缩小4%。

  The average intake of fruit and vegetables across all the countries in the study was five portions. People in Greece, Italy and Spain ate more and those in Sweden less.

  这些受调查的欧洲国家中,人们平均每日会吃掉“5份”蔬果,其中,希腊、意大利和西班牙人会吃更多的蔬果,而瑞典人则更少些。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-3-30 15:23

A new study suggests that for better health, you should try standing up more, HealthDay News reported.

据每日健康新闻报道,新研究指出,多多站立是更为健康的生活方式。

Those who spend 11 or more hours a day sitting, are 40 percent more likely to die within the next three years regardless of how physically active they are otherwise, researchers say.

科学家称,每天久坐11小时以上的人,未来3年,无论做多少锻炼,死亡率会比正常人高出40%。

Analyzing self-reported data from more than 222,000 people aged 45 and older, Australian researchers found that mortality risks spike after 11 hours of total daily sitting.

澳大利亚科学家分析22.2万名45岁及45岁以上人士的自我检查报告得出,每天坐11小时的人死亡风险陡增。

Yet they are still 15 percent higher for those sitting between 8 and 11 hours, compared to those spending fewer than 4 hours per day sitting down.

相比每天坐不足4小时的人,每天坐8-11小时的人死亡率要高出15%。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-5 14:45

I translated this Chinese article into English and had it posted in a Tianya forum on 10th October 2009.  I stumbled upon this myself just now and would like to share this with you folks here.


   译者 CyberParrot (one of the many cyberIDs of Uncle Martin) 的话:
    A few words from the translator CYBERPARROT:-
    
    国内很多人天天在用中文积极谈论怎样学英语,其它人说的不相信,你不是白色皮肤的英语老师,他往往抱着怀疑的心,你行不行的,要信你吗?这也不能怪他们这种态度,因为实在太多国内的所谓英语老师培训师是不能随意与正确地使用英语的。自已能力不及,常常犯大错,懂得英语的给他们笑死,不懂得英语的给他们吓坏。
    
    There are lots of people in this country discussing intensely about how to learn Englgish. They can't easily trust others. If you are an English teacher of non-white appearance, they have reservation always in you. In their mind, they are thinking: "Why I have to trust you that your English really works?" We can't blame them for this attitude. Because in this country there are lots of so called English teachers or trainers who are not able to use English comfortably and correctly. They are far from perfect and keep making grave mistakes. If you are one who really understand English, you will love to hell. If you are one who does understand English, you may be frightened by their terrific English.
    
    当然我不能强求他们能随意把自已心里的话,用英语直说出囗。这里我是示范把看到甚麽,想到甚麽就把它转成英语,给大家知道甚麽是我所说的活生生的英语。当然国内学英语的,能拿去跟买家谈到生意就是最直接的目的,用英语来风花雪月不是普通一个英语非母语的英语学习者能容易办到的。
    
    Certainly, I understand that we cannot force them to speak their mind out easily - to blurt out what pops up in their head. My demo here is to show you guys how easily it is to translate what one is reading or thinking from Chinese to English, to show you what I mean by living English. Again in this country, English learners will have achieved their purpose if they could use their English to close some deals with foreign buyers. It is not easy for an average non-English mother tongue learner of English to talk about the flying flowers and the snowy moon.
    
    我们很多人担心犯错,你们应该记住,像英国、美国、澳大利亚和加拿大这样的国家是多文化融合的国家。多文化融合指的是有很多不同的文化。单说伦敦,就有世界各地的人住在那里。大部分人说英语但有很多不同的口音。不是每个人都说标准的英语,而且,人们会犯错。
    
    A lot amongst us worry about making mistakes. They have to bear in mind that countries like UK, USA, Australia and Canada are the melting pot of different cultures. Multi-cultural convergence means there are many different cultures in it. Take London alone as an example, there are people from different countries in the world living in it. Most of them speak English but they carry different accents. Not every one can speak standard English and much more they do make mistakes.
    
    不过作为一个说英语的人,我们不需要担心这个问题。我们已经很熟悉非英语母语的人说英语了。只要我们明白他们的意思,我们根本不在乎他们是不是犯了错。所以,作为非英语母语的人,你不需要担心犯错。小错误无伤大雅,即使你翻了比较大的错误别人不懂你的意思,他们也会努力去弄清楚——或者会直接告诉你他们不明白。这给了你一个机会可以用不同语言再次表达你想说的话的机会。
    However as people who speak English, we don't have to worry about this problem. We are sos familiar with English spoken by non-native English speakers. So long as we understand what they are saying, we care not about the mistakes they make. Therefore, as non-native English speakers, you don't hae to worry about making mistakes. Minor mistakes don't hurt. Even if you make a rather big mistake so much so that they won't understand you, they will try their best to clarify or tell you directly that they do not understand. You will be given an opportunity to rephrase what you want to say.
    
    当然人们不懂的时候会有很多次,但是如果你不去交流你就永远不知道。尽你所能的去试吧,别担心。你的英语可能比你想象的要好。
    Certainly, there may be more than one occasion when others don't understand you. However, if you don't ever go out to interact with others, you will never know. Do your best to try it out, worry not. Your English may turn out to be better than you imagine.
      
    一些人说当人们说英语的时候他听不懂,所以我想今天我来说说如果你听不懂别人说话的时候你可以说些什么: If someone is speaking really quickly, don't be afraid to ask them to speak more slowly.如果对方说话太快,可以大胆的请他们慢点说。
    Some of us worry about not be able to understand others' spoken English. That's why I am always thinking of what we can say if just in case we cannot catch what others tell you about. If OTHERS ARE speaking really FAST, don't be afraid to ask them to SLOW DOWN A BIT. [大写是 Cyberparrot 改进的]
    
    如果你听不懂,就直接说听不懂:< I'm sorry I don't understand. I'm sorry I didn't catch that. (I didn't understand) You could just ask them to say the same thing again.你可以让他们重复一遍: I'm sorry, could you repeat that please?
    If you don't understand, tell them directly: "I'm sorry I don't understand. I'm sorry I didn't catch taht. (I didn't understand). You could just ask them to say the same thing again. You can let them repeat one more time. I'm sorry, could you repeat that please?"
    
    让人们重复或者慢点说没什么不好的,请教比装懂好得多。这对你和说英语的人交流有很大帮助。有时他们意识不到他们说话很快或者用了很难的词,所以你告诉他们是对的。
    That's nothing wrong letting others repeat the same thing or slow down. Asking for clarification is much better than pretending to understand. This is helpful to you and the person who interact with you in English. Sometimes, they may not be aware that that are talking too fast or have been using too much big words. That's why telling them so is correct.
    
    {CyberParrot's personal comment 译者个人意见} 如果那人不是你的生意客户,而是片面之交,又不懂得你有因难,那就是他是无知的或是欺负你,你大可以不理会他。
    If that person is not a business client, just a causal aquaitenance, then knowing that you have difficulties with him, he must be totally insenitive or simply bullying you. You just walk away.
    
    对你们说的问题我有很深的体会。我在大学里学过法语和德语(很久以前了!),我没有机会和很多法国人或者德国人聊天。我尽量从电视、广播和老师的磁带中听以我学习的外语为母语的人说话。我和自己说,我和我的同学说,我大量阅读。大声朗读也是练习口语的好方法。幸运的是,这些国家离我并不像英国、美国离中国这么远,我曾有个机会去这些国家——但是很多时候在不能和法国、德国人聊天的时候,是不是尽我所能提高我的外语水平是完全取决于我自己的。
    I do appreciate the problems you are facing. I studied French and German in my college days. (Long long ago!) I never had much chance talking to French or German people. I did my best to make use of television, broadcast and the sound tapes from teachers to learn from the spoken words of the target foreign language I was studying. I talked to myself. I talked to my college mates. I read massively. Reading aloud is also a way to practice oral. What is lucky is China is not that far away from England and America. I had the opportunity to visit those countries. -- But when most of the time I cannot speak with the real French or German, it is entirely up to myself if I would do my utmost to raise my spoken foreign langauge level.
    
    这就是你们学习英语应该做的事。祝你们学业顺利,希望这些建议能帮助你 引自威尼英语口语网
    These are what you should do on learning English. Wish you all successful in your studies. I hope these suggestions will be of help to you.

Source: Nancheong Wanny's English School
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-5 16:08

一听清明节就想到扫墓,很严肃吧,其实完全相反,清明节是一年当中除了春节最热闹的节气,踏青、荡秋千、蹴鞠、植树等等。你今年的清明节小长假要怎么过呢?

Ching Ming Festival, the custom is to enrich interesting, in addition to pay attention to ban fire, grave, as well as hikers, swinging, Cuju, playing polo, Liu inserted a series of custom sports. According to legend, this is because the Ching Ming Festival to Cold Food Observance ban fire, in order to prevent the Cold Food Observance buffet beverages, so we come to participate in some sports, in order to exercise. Therefore, this festival in both Jisaoxinfen Health Do not die from the acid tears of sorrow, another outing laughter of play, is a distinctive holiday.

清明节的习俗是丰富有趣的,除了讲究禁火、扫墓,还有踏青、荡秋千、蹴鞠、打马球、插柳等一系列风俗体育活动。相传这是因为清明节要寒食禁火,为了防止寒食冷餐伤身,所以大家来参加一些体育活动,以锻炼身体。因此,这个节日中既有祭扫新坟生别死离的悲酸泪,又有踏青游玩的欢笑声,是一个富有特色的节日。

Swing

荡秋千

This was the custom of the ancient Ching Ming Festival. Swing, which means grabbing Leather Strap and migration. Its history is very ancient, the earliest known future generations, the latter in order to avoid the taboo, replaced by swing. The ancient swing multi-purpose tree Lindera sticks to frame, then bolt on the ribbons made of. Later, the progressive development of the pedal for the use of two Shengsuo Jia swing. Swing can not only play better health, but also can develop courage, so far as the people, especially loved by children.

这是我国古代清明节习俗。秋千,意即揪着皮绳而迁移。它的历史很古老,最早叫千秋,后为了避忌讳,改为秋千。古时的秋千多用树桠枝为架,再栓上彩带做成。后来逐步发展为用两根绳索加上踏板的秋千。打秋千不仅可以增进健康,而且可以培养勇敢精神,至今为人们特别是儿童所喜爱。

Tzu-Chu

蹴鞠

Ju is a ball, the ball is made of leather with the leather ball plugged in with the hair. Cuju, is to use enough to play. This is the ancient Ching Ming Festival, when people love a game. Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor invented, the original purpose was to train warriors.

鞠是一种皮球,球皮用皮革做成,球内用毛塞紧。蹴鞠,就是用足去踢球。这是古代清明节时人们喜爱的一种游戏。相传是黄帝发明的,最初目的是用来训练武士。

Outing

踏青

Outing also known as spring tour. In ancient times called the Tan-chun, look for spring and so on. On Tomb Sweeping Day, spring, nature, scene of thriving vitality everywhere, it is an excellent picnic time. China's civil society long maintained the clear hikers habits.

又叫春游。古时叫探春、寻春等。三月清明,春回大地,自然界到处呈现一派生机勃勃的景象,正是郊游的大好时光。我国民间长期保持着清明踏青的习惯。

Planting

植树

Planting before Tomb Sweeping Festival, Chun-yang Zhao Lin, Chun-yu Fei Sa, planting seedlings with high survival rate, grow fast. Therefore, since ancient times, our country there is clear and bright tree-planting habits. It was Ching Ming Festival, also known as "Arbor Day." Custom has been circulating since planting. In 1979, the Standing Committee that each year's Arbor Day March 12 for China. This is to mobilize people of all nationalities active in greening the motherland of great significance.

清明前后,春阳照临,春雨飞洒,种植树苗成活率高,成长快。因此,自古以来,我国就有清明植树的习惯。有人还把清明节叫作“植树节”。植树风俗一直流传至今。1979年,人大常委会规定,每年三月十二日为我国植树节。这对动员全国各族人民积极开展绿化祖国活动,有着十分重要的意义。

Kite-flying

放风筝

Kite-flying is also the Tomb Sweeping Festival is one of the favorite activities. Every Tomb Sweeping Festival, people not only put during the day, night is also put. Night in the kite or the wind under a steady pull strings of colored lines hung a small lantern, like a flashing star, known as the "Magic Lamp." In the past, some people have put the blue sky kite after they cut the go-between, brushing breeze sent them away, they said that this will Chubing misfortunes, to bring good luck for himself. 也是清明时节人们所喜爱的活动。每逢清明时节,人们不仅白天放,夜间也放。夜里在风筝下或风稳拉线上挂上一串串彩色的小灯笼,象闪烁的明星,被称为“神灯”。过去,有的人把风筝放上蓝天后,便剪断牵线,任凭清风把它们送往天涯海角,据说这样能除病消灾,给自己带来好运。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 08:35

For the wife of Bo Xilai, the deposed Chongqing Communist party chief, it was never supposed to end up like this, writes Leslie Hook in Beijing. Gu Kailai, an ambitious lawyer from a well-connected family, was arrested on suspicion of murdering British businessman Neil Heywood, according to state media.

没人能想到,已被免职的中共重庆市委书记薄熙来的妻子,会落到今天这样的地步。谷开来曾是一名志向远大的律师,来自一个人脉深厚的家庭。官方媒体称,因涉嫌谋杀英国商人尼尔?海伍德(Neil Heywood),她已被逮捕。
The downfall of Ms Gu, a glamorous figure with a talent for music and foreign languages, has sent shockwaves through Beijing’s political elite and is the biggest twist yet in the leadership saga that has unfolded as Mr Bo is ousted from power.
谷开来富有魅力、精于音乐和外语,她的被捕在中国政界精英中引发了强震,也是随着薄熙来被罢黜而揭开的高层大戏中,迄今最大的转折事件。
Ms Gu’s arrest also sheds an uncomfortable light on the roles played by Chinese leaders’ wives, who are often active in business and can trade on their husbands’ connections.
她的被捕,还让人们得以一窥中国领导人妻子们在幕后扮演的隐秘角色。她们中很多人利用丈夫的人脉,活跃在商界。
On Tuesday, Beijing announced that Ms Gu and her servant were in custody and were “highly suspected” of murdering Heywood, who was close to the Bo family and was found dead in a Chongqing hotel room in November.
周二,中国政府宣布,谷开来和薄家一名勤务人员因涉嫌谋杀英国商人海伍德,已被移送司法机关。海伍德曾与薄家关系密切,去年11月被发现死在重庆一家酒店的客房里。
Ms Gu’s background and career reveal a woman who was at times incredibly successful and at others battled with depression.
谷开来的背景和职业,刻画出这样一个女人:有时极为成功,有时则饱受抑郁症困扰。
Born to privileged parents who were both revolutionary heroes, Ms Gu grew up during the Cultural Revolution and had to fend for herself after her parents and four older sisters were jailed. During that time the young Kailai, whose name means “embrace the future”, dropped out of elementary school and worked as a bricklayer and as a butcher, according to biographical accounts on state-run websites.
谷开来出身颇有背景,父母都曾是革命英雄。她在“文化大革命”期间长大,在父母和4个姐姐被投入监狱之后,不得不靠自己糊口。根据刊载在官方网站的生平记述,在那段时期,谷开来曾从小学辍学,做过泥瓦匠,还卖过肉。她的名字寓意“继往开来”。
To improve her circumstances she took up the pipa, a four-stringed Chinese lute, and her musical talent won her a spot in the Beijing Film Orchestra. She even recorded the soundtrack for a documentary film about Communist leader Mao Zedong, considered a great honour at the time.
为了改善自己的境遇,她开始学习弹琵琶,这是一种中国的四弦琴。她的音乐天赋让她在北京电影乐团(Beijing Film Orchestra)找到一份工作。她甚至曾为一部有关中共领袖毛泽东的纪录影片录制了配乐,这在当时被视为巨大的荣耀。
The lute brought Ms Gu to her future husband Mr Bo in 1984, when she travelled to the small prefecture where he was party secretary for an arts project. The couple were soon married and their son Bo Guagua was born in 1987, shortly before they moved to Dalian.
也是琵琶,让谷开来在1984年结识了她未来的丈夫薄熙来。当时她因为一个艺术项目去到一个小县,而薄熙来时任这个县的县委书记。两人很快结婚,他们的儿子薄瓜瓜于1987年出生,不久之后他们搬到大连。
When her son was eight Ms Gu founded a law firm, named after her given name, Kailai. In English, Ms Gu often went by Horus, the Egyptian god of war.
在儿子8岁时,谷开来创办了以她的名字命名的律师事务所:开来律师事务所。她经常使用的英文名字Horus,来自埃及神话故事中的战神荷鲁斯。
The firm had offices in Beijing, Dalian and Zhengzhou and handled commercial disputes in China as well as in the US, UK, Japan and Korea.
开来律师事务所在北京、大连和郑州设有办事处,处理过发生在中国、美国、英国、日本和韩国的商业纠纷。
Ms Gu’s most high-profile case came when she helped a Chinese company to victory in US courts in 1997, then a rare win for a Chinese plaintiff in the US.
谷开来经手过的最令人瞩目的案件,是她曾在1997年帮助一家中国企业在美国法庭上打赢了官司,而当时中国企业作为原告在美国赢得诉讼的非常少。
Ms Gu wrote a book about the experience, which became a popular TV serial in China and portrayed Ms Gu as a tough fighter who never gave up.
谷开来根据这些经历写了一本书,该书在中国被改编为一部颇受欢迎的电视剧。剧中,谷开来被演绎为一个永不放弃的坚强斗士。
“In Dalian we have a saying that even if you have to smash your wok and sell it for scrap iron, you still have to keep going and win the court case,” she said in an interview with the newspaper China Reading Weekly. “It’s a process of struggle and striving for victory.”
她曾在接受《中华读书报》(China Reading Weekly)的采访时表示:在大连,我们常说,就算是砸锅卖铁,仍要奋勇向前,打赢官司,这是一个不断奋斗、努力获胜的过程。
However, as her husband rose to prominence, Ms Gu gave up her legal career. A receptionist at the law firm, which is now known as Ang Dao, said Ms Gu had left “a long time ago”.
然而,当她的丈夫向政治高位爬升时,谷开来放弃了她的律师职业。开来律师事务所现在已更名为昂道律师事务所(Ang Dao),该律所一位前台工作人员表示,谷开来“很久以前”就离开了。
In recent years Ms Gu had suffered from severe depression and paranoia and sought medical treatment for her illness, according to a person close to the family. Several years ago she was at the centre of a corruption investigation, the outcome of which is unknown.
一位熟悉薄家的人士称,最近几年,谷开来患上严重的抑郁症和妄想症,并为此求医。几年前,她曾是一起腐败调查的对象,但调查结果无人知晓。
Last month her husband described her to journalists as a loyal housewife: “I’m really touched by her sacrifice,” he said.
上个月,她的丈夫在面对记者时,把她描述为一个忠诚的家庭主妇,他说:我为她“作出的牺牲”感动。
Additional reporting by Jamil Anderlini in Beijing
英国《金融时报》吉密欧(Jamil Anderlini)北京补充报道译者:何黎
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 08:56

Trinity was the first test of technology for a nuclear weapon.

It was conducted by the United States on July 16, 1945, at a location 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Socorro, New Mexico on the White Sands Proving Ground, headquartered near Alamogordo.
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 09:00

With wages in China rising at about 12 per cent annually after adjusting for inflation over the past few years, it's easy to think that lower-cost countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia will benefit.

近几年来,中国经通胀调整后的工资水平每年以12%左右的速度增长,有鉴于此,人们很容易就会认为,孟加拉国、越南和印尼等成本更低的国家将从中受益。

But the conventional wisdom that China will attract less foreign direct investment (FDI) as manufacturing moves away is wrong, according to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit.

一般认为,随着制造业外流,中国吸引的外来直接投资(FDI)将会减少。但根据经济学人智库(Economist Intelligence Unit)新近发表的一份报告,这种常见观点是错误的。

The main beneficiaries from rising labour costs on China's coasts are instead China's inland provinces, which will attract huge amounts of FDI in coming years.

中国沿海地区劳动力成本持续上涨的主要受益者将是中国的内陆省份,这些地区在未来几年内将吸引大量FDI。  

While EIU research showed that the textile sector in China was shrinking at an annual rate of 6 per cent a year, China remains the hub for manufacturing of computer products and value-added goods, not to mention retail and services in general.

EIU的研究显示,虽然中国纺织业正以每年6%的速度萎缩,但就电脑产品和有附加值的产品而言,中国仍然是制造业中心,而总体的零售业和服务业就更不用说了。

By 2015, EIU predicts that Liaoning in the northeast will be attracting as much as $50bn in inbound FDI, while Sichuan will attract about $18bn. To put this in perspective, the whole of India pulled in $78bn in the first ten months of 2010.

EIU预计,到2015年,辽宁省将吸引多达500亿美元的FDI,而四川省将吸引180亿美元左右。为使读者对这些数字有个概念,在此拿印度作比:2010年前10个月,印度全国吸引的FDI为780亿美元。

China's most industrialised province of Guangdong, a magnet for FDI since the 1980s, will not do too shabbily either, pulling in as much as $33bn in 2015.

作为中国工业化程度最高的省份,广东从上世纪80年代以来一直在吸引大量FDI。今后该省的表现也不会太差,预计2015年可吸引330亿美元FDI。  

The shift inland is already apparent in Chongqing in western China where party boss Bo Xilai has successfully made the investment climate attractive for the likes of Hewlett-Packard and others. The EIU points out that in 2007, Chongqing was ranked 22nd on a list of 31 provinces ranked by inbound FDI. Last year, it attracted as much as $11bn.

FDI流向内陆地区的趋势,在地处西部地区的重庆已表现得相当明显。重庆市委书记薄熙来成功地改善了当地的投资环境,吸引了惠普(Hewlett-Packard)等众多知名外企。EIU指出,在2007年,重庆吸引的FDI在31个省份中仅排在第22位。去年,这个数字已高达110亿美元。  

The other big trend identified by the EIU is that services is attracting more investment than ever. FDI in both wholesale and retail has grown by nearly 40 per cent a year over the past five years.

EIU还指出了另一个大趋势:中国服务业吸引的外来投资正在不断增加。在最近5年内,服务业批发和零售两个领域的FDI都以每年近40%的速度增长。

In places like Xiamen in Fujian province, one of the earliest beneficiaries of FDI from Taiwan dating back to the 1980s, services FDI in sectors like IT and scientific research and technical services has been booming. About three-fifths of the FDI in Xiamen is in services.

在诸如福建省厦门市这样的地方,IT、科研、技术服务等服务业领域的FDI迅猛增长。上世纪80年代,厦门成为来自台湾的FDI的最早一批受益者,目前该市吸引的FDI约五分之三都流向了服务业。

What this barrage of numbers suggests is that China's place at the very top of the league tables of inbound FDI among developing countries is not about to be vacated in the foreseeable future.

这一大堆数字说明,在可预见的将来,中国不会让出发展中国家中在吸引FDI方面的头把交椅。

One reason is that productivity has been growing about as fast as wages in China, softening the impact of a rising wage bill for manufacturers and those in the service sector.

一个原因是,中国生产力的增长与工资水平的增长基本相当,减轻了工资持续上涨对制造业和服务业企业的影响。

The education levels for its workers are also far superior to that in India and Indonesia. Last month, an annual survey by Pratham, an educational charity in India, found that the majority of fifth grade students among those surveyed could not read texts for second grade students. Maths levels were also sub-par – altogether the survey painted a dismal picture of a country local business papers like to refer to as a "knowledge hub" for the world.

中国工人的教育水平也远胜于印度和印尼的工人。上月,印度教育慈善机构Pratham在一项年度调查中发现,在接受调查的印度五年级学生中,大部分学生不会读二年级的课本,数学水平也很差。总而言之,对于这个本土财经媒体喜欢自称为世界“知识中心”的国家,这项调查向我们呈现了一幅黯淡的画面。

译者:何黎
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 09:10

A study has revealed that, due to our busy lifestyles, five important tasks or facts slip our minds during the course of a typical day, the Daily Mail reported.

      据英国《每日邮报》报道,一项研究表明,现代忙碌的生活方式意味着每天会有5件重要的工作或者事情会划过我们的脑海,全然不记得了。

      Failing to return calls and reply to emails are the most common omissions during hectic work days.

      工作忙碌的日子里,最容易被忘记的事情就是回电话和邮件。

      Modern life adds to the burden, with one in five people forgetting important passwords and a quarter not remembering to charge their mobile phone battery.

      现代生活会带来许多压力和负担,其中,有1/5的人不记得重要的密码,1/4的人不记得给手机充电。

      A further 12 per cent get a rude awakening every weekend because they forget to turn their alarm clocks off.

      12%的人每周末都会被吵醒,原因是他们不记得关掉闹钟。

      Seven out of ten also said they had become dependent on "to-do" lists to keep their lives in order.

     70%的人必须给待办事项列一个清单,才能维持有规律的生活。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 09:30

In the Pacific theater, American forces advanced in the Philippines, clearing Leyte by the end of 1944. They landed on Luzon in January 1945 and Mindanao in March. British and Chinese forces defeated the Japanese in northern Burma from October to March, then the British pushed on to Rangoon by May 3. American forces also moved toward Japan, taking Iwo Jima by March, and Okinawa by June. American bombers destroyed Japanese cities, and American submarines cut off Japanese imports.

On July 11, the Allied leaders met in Potsdam, Germany. They confirmed earlier agreements about Germany, and reiterated the demand for unconditional surrender by Japan, specifically stating that "the alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction". During this conference the United Kingdom held its general election and Clement Attlee replaced Churchill as Prime Minister.

When Japan continued to reject the Potsdam terms, the United States then dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August. Between the two bombs, the Soviets invaded Japanese-held Manchuria, as agreed at Yalta. On August 15, 1945 Japan surrendered, with the surrender documents finally signed aboard the deck of the American battleship USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, ending the war.









【中文译文】


在太平洋战区,1944年底美军登陆菲律宾,解放了莱特岛。之后1945年1月美军登陆吕宋岛,随后3月登陆棉兰老岛。在44年10月到45年3月期间,英国和中国的军队击败了缅甸北部的日本军队,之后5月3日英军占领仰光。而美军继续向日本进军,分别在3月和6月到达了硫黄岛和冲绳。后来,美国轰炸机摧毁了日本2个城市,并美军潜艇封锁了日本港口。

7月11日,盟军领导人在德国波茨坦会面。他们证实了关于德国早先就投向达成的协议,并重申要求日本无条件投降,并特别指出,“要及时和彻底的毁灭日本”。在这次会议期间,英国举行了大选,艾德礼代替了丘吉尔担任首相。

日本继续拒绝签署波茨坦条款,美国则在8月初向日本的广岛和长崎投了2枚原子弹。两起爆炸之间,苏联解放了日军占领的东三省,并签署了雅尔塔协议。1945年8月15日,日本投降,并最终在9月2日美国战舰密苏里号的甲板上年签署了投降文件。二战结束。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 09:34

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician known chiefly for his leadership of the United Kingdom during World War II. He served as Prime Minister from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. A noted statesman and orator, Churchill was also an officer in the British Army, historian, writer, and artist. He was the only British Prime Minister to have received the Nobel Prize in Literature and the first person to be recognized as an Honorary Citizen of the United States.














【中文译文】

英国前首相温斯顿斯潘塞丘吉尔(1874年11月30号 - 1965年1月24日)是英国著名政治家,他对英国的领导主要是在第二次世界大战期间。他担任了两届首相,分别是1940年至1945年和1951年至1955年。丘吉尔是一位著名的政治家和演说家,同时也是英国陆军军官,历史学家,作家和艺术家。他是唯一受诺贝尔文学奖的英国首相,也是第一个被美国授予荣誉公民的人。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 09:42

The gloomy mantra about China's investment-heavy growth model has become familiar. Getting less attention are the changes that could start to bring consumption humming to life.
人们动辄就会说,中国的增长模式是靠投资拉动,这种令人沮丧的说法我们已经再熟悉不过了。其实中国已经出现了一些变化,国内消费可能开始增加,只不过人们还没太注意到这一点罢了。
China's growth rate for the first quarter slowed but wasn't slow. Zhang Xiaoqiang, a senior official at the National Development and Reform Commission, recently hinted that first-quarter gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of about 8.4%.
中国今年第一季度增速虽放缓,但其实也并不慢。中国国家发展和改革委员会高级官员张晓强前不久表示,今年一季度国内生产总值(GDP)年化增长率约为8.4%。
If that is borne out when the data are published Friday, it would be lower than the 8.9% pace in the final quarter of 2011, and the lowest level since the second quarter of 2009─but not the collapse some had feared.
相关报道调查:中国经济硬着陆可能性不大
While that should ease concerns in financial markets about China's immediate growth prospects, the numbers on the structure of the economy are cause for concern. Investment as a share of GDP in 2010 came in at 48%. That's too high. South Korea's investment as a share of GDP topped out at 40% in 1991.
观点:中国经济盛宴即将曲终人散?
Overinvestment is problematic because it risks misallocation of capital on a grand scale. If it persists for many more years, the result will be trade tensions as surplus production spills into global markets, worsening environmental degradation and bankruptcy for overextended Chinese companies.
博客:中国高腐败与高增长共存之谜
To foster sustainable growth, China needs to shift to a new model, where investment takes a break and household consumption steps up as the new engine.
博客:中国经济变革面临双重挑战
Getting there won't be easy. But there are hints that things are moving in the right direction. Higher wages for workers and interest rates for savers are putting more money in households' pockets. A generational shift in thinking means those households might just spend some of that money, instead of saving it.
如果周五发布的数据证实这一数字,则这将低于2011年第四季度8.9%的增长率,也将创下自2009年第二季度以来的最低增长水平,但这并非是一些人所担心的经济崩溃。
A commitment to improve pay and benefits at Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. 2317.TW 0.00%─where hundreds of thousands of Chinese workers make Apple Inc. AAPL +1.50%iPhones and iPads─is a sign of the times.
这应当能缓解金融市场对中国短期增长前景的忧虑,但有关中国经济结构的数据仍是人们担忧情绪的根源所在。2010年,投资占中国GDP的比重达48%,实在是太高了。以韩国为例,投资占该国GDP的比重在1991年达到了40%的最高水平。
Following a critical report from the Fair Labor Association published at the end of March, Hon Hai─also known as Foxconn─agreed to increase overtime pay for its workers. The Taiwanese manufacturer also said it would improve migrant workers' access to unemployment insurance─which the Chinese social-security system makes it difficult to access outside a worker's home province.
过度投资是有问题的,因为这可能使得资本出现大规模配置不当。如果这种情况持续多年,那结果将是,剩余生产力溢入全球市场将引发紧张的贸易关系,环境恶化状况将加重,高杠杆化的中国企业将破产。
In the past, the problem of low wages has been compounded by a financial sector that dents income by offering households low returns on their saving.
为促进可持续增长,中国需要转向一个新模式,让投资步伐缓一缓,扩大居民消费并使其成为推动经济增长的新引擎。
In 2011, households with funds in a one-year fixed-term deposit received just a 3.5% return─below the rate of inflation. Very low interest rates represent a transfer from households, who do most of China's saving, to businesses, which do most of the borrowing.
这个目标实现起来并不容易。但有迹象显示,情况正向着正确的方向发展。提高工人工资和上调银行储蓄利率让中国家庭有了更多收入。新一代人观念的变化也意味着,这些中国居民也许会将所得收入花掉一部分,而不是全部存起来。

Here too, there are signs of a move in the right direction, with new financial products offering China's savers inflation-beating returns.
鸿海精密工业股份有限公司(Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.,简称:鸿海精密)承诺将提高工人工资和福利,这代表着这个时代的变化。该公司共有几十万名中国雇员,苹果公司(Apple Inc.)的iPhone智能手机和iPad平板电脑都产自这里。
Two years ago, Ms. Wang, a translator with a legal nonprofit in Beijing, kept all her savings in fixed-term deposits. Now Ms. Wang, who didn't give her first name, has transferred 200,000 yuan (about $31,700) to wealth-management products, leaving just 50,000 yuan sitting in the bank.
在美国公平劳工协会(Fair Labor Association)于3月底发布一份重要报告后,鸿海精密(亦称富士康(Foxconn))同意提高员工的加班工资。这家台湾生产商还说,将扩大外来务工者获得失业保险的机会。在中国的社会保障制度下,工作者很难在自己户籍所在地以外的地方获得失业保险。
'If I just put all my money in the bank, it's not appropriate because the interest rate is very low,' Ms. Wang said. 'The new investment products are offering 4.5% to 5% returns, and it's very convenient. We can do it all over the Internet.'
过去,低工资再加上中国金融业的低息存款,使得中国家庭收入受到双重冲击。
Ms. Wang's choice is being copied in many Chinese households. A higher return on their savings means households have more income and more money to spend.
2011年,居民一年期定期存款利率仅为3.5%,低于通货膨胀率。极低的存款利率让中国的储蓄主体居民吃亏,同时让中国的贷款主体企业得利。
Rising incomes won't make much difference, though, if China's households don't ease up on their saving.
在这方面,也有种种迹象表明情况正朝着正确的方向发展。新金融产品为中国储户带来了跑赢通胀率的回报。
Thriftiness is a habit for China's older generation, many of whom grew up in poverty and turbulence. The younger generation might be different. Compared with their parents, China's 20-somethings─many of them only children─have grown up in an atmosphere of stability and affluence.
两年前,北京一家非营利性法律组织的翻译王女士(音,她没有向记者透露名字)将所有储蓄都放在定期存款中。而现在,王女士用人民币20万元(约合3.17万美元)的存款购买了理财产品,银行存款中仅留有人民币5万元。
That might reshape attitudes toward spending and saving.
王女士说,由于利率很低,因此把所有钱存在银行并不妥当。新的理财产品提供的收益率在4.5%至5%之间,而且手续便捷,完全可以在网上操作。
'I don't really keep track of how much I spend, I just buy what I want,' said Ms. Mu, a 27-year-old editor for a popular Internet portal.
目前中国很多家庭的选择都和王女士一样。家庭储蓄的回报率越高,意味着家庭收入越高,能够用于消费的支出也就越多。
In recent months Ms. Mu, who didn't give her first name, has splurged on an iPhone, a Lenovo laptop and Dior cosmetics. On months where she travels for business, overseas shopping with a credit card means she regularly exceeds her monthly salary of 10,000 yuan ($1,600).
然而,如果收入增加的同时居民并不增加消费支出,那么情况和此前相比不会有太大差别。
The headline figures on China's roaring investment and stagnant consumption are alarming. But they also are a lagging reflection of conditions that shaped spending and saving decisions in years past.
节俭是中国老一辈的传统,因为他们中的多数人在贫困和动荡中长大。但年轻一代可能会有所不同。与父辈相比,中国20多岁的年轻人(大都是独生子女)是在稳定和富裕的环境中长大的。
It is wages, interest rates and attitudes today that dictate the outlook. In a younger generation's preference for consumption over saving, rising incomes, and a financial sector paying higher returns to household savers, there are signs that China's economy is starting to find a new balance.
这可能会改变这一代人对消费和储蓄的态度。
TOM ORLIK
现年27岁,在一家主流门户网站担任编辑的穆小姐(音)说,我基本上不会记录自己的消费习惯,通常都是想要什么就买什么。
没有向记者透露名字的穆小姐近几个月来陆续买了一部iPhone,一台联想(Lenovo)笔记本电脑和多款迪奥(Dior)化妆品。在那些需要出差的月份,她的信用卡海外消费支出通常要超过她人民币1万元(约合1,600美元)的月薪。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 09:47

前两年开始听到一种说法:“本科满街走,硕士多如狗,只有博士可以抖一抖”。到了如今,博士好像也不太好用了。在高学历人群膨胀的今天,学历的含金量似乎正在下降。

Diploma inflation describes a situation that more diplomas are issued in China while overall academic competitiveness of the degree holders is falling, just like the depreciation of currency during inflationary times.

“学历通胀”指拥有各类学位的人越来越多,但是其专业竞争力却日渐衰退的状况。这跟通货膨胀时期货币都会贬值是一个道理。

College diploma is a basic requirement if you want to find a job in China nowadays, no matter what kind of industry you are in. Even some labor-intensive industries would require a diploma from job applicants. As a result, many Bachelor's and Master's degree holders have to give up their academic pursuit and work as doorman, security guard, busboy, waiter/waitress, etc.

时下的中国,无论是哪行、哪业,找工作,张口就要大学文凭。就连一些最简单、最不需要知识含量的行业,在招工时也把文凭放在首位。以致许多大学生在应聘时,不得不放下身段,去应聘那些与自己的所学毫不相干的职业。大学生门童、大学生保安、研究生服务员、研究生勤杂工等层出不穷。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 09:55

Apple Inc said on Thursday it had agreed to work with partner Foxconn to tackle wage and working condition violations at the factories that produce its popular products, Reuters reported.

路透社报道,苹果公司周四宣布已和合作公司富士康达成协议,一起解决生产苹果热销产品工厂的工资以及工作条件违规问题。

Foxconn — which produces Apple devices ranging from the iPhone to the iPad — said it would reduce working hours to 49 hours per week, including overtime, while keeping its workers total compensation at its current level. To compensate for the reduction in hours, Foxconn will hire tens of thousands of additional workers.

富士康为苹果生产从iPhone手机到iPad平板电脑等产品,它表示将把包括加班在内的工时降至每周49小时,同时工人工资保持现有水平。为了填补缩减的工时,富士康将再雇佣数万名员工。

It also said it would build more housing and canteens to accommodate that influx.

该公司还说,将再建宿舍、食堂来容纳更多的员工。

The agreement is a sign of the increasing power of Chinese workers to command higher wages.

该协议显示出中国工人在要求涨薪方面权利越来越大。

The measures come in response to one of the largest investigations ever conducted of a U.S. company's operations abroad.

这些举措是对一项调查做出的回应,该调查也是美国公司海外工厂受到的最大调查之一。

Apple had agreed to the probe by the independent Fair Labor Association. The association, in disclosing its findings from a survey of three Foxconn plants and over 35,000 workers, said it had unearthed multiple violations of labor law, including extreme hours and unpaid overtime.

苹果公司同意独立机构——公平劳动协会对其进行调查。该协会公布了对富士康三家工厂和35000余名工人的调查结果,表示发现了诸多违反劳动法的行为,包括超长劳动时间,加班没有加班费。

The FLA audit had found that during peak production times, workers in the three factories put in more than 60 hours per week on average.

公平劳动协会的调查还发现,在生产高峰期,三个工厂的工人平均每周工作超过60个小时。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 10:06

The Treaty of Nerchinsk (Russian: Нерчинский договор, Chinese: 尼布楚條約, Pinyin: Níbùchǔ tiáoyuē) was the first treaty between Russia and the Qing Empire. It was signed in Nerchinsk on August 27, 1689 as a result of the Russian-Manchu border conflicts over the region of Priamurye. The signatories were Songgotu on behalf of the Qing Emperor K'ang-hsi and Fedor Golovin on behalf of the Russian tsars Peter I and Ivan V.

According to this treaty, Russia gave up its hope of controlling the land north of the Amur, but established trade relations with the Qing Dynasty of China. The Russian outpost of Albazin, which had been a source of conflict between China and Russia, was to be abandoned and destroyed. The border between Russia and China was traced along the Stanovoy Ridge and the Argun River.







【中文译文】

在尼布楚条约(俄语:Нерчинскийдоговор,中文:尼布楚条约,拼音:Níbùchǔ tiáoyuē)是俄罗斯与清帝国之间签订的第一个条约。这一条约签署于1689年8月27日,作为俄满边界纠纷的解决细则。签署双方是代表康熙的索额图和代表沙皇彼得一世和伊凡五世的戈洛文。

根据这项条约,俄罗斯停止侵略的黑龙江以北地区,但和中国清朝建立了贸易关系。并且废弃了中俄边界的俄罗斯哨岗阿尔巴。中俄边界定为斯塔诺夫岭和额尔古纳河。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 10:12

We`re in love, we trust each other, we`ll never get divorced - who needs a prenup? It`ll just spoil our relationship. That`s many Chinese young people`s thinking, though maybe not their parents`.

我们彼此相爱且相互信任,绝不会离婚,所以婚前协议与我们无关,它只会损害我们的感情。这是时下许多中国年轻人的想法,但他们想法并不能代表父母。

Nevertheless, as people become more affluent and divorce rates rise, an increasing number of couples are signing prenuptial agreements on division of property in case of divorce.

然而,随着人们变得愈加富有以及离婚率的节节高升,越来越多的夫妻考虑到离婚时的财产分割问题,会选择签署婚前协议。

"I know nobody wants to talk about divorce before marriage -- it sounds ridiculous. It`s like talking about a funeral at a newborn`s birthday. But practically speaking, a prenuptial agreement does save a lot of time and disputes in court," Shanghai divorce lawyer Mike Liang said.

上海离婚案件律师梁麦克说“我想没人会在婚前就谈论离婚,这就好比在婴儿刚出生时就谈论死亡一样,听上去很荒唐。但实际上来说,婚前协议能帮助人们在法庭上节约时间、减少纠纷。”

Prenuptial agreements, not unusual in the West, are legal contracts signed before two people enter civil union, and include details of property division. For many years these legal instruments were considered peculiar by many Chinese. They were considered proof of how cold-blooded and calculating rich people can be - so shrewd they must even consider the possibility of divorce before marriage.

在西方国家,婚前协议十分普遍,双方在结婚登记前签下这份合法的契约,其中涵盖财产分割的方方面面。但多年来,许多中国人对这种法律文书嗤之以鼻,认为这些充分证明了富人的精于算计和冷酷无情——过于精明以至于会在婚前就已考虑到离婚的可能性。





But along with hectic economic development, a large group of ordinary Chinese now own some property - apartments, vehicles, gold, jewelry, stocks, art, antiques and other assets. Now there is property to divide in a settlement, and quite a bit can be acquired before marriage.

但随着经济的迅猛发展,相当多的中国老百姓手里都拥有一些财产——房子、车子、黄金、珠宝、股票、艺术品、古董和其他资产。目前大多夫妻会在处理纠纷时才会选择财产划分,很少有新人能在婚前便划分财产的。

"I have been getting a lot of inquiries from couples who are about to get married, from young to old, about half and half, and increasingly more in the past three years," lawyer Liang said.

梁律师称:“在过去的三年中,不断的有准新人向我咨询,老少参半。”

He adds that many people come to him as individuals, asking whether they can conduct the required ownership verification of prenuptial property by themselves alone - without telling the future spouse.

他补充说,很多人都瞒着自己的另一半,单独前来询问是否能办理婚前财产的个人所有权认证。

Some are relieved to find out that ownership of their apartment, car and other things purchased before marriage does not have to be verified, Liang said. By law, which many don`t know, they are not and will not be considered community property and won`t change hands in a divorce, without consent.

梁律师解释说,一些人在取得房子、汽车及其他婚前采购物品所有权后大松了一口气,其实本没有这个必要。很多人不知道,依据法律,未经当事人允许,这些资产无论是在现在还是将来,都不会成为共同财产,也不会在离婚后转手他人。

But many others worry that the materialism and pragmatism represented by a prenuptial accord may harm the necessary bedrock trust in a relationship, suggesting lack of faith and true love. Many who do consider it decide never to raise the issue.

但也有许多人担心这份既功利又现实的婚前财产协议,会破坏夫妻间所应有的信任,显示出恋人间信任与真爱的缺失。因此他们决不会选择这样做。





Rebecca Liu, a 27-year-old accountant, recently broke up with her 29-year-old boyfriend Jerry Xu as they started discussing the possibility of marriage, after dating for a year and half.

27岁的瑞贝卡•刘是一名会计师,与29岁的男友杰瑞•徐交往了一年半,近日两人却在谈婚论嫁之时分手了。

The reason was simple: Xu`s parents, who bought his apartment and car, insisted on a prenuptial property agreement so he would not lose the property in case of divorce. Xu obeyed his parents decision, saying, "It`s their money and I don`t have any grounds on which to argue with them about this."

原因很简单:杰瑞•徐的父母为他买了房子和汽车,并坚持要二人签订婚前协议。这样一旦离婚,徐不会失去这些财产。徐听从了父母的决定并表示:“这是他们出的钱,我没有资格去跟他们争论此事。”

His compliant attitude upset Liu who says an agreement would demonstrate "lack of trust in our relationship, my love for him and even my morality."

男方对父母的顺从态度让瑞贝卡•刘很难过,她认为这个协议意味着“对我们之间的恋情,我给予他的爱,甚至是我的为人都持不信任的态度”。

They broke up after two months of arguments, neither willing to compromise.

双方争辩了两个月,都不愿做出妥协,最后以分手告终。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 10:21

Kremlin critics and Russian bloggers on Tuesday mercilessly mocked President Dmitry Medvedev after microphones picked up him promising to "transmit" a message from Barack Obama to Vladimir Putin.

克里姆林宫批评人士和俄罗斯的博主们本周二无情地嘲讽了俄罗斯总统德米特里•梅德韦杰夫。此前,由于他在与奥巴马会面时没关麦克风,使得他承诺会把奥巴马的话“转达”给普京一事遭到曝光。

"I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir," Medvedev was heard telling Obama in English in a "hot-mike" exchange on the sidelines of a summit in South Korea that has already caused a storm in the United States.

在韩国核安全峰会的非正式会议期间,梅德韦杰夫用英语告诉奥巴马:“我明白,我会把这个消息转达给普京的。”这起“麦克风门”已经在美国引发轰动。

Medvedev was responding to a vow by Obama that the United States will be more flexible on some bilateral issues such as missile defence once, as he expects, he is re-elected as US president in November elections.

奥巴马“悄悄”告诉梅德韦杰夫,如果他能如愿在今年11月的美国大选中顺利连任,会承诺在反导系统等双边问题上采取更加灵活的政策。梅德韦杰夫随后做出上述回答。

Russian bloggers immediately circulated Medvedev's phrase on Twitter, ridiculing Medvedev for his apparent admission that all information needs to go through the all-powerful Russian number one Putin.

俄罗斯的微博博主们立即在推特上传播了梅德韦杰夫的话,讽刺他明显承认所有消息都需要传达给俄罗斯“头号掌权人”普京。

"Today, let's all respond to every tweet: 'I will transmit this to Vladimir'," tweeted opposition movement leader Alexei Navalny.

俄罗斯反对运动领袖阿列克谢•纳瓦尼说:“今天,让我们在每条微博下都回复‘我会把它转达给普京’。”

"Vladimiru", the Russian for "to Vladimir" became a worldwide Twitter trend in a matter of a couple of hours Tuesday morning as bloggers used it as a universal response to any sort of statement or demand.

周二上午,短短几个小时之内,“转达给普京”(俄语中是Vladimiru)一词就在推特上成为全球的传播热点。人们把它用做所有语句或要求的通用回答。

Medvedev is already widely seen as a lame duck head of state as he will cede the Kremlin on May 7 after four years in power to president-elect Putin, even though he is expected to become prime minister.

人们普遍认为梅德韦杰夫是个“跛脚鸭总统”。在执政四年后,他将于今年5月7日卸任总统,将权力移交给当选总统普京,但据称他会出任总理。

Bloggers circulated an image of Putin answering his cell phone in the country side, with the caption saying "Hello, I am Vladimir. Did anyone transmit anything to me?"

网友们还大量转发普京在乡村用手机接听电话的照片,图片说明写道:“你好,我是普京。有人传话给我吗?”

Medvedev, who was picked as his successor by Putin in 2008, was never able to shake off his reputation as a president who is not entirely first in command.

梅德韦杰夫在2008年当选为普京的继任者,一直没能摆脱人们对他“并不是第一领导人”的印象。

Last September similar footage made its way onto the Internet of Medvedev pushing finance minister Alexei Kudrin to quit at a government meeting, to which Kudrin replied "I will consult with the prime minister."

去年九月,类似的一段视频也流传到网上。视频中,梅德韦杰夫在一次政府会议上敦促财政部长阿列克谢•库德林辞职,库德林回应他说:“我会征求一下总理的意见。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 10:44

Last weekend, the Chinese Men Team reported Ma Long as their candidate for the third person which only means the other contender, Ma Lin is already out from the London Olympics. After such news, Ma Lin released a meaningful message for everyone saying that it is all for the continuous glory of the Chinese Men Team in table tennis. Ma Lin's words eventually struck Liu Guoliang who admitted being depressed from the result.

随着伦敦奥运会的脚步日益临近,有关中国乒乓球队谁能最终参加伦敦奥运会的形势也越发清晰。国家乒乓球队总教练刘国梁宣布马龙成为直通伦敦的奥运第三人时,这就意味着马琳和这届奥运会说再见了。
At 32 years old, Ma Lin's career is already a legend! For twelve years since the not so good experience in the Sydney Olympics, Ma Lin has been working really hard and walked wonderfully step by step. Despite not getting a Grand Slam in his career, Ma Lin is still sufficiently successful than Wang Liqin and Wang Hao who has the Olympic Grand Slam from Singles, Doubles, and the Team events.
对于已经32岁的老将来说,尽管仍保持着高水平的竞技状态,但很有可能他也永远地和奥运会说再见了。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 10:54

The young man had a simple question: "Would you often come riding with me on my bike?" It's the kind of line that worked for many suitors in China, the kingdom of bicycles, during its austere decades under Chairman Mao. But Ma Nuo, a Beijing model, seeks loftier transport and wealthier dates.

        回想毛主席年代的艰苦岁月里,中国还只是个自行车王国。那时年轻男士通常会问意中人一个简单的问题:“你愿意让我骑自行车载你出去吗?”而这种求爱方式却很奏效。但现如今,北京模特马诺所追寻的却是高级轿车和豪华约会。

  Even if a date went bad, "I'd rather cry in a BMW" was her giggling, withering rejection, watched by millions on China's top-rated TV entertainment show. Material girls such as Ma, 22, have rocketed If You Are the One and its rival dating show, Take Me Out, to the summit of Chinese television fame.

  在国内收视最高的电视综艺节目中,她微笑着在数百万电视观众的注视下给对方一个让人无语的回答:就算约会出了问题,“我宁愿坐在宝马里哭”。像马诺这样22岁的“物质女孩”使《非诚勿扰》及其竞争对手《我们约会吧》一跃成为中国最著名的电视节目。

  The programs, which both first aired in January, have generated discussion about money worship among China's younger generation. Publicity-generating scandals include allegations of fake contestants and nude photos, posted online, of one contestant, who says she was coerced.

  自1月份开播以来,两档节目成功引发了人们对中国年轻一代拜金主义的激烈讨论。然而,宣传期间却爆出一系列丑闻,先是有人爆料某些选手是托儿,后又有人在网上发布某选手的不雅照,而该选手声称自己是被逼的。

  The shows' popularity is easy to explain, says Tian Fanjiang, CEO of baihe.com, a matchmaking website. "There are 180 million single people in China," Tian says. "They and their parents are all worried about the marriage problem."

  百合网首席执行官田范江说,这类节目受欢迎很容易解释。田说:“中国有1.8亿单身者,他们自己和他们的父母都为婚姻问题担心。”

By the standards of the USA, China's twice-weekly, hour-long hit shows can appear tame. For Chinese viewers, they have proved riveting, turning traditional matchmaking on its head and celebrating instant celebrity.

  但是,按照美国的标准,这种每周两次、每次一小时的相亲节目可能不算什么。而对中国观众而言,它们却极具吸引力,不仅颠覆了传统相亲模式,还能让人一夜成名。

  Although dating programs have aired for almost two decades here, they didn't look like this.

  虽然电视相亲节目已经在中国存在了近2 0年,但过去跟现在大有不同。

         "In the old shows, people just introduced themselves, and there was little mutual choice," says Wang Gang, who produces If You Are the One for Jiangsu Satellite TV. Wang says his show offers confrontation, nerves and suspense. "Our style is new, and the mass audience has got bored of singing and dancing programs."

  “过去的相亲节目中,人们只是自我介绍,几乎没有什么互相选择的环节。”江苏卫视《非诚勿扰》栏目制片人王刚表示,该节目为大家提供一个面对面的机会,节目紧张充满悬念。“我们的节目风格新颖,大众也已经厌倦了歌舞类节目。”

   "The Chinese family is unique in the world, as we have a one-child policy," says Take Me Out producer Liu Lei, "but parents attach great importance to carrying on the family name, so marriage is a big issue."

  (湖南卫视)《我们约会吧》的制片人刘蕾说:“中国的家庭在世界上是独特的,我们有独生子女政策。但家长对延续家族姓氏非常重视,所以婚姻是很重要的问题。”

        Liu insists that the money-worship of some contestants does not reflect mainstream Chinese society, but she concedes, "Many girls really love rich men."

  刘蕾坚持说,某些征婚者对金钱的崇拜不能反映中国社会主流,但她也承认:“很多女孩的确爱有钱人。”

Matchmakers are rushing to cash in at matchmaking fairs and other events.

  如今,婚介机构正你争我赶,利用集体相亲活动和其他活动赚钱。

     Fifteen thousand women applied for a chance to date a wealthy man at an event May 1 organized by matchmaking website jiayuan.com, says Zhang Guoyu, director of the company's Southwest China branch. In June, 50 of them will meet the men who paid $14,650 for the service.

  世纪佳缘交友网西南区总监张国玉说,15000名女性报名参加他们公司5月1日举行的活动,争夺与一名富翁的相亲机会。她们当中的5 0人将于6月份与这名男士会面,后者为此支付了14650美元。

  No TV show can fully reflect social reality, says Yin Hong, a Chinese television scholar at Beijing's Tsinghua University. He prefers If You Are the One because "It's more controversial." Why so popular? "China's social environment is changing, as people dare to express their private life and love values in public," he says.

  清华大学的电视学者尹鸿说,没有任何一个电视节目能完全反映社会现状。他更喜欢《非诚勿扰》。他说:“这个节目更具争议性,冲突更激烈。”那么,这个节目为什么如此受欢迎呢?他说:“中国的社会环境在不断变化,人们敢于表达私生活和爱情价值观。”

     China's one-child policy has skewed the gender balance over the past three decades because of farmers' preference for boys.

        30年来,中国独生子女政策使性别失衡,因为农民更偏爱男孩。

      If women enjoy a greater selection, though, they face other challenges. "Our surveys show that men consider women old after 28," says matchmaker Tian, and women consider a man old after 35.

    但是,如果说女性享有更大的选择范围,她们却面临其他挑战。田范江说:“我们的调查显示,男性认为女性过了28岁就老了。”而女性认为男性过了35岁才算老。

      In Beijing's Zhongshan Park one Sunday, more than 1,000 parents swap details on their single, grown offspring.

  一个周日,超过1000名家长到北京中山公园互换成年子女的详细资料。

          He Lan, 56, hopes to find a date for his daughter He Fan, 28, who works for an elevator firm.   

          56岁的何澜(音)希望给28岁的女儿何帆(音)寻找男朋友,何帆在一家电梯公司工作。

         "It's hard for young people to find partners now, as they are so busy with their jobs," he says. 

       他说:“年轻人现在找对象很难,因为他们都忙于工作。”

     He is a big fan of the dating programs and tuned in Saturday to a new show, I See You.

    他很喜欢看那些交友节目,而且周六看了一个新节目--相亲相爱。

   "I took down the number and told my daughter she must apply to go on," he says. Her reaction? "Go on it yourself!" he laughs.

   他说:“我记下电话号码,告诉我女儿她得去报名。”她的反应呢?“你自己去报吧!”他笑着说。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 15:17

The purging of Bo Xilai, until recently the popular party chief of Chongqing, makes for riveting drama. The Communist party, hoping to engineer a smooth, once-in-a-decade leadership transition, has been forced to air its filthy laundry in public. One of its rising stars, a “princeling” seemingly destined to become a member of the nine-member standing committee, is blamed for serious, unspecified, breaches of party discipline. His wife stands accused of murder.

从重庆市委书记、政治明星到被整肃者,薄熙来的经历可以改编成一出引人入胜的戏剧。中共原本希望十年一度的领导层更迭平稳运行,如今却被迫把不那么光鲜的内部整肃暴露给公众。党内一颗冉冉升起的政治明星、原本似乎铁定会成为中央政治局常委九人之一的“太子党”,如今被定性为严重违纪,具体违纪原因不详。她的妻子涉嫌谋杀。
This is deeply embarrassing for a party that likes to project an image of unity and probity. It is possible that the Communist party leadership will see it as a victory. It has, after all, neutralised a popular politician who sought legitimacy not through party organs but by appealing directly to the public. For an organisation that thrives on discipline and the myth of infallibility that was dangerous indeed.
对一个喜欢展现团结、正派形象的政党而言,薄熙来事件令它非常难堪。不过,中共领导人可能会视其为一场胜利。毕竟,它让一名不通过党组织、而直接取悦于民众来寻求执政合法性的政治明星的努力白费。对一个靠纪律和永不犯错的神话发展壮大起来的政党而言,这种做法确实危险。
Yet the very public purge is deeply problematic. If Mr Bo had merely been a dangerous outlier, the leadership could have quietly sidelined him by not selecting him for the standing committee next autumn. That they felt obliged to remove him so publicly suggests a deep schism at the very top.
然而,这种高度公开化的整肃存在很大的问题。如果薄熙来只是一个危险的局外人,中共领导层本可以悄悄地让他靠边站——只要不在今年秋季的中央政治局常委选举中选他就行了。他们觉得有必要如此公开地罢黜薄熙来,显示中共最高层存在深刻分歧。
Having dispensed with Mr Bo, the transition may be back on track. Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang may well now take up their positions as president and premier respectively. Yet that is not assured. If, as seems likely, deep ideological and factional fissures remain, there could be more drama between now and October.
处理了薄熙来之后,中共的权力过渡可能重回正轨。习近平和李克强可能将分别顺利接任中国国家主席和总理的职位。但还不能完全肯定。如果深刻的意识形态和派系分歧仍未消除(事实似乎如此),从现在到10月之间可能还有更多戏剧上演。
In some senses, the Bo affair has blown the lid off party secrecy. But in another, it has highlighted just what an arcane outfit it remains. Who caused Mr Bo’s downfall and why? Was it Wen Jiabao, the premier, who drove the final nail into Mr Bo’s political coffin? Did he do so because Mr Bo had challenged the party through populist policies, or because his “anti-mafia” campaign had overstepped legal bounds? Or was it just because his wife allegedly bumped off a British businessman? The fact that we have no real answers to such questions proves how unaccountable the Communist party still is.
从某种意义上来说,薄熙来事件捅破了中共的秘密。但从另一个角度来看,它也凸显出这个政党仍然十分神秘。是谁导致了薄熙来的倒台,原因又是什么?终结薄熙来政治生命的最后一根稻草是总理温家宝放上去的吗?温家宝这样做,是因为薄熙来通过民粹主义政策对中共构成了挑战,还是因为他的“打黑”行动僭越法律?抑或只是因为薄熙来的妻子涉嫌杀害一名英国商人?我们无法肯定地回答这些问题,而这恰恰证明,中共仍然让人说不清道不明。
Advocates of the Beijing consensus had portrayed the Chinese leadership as competent and technocratic. The party was, so the theory went, increasingly rules-based and rational. It was subject to periodic, well-ordered transitions of power. That view looks increasingly naive. If we thought the Communist party was stable, we should think again. Just how opaque an organisation it remains was revealed in the extraordinary explanations of the purge it has sought to foist on an increasingly savvy, wired-up public. Hundreds of millions of people with access to microblogging sites have been speculating about the affair for months with surprising accuracy.
鼓吹“北京共识”的人将中国领导层描绘为一群富有能力的技术官僚。他们还认为,中共正变得越来越讲规则,越来越理性。中共的权力更迭已开始定期、有序地进行。但这个观点如今越来越显得幼稚。如果我们曾有过“中共很稳定”的看法,我们应反思。中共试图用极不寻常的理由向民众解释对薄熙来的整肃,而民众现在已越来越聪明、消息也越来越灵通。中共这种做法显示出它仍然多么令人捉摸不透。几个月以来,上亿人在微博上猜测这一事件,而他们的猜测准确得惊人。
In the internet age, the party has lost its ability to settle internal affairs behind closed doors. It has tried to present the downfall of Mr Bo as proof that no one is above the law. It is a nice thought. Instead, the antics of Mr Bo only bolster popular belief in the fabulous wealth and sense of impunity those in the upper echelons of power enjoy.
在网络时代,中共已无法继续关起门来处理内部事务。中共试图用薄熙来的倒台证明:没有人能超越法律。这个想法不错。然而,薄熙来的种种哗众取宠只不过进一步加深了公众的这样一个看法:身处权力金字塔顶端的人拥有巨额财富,即便违法也可以不受追究。
Mr Bo’s Harrow, Oxford and Harvard-educated son became notorious for driving a red Ferrari, symbolising the ostentation and sense of entitlement of the “princelings”. But no one can seriously believe Mr Bo and his family are the only offenders. Many sons and daughters of the party elders, including members of the current leadership, have parlayed their connections into fabulous wealth.
在哈罗公学(Harrow)、牛津大学(Oxford)和哈佛大学(Harvard)受过教育的薄熙来之子,因开一辆红色法拉利(Ferrari)而备受争议,人们认为他过于张扬,对自己“太子党”的身份感到洋洋自得。但没人相信只有薄熙来及其家人招来了愤怒。许多中共元老(包括现任领导人)的子女都利用他们的人脉获得了惊人的财富。
What are the lessons the party could sensibly draw? First, it should ensure that the trial of Gu Kailai, Mr Bo’s wife, is open and transparent. Unfortunately, there is little chance of that. Yet the more this resembles a political witch-hunt and the less a proper criminal investigation, the worse it will be for the party’s image. Second, it ought to spell out what Mr Bo did wrong. If the party has reason to believe his drive against crime and corruption in Chongqing overstepped the mark, it should explain why it did nothing to stop him at the time.
理性地看,中共可能从事件中得到一些怎样的教训?首先,它应保证薄熙来之妻谷开来的审判过程公开、透明。不幸的是,这种可能性微乎其微。不过,这一过程越像一种政治上的“猎巫”、刑事调查越不恰当,对中共形象的影响就越恶劣。其次,中共应明确说明薄熙来的过错。如果中共确实有理由认为,薄熙来在重庆打击犯罪和反腐行动超越了法律界限,它应解释为何当时没有采取任何行动予以制止。
Finally, the new leadership will have to address some of the issues Mr Bo brought to light. The Chongqing party chief was popular for a reason. His anti-corruption, anti-wealth gap, pro-environment policies may well have been deeply suspect. But they struck a chord with people and highlighted the terrible inadequacies of China’s unbalanced growth.
最后,新的中共领导层必须解决薄熙来事件暴露出来的一些问题。这位前重庆市委书记的高人气是有理由的。对他提出的反腐败、反贫富差距和保护环境的政策,人们或许有很深的怀疑。但这些政策确实触动了中国人的心弦,并凸显出中国的不均衡增长存在的严重不足。
The new party leadership will need to tackle those issues head-on if it hopes to regain the legitimacy badly damaged by the Bo affair. That will be the most difficult task of all.
薄熙来事件严重损害了中共的合法性,如果新的领导层希望保持合法性,他们必须毫不回避地解决上述问题。这将是他们面临的最艰巨任务。译者:何黎
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 15:22

A new U.S. survey shows that Chinese teachers' average wage has almost dropped to the bottom on a list of 28 countries studied, the New York Times reported.

据美国《纽约时报》报道,一项最新美国调查显示,中国教师的平均工资在28个参评国家中几乎排到了垫底位置。

In terms of purchasing power, newly hired Chinese university teachers are the worst off, earning 1632 yuan ($259) each, and the average wage of university teacher in China is only 4537 yuan ($720), according to the statistics released by Philip Altbach and his colleagues at the Center for International Higher Education.

国际高等教育研究中心的菲利普•阿特巴赫和同事公布了他们得出的统计数据,其中,刚入行的中国大学老师收入按购买力平价计算,为每月1632元(约合259美元),为榜单最低值。中国大学老师平均工资也仅为4537元(约合720美元)。

The report aroused hot discussion among Chinese netizens and many university teachers complain about their low income and plain living styles, Xinhua reported.

另据新华社报道,该报告引发中国网友热议,许多大学老师纷纷抱怨他们收入低、生活拮据。

A netizen named "color ink" posted that he has been a university teacher for 37 years, with a monthly wage less than 4000 yuan. However, his students can normally earn 6000 yuan per month soon after graduation. He felt lost and helpless.

一位名叫彩色墨迹的网友发帖称,他在大学从教37年,月工资不足4000元。而他的学生毕业不久就能拿到月薪6000元,他感到非常失落与无奈。

In general, many netizens call for the increase of academics' salaries to ensure their living standards and social status.

总之,很多网友建议应为大学教师加薪,提高他们的生活水平,保障其应有的社会地位。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-16 15:23

Tian'anmen Square is one of the largest city squares in the world. It is situated in the heart of Beijing. Tian'anmen was built in 1417 and was the entrance gate to the Forbidden City. Now the square stretches 880 meters from north to south and 500 meters from east to west. The total area is 440,000 square meters. That's about the size of 60 soccer fields, spacious enough to accommodate half a million people.

  Covering over forty hectares, Tian'anmen Square must rank as the greatest public square on earth. It's a modern creation, in a city that traditionally had no squares, as classical Chinese town planning did not allow for places where crowds could gather. Tian'anmen only came into being when imperial offices were cleared from either side of the great processional way that led south from the palace to Qianmen and the Temple of Heaven. The ancient north–south axis of the city was thus destroyed and the broad east–west thoroughfare, Chang'an Jie, that now carries millions of cyclists every day past the front of the Forbidden City, had the walls across its path removed. In the words of one of the architects: "The very map of Beijing was a reflection of the feudal society, it was meant to demonstrate the power of the emperor. We had to transform it, we had to make Beijing into the capital of socialist China." The easiest approach to the square is from the south, where there's a bus terminus and a subway stop. As the square is lined with railings (for crowd control) you can enter or leave only via the exits at either end or in the middle.

  Bicycles are not permitted, and the streets either side are one way; the street on the east side is for traffic going south, the west side for northbound traffic.

  The square has been the stage for many of the epoch-making mass movements of twentieth-century China: the first calls for democracy and liberalism by the students of May 4, 1919, demonstrating against the Treaty of Versailles; the anti-Japanese protests of December 9, 1935, demanding a war of national resistance; the eight stage-managed rallies that kicked off the Cultural Revolution in 1966, when up to a million Red Guards at a time were ferried to Beijing to be exhorted into action and then shipped out again to shake up the provinces; and the brutally repressed Qing Ming demonstration of April 1976, in memory of Zhou Enlai, that first pointed towards the eventual fall of the Gang of Four.

  Tian'anmen Square unquestionably makes a strong impression, but this concrete plain dotted with worthy statuary and bounded by monumental buildings can seem inhuman. Together with the bloody associations it has for many visitors it often leaves people cold, especially Westerners unused to such magisterial representations of political power. For many Chinese tourists though, the square is a place of pilgrimage. Crowds flock to see the corpse of Chairman Mao, others quietly bow their heads before the Monument to the Heroes, a thirty-metre-high obelisk commemorating the victims of the revolutionary struggle. Among the visitors you will often see monks, and the sight of robed Buddhists standing in front of the uniformed sentries outside the Great Hall of the People makes a striking juxtaposition. Others come just to hang out or to fly kites, but the atmosphere is not relaxed and a ¥5 fine for spitting and littering is rigorously enforced here. At dawn, the flag at the northern end of the square is raised in a military ceremony and lowered again at dusk, which is when most people come to see it. After dark, the square is at its most appealing and, with its sternness softened by mellow lighting, it becomes the haunt of strolling families and lovers.
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-17 14:56

China’s loosening control of renminbi welcomed

中国扩大人民币浮动幅度获各方好评
China’s decision to loosen some of its currency controls, permitting greater volatility in daily trade from Monday, has been welcomed as an important step towards allowing the renminbi to float freely.
中国决定放松一部分汇率管制,从周一起扩大人民币汇率日浮动幅度。此举受到各方欢迎,被视为迈向最终允许人民币汇率自由浮动的重要一步。
From this week, the renminbi will be allowed to rise or fall 1 per cent each day from the daily official rate against the US dollar, double its previous trading range of 0.5 per cent.
从本周起,人民币兑美元交易价相对于当日官方中间价的日浮动幅度由0.5%扩大至1%。
Analysts still expect the central bank to keep the exchange rate stable in the coming months as a buffer against global economic uncertainty, but the band widening lays the groundwork for a future in which market forces, not the government, shape its value.
分析师们预计,中国央行在未来几个月内仍将保持人民币汇率稳定,作为针对全球经济不确定性的缓冲,但扩大浮动幅度之举将为未来由市场力量(而非政府)决定汇率打下基础。
Beijing hopes one day to transform the renminbi into a currency that will vie for a place alongside the dollar and the euro on the global stage. Widening the band brings it closer to that goal, although other, and riskier, reforms to open its capital account are needed first.
北京方面希望有朝一日实现人民币国际化,使其在全球舞台上与美元和欧元分庭抗礼。扩大浮动幅度意味着中国向这个目标走近了一步,尽管中国仍需推行风险较高的其他改革、放开资本账户。
This was an “important step by the People’s Bank of China to increase the flexibility of their currency”, said Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund.
国际货币基金组织(IMF)总裁克里斯蒂娜•拉加德(Christine Lagarde)表示,此举是“中国央行提高人民币汇率弹性的一个重要步骤”。
The US Treasury described the move as “positive for China, the United States, and the global economy” if implemented properly, but added that “further progress is needed”.
美国财政部称,此举如果实施得当的话,将“有利于中国、美国乃至全球经济”,但补充称“有必要取得进一步的进展”。
Until now, the mechanics of the Chinese exchange rate have been relatively simple. The central bank has used a trading band since 2005 to guide the renminbi in a “crawling peg” against the dollar. It sets the midpoint of the range in the morning before the market opens, then intervenes throughout the day to keep the currency within the desired bounds.
迄今中国汇率形成机制一直相对简单。中国央行自2005年起采用交易区间来引导人民币汇率“爬行盯住”美元。央行在每日早上市场开盘前设定汇率中间价,然后在全天不时干预汇市,以使汇率保持在规定的浮动幅度内。
Whatever the daily ups and downs, the renminbi has steadily risen against the dollar, appreciating 5-7 per cent a year, apart from a pause during the global financial crisis.
尽管每日有涨有跌,但近年来人民币相对美元稳步走高(年升值幅度达5%至7%),只是在全球金融危机期间暂停了一段时间。
With the band widening, the Chinese currency should become harder to predict. But Beijing is not about to relinquish control of the renminbi. Rather, it wants to broaden what it describes as the “the exchange rate formation mechanism”.
扩大浮动幅度后,人民币汇率应当变得更难预测。但北京方面并不会很快放弃控制汇率。相反,它希望拓宽其所称的“汇率形成机制”。
It wants to use a basket of the currencies of its biggest trading partners – the US dollar, the euro and the yen – as an anchor for the renminbi. In practice, it has relied most on the dollar.
它希望参考一篮子主要贸易伙伴的货币(美元、欧元和日元等)来调节人民币汇率。在实践中,人民币汇率对美元依赖程度最大。
The wider band will make the shift to a flexible basket-based exchange rate feasible by allowing greater “two-way volatility” against the dollar, said Lu Ting, an economist with Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
美国银行-美林(Bank of America Merrill Lynch)经济学家陆挺表示,扩大浮动幅度将允许人民币兑美元汇率出现更大的“双向波动”,使人民币转向基于篮子货币的弹性汇率具有可行性。
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-17 15:03

Working less hours each week will help boost the economy by creating more jobs and improving quality of life, according to a think tank .

据某智囊机构称,减少每周工作时间有助于创造更多工作岗位,提升生活质量,推动经济增长。

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) will meet with other experts at an event in London this week to find a solution to unemployment, the credit crisis and reducing the country's carbon footprint.

新经济基金会将在本周与其他专家在伦敦会面,商讨失业、信贷危机以及减少国家碳足迹等问题的解决办法。

The NEF, which has organised the gathering with the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at the London School of Economics, said their solution to the problem would be enforcing a 20-hour working week.

新经济基金会和伦敦政治经济学院的社会排斥分析中心组织了这次会议,他们提出的解决办法是实行20小时工作周。

The foundation has previously suggested a similar strategy and said the move would mean people had more time to think about the effect they are having on the environment and that it would allow for job sharing.

基金会以前曾提出过相似的对策,该组织称,这个行动意味着人们有更多的时间思考他们对于环境的影响,也使工作得以共享。

It admitted that incomes would be reduced dramatically but argued individuals would have more time to carry out worthy tasks.

该组织承认,人们收入会大大减少,但指出每个人都将有更多的时间来做更有价值的事情。

Parents could spend more time with their children or other dependents and there would be more opportunity to get involved with civic duties or charity work.

父母可以花更多的时间陪伴孩子和其它家属,也有更多机会履行公民义务,参与慈善活动。

Anna Coote, co-author the report, told the Observer: "There's a great disequilibrium between people who have got too much paid work, and those who have got too little or none."

报告的合著者安娜•库特告诉《观察家报》说:“有些人承担太多带薪工作,有些人却没有工作或少得可怜,两者之间存在着严重失衡。”

"Are we just living to work, and working to earn, and earning to consume?"

“我们活着就只是为了工作,工作为了赚钱,赚钱为了消费吗?”

She argued that the government needed to think about what constitutes economic success and whether aiming to boost Britain's GDP growth rate should be a priority .

她认为政府要思考经济成功的要素是什么,以及是否应以推动英国GDP增长率为首要目标。

The UK has the longest working week of any major European economy and economists believed, in time, that as technology improved people would be able to spend less time at work.

在欧洲主要经济体中,英国每周的工作时间是最长的。经济学家们认为,当科技发展了,人们最终将能少花些时间在工作上。

Parents of young children already have the right to request more flexible work hours but the NEF is keen to push the government to make this a right for everyone.

带小孩的父母已经有权要求更灵活的工作时间,但是新经济基金会仍然热衷于推动政府采取行动,让每一个人都拥有这个权利。

词汇点津:

in time: 后来渐渐,终于,最终

think tank: 智囊团
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-17 15:04

Fragile world economy still on ‘life support’

全球经济复苏依然脆弱

The world economy “remains on life support” from central banks and has deteriorated since last autumn, the latest Brookings Institution-Financial Times tracking index shows, despite some recent signs of stabilisation.

最新的布鲁金斯学会(Brookings Institution)—英国《金融时报》追踪指标显示,世界经济“仍然依赖”各国央行来“维持生命”,并且自去年秋天以来世界经济状况有所恶化。
Weakness extends across the Group of 20 leading economies, according to the TIGER (Tracking Indices for the Global Economic Recovery) index, but advanced economies have deteriorated more than developing countries.
全球经济复苏追踪指标(TIGER)显示,经济乏力的现象普遍存在于二十国集团(G20)领先经济体中,但发达经济体的恶化程度比发展中国家更加严重。
The index provides support for the message Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, sent last week that although there has been some improvement since the turn of the year, “the risks remain high, the situation fragile”.
这一指标支持了国际货币基金组织(IMF)总裁克里斯蒂娜•拉加德(Christine Lagarde)上周发表的评论,即尽管从年初开始有一些好转,但“风险仍然很高,局面很脆弱”。
Although markets recovered significantly in the first quarter of the year as investors welcomed the European Central Bank’s injection of liquidity into the eurozone’s banks, the outlook for growth and jobs has become more precarious almost everywhere except in the US.
尽管随着投资者欢迎欧洲央行(ECB)向欧洲银行体系注入流动性,今年一季度市场显著复苏,但除了美国外,其他国家的经济增长和就业前景都变得更加不确定了。
Professor Eswar Prasad of the Brookings Institution said: “The global economic recovery is still sputtering due to a lack of robust demand, policy tools that are stretched to their limits and unable to muster much traction, and enormous risks posed by weak financial systems and political uncertainty.”
布鲁金斯学会的埃斯华•普拉萨德(Eswar Prasad)教授指出:“由于缺乏强劲的需求,且政策工具已经用足,无法施加更强的拉动,加上虚弱的金融体系和政治不确定性构成巨大风险,全球经济复苏仍然断断续续。”
The real economy component of the index has been hard hit as growth prospects in Europe, already fragile after the 2011 crisis, have been further undermined by brutal austerity plans in many countries. “This is stifling growth, worsening debt-to-GDP ratios in the short run, and generating an unsustainable political situation at the domestic and pan-European levels,” Prof Prasad said.
该指数的实体经济成分受到了欧洲经济增长前景的巨大打击,欧洲经济在2011年的危机后已经十分脆弱,许多国家实施的无情的财政紧缩方案又令其雪上加霜。普拉萨德教授说:“这会扼杀经济增长,在短期恶化债务与GDP的比值,在各国国内和整个欧洲的层面上造成不可持续的政治局面。”
The US recovery, by contrast has become more robust although it remains vulnerable to shocks and its growth remains modest.
与此形成反差的是,美国经济复苏已经变得更加强劲,尽管美国仍然易受冲击影响,而且经济增长有限。
But it is not just the advanced economies that are suffering. The growth outlook in emerging markets has also deteriorated with output falling short of expectations in all of the Bric countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China. “The burden of sustaining world growth is taking a toll on emerging market economies,” Prof Prasad said.
状况不佳的并不仅限于发达经济体。新兴市场国家的增长前景也出现恶化,所有金砖国家(巴西、俄罗斯、印度、中国)的经济产出均逊于预期。普拉萨德说:“维持全球增长的重担,正使新兴市场经济体付出代价。”
作者: 之之    时间: 2012-4-17 15:40

Waste or Save

Father: Oh, Jack, you have slept away the whole morning. Don't you know you are wasting time?

Jack: Yes, Dad. But I've saved you a meal, haven' I?

浪费还是节约

父亲:噢,杰克,你又睡了一上午。难道你不知道你这是在浪费时间吗?

杰克:我知道,爸爸。可我还给您节省了一顿饭呢,是不是?




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