Episodes
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Early in the morning in June 2024, photographer Lee McGrath captured electric blue shimmering in the waves of Dunraven Bay, Wales. Lighting up the water was bioluminescent plankton.2024 年 6 月清晨，摄影师 Lee McGrath 在威尔士邓拉文湾的海浪中捕捉到了电蓝色的光芒。照亮水面的是生物发光的浮游生物。
Bioluminescence is the ability of certain organisms to produce light. It's a biochemical wonder involving a reaction between certain chemicals that create light without heat. Plankton, as seen in Wales, are tiny marine drifters, carried by ocean tides and currents. And they're not the only creatures in the ocean with this illuminating characteristic – an amazing 76% of animals in our seas are bioluminescent, according to National Geographic. It happens for a variety of reasons. For example, the deep-sea anglerfish has a glowing fin that sticks out of its head to attract prey, and jellyfish can emit light to attract mates. Similarly, the six-inch lantern shark, one of the world's smallest sharks, has light-up organs used for camouflage.生物发光是某些生物体产生光的能力。这是一个生化奇迹，涉及某些化学物质之间的反应，无需热量即可产生光。正如在威尔士所看到的，浮游生物是微小的海洋漂流物，由海洋潮汐和洋流携带。而且它们并不是海洋中唯一具有这种发光特性的生物——据《国家地理》报道，令人惊奇的是，我们海洋中 76% 的动物具有生物发光能力。发生这种情况的原因有多种。例如，深海琵琶鱼有一个发光的鳍，从头部伸出来吸引猎物，水母可以发光来吸引配偶。同样，六英寸长的灯笼鲨是世界上最小的鲨鱼之一，它有用于伪装的发光器官。
But it's not just ocean life that can glow in the dark. On land, fireflies dance with glowing abdomens as part of courtship rituals, while some fungi, such as the honey mushroom, contribute an eerie glow in forests, and are known as 'ghost mushrooms' in some cultures. In New Zealand, there is a freshwater snail which emits a glowing slime, and glow-worm caves attract hundreds of thousands of tourists a year.但不仅仅是海洋生物可以在黑暗中发光。在陆地上，萤火虫用发光的腹部跳舞，作为求爱仪式的一部分，而一些真菌，如蜂蜜蘑菇，在森林中发出怪异的光芒，在某些文化中被称为“幽灵蘑菇”。在新西兰，有一种淡水蜗牛会散发出发光的粘液，萤火虫洞每年吸引数十万游客。
Scientists are discovering more and more glowing nature each year, says Linda Reinhold, an Australian scientist, but there's still a lot we don't know. She says it's easiest to see bioluminescent nature on land by using a UV torch, so next time you head out at night, pack one! You never know what you'll find.澳大利亚科学家琳达·莱因霍尔德（Linda Reinhold）表示，科学家每年都会发现越来越多发光的自然现象，但仍有很多东西我们不知道。她说，使用紫外线手电筒最容易在陆地上看到生物发光的自然现象，所以下次你晚上出去时，带上一个吧！你永远不知道你会发现什么。词汇表
electric blue 电光蓝
shimmer 发出闪烁的微光
light up 使…变得明亮
bioluminescent 生物体发光的
plankton 浮游生物
biochemical 生物化学的
drifter 漂浮物
illuminating 发光的
anglerfish 琵琶鱼
emit 散发，发出
camouflage 伪装
glow in the dark 在黑暗中发光
firefly 萤火虫
glowing 发光的
courtship ritual 求偶仪式
fungi 真菌
eerie 怪异的
slime 粘液
glow-worm 萤火虫
UV torch 紫外线手电筒
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During his more than 60-year acting career, James Earl Jones’ voice became a star of its own. Jones died this week at the age of 93.
在 60 多年的演艺生涯中，詹姆斯·厄尔·琼斯的声音成为了一颗明星。 琼斯本周去世，享年 93 岁。
One of Jones' career decisions continues to be an issue of debate: his permission to let artificial intelligence (AI) reproduce his performances as Darth Vader for new projects.
琼斯的职业决定之一仍然是一个有争议的问题：他允许人工智能 (AI) 在新项目中重现他作为达斯维德的表演。
Skywalker Sound and Ukrainian software company Respeecher used AI to recreate Jones' Darth Vader for the 2022 show Obi-Wan Kenobi. The show appears on the streaming service Disney+.
Skywalker Sound 和乌克兰软件公司 Respeecher 使用人工智能为 2022 年的《欧比旺·克诺比》节目重现了琼斯饰演的达斯·维达。 该节目出现在流媒体服务 Disney+ 上。
The voice of actor Mark Hamill was also “de-aged” using Respeecher. Hamill played Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie. His AI-manufactured voice was used in the series’ television show The Mandalorian. Disney+ launched the show in 2019.
演员马克·哈米尔的声音也使用 Respeecher 进行了“减龄”。 哈米尔在第一部星球大战电影中扮演卢克·天行者。 该系列电视节目《曼达洛人》中使用了他的人工智能声音。 Disney+ 于 2019 年推出该剧。
Voice actors say they fear AI could reduce the number of jobs because the technology can reproduce one performance into many. The concern led American unionized video game performers to go on strike in July.
配音演员表示，他们担心人工智能可能会减少工作岗位，因为该技术可以将一种表演复制成多种表演。 这种担忧导致美国电子游戏表演者工会于七月举行罢工。
For some observers, Jones' decision to permit AI to reproduce his voice raises questions about voice acting as an art. But the decision also could help develop AI agreements that fairly pay actors for AI-based performances.
对于一些观察家来说，琼斯允许人工智能复制他的声音的决定引发了人们对配音作为一门艺术的质疑。 但这一决定也可能有助于制定人工智能协议，为演员基于人工智能的表演公平支付报酬。
Zeke Alton is a voice actor and member of SAG-AFTRA’s interactive media agreement negotiating committee. He said it is “amazing” that Jones was involved in the process of reproducing his voice.
Zeke Alton 是一名配音演员，也是 SAG-AFTRA 互动媒体协议谈判委员会的成员。 他说琼斯参与了复制他的声音的过程，这“令人惊讶”。
“If the game companies, the movie companies, gave the consent, compensation transparency to every actor that they gave James Earl Jones, we wouldn’t be on strike,” Alton said. “It proves that they can do it. They just don’t want to for people that they feel don’t have the leverage to bargain for themselves.”
奥尔顿说：“如果游戏公司、电影公司像詹姆斯·厄尔·琼斯那样向每位演员提供同意和薪酬透明度，我们就不会罢工。” “这证明他们可以做到。 他们只是不想为那些他们认为没有能力为自己讨价还价的人提供帮助。”
Hollywood’s video game performers called for a strike after more than 18 months of negotiations over a new interactive media agreement with industry leaders. The negotiators could not reach an agreement on artificial intelligence protections.
好莱坞视频游戏表演者在与行业领袖就新的互动媒体协议进行了 18 个多月的谈判后呼吁罢工。 谈判代表未能就人工智能保护达成协议。
Members of the union have said they are not opposed to AI. They say they are worried, however, that technology could replace them.
工会成员表示，他们并不反对人工智能。 然而，他们表示担心技术可能会取代他们。
Concerns over such use of AI were among the reasons that film and television workers went on strike last year. The work stoppages went on for four months.
对人工智能的这种使用的担忧是去年影视工作者罢工的原因之一。 停工持续了四个月。
Neither Skywalker Sound nor Respeecher answered a request for comment from Associated Press reporters. But a sound editor with Skywalker Sound spoke to Vanity Fair magazine about the issue. The worker reported that Jones approved the use of old recordings to keep Darth Vader alive. The worker added that Jones guided the new performances.
Skywalker Sound 和 Respeecher 都没有回应美联社记者的置评请求。 但天行者声音的一位声音编辑向《名利场》杂志谈到了这个问题。 该工人报告说，琼斯批准使用旧录音来维持达斯·维德的生命。 该工作人员补充说，琼斯指导了新的表演。
Jones' contract could set an example of properly bargaining with an actor over their likeness, said Sarah Elmaleh. She is chair of SAG-AFTRA's interactive negotiating committee. Elmaleh, a voice actor, said there is a chance for these tools to be used in “meaningful, smart artistic decisions.”
莎拉·埃尔马莱说，琼斯的合同可以树立一个与演员就肖像问题进行适当讨价还价的典范。 她是 SAG-AFTRA 互动谈判委员会的主席。 配音演员埃尔马莱表示，这些工具有机会用于“有意义、明智的艺术决策”。
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Missing episodes?
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A sunken Greek village has begun to reappear after water levels dropped in the lake that covered it. Extreme hot, dry weather is blamed for the disappearing Lake Mornos.
一座沉没的希腊村庄在湖水水位下降后开始重新出现。莫诺斯湖的消失被归咎于极端炎热、干燥的天气。
The village of Kallio was flooded in 1980 to create the lake. The plan aimed to help supply the ever-increasing water demands of the national capital about 200 kilometers away. Now, long stretches of dried soil mixed with old bricks surround the ruins of the Kallio.
1980 年，卡里奥村被洪水淹没，形成了这个湖。该计划旨在帮助满足约 200 公里外的国家首都不断增长的用水需求。现在，长长的干土与旧砖混在一起，环绕着卡利奥遗址。
"Day by day, the water goes down," said Dimitris Giannopoulos, mayor of central Greece’s Dorida area. Reuters news agency reports Lake Mornos supplies water to nearly half of Greece’s population.
“水位一天天下降，”希腊中部多里达地区市长迪米特里斯·贾诺普洛斯 (Dimitris Giannopoulos) 说。路透社报道称，莫诺斯湖为希腊近一半人口供水。
Last winter brought little snow to Greece. This summer brought heatwaves but little rain to the country. Last winter was Greece’s warmest on record.
去年冬天希腊降雪很少。今年夏天，该国出现了热浪，但降雨很少。去年冬天是希腊有记录以来最温暖的冬天。
Greece's dry climate makes it especially susceptible to the effects of a warming planet. The conditions worsened summer wildfires including some that reached outer areas of Athens last month. Scientists say extreme weather is now driving the dropping lake level.
希腊干燥的气候使其特别容易受到地球变暖的影响。这种情况加剧了夏季野火，包括上个月蔓延到雅典外围地区的一些野火。科学家表示，极端天气正在导致湖水位下降。
"It is an alarm bell," said Efthymis Lekkas, a professor of disaster management at the University of Athens. "We don't know what will happen in the coming period. If we have a rainless winter, things will get difficult."
“这是一个警钟，”雅典大学灾害管理教授埃夫西米斯·莱卡斯 (Efthymis Lekkas) 说。“我们不知道接下来会发生什么。如果冬天没有下雨，事情就会变得困难。”
Giannopoulos noted that the Mount Giona mountain that rises up from the lake used to be snow-covered. But it saw none last winter. Around the lake, some trees have taken on a yellowish color. "They lack water. This has never happened before," Giannopoulos said.
詹诺普洛斯指出，从湖中升起的吉奥纳山曾经被白雪覆盖。但去年冬天它什么也没看到。湖边的一些树木已经呈现出淡黄色。“他们缺水。这以前从未发生过，”詹诺普洛斯说。
Wells in the area are now drying up, he added. And surrounding villages – which do not take water from the lake – suffered water cuts this summer. A local firefighter chief said the risk of wildfires increases as the forests become drier.
他补充说，该地区的水井现已干涸。周围的村庄不从湖中取水，今年夏天遭受了断水。当地消防队长表示，随着森林变得干燥，发生野火的风险也会增加。
Satellite images suggest the lake's surface area shrank from around 16.8 square kilometers in August 2022 to just 12 this year.
卫星图像显示，该湖的表面积从 2022 年 8 月的约 16.8 平方公里缩小到今年的仅 12 平方公里。
In addition, water supplies at three other water bodies dropped to 700 million cubic meters in August. This water supplies Attica, an area of around 4 million people that includes Athens. That was down from 1.2 billion cubic meters in 2022, the country’s environment ministry said.
此外，其他三个水体8月份供水量下降至7亿立方米。这些水供应阿提卡，该地区人口约 400 万，其中包括雅典。中国环境部表示，这一数字低于 2022 年的 12 亿立方米。
The Greek government says the state-run Athens water company had begun supplying those areas with additional sources of water. Former residents of Kallio were surprised to see the village again. But some said they were saddened by its current state.
希腊政府表示，国营雅典自来水公司已开始向这些地区提供额外的水源。卡利奥的前居民对再次看到这个村庄感到惊讶。但一些人表示，他们对目前的状况感到悲伤。
"I used to see it full and say it was a beach. Now all you see is dryness," said 90-year-old Konstantinos Gerodimos.
90 岁的康斯坦丁诺斯·杰罗迪莫斯 (Konstantinos Gerodimos) 说：“以前我看到它满是海滩，但现在你看到的只是干燥。”
His 77-year-old wife Maria added: "If it continues like this, the entire village will appear, all the way to the bottom, where the church and our home was."
他77岁的妻子玛丽亚补充道：“如果再这样下去，整个村庄都会出现，一直到最底层，也就是教堂和我们家所在的地方。”
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This theory is a big departure from conventional thinking. Most experts agree that animal life emerged 635 million years ago. But this team say they detected an explosion of the nutrients needed for life, including oxygen and phosphorus, 2.1 billion years ago.这个理论和传统认知有很大的不同。大多数专家普遍认为动物生命最早于 6.35 亿年前出现在地球上。但这个科研团队表示，他们发现生命所需的营养物质在 21 亿年前激增，包括氧气和磷。
They believe two continental plates collided and caused underwater volcanic activity. This made an environment that could support life similar to slime mould, a brainless organism that reproduces with spores. But not all scientists agree with the theory, and some say more evidence is needed.这些科学家们认为两个大陆板块碰撞并引起了水下火山活动。这创造了一个可以支持像黏菌这类由孢子繁殖的无脑生物的进化环境。但并非所有科学家都认同这个理论，有些专家表示这个理论还需要更多的证据来支持。词汇表
big departure 很大的不同，严重的偏离
conventional 传统的，常规的
detected 发现了
phosphorus 磷
continental plates 大陆板块
collided 碰撞
support life 支持生命
slime mould 黏菌
brainless 无脑的
organism 生物体，有机体
spores 孢子
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Save the gorilla! Protect tigers! Help the giant kangaroo rats! You've probably heard the first two slogans but maybe not the last one. We're often keen to support the conservation of animals like gorillas and tigers but less sympathetic to creatures like rats. Are our stereotypes affecting which animals we choose to protect?拯救大猩猩！ 保护老虎！ 帮助巨型袋鼠！ 您可能听说过前两个口号，但可能没有听过最后一个。 我们常常热衷于支持对大猩猩和老虎等动物的保护，但对老鼠等动物却不太同情。 我们的刻板印象是否会影响我们选择保护哪些动物？
Researchers have looked at the impact of 'warmth' – that's the perceived intentions, and 'competence' – the skill that different species appear to have. It's suggested that people are very keen to protect 'companions', such as dogs or monkeys, who score highly in warmth and competence. 'Predators', such as tigers or bears, score highly in competence but low in warmth. They are said to inspire awe and fear, and this means that while some people are keen to protect them, others hunt them. Animals seen as prey, like cows, rabbits, and pigs, generated more indifference, while people are prepared to actively harm those seen as low-warmth and low-competence 'pests', such as rats, mice, and fish.研究人员研究了“温暖”（即感知意图）和“能力”（不同物种似乎拥有的技能）的影响。 这表明人们非常热衷于保护“同伴”，例如狗或猴子，它们在温暖和能力方面得分很高。 “掠食者”，例如老虎或熊，在能力方面得分很高，但在温暖方面得分较低。 据说它们会激发敬畏和恐惧，这意味着虽然有些人热衷于保护它们，但另一些人却在猎杀它们。 被视为猎物的动物，如牛、兔子和猪，产生了更多的冷漠，而人们则准备积极伤害那些被视为低热情和低能力的“害虫”，如老鼠和鱼。
However, this might not be the full story. National Geographic Magazine asked their readers which animals were the most important to save. Four of the top five fit the companion or predator types – elephants, tigers, whales and polar bears. But the most popular animal to save was the bee. It seems that apart from concerns around warmth and competence, people are aware how species can impact the wider ecosystem and value bees as pollinators.然而，这可能不是故事的全部。 《国家地理》杂志询问读者哪些动物最值得拯救。 前五名中有四种属于伴侣或捕食者类型——大象、老虎、鲸鱼和北极熊。 但最受欢迎的动物是蜜蜂。 似乎除了对温暖和能力的担忧之外，人们还意识到物种如何影响更广泛的生态系统，并重视蜜蜂作为传粉媒介的价值。
According to some reports, 27,000 species are becoming extinct every year. How do zoos and conservation projects decide which animals to support? One factor is the importance of an animal to the wider ecosystem, but this can lead to some difficult choices. Phys.org reports that in Australia, koalas are much less important to the ecosystem than some lesser-known animals such as woylies. However, they also suggest a solution to this issue. To conserve cute animals, such as koalas, it's important to protect their entire habitat – and this can save a wide range of species. It could be that many animals can be sheltered by koalas' cuteness.
据一些报告称，每年有 27,000 个物种灭绝。 动物园和保护项目如何决定支持哪些动物？ 其中一个因素是动物对更广泛的生态系统的重要性，但这可能会导致一些困难的选择。 Phys.org 报道称，在澳大利亚，考拉对生态系统的重要性远不如一些鲜为人知的动物（例如考拉）。 然而，他们也提出了解决这个问题的方法。 为了保护考拉等可爱的动物，保护它们的整个栖息地非常重要 - 这可以拯救多种物种。 考拉的可爱可能可以庇护许多动物。词汇表
conservation （动植物或资源的）保护
warmth 温暖，热情
competence 能力
species 物种
companion 伴侣，同伴
predator 掠食者
awe 敬畏
hunt 捕猎
prey 猎物
harm 伤害
pest 害虫，有害的动物
concern 关心的事情，担忧的事情
wider ecosystem 更广泛的生态系统
pollinator 授粉者
extinct 灭绝
woylie 毛尾袋鼠
habitat 栖息地
shelter 提供庇护
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A workshop in Taipei, Taiwan, is giving new life to bottle caps, food packaging, old toys, and other kinds of plastic waste.
台湾台北的一家工厂正在为瓶盖、食品包装、旧玩具和其他类型的塑料垃圾赋予新的生命。
The zero-waste workshop known as Trash Kitchen gives people hands-on experience in the recycling process.
被称为“垃圾厨房”的零废物车间为人们提供了回收过程的实践经验。
People take plastic waste, then soften and shape it into a pair of sunglasses within two hours.
人们收集塑料垃圾，然后在两小时内将其软化并塑造成一副太阳镜。
Arthur Huang started the company that holds the workshop. He spoke to Reuters news agency. He said: "What we are trying to show in the Trash Kitchen is to let you see, feel, touch within minutes how this process can actually work without secondary pollution, and you can actually turn it into something of value directly in front of you."
Arthur Huang 创办了举办研讨会的公司。 他接受了路透社的采访。 他说：“我们在垃圾厨房里试图展示的是让你在几分钟之内看到、感觉到、触摸到这个过程是如何在没有二次污染的情况下实际进行的，并且你实际上可以直接在你面前把它变成有价值的东西 ”。
Huang is the founder of Miniwiz. The company recycles waste material into goods that people want to buy. Miniwiz also produces tiles, bricks, hangers and other daily necessities from plastic and organic waste.
黄先生是Miniwiz的创始人。 该公司将废料回收成人们想要购买的商品。 Miniwiz 还利用塑料和有机废物生产瓷砖、砖块、衣架和其他日常用品。
Huang said the company uses a machine it developed in 2017 called a "miniTrashpresso." The machine processes the waste material for a new use.
黄说，该公司使用 2017 年开发的一款名为“miniTrashpresso”的机器。 该机器将废料加工成新用途。
Kora Hsieh is editor-in-chief for fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar Taiwan. Hsieh said the project making sunglasses is a good way to bring attention to sustainable fashion.
谢家华 (Kora Hsieh) 是台湾时尚杂志《Harper's Bazaar》的主编。 谢家华表示，制作太阳镜的项目是引起人们对可持续时尚关注的好方法。
"I think environmental protection and fashion still have a long way to go. As for consumers, it is important for them to get first-hand experience, so a workshop like this is very helpful," she said.
“我认为环保和时尚还有很长的路要走。对于消费者来说，获得第一手的体验很重要，所以像这样的工作坊非常有帮助。”她说。
People taking part in the workshop said it made them think twice about producing trash and made them pay more attention to reusable goods.
参加研讨会的人们表示，这让他们对产生垃圾三思而后行，并让他们更加关注可重复使用的物品。
"I have two children. I need to think about their future," said business owner Debbie Wu.
“我有两个孩子。我需要考虑他们的未来，”企业主黛比吴说。
"If you throw away trash without thinking, you kick the problem down the road. So, if everyone can do their best, recycle and use less plastic, that will make a big difference," Wu said.
“如果你不假思索地扔掉垃圾，你就会把问题抛到一边。因此，如果每个人都能尽最大努力，回收并减少使用塑料，那将会产生很大的变化，”吴说。
Data from the Ministry of Environment estimates that Taiwan produced a record 11.6 million metric tons of waste in 2023. More than 6 million tons of that waste was recyclable.
环境部的数据估计，2023 年台湾产生了创纪录的 1160 万吨废物。其中超过 600 万吨废物是可回收的。
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Government reports expect that, at the current rate, the working age population will drop by 40 percent to 45 million by 2065.
政府报告预计，按照目前的速度，到 2065 年，劳动年龄人口将减少 40%，达到 4500 万。
Supporters of the three-days-off model say it helps people remain in the workforce longer. It would give them more time to raise children and care for older relatives. For retirees living on retirement pensions, it would provide additional income.
三天休假模式的支持者表示，这有助于人们在工作岗位上停留更长时间。 这将使他们有更多时间抚养孩子和照顾年长的亲戚。 对于依靠退休金生活的退休人员来说，这将提供额外的收入。
Akiko Yokohama works at Spelldata, a technology company that lets employees work a four-day work week. She takes Wednesdays off along with Saturdays and Sundays. The extra day off allows her to get her hair done, go to other appointments or go shopping.
Akiko Yokohama 在 Spelldata 工作，这是一家允许员工每周工作四天的技术公司。 她周三以及周六和周日都休息。 额外的一天休息让她可以做头发、去参加其他约会或去购物。
Her husband works in real estate. He also gets Wednesdays off but works weekends, which is common in his industry. Yokohama said that it lets her and her husband go on midweek family outings with their elementary-school age child.
她的丈夫从事房地产工作。 他周三休息，但周末工作，这在他的行业中很常见。 横滨说，这让她和她的丈夫可以带着小学年龄的孩子在周中进行家庭郊游。
But there are signs of change. A few companies, including Uniqlo, Ricoh and Hitachi have begun offering a four-day workweek.
但有变化的迹象。 包括优衣库、理光和日立在内的一些公司已经开始提供每周四天的工作制。
A recent Gallup public opinion study measured employee engagement. Gallup said Japan has among the least engaged workers of all nationalities it has studied. Only six percent of the Japanese who answered described themselves as engaged at work compared to the worldwide average of 23 percent.
盖洛普最近的一项民意研究衡量了员工敬业度。 盖洛普表示，在其研究的所有国家中，日本工人是敬业度最低的国家之一。 只有 6% 的日本受访者表示自己工作积极，而全球平均水平为 23%。
That means relatively few Japanese workers felt happy and highly involved in their workplace. Most were putting in their hours without investing passion or energy.
这意味着相对较少的日本工人感到快乐并高度参与工作场所。 大多数人只是投入了时间，却没有投入热情或精力。
Kanako Ogino is president of Tokyo-based NS Group. She thinks offering flexible hours is needed for filling jobs in the service industry, where women are most of the work force. The company offers 30 different scheduling patterns, including a four-day workweek, but also taking long periods off in between work.
荻野佳奈子 (Kanako Ogino) 是东京 NS 集团的总裁。 她认为，服务行业需要提供灵活的工作时间来填补职位空缺，而服务行业的劳动力中女性占大多数。 该公司提供 30 种不同的日程安排模式，包括每周工作四天，而且还提供工作间隙的长时间休息。
To ensure none of the NS Group's workers feel out of place for choosing a different schedule, Ogino asks each of her 4,000 employees twice a year how they want to work. Voicing your own needs is disapproved in Japan, where you are expected to sacrifice for the common good.
为了确保 NS 集团的员工不会因选择不同的时间表而感到不自在，荻野每年两次询问 4,000 名员工的每一位员工希望如何工作。 在日本，表达自己的需求是不被允许的，在那里你应该为了共同利益而做出牺牲。
"The view in Japan was: You are cool the more hours you work, putting in free overtime," Ogino said with a laugh. "But there is no dream in such a life."
“日本的观点是：工作时间越长，免费加班就越酷，”荻野笑着说。 “但这样的生活是没有梦想的。”
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Japan is a nation so hardworking that the Japanese language has a term for working oneself to death. Now, the government is trying to deal with a labor shortage.
日本是一个非常勤奋的民族，日语里有一个词是“拼命工作到死”的意思。现在，政府正在努力解决劳动力短缺的问题。
One solution is to get more people and companies to accept four-day workweeks. The Japanese government first supported a shorter working week in 2021. Few companies have signed on, however. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said only about eight percent of companies permit three days off a week, while seven percent give their workers the required one day off.
一种解决方案是让更多的人和公司接受每周四天的工作制。日本政府在 2021 年首次支持缩短每周工作时间。然而，很少有公司签署这一协议。厚生劳动省表示，只有约 8% 的公司允许每周休息 3 天，而 7% 的公司则为员工提供了一天所需的休息时间。
Hoping to get small and medium-sized businesses to change, the government started a "work style reform" campaign. It pushes shorter hours and other flexible plans for work along with paid time off and limits on overtime. The labor ministry recently started offering free services and resources to help companies make the change.
为了让中小企业做出改变，政府发起了“工作方式改革”运动。它推动了更短的工作时间和其他灵活的工作计划，以及带薪休假和加班限制。劳动部最近开始提供免费服务和资源，帮助企业做出改变。
A ministry website explains the "hatarakikata kaikaku" campaign, which means "innovating how we work." It says that when workers can choose how they work, they will have a better outlook on the future and the economy will grow.
部门网站解释了“hatarakikata kaikaku”活动，意思是“创新我们的工作方式”。它说，当工人可以选择自己的工作方式时，他们将对未来有更好的展望，经济也会增长。
The department handling the new support services for businesses says only about three companies have asked for their advice.
负责为企业提供新支持服务的部门表示，只有大约三家公司征求了他们的建议。
Such changes will not come easily in the Japanese culture, where being a “workaholic,” or frequently working overtime, has long been highly valued. That is credited for the country’s national recovery and fast economic growth after World War II.
在日本文化中，这种改变并不容易，因为“工作狂”或经常加班长期以来一直受到高度重视。这归功于二战后该国的国家复苏和经济快速增长。
There is great pressure to be the same as the others in one’s work group. People usually take vacations at the same time of year as their co-workers. Although the law and labor agreements limit overtime, some work longer hours without pay.
与工作组中的其他人保持一致会带来很大的压力。人们通常与同事在一年中的同一时间休假。尽管法律和劳动协议限制加班，但有些人却无薪工作更长的时间。
A recent government report dealt with "karoshi." That is the Japanese term meaning "death from overwork.” The report said Japan has at least 54 such deaths a year, including from heart attacks.
最近的一份政府报告涉及“过劳死”。这是日语术语，意思是“过劳死”。报告称，日本每年至少有 54 例此类死亡，其中包括心脏病发作。
Tim Craig wrote a book called Cool Japan: Case Studies from Japan's Cultural and Creative Industries.
蒂姆·克雷格写了一本名为《酷日本：日本文化创意产业案例研究》的书。
"Work is a big deal here. It's not just a way to make money, although it is that, too," said Craig.
“工作在这里很重要。它不仅仅是赚钱的一种方式，尽管它也是赚钱的一种方式，”克雷格说。
Some officials think it is time to change that way of thinking to save the workforce. Japan's birth rate continues to fall, and the work culture is said to be one reason for that.
一些官员认为是时候改变这种思维方式来拯救劳动力了。日本的出生率持续下降，据说工作文化是原因之一。
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They linger above our letters, they wander around the endings of our words - but apostrophes, it seems, are an endangered species. The Apostrophe Protection Society - yes there really is one - says their future is, well, up in the air.它们停留在字母之上，徘徊在单词的结尾，但撇号似乎是一种 “濒临灭绝的物种”。撇号保护协会——是的，确实有这么一个协会，说撇号的未来 “悬而未决”。The society's ninety-six-year-old chairman, John Richards, says they're vital, yet people have struggles with these squiggles. Mr Richards has agonised over apostrophes for nearly two decades, but now says, thanks to the likes of texting and Twitter, people have simply stopped using them.撇号保护协会主席，96岁的约翰·理查兹说，撇号在英语中的使用极其重要，但人们却在与这些弯弯曲曲的短线作斗争。理查兹先生为撇号烦恼了近20年，但现在他表示，由于诸如发短信和推特等平台的普及，人们已经不再使用撇号了。Mr Richards says his society for this abused and misused punctuation mark is now closing, heralding what, for some, might be called an ‘apostrophe catastrophe’.理查兹先生说，他所在的这个为了减少滥用和误用撇号的协会就要关闭了。对一些人来说，这预示着 “撇号灾难” 的来临。
词汇
linger 逗留，徘徊
wander around 游荡，徘徊
endangered species 濒临灭绝的物种
up in the air 悬而未决
vital 至关重要的
squiggles 弯弯曲曲的短线，胡乱写的字
agonised （精神上）感到极度痛苦的
abused 滥用
punctuation mark 标点符号
heralding 预示……的来临
catastrophe 灾难
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Humankind has developed so much that urban sprawl and intensive agriculture now dominate our landscapes. Unfortunately, with that comes the threat of climate change and a loss of biodiversity. What if we could return these landscapes to places that teem with wildlife, with ecosystems thriving as they did centuries ago? Since the 1980s, the concept of rewilding has increased in popularity. But what exactly is it, and what are the keys to its success?人类已经发展得如此之快，以至于城市扩张和集约化农业现在主宰着我们的景观。 不幸的是，随之而来的是气候变化和生物多样性丧失的威胁。 如果我们能让这些景观恢复到野生动物丰富、生态系统像几个世纪前那样繁荣的地方，结果会怎样呢？ 自20世纪80年代以来，野化的概念越来越受欢迎。 但它到底是什么？其成功的关键是什么？Put simply, rewilding is a technique that returns landscapes to a wilder, more natural state. It often involves reintroducing plants or animals that used to live there, but now don't. Not-for-profit organisation Rewilding Europe says rewilding is "about letting nature take care of itself, enabling natural processes to shape land and sea, repair damaged ecosystems and restore degraded landscapes." So, unlike traditional conservation techniques, the aim is to reduce the need for human intervention once the programme has been set up.简而言之，野化是一种将景观恢复到更狂野、更自然状态的技术。 它通常涉及重新引入曾经居住在那里但现在不再居住的植物或动物。 非营利组织“欧洲野化”表示，野化是“让大自然照顾好自己，让自然过程塑造陆地和海洋，修复受损的生态系统并恢复退化的景观。” 因此，与传统的保护技术不同，该项目的目的是在项目建立后减少人为干预的需要。In a 2021 article called 'Guiding principles for rewilding', one suggestion is to introduce plants, prey animals, and fungi first, so that when the top predator is introduced, they have an appropriate habitat to support them. Other tips are more people focused. Even though rewilding is about reducing human presence in ecosystems, that doesn't mean we should be excluded from nature. The authors encourage compassion and learning from nature, rather than dominating it. They also say that, to avoid fear amongst rural communities that their farmland will be taken away, and that new predators will endanger their livestock, local people should be included so they have some control over the process and can directly benefit from it.在 2021 年一篇名为“野化指导原则”的文章中，一个建议是首先引入植物、猎物和真菌，这样当引入顶级捕食者时，它们就有合适的栖息地来支持它们。 其他技巧更受人们关注。 尽管野化是为了减少人类在生态系统中的存在，但这并不意味着我们应该被排除在大自然之外。 作者鼓励同情心和向自然学习，而不是主宰自然。 他们还表示，为了避免农村社区担心他们的农田会被夺走，以及新的掠食者会危及他们的牲畜，应该让当地人参与进来，这样他们就能对这一过程有一定的控制权，并能直接从中受益。Alex Stevenson owns Jordan's Farm in Essex, England and is rewilding her fields, hoping to help the ecosystem thrive. She says, "I am rewilding to look after nature and to give life back to the soil" and adds, "you have to value nature because nature sustains us – we are part of it."亚历克斯·史蒂文森 (Alex Stevenson) 拥有英格兰埃塞克斯郡的乔丹农场 (Jordan's Farm)，她正在对她的田地进行野化改造，希望能够帮助生态系统蓬勃发展。 她说，“我重新野化是为了照顾自然，让土壤重获生机”，并补充道，“你必须珍惜自然，因为自然支撑着我们——我们是它的一部分。”
词汇表
urban sprawl 城市扩张
agriculture 农业
landscape 景观，环境
biodiversity 生物多样性
teem with 充满
ecosystem 生态系统
thrive 蓬勃发展
wild 野生的
shape 塑造
degraded 退化的
conservation 保护
prey 猎物，被捕食的动物
fungi 菌类
predator 捕食性动物
habitat 栖息地
rural 农村的
livestock 牲畜
soil 土地
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Google created the Android operating system and makes Pixel smartphones. It warns that hot batteries lose power faster, even when not being used.
谷歌创建了 Android 操作系统并生产 Pixel 智能手机。 它警告说，热电池即使在不使用时也会更快地失去电力。
Look at changing your smartphone settings so apps and other device operations use less power. Doing this can extend your battery’s daily life and give more time between charges.
请考虑更改智能手机设置，以便应用程序和其他设备操作使用更少的电量。 这样做可以延长电池的使用寿命并延长充电间隔时间。
Examples include turning down the phone’s screen brightness, changing to a dark theme and making the screen power off sooner. You can also look at battery usage in the device’s settings to identify power-hungry apps that can be turned off or removed.
例如，调低手机的屏幕亮度、更改为深色主题以及更快地关闭屏幕。 您还可以在设备设置中查看电池使用情况，以确定可以关闭或删除的耗电应用程序。
Also, if an iPhone’s power level drops below 10 percent, users can turn on the low power setting to stretch battery life before the next charge. Android phones have a similar “power saving mode.” But while this setting can be left on all the time, experts say doing so can affect the phone's overall performance.
此外，如果 iPhone 的电量低于 10%，用户可以在下次充电前打开低电量设置以延长电池寿命。 Android手机也有类似的“省电模式”。 不过，虽然这个设置可以一直保留，但专家表示，这样做会影响手机的整体性能。
Samsung says another power-saving move is to turn off Bluetooth or Wi-Fi when they are not being used. Apple, however, advises iPhone users to leave these on because they use very little power when not connected.
三星表示，另一个省电举措是在不使用蓝牙或 Wi-Fi 时将其关闭。 然而，苹果公司建议 iPhone 用户保留这些功能，因为它们在未连接时消耗的电量非常少。
Many smartphone users already know the benefits of using screen protectors and device cases. Experts advise not using plastic versions, which can damage the phone’s face. Device website iFixit suggests choosing ones made with either Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material – which combines both plastic and rubber – or tempered glass. Both offer more solid protection.
许多智能手机用户已经知道使用屏幕保护膜和设备保护壳的好处。 专家建议不要使用塑料版本，这可能会损坏手机的表面。 设备网站 iFixit 建议选择由热塑性聚氨酯 (TPU) 材料（结合了塑料和橡胶）或钢化玻璃制成的设备。 两者都提供更坚实的保护。
Smartphones can collect dirt and other materials that can block port openings and hurt performance. Experts say a toothpick or toothbrush can be used to get rid of much of these substances. But they advise users to make sure the process is removing the material, not pushing it deeper inside.
智能手机可能会积聚灰尘和其他物质，从而堵塞端口开口并损害性能。 专家表示，可以使用牙签或牙刷去除大部分这些物质。 但他们建议用户确保该过程是去除材料，而不是将其推入更深的内部。
Software is another important part in extending a phone’s lifespan. Experts suggest downloading the latest operating system updates often. This will limit problems related to the device’s privacy, security and battery operations.
软件是延长手机使用寿命的另一个重要部分。 专家建议经常下载最新的操作系统更新。 这将限制与设备隐私、安全和电池操作相关的问题。
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Many people are now holding onto their smartphones longer than in the past. This is true for several reasons. The cost of phones has been rising for years. And device updates are no longer as meaningful as before.
现在，许多人使用智能手机的时间比过去更长。 这是事实，有几个原因。 多年来，手机的成本一直在上涨。 而且设备更新不再像以前那么有意义。
This has made it even more important for smartphone users to take good care of their devices. But how long can a smartphone user expect their device to last? Many experts say if they are cared for effectively, phones can last up to five years, possibly even longer.
这使得智能手机用户妥善保管自己的设备变得更加重要。 但智能手机用户期望他们的设备能持续多久？ 许多专家表示，如果得到有效保养，手机可以使用长达五年，甚至可能更长。
Chris Hauk is a technology expert with the website Pixel Privacy. He told The Associated Press (AP), “As long as you take care of your phone and keep it updated, you’re going to get at least four or five good years of use out of it."
Chris Hauk 是 Pixel Privacy 网站的技术专家。 他告诉美联社（AP），“只要你爱护你的手机并保持更新，你的手机至少可以使用四五年。”
The AP offers these additional tips for smartphone users looking to keep their devices for as long as possible.
美联社为希望尽可能长时间保留设备的智能手机用户提供了这些额外的提示。
One of the most important elements affecting smartphone life is the battery.
影响智能手机寿命的最重要因素之一是电池。
iPhone maker Apple says a rechargeable battery’s age has little to do with when it was manufactured. Instead, it depends on a complex mix of things, including temperature and charging history. “As lithium-ion batteries chemically age, the amount of charge they can hold diminishes, resulting in reduced battery life and reduced peak performance,” Apple says.
iPhone 制造商苹果公司表示，充电电池的寿命与其制造时间无关。 相反，它取决于复杂的因素，包括温度和充电历史。 苹果表示：“随着锂离子电池的化学老化，它们所能容纳的电量会减少，从而导致电池寿命缩短和峰值性能下降。”
Samsung, which uses the Android operating system in its smartphones, says its lithium-ion batteries perform best when kept above a 50 percent charge. The company advises against running the battery completely down
三星在其智能手机中使用Android操作系统，该公司表示，其锂离子电池在电量保持在50%以上时性能最佳。 该公司建议不要将电池完全耗尽
In an online guide, Samsung also said that repeatedly letting the battery go to zero percent may shorten its life and decrease overall performance. “If this happens, you’ll need to charge the battery more frequently and it may last only a few hours before needing a charge.”
三星在在线指南中还表示，反复让电池电量为零可能会缩短其寿命并降低整体性能。 “如果发生这种情况，你需要更频繁地给电池充电，而且电池可能只能维持几个小时就需要充电了。”
Apple says its batteries already warm up as they charge, so phones should not be charged in very hot temperatures. Charging an iPhone in heat above 35 degrees Celsius, for example, “can permanently reduce battery lifespan.”
苹果表示，其电池在充电时已经变热，因此手机不应在非常热的温度下充电。 例如，在 35 摄氏度以上的高温下给 iPhone 充电“会永久缩短电池寿命”。
Samsung also says extreme heat or cold can damage batteries. It warns users not to leave their phones inside vehicles or other contained spaces in very hot or cold weather.
三星还表示，极热或极冷可能会损坏电池。 它警告用户在非常炎热或寒冷的天气里不要将手机留在车辆或其他封闭空间内。
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Another device from the Massachusetts company Epicore Biosystems uses sweat to find out if a worker is overheating.
马萨诸塞州 Epicore Biosystems 公司的另一款设备利用汗水来判断工人是否过热。
Experts say the effectiveness of some devices remains unproven although research has shown that some successfully predict body temperature. A 2022 study said age, sex, and the amount of water in the air make it difficult to measure body temperature.
专家表示，尽管研究表明某些设备可以成功预测体温，但某些设备的有效性尚未得到证实。 2022 年的一项研究称，年龄、性别和空气中的水含量使测量体温变得困难。
However, some groups worry that employers will use the technology to punish people for taking needed breaks.
然而，一些团体担心雇主会利用这项技术来惩罚那些需要休息的人。
Travis Parsons is with the Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America, a labor rights group. Parsons said, “Any time you put a device on a worker, they’re very concerned about tracking, privacy, and how are you going to use this against me.”
特拉维斯·帕森斯 (Travis Parsons) 是劳工权利组织北美劳工健康与安全基金会的成员。 帕森斯说：“任何时候你给工人戴上设备，他们都会非常担心跟踪、隐私，以及你将如何利用它来对付我。”
United Cleanup Oak Ridge is the partnership that is responsible for cleaning up the nuclear reactor in Tennessee. The company says it uses medical examinations to make work decisions. Miller, the health supervisor said the company sent a few employees to see their personal doctors who found out they had heart problems.
United Cleanup Oak Ridge 是负责清理田纳西州核反应堆的合作伙伴。 该公司表示，它使用体检来做出工作决策。 健康主管米勒表示，公司派了几名员工去看他们的私人医生，医生发现他们患有心脏病。
At Perrigo, safety official Rob Somers said supervisors look at information on people with several alerts and speak to them to see if there is “a reason why they’re not able to work in the environment.”
Perrigo 的安全官员罗布·萨默斯 (Rob Somers) 表示，主管人员会查看多次发出警报的人员的信息，并与他们交谈，看看是否有“他们无法在该环境中工作的原因”。
Adam Schwartz is with the Electronic Frontiers Foundation, a civil liberties group based in San Francisco. He said the idea that companies could keep years of medical information on employees raises privacy concerns. He said the information could be used to withhold health plans or dismiss workers.
亚当·施瓦茨 (Adam Schwartz) 就职于电子前沿基金会，这是一个总部位于旧金山的公民自由组织。 他表示，公司可以保留员工多年的医疗信息的想法引发了隐私问题。 他说，这些信息可能会被用来扣留健康计划或解雇工人。
Schwartz said, “The device could hurt…because you could raise your hand and say, ‘I need a break,’ and the boss could say, ‘No, your heart rate is not elevated, go back to work.’”
施瓦茨说：“该设备可能会造成伤害……因为你可以举起手说，‘我需要休息一下’，而老板可能会说，‘不，你的心率没有升高，回去工作吧。’”
To reduce such risks, employers should permit workers to accept or reject using the devices. They could process only necessary information and delete the information in 24 hours, Schwartz said.
为了降低此类风险，雇主应允许员工接受或拒绝使用这些设备。 施瓦茨说，他们只能处理必要的信息，并在 24 小时内删除这些信息。
Ikusei Misaka, a professor at Tokyo’s Musashino University, raised another concern. Misaka noted that information gathered from wearing such devices could result in workers getting unwanted marketing for goods or services.
东京武藏野大学教授御坂郁生提出了另一个担忧。 御坂指出，通过佩戴此类设备收集的信息可能会导致员工收到不必要的商品或服务营销信息。
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On a hot summer day, workers recently worked to remove asbestos and hazardous waste at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. It is a former nuclear center that the government wants to tear down.
在炎热的夏日，工人们最近在田纳西州橡树岭国家实验室清除石棉和危险废物。 这是政府想要拆除的前核中心。
The men wore full-body protective clothing and used respirators to clean the air they breathe. But the clothing does not protect them from high temperatures inside the building and inside their heavy clothing. On their arms, they wear devices that record their heart rates, movements and levels of exertion. The aim is to look for heat stress.
这些人穿着全身防护服，并使用呼吸器来清洁呼吸的空气。 但这些衣服并不能保护他们免受建筑物内和厚重衣服内的高温影响。 他们的手臂上佩戴着记录心率、运动和运动水平的设备。 目的是寻找热应激。
Stephanie Miller oversees safety and health for the company responsible for the cleanup. She watches a computer to observe each worker’s data looking for danger of overheating.
斯蒂芬妮·米勒负责监督负责清理工作的公司的安全和健康。 她通过电脑观察每个工人的数据，寻找过热的危险。
Miller said, “Heat is one of the greatest risks that we have in this work, even though we deal with high radiation, hazardous chemicals and heavy metals.”
米勒说：“尽管我们要处理高辐射、危险化学品和重金属，但高温是我们这项工作面临的最大风险之一。”
The issue of heat in the workplace has been getting more attention since a 2021 report from the research organization Atlantic Council. The group said the United States loses an average of $100 billion each year from “heat-induced” reductions in productivity.
自研究组织大西洋理事会 2021 年发布报告以来，工作场所的高温问题受到越来越多的关注。 该组织表示，美国每年因“高温”导致的生产力下降平均损失 1000 亿美元。
The Environmental Protection Agency said from 1992 to 2022, 986 people died from heat-related causes in U.S. workplaces.
美国环境保护局表示，从 1992 年到 2022 年，美国工作场所有 986 人死于与高温相关的原因。
Employers have measured heat-related stress by checking employees’ temperatures with thermometers. More recently, firefighters and military members have swallowed thermometer capsules.
雇主通过使用温度计检查员工的体温来测量与热相关的压力。 最近，消防员和军人吞下了温度计胶囊。
As the world experiences record-high temperatures, employers are exploring wearable technologies, like sensors and armbands, to help keep workers safe. They collect body temperature and warn workers to take breaks when they get too hot.
随着世界各地经历创纪录的高温，雇主正在探索传感器和臂带等可穿戴技术，以帮助确保工人的安全。 他们收集体温并警告工人在太热时休息。
Perrigo, a drug company, gave SlateSafety armbands to more than 100 employees at its baby food factory. The devices estimate the wearer’s body temperature. A reading of 101.3 results in an alert, or a warning.
制药公司 Perrigo 为其婴儿食品工厂的 100 多名员工发放了 SlateSafety 臂章。 这些设备可以估计佩戴者的体温。 读数为 101.3 会产生警报或警告。
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Miners in Botswana recently unearthed what officials say is the second largest diamond in mining history. The country’s president Mokgweetsi Masisi presented the large stone to the public at a ceremony last week.
博茨瓦纳的矿工最近挖掘出了官方所说的采矿史上第二大钻石。该国总统莫克维齐·马西西 (Mokgweetsi Masisi) 在上周的仪式上向公众赠送了这块大石头。
The 2,492-carat gem is the biggest diamond to be discovered since 1905. The diamond weighs around a half-kilogram. Masisi was one of the first people to get to hold it.
这颗宝石重 2,492 克拉，是自 1905 年以来发现的最大钻石。钻石重约 0.5 公斤。马西西是最早持有它的人之一。
He expressed surprise at the diamond’s heaviness and told the gathering, “I am lucky to have seen it in my time."
他对这颗钻石的重量表示惊讶，并告诉与会者，“我很幸运能够在我那个时代看到它。
”Lucara Diamond, a Canadian mining company, found the stone. Company officials said it was too early to value the gem or decide how it would be sold. A smaller uncut diamond from the same mine in Botswana sold for a record $63 million in 2016.
加拿大矿业公司卢卡拉钻石公司发现了这块石头。公司官员表示，现在对这颗宝石进行估值或决定如何出售还为时过早。2016 年，博茨瓦纳同一矿场出产的一颗较小的未切割钻石以 6,300 万美元的创纪录价格售出。
Naseem Lahri is a director with Lucara’s Botswana team. “This is history in the making,” she said of the new find. “I am very proud. It is a product of Botswana.”
Naseem Lahri 是 Lucara 博茨瓦纳团队的总监。“这是正在创造的历史，”她谈到这一新发现时说道。“我非常自豪。它是博茨瓦纳的产品。”
Lucara said in a statement last week that the company recovered what it called an “exceptional” diamond from Karowe Mine in central Botswana. Company miners used X-ray technology that is designed to find large, high-value diamonds.
卢卡拉上周在一份声明中表示，该公司从博茨瓦纳中部的卡罗韦矿回收了一颗所谓的“特殊”钻石。公司矿工使用 X 射线技术来寻找大型、高价值的钻石。
“We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” Lucara President and chief William Lamb said in a statement.
“我们对这颗 2,492 克拉非凡钻石的发现感到欣喜若狂，”卢卡拉总裁兼首席执行官 William Lamb 在一份声明中表示。
The weight would make it the largest diamond found in 119 years.
这个重量使其成为 119 年来发现的最大钻石。
It also is the second-largest diamond ever mined, after the Cullinan Diamond. That 3,106-carat stone was unearthed in South Africa in 1905. The Cullinan was the source of several famous cut gems, including some among the British Crown Jewels.
它也是有史以来开采的第二大钻石，仅次于库里南钻石。这颗 3,106 克拉的宝石于 1905 年在南非出土。库里南是多种著名切磨宝石的产地，其中包括一些英国皇冠宝石。
Botswana, a country of 2.6 million people in southern Africa, is the second-biggest producer of natural diamonds behind Russia.
博茨瓦纳是南部非洲拥有 260 万人口的国家，是仅次于俄罗斯的第二大天然钻石生产国。
The Karowe Mine has produced four other diamonds over 1,000 carats in the last decade.
在过去十年中，Karowe 矿还生产了另外四颗超过 1,000 克拉的钻石。
Before this discovery, the Sewelo diamond, which was found at the Karowe Mine in 2019, was recognized as the second-biggest mined diamond in the world at 1,758 carats. French fashion business Louis Vuitton bought the diamond. The sale price was not publicized.
在此发现之前，2019 年在 Karowe 矿发现的 Sewelo 钻石被认为是世界第二大开采钻石，重 1,758 克拉。法国时装公司路易威登购买了这颗钻石。销售价格并未公布。
A British jeweler bought the 1,111-carat Lesedi La Rona diamond, also from Botswana’s Karowe Mine, for $53 million in 2017. A Karowe diamond named The Constellation is the holder of the record $63 million sales price.
2017 年，一家英国珠宝商以 5,300 万美元的价格购买了同样来自博茨瓦纳 Karowe 矿的 1,111 克拉 Lesedi La Rona 钻石。一颗名为 The Constellation 的 Karowe 钻石创下了 6300 万美元的销售价格记录。
Diamonds form when carbon atoms are pushed close together by intense pressure conditions deep underground. Scientists say most diamonds are at least a billion years old and some of them more than 3 billion years old.
当碳原子在地下深处的高压条件下被挤在一起时，就会形成钻石。科学家表示，大多数钻石的年龄至少有 10 亿年，其中一些钻石的年龄超过 30 亿年。
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That project is shared by the wildlife agency and the South Florida Water Management District. Through 2023, more than 18,000 pythons have been removed from the wild. Contractors like Aycock have removed about 11,000.
该项目由野生动物机构和南佛罗里达州水管理区共享。到 2023 年，已有超过 18,000 条蟒蛇被从野外清除。像艾科克这样的承包商已经拆除了大约 11,000 人。
The pay is average. Hunting along backroads pays $13 an hour. Walking through the swamp pays $18 an hour. Contractors also get paid per snake: $50 for the first 1.2 meters in length, plus more for longer snakes.
工资是平均水平。沿着小路打猎每小时 13 美元。步行穿过沼泽每小时 18 美元。承包商还可以按每条蛇获得报酬：前 1.2 米长的蛇为 50 美元，更长的蛇则需支付更多费用。
“You’re not going to make a living doing this full-time. There’s no way you could do it,” Aycock said.
“你不会全职做这个谋生。你不可能做到这一点，”艾科克说。
Florida does not permit hunters to use firearms to kill pythons. Catching them is a hands-on exercise.
佛罗里达州不允许猎人使用枪支杀死蟒蛇。抓住它们是一项动手练习。
Aycock goes into the wetlands to check on known hatching spots and grabs at them when he can. But mostly he drives down empty roads at night, shining a strong light into the swamps.
艾科克进入湿地检查已知的孵化点，并在可能的情况下抓住它们。但大多数时候，他都是在夜间开车行驶在空荡荡的道路上，将强光照射到沼泽地里。
He says these bug-filled drives help his mental health. Sometimes he brings along fellow members of the Swamp Apes, a mental health non-profit organization for veterans. The group catches invasive snakes in the wild, clears overgrown areas, and works toward environmental preservation.
他说这些充满错误的驱动器有助于他的心理健康。有时，他会带来沼泽猿人组织的成员，这是一个针对退伍军人的心理健康非营利组织。该组织在野外捕捉入侵蛇，清理杂草丛生的地区，并致力于环境保护。
The group’s founder, Tom Rahill, is also a snake hunting contractor. He knows the swamp so well that he can smell a python’s “musk” odor. He says he can feel when a snake is near.
该组织的创始人汤姆·拉希尔（Tom Rahill）也是一名蛇狩猎承包商。他对这片沼泽非常熟悉，甚至能闻到蟒蛇的“麝香”气味。他说当蛇靠近时他能感觉到。
There is an art to catching a snake, the hunters say. The methods change from hunter to hunter. Some use a snake hook and then jump on them before putting them into bags. Rahill likes using his hands -- if the snake is calm enough.
猎人说，捕捉蛇是一门艺术。每个猎人的方法都不同。有些人使用蛇钩，然后跳到它们身上，然后将它们放入袋子中。拉希尔喜欢用手——如果蛇足够冷静的话。
“Instead of jumping on the snake, you just kind of gently get up to it and then just pick it up,” he said.
“你不用跳到蛇身上，而是轻轻地靠近它，然后把它捡起来，”他说。
But the snakes are not always calm. Sometimes a hunter needs a helper to keep the snake uncoiled until it calms down and can be contained to prevent escape.
但蛇并不总是平静的。有时，猎人需要帮助来让蛇保持展开状态，直到它平静下来并被控制住以防止逃跑。
Once the snakes are caught, the hunters have 24 hours to take them to the wildlife agency. It is illegal for any person other than a licensed contractor to transport a live, invasive snake.
一旦蛇被捕获，猎人有24小时的时间将它们带到野生动物机构。除获得许可的承包商外，任何人运输活的入侵性蛇都是违法的。
Aycock takes them home first to be “humanely killed.”
艾科克首先将他们带回家，然后“人道地杀害”。
“That’s the part of the job that I really just ... hate,” he said. “I hate having to kill snakes.”
“这就是我真的……讨厌的工作部分，”他说。“我讨厌必须杀蛇。”
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It is after midnight when the windshield fogs up on Thomas Aycock’s pickup truck. He smiles as he slowly drives through the sawgrass and down dirt roads deep in the Florida Everglades.
午夜过后，托马斯·艾科克的皮卡车的挡风玻璃起雾。 他微笑着慢慢开车穿过锯齿草，沿着佛罗里达大沼泽地深处的土路行驶。
His foggy windshield confirms what he knows. When the dew point drops in the middle of the night, it is perfect time for pythons.
他雾蒙蒙的挡风玻璃证实了他所知道的。 当半夜露点下降时，正是蟒蛇出没的最佳时间。
“I catch more pythons when that happens,” Aycock said. The retired U.S. Army veteran always takes part in the Florida Python Challenge. The wildlife commission runs the 10-day event. The aim is to get people interested in finding and catching the snakes.
“当这种情况发生时，我会捕获更多的蟒蛇，”艾科克说。 这位退役美国陆军老兵总是参加佛罗里达蟒蛇挑战赛。 野生动物委员会负责举办为期 10 天的活动。 目的是让人们对寻找和捕捉蛇感兴趣。
There is a reason for the timing of the event. Pythons usually hatch from their eggs each August before finding their way into the swamp.
事件发生的时间是有原因的。 蟒蛇通常在每年八月从卵中孵化出来，然后进入沼泽。
Aycock works for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He has hunted Burmese pythons in the Everglades for 11 years. Aycok loves snakes. And he loves preserving the Everglades. He understands the “greater ecological issue with these pythons.”
艾科克在佛罗里达州鱼类和野生动物保护委员会工作。 他在大沼泽地猎杀缅甸蟒蛇已经有11年了。 艾科克喜欢蛇。 他喜欢保护大沼泽地。 他了解“这些蟒蛇带来的更大的生态问题”。
The invasive Burmese pythons are doing very well in Florida’s preserved wetlands. Pythons have no natural predators. And they are threatening Florida’s native snakes and mammals. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates tens of thousands live in South Florida.
入侵的缅甸蟒蛇在佛罗里达州受保护的湿地中生存得很好。 蟒蛇没有天敌。 它们正在威胁佛罗里达州的本土蛇和哺乳动物。 美国地质调查局 (USGS) 估计有数万人居住在南佛罗里达州。
The snakes are destroying local wildlife. In one 2012 study, the USGS found that populations of raccoons had declined by 99.3 percent, opossums by 98.9 percent and bobcats by 87.5 percent since the early 2000s. Controlling this hungry snake, scientists say, is a critical goal.
这些蛇正在摧毁当地的野生动物。 美国地质调查局 2012 年的一项研究发现，自 2000 年代初以来，浣熊的数量减少了 99.3%，负鼠减少了 98.9%，山猫的数量减少了 87.5%。 科学家说，控制这条饥饿的蛇是一个关键目标。
More than 600 hunters took part in this year’s challenge. Their goal is to beat last year’s top total of 209 pythons killed. The hunter who kills the most wins $10,000.
超过 600 名猎人参加了今年的挑战。 他们的目标是打破去年杀死 209 条蟒蛇的最高记录。 杀死最多的猎人将赢得 10,000 美元。
The competition is designed to create understanding about Florida’s python problem. It has succeeded in doing that. The event has drawn famous people and has led to some reality television shows.
该竞赛旨在加深人们对佛罗里达州蟒蛇问题的了解。 它已经成功地做到了这一点。 该活动吸引了名人，并引发了一些电视真人秀节目。
But the need for python control remains urgent.
但对蟒蛇控制的需求仍然迫切。
Since 2017, Florida has been paying about 100 contractors to catch the snakes year-round.
自 2017 年以来，佛罗里达州一直向约 100 名承包商支付费用，让他们全年捕捉蛇。
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Many travelers face a common problem: jet lag.
许多旅行者面临一个共同的问题：时差。
It is the feeling of tiredness people get when traveling a long distance, resulting in a difference in daylight hours. Nobody wants to miss the fun because they are too tired to enjoy their vacation.这是人们在长途旅行时感到的疲倦感，导致白天时间的差异。 没有人愿意因为太累而无法享受假期而错过乐趣。
Here are some tips on how to deal with jet lag:以下是一些关于如何应对时差反应的提示：
Scientists define jet lag as the effect on the human body of traveling across time zones. Sofia Axelrod studies circadian rhythms at Rockefeller University in New York. She said a circadian rhythm is like a biological clock programmed into almost every cell in the body.
科学家将时差定义为跨越时区旅行对人体的影响。 索菲亚·阿克塞尔罗德在纽约洛克菲勒大学研究昼夜节律。 她说，昼夜节律就像一个生物钟，被编程到身体的几乎每个细胞中。
"The clock is set by the 24-hour light and dark pattern," Axelrod said. "Every morning when we wake up, specialized (light) receptor cells in our retina receive a daylight signal, which is transmitted to the brain and from there, (to) the whole body."“时钟是根据 24 小时明暗模式设定的，”阿克塞尔罗德说。 “每天早上，当我们醒来时，视网膜中的特殊（光）受体细胞会接收日光信号，该信号被传输到大脑，并从那里传输到整个身体。”
When we travel to another time zone, our eyes do not receive the daylight signal at the usual time. This causes our “internal clocks” to reset. But that process can take a while. During that period, we feel the effects of jet lag.当我们旅行到另一个时区时，我们的眼睛在平时接收不到日光信号。 这会导致我们的“内部时钟”重置。 但这个过程可能需要一段时间。 在此期间，我们会感受到时差的影响。
People who travel long distances often want to prevent jet lag. One way has a high cost.长途旅行的人通常希望避免时差反应。 一种方法成本很高。
Malcolm von Schantz is a professor who specializes in circadian rhythms at Northumbria University in Newcastle, England. He said that paying a lot for a bigger seat and more space in an airplane can prevent sleep deprivation.马尔科姆·冯·尚茨 (Malcolm von Schantz) 是英国纽卡斯尔诺森比亚大学的一名教授，专门研究昼夜节律。 他说，花很多钱购买更大的座位和更大的飞机空间可以防止睡眠不足。
He knows most people cannot pay so much to travel. But he said timing your flights can help. For example, he suggests flying from Europe to North America during the day, so that it is evening when passengers land and they can get to sleep.他知道大多数人无法花这么多钱去旅行。 但他说，安排航班时间会有所帮助。 例如，他建议白天从欧洲飞往北美，这样乘客落地就是晚上，可以入睡。
"If you take the evening flight instead, you'll be woken up at midnight to be served breakfast and land an hour or two later, when both jet lag and sleep deprivation will hit you hard," he said.“如果你乘坐晚上的航班，你会在半夜被叫醒吃早餐，并在一两个小时后着陆，此时时差和睡眠不足都会对你造成严重打击，”他说。
Von Schantz also said flying in newer model passenger jets, like the Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 Dreamliner, might help. He said those planes can maintain a more comfortable atmosphere inside, causing less tiredness.Von Schantz 还表示，乘坐空客 A350 或波音 787 梦想飞机等新型客机可能会有所帮助。 他说，这些飞机可以保持机内更舒适的氛围，减少疲劳。
Experts say being in sunlight is important to resetting your internal body clock. That could mean either avoiding morning sun or seeking it out, depending on where you started.专家表示，沐浴在阳光下对于重置体内生物钟非常重要。 这可能意味着要么避免早晨的阳光，要么寻找阳光，这取决于你从哪里开始。
Getting light in the morning will move your body clock forward, while light exposure in the early evening will delay it. Sleeping for a short time during the day is acceptable, but scientists warn against sleeping for longer periods later in the day. Doing so might make it harder to sleep through the night.早上接受光照会使你的生物钟提前，而傍晚的光照会推迟它。 白天睡一小段时间是可以接受的，但科学家警告不要在当天晚些时候睡更长的时间。 这样做可能会让整晚更难入睡。
The brain naturally produces a chemical hormone called melatonin when the body thinks it is night. Taking melatonin as a supplement can be helpful. But it is not available everywhere and, in some countries like Britain and France, you need a doctor’s permission.当身体认为是晚上时，大脑会自然产生一种称为褪黑激素的化学激素。 服用褪黑激素作为补充剂可能会有所帮助。 但它并非在所有地方都可用，在英国和法国等一些国家，您需要医生的许可。
Von Schantz said that one of the good effects of melatonin is that you can start taking it before you travel, to begin the process of resetting your internal clock.冯·尚茨说，褪黑激素的好处之一是您可以在旅行前开始服用它，以开始重置您的生物钟的过程。
"If you're in a part of the world where melatonin is available over the counter, you can combine the effects of light and melatonin to achieve the advance or delay (in your body clock) that you need," he said.“如果你所在的地区可以在柜台上买到褪黑激素，你可以结合光和褪黑激素的作用来实现你需要的提前或延迟（生物钟），”他说。
Russell Foster of Oxford University wrote a book on circadian rhythms. He said business travelers might want to consider arriving a day or two ahead of any important meetings or events. Being jet-lagged can lead to unwise decisions and unpleasant emotions.牛津大学的拉塞尔·福斯特写了一本关于昼夜节律的书。 他说，商务旅客可能会考虑在任何重要会议或活动之前一两天抵达。 时差反应可能会导致不明智的决定和不愉快的情绪。
Tourists might not need to think as clearly as business travelers, but they should still be careful, he said. He advises tourists to get enough sleep before doing anything that might be risky or that requires a lot of attention, like driving.他说，游客可能不需要像商务旅行者那样清晰思考，但他们仍然应该小心。 他建议游客在做任何可能有风险或需要高度集中注意力的事情（例如开车）之前先保证充足的睡眠。
Foster said he tries to increase his exposure to light when he arrives at a new place to prevent jet lag. But he also has another method if light does not help: he drinks coffee.福斯特说，当他到达一个新地方时，他会尝试增加接触光线的机会，以防止时差反应。 但如果光线没有帮助，他还有另一种方法：喝咖啡。
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It's just a faint red smudge, but the detectors on the James Webb Telescope are in no doubt that this galaxy, a large collection of stars, is at a prodigious distance.
该星系看上去只是一团不清晰的红色印迹，但是詹姆斯·韦伯望远镜上的探测器确信该星系由一大群恒星组成，距离我们异常遥远。
Astronomers say the observatory is seeing the object when the Universe was less than 300 million years old. Put another way, if the cosmos is 13.8 billion years old, James Webb is seeing the galaxy when the Universe was only 2% of its current age.
天文学家们表示，现在通过天文观测台观测到的这个天体的形态不会晚于宇宙诞生后 3 亿年。换句话说，如果宇宙的年龄是 138 亿岁，詹姆斯·韦伯望远镜看到的是宇宙只有当前年龄的 2% 时该星系的模样。
The most interesting aspect of the discovery is not the great distance, however, it's the galaxy's large size and brightness.
但这次发现中最引人注目的部分并不是该星系离我们超乎寻常的距离，而是它的巨大体积跟亮度。
Researchers are struggling to explain the presence of so mature an object, so early in the nascent universe.
研究者们仍难以解释为何如此成熟的天体会在新生宇宙的早期阶段存在。
When space agencies spent 10 billion dollars developing James Webb, they promised it would do remarkable things. Two years into operations, that enormous investment is starting to pay back.
当航天机构花费掉 100 亿美元开发詹姆斯·韦伯望远镜时，他们承诺它会有非凡的表现。望远镜投入使用两年以后，这项巨额投资开始获得回报。
词汇表
smudge 模糊的印迹、污痕
detectors 探测器
prodigious 异常的，不寻常的
observatory 天文观测台
the cosmos 宇宙
nascent 新生的，刚开始发展的
remarkable 非凡的，引人注目的
operations 运行，工作 -
In July 2024, a pod of 77 pilot whales washed up on a beach in Orkney, Scotland. It was the largest mass stranding of whales in Scotland for decades. Scientists don't know exactly why whales beach themselves. One theory is that climate change is driving whales' food closer to the shoreline, where they then get stuck as the tide goes out. If a single animal is found, it is usually because it is sick or has been injured.
2024 年 7 月，一群 77 头领航鲸被冲上苏格兰奥克尼群岛的海滩。 这是苏格兰数十年来最大规模的鲸鱼搁浅事件。 科学家们并不确切知道鲸鱼为何搁浅。 一种理论认为，气候变化使鲸鱼的食物越来越靠近海岸线，当潮水退去时，它们就会被困在那里。 如果发现一只动物，通常是因为它生病或受伤了。
In the Orkney stranding, 12 of the whales were still alive when they became beached. When this happens, marine organisations assess whether a whale can be safely refloated. Professionals and members of the community often come together, cover the animal in wet sheets and pour buckets of water over it, though not the blowhole, until the animal drifts back out to the ocean. Though it's not always a happy ending.
在奥克尼群岛搁浅的鲸鱼中，有 12 头鲸鱼搁浅时还活着。 当这种情况发生时，海洋组织会评估鲸鱼是否可以安全地重新浮出水面。 专业人士和社区成员经常聚集在一起，用湿床单盖住动物，然后将一桶桶水倒在它身上，但不是喷水孔，直到动物漂回大海。 尽管这并不总是一个皆大欢喜的结局。
For those that don't survive, a post-mortem examination is often carried out. Dr Brownlow of the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme told the BBC that these can reveal a lot about the whale's life and the reasons why it was beached. In 2024, a very rare species of whale turned up on a beach in New Zealand – a spade-toothed whale. While this is sad, the carcass was dissected in order to help researchers acquire new information about the species. "From a scientific and conservation point of view, this is huge", Gabe Davies, a Department of Conservation official, said.
对于那些未能幸存的人，通常会进行尸检。 苏格兰海洋动物搁浅计划的布朗洛博士告诉英国广播公司，这些可以揭示很多关于鲸鱼的生活以及它搁浅的原因。 2024 年，一种非常稀有的鲸鱼出现在新西兰的海滩上——铲齿鲸。 虽然这令人悲伤，但尸体被解剖，以帮助研究人员获得有关该物种的新信息。 “从科学和保护的角度来看，这是巨大的”，环境保护部官员加布·戴维斯说。
Some beached whales who don't survive have their skeletons sent to museums, while many others are returned to the water. This ensures the marine environment benefits because whale carcasses give off many nutrients. "When they fall and die and sink to the bottom of the ocean, they form these little nutrient-rich islands that can support a huge diversity of life", says Dr Brownlow.
一些无法生存的搁浅鲸鱼的骨骼被送往博物馆，而其他许多鲸鱼则被送回水中。 这确保了海洋环境的好处，因为鲸鱼尸体会释放出许多营养物质。 布朗洛博士说：“当它们坠落、死亡并沉入海底时，它们会形成这些营养丰富的小岛，可以支持生命的巨大多样性。”
The more research that can be done, the better. For now, we can only do what we can to keep our oceans clean and safe.
可以做的研究越多越好。 目前，我们只能尽力保持海洋清洁和安全。
词汇表
pod （海洋动物或鸟类的）一小群
pilot whale 巨头鲸
wash up 被海浪冲上岸
mass stranding 集体搁浅
beach 使……被困在海滩上
shoreline 海岸线
tide 潮水
marine 与海洋相关的，海洋的
refloat （搁浅后）再度浮起
blowhole （鲸类动物的）喷气孔
drift out 漂走
post-mortem examination 尸检
spade-toothed whale 铲齿中喙鲸
carcass 尸体
dissect 解剖
conservation （对动植物或自然环境的）保护
skeleton 骨架
nutrient-rich 营养丰富的
diversity 多样性
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