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莱索托矿区发现世界最大钻石Lesotho mine yields one of world's largest diamonds [ 2008-09-22 14:38 ]

Miners in the

southern African

kingdom of

Lesotho have

found one of the

world's largest

diamonds, a

near-flawless

white gem

weighing nearly 500 carats, mining group Gem Diamonds said on Sunday.

The diamond was discovered in the Letseng Mine on September 8, the company said in a statement. It has been analyzed by experts in Antwerp and found to weigh 478 carats, with very few inclusions and of outstanding color and clarity.

"It has the potential to yield one of the largest flawless D color round polished diamonds in history," the company said.

Letseng is one of the most productive mines in history -- four of the world's 20 largest rough diamonds have been found at the mine, including the three largest found this century.

Before it is cut into gems it is hard to value the diamond, but a spokesman for Gem Diamonds said a similar weight stone with lesser-quality color and clarity had recently sold for $12 million (around 5.5 million pounds).

"Preliminary examination of this remarkable diamond indicates that it will yield a record breaking polished stone of the very best color and clarity," Clifford Elphick, the chief executive of Gem Diamonds, said in a statement.

The minister for natural resources in Lesotho praised the productivity of the mine, one of the

highest in the world at more than 3,000 meters (英国)杰姆钻石公司于上周日称,日前他们在非洲南部的莱索托王国发现了一颗世界上最大的钻石。这颗白钻近乎无暇,重近500克拉。

杰姆钻石公司在一份声明中称,这颗钻石于本月8日在莱索托的莱特森矿发现。经(比利时)安特卫普的专家们鉴定,这颗钻石重达478克拉,含极少杂质,色泽和纯净度都极佳。

据该公司介绍:“它有望被打造成历史上最大的、无暇D级色泽圆形抛光钻石之一。”

莱特森矿是历史上产量最高的钻石矿之一。目前全球20颗最大的原钻中有四颗产自这里,其中有三颗发现于本世纪。

钻石在切割前很难估价,但据杰姆钻石公司的一位发言人介绍,一颗类似重量、色泽和纯净度稍逊的钻石最近以1200万美元(550万英镑)的价格售出。

公司首席执行官克里福德?艾尔菲克在一份声明中说:“初步鉴定结果表明,这颗钻石抛光后,其色泽和纯净度有望达到破纪录的等级。”

莱特森矿海拔3000多米(1万英尺),是世界上地势最高的钻石矿之一。莱索托自然资源大臣高度评价了它的生产能力。

蒙莫尼亚内?莫莱莱基在一份声明中说:“莱特森矿再次证明了其出产非凡钻石的能力,并巩固了莱索托钻石出产大国的地位。”

(10,000 feet).

"Once again Letseng has proved its ability to produce extraordinary diamonds and continues to place Lesotho at the forefront of diamond producing countries," Monyane Moleleki said in a statement.

The world's largest diamond is the Cullinan, discovered in South Africa in 1905. It weighed more than 3,100 carats before it was cut into more than one hundred separate gems, many of which are part of the British crown jewels. 目前全球最大的钻石是1905年在南非发现的一颗名为“Cullinan”的原钻。这颗原钻重量超过3100克拉,之后被切割成100多颗小钻,其中很多被用在了英国女王的王冠上。

研究:开车时发短信比酒后驾车更危险Texting drivers more dangerous than drunks: study [ 2008-09-22 09:31 ]

Sending text

messages from

your mobile phone

while driving is

more dangerous

than climbing

behind the wheel

under the influence of drink or drugs, a study by Britain's Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has found.

The reaction times of people texting as they drove fell by 35 percent, while those who had consumed the legal limit of alcohol, or taken cannabis, fell by 21 percent and 12 percent respectively, according to the study.

The study, which was commissioned by motoring group RAC Foundation, also found that the ability to stay in lanes or maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front was worse than drivers under the influence of cannabis.

"This research demonstrates how dangerous it is to drive and text," TRL Senior Human Factors Researcher Nick Reed said in a statement.

He said drivers who texted were distracted by 英国交通研究实验室(TRL)日前开展的一项研究发现,开车时发短信比酒后或服药后开车更危险。

研究显示,开车时发短信的人反应能力会下降35%,而少量饮酒后驾车或者服用过大麻的人则分别下降21%和12%。

此外,该项受“英国皇家飞行俱乐部(RAC)基金会驾驶组”委托开展的研究发现,开车时发短信的人控制车道和保持安全车距的能力比服用了大麻的司机差。

“交通研究实验室人为因素组”资深研究员尼克?里德在一份声明中说:“这项研究表明,开车时发短信有多么危险。”

他说,如果你在开车时发短信,就必须从方向盘上腾出一只手来去拿手机查看信息,还要想着如何回复,这都会分散你的注意力。

里德在接受采访时说:“这几个因素会影响司机的反应速度和对

taking their hand off the wheel to use their phone, by trying to read small text on the phone display and by thinking about how to write their message.

"This combination of factors resulted in the impairments to reaction time and vehicle control that place the driver at a greater risk than having consumed alcohol to the legal limit for driving," Reed told reporters.

One conclusion researchers made about why texting is so dangerous is the length of time it takes to compose a message while driving.

The TRL said that composing a text message behind the wheel took 63 seconds, in which time a car travels half a mile within town centre speed limits and over a mile within motorway speed limits.

Nearly half of all 18-24 year-olds admitted to texting as they drove, a separate survey by the RAC Foundation discovered.

The TRL study selected 17 people from the 18-24 year-old age group to take part in a simulated road test, in which they were asked to read, write, and ignore texts on a variety of roads.

"The participants in this study were almost unanimous in their view that drink-driving was the most dangerous action on the road," RAC Director Stephen Glaister said.

He said the research clearly showed that a motorist who is texting is significantly more impaired than a motorist at the legal limit for alcohol.

"No responsible motorist would drink and drive," Glaister said in the statement. "We need to ensure that text devotees understand that texting is one of the most hazardous things that can be done while in charge of a motor car." 车的控制能力,由此产生的风险比少量饮酒后开车还要大。”

为什么开车时发短信如此危险呢?研究人员得出的结论是,问题就出在编写短信的那段时间。

交通实验室称,开车时编写一条短信需要63秒的时间,而车在63秒内可在市区行驶半英里,在高速公路上则可行驶一英里以上。

“英国皇家飞行俱乐部基金会”开展的另一项调查显示,在18岁至24岁的受访者中,近一半的人承认自己在开车时发过短信。

交通研究试验室从这一年龄段的受访者中挑选了17人参加一个模拟驾驶测试,要求他们在不同的路况下查看、编写或不看短信。

英国皇家飞行俱乐部主管斯蒂芬?格莱斯特说:“受访者几乎一致认为酒后驾车最危险。

而研究结果清楚地表明,开车时发短信的人比酒后驾车的人反应要迟钝得多。”

格莱斯特在声明中说:“酒后驾车是不负责任的表现。所以我们要让爱发短信的人意识到,发短信是他们开车时最危险的行为之一。”

(实习生瞿漫英语点津姗姗编辑)

福布斯》美国富豪榜:盖茨归来Bill Gates king of US rich list again: Forbes

[ 2008-09-19 15:28 ]

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has recovered his spot at the top of the US money heap, displacing investor Warren Buffett as America's richest person, Forbes

magazine's latest list reveals.

With 57 billion dollars net worth Gates again leads the list of 400 richest individuals in the world's wealthiest country.

He displaced Buffett who briefly held the position this year but who has seen his Berkshire Hathaway investment group's shares slip 15 percent since February and is now worth 50 billion.

According to Forbes, whose list was published late Wednesday, the golden 400 have 1.3 billion dollars net worth or more. However, their combined net worth rose only 30 billion dollars, or two percent, to 1.57 trillion dollars.

Forbes said that rising oil and dizzy art prices fuelled the entry of 31 new members into the ultra-rich club and the return of eight previous members.

A notable arrival was Mark Zuckerberg, 24, founder of the social networking site Facebook. Forbes estimates his worth at 1.5 billion dollars.

Newcomers ranged from fertilizer tycoon Alexander Rovt to Patron tequila founder John Paul DeJoria and Norman Braman, the car dealer and art collector.

Meanwhile, turmoil on the stock and housing markets saw 33 others drop off the list, including the former head of the troubled insurance giant AIG, Maurice Greenberg, and a former head of the online

《福布斯》杂志日前发布最新美国富豪榜,微软集团创始人比尔?盖茨取代“股神”沃伦·巴菲特,重夺首富桂冠。

在这份全球最富国家的“400大富豪榜”上,盖茨以570亿美元的净资产荣登榜首。

今年早些时候,首富交椅一度为巴菲特占据,不过他所持有的波克夏?哈萨威公司的股票的价值自今年2月以来跌了15%,目前仅值500亿美元。

据《福布斯》介绍,今年上榜的400位富豪净资产至少达13亿美元。然而,今年400位富豪的总资产达1.57万亿美元,较之去年仅增300亿美元,增幅仅为2%。《福布斯》于本周三晚些时候发布了该榜。

《福布斯》称,油价上涨和工艺品价格的走高让31位新富首次跻身该榜,曾经上榜的八位富豪也趁势回归。

其中Facebook 社交网站创始人、24岁的马克?扎克伯格成为榜上最大的亮点,他的身价约达15亿美元。

其他上榜的新富包括“化肥”大亨亚历山大?罗夫特、Patron 龙舌兰酒业集团创始人约翰?保尔?德约里尔和汽车经销商兼艺术收藏家诺曼?布拉曼。

同时,股市的动荡和房地产市场的不景气让33位富豪跌出榜单,其中包括濒临破产的保险业巨头AIG (美国国际集团)前总裁莫里斯?格林伯格和在线拍卖网

auction site eBay, Margaret Whitman. Biggest gainers were led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who took eighth place with 20 billion dollars worth after a transaction put a new value on his Bloomberg media and financial data network.

The biggest loser was casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson, whose fortune fell 13 billion dollars over 12 months -- the equivalent to 1.5 million dollars an hour -- although he still has 15 billion dollars and occupies 15th place.

About two thirds of the list are self-made billionaires and just over 10 percent are women, led by

television star Oprah Winfrey whose fortune rose 200 million dollars to 2.7 billion dollars.

站eBay 前总裁玛格丽特?惠特曼。

而最大的赢家当属排行第八、资产达200亿美元的纽约市市长迈克尔?布卢姆伯格,此前他做的一笔交易(从美林公司回购彭博股票)使他的彭博财经传媒集团资产大增。

最大的输家则是赌博业大亨谢尔登?阿德尔森,他的个人净资产在过去一年中暴跌130亿美元(相当于1小时150万美元),不过他还是以150亿美元的身价名列排行榜第15位。 榜上约三分之二的富豪靠白手起家,此外,女富豪所占比例超过10%,其中脱口秀“名嘴”奥普拉?温芙瑞的个人财富从2亿美元增至27亿美元,成为榜上最富的女性。

米歇尔?奥巴马入选《人物》年度最佳穿着榜Fergie, Michelle Obama top People's best-dressed list [ 2008-09-19 09:30 ]

She fills two converted

bedrooms with clothes -- one for casual and a second for glam -- and staying

organized worked for singer Fergie who on

Wednesday made

People

magazine's 2008 list of best dressed

women.

"I don't like to throw anything away," Fergie said

A combination photo shows Michelle Obama and singer Fergie 她的衣服占了整整两间卧室——其中一间专放休闲装,另一间放礼服。一向会“收拾”的女歌星菲姬于本周三获评《人物》杂志“2008年度最佳穿着女性”。 菲姬对《人物》杂志谈及她“衣橱”里的宝贝时说:“我舍不得扔”。本期杂志将在星期五上架,届时将公布广受关注的“2008年度最佳与最差穿着榜”。

除菲姬外,跻身“最佳穿着”榜前十位的女星还包括影星凯特?哈德森,安妮?海瑟薇,格温妮斯?帕特洛,查理兹?塞隆,伊娃?曼德斯和杰西卡?帕克。歌手蕾哈娜

about the clothes in her "closets" for People's widely-watched Best & Worst Dressed 2008 issue that hits newsstands this Friday.

Joining Fergie in the top 10 list were actresses Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, Eva Mendes, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Singer Rihanna and supermodel Heidi Klum also made the list.

Rounding out the top 10 was Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who was given high marks for a look that was "classic and confident."

At 44, the tall, athletic former lawyer was the most senior woman on the magazine's annual list.

"She has a look. She works it with confidence, and she knows what looks good on her," said People's Style Editor Clarissa Cruz

."Politics may be tougher than ever, but Obama has wowed along the campaign trail with confidence, in polished looks that bring to mind a famous former first lady," wrote People in an apparent reference to Jacqueline Kennedy.

"The thing they all have in common is that they all had a great year, stuck to their own personal style and stayed true to that," said Cruz.

The magazine's editors also spent time peering into the fashion choices of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin -- her rimless glasses,

step-toe pumps and up do hairstyle.

"People are paying attention to what she's wearing, and we felt that was a news story," Cruz said.

Palin didn't talk to People, but her hairdresser did. She said the candidate would rather not discuss style choices "because she wants people to hear what she has to say."

The makers of the Kazuo Kawasaki eye glasses 和名模海蒂?克拉姆也榜上有名。

此外,民主党总统候选人巴拉克?奥巴马的夫人米歇尔?奥巴马在十佳榜上也占得一席,她凭借其“经典而自信”的造型赢得了高分。

这位44岁的前律师身材高挑,活力十足,是榜上年龄最大的女性。

《人物》杂志时尚版编辑克拉丽莎?克鲁兹说:“她的装扮个性十足,非常自信,她知道自己适合什么。”

《人物》杂志评价说:“如今美国政治正处于一个前所未有的艰

难时期,而米歇尔在竞选路上带着自信一路走来,让人惊叹不已,她雅致的造型则让我们想起了一位著名的前第一夫人。”这里提到的“著名前第一夫人”显然是杰奎琳?肯尼迪。

克鲁兹说:“所有上榜名人都有几个共同点,那就是她们这一年都很风光,都坚持了自己的时尚风格,一直在坚持做自己。”

杂志编辑们还对共和党副总统

候选人莎拉?佩林的时尚选择作了番评论。佩林戴着一副无框眼镜,爱穿露趾凉拖,而且总是梳着高高的发髻。

克鲁兹说:“人们对她的穿戴很感兴趣,我们觉得这就是一个新闻点。”

佩林本人没有接受《人物》的采访,但据她的发型师介绍,与讨论她的时尚选择相比,佩林更希望人们关注她说些什么。

favored by Palin told People that demand has been "overwhelming" and "mostly from the middle states." 生产佩林所戴无框眼镜的公司在接受《人物》采访时说,目前这款眼镜需求大增,而且大多数购买者来自美国中部。佩林所戴的那款眼镜是由(日本著名工业设计师)川崎和男设计的。

wow:to have a strong, usually pleasurable effect on(使热烈叫好)

iPhone 3G 版手机获评“年度最佳产品”iPhone 3G voted 'gadget of year' [ 2008-09-18 15:26 ]

Apple's iPhone 3G

has won a public

vote to find the

year's best

gadget, beating

strong competition

from three games

consoles, a laptop

and a

balloon-shaped

iPod speaker

system.

The latest version

of the mobile that

combines a phone

with a music and

video player was

chosen by readers

of Britain?s Stuff

magazine in its

annual Gadget of

the Year awards.

The magazine described the iPhone 3G as "a faster, cleverer version of an already remarkable phone". The phone's first incarnation, launched in Britain last year, won the coolest gadget prize at last year's ceremony.

Other nominees included Sony's PlayStation 3, 在日前的一项公众票选活动中,苹果公司的iPhone 3G版手机“力压群雄”,被评为“年度最佳产品”,同时入围的产品包括三款游戏机、一款笔记本电脑和一款气球形状的iPod扬声器。

这项一年一度的读者票选活动由英国《Stuff》杂志开展,集通话、音乐和视频播放器功能为一体的iPhone 最新3G版手机受到青睐。

《Stuff》杂志评价iPhone 3G版手机“在第一代产品基础上更进一步,实现了速度更快和更加智能化”。第一代iPhone手机去年在英国推出时,就获得了“最酷产品”大奖。

其它几款提名产品包括索尼

PS3游戏机、微软Xbox 360游戏机、任天堂Wii Fit游戏机和B&W Zeppelin iPod扬声器。

《Stuff》杂志编辑弗雷泽?麦克多纳德介绍说,评选主要依据产品的性能、设计、价值以及“酷元素”等几大因素。

他说:“让读者投票决定大奖的归

Microsoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii Fit and the

B&W Zeppelin iPod speakers.

Stuff's Editor Fraser Macdonald said the nominated products were judged on their performance, design and value, as well as "that elusive cool factor".

"Having our readers vote for a number of the awards has been fascinating," he said. "They are the ones out there on the street buying gadgets and so they are a great barometer."

The magazine's own gadget of the year prize, chosen by its editorial staff, went to the Asus Eee Pc, a no-frills laptop that costs less than $500.

The judges said it had made more of an impact than any other device and marked the start of a "laptop for everyone" era.

Here are the other main winners, announced at a ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Tuesday:

International brand: Nokia

Innovation: Sony Reader

Design: Apple MacBook Air

Game: Grand Theft Auto IV

Green gadget: Ego Electric Street Scoota

Retailer: https://www.wendangku.net/doc/a817108941.html,, an online gadget and toy shop 属很有意义,因为他们是这些产品的购买者和使用者,最有发言权。”

该杂志还让编辑们评选出了自己的年度最佳产品,华硕的易PC(Eee Pc)获得这一殊荣,这款笔记本电脑朴实无华,价格不到500美元。

评委们称,这款笔记本的影响力可是超过了其它任何产品,它标志着“人人都有笔记本”时代的到来。

颁奖仪式于本周二在伦敦多彻斯特酒店举行,主要获奖名单如下:

最佳国际品牌:Nokia

最具创新:Sony Reader

最佳设计:苹果MacBook Air笔记本

最佳游戏:侠盗车手IV

最环保产品:伊果电动摩托车Ego Electric Street Scoota

最佳零售商:网络电子及玩具商铺https://www.wendangku.net/doc/a817108941.html,

no-frills:marked by the absence of extra or special features; basic(无修饰的,朴实无华的:无额外的或特征的;基本的)

日本教授教会鲸鱼“说话”Japanese whale whisperer teaches beluga to "talk"

[ 2008-09-18 09:19 ]

A Japanese

researcher says

he has taught a

beluga whale to

"talk" by using

sounds to identify

three different

objects, offering

hope that humans may one day be able to hold conversations with sea mammals.

Nack, a whale at the Kamogawa Sea World marine park near Tokyo, emits a short, high-pitched sound when he sees a swimming fin, a long, high-pitched sound when he sees goggles and a short,

low-pitched sound when he sees a bucket.

He correctly chooses the right object when the three sounds are played back to him.

Tokai University professor Tsukasa Murayama started training Nack after he became dissatisfied with hand-signals currently used to communicate with dolphins and whales.

"I have always wanted to talk to whales, and as I thought more and more about it, I realized that they already communicated through sound," he told reporters.

"That is why I thought I could train them to name certain items using sounds they already make."

Murayama said he hoped one day to train whales to express their feelings in a way that humans could understand.

"It would be great if they would be able to tell us not only of their likes and dislikes but also their desires, like whether they are hungry or if their backs are itchy. So the next step would be to teach them a wider range of vocabulary," he added.

However, to expand communication, Murayama

said humans needed to use special equipment to 日本一位科研人员日前称,他成功教会了一头白鲸用声音“说出”三个不同的物体。这一研究成果为人类有朝一日与海洋哺乳动物对话带来了希望。

这头会说话的白鲸名叫“纳克”,家住东京附近的鸭川海洋世界。每当纳克看见游动的鳍状物时,它会发出一阵短高音;当它看到潜水镜时,会发出长高音;而看到水桶时,它又会发出一声短低音。

之后再将这三种声音播放给它听时,它也能正确地识别出相应的物品。

东海大学的村上司教授对于用手势与海豚和鲸鱼交流并不满足,于是他开始教纳克“说话”。

他在接受记者采访时说:“我一直希望能与鲸鱼说话,而随着对这个问题思考的深入,我意识到其实它们已经在用声音进行交流,这也是为什么我相信我能教会它们用已掌握的声音…说出?一些不同的物体。”

村上教授说,他希望有朝一日能教会鲸鱼用人类可理解的方式来表达它们的想法和感情。

他说:“如果它们可以告诉我们它们的好恶以及它们想要什么——比如它们是不是饿了,是不是背痒了,那将是一件了不起的事情。所以下一步的任务是要拓宽它们的词汇量。”

然而,据村上教授介绍,如果要加深人与鲸之间的这种“对话”,人类就需要使用特殊的仪器去制造和探测超声波。

produce and detect ultrasonic sounds.

"At the moment we are only using limited sounds audible for us among their wide sound range. But whales communicate better through ultrasonic sounds than through human-audible sounds, especially underwater," he explained.

Japan has come under growing pressure from international environmental groups to put an end to whale hunts, which they say are cruel and violate a 1986 global moratorium on commercial whaling.

Japan considers whaling to be a cultural tradition which it says it only undertakes for scientific research.

Meat from the hunts is available in Japanese supermarkets and restaurants, although appetite for what is now a delicacy is fading. 他解释说:“鲸鱼的叫声音区很广,而目前我们只能通过人耳可听到的声音与它们交流。但与人耳可听见的声音相比,鲸鱼更…擅长?用超声波交流,尤其是在水下。”

近年来,国际环保组织一直在向日本施压,要求其停止捕鲸活动。国际环保组织指责日本的捕鲸行为不仅残忍,而且违反了1986年的国际反商业捕鲸条例。

而日本则认为,捕鲸是他们的一个文化传统,并称被捕捞的鲸鱼仅用于科学研究。

尽管日本人对鲸鱼肉的兴趣已

逐渐减退,但如今这一美味在日本的超市和餐馆依然可见。

ultrasonic sound:超声波

audible:that is heard or that can be heard (可听见的)

罗利市获评美国大选最活跃城市Raleigh the most political U.S. city: magazine [ 2008-09-17 15:00 ]

Raleigh in North

Carolina has been

voted the most

political city in the

United States --

ahead of

Washington D.C. and New York City, according to a new ranking.

Montgomery, Alabama, came in at No. 2 in the 100 most political cities, followed by Little Rock, Cleveland and Kansas City.

Greensboro in North Carolina, Des Moines,

Milwaukee, Portland and Pittsburgh, rounded the 一项最新排名显示,美国政治气息最浓厚的城市并不是华盛顿和纽约,而是北卡罗来纳州的罗利市(译者注:北卡罗来纳州首府,位于该州的中部)。

该榜共对100个城市进行了排名,阿拉巴马州的蒙哥马利排名第二,其次是“小石城”、克利夫兰和堪萨斯城。

跻身排行榜前十位的城市还包括北卡罗来纳州的格林斯博罗、得美因、密尔沃基、波特兰和匹兹堡。该排行榜由《男性健康》

top 10 in the ranking by Men's Health magazine.

"Our hope is that by releasing these rankings now weeks before election day, the residents there will see this as a challenge and step up at the polls like never before," said Men's Health editor in chief David Zinczenko.

Washington D.C. took the 16th spot while New York placed 89th on the list.

Americans will head to the polls on November 4 to vote for Republican candidate John McCain or Democratic candidate Barack Obama for president.

Men's Health magazine used information for its ranking on the percentage of citizens registered to vote, percentage who participated, campaign spending in each city since 2006 and contributions by residents to the 2008 U.S. presidential race.

The bottom five cities included Yonkers in New York, Norfolk, Virginia, Modesto, California and three Texas cities -- Arlington, El Paso and Lubbock.

"What is striking is that six Texas cities are in the bottom ten, possibly because as a Republican stronghold there's this complacency that's taken hold over the past four years," Zinczenko said.

Men's Health gathered the information for its ranking from the US Election Assistance Commission, Federal Election Commission and the Huffington Post. 杂志编撰。

杂志主编大卫?辛克赞可说:“现在离总统大选日还有几周的时间,在这个时候发布这一排行,就是希望通过此举让人们充分

地重视这次选举。”

华盛顿和纽约分别位列第16位和第89位。

11月4日为美国总统选举日,届时美国民众将通过投票从共和

党候选人约翰?麦凯恩和民主党候选人巴拉克?奥巴马二人中选出下任总统。

《男性健康》杂志根据各城市的注册选民率、民众参与率、从2006年至今的竞选花费和居民对于2008总统大选的贡献等指标编撰了该榜。

位居排行榜最后五位的城市包括:纽约州的扬克斯、弗吉尼亚州的诺福克、加利福尼亚州的莫多斯托和得克萨斯州的三个城市——阿林顿、埃尔帕索和卢伯克。

辛克赞可说:“最令人吃惊的是,得州的六个城市均排在最后十位。或许是因为得州是共和党的…根据地?,因此这里的人们在过去四年中过得很安逸。”

《男性健康》杂志在编撰该榜过程中主要从美国选举协助委员会、联邦选举委员会和《哈芬顿邮报》等机构搜集信息。

威廉王子将当搜救飞行员Lost? Some day soon Prince William could come [ 2008-09-17 09:26 ]

Britons stranded

at sea or in

flooded homes

could find a

real-life prince

riding to their

rescue.

Prince William announced on Monday that he is to train to be a full-time pilot with the Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue Force (SARF).

William, who is currently a Lieutenant in the Army's Household Cavalry Regiment, will transfer to the RAF and begin an 18-month training course in January 2009.

If successful, he will become a fully operational Search and Rescue pilot in 2010, flying Sea King helicopters at one of the six SARF units based in Britain.

"The time I spent with the RAF earlier this year made me realize how much I love flying," the prince, who spent two weeks with a SARF team while on work experience in 2005, said in a statement.

"Joining Search and Rescue is a perfect opportunity for me to serve in the Forces operationally, while contributing to a vital part of the country's Emergency Services."

It means he will follow a similar career to that of his uncle, Prince Andrew, who was a Sea King helicopter pilot during the 1982 Falklands war.

The Search and Rescue teams' main duty is to recover RAF personnel but in peacetime they mainly respond to civilian emergencies, dealing with more than 1,000 calls a year.

The units deal with incidents ranging from helping those trapped by sudden major floods to rescuing people lost while out walking on hills.

William, who has spent the last year on 以后英国人如果被困海上或洪水中,就会有一个真正的王子来救他们了。

威廉王子于本周一宣布,他将受训成为“皇家空军搜救队”的一名全职飞行员。

现为皇家骑兵团中尉的威廉王子将转往皇家空军,并将从明年1月开始接受为期18个月的训练课程。

如果一切顺利,威廉王子将于2010年正式成为一名全职搜救飞行员,届时他将供职于皇家空军搜救支队,并将驾驶海王直升机执行搜救任务。皇家空军搜救队共有六个支队。

威廉王子在一份声明中说:“今年早些时候,我在皇家空军受训过一段时间,这段经历让我意识到自己多么热爱飞行。”2005年,他曾在皇家搜救队实习过两周。

他说:“加入搜救队对于我来说是一个很好的机会,我可以更切实地为军队服务,同时也能为国家的应急服务做点贡献。”

这就意味着,威廉王子将继承叔叔安德鲁王子的“事业”。安德鲁王子在1982年的马岛战争中就是一名救援飞行员,当时他驾驶的也是海王直升机。

皇家搜救队的主要职责是救助皇家空军的士兵,但在和平时期,他们主要负责民众的紧急救援。皇家搜救队每年要处理1000多起紧急救援任务。

从解救被突袭洪水围困的群众到救助登山时迷路的人,都是救援队的工作范围。

secondment to the various branches of the military to prepare for his future role as head of the armed forces, received his RAF wings following a

four-month stint with the service earlier this year.

However, his time with the RAF was clouded when the Defense Ministry was forced to fend off criticism for allowing the prince to fly military helicopters to a bachelor party for his cousin and to the family home of his girlfriend Kate Middleton. 去年,威廉王子一直在军队的各个部门间调动,为他日后担任三军统帅做准备。今年早些时候,他在完成四个月的飞行训练后,获得了英国皇家空军的一枚飞

行勋章。

不过,威廉王子在皇家空军受训期间并不太平。比如他竟然获准驾驶军用直升机参加他堂兄的

单身派对,以及他驾驶的飞机降落在女友凯特?米德尔顿的家中,英国国防部不得不为此承担很

大压力。 .

secondment:暂借;借调

调查:九成瑞士人自认为身体健康Fatter but feeling good: Swiss think they're in best of health[ 2008-09-16 14:46 ]

Switzerland's

fabled mountain

air may be

healthier than

anyone thought:

nine out of ten

people say they

feel on top form even as obesity is on the rise, new statistics showed Friday.

"The majority of the Swiss population thinks it is in good health. 87 percent of people asked said they felt in good or very good health. Only 7 percent said they had a severe health problem six months ago," the Federal Statistics Office said in a statement after a survey of some 19,000 citizens.

But appearances can be (self)-deceptive, as the survey in fact found that more and more Swiss people drink, smoke and are overweight.

Just under a third of all people surveyed were 传说中的瑞士山间空气可能比你想象的还要健康。瑞士上周五公布的最新统计数据显示,尽管瑞士的肥胖率呈上升趋势,但有九成民众觉得自己很健康。

瑞士联邦统计局在一份声明中说:“绝大多数瑞士人自认为身体不错。87%的受访者觉得自己健康或者十分健康。仅有7%的人称自己在半年前出现了严重的健康问题。” 该机构共对约1.9万人进行了调查。

但表象不一定靠得住,调查发现,瑞士有越来越多的人酗酒、吸烟及体重超标。

调查显示,受访者中有不到三分之一的人吸烟(28%),但15岁至24岁的年轻男女的吸烟率都呈上升趋势——分别为37%和31%。

smokers (28 percent), with the percentage rising for both young men and women aged 15-24 -- 37 percent and 31 percent respectively.

When it comes to alcohol, 38 percent of all men and 29 percent of women described themselves as "occasional drinkers" who had a glass one or two times a week.

And just like the rest of Europe, the number of overweight people has been on the rise, with more than half (52 percent) of people in the 65-74 age group having a body mass index of more than 25 kilograms/square metres.

One silver lining though is a decline in passive smoking after various cantons such as Geneva and Ticino introduced bans on smoking in public places. So if nothing else, the Swiss mountain air will be a little bit clearer after all.

Switzerland is one of the longest-lived countries in the world, with an average age of 84, according to WHO statistics.

Zurich, the norheaster city of Switzerland was named as the best place to live in the world, a previous study by the Mercer consultant firm showed. 38%的受访男性和29%的女性称自己“偶尔喝点酒”,即每周喝酒一至两次,每次喝一杯。

与欧洲其它国家一样,瑞士的肥胖人口也越来越多,在64岁至75岁的人群中,超过一半的人(52%)体重指数超过25。

不过值得庆幸的是,瑞士的被动吸烟人数有所下降,这都要归功于日内瓦和提契诺等几个地区在公共场所实行的“禁烟令”。所以如果只看这一点,瑞士的空气有望变得更加清新。

据世界卫生组织的统计数据,瑞士的平均寿命为84岁,为全世界最长寿的国家之一。

此前美世咨询公司开展的一项研究表明,瑞士东北部城市苏黎世被评为全球最适合居住的城市。

top form:状态很好

silver lining:(a hopeful or comforting prospect in the midst of difficulty)一线希望

上班族调查:老板性别影响员工压力程度Boss' gender can affect workers' stress [ 2008-09-16 09:24 ]

Bosses in general

can be a pain in

the ... well, you

know, but a new

study finds that

your boss' gender

can affect just how

much pain he or

she seems to

inflict.

Researchers at the University of Toronto used data from a 2005 national telephone survey of working adults in the United States and compared the stress levels and physical health problems of men and women working in one of three situations: for a lone male supervisor, a lone female supervisor, or for both a male and female supervisor.

The study found that:

* Women who had only one female boss reported more psychological distress (such as trouble sleeping, difficulty focusing on work, depression and anxiety) and physical symptoms (such as headaches, stomach pain or heartburn, neck and back pain and tiredness) than women who worked for one male boss.

* Women who reported to a mixed-gender pair of supervisors also reported more of these symptoms than their peers who worked for a single male boss.

* Men who worked for a single supervisor, regardless of the supervisor's gender, had similar levels of distress. Men who worked for a

mixed-gender pair had fewer mental and physical symptoms than those working for a lone male supervisor.

The analysis, detailed in the September issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, controlled for occupation, job sector and other workplace

conditions, meaning the results were independent 总的来说,老板通常都是员工最讨厌的人。不过一项最新研究发现,老板的性别会影响他(她)给员工造成的压力程度。

多伦多大学的研究人员分析了2005年全美的上班族电话调查数据,对男性和女性员工在三种不同的工作环境下的压力水平和健康问题进行了比较。这三种工作环境分别是:有一个男上司、有一个女上司、有男女上司各一位。

研究发现:

?只有一个女上司的女职员精神压力较大(如睡眠差,工作时难以集中精力、抑郁和沮丧等),身体不适症状较多(如头痛、胃痛,胃灼烧,颈部或背部不适以及疲倦),而拥有一个男上司的女员工情况则要好得多。

?与只有一位男上司的女员工相比,拥有一男一女两位上司的女员工所出现的这些不适症状也较多。

?只有一位上司的男职员,无论上这位上司是男是女,他们感受到的压力基本相当。有一男一女两位上司的男职员出现的心理和生理问题比仅有一位男上司的职员少。

该研究在9月份的《健康与社会行为期刊》上发表。研究限定了受访者的职业、职位类别和其它工作环境因素,因此研究结果不受这些因素的影响。

这些发现与之前的研究结果正好相反,尤其是女职员与女老板这一类。此前有研究认为,相同

of these factors.

The findings, specifically those of female subordinates with females bosses, contradict theories suggested by previous studies that demographic similarities between a boss and their subordinate would promote harmony in the work place, while demographic differences would create problems.

The researchers speculated that these contradictions may stem from the stereotype that it is more "normal" for men to be leaders and display the typical leadership characteristics. So while female subordinates may expect more "aggressive" traits from a male leader, they could expect more support from a supervisor who is also female than they actually get, said study co-author Scott Schieman.

Women leaders who "act like men" in terms of society's unconscious expectations may be viewed more negatively, Schieman said. He and other sociologists suspect this was a situation faced by Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary races. 性别的老板与员工在工作中会更有默契,而异性“搭档”则容易出问题。

研究人员推测,这一传统说法可能源于人们的一些固有观念,即男性当领导以及展现出“领导特质”更“合乎情理”。研究小组成员斯科特?斯切尔曼说,女性员工可能更希望在男上司身上看到一些更“强势”的东西,那么她们自然希望能从女上司那得到更多的支持。

斯切尔曼说,按照当今社会的潜在观念,那些“作风男性化”的女上司可能更不受欢迎。他和其他一些社会学家们怀疑,这可能也是希拉里在民主党初选中所面临一个困境。

inflict:造成

上班族调查:老板性别影响员工压力程度Boss' gender can affect workers' stress [ 2008-09-16 09:24 ]

Bosses in general

can be a pain in

the ... well, you

know, but a new

study finds that

your boss' gender

can affect just how

much pain he or

she seems to

inflict.

Researchers at the University of Toronto used data from a 2005 national telephone survey of working adults in the United States and compared the stress levels and physical health problems of men and women working in one of three situations: for a lone male supervisor, a lone female supervisor, or for both a male and female supervisor.

The study found that:

* Women who had only one female boss reported more psychological distress (such as trouble sleeping, difficulty focusing on work, depression and anxiety) and physical symptoms (such as headaches, stomach pain or heartburn, neck and back pain and tiredness) than women who worked for one male boss.

* Women who reported to a mixed-gender pair of supervisors also reported more of these symptoms than their peers who worked for a single male boss.

* Men who worked for a single supervisor, regardless of the supervisor's gender, had similar levels of distress. Men who worked for a

mixed-gender pair had fewer mental and physical symptoms than those working for a lone male supervisor.

The analysis, detailed in the September issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, controlled for occupation, job sector and other workplace

conditions, meaning the results were independent 总的来说,老板通常都是员工最讨厌的人。不过一项最新研究发现,老板的性别会影响他(她)给员工造成的压力程度。

多伦多大学的研究人员分析了2005年全美的上班族电话调查数据,对男性和女性员工在三种不同的工作环境下的压力水平和健康问题进行了比较。这三种工作环境分别是:有一个男上司、有一个女上司、有男女上司各一位。

研究发现:

?只有一个女上司的女职员精神压力较大(如睡眠差,工作时难以集中精力、抑郁和沮丧等),身体不适症状较多(如头痛、胃痛,胃灼烧,颈部或背部不适以及疲倦),而拥有一个男上司的女员工情况则要好得多。

?与只有一位男上司的女员工相比,拥有一男一女两位上司的女员工所出现的这些不适症状也较多。

?只有一位上司的男职员,无论上这位上司是男是女,他们感受到的压力基本相当。有一男一女两位上司的男职员出现的心理和生理问题比仅有一位男上司的职员少。

该研究在9月份的《健康与社会行为期刊》上发表。研究限定了受访者的职业、职位类别和其它工作环境因素,因此研究结果不受这些因素的影响。

这些发现与之前的研究结果正好相反,尤其是女职员与女老板这一类。此前有研究认为,相同

of these factors.

The findings, specifically those of female subordinates with females bosses, contradict theories suggested by previous studies that demographic similarities between a boss and their subordinate would promote harmony in the work place, while demographic differences would create problems.

The researchers speculated that these contradictions may stem from the stereotype that it is more "normal" for men to be leaders and display the typical leadership characteristics. So while female subordinates may expect more "aggressive" traits from a male leader, they could expect more support from a supervisor who is also female than they actually get, said study co-author Scott Schieman.

Women leaders who "act like men" in terms of society's unconscious expectations may be viewed more negatively, Schieman said. He and other sociologists suspect this was a situation faced by Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary races. 性别的老板与员工在工作中会更有默契,而异性“搭档”则容易出问题。

研究人员推测,这一传统说法可能源于人们的一些固有观念,即男性当领导以及展现出“领导特质”更“合乎情理”。研究小组成员斯科特?斯切尔曼说,女性员工可能更希望在男上司身上看到一些更“强势”的东西,那么她们自然希望能从女上司那得到更多的支持。

斯切尔曼说,按照当今社会的潜在观念,那些“作风男性化”的女上司可能更不受欢迎。他和其他一些社会学家们怀疑,这可能也是希拉里在民主党初选中所面临一个困境。

inflict:造成

妮可?基德曼获评性价比最差影星And the most overpaid celebrity is...[ 2008-09-12 15:13 ]

Nicole Kidman

was named the

most overpaid

celebrity in

Hollywood in the

second annual list

of least bankable

stars by US

magazine Forbes, taking the top slot from fellow Australian Russell

Crowe. 美国《福布斯》杂志日前公布一年一度的好莱坞“低性价比影星”榜,妮可?基德曼取代同籍澳洲影星拉塞尔?克劳伊获评年度“性价比”最差影星。这是《福布斯》杂志第二年发布该榜。

据估计,这位奥斯卡影后今年的票房片酬比仅为1:1,即她每挣一美元,票房只进帐一美元,与去年的8美元相比大幅减少。

Kidman's films were estimated to only earn $1 for every dollar the Oscar-winning actress was paid compared with $8 a year ago.

"The Invasion," a remake of the 1956 classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," even lost $2.68 for every dollar earned by Kidman who was reportedly paid $17 million for her role.

"Despite winning an Oscar for her performance in 2002's "The Hours," Kidman has become the most overpaid celebrity in Hollywood," said Forbes, adding that her upcoming movie "Australia" could give her a boost.

Second in the list came Jennifer Garner, whose movies including "The Kingdom" and "Catch and Release" have underperformed at the box office. Her movies were calculated to earn $3.60 for every $1 she was paid.

Kidman's ex-husband, Tom Cruise, came third in the list with a $4 return for every dollar he was paid, mostly because of the failure of last year's movie "Lions for Lambs." For every dollar the star earned the film returned only $1.88.

Forbes said the ranking was compiled by looking at a star's past three movies and dividing their total earnings by the films' gross income to get the actor's payback figure.

Making up the top 10 of overpaid Hollywood celebrities were Cameron Diaz, Jim Carrey, Nicolas Cage, Drew Barrymore, Will Ferrell and Cate Blanchett.

The actor whose bankability improved most over the past year was Crowe, who was ranked the most overpaid celebrity last year when Kidman was in second place.

Last year, Forbes estimated the movie "Cinderella Man" earned $5 for every dollar that Crowe was paid. 今年,妮可主演的翻拍影片《致命拜访》甚至亏损,据称她在该片中的片酬为1700万美元,不过她赚一美元,电影得赔2.68美元。《致命拜访》是根据1956年的经典影片《天外魔花》翻拍的。

《福布斯》评价说:“尽管基德曼2002年凭借《时时刻刻》获得奥斯卡大奖,但如今她已成为好莱坞性价比最低的影星。”《福布斯》称,妮可的下一部影片《澳大利亚》可能会给她带来转机。

珍妮弗?加纳名列排行榜第二位,她所主演的《改朝换代》和《牵手放手》等影片票房惨淡,回报率为3.6:1。

基德曼的前夫汤姆?克鲁斯以4:1的票房回报率位居第三,这主要是因为他去年主演的影片《狮入羊口》票房表现不佳,回报率仅为1.88:1。

据《福布斯》介绍,该榜主要基于对影星最近三部影片的评估,票房回报率为三部影片的总收

益与该演员的总片酬之比。

位居该榜前十位的明星还包括

卡梅隆?迪亚兹、吉姆?凯利、尼古拉斯?凯奇、德鲁?巴里摩尔、威尔?费勒尔和凯特?布兰切特。

在过去一年中,克劳伊的“性价比”提高最多,去年他与基德曼分列该榜冠亚军。

去年,克劳伊主演的电影《铁拳男人》的票房回报率为5:1。

而今年,克劳伊在之前公布的一项“高性价比影星“排行榜上名列第18位,性价比为6.88:1。

But this year, he was the 18th best earner on a previously issued list of which actors were worth their paychecks, with a return of $6.88 for every dollar he earned.

This bump was attributed to last year's movie

"American Gangster" with Denzel Washington, for which Crowe returned a healthy $10.80 for every dollar he was paid.

这要归功于去年他与丹泽尔?华盛顿主演的影片《美国黑帮》,这部影片的回报率高达10.8:1。 (英语点津姗姗编辑)

美9?11事件七周年 七万人创伤仍未平Study: 70,000 may suffer post-9/11 stress disorder [ 2008-09-12 09:25 ]

New data from a public health registry that

tracks the health effects of 9/11 suggest that as many as 70,000 people may have developed post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the terrorist attacks.

The estimate, released

Wednesday by New York City's Department of Health, is based on an analysis of the health of 71,437 people who enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry. They agreed to be tracked for up to 20 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and the study was based on answers they volunteered about their health two and three years after the attack.

Of the estimated 400,000 people believed to have been heavily exposed to pollution from the disaster, data suggests that 35,000 to 70,000 people developed PTSD and 3,800 to 12,600 may have developed asthma, city health officials said.

据一个公共健康登记机构发布的最新数据显示,当年的9?11恐怖袭击导致7万人患上了“创伤后应激障碍综合症”(PTSD )。这家机构一直在跟踪调查9?11事件给民众健康造成的影响。 纽约市卫生署于本周三发布的这项评估,主要根据对“世贸中心健康登记机构”71437名成员的健康状况进行分析后得出。这些成员同意自2001年恐怖袭击事件后接受该机构长达20年的健康跟踪调查。而这项研究的依据就是他们在事后两三年提供的关于自身健康的报告。 9?11造成的污染让约40万人的健康受到严重伤害。据市卫生署的有关官员介绍,统计数据显示,有3.5万至7万人患上了PTSD 心理后遗症,另有0.38万到1.26万人可能得了哮喘。 这其中包括参与事后救援和重建的人员、曼哈顿下城区居民、区域工人、上班族和过路人。 总体来看,有一半的受访者称当时他们被笼罩在大楼倒塌产生的巨大烟尘中,70%的人亲眼目

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