双语新闻天天学——天天更新，日积月累

蓝鱼o_0

12.1联合国救援机构重新评估索马里救援工作
Sixteen aid agencies say they face new challenges in Somalia, after the al Shabab militant group banned their activities in the southern and central parts of the country. Al Shabab accuses the agencies of bias and misconduct.
16家援助机构表示，在索马里青年***止他们在索马里南部和中部地区活动之后，他们在索马里面临新的挑战。索马里青年党则谴责这些机构充满偏见和管理不善。

One of the organizations affected by the ban is the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR.
受到索马里青年***令影响的其中一家援助机构是联合国难民署。

“Like a lot of the other agencies, we’re assessing the situation both in terms of implications on the ground and the implications for our operations,” said Andy Needham, spokesman for the Somalia office.
联合国难民署驻索马里办事处的发言人安迪·尼德姆说：“像其它很多援助机构一样，我们正在从两个方面来评估目前的局势，那就是禁令对实际救援行动以及对我们组织运作的影响。”

Bad to worse?

This year southern and central Somalia were hit hard by drought and famine, along with conflict. Now, there’s another problem.
今年索马里南部和中部遭受干旱，饥荒以及冲突的严重打击。

“There have been heavy rains of late, which is I guess ironic for maybe some people to comprehend in the wake of all this talk about drought and famine. But these are seasonal rains. So what this has done is it has compounded the difficulties for the IDPs living in settlements, for example, in Mogadishu. So what we’ve actually seen is that we have entire settlements, where people are in tents and shelters, have been kind of washed out. And the heavy rains are flowing through the places where people are living,” he said.
目前，那里还有另外一个问题。安迪·尼德姆说：“最近当地连降暴雨。在谈论索马里的旱灾和饥荒之后，说到下大雨，在有些人看来可能有讽刺意味。但是现在那里是雨季，在下雨。因此现在的情况让生活在安置点，比如说在摩加迪沙的难民们的境遇雪上加霜。在所有的安置点，难民们都生活帐篷和庇护所里，结果这些设施都被冲坏了。而且暴雨还在人们居住的地方泛滥。”

And Needham says there’s not much that can be done about it.
安迪·尼德姆说，对于这种境况，也是爱莫能助。

“Because they’re living cheek by jowl, so close that it’s impossible even to dig channels so that the water can get out. So there have been pretty miserable conditions when the rains come. When the temperature drops and the rains come, we saw in previous years that that had a bad effect in terms of increased numbers of deaths through hypothermia, especially among children,” said Needham.
他说：“因为难民们都是密密麻麻地挤住在一起，所以甚至连挖一条沟渠来排水都无法做到。当大雨来袭，那里的条件真的是很糟糕。前些年我们看到气温下降暴雨来临造成的恶果， 比如因为体温过低而死亡的人数增加，在儿童中间尤其如此。”

Can’t get there

Even before al Shabab banned many aid groups, the rains had already brought their humanitarian efforts to a standstill. Many roads are impassable in southern and central Somalia.
甚至在索马里青年党对援助机构发出禁令之前，雨季就已经让他们的人道救援工作陷入停顿之中。通往索马里南部和中部的很多道路都无法通行。

“What we’re hearing from people on the ground is that some certain towns and villages are actually effectively completely cut off for food deliveries. And even people, if they have means, if they have some small amounts of money, they actually can’t buy anything because people cannot travel to these towns because of the roads and perhaps fear of being caught up in some sort of ongoing clash,” he said.
安迪·尼德姆说：“一线的救援工作者告诉我们，有些村镇实际上已经完全断粮。人们即使有些办法，有一些钱的话，也根本买不到任何东西，因为人们由于道路不通，或者因为担心遇到冲突而无法前往那些村镇。”

Al Shabab has allowed some aid groups to remain, namely Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
索马里青年党允许一些救援机构，具体说也就是医生无国界组织和国际红十字会留在那里。

In neighboring Kenya, insecurity continues to disrupt UNHCR operations at the Dadaab refugee camp. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis find shelter there. However, the insecurity has brought a halt to the registration and health check of new arrivals.
在索马里的邻国肯尼亚，联合国难民署在达达阿布难民营的救援工作由于缺乏安全保障而继续中断。那里有数十万索马里在避难。但是缺乏安全导致对新来难民的登记和体检工作陷入停滞。

And in Ethiopia, at the Dollo Ado refugee camps, the U.N. agency reports high rates of severe acute malnutrition among children under age five.
联合国难民署报告说，在埃塞俄比亚的多洛阿多难民营，5岁以下儿童中严重营养不良的比例很高

石磊--wxmsl

蓝鱼o_0 发表于 2011-11-1 12:48

                               
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[11月1日]劳工组织：经济衰退造出“受伤一代”

音频地址：http://www.24en.com/voa/news/2011-10-24/115 ...

有您这样的好老师，会员的英语水准都会提升的，谢谢

蓝鱼o_0

12.4凯恩被指有婚外情 金里奇名望上升

In U.S. presidential politics, the focus is on Republican White House contender Herman Cain. Cain says he is reassessing his campaign in the wake of allegations of an extramarital affair, which Cain denies. Meanwhile, the Republican field is looking more like a showdown between former U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
在竞选美国总统的政治话题中，目前人们都把焦点集中在共和党总统竞选人赫尔曼.凯恩身上。凯恩在被指责有婚外情以后，尽管坚决否认，但仍表示会重新评估自己参选的实力。与此同时，前美国国会众议院议长纽特.金里奇和前麻萨诸塞州州长米特.罗姆尼两人看来正在进行一场较量。

A day after Cain told aides that he is reassessing his presidential bid, the Georgia businessman appeared defiant at a campaign stop in the Midwestern state of Ohio.
尽管凯恩一天前对其竞选助手说，他将重新评估自己竞选总统的势头，但这位乔治亚州的商人来到中西部俄亥俄州开展竞选活动时仍显得劲头十足。

“The voice of the people is more powerful than the voice of the media," said Cain.
他说：“民众的声音比媒体的作用更大。”

Cain is denying allegations of an extramarital affair with Ginger White, who told ABC television's Good Morning America program that she was involved with Cain on and off during a 13-year period.
凯恩否认有关他和怀特女士发生婚外情的说法，这位女士在美国广播公司的电视节目“美国早上好”说，她和凯恩断断续续保持了13年的婚外关系。

“It was a very casual affair," said White. "I’ve received gifts and money for the last 2.5 years consistently. This was not sex for cash.”
她说：“我们之间是一种比较随意的关系，我在过去两年半时间里不断收到礼物和金钱。这并不是用金钱换取性关系。”

The allegation of an affair comes in the wake of sexual harassment allegations leveled at Cain by four women a few weeks ago, which led to a loss of support in public opinion surveys.
在怀特女士出面谈论此事几个星期前，已有四名女子接连指控凯恩进行性骚扰，造成凯恩的支持率一路下滑。

The Republican contender who is gaining at the moment is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who leads the eight person nomination race in several national public opinion polls.
目前支持率上升的是前国会众议院议长、共和党总统竞选人金里奇，他在几次全国范围的民意调查中一直处于8位竞选人之首。

“I don’t claim to be the perfect candidate," said Gingrich. "I just claim to be a lot more conservative than Mitt Romney and a lot more electable than anybody else.”
金里奇说：“我不会声称自己是完美的总统竞选人，我只是说自己是比罗姆尼更保守的竞选人，比其他任何人都更有选举价值。”

Cain’s drop in the polls seems to have helped Gingrich, who has emerged as the main alternative to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
凯恩在民调中的失利似乎帮助了金里奇的提升，他一跃成为前麻萨诸塞州州长罗姆尼的主要竞争对手。

Romney has long been considered the frontrunner in the Republican race, and he continues to focus most of his attention on President Barack Obama, as he did at a campaign stop in the Southern state of Florida.
罗姆尼很长一段时间以来，一直被认为是共和党角逐2012总统提名人士当中，最被看好的。到目前为止，罗姆尼还是把他的主要竞选焦点集中在现任总统奥巴马身上。罗姆尼在美国南部佛罗里达州举行的一次竞选活动中说：

“President Obama is a nice guy," said Romney. "But I don’t think he understands America. I don’t think he understands our economy. I don’t think he understands the power of free people, free to choose their course in life.”
“奥巴马总统是个好人，但是，我不认为他真正彻底地了解美国是怎么回事，我不认为他真正明白我们的经济是如何运作的，同时我也不认为他真正明白自由国度里的民众，其真正的潜力在哪里。”

Political strategist Matthew Dowd, an analyst for ABC News, sees the Republican race evolving into a two-man field.
美国广播公司的新闻分析人士马修·道认为，共和党人的角逐现在基本上只剩下罗姆尼和金里奇之间的竞争了。

“I think right now that anti-Romney vote is coalesced around the former speaker," said Dowd. "I think more of these votes go to Newt Gingrich, and I think Newt Gingrich is a force that Mitt Romney has to reckon with.”
他说：“就目前来讲，我看那些反罗姆尼的选票，都集中在前众议院议长金里奇这边了。我认为，可能会有更多的选票落到金里奇那边。金里奇决不是罗姆尼能够轻易‘干掉’的对手。”

Analyst Stuart Rothenberg, publisher of The Rothenberg Political Report, says Mitt Romney’s main challenge remains winning over Republican voters who doubt he is a true conservative.
另一位政治分析人士，“罗森伯格政治动向报告”的出版人罗森伯格认为，罗姆尼面临的主要的挑战是赢得那些比较保守的共和党人的选票。那些人怀疑他是否是真正的保守派。

“The one thing that is consistent is that Mitt Romney is in the top tier, that Mitt Romney appeals to about one-quarter of all Republicans and that he has built a large, established, experienced, national presidential campaign," said Rothenberg. "Whether that will be enough to get the nomination, we don’t yet know.”
罗森伯格说：“在所有这些候选人当中，罗姆尼一向都是在前面的，他对四分之一的共和党人来说，很具有吸引力。而且他在全美国范围内，经营了一个规模相当大的、颇为富有经验的竞选团队。至于说这是不是足以让他赢得共和党的总统候选人提名，现在还很难说。”

The first test of the 2012 Republican race is less than five weeks away, when voters in the Midwestern state of Iowa hold caucus meetings on January 3 to express their preferences in the eight-candidate Republican field.
对于明年、也就是2012年美国总统大选当中共和党人之间的选战来说，不到五个星期后，就是一场激烈的竞争，也可以说是一次检验。到时候，也就是1月3号，美国中西部的爱奥华州将举行党内投票，选举出爱奥华州共和党人最欣赏的共和党候选人。

蓝鱼o_0

[中英对照] Gold Lining for France's Economic Clouds
Before another summit of European leaders, eurozone countries have been warned they may face a credit downgrade without a decisive agreement to save the euro. The debt crisis is casting a long shadow as France and other countries prepare for the Christmas holiday. The euro's troubles have made 2011 a good year for Parisians who deal in gold.
在欧洲各国领导人下一轮首脑会议之前，欧元区各国已经被警告说，除非在拯救欧元方面达成一项决定性的协议，否则的话，欧元区各国将面临信贷被降级的可能。虽然西方国家的传统节日圣诞节马上就要到了，但是债务危机问题给法国和其他一些国家都笼罩了一层阴影，不过，巴黎的黄金商人在这场危机中并没有走下坡路。

Rue Vivienne in the heart of Paris is the long-time home of France’s gold trade.
巴黎市中心的维维安大街一直是法国黄金交易的主要场所。

For the dealers, times have rarely been so good. There is a steady stream of customers. Since the global financial crisis began in 2008, the price of gold has soared.
对这里的黄金交易商来说，现在这会儿，行情好得了不得。顾客不断说，自从环球金融危机2008年开始以来，黄金价格飞涨。

Michel Prieur specializes in selling gold coins, called ‘Napoleons’, and other valuable artifacts from his store on Rue Vivienne.
米些尔·普里埃在维维安大街这儿有一家店铺，专门卖当地叫作“拿破仑”的黄金硬币和一些古董。

“The price of gold has increased four- or five-fold. We have started at about $280 an ounce. Now it’s $1,700. And the question is, ‘Is it going to keep on [rising]?’ My point of view is that gold has not changed. It is the paper that has lost its value,” said Prieur.
他说：“黄金的价格上涨了四、五倍。开始的时候是280美元一盎司，现在呢，涨到了1700美元一盎司。问题是，黄金价格是否还会上涨？在我看来，黄金本身并没有变化，有变化的是纸币，现在已经贬值很多。”

The European Union has resisted using what is known as "quantitative easing’ on the scale seen in the United States, Britain and Japan.
欧盟方面到目前为止，拒绝像美国、英国和日本那样启动由政府出资的大规模拯救经济的方案。

Essentially it involves central banks buying government bonds to encourage lending. Prieur said the public is getting skeptical.
种大规模的救助方案在本质上就是由各国中央银行出资购买政府的债券，从而鼓励借贷。巴黎的黄金商人米歇尔·普里埃说，公众对这种救助方式的有效率，事实上是持怀疑态度的。

“The people understand that whatever the name is, quantitative easing or whatever else, this is all about printing new money without any real value. So they understand that it could go on and on because nothing will stop the governments from printing money as long as they need to cover their expenses. But gold, you cannot just print it,” said Prieur.
他说：“民众都明白，不管名称是什么、大规模救助，如此等等，实际上只不过是印新的、没有真正价值的纸币。大家都明白，只要政府还有各种开支需要支付，纸币就可以一直印下去，但是黄金不同，不是说你想印就印。”

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he is confident European leaders will back bold measures to save the euro. He has pushed for the European Central Bank to come to the aid of weak eurozone countries, a move resisted by Germany.
法国总统萨科齐表示，欧洲各国领导人将采取果断的行动来拯救欧元，对这一点，他说，他有信心。萨科齐一直在推动欧洲中央银行出面帮助欧元区面临危机的国家，但是德国对此没有十分支持。

Prieur said his knowledge of ancient currencies tells him where it will all end.
巴黎的黄金商人普里埃说，就他对古老的货币的了解，终究会是这样的结局。

"After three, four or five years they [eurozone countries] will go back to a decent level of indebtedness. And we will all have lost 30 percent of our purchasing power. This is just inflation. But all governments have dealt with their problems [by] creating inflation, for 2,700 years.”
他说：“三年、四年、或者五年之后，欧元区各国将回到债务过得去的水平。到那时候，我们将失去30%的购买能力。其中的原因是通货膨胀；过去2700年以来，各国政府对待经济上的问题，从来都是依靠通货膨胀。”

Paris’s famous Champs Elysees is a shrine to consumers’ purchasing power. Despite the Christmas lights, there is not much festive cheer among the people.
巴黎著名的香榭丽舍大道，可以说是购物的天堂。尽管这里圣诞节的灯到处都亮着，但是在人们当中，节日的气氛却不是十分明显。

"If we have to save, it will be on presents but not on meals," said one person.
一位法国人说：“假如必须要节省开支的话，那就得从礼物上省，不可能从吃的上面省。”

“Prices of everyday goods are going up. Especially basic goods and the cost of getting around. Everything is getting more expensive,” said another.
另一位法国人说：“现在各种商品的价格都在往上涨，尤其是日常用品以及交通，什么都比从前要贵。”

This year, the dealers on Rue Vivienne suggest that a gold ‘Napoleon’ may be the wisest Christmas present of all.
在巴黎的维维安大街上，黄金商们说，今年的圣诞节，最好的礼物或许就是一枚“拿破仑”、也就是一枚黄金硬币。

蓝鱼o_0

12.11缅甸华人商业兴旺 但担心外来竞争


Burma’s political reforms have dominated headlines in the past year, but there is also high anticipation about a series of economic reforms.
尽管缅甸的政治改革已成为去年的主要新闻，但是人们还有更高的期待，希望缅甸也能进行一系列经济改革。

The measures could mean more opportunities for locals businesses and foreign ones, particularly Burma’s longtime trading partner, China. The Chinese competition worries some businessmen in Burma.
这些改革措施可能意味着，地方企业和外国公司，特别是缅甸长期的贸易伙伴中国，将会有更多的机会。

A man pounds a gold-trimmed ceremonial drum in a red wood frame at Rangoon’s Chinese-built Qing Fu Gong Temple. This year, the Buddhist temple marks its 150th anniversary and is by no means short of worshippers.
在仰光华人建造的清福宫庙宇，一名男子敲打着礼仪鼓，这个鼓是用金器点缀的，装在一个红木架子上。今年是这个佛教庙宇150周年，因此，大批的人们前来这里做朝拜。

A steady stream of ethnic Chinese enter the temple, light incense and pray for good health and success.
来这个庙里的华人川流不息，他们在这里烧香，祈求身体健康，万事如意。

A woman shakes a cylinder of Chinese fortune sticks in front of a red and gold altar.
一位妇女在一个红色祭坛前摇晃着装有求签的筒子。

The temple has long been a symbolic anchor of Rangoon’s Chinese community, which has engaged in centuries of commerce between the two nations.
这个庙宇长期以来一直是仰光华人的一个具有象征意义的精神支柱，这些华人几百年来一直从事缅甸与中国之间的商贸活动。

The temple provides Mandarin lessons, a free clinic and a pension for some community members, like U Htay Myint, 80. Wearing large round glasses and a baseball cap, he says there are Chinese associations in cities and towns across Burma. He says there are many Chinese businessmen in Rangoon who are running companies and factories.
福清宫提供普通话课程和免费诊断，还对一些社区成员提供食宿。80岁的老人吴泰明戴着一副大眼镜和棒球帽，他也享受着免费食宿。他说，缅甸各地的城镇都有华人社团。吴泰明说，仰光有许多华人商人，他们经营着公司和工厂。

Customers crowd a long glass display counter at the Golden Palace jewelry store. Rangoon’s Chinatown is in the heart of the city where Chinese traders have long-dominated the gold industry. And like many places around the world, Chinese-made electronics, housewares, clothes and toys fill local shops.
在金宫珠宝店里，顾客挤满了展示眼镜的一个长柜台。仰光的中国城位于市中心，做生意的华人长期以来主导了中国城的黄金行业。和世界上许多地方一样，中国造电子产品、家用器皿、服装和玩具充斥了当地的店铺。

Burma’s government is beginning to reform its poorly managed economy by slowly reducing regulations and inefficient monopolies, expanding business opportunities. This month, Rangoon hosted a China Guangdong Commodities Fair with products ranging from solar panels to inflatable dolls.
缅甸政府正在开始改革其管理不善的经济，方法是缓慢地减少商业规定和缺乏效率的垄断，扩大商机。这个月，仰光主办一次中国广东商品交易会，产品范围从太阳能电池板到充气洋娃娃都有。

Yu Fang Fang, sales supervisor for Longtron Electronics based in Guangzhou in southern China, says her company, which sells mobile phones and computers, is eager to reach Burma’s 60 million consumers. She says Burma has big potential and, although their products are sold in Africa, Europe, and South America, in Southeast Asia there are relatively few. She says they want to take this opportunity to get to know the market and then enter into it.
于芳芳是设在中国广州的奥盛电子公司的销售主管，她说，她的公司非常想接触缅甸的6千万顾客。奥盛电子公司的业务是销售手机和电脑。于芳芳说：“缅甸这边潜力还是很大，因为我们的产品现在是销售到非洲、欧洲，然后还有南美。东南亚这一块还是比较少。所以这一次想借助这个机会去了解市场。”

Myat Kyaw Kyaw is one of Burma’s middlemen, using his connections to help importers and exporters navigate bureaucracy and get licenses. For him, the increased interest from foreign businesses can mean more opportunities. But there is still a worry that locals will not be able to compete with the new arrivals.
姆亚乔乔是缅甸的一个中间商，他利用自己的关系帮助进出口双方通过官僚审查，获得许可证。对于他而言，外商对缅甸的兴趣增加意味着有更多的商机。可是人们仍然担心，本地的企业将无法与新来的外国商家展开竞争。

He says when there is an open economy inside Burma they will need a policy from the government to support local businessmen. They are weak in business experience and in competing with foreign investors, he adds. Although he works as a broker Myat Kyaw Kyaw says what he really wants is to one day have a company of his own.
姆亚乔乔说，缅甸一旦有了开放的经济，政府就应该制定一项政策，支持本地商人。他说，本地商人缺乏经商的经验，也不擅长与外国投资者竞争。尽管他干的是中间商的工作，但姆亚乔乔说，他真正希望的是，有朝一日成立一家自己的公司。

蓝鱼o_0

12.19联合国教科文组织升起巴勒斯坦国旗


Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said he would continue to push for full United Nations membership after savoring one symbolic victory for his statehood bid, watching his flag fly over the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
巴勒斯坦民族权力机构主席阿巴斯观看着巴勒斯坦国旗飘扬在巴黎联合国教科文组织总部的上方。在阿巴斯品尝到推动巴勒斯坦建国的这一象征性胜利后，他说他会继续推动联合国正式成员国身份。

In a moment fraught with symbolism, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stood under a pelting rain watching as his red, black, green and white flag slowly rose for the first time over the headquarters of a United Nations agency.
在这个具有象征性的时刻，巴勒斯坦民族权力机构主席阿巴斯站在毛毛细雨中看着他的红黑绿白四色国旗从一个联合国机构的总部第一次缓缓升起。

Abbas was greeted by thunderous applause by foreign dignitaries and journalists, gathered at the Paris headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to celebrate the agency's latest member. In a push for Mr. Abbas' larger statehood bid, UNESCO's general assembly voted in October to admit Palestine as its 195th member, over strong objections by Israel and the United States.
阿巴斯受到了在场数千外国政要和记者的鼓掌欢迎，他们在巴黎联合国教科文组织的总部庆祝这个机构的最新成员加入。在阿巴斯推动更高国家地位的过程中，联合国教科文组织大会不顾以色列和美国的强烈反对，在10月投票承认了巴勒斯坦为其第195个成员国。

Israel temporarily froze the transfer of funds to the Palestinian territories. Washington has suspended its funding to the UN agency, arguing only a peace treaty can establish an internationally recognized Palestinian state.
以色列暂时冻结向巴勒斯坦境内提供资金。华盛顿则中断对联合国教科文组织的资助，美国批评说，只有通过和平协议才能建立一个受国际承认的巴勒斯坦国。

But UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said she hoped the Palestinian membership would pave the way for peace in the Middle East.
但联合国教科文组织总干事伊琳娜.博科娃说，她希望巴勒斯坦的成员身份会为中东和平铺路。

"This new membership must be a chance for all to join together around shared values and renewed ambitions for peace. In this spirit, Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome Palestine to UNESCO," said Bokova.
博科娃说：“这个新成员身份对各方都是个机会，大家为了共同价值和重振和平努力而团结一致。各位，基于这个精神，我欢迎巴勒斯坦加入联合国教科文组织。”

Abbas offered similarly upbeat remarks. Abbas described the day as an important marker in Palestinian history, one he hoped would usher in chances for greater freedom, justice and peace.
阿巴斯也发表了类似的言论。阿巴斯形容这一天是巴勒斯坦历史上一个重要的里程碑，他希望能借此引来更大自由、正义和和平的机会。

At a news conference later, the Palestinian leader said negotiations were continuing for full United Nations membership and to join more than a dozen other international organizations, but offered no time tables. Abbas applied for full UN recognition in September.
这位巴勒斯坦领导人在稍后的记者会上说，就联合国正式成员国身份和加入其他十几个国际组织的谈判还在进行，但他没有提供确切的时间表。巴勒斯坦今年9月向联合国申请成为正式成员国。

Washington contributes nearly a quarter of UNESCO's annual budget, and its funding freeze has left the agency strapped for cash. Among other areas, UNESCO oversees world cultural heritage sites and educational and scientific exchanges.
联合国教科文组织年度预算将近四分之一是由华盛顿提供的，华盛顿冻结资金使这个机构陷入了资金困境。联合国教科文组织的众多任务包括了管理世界的文化遗址以及教育和科学交流。

Abbas also held talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is pushing for an upgrade of Palestine's UN status to just short of full statehood.
阿巴斯还和法国总统萨科齐举行了会面。萨科齐推动提升巴勒斯坦在联合国的地位，但不是成为正式成员国。

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said he would continue to push for full United Nations membership after savoring one symbolic victory for his statehood bid, watching his flag fly over the Paris-based United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
巴勒斯坦民族权力机构主席阿巴斯观看着巴勒斯坦国旗飘扬在巴黎联合国教科文组织总部的上方。在阿巴斯品尝到推动巴勒斯坦建国的这一象征性胜利后，他说他会继续推动联合国正式成员国身份。

In a moment fraught with symbolism, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stood under a pelting rain watching as his red, black, green and white flag slowly rose for the first time over the headquarters of a United Nations agency.
在这个具有象征性的时刻，巴勒斯坦民族权力机构主席阿巴斯站在毛毛细雨中看着他的红黑绿白四色国旗从一个联合国机构的总部第一次缓缓升起。

Abbas was greeted by thunderous applause by foreign dignitaries and journalists, gathered at the Paris headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to celebrate the agency's latest member. In a push for Mr. Abbas' larger statehood bid, UNESCO's general assembly voted in October to admit Palestine as its 195th member, over strong objections by Israel and the United States.
阿巴斯受到了在场数千外国政要和记者的鼓掌欢迎，他们在巴黎联合国教科文组织的总部庆祝这个机构的最新成员加入。在阿巴斯推动更高国家地位的过程中，联合国教科文组织大会不顾以色列和美国的强烈反对，在10月投票承认了巴勒斯坦为其第195个成员国。

Israel temporarily froze the transfer of funds to the Palestinian territories. Washington has suspended its funding to the UN agency, arguing only a peace treaty can establish an internationally recognized Palestinian state.
以色列暂时冻结向巴勒斯坦境内提供资金。华盛顿则中断对联合国教科文组织的资助，美国批评说，只有通过和平协议才能建立一个受国际承认的巴勒斯坦国。

But UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said she hoped the Palestinian membership would pave the way for peace in the Middle East.
但联合国教科文组织总干事伊琳娜.博科娃说，她希望巴勒斯坦的成员身份会为中东和平铺路。

"This new membership must be a chance for all to join together around shared values and renewed ambitions for peace. In this spirit, Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome Palestine to UNESCO," said Bokova.
博科娃说：“这个新成员身份对各方都是个机会，大家为了共同价值和重振和平努力而团结一致。各位，基于这个精神，我欢迎巴勒斯坦加入联合国教科文组织。”

Abbas offered similarly upbeat remarks. Abbas described the day as an important marker in Palestinian history, one he hoped would usher in chances for greater freedom, justice and peace.
阿巴斯也发表了类似的言论。阿巴斯形容这一天是巴勒斯坦历史上一个重要的里程碑，他希望能借此引来更大自由、正义和和平的机会。

At a news conference later, the Palestinian leader said negotiations were continuing for full United Nations membership and to join more than a dozen other international organizations, but offered no time tables. Abbas applied for full UN recognition in September.
这位巴勒斯坦领导人在稍后的记者会上说，就联合国正式成员国身份和加入其他十几个国际组织的谈判还在进行，但他没有提供确切的时间表。巴勒斯坦今年9月向联合国申请成为正式成员国。

Washington contributes nearly a quarter of UNESCO's annual budget, and its funding freeze has left the agency strapped for cash. Among other areas, UNESCO oversees world cultural heritage sites and educational and scientific exchanges.
联合国教科文组织年度预算将近四分之一是由华盛顿提供的，华盛顿冻结资金使这个机构陷入了资金困境。联合国教科文组织的众多任务包括了管理世界的文化遗址以及教育和科学交流。

Abbas also held talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is pushing for an upgrade of Palestine's UN status to just short of full statehood.
阿巴斯还和法国总统萨科齐举行了会面。萨科齐推动提升巴勒斯坦在联合国的地位，但不是成为正式成员国。

蓝鱼o_0

12.24 纽约时报基金帮助当地穷人度日

The holiday season is traditionally a time for celebration and gift giving. But for New Yorkers facing dire health, financial or other challenges, life is far from merry. For 100 years, The New York Times has published some of these hard-luck stories and invited readers to contribute money to help.
每到圣诞节和新年这段时间，人们通常以各种方式进行庆祝，而且还彼此交换礼物，等等。但是，并不是所有住在纽约的人都是富人，不少人面临着健康、就业、经济和其他方面的挑战，节日的快乐，对他们来说，离得比较远。不过，过去一百年来，纽约时报一直在这段时间里，专门登载一些穷人的故事，并为一些“最需要救助的人”设立了一个基金，纽约时报邀请读者给这一基金捐款，帮助那些最需要救助的人。

The seed for the Neediest Cases Fund was planted with a small, seemingly random act.
纽约时报给“最需要救助的人”设立的这个基金，是从一个颇为偶然的事件开始的。

According to Michael Golden, who oversees the fund today, publisher Arthur Ochs was walking off a heavy holiday meal, in December 1911, when a stranger approached and politely asked for a handout. Ochs gave him a dollar and a job prospect.
麦克尔·格尔登目前是这一基金的负责人。他说，早在一百年前，具体说是1911年12月的一个夜晚，纽约时报当时的出版人阿瑟·奥克斯在路上走着，希望消化掉刚刚吃过的节日大餐。正在这时，一个陌生人请他留步，很礼貌地请他给一些施舍。奥克斯给了这个人一块美元，还给了他一线就业的希望。

"And then, as he walked away, he thought, ‘The end of the year is a traditional time for gift giving and a lot of good spirit. Perhaps the newspaper could do something on a grander scale.’ And that gave rise to the first Neediest Cases drive.”
麦克尔·格尔登说：“奥克斯一边走，一边想，每年年底的时候，人们通常心气儿都比较高，也乐于施舍，或许报纸能在每年年底的时候，帮助做些善事，比较大规模的，这就是为‘最需要救助的人’设立的这个基金的故事来源。”

A century later, the Neediest Cases Fund still helps people like Charles Smith, a client at Brooklyn Community Services, one of seven social service agencies the fund works with.
一百年后，这个基金现在真正做到了帮助一些非常需要帮助的人。查尔斯·史密斯就是其中一个。他是布鲁克林社区服务中心的一个客户，而这个服务中心是和纽约时报基金合作的七个组织当中的一个。

In 2008, Smith had a good job and was able to support his aging mother and young son. But within a year, Smith was diagnosed with cancer and forced to quit his job to undergo treatment. Without health insurance and nearly penniless, Smith and his son moved in with his mom, who soon developed a terminal illness.
2008年的时候，史密斯当时有一份不错的工作，完全有能力养活他的老母和儿子。但是一年之内，史密斯本人被查出患有癌症，不得不辞去工作，接受治疗；在没有医疗保险、而且几乎身无分文的情况下，史密斯不得不和儿子一道，搬到母亲那儿去住，但是他母亲不久也被查出患有绝症。

“When I began to get well, my mother passed away,” says Smith. “That was devastating as well. She was an anchor. It was traumatic going through it - the nightmares, the getting up in the middle of the night, talking cold showers, just to try to get myself together.”
史密斯说：“就这样，一环接一环，我的病刚好一些，我母亲却在2009年去世了。她病逝以后，我需要很长一段时间来进行调整；因为我母亲过去一直是我可以倚靠的人。她的病逝，对我来说，确实挺难的。晚上有时做噩梦，半夜起来，洗个冷水澡，慢慢地从那种忧伤中走出来。”

Smith turned to Brooklyn Community Services, which treated him for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and offered family counseling for him and his son - all subsidized by funds from Neediest Cases.
过了不久，史密斯听说有一个布鲁克林社区服务中心，能够通过心理治疗，帮助他从受到的精神打击和忧伤中走出来；服务中心能给他和儿子两人一道进行心理治疗。所有这些治疗，都是经由纽约时报为“最需要救助的人”设立的基金予以资金上的援助的。

The Neediest Cases Fund also helped pay for counseling and incidental living expenses for Garvin Henry, 35, who has suffered from mental illness most of his life.
布鲁克林社区服务中心同时还从纽约时报的这一基金拿到款项，为35岁的加尔文·亨利支付心理治疗的费用，同时还有一些生活费用。亨利多年来一直患有精神上的疾病。

“I’ve been having hard times in my life,” Henry recalls. “I was breaking down with depression, stress and anger.”
他说：“忧郁症、生活上的压力、心灵深处的不满、等等，这些都让我情绪不稳定。”

Yet Henry has always excelled in making art. The fund subsidized an art therapy class for Henry and other challenged adults. It was a structured way for them to explore their feelings while playing to their strengths.
不过，有一点是亨利擅长的，那就是，从事一些艺术上的创造。纽约时报的这个基金帮助为亨利和其他一些精神上不稳定的成年人，开设艺术理疗课程，帮着他们理顺心理上的问题，同时帮助他们发挥内在的潜能。

“I did my work also and they did their work and I am happy for myself and everybody else. This is like the biggest stepping stone for us to use to our advantage. It means a lot to me, a lot to them.”
亨利说：“我做了一些工作，其他的人也是一样，这让我对自己和其他人，都感到很高兴；这对我们来说，可以说是帮了一个大忙，让我们能扬长避短，这对我本人，还有参与到其中的其他人来说，都是意味深长的。”

The Cordis family was hit with more than their share of troubles. When family patriarch died suddenly in 2006, his wife suffered a nervous breakdown and is still unable to work. That left her teenage daughters, Judy and Christina, to fend for themselves and care for their younger brother David. Soon the family was living in a shelter.

克尔迪斯一家近些年来，也遭到了很多不幸。作为一家之主的父亲突然在2006年去世了，母亲一下子就垮了，到现在，还不能上班。结果，两个十几岁的姐妹朱迪和克里斯蒂娜，不得不“穷人的孩子早当家”，努力谋生之余，还要照顾年幼的弟弟。全家不久就被迫沦为不得不到专门给穷人设置的临时居住场所去住。

With Neediest Cases funds, they received family counseling. Judy says the fund also gave David the money he needed for his eighth grade prom, which was a huge morale booster.
在纽约时报基金的帮助下，他们得以接受心理治疗，而且这一基金还给弟弟大卫一些钱，让他能够参加学校举办的八年级毕业庆祝会。姐姐朱迪说，这对大卫来说，一下子就提高了他的精气神儿。

“I would have felt horrible if he wasn’t able to do that. I would have felt like that’s something else we were unable to give him as his older sisters.”
朱迪说：“我很高兴，弟弟能参加学校的八年级毕业晚会。假如因为经济上的原因，弟弟去不成的话，我心里会很难受的。我会觉得，作为姐姐来说，我们连这一点都不能帮弟弟做到。”

The prom money was the start of a positive trend. Catholic Charities of America, another Times Neediest Cases Fund agency, helped the family sort out its immigration problems. It now seems American citizenship is on its way, and with it, the right to work, and leave the shelter.
从那儿以后，克尔迪斯一家的命运似乎开始好转起来。另外一个和纽约时报的基金一起合作的组织、美国天主教慈善机构帮着克尔迪斯一家解决了移民上的困难；不久，他们就将获得美国公民身份了，随之而来的，将是工作许可，最终，他们将能够离开专门为穷人设置的临时住所，翻开生活中崭新的一页了。

The future once looked bright for Carolina Martinez. She had two young sons, a husband, good health and a dream of going to college and nursing school. But within one year, her father died, her husband left her, her schoolwork began to suffer, she developed a near fatal heart condition, her longtime apartment building was bought by developers, and she was evicted, with no money for moving expenses.
对于卡罗琳娜·玛丁奈兹来说，生活前景一度是非常明朗的。她有两个年幼的儿子，丈夫当时似乎也挺好，全家人身体都挺健康，她本人梦想有一天能上大学、进护士学校。不过，好景不长；一年之内，她的父亲去世了，丈夫离她而去，然后她在学校的成绩开始下降，而且几乎患上了不治的心脏病。所谓祸不单行；她长期居住的那栋大楼被开发商买去了，她被扫地出门，连搬家的费用都支付不起。

“And then I said ‘What now?’ So I said, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, it’s all in your hands. I have no other way. I have no one else to ask.’”
卡罗琳娜说：“我那时候不得不请求上帝帮忙，说，主啊，现在一切都掌握在您的手中了，我别的什么办法都没有了，也没有别人可以求助了。”

Within days, the Shorefront YMHA, a network agency of the United Jewish Appeal, told Martinez that the Neediest Cases Fund would cover her moving expenses. Today, back in college and on her way to nursing school, she intends to give back the help she has received by helping others. “Absolutely. At the end of the tunnel, there is light.”
不几天，纽约时报基金的一个单位、犹太人联合施善组织下属的一个机构对卡罗琳娜说，可以出钱帮她们一家搬家。如今，卡罗琳娜又回到大学念书了，而且不久还将开始读护士学校。她今后打算要做一些善事，帮其他人渡过难关。她说：“一定会的；黑暗的尽头是光明。”

The New York Times spotlights the tangible results of helping others, encouraging continued kindness. The dollar amount of donations to the Neediest Cases Fund has decreased recently, but the number of people contributing to it continues to rise.
纽约时报在谈到上面说的这个为“最需要救助的人”设置的基金的文章中，点出被帮助的人已经取得的成绩，从而来鼓励读者继续给予捐助。虽然这一基金收到的捐助款项的总数似乎有所下降，但是，捐助人数却一直在增加

蓝鱼o_0

[双语新闻] 世界观察研究所：全球每天10亿人挨饿音频地址：
http://www.24en.com/voa/news/2011-12-29/116081.html

The Worldwatch Institute said in 2011 far too many people were living with less than they needed. It says, for example, nearly one billion people were hungry and just as many were illiterate.
世界观察研究所说，2011年全球有太多人生活在需求线以下。该机构举例说，将近10亿人食不裹腹，同样多的人只字不识。
Worldwatch Institute’s Danielle Nierenberg said while a billion people went to bed hungry each night, it wasn’t because of a lack of available food.
世界观察研究所的达尼埃尔.尼兰伯格说，世界上有10亿人口每天忍饥挨饿，但这并不因为食品缺乏。
“We produce more than enough food in the world to not only feed the 7 billion people who are on earth today, but 9 to 11 billion people. By 2050, we expect the population to be about 9 and a half billion people and we currently produce enough food to feed all of those people. But the question is really one of how do we get food to the people who need it the most. Poverty really impedes the progress of allowing people to eat well. Not just getting enough staple crops, but being able to buy fruits and vegetables and the things that will really nourish them,” she said.
尼兰伯格说：“我们生产的粮食不仅足够目前世界上70亿人的口粮，而且足够供养90到110亿人。到2050年，我们预计世界人口将达到95亿，而我们现在生产的粮食已经足够养活这么多人口了。但现在真正的问题是我们如何才能将粮食送到那些最需要食品的人们手中。贫穷的确妨碍了人们吃饱吃好。人们不仅要保证获得足够的粮食，还要有能力购买水果和蔬菜以及能够满足营养的其它食品。”
Wasted
The director of the Nourishing the Planet Project said besides poverty and a lack of access to food, much food is simply lost. Worldwatch estimates 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year.
这位全球营养项目主任说，除了贫穷和缺少获得食品的途径外，很多食品完全损失了。世界观察估计，每年被浪费掉的食品高达有13亿吨。
“Twenty to fifty percent of the global food harvest is wasted before it can ever reach people’s stomachs. And this is really a moral problem when you consider all of the people who are hungry in the world. The good news about that 20 to 50 percent of global food waste number is that it’s easy to prevent food waste. We can do it in our homes. Consumers can do a lot to prevent food waste by planning meals better, by not buying too much food. In the developing world there are storage systems that are beginning to be put in place that help farmers protect their food from crop diseases or pests or molds and fungus,” she said.
她说：“全球20%到50%收获的粮食在人们能进食前就已经被浪费了。如果考虑到全世界那些遭受饥饿的人们，浪费粮食实际上是一个道德问题。全球范围的中这20%到50%被浪费的粮食如果说有乐观的一面，那就是说这种浪费很容易避免。我们可以从自己家庭做起。消费者可以更好地计划每一餐，不要购买太多饮食， 从而防止粮食遭到浪费。在发展中国家，人们开始设立储存系统，可以帮助农民防止发生农作物病变、防虫、防霉、防真菌等危害侵袭。”
Nierenberg said prevention measures can be put in place all along the food chain.
尼兰伯格说，防范措施可以落实到食品链的每一个环节。
On the micro level
Part of the problem of malnutrition is a deficiency in micronutrients. A severe lack of Vitamin A, iron and iodine can have lifelong effects. For example, a vitamin A deficiency in children can lead to blindness. An iron deficiency in pregnant women can cause a number of complications.
营养不良问题的一部分原因在于微量营养素的缺乏。如果维生素A，铁以及碘元素严重缺乏，就会给人的一生造成影响。如果儿童缺乏维生素A，可能会造成失明。孕妇缺少铁元素可能会导致出现各种综合症。
“One of the biggest problems in the world right now is that we produce a lot of calories. We produce a lot of starchy staple crops, whether it’s rice or wheat or maize. And while that keeps people full and fed, and most of the world really depends on those starch staple crops to survive, we’re not investing as much in the production of fruits and vegetables. Those are the things that contain those essential micronutrients,” she said.
达尼埃尔.尼兰伯格说：“目前世界上最大的问题之一是人们生产了太多的热量。人们生产了太多淀粉类主食，不论是大米、小麦还是玉米。这些粮食可以让人们有饱足感也能保证人们的生存，事实上世界大多地区民众都依赖这些淀粉类粮食存活，但相比之下，我们在水果和蔬菜生产方面投资不足 ，而水果蔬菜才含有人体必须的微量营养元素。”
Nierenberg said a lack of access to nutritious food does not necessarily mean affected people are thin. It can be just the opposite. They can be overweight or even obese.
尼兰伯格说，缺少营养食品的人们并不一定就会因此消瘦，反而可能出现相反的情况，这些人可能会超重甚至造成肥胖症。
“People don’t have access to healthy, nutritious food. In the United States, we have the highest obesity rates in the world. And this is partly due because many of our citizens don’t have access to grocery stores or farmers’ markets. They live in what are called food deserts. Places where people have to travel very far to grocery stores. In most of these areas the food comes not from supermarkets, but it comes from liquor stores and convenience stores, where unhealthy foods and processed foods are sold,” she said.
她说：“有些人得不到健康和营养的食品。美国是世界上肥胖症比例最高的国家，部分是因为很多人生活范围中没有菜市场或农贸市场。他们生活的范围被称为食品沙漠。这些人要经过远途行程才能到达菜市场。在大部分这样的地区，食品并不来自超级市场，而是来自卖酒的小店和便利店，这些小店只销售不健康食品和加工食品。”
Can’t read or write
While it may not seem obvious, the Worldwatch Institute project director said malnutrition and illiteracy are closely linked.
世界观察研究所这位项目主任说，尽管看不出营养不良和文盲有明显联系，但事实上二者是紧密相联的。
“When people, especially farmers, don’t have the education that they need to live productive lives, they can’t learn new skills. And in sub-Saharan Africa, women farmers, especially, don’t have access to education. This prevents them from not only learning new cropping techniques and learning new technologies, it also prevents them from being able to access financial and banking services. They can’t have bank accounts. They can’t buy land. They can’t buy the inputs that they need to make their crops more productive,” she said.
她说：“当人们特别是农民忙于农活没有机会上学接受教育的时候，他们就没有办法学到新技术。在非洲萨哈拉沙漠以南地区，这个问题在农民妇女身上尤为突出，她们没有机会接受教育，难以学习新的种粮技巧和农业技术，当然她们就无法获得金融和银行服务，没有银行账户，没法购买土地，也无法添置有利粮食生产的工具。”
Nierenberg said despite the many challenges, Worldwatch is hopeful for the future. She says there are a growing number of innovative projects to address hunger and poverty, while at the same time protecting the environment. These include the World Food Program’s homegrown school feeding initiatives underway in Kenya, Brazil, India, Thailand and other countries. The programs put local food producers in direct contact with schools.
尼兰伯格说，尽管有这么多挑战，世界观察研究所仍然对未来抱有希望。她说，目前已经有越来越多的创新项目来解决饥饿和贫穷问题，与此同时还能顾及环境保护，这些项目包括世界粮食项目在肯尼亚、巴西、泰国以及其它国家设立的家庭养殖和学校饮食计划。这些计划能让食品生产者直接和学校挂钩。

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[双语新闻] 2012科技大预测 密码将成历史？

According to IBM researchers, in five years we won’t need passwords, won’t be bothered by junk mail and will be able to control many of our machines with our minds.
根据IBM研究人员的预测，5年内我们就不再需要密码，也不再会被垃圾电邮打搅，我们还能用我们的心操控许多机器。

The American technology company released its 6th annual Five-in-Five, a list of five innovations the firm expects to see within five years.
美国科技公司IBM要进入第两百个年头了，它日前公布了第6次的“未来5年5大科技预测”。

One of them will enable us to generate small amounts of energy to supplement the electric power we use in our homes.
这个名单是IBM预测我们将在未来5年看见的5大科技创新。其中一项将使我们能产生小量能源供给家户电力。

“You can do micro-electronic generation,” says Bernie Meyerson, vice president of Innovation at IBM. “For instance, you can have somebody in the third world who has access to a phone or a smart phone, but doesn’t have access to a power grid, which is a very common thing and literally in a shoe has something that recovers energy from walking and can charge the battery to enable that person to actually become connected with the rest of the world.”
IBM创新部门的副主管梅尔森说：“你可以作微观的发电。例如，第三世界国家的某个人有支手机或智慧型手机，但却没有电力供应，这是很常见的事。在他的鞋里头装上靠走路发电的装置，他的手机随时能充电，使这个人实际上跟全世界联结了起来。”

Another innovation will make those hard-to-remember passwords obsolete. Soon, in order to access our e-mail or bank account, we'll use a technology known as biometrics. A tiny sensor could confirm your identity by recognizing the unique patterns in the retina of your eye.
另一项科技创新将让那些难记的密码消失。不久，我们将能用一种被称为生物辨识的科技进入电邮信箱或银行帐号。

“Imagine that things recognize you," Meyerson says. "You walk up to an ATM. It takes one look at you and says, ‘Yep, you’re you.’”
梅尔森说：“想象一下东西记得你。你走到一个提款机，机器看了你一眼说，嘿我知道你是谁。”

Within five years, it's possible we'll no longer be inundated with junk mail, because a new electronic device will delete it before we ever see it.
在5年内，我们将不会再被垃圾电邮淹没。梅尔森说，一个新的电子装置将在我们看到垃圾电邮前就把它删了。

“That device, as you act upon it, as you eliminate mail, you don’t read it, you just look at it and kill it," Meyerson says, "after a while it learns your habits and works as your assistant by eliminating stuff you never wanted anyway.”
梅尔森说：“在你删信的时候，你不用读信，你看它一眼然后删掉。如此过一阵子，这个装置就把你的习惯学起来，就象你的助理一样帮你删掉不想看的信。”

IBM also sees us controlling many of our electronic devices telepathically.
IBM还预测，我们将能用心灵能力控制许多电子装置。

“A simple ability to command a system to do something without actually doing or saying anything, literally thinking and having something happen, as a result, that’s accurate," Meyerson says. "Something with deep capability so that a person, for instance, who is paraplegic or quadriplegic, can actually utilize brain waves to make things happen and basically run their own lives independently.”
梅尔森说：“不必实际做或说来指挥一个系统做事、光用想就让事情精确地发生，这其实是很简单的能力。这种深刻的能力使例如瘫痪或四肢麻痹患者能运用脑波让事情发生，独立打理他们的生活。”

The fifth innovation on IBM’s list is the elimination of the so-called “digital divide,” between those who are and aren't connected.
梅尔森说，IBM名单上第5大科技创新是消除所谓的“数字鸿沟”。

"We anticipate that, in five years, better than 80 percent of coverage of the world populations by cellular phones and smart phones," Meyerson says. "At this point, imagine having, for instance, the ability to speak openly with anybody anywhere, anytime and in any language, real-time translation - literally the old Star Trek idea of a universal translator coming to be.”
梅尔森说：“想想看今天的数字鸿沟。世界被分为拥有和缺少数字产品的人，能与不能跟世界联结上的人。我们预期5年内世界超过80%人口都拥用手机和智慧型手机。到时，想象一下例如可以随时随地与随便一种语言的人讲话，这种实时翻译的能力不就是《星舰迷航》的宇宙翻译者的概念！”

IBM’s track record of predictions over the past five years has been mixed. Some predictions are still not reality. In 2006, for example, IBM researchers predicted there would be a 3D Internet by now.
IBM过去5年的预测结果好坏参半。一些预测到现在还没成真。在2006年，IBM研究人员预测，现在会有一个3D因特网。

However, in 2009, they predicted city buildings would “sense and respond” like living organisms. Three years later, that future is here. At a New York art museum, sensors are detecting subtle fluctuations in temperature, humidity, air flow and light levels, and adjusting the building’s environment to help preserve the works of art.
在2009年，他们预测城市建筑会象有机体一样感应与回应。3年后，这个未来果真到来了。纽约一个艺术博物馆，感应器会侦测温度、湿度和光线的细微变化，然后自动调节建筑的环境以维护艺术品的保存。

What’s important about the Five-in-Five list, says IBM’s Meyerson, is it encourages the researchers to turn as much of their innovative imagination as possible into practical realities.
IBM的梅尔森说，“未来5年5大科技预测”名单的重要之处在于，它鼓励那些努力将我们的创新想象变成真实的研究人员。
转贴于：24EN.COM

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That's really a good material to learn English, thank you!

Let's learn English together.

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ILO: 未来10年全球需6亿就业机会
独特视角——女性就业者将在经济复苏中发挥重要作用

The International Labor Organization says the world faces an urgent challenge of creating 600 million productive jobs over the next decade. It says those jobs are needed to generate sustainable growth after three years of continuous crisis conditions in global labor markets.
国际劳工组织(ILO)称，未来10年，全球面临需要创造6亿个生产性就业机会的紧迫挑战。该组织说，全球劳动力市场在经过持续三年的危机状况之后，需要创造这样多的就业机会以实现经济可持续增长。

2011

The International Labor Organization says the year begins with the world facing a “serious job challenge and widespread decent work deficits.” It’s released its annual report – Global Employment Trends 2012: Preventing a Deeper Jobs Crisis.
国际劳工组织说，新的一年开始之际，世界正面临“严峻的就业挑战和广泛的体面就业的短缺。” 该组织发布了它的年度报告《2012年全球就业趋势：防止就业危机加深》。

The ILO said there is a backlog of global employment of 200 million. At the same time, the report says 400 million new jobs will be needed over 10 years to avoid another rise in unemployment.
国际劳工组织说，目前全球需要弥补两亿就业机会。与此同时，这份年度报告称，未来10年需要创造4亿个新的就业机会，以避免失业率再次攀升。

“2011 in terms of employment was not a very good year. We still have not recovered from the big economic and financial crisis in terms of job creation. While at the same time all the new crises we’ve seen in 2011 further put pressure on labor markets. So, overall we’ve seen very little improvement. And if it continues like that we won’t be back to pre-crisis levels for a long time,” said Dorothea Schmidt, an ILO senior employment specialist based in Cairo.
多罗西亚·施密特是国际劳工组织驻开罗的高级就业问题专家，她说：“对就业市场而言2011年不是很好的一年。在创造就业方面，我们仍未从严重的经济和金融危机中复苏。与此同时，2011年我们看到的所有新的危机给劳动力市场带来进一步压力。因此，总体而言就业市场的改善微乎其微。如果这种状况继续下去，我们在很长时间内都将无法恢复到危机前的水平。”

Young people continue to be the hardest hit with few near-term job prospects. Nearly 75 million youth, between the ages of 15 and 24, were unemployed in 2011. That’s an increase of more than 4 million since 2007.
年轻人仍是受影响最严重的群体，近期就业前景黯淡。2011年将近有7500万年龄在15到24岁的年轻人失业。自2007年以来年轻人失业人数增加了400多万。

Schmidt said, “Young people are usually the last ones to enter labor markets and they are always the first ones to exit them. This has to do with the lack of their experience. It also has to do with the lack of respect that people have for younger people because they always think they are not ready yet to do a good job.”
她说：“年轻人常常在就业市场上最后找到工作，而又往往是最先被辞退的人。这是因为他们缺乏经验，也由于人们对年轻人缺乏足够的尊重，常常认为年轻人无法胜任自己的岗位。”

Also, the jobs that are available are often not in line with the training or education young people have received.
此外，就业市场上的工作岗位和年轻人接受的教育以及培训等经历难以吻合。

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa has done much better than many other regions during the global recession. But Schmidt says despite that, the economic growth has not translated into more decent jobs.

“If we see job growth in many of the economies in sub-Saharan Africa, it only happens in the informal sector. And this is exactly the sector that does not create decent jobs,” she said.

Schmidt said the majority of people in sub-Saharan Africa still work in agriculture. Many are actually unpaid family members. The region has a very high rate of working poor.

“You have a job, but still you live with your family with less than one dollar per person per day. And that is really extreme poverty. And this is really the case for a lot of people in that region. We talk about 38.1 percent of people working, but still living in poverty,” she said.

Arab Spring

Meanwhile, North Africa is also facing a severe shortfall of decent jobs.

“Even before the Arab Spring,” Schmidt said, “there were a lot of challenges regarding labor markets. And now the Arab Spring has put a lot of pressure on economies. We see a very, very slow recovery from the Arab Spring event in terms of economic growth in Egypt. It looks a bit better in Tunisia. But also neighboring countries suffered a lot from it and the recovery is just very, very, very slow.”

The ILO described North Africa as one of the worst places in the world for young women to find jobs. Schmidt blames this on cultural issues and a false belief about women workers.

“If women would work they would take away jobs from men. And given that young men don’t find jobs they try to stop women from entering the labor market. But as a matter of fact, this is never the case. All over the world, if women’s labor force participation rate increases it always goes hand in hand with economic growth. Because, after all, these young women, or even older women, they are producing something. They are contributing to GDP growth,” she said.

GDP, or Gross Domestic Product, is a measure of the goods and services a country produces. Schmidt said for every 100 North African women only 10 have jobs. She describes women as a huge potential for economic growth going unused.
施密特说，每100名北非年轻妇女中，只有大约10个人有工作。她说，妇女是经济增长尚未开发的巨大潜力。

North Africa, like sub-Saharan Africa, has a large percentage of working poor.
和萨哈拉以南非洲一样，北非也有很高比例的就业人群属于贫困者。

The International Labor Organization annual report said job growth is dependent in large part on recovery from the global recession. Nevertheless, it says there are many things that can be done on the national level to help create highly productive jobs.
国际劳工组织的年度报告指出，就业增长在很大程度上依赖全球经济复苏。但是，报告同时指出，各国政府可以通过自身努力创造有利于增长的就业机会。

For example, providing education and training in line with the job market; creating job centers where employers have easier access to potential employees; and helping entrepreneurs start their own businesses. The ILO also said much more can and should be done in the manufacturing sector to create jobs.
比如，按照就业市场的需求提供教育和培训，设立就业中心，方便雇主寻找潜在的雇员，以及帮助创业者自己开拓生意。国际劳工组织说，制造业可以而且也应该有所作为，为经济创造更多工作岗位。

蓝鱼o_0

[双语新闻] 美国海军舰只改用生物燃料
http://www.24en.com/voa/news/2012-07-11/117754.html

The U.S. Navy is going ahead with plans to convert much of its fleet to expensive biofuels despite opposition from members of Congress who say it is the wrong thing to do at a time when the U.S. military faces nearly $500 billion in budget cuts.
尽管遭到国会议员反对，但是美国海军仍坚持为其部分舰队改用昂贵的生物燃料。国会议员表示，在美国军方面临削减将近5000亿美元军费之际，改用生物燃料是错误的。

Going green

The U.S. Navy has a special message this year at the Rim of the Pacific exercises bringing together the navies of more than 20 nations off the Coast of Hawaii: It is time to turn green.
美国海军向参加今年在夏威夷沿岸举行的环太平洋军事演习的20多个国家，传达了一个特殊信息：是该环保的时候了。

Joining the vessels is what the U.S. Navy calls its Great Green Fleet of warships powered by fuel from renewable sources like algae, grass, and animal fat.
参加这次军演的美国战舰是由像水藻、杂草和动物脂肪等可再生资源制造的燃料驱动的。美国海军称之为“伟大的绿色舰队”。

Over the last few months, the navy has been showcasing how biofuels can transform the military and eventually lead what Navy Secretary Ray Mabus hopes will be a transition away from energy sources in unstable parts of the world.
在过去几个月，美国海军一直在展示生物燃料如何改变美国军队，并最终发展成如美国海军部长马布斯所希望的向远离世界动荡地区能源来源的状态过渡。

“The main reason we are moving toward alternative energy in navy marine corps is to make us better war fighters, is to reduce our vulnerability on imported fossil fuel," he stated. "(To) Make sure we have energy security and energy independence in the United States military, United States Navy."
美国海军部长马布斯说：“我们在海军和海军陆战队向替代能源过渡的主要原因是使我们更好地应对战争，减少我们对进口化石燃料依赖的弱点，确保我们美国军队、美国海军具有能源安全和能源独立性。”

Converting Navy's fleet, biofuels

The Obama administration wants half the Navy’s fleet to convert to biofuels by 2020 and become a major force in the development of the biofuels market - much in the same way the military in the past has served as the developer of technologies such as GPS, computers, and cell phones.
奥巴马政府希望到2020年一半的美国舰队改用生物燃料，成为发展生物燃料市场的一个主要力量，就像美国军方在过去成为例如全球定位、电脑和移动电话等技术的开创者一样。

“The Air Force is aiming to get half of its domestic jet fuel from alternative sources by 2016. And I’m directing the Navy and the Department of Energy and Agriculture to work with the private sector to create advanced biofuels that can power not just fighter jets, but also trucks and commercial airliners,” said U.S. President Barack Obama.
美国总统奥巴马说：“美国空军计划到2016年使一半的航空燃料油来自替代能源。我指示海军、能源部和农业部与私人领域合作，创造出不仅用于战机，而且还可用于卡车和商业客机的高级生物燃料。”

Cost effective

But with each gallon of biofuel costing $26 compared to less than $4 that conventional fuel does, there is plenty of opposition from members of Congress who say it is a waste of money at a time when the Pentagon faces deep budget cuts.
但是，每加仑生物燃料耗费26美元，而常用燃料则每加仑不到4美元。结果，来自美国国会议员的反对很多。他们说，在五角大楼面临巨额预算削减之际，这样做是浪费资金。

“It’s going to be more expensive to get these biofuels and it doesn’t provide any operational improvement," said David Kreutzer who is energy analyst at the Heritage Foundation. "That is it’s not denser energy. It has to be drop in fuel. We could be getting more fuel from domestic production much more cheaply instead of diverting resources in the navy towards biofuels, we could use them for equipment and material and personnel.”
传统基金会能源分析师大卫.克鲁泽说：“要获得这些生物燃料将更加昂贵，而且也不会带来作战改进。它不是更高能密能源，燃料高能密一定有下降。我们可以从国内生产获得更多的更便宜的燃料，而不是将海军的资金改用于生物燃料，我们可以用于设备、材料和人员上。”

Efforts to convert the Navy are well under way. The U.S.S. Makin Island, the Navy’s first hybrid amphibious assault ship has just completed its maiden voyage.
海军改用燃料的努力早已开始。美国海军的第一艘混合动力两栖攻击舰“马金岛”号刚刚完成处女航。

The green message has also been carried by the Navy’s famous Blue Angels seen demonstrating the power of biofuels at a recent air show.
海军闻名的蓝天使特技飞行队在最近一次飞行表演上展示生物燃料的威力，传达绿色信息。

With money in short supply at the military, biofuels - for now - may be only for show.
在美国军方极为缺钱的情况下，在目前，生物燃料可能只用于展示。

蓝鱼o_0

[双语新闻] 美国经济复苏缓慢而不稳
A look at some key industries in the United States shows that the economic recovery is a bit erratic and growth seems to be slowing down.
美国一些主要行业的统计数据显示，美国经济复苏仍然不稳定，而且增长速度正在放慢。

Economists say trucks haul nearly 70 percent of the freight used in the United States.
经济学家说，卡车运输量占美国所有货运的70%。

The American Trucking Association says freight is a measure of the economy, because manufacturers have to move raw materials, carry parts to factories, haul imports and exports and deliver goods to store shelves.
美国卡车运输协会说，货运是衡量经济的指标，因为制造商需要运输原材料，把零件送到工厂，运输进出口货物，并把商品送到商店货架上。

“We are actually a very good indicator, a leading economic indicator ((a way of looking at the economic future)) in fact. And so if tonnage starts to fall, we get nervous. If it’s going up, we are pretty happy,“ said Bob Costello, the group's chief economist.
鲍勃·卡斯特罗是美国卡车运输协会的主任经济师。他说：“我们是一个很好的指标，事实上是主要经济指标。如果吨位下降，我们就会紧张，如果上升，我们就很高兴。”

Freight tonnage is going up at the moment, but the rate of growth is slowing down.
目前，运输吨位在上升，可是上升的速度在下降。

"It is telling me that the economy is not falling into another recession. It will continue as a sort of a slow growth recovery," Costello said.
卡斯特罗说：“这就告诉我，经济不会再次衰退，会继续缓慢地复苏。”

Other clues about economic growth come from the volume of air freight. The most recent data show demand for air freight fell more than three percent globally during July.
经济增长的另一个迹象是空运量。最新数据显示，7月全球空运需求量减少了百分之3以上。

"It can also, as you start to see air cargo dropping off and you are seeing other signs -- it can also be a leading indicator of a downturn,” said Perry Flint, of the International Air Transport Association.
国际航空运输协会的佩里·弗林特说：“当你开始看到空运货物量下降的时候，其他迹象也会显示同样的趋势，也就是说，空运量也可以是个主要指标。”

However, the same report shows that passenger traffic made gains during the same period.
可是，同一个报告显示，同期的航空客运量有所增加。

That may be why a top official of Cambria Suites Hotels, Michael Murphy, says business is strong.
这也许是坎布里亚酒店的高级主管迈克尔·墨菲说生意很好的原因。

“We are seeing the highest demand in the history of the hotel industry right now. More people are traveling now than ever before, and that's in all segments of travel,” Murphy said.
墨菲说：“我们目前的订房需求是酒店行业历史上最高的。现在旅行的人数超过以往任何时候，各种旅行都一样。”

The contradictory indicators are one reason that predicting the economic future is a complex and difficult task.
相互矛盾的指标，使得预测经济前景变得复杂和困难。

For example, government experts first said the U.S. economy expanded at a 1.5 percent annual rate during April, May, and June. Then they made a revision -- as new information became available and showed growth was more likely at a 1.7 percent rate.
比如在今年4、5、6月份，政府部门专家说，美国经济的年增长率为百分之1.5。然后他们修正说，新的数据显示，年增长率可能超过百分之1.7。

Trying to figure out what to do about the sluggish economic recovery is even more complicated.
要找到如何解决经济复苏缓慢的方法更是一项错综复杂的任务。