英语新闻

The effects of modern technology on the human body is a subject of fascination for many scientists.

现代技术对人体的影响是令许多科学家着迷的课题。

From carpal tunnel syndrome and eye strain to the condition known as "tech neck", the negative effects of technology use are well documented.

从腕管综合征、眼疲劳到“技术脖”，技术使用的负面影响是有目共睹的。

carpal tunnel syndrome：腕管综合症

Now one company has created a 3D model of a future human, based on some of these scientific predictions - and the result is truly horrifying.

现在，一家公司基于这些科学预测，创造了一个未来人类的3D模型——真的很吓人。

Dubbed "Mindy", the human of 2100 has a hunched back, caused by hours sitting in front of a computer monitor at the office and craning her neck to look at smartphones.

这位2100年的人类被称为“明迪”，她因长时间坐在办公室的电脑显示器前、伸长脖子看智能手机而驼背。

hunched[hʌntʃt]：adj.缩成一团的

crane [kreɪn]：vi.伸着脖子看

对此有网友“一针见血”地指出，现在就已经有人长这样了……

Her neck muscles have also grown to limit the damage caused by poor posture due to monitor and smartphone use.

同时，她颈部的肌肉进一步生长，以减少因使用显示器和智能手机而导致的不良姿势所造成的伤害。

"Spending hours looking down at your phone strains your neck and throws your spine off balance," said Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert at Maple Holistics.

“花几个小时低头看手机会让你的脖子带来压力，让你的脊椎失去平衡”，Maple Holistics公司的健康专家凯勒·巴克说。

"Consequently, the muscles in your neck have to expend extra effort to support your head.

“因此，颈部的肌肉需要额外的力量来支撑头部。”

New Zealand has started charging an “admission fee” of NZ$35 to overseas visitors.

新西兰开始向外国游客征收“入场费”，每人35纽元（约合人民币160元）。

The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) came into effect on July 1, 2019.

这项国际旅客保育及旅游税于2019年7月1日生效。

The tax applies to most foreign visitors. Citizens of Australia and some small Pacific nations are exempt, as are transit passengers. Crews on ships and aircraft will also dodge the levy.

这项税收适用于大多数外国游客。澳大利亚和一些太平洋小岛国居民可以免交旅游税，其他免税人群包括，中转旅客、船员和飞机乘务人员等。

hissing cockroach on rock/Jesper Aggergaard/unsplash

Cockroaches are stepping up their defenses against the poisons designed to kill them.

蟑螂对杀虫剂的防御机制正在加强。

A new study has found that German cockroaches, the most common species of the insect in the world, are developing cross-resistance to numerous insecticides.

最新研究发现，全球最常见的蟑螂种类德国小蠊正对多种杀虫剂产生交叉耐药性。

cross-resistance：交互抗性

Not only were researchers in some cases unable to reduce cockroach numbers during a six-month study period, even when combining different insecticides, but they found the insects' resistance increased up to six-fold within one generation.

在某些情况下，研究人员不仅无法在为期半年的研究期间杀灭部分蟑螂，甚至使用了多种杀虫剂也是如此，而且他们发现，蟑螂的耐药性在一代之内提高到之前的6倍。

'This is a previously unrealized challenge in cockroaches,' said Purdue University professor Michael Scharf.

普渡大学教授迈克尔·沙夫说：“我们之前在蟑螂身上从未遇到过的挑战。”

France's parliament adopted a smacking ban on Tuesday - a largely symbolic gesture in a country where there is still widespread support for corporal punishment against children.

法国议会于本周二通过“体罚禁令”，这在很大程度上是一个象征性的举动。在法国，仍有很多人支持体罚儿童。

corporal ['kɔːp(ə)r(ə)l]：adj.肉体的，身体的

According to France's Childhood Foundation, 85 percent of French parents admit to smacking their children.

根据法国儿童基金会的调查，85%的法国父母承认曾体罚过孩子。

Some conservative and far-Right members warned such legislation fostered unwanted "interference" in family life.

一些保守派和极右翼议员警告称，这项法律助长了对家庭生活不必要的“干涉”。

Once written into the Civil Code, couples who exchange marital vows will be reminded that "parental authority is exercised without physical or psychological violence".

一旦写入法国民法，那些交换婚姻誓言的新婚夫妻将被提醒“父母行使亲权时，不得对小孩施以肢体或心理暴力”。

间隔年是啥？

A gap year is a semester or year of experiential learning, typically taken after high school or university and prior to career or postgraduate education, in order to deepen one's practical, professional, and personal awareness.

间隔年通常是一个学期或一年的时间，在这段时间中进行体验式的学习。间隔年通常是在高中或者本科结束，在读研究生或工作之前的时间里开展的。间隔年的目的是让人们在职业和个人方面有更符合实际的认识。

In other words, gap years provide young people with time and space to learn about themselves and the world — much of which they haven’t seen or experienced as a child living in their parent's home.

换句话说，间隔年能够给予年轻人时间和空间去了解自己和世界——这种了解通常是住在父母屋檐底下的小孩从未见过或经历过的。

为什么要间隔年？

Unfortunately, there's a stigma surrounding taking time off to travel and learn. Too many people believe not heading directly to a university or the workplace means a young person is destined to work in a menial job forever or never go back to school.

遗憾的是，间隔年一直背负着误解。很多人认为放弃直接升学或者工作就意味着这个年轻人注定以后要做一份平庸的工作或永远都无法再进修了。

But studies have shown that taking a gap year not only are tied to increases in college GPAs, but more significantly is tied to improved job satisfaction. In short, taking the time to figure out what success looks like is a surefire way to be directed in achieving it.

不过研究显示间隔年不仅仅与绩点上升有关，而且更重要的是还与工作满意度的增加有关。总的来说，花时间想清楚自己要的成功是什么样子一定可以帮你定位到正确的方向上。

If you're thinking a gap year is just a time to slack off and avoid the hard work required to pursue a college degree, think again.

如果你以为间隔年就是做一条咸鱼，逃避取得学位所付出的努力的话，那你再想想吧。

There are real benefits that result from it.

间隔年是真的有益处的。

You can see the world in a different way, determine your real goals and the best way to achieve them, and gain valuable career experience.

你看待世界的方式会变得不同，能够找到真正的目标和实现它最好的方式，而且还能获得宝贵的职业经验。

Bear in mind that your gap year is not confined in traveling abroad only. In fact, you can combine travel with an educational opportunity that changes the way you think forever. For example, Find an internship abroad if you can.

记住，间隔年可不只是出出国、旅旅游。事实上你可以在旅行中得到启示，这将改变你的思维方式。比方说，可以找一个海外实习啊。

有谁选择过间隔年？

史蒂夫·乔布斯

He famously started Apple, with all its iconic imagery and minimalist aesthetic. But what's less well known is that he spent months living in India, meditating in the mountains and learning how to tap into what was important to him.

乔布斯创立了拥有标志性形象和极简主义美学的苹果公司，他也因此闻名于世。但很少有人知道乔布斯曾在印度生活过几个月，在山上冥想并思考究竟什么才是重要的。

He contracted lice, dysentery, and eventually scabies before running out of money and returning home to start a new project, the original Mac.

他染上了虱子和痢疾，还得了疥疮， 随后又花光了钱。然后回到家中，他开始了一个新项目，也就是初代的Mac电脑。

J·K·罗琳

J.K. Rowling spent three years teaching English as a foreign language in Portugal. During this time, Harry Potter went from being an idea on a piece of paper to the first three chapters of Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone.

J·K·罗琳曾在葡萄牙当了三年英语教师。在这期间，“哈利·波特”从纸上的想法变成了《哈利·波特与魔法石》的前三章。

Her time spent in a new country allowed her to craft her vision of the young wizard world and a yearning for the British landscape.

在异国的时光让罗琳编织出了自己的年轻巫师世界，也让她思念英国的风景。

艾玛·沃特森