(单词翻译:单击)
路透社:NBA杰森·科林斯公开同性恋身份
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Daredevil balances over a Chinese canyon
中国峡谷上演生死平衡特技
Life is a balancing act for Norwegian extreme artist Eskil Ronningsbakken. For his latest stunt the daredevil chose the Aizhai suspension bridge in central China that hangs 330 meters, or almost 1,100 feet over a canyon. The acrobat balanced on chairs, a pole and even a moving hot air balloon without wearing any safety harness. For his final stunt he even donned a blindfold. It's clear that Ronningsbakken has no fear of heights - as he has performed similar feats of acrobatics over lethal drops across the world. He says that he practices yoga, meditation, and breathing techniques to stay balanced.
对于挪威极限艺术家洛宁·斯巴肯，生活就是一场平衡表演。最近他大胆的选择在中国中部的矮寨悬索大桥上进行特技表演，该桥建于峡谷之上，高330米（近1100英尺）。不戴任何安全吊带，椅子、支竿甚至移动的热气球都成了他表演平衡特技的场所。最后一个特技他甚至蒙上了自己的眼睛。毫无疑问，斯巴肯对高并不敏感，此前他在世界各地表演过类似致命的倒挂特技。他称他通过练习瑜伽、冥想、呼吸技巧来保持平衡。
Court appearance for suspect in ricin letters case
蓖麻毒素信件案嫌疑人出庭
A martial arts instructor appeared in federal court on Monday (April 29), suspected of sending poisoned letters to officials including President Barack Obama. James Everett Dutschke was arrested last week after ricin-tainted letters were mailed to Obama and two other officials. The letters were intercepted before reaching their destinations. Another Mississippi man was initially held, but the charges against him were dropped after officials failed to find evidence of his involvement. Last week, Dutschke denied the allegations.
周一(4月29日)，一名武术指导因涉嫌向包括美国总统巴拉克·奥巴马在内的官员寄发有毒信件出现在了联邦法庭。寄往奥巴马及两名其他官员的蓖麻毒素信件案发生后，詹姆斯·埃弗雷特·杜奇克于上周被捕。信件在到达目的地之前被拦截。此前，首先逮捕的是另一名密西西比的男子，但由于证据确不凿指控被取消。上周，杜奇克否认了这些指控。
JAMES EVERETT DUTSCHKE, CHARGED WITH MAILING LETTERS CONTAINING RICIN, SAYING: "I had absolutely nothing to do with those letters. And the person who was accused of sending those letters, her defence attorney, or his defence attorney said, steered them in my direction because I was probably an easy target." If convicted, Dutschke could face life in prison.
被指控邮寄含有蓖麻毒素信件的詹姆斯·埃弗雷特·杜奇克说：“我跟这些信件绝对没任何关系。被控邮寄这些信件的人，她的辩护律师，或他的辩护律师说，驱使他们诬陷我，因为我可能是容易进攻的目标。”如果被判有罪，杜奇克可能面临终身监禁。
NBA's Jason Collins comes out as gay
NBA杰森·科林斯公开同性恋身份
Smashing through one of the final frontiers in U.S. sports, a veteran basketball player has announced he's gay. Jason Collins has become the first active player to come out publicly as gay from any of the men's four major sports leagues in the U.S.. In an account published in a magazine, Collins says he'd become frustrated with keeping his sexuality silent. The move has triggered a wave of admiration from fellow sports players to some politicians. The White House says President Barack Obama called Collins to express his support.
随着资深篮球运动员宣布自己是同性恋，美国体育最后的“堡垒”被击垮。杰森·科林斯成为美国四大体育联盟中首位向公众公开自己是同性恋的现役球员。在一本杂志发表的记述中，柯林斯说他一直以来将自己的性取向藏在心里，很压抑。此举引来了同伴球员和一些政客的一阵钦佩。白宫表示，总统奥巴马向柯林斯表达了支持。
WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN JAY CARNEY SAYING: "I can certainly tell you that here at the White House we view that as another example of the progress that has been made and the evolution that has been taking place in this country, and commend him for his courage, and support him in his -- in this effort and hope that his fans and his team support him going forward." Collins says he had considered coming out years ago, but the Boston Marathon bombings convinced him not to wait any more for the perfect moment.
白宫发言人杰伊·卡尼说：“在白宫，我可以肯定告诉你，我们将其视为国家进步和发展的又一例子，我们赞扬他的勇气，支持他。通过这种努力，希望他的球迷和他的团队支持他继续向前。”柯林斯说多年前他就考虑过公开同性恋身份，波士顿马拉松爆炸案让他明白美好的时刻不容等待。
CCTV新闻:五一长假全国各大景区门票减价
Admission prices cut for May holiday
五一长假全国各大景区门票减价
China’s May Day holiday started on Monday. The country’s Transport Ministry expects a 15 to 20 percent year on year increase in traveller numbers during the three day holiday.
On Monday, the aggregate number of hours travelled by the public is expected to hit a record high of over 8 million. Highway tolls have been waived during the holiday to keep traffic moving. And as an incentive to the holiday crowds, many tourist attractions are lowering their admission prices.
Huangguoshu Waterfall, located in Southwest China’s Guizhou province, is the largest of its kind in China. Its scenic beauty attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. During this May Day holiday, local tourism operators have decided to offer a discount on admissions to encourage more visitors.
One tourist spot, The Tropic of Cancer Park in Yunnan Province, has cut its admission fee from 60 Yuan to 20 Yuan.
According to a government report, over a thousand tourist attractions across the country are cutting their admission prices during the holiday. Experts believe it’s just the start of government efforts to boost the tourism industry at home.
However, many complain that the more famous places are not lowering their admission prices or only offering a very small discount. It seems the best discounts will be at tourist spots that are not as popular among the holidaying public.
美国国家科学院成立150周年 奥巴马演讲
Remarks by the President on the 150th Anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences
美国国家科学院成立150周年 奥巴马演讲
THE PRESIDENT:Good morning, everybody, and thank you, Dr. Cicerone, for the kind introduction and the great work that you do. The good doctor was reminding me that the first time I came here, apparently joking, I warned him and John Holdren not to age too much in their jobs. And it turns out I’m the guy who’s aged. (Laughter.) They look great.
But, as always, it’s an honor to join our nation’s preeminent scholars, including my own Science Advisor, John Holdren, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences. And since I did not do well enough in chemistry or physics to impress you much on those topics, let me instead tell a story.
One hundred and fifty years ago, the nation, as all of you know, was in the midst of the Civil War, and the Union had recently suffered a devastating defeat at Fredericksburg. The road ahead seemed long and uncertain. Confederate advances in weapons technology cast a dark shadow on the Union.
The previous spring, in the waters outside of Hampton Roads, the ironclad Confederate battleship Virginia had sunk two wooden Union ships and advanced on a third, and this endangered the Union blockade of Virginia and threatening Union forces along the Potomac River. And then, overnight, the USS Monitor, an ironclad herself, arrived and fought the Virginia to a draw in the world’s first battle between iron-sided ships.
There was no victor, but the era of ironclad warfare had begun. And it brought unexpected challenges for President Lincoln and his Navy as they expanded this fleet in early 1863, because aboard their new iron-side battleships, sailors found that the iron siding made the ships’ compasses unpredictable, so it skewed navigation, and they were bumping into things and going the wrong way. (Laughter.) So the basic physics of magnetism undermined the usefulness of the ironclad vessels, even as the Confederates were stocking up on them.
And that’s where your predecessors came in. Because in March of 1983 — 1863, rather — President Lincoln and Congress established the National Academy of Sciences as an independent and nonprofit institution charged with the mission to provide the government with the scientific advice that it needed. And this was advice that was particularly useful in the thick of battle.
The National Academy soon counted the nation’s top scientists as members. They quickly got to work. By the next year, they were inspecting the Union’s ironclads and installing an array of bar magnets around the compasses to correct their navigation. So right off the bat, you guys were really useful. (Laughter.) In fact, it’s fair to say we might not be here had you not — (laughter) — certainly I would not be here. (Laughter and applause.)
Now, political leaders have long recognized the connection between technology and warfare throughout our human history. Sadly, this is an element of the human condition. We take our wars very seriously and we’re always looking for new ways to engage in a war. But President Lincoln founded the Academy with a mandate that went far beyond the science and technology of war. Even as the nation was at war with itself, President Lincoln had the wisdom to look forward, and he recognized that finding a way to harness the highest caliber scientific advice for the government would serve a whole range of long-term goals for the nation.
It was the same foresight that led him to establish land-grant colleges and finish the Transcontinental Railroad — the idea that the essence of America is this hunger to innovate, this restlessness, this quest for the next big thing. And although much of this innovation would be generated by the powers of our free market, the investments and the convening power of the federal government could accelerate discovery in a way that would continually push the nation forward.
That’s our inheritance, and now the task falls to us. We, too, face significant challenges — obviously not of the magnitude that President Lincoln faced, but we’ve got severe economic and security and environmental challenges. And what we know from our past is that the investments we make today are bound to pay off many times over in the years to come.
So we will continue to pursue advances in science and engineering, in infrastructure and innovation, in education and environmental protection — especially science-based initiatives to help us minimize and adapt to global threats like climate change.
And I’m confident we’ll meet that task because we’ve got you — brilliant and committed scientists to help us guide the way. And part of what’s made the Academy so effective is that all the scientists elected to your elite ranks are volunteers — which is fortunate because we have no money anyway. (Laughter.) For 150 years, you’ve strived to answer big questions, solve tough problems, not for yourselves but for the benefit of the nation. And that legacy has endured from the Academy’s founding days. And when you look at our history, you’ve stepped up at times of enormous need and, in some cases, great peril.
When Woodrow Wilson needed help understanding the science of military preparedness, he asked the Academy’s eminent scientists to lay it out for him. When George W. Bush, more recently, wanted to study the long-term health effects of traumatic brain injuries suffered by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, he set your scholars to the task. Today, my administration relies on your expertise to answer critical questions like: How do we set our priorities for research? How can we get the most out of the nanotechnology revolution? What are the underlying causes of gun violence?
And more important than any single study or report, the members of this institution embody what is so necessary for us to continue our scientific advance and to maintain our cutting-edge, and that’s restless curiosity and boundless hope, but also a fidelity to facts and truth, and a willingness to follow where the evidence leads.
And I’d like to acknowledge the other organizations that have been obviously very important in this whole process — the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine — all who’ve contributed similar leadership in maintaining the tradition, upholding the highest standard of science.
And, by the way, we do have colleagues in Congress who believe in science and believe in evidence. One of them is here, Congress Rush Holt. We’re very grateful to him for his outstanding work. (Applause.) And I want to thank many of the members of my administration, as well as PCAST, my — I always forget what exactly it stands for but — (laughter) — it’s my smart science people — (laughter) — who have contributed enormously to the work that we’re doing on a whole range of issues, from energy to advanced manufacturing, have really been extraordinary. I want to thank the members of my administration who are here as well who all are invested in making sure that we keep American science the best in the world.
Now, the good news is America remains a world leader in patents and scientific discovery. Our university system is the crown jewel of our economy as well as our civilization. And that’s what’s allowing us to continually replenish our stock of people who are willing to dream big dreams and reach higher than anybody else.
And what I want to communicate to all of you is, is that as long as I’m President, we’re going to continue to be committed to investing in the promising ideas that are generated from you and your institutions, because they lead to innovative products, they help boost our economy, but also because that’s who we are. I’m committed to it because that’s what makes us special and ultimately what makes life worth living.
And that’s why we’re pursuing “grand challenges” like making solar energy as cheap as coal, and building electric vehicles as affordable as the ones that run on gas. And earlier this month, I unveiled the BRAIN initiative, which will give scientists the tools that they need to get a dynamic picture of the brain in action, and better understand how we think and learn and remember.
Today, all around the country, scientists like you are developing therapies to regenerate damaged organs, creating new devices to enable brain-controlled prosthetic limbs, and sending sophisticated robots into space to search for signs of past life on Mars. That sense of wonder and that sense of discovery, it has practical application but it also nurtures what I believe is best in us.
And right now, we’re on the brink of amazing breakthroughs that have the chance, the potential to change life for the better — which is why we can’t afford to gut these investments in science and technology. Unfortunately, that’s what we’re facing right now. Because of the across-the-board cuts that Congress put in place — the sequester, as it’s known in Washington-speak — it’s hitting our scientific research. Instead of racing ahead on the next cutting-edge discovery, our scientists are left wondering if they’ll get to start any new projects, any new research projects at all over the next few years, which means that we could lose a year, two years of scientific research as a practical matter because of misguided priorities here in this town.
With the pace of technological innovation today, we can’t afford to stand still for a year or two years or three years. We’ve got to seize every opportunity we have to stay ahead. And we can’t let other countries win the race for ideas and technology of the future. And I say that, by the way, not out of just any nationalistic pride — although, obviously, that’s part of it — but it’s also because nobody does it better than we do when it’s adequately funded, when it’s adequately supported. And what we produce here ends up having benefits worldwide. We should be reaching for a level of private and public research and development investment that we haven’t seen since the height of the Space Race. That’s my goal.
And it’s not just resources. I mean, one of the things that I’ve tried to do over these last four years and will continue to do over the next four years is to make sure that we are promoting the integrity of our scientific process; that not just in the physical and life sciences, but also in fields like psychology and anthropology and economics and political science — all of which are sciences because scholars develop and test hypotheses and subject them to peer review — but in all the sciences, we’ve got to make sure that we are supporting the idea that they’re not subject to politics, that they’re not skewed by an agenda, that, as I said before, we make sure that we go where the evidence leads us. And that’s why we’ve got to keep investing in these sciences.
And what’s true of all sciences is that in order for us to maintain our edge, we’ve got to protect our rigorous peer review system and ensure that we only fund proposals that promise the biggest bang for taxpayer dollars. And I will keep working to make sure that our scientific research does not fall victim to political maneuvers or agendas that in some ways would impact on the integrity of the scientific process. That’s what’s going to maintain our standards of scientific excellence for years to come.
That’s why, by the way, one of the things that I’ve focused on as President is an all-hands-on-deck approach to the sciences, as well as technology and engineering and math. And that’s why we’re spending a lot of time focused on the next generation. With the help of John Holdren and everybody who’s working with my administration, we want to make sure that we are exciting young people around math and science and technology and computer science. We don’t want our kids just to be consumers of the amazing things that science generates; we want them to be producers as well. And we want to make sure that those who historically have not participated in the sciences as robustly — girls, members of minority groups here in this country — that they are encouraged as well.
We’ve got to make sure that we’re training great calculus and biology teachers, and encouraging students to keep up with their physics and chemistry classes. That includes Malia and Sasha. (Laughter.) It means teaching proper research methods and encouraging young people to challenge accepted knowledge. It means expanding and maintaining critical investments in biomedical research and helping innovators turn their discoveries into new businesses and products. And it means maintaining that spirit of discovery.
Last week, I got a chance to do one of my favorite things as President and that is — we started these White House Science Fairs. And these kids are remarkable. I mean, I know you guys were smart when you were their age, but — (laughter) — I might give them the edge. (Laughter.) I mean, you had young people who were converting algae into sustainable biofuels — that was one of my favorites because the young lady had — she kept the algae under her bed — and she had a whole lab, which meant that she had really supportive parents. (Laughter.) I pictured it bubbling out and starting to creep into the hallways. (Laughter.)
You had young people who were purifying water with bicycle-power-generated batteries. You had young people who had already devised faster and cheaper tests for cancer. These are 15, 16-year-olds.
They were all dreaming to grow up and be just like you — maybe with a little less gray hair — (laughter) — but they shared your passion. They shared that excitement. And what was interesting was not only did they share that sense of wonder and discovery, but they also shared this fundamental optimism that if you figured this stuff out, people’s lives would be better; that there were no inherent barriers to us solving the big problems that we face as long as we were diligent and focused and observant and curious.
And we’ve got to make sure that we’re supporting that next generation of dreamers and risk-takers — because if we are, things will be good. They leave me with extraordinary optimism. They leave me hopeful. They put a smile on my face. And I’m absolutely convinced that if this Academy and the successors who become members of this Academy are there at the center and the heart of our public debate, that we’ll be able to continue to use the innovation that powers our economy and improves our health, protects our environment and security, that makes us the envy of the world.
So I want to thank you on behalf of the American people. And I want to make sure that you know that you’ve got a strong supporter in the White House.
God bless you. God bless the United States of America. Thank you. (Applause.)
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