Scientists Begin Testing World's Largest Atom Smasher
Bystanders gaping at a giant screen watched physicists hunched(vt. 弯腰驼背, vi. 向前移动,隆起) over computers at the CERN Control Center inject the first beam of protons(n. 质子) into the Large Hadron Collider.
The first attempt to fire up the LHC failed. So, the second, successful attempt was greeted with a palpable(a. 可触知的,明显的) sense of relief and even giddiness (n. 眼花,轻率)from the many physicists who have labored for more than 2 decades to get this $10,000,000,000 experiment underway.
The beam of particles is now traveling around the 27-kilometer underground tunnel, which straddles (vt. 观望) the Swiss-French border near Geneva. It will take a couple of months for the LHC to get up to speed. The accelerated protons will travel at nearly the speed of light.
Theoretical physicist John Ellis tells VOA the collisions which are produced will allow scientists to learn what happened when the universe was born 13,700,000,000 years ago.
"We are going to be creating individual collisions (n. 碰撞). Collisions, which occurred in the universe when it was something like a trillionth(n. 第一百万兆) of a second old. Now, we are not gonna be re-creating in the laboratory big pieces of the universe, obviously. These are just individual collisions, which are the same as what happened when the universe was extremely young."
LHC Project Leader, Lyn Evans calls the LHC a machine of discovery. He says physicists believe they will find an elusive (a. 难懂的,易忘的,难捉摸的, CF: illusive a. 幻影的,错觉的,迷惑人的) elementary particle (n. 粒子) called the Higgs Boson, which should explain why other particles obtain mass.
And, even if the Higgs is not found, he says the effort will not have been in vain.
"The quest for human knowledge is never a bust. If the Higgs is not there - there are many theorists that say that the most interesting thing of all is if the Higgs is not there. The nightmare scenario for this machine is that we find the Higgs and nothing else.If the Higgs is there, we will find it. If the Higgs is not there, we will have to find out why it's not there and what is replacing it."
Physicists say the LHC is perfectly safe. They say the proof is that the Earth has been bombarded by cosmic rays, triggering collisions similar to those of the Large Hadron Collider, since the solar system formed more than 4,000,000,000 years ago.
The nightmare scenario for this machine is that we find the Higgs and nothing else.
posted @ 2008-09-15 08:54
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White House Backs Bailout of Mortgage Giants (2)
"Remember that we have highlighted the systemic risk posed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because of the very large role they play in housing markets and because of their business practices. And for years, we have encouraged Congress to put in place a strong independent regulator to oversee the institutions."
“请记住我们强调过由房利美和房地美带来的系统危机,因为他们在房贷市场的作用太大,加上他们的商业操作行为。而且几年以来,我们一直在鼓励国会设立一个强大的独立监管部门来监督这两家机构。”
Perino says it will be up to the next U.S. president and Congress to decide the ultimate fate of the 2 institutions. She says for now, the goal must be to help the housing market, and the economy recover.
这两家机构的最终命运掌握在下一任美国总统和新国会的手中。她表示,就目前状况而言,目标必须是帮助房地产市场和经济恢复活力。
Perino says President Bush, who does not favor corporate bailouts as a rule, approved this takeover reluctantly as a last resort.
Perino 说尽管布什总统一般不赞成企业紧急救助,还是勉强同意了此次接管作为最后的补救。
U.S., Asian and European stock markets soared in response to the news. China and Japan, the biggest buyers of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae debt, praised the takeover.
美国、亚洲和欧洲的股市以疯涨来回应这条新闻。中国和日本——房利美和房地美债券的最大买家——赞扬了此次接管。
But European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet offered a word of caution. He said while the move is welcome, risks remain in the global credit market.
但是欧洲中央银行总裁Jean-Claude Trichet提出了警告。他表示,尽管该举动受到欢迎,世界信贷市场依旧存有风险.
1.I' m sure he' ll be up to no good wherever he is.
我看, 他到哪儿也做不出好事来。
2. The ultimate source of energy of all ecosystems is the sun.
太阳是一切生态系统能量的基本来源。
posted @ 2008-09-15 08:53
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Italy to Pay $5 Billion to Libya in Landmark Accord (2)
Prime Minister Berlusconi said this agreement should put an end to 40 years of discord and is a concrete and moral acknowledgment of the damage inflicted on Libya by Italy during the colonial era. But many Libyans who lived under Italy's domination find it difficult to forget. This man says the behavior of Italians was cruel. They treated the Libyans like dogs.
贝卢斯科尼总理说这项协议会终结40年来的分歧,是具体的和道德上承认的意大利在殖民时代对利比亚造成的伤害。但是很多经历了意大利统治的利比亚人发现很难忘记(历史)。这个人说意大利人的行为相当残忍,他们把利比亚人就像对狗一样对待。
Italy is Libya's biggest trading partner with 25% of Italian oil imports coming from the north African country. It now also hopes the agreement will open the path to further cooperation.
意大利是利比亚最大的贸易合作伙伴,意大利百分之二十五的石油进口都来自这个北非国家。现在(意大利)仍然期待这项协定将打开进一步合作的道路。
Italy would like to see Libya crack down further on the illegal migrants turning up on Italian shores and will fund $500,000,000 worth of electronic monitoring devices on the Libyan coastline.
意大利也希望看到利比亚进一步打击非法偷渡去意大利的移民,并且会资助价值5亿美元的电子监控设备布置在利比亚的海岸线上。
Relations between the 2 countries have warmed over the last few years but it has taken years of negotiations for the 2 sides to hammer out a deal on compensation for Italy's rule over Libya from 1911 to 1943.
两国的关系在过去几年内回暖,但双方仍然花费了多年的时间来谈判,以达成一项协议来赔偿意大利对利比亚从1911年到1943年的统治。
1. A great deal of discord has arisen in the university over this question.
在这个问题上,大学里出现了许多不同意见。
2.All he has done is illegal.他所做的一切均属非法。
3.The patient was connected to the monitor.病人被接上了监测器。
4.They could not hammer any new idea into their grandfather's head.他们无法向祖父灌输任何新思想。
posted @ 2008-09-15 08:52
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White House Backs Bailout of Mortgage Giants (1)
(紧急援助)
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are entities created by Congress to finance and guarantee home loans in the United States. While they are government-licensed, they operate like private companies with shareholders and corporate boards.
房利美和房地美是由国会建立的机构以资助和担保美国的家庭贷款。虽然他们是政府特许性机构,但他们的运营方式就像具有股东和公司董事会的私人公司。
The 2 mortgage giants have been severely weakened by the current turmoil in the U.S. housing market, which has seen a dramatic rise in foreclosures, and falling home values across the country.
这两个房贷巨头由于近期美国住房市场的剧烈动荡而严重受损,可以见到房屋断供及没收的急剧上升,以及全国范围内的房价下跌。
Should they fail, the impact on the U.S. and world economy could be severe. And so the government stepped in - bailing them out and taking over their operations.
如果它们垮台,这对美国和世界经济的影响将会非常严重。因此,美国政府出面挽救并接管了这两家公司。
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino says the Bush administration had no choice. "And this is not action that we wanted to take. It is action that we needed to take."
白宫发言人Dana Perino说布什政府别无选择。“这个行动不是我们想要做的,而是我们需要做的。”
Perino says the White House has been warning for years that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were in need of reform.
Perino说白宫多年来一直提醒,房利美和房地美需要进行改革。
She says the federal takeover could have been prevented if Congress had acted on the administration's request for a strong independent regulator to oversee the mortgage giants.
她说联邦的接管原本可以避免,如果当时国会执行政府的请求,由一个独立且强势的管理部门监管这两个房贷巨头。
Note:
1. Foreclosure 就是付不起房贷,银行将房子没收拍卖了
2. Should they fail 如果它们垮台
3. bail them out 拯救它们
1. The user who creates an entities. 建立一个实体的用户
2. The London Stock Exchange is in turmoil today.今天伦敦证券市场一片混乱。
3. The club faced bankruptcy until a wealthy local businessman bailed them out.
俱乐部那时眼看就要破产,後来本地有位富商鼎力相助,才摆脱困境。
4. The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate. 该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
posted @ 2008-09-15 08:52
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Italy to Pay $5 Billion to Libya in Landmark Accord (1)
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Saturday signed a "friendship pact" with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in Libya. Under the pact, Italy agreed to compensate Libya for abuses it committed during its colonial rule of the North African country.
意大利首相西尔维奥•贝卢斯科尼在周六与利比亚领袖穆阿迈尔•卡扎菲签署了一份“友谊协约”。根据这个协议,意大利同意对利比亚这个北非国家因其殖民统治期间所施加的暴行实行赔偿。
Italy will invest $5 billion in Libya in a deal that effectively turns the page on colonial-era disputes that have long tarnished their relations.
意大利将对利比亚投资50亿美元,这对于由殖民时代造成的双方关系的蒙尘,将会是新的一页。
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made the announcement during a visit to the Mediterranean city of Benghazi where he met Libyan leader Moammar Gadhdafi. He said the accord would provide for $200 million a year over the next 25 years through investments in infrastructure projects in Libya.
西尔维奥•贝卢斯科尼首相在访问完地中海城市班加西,与利比亚领袖穆阿迈尔•卡扎菲会谈之后宣布了这项决议。他说,这项协定将在未来25年中,每年提供2亿美元对利比亚的基础设施进行投资。
The compensation package involves construction projects, student grants, and pensions for Libyan soldiers who served with the Italians during the Second World War. It also includes a coastal highway stretching across the country from Tunisia to Egypt.
赔偿计划包括了建筑工程,奖学金,以及二战期间为意大利服务的利比亚士兵的退休金。它还包括了一条横跨利比亚,从突尼斯到埃及的海岸高速路。
Mr. Berlusconi's office said in the statement that the premier would also hand over to Gadhafi the goddess Venus of Cyrene, an ancient Roman statue taken in 1913 by Italian troops from the ruins of the Greek and Roman settlement of Cyrene, on the Libyan coast.
贝卢斯科尼首相的发言人在一项声明中表示,总理还会移交一座昔兰尼的维纳斯女神雕像给卡扎非, 这座古罗马的雕像在1913年被意大利军队从位于利比亚的海岸边上的昔兰尼的废墟中找到,当年这里是希腊和罗马的殖民地。
1.The two minority parties sign an electoral pact not to oppose each other in certain constituency.
两个多数党签订了一个在某些选区互不反对的选举公约。
2.The president promised swift and effective retribution against the terrorists.
总统答应会迅速有效地惩罚恐怖分子。
3.The firm's good name was badly tarnished by the scandal.这件丑事玷污了公司的好名声.
4.The teachers praised him with one accord.老师们异口同声地称赞他。
posted @ 2008-09-15 08:51
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*HIV Spreading in New York at Triple National Rate (1/2)
New York City's Department of Health and Human Hygiene said the report is the "most precise estimate yet" of annual infections of the HIV virus in the City.
纽约健康和卫生局称本报告是目前为止,对该市艾滋病感染评估最为精确的报告。
The report says in 2006, nearly 4,800 New Yorkers contracted HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. This means there were 72 new infections per 100,000 people. That number is three times higher than the national rate, in which the incidence of new infection is 23 per 100,000 people. Overall, an estimated 100,000 New Yorkers are known to be HIV positive.
报告指出,2006年,近4800名纽约人感染了引起艾滋病的人类免疫缺陷病毒(HIV)。这意味着,每十万人中新发感染为72人。该数字比国家感染率(每十万人新发感染率为23人)高出三倍。总之,预计目前有十万纽约人为HIV阳性。
Dr. Monica Sweeney, the Health Departments Assistant Commissioner for HIV Prevention and Control, said New York City has long been considered the epicenter of the U.S. epidemic.
纽约市卫生局艾滋病预防与控制中心副主任Monica Sweeney说,长久以来,纽约都被认为是美国艾滋病流行的集中地。
"The incidence is higher because the groups that are most impacted are highly represented in New York City: Men who have sex with men, immigrants from certain parts of the world. So that they are highly represented in New York city and for that reason we have 3 times the incidence as the rest of the United States."
纽约市发病率较高,这是因为最易感染的人群通常高度集中于本地:男同性恋者,来自世界各地的移民。他们一般都高度集中于纽约市。由于这个原因,我们才会比美国其他地方的发病率高出3倍。
The findings in the report are based on a new diagnostic formula created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that determines when people become positive within 180 days of contraction.
报告中的结果是基于疾病预防和控制中心新诊断指南诊断出的。该指南中,确定感染后180内出现阳性结果的人为阳性。
1. These are diseases that proceed from negligence of hygiene. 这些是不讲卫生而引起的疾病。
2. That country stood at the epicenter of the international crisis.那个处于国际危机的中心。
3. Buying goods on the installment plan has become epidemic in recent years.
近几年来,用分期付款的办法购物十分流行。
4. The formula of the medicine is still a secret. 此药的配方仍是秘密。
posted @ 2008-09-15 08:50
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*HIV Spreading in New York at Triple National Rate (2/2)
纽约市HIV传播为全国速度的3倍
City officials stress that because the tool is new, it is not yet possible to determine whether infections in the city have increased or decreased from previous years.
纽约市官方强调因为该工具才刚被使用, 现在还不能肯定该市感染率相对过去是有所上升还是下降。
The report found that men who have sex with other men was the group most at risk in 2006, accounting for more than three quarters of new infections. Other high risk groups include intravenous drug users and sex workers.
据报道,跟其他同性有性关系的男性是2006年患艾滋病最高危群体, 感染人数超过了该年新感染人数的75%。 其他高危群体包括,静脉药瘾和性工作者。
Dr. Sweeney said city officials and partner programs are devising new methods to try and focus prevention and screening at high-risk populations.
Sweeney医生说纽约市官方和其伙伴项目正在寻找来筛查、控制以及预防高危人群的新方法。
"We are doing additional things to make sure we are reaching the target populations. One of our new prevention efforts is social network testing, where we take people who are highly impacted - sex workers, men who have sex with men, and ask people to bring their friends in to be tested. That serves two functions. One is to get people into treatment if they're positive, and the other is to interrupt the epidemic through knowing their status are not giving it out inadvertently to other people."
“我们正另外做些工作以确保我们可以实现预计的控制感染人口的目标。因此,我们一项新预防措施就是做一项我们称之为社会网络的测试, 即检测那些高危人群———性工作者以及与其他男性发生性关系的男性,并要求他们把他们的朋友也带来接受检测。这有两个作用。 一是,如果他们是阳性的,应该让他们尽早治疗。二是为了切断传染的途径。因为已感染者知道自身的病情,从而可以防止无意间传染给他人。”
Sweeney said New York health officials want to make HIV screening a routine part of care. A pilot program in the Bronx offers free testing and encourages all people to get screened.
Sweeney医生说纽约卫生部的官员打算将HIV筛查作为日常体检的一部分。在布朗克斯区的一个