我的最新日志

  • 再别康桥

    2009-7-01

    Very quietly I take my leave
    As quietly as I came here;
    Quietly I wave good-bye
    To the rosy clouds in the western sky.

    The golden willows by the riverside
    Are young brides in the setting sun;
    Their reflections on the shimmering waves
    Always linger in the depth of my heart.

    The floatingheart growing in the sludge
    Sways leisurely under the water;
    In the gentle waves of Cambridge
    I would be a water plant!

    That pool under the shade of elm trees
    Holds not water but the rainbow from the sky;
    Shattered to pieces among the duckweeds
    Is the sediment of a rainbow-like dream?

    To seek a dream?
    Just to pole a boat upstream
    To where the green grass is more verdant;
    Or to have the boat fully loaded with starlight
    And sing aloud in the splendour of starlight.

    But I cannot sing aloud
    Quietness is my farewell music;
    Even summer insects heep silence for me
    Silent is Cambridge tonight!

    Very quietly I take my leave
    As quietly as I came here;
    Gently I flick my sleeves
    Not even a wisp of cloud will I bring away



    轻轻的我走了，
    　正如我轻轻的来；
    我轻轻的招手，
    　作别西天的云彩。

    那河畔的金柳
    　是夕阳中的新娘
    波光里的艳影，
    　在我的心头荡漾。

    软泥上的青荇，
    　油油的在水底招摇；
    在康河的柔波里，
    　我甘心做一条水草

    那榆荫下的一潭，
    　不是清泉，是天上虹
    揉碎在浮藻间，
    　沉淀着彩虹似的梦。


    寻梦？
    撑一支长篙，
    　向青草更青处漫溯，
    满载一船星辉，
    　在星辉斑斓里放歌

    但我不能放歌，
    　悄悄是别离的笙箫；
    夏虫也为我沉默，
    　沉默是今晚的康桥！

    悄悄的我走了，
    　正如我悄悄的来；
    我挥一挥衣袖，
    　不带走一片云彩。

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  • 摆在桌上的盆景充电器

    2009-6-24

    In the quest of keeping all of your gadgets charged up, nothing would be quite like using a bonsai tree that uses the sun to juice them up. Vivien Muller came out with this great concept from nature to charge your gadgets. PhotonSynthesis is a device which looks like a solar-cell bonsai. It can charge your cell phone, your MP3 player and a number of other electronic gizmos simply by plugging them into the tree. The tree possesses 54 photovoltaic panels which are powered by the sun during the day to charge up your gadgets. The solar energy is stored in a battery, allowing it to be used anytime. The adapters and cables fit neatly in a tray hidden beneath the tree.
    要让你所有的小玩意儿都充上电，没有什么比利用一棵太阳能充电盆景树更好的了。维维恩•穆勒这一绝妙的充电想法的灵感来自大自然。这款“光子充电”装置看上去就像一棵太阳能充电盆景。充电时，你只要将手机、MP3播放器和其他各种小电器插进树里就可以了。树上有54片光电板，白天从太阳获取能量，来给你的小电器充电。太阳能被储存在一个电池里，随时可用。电源适配器和电线则齐整地装配在树下方一个隐蔽的托盘里。

     

    Pretty different, hey? Each piece is also movable so you can make it even more original by creating your own shapes. Leave it by your window and you can rotate them to try and get more output if you find something charging slow.
    嘿，是否觉得很不一样？每块光电板还可以挪动，这样你就能做出自己希望的造型，使盆景看上去更加新颖。把它放在窗边，如果你发现充电速度变慢，还可以通过旋转这些光电板来获得更大的能量输出。

     

    This is a fun and great looking product that will save you money and give you that nice warm feeling to know that you're helping to save the planet too. The Solar Cell Tree Charger takes a lot less upkeep than your average household shrub, too. Just, ah, don't water it.
    这一产品既有趣又美观，还能帮你省钱，并让你心中觉得暖意融融，觉得自己也在为保护地球出力。此外，这种太阳能充电树所需的维护比一般的家庭灌木要少得多。只是，可千万别给它浇水啊！

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  • 你知道拍卖的四种形式吗？

    2009-6-24

    There are several variations on the basic auction form, including time limits, minimum or maximum limits on bid prices, and special rules for determining the winning bidder(s) and sale price(s). Participants in an auction may or may not know the identities or actions of other participants. Depending on the auction, bidders may participate in person or remotely through a variety of means, including telephone and the internet. The seller usually pays a commission to the auctioneer or auction company based on a percentage of the final sale price.
    拍卖在基本形式之上存在着某些不同，包括限时、最低或最高竞投价格、以及用于决定竞价胜出者和成交价格的特别规则。参与拍卖的人不一定知道其他参与者的身份或者行为。根据拍卖形式的不同，竞投者可能会亲自出席，或者运用各种远程手段——例如电话和因特网——参与拍卖会。卖家一般会根据最终成交价格的一定比例付给拍卖商或拍卖公司佣金。

    Primary types of auction 拍卖的主要种类
     
    English auction 英式拍卖
    English auction, also known as an open ascending price auction. This type of auction is arguably the most common form of auction in use today. Participants bid openly against one another, with each subsequent bid higher than the previous bid. An auctioneer may announce prices, bidders may call out their bids themselves (or have a proxy call out a bid on their behalf), or bids may be submitted electronically with the highest current bid publicly displayed. In some cases a maximum bid might be left with the auctioneer, who may bid on behalf of the bidder according to the bidder's instructions. The auction ends when no participant is willing to bid further, at which point the highest bidder pays their bid.  Alternatively, if the seller has set a minimum sale price in advance (the 'reserve' price) and the final bid does not reach that price the item remains unsold. Sometimes the auctioneer sets a minimum amount by which the next bid must exceed the current highest bid.  
    英式拍卖，也称为公开增价拍卖。据称这种拍卖形式是当今最常见的拍卖方式。买家公开相互竞价，每次竞价都要比前一次的竞价更高。可以由拍卖师宣报价格，也可以由买家自己报价（或者请一位代理人代表买家报价）。当没有人愿意继续竞价时拍卖结束，出价最高者需支付所报出的价格。或者，如果卖家已经提前设定了最低售价（“保留价”），而最终的竞价没有达到这个价格，拍卖品则不出售。有时候拍卖师会限定最低报价增幅，从而使下一次竞价必须高于当前的最高价格。

    The most significant distinguishing factor of this auction type is that the current highest bid is always available to potential bidders. The English auction is commonly used for selling goods, most prominently antiques and artwork, but also secondhand goods and real estate. At least two bidders are required.
    这种拍卖方式最显著的特点在于，当前最高竞价始终对潜在的买家公开。英式拍卖目前广泛用于商品出售，主要是古董和艺术品拍卖，也用于二手商品和房地产拍卖。这种拍卖需要至少两个买家的参与。


    Dutch auction 荷兰式拍卖
    Dutch auction also known as an open descending price auction. In the traditional Dutch auction the auctioneer begins with a high asking price which is lowered until some participant is willing to accept the auctioneer's price. The winning participant pays the last announced price.
    荷兰式拍卖，也称为公开降价拍卖。在传统的荷兰式拍卖中，拍卖师以相对较高的价格起拍，然后逐步降低，直至有人愿意接受拍卖师开出的价格。胜出者需要支付最后一次宣布的价格。

    The Dutch auction is named for its best known example, the Dutch tulip auctions. ("Dutch auction" is also sometimes used to describe online auctions where several identical goods are sold simultaneously to an equal number of high bidders.) In addition to cut flower sales in the Netherlands, Dutch auctions have also been used for perishable commodities such as fish and tobacco. In practice, however, the Dutch auction is not widely used.
    荷兰式拍卖是因其最出名的一个案例——荷兰郁金香拍卖——而得名。（“荷兰式拍卖”有时也指网上拍卖，这种网拍形式同时为数量相等的高竞价买家提供数件相同的物品。）荷兰式拍卖不仅被用于荷兰的鲜切花交易，还被用于出售某些易腐烂的商品，例如鱼和烟草。然而在实际中，荷兰式拍卖并未被广泛应用。


    Sealed first-price auction 首价密封拍卖
    Sealed first-price auction, also known as a first-price sealed-bid auction (FPSB). In this type of auction all bidders simultaneously submit sealed bids so that no bidder knows the bid of any other participant. The highest bidder pays the price they submitted.
    首价密封拍卖也叫首价密封投标拍卖。根据这种拍卖方式的要求，所有买家须同时提交密封好的报价，因而没有人知道其他竞买者的报价。出价最高者支付其报出的价格。

    This type of auction is distinct from the English auction, in that bidders can only submit one bid each. Furthermore, as bidders cannot see the bids of other participants they cannot adjust their own bids accordingly. Sealed first-price auctions are commonly used in tendering, particularly for government contracts and auctions for mining leases.
    这种拍卖方式与英式拍卖的不同在于，每个买家只能出一次价。不仅如此，由于买家无法得知其他竞买人的报价，他们也无法相应地调整自己的报价。首价密封方式常用于投标，尤其是在政府项目和矿产租赁权拍卖中。


    Vickrey auction 维克瑞拍卖
    Vickrey auction, also known as a sealed-bid second-price auction. This is identical to the sealed first-price auction except that the winning bidder pays the second highest bid rather than their own. This is very similar to the proxy bidding system used by eBay, where the winner pays the second highest bid plus a bidding increment (e.g., 10%).
    维克瑞拍卖，也称为第二价格密封拍卖。这种拍卖方式与首价密封拍卖基本相同，区别仅在于胜出者需要支付的价格是第二高的报价，而不是他自己的报价。这与易趣网所使用的代理人竞价系统相似，在这个系统中，胜出者需要支付第二高的报价，再加上一个报价的增额（如10%）。

    Although extremely important in auction theory, in practice Vickrey auctions are rarely used.
    尽管这种方式在拍卖理论中占据重要地位，但在实际中，维克瑞拍卖方式却很少被使用。

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  • 想年轻，别离婚

    2009-6-24

    If you've been through it, this will probably come as no surprise. Divorce can add years to a person's face, it is claimed.
    如果你已经经历了，你可能不会感到惊讶。研究称，离婚会让人容颜变老。

     

    Researchers found that marriage breakdown can take a significant toll on appearance.
    研究人员发现，婚姻破裂会对人的外貌造成很大的影响。

     

    They looked at identical twins, who would be genetically predisposed to age at a similar pace, to determine whether certain experiences affected ageing.
    为确定某些经历是否会影响衰老，研究人员对同卵双生的双胞胎进行了研究，这些双胞胎在基因的设定下衰老速度完全一样。

     

    "A person's heritage may initially dictate how they age but if you introduce certain factors into your life, you will certainly age faster, and likewise, if you avoid those factors you can slow down the hands of time," said Professor Bahaman Guyuron, who led the study.
    研究负责人巴哈曼·古尤伦教授说：“遗传可能是决定一个人如何变老的基本因素，但如果在人生中加入某些因素，那么肯定会加速衰老，同样，如果避免这些因素，则会减缓衰老。”

     

    Professor Guyuron and his colleagues gathered information from questionnaires and digital images taken from 186 pairs of twins.
    古尤伦教授和同事对186对双胞胎进行了问卷调查和数码拍照。

     

    An independent panel of judges then viewed the images for perceived age differences between the siblings.
    一个独立评审小组浏览了这些照片，并根据照片判断这些双胞胎外表上的年龄差异。

     

    The results showed that the twin who had gone through a divorce appeared two years older than the one who was married, single or had been widowed.
    结果显示，一对双胞胎中的离婚者比已婚、单身或守寡者看起来要老两岁。

     

    Those who took antidepressants or were overweight also aged quicker.
    而服用抗抑郁药物或体重超标的人衰老速度也较快。

     

    It is thought antidepressants can calm the facial muscles, causing them to sag in longterm users.
    据称，抗抑郁药物能够使面部肌肉松弛，所以长期服用者肌肉容易下垂。

    The research was conducted by the Case Western Reserve University in the U.S., and published in the Journal Of The American Society Of Plastic Surgeons.
    该研究由美国西储大学开展，研究结果已在《整形和修复外科医学期刊》上发表。

     

    Sun exposure, smoking and alcohol use were all found to have a negative effect on appearance.

    另外，日晒、吸烟和酗酒都会对外表造成不良影响

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  • 女生多，男生英语成绩差

    2009-6-09


    Boys' English grades are up to a tenth worse when high numbers of girls are in the class with them, though girls' grades are unaffected.
    当班上女生人数较多时，男生的英语成绩要下降10%，而女生们的成绩则不受影响。

     

    Boys do worse in English when there are girls in their class, researchers will say today, contradicting the widely held belief that girls are always a good influence on boys in school.
    研究人员今天宣称，当班上女生人数较多时，男生的英语就会变得较差。而人们以往普遍认为，在学校中，女生对男生总是有积极影响。

     

    Boys do best with "as few girls as possible" in English lessons at primary and secondary school, Steven Proud, a research student at Bristol University, will tell the Royal Economic Society's conference.
    布里斯托大学的研究生史蒂文·普劳德将在皇家经济学会的会议上宣布：对于小学与初中的英语课而言，女生越少，男生成绩越好。

     

    But when it comes to maths and science, both boys and girls at primary school achieve up to a tenth of a grade more when there is a high proportion of girls in the class, Proud found.
    然而史蒂文·普劳德同时发现在数学与科学学科上，女生人数多对男女生都有积极影响——成绩可以提高10%。

     

    Proud tracked boys' and girls' test results at the ages of seven, 11, 14 and 16 in 16,000 schools in England between 2002 and 2004 for his PhD.
    2002年至2004年间，普劳德为了完成他的博士研究课题，跟踪查询了英格兰16000所学校里7岁、11岁、14岁、16岁的男女生测试成绩。

     

    He analysed the test scores to see whether the proportion of girls in a year group made a difference to the results of both genders in maths, science and English.
    为了研究女生所占比例对所有学生的数学、科学以及英语成绩的影响，他对测试分数进行了分析。

     

    There are marginally more boys than girls in schools, but most classes in mixed schools are almost equally split between the genders. Proud looked at these and schools that were exceptional in their high or low proportion of girls.
    男生数目比女生数目要稍多一些，但是在大多数学校的班级中，两性比例基本是平衡的。普劳德研究的对象是那些女生所占比例超低或者超高的学校。

     

    Boys consistently perform up to a tenth of a grade worse when they study English with high numbers of girls as opposed to few or no girls, Proud found.
    普劳德发现，相对班上没有或者有很少女生的班级而言，当班上女生人数较多时，男生的英语成绩总是会下降10%。

     

    The more girls there are in an English class, the worse boys perform. This is particularly the case in primary schools, he discovered.
    普劳德发现，这种现象在小学尤其明显，女生越多，男生的英语就学得越差。

     

    Proud will argue that his results show boys should be taught English in single-sex classes.
    普劳德提议依照研究成果来看，男生学习英语应该被安排在一个都是男生的班级里。

     

    Girls, who outperform boys in English at every stage at school, are unaffected by the number of boys in their English classes.
    而女生的英语成绩则不受男生人数影响，她们在学校的所有学习阶段英语表现都要强过男生。

     

    Girls also do better when there are some boys who receive free school meals in their class, Proud found.
    普劳德还发现，当班上有几个吃免费学校餐的男生时，女生们的表现会更好。

     

    He said: "The results imply that boys would benefit at all ages from being taught English with as small a proportion of girls as possible. In maths and science, the results tend to imply that both boys and girls benefit from having more girls in the classroom. A mix of the genders in both science and maths is optimal."
    普劳德称：“研究结果表明，如果能降低英语课上的女生人数比例，所有年龄组男生的英语成绩都将受益。在数学和科学学科上，研究结果表明女生多对班级中的男女生都有好处。数学与科学学科中，性别混合是最优化的选择。”

     

    Proud said boys may do worse in English when there is a high proportion of girls in their class because they realise that the girls are better than them. It could also be that teachers use teaching styles more appropriate to girls when there are more girls than boys in the class. Both genders perform better in maths and science at primary school when there are more girls in the class because boys tend to disrupt the class more, he said.
    普劳德认为男生的英语成绩被女生人数影响的原因是男生会认识到女生在英语方面要比他们强。也有可能是老师的教学方式在女生较多之时更加适合女生。而在小学数学与科学课程中，女生人数的增加使得喜欢扰乱课堂秩序的男生们没那么猖狂了，因此男女生都能从中受益。

     

    Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, said girls started school with slightly better verbal skills, while boys started with a slightly greater aptitude for maths.
    白金汉大学教育与职业研究中心的艾伦·史密瑟斯教授认为，开始学校教育之时，女孩们在口头表达方面要比男孩们稍稍强一些，而男孩们对数学的热情要比女孩高。

     

    "Boys might be discouraged by how well girls are doing in English," he said, "but that still does not explain why they would do better in maths and science with a higher proportion of girls in their class.
    “女生们的表现使得男生们在英语上有挫败感，”教授称，“但这不能解释为何女生比例高时，他们的数学与科学表现也较好。”

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  • 28句英文让你越活越聪明

    2009-6-09

    1. When I say I know you,I mean I knew you yesterday. I do not know you actually now.
        当我说认识你的时，我是说我认识昨天的你。
        我不认识现在的你。
        ——Kaishnamurti 克里什纳默尔迪
        2.Wonders are many,and nothing is more wonderful then man.
        天下奇迹无数，却无一比人更奇妙。--Sophocles
        3.The proper function of man is to live,but not to exist.
        人应该生活，而非单纯生存。--Jack London
        4.If you smile when one is around,you really mean it.
        如果你独自一人笑了，那是真心的笑。--Andy Rooney

    5.There is a time to speak and a time to be silent.
        该说话时说话，该沉默时沉默。--Caxton卡克斯顿
        6.The worst bankrupt is the person who lost his enthusiasm­.
        最惨的破产就是丧失自己的热情。
        -- H.W.Arnold H.W.阿诺德
        7.It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything­ in the daytime,but at night it is another thing.
        在白天对什么都不动感情是极为容易的，但在夜晚就是另外一回事。
        --Hemingway 海明威
        8. To err is human,to forgive,divine.
        人皆犯错，你能原谅别人，你就是圣人。 --Pope 蒲柏

    9.There is an unconsciou­s heeling process within the mind which mends up in spite of our desperate determinat­ion never to forget.
        心中的伤痛总是不知不觉渐渐愈合，虽然我们也曾痛苦地发誓说永不忘记。
        ——Colleen McCullough 科林·麦卡洛
        10.In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.
        在这个世界上只有两种悲剧：一种是得不到自己想要的东西，另一种是得到了。
        ——Oscar Wildle 奥斯卡·王尔德
        11.Naked came I into this world,and naked must I go out.
        我赤裸裸地来到这个世界，也要赤裸裸地离去。
        ——Cervantes 塞万提斯
        12.Passion,though a bad regulator,is a powerful spring.
        激情虽难以驾驭，却是种强大的动力。
        ——Emerson 爱默生

    13.Carve your name on hearts and not on marbles.
        把你的名字刻在人们的心里，而不是大理石上。
        ——Joseph Addison 约瑟夫·艾迪生
        14. I can resist everything­ except temptation­.
        除了诱惑我什么都能抵抗。
        ——Oscar wilde 奥斯卡·王尔德
        15.What is a man's first duty? The answer is brief: To be himself.
        一个人的首要职责是什么?很简单：做自己。
        ——Henrik Ibsen 易卜生
        16. The love of country is the first virtue in a civilized man.
        爱国是文明人类第一德。
        —— Napoleon 拿破仑

    17. We can only love what we know and we can never know completely­ what we do not love.
        我们只能爱我们理解的东西，却永远也不能彻底理解我们不爱的东西。
        ——A.L.Huxley A.L.赫胥黎
        18.A beautiful form is better than a beautiful face;a beautiful behavīor than a beautiful form.
        丽的形体胜于丽的脸蛋，丽的举止胜于丽的形体。
        ——Emerson 爱默生
        19.Man is，Properly speaking,based upon hope;he has no other posseessio­n but hope.
        恰当地说，人是因希望活着的，除了希望，一无所有。
        ——Thomas Caarlyle 托马斯·卡莱尔
        20.Man must look just as ridiculous­ to the crab when it sees him walk　forward.
        人类在螃蟹看来一定也是很好笑的，因为人类居然是向前走的。
        ——G.c.Lichtenberg G.C.利希滕贝格

    21.All men whilst they are awake are in one common world;but each of them,when he is asleep,is in a world of his own.
        所有人在醒着的时候都是置身于同一个世界，但在睡着后，却都置身在自己的世界。
        ——Plutarch 普卢塔克
        22. Everyone is a moon,and has a dark side which he never shows in anybody.
        每个人都是月球，有其从不展示给人看的黑暗面。
        ——Mark Twain 马克·吐温
        25.Do not rejoice over anyone's death;remember that we all must die.
        不要因某一个人死去而欢呼；记住我们都将死去。
        ——Apocrypha 阿波克拉弗

    26. As long as any man exists,there is some need of him;let him fight for his own.
        只要人生存，就有一些需要，让他为自己去奋斗吧。
        ——Cicero 西塞罗
        27. Repetition­ does not transform a lie into a truth.
        重复并不能把谎言变成真理。
        ——Franklin D.Roosevelt 富兰克林·D·罗斯福
        28.The instinct of a man is to pursue everything­ that flies from him, and to fly from all that pursue him.
        人的本能是追逐从他身边飞走的东西，却逃避追逐他的东西。
        ——Voltaire 伏尔泰

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  • 十大不可思议的职场故事

    2009-6-09

    　2008 has been a big year: We experienced one of the most debated presidential elections in history; the Phillies won the World Series; Madonna and Guy Ritchie separated; our economy is in a recession; and a man got stabbed for giving an inexcusable haircut。

    　　Wait a second -- you didn't hear about that last one? Let me fill you in: A San Diego man allegedly stabbed a barber who gave him an unacceptable haircut. The man attacked the shop owner as he was closing down and slashed him twice in the face. The motive was that the man was unhappy with a previous haircut, according to authorities。

    　　In midst of all the daily chaos that goes on in the world, a different type of pandemonium takes place every day in the workplace. Sometimes you hear about it and sometimes you don't -- on the off chance that you haven't, we've done that part for you。

    　　Here are some of the stranger things that happened in the workplace (and out) during 2008:

    　　1. Central Florida firefighters save dogs with mouth-to-mouth resucitation

    　　Firefighters in Florida revived several dogs by performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation after they were rescued from a house fire. The dogs were taken to area hospitals. (Source: Local6.com)

    　　2. Man shot by friend so he could skip work

    　　One man took calling in sick to new extremes after he had his friend shoot him the shoulder so he could miss work. The man told deputies in Pasco, Wash., he was shot in a drive-by while jogging before work. He later revealed that he'd asked a friend to shoot him so he wouldn't have to take a drug test at the office. (Source: MSNBC.com)

    　　3. Police chief fired after stealing beer from firefighters' fridge

    　　The police chief of a small Kansas town was convicted of stealing beer after a surveillance tape showed him taking it from the fire department's refrigerator. It wasn't disclosed how much beer he pilfered or why it was in the fire department. He was suspended without pay pending an appeal of the conviction. (Source: Fox News)

    　　4. Man shoots co-worker while rescuing him from crocodile

    　　Two crocodile farm workers in northern Australia were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank when a crocodile grabbed one of them by the arm. The second man shot the crocodile, which caused him to release the victim. A second shot fired, however, hit the man in the same arm in which the crocodile grabbed him. The man survived. (Source: CNN.com)

    　　5. DVD in firefighter's coat blocks bullet

    　　Barry McRoy, a South Carolina fire and rescue director, was leaving a Waffle House restaurant when two men came in fighting over a gun. The gun fired, hit one of the struggling men, shattered a window and hit McRoy, who didn't realize he'd been shot. The bullet hit a DVD McRoy had in his pocket; he suffered only a bruise. (Source: MSNBC.com)

    　　6. Man tries to pay for meal with pot

    　　A Vero Beach, Fla., McDonald's restaurant worker received a shock when a drive-thru customer offered to pay for his meal with marijuana. The cashier called police, who found drugs in the customer's car and arrested him. (Source: MSNBC.com)

    　　7. Store changing 'open door' policy

    　　After being robbed three times in one year, a New Hampshire convenience store is now requiring customers to be "approved" by the store owner before coming in. The store will keep its doors locked and customers are refused if the owner can't recognize them through the glass doors. (Source: WISHTV8.com)

    　　8. Snake bites mailman -- who finishes rounds

    　　A 66-year-old Florida mailman doing his rounds was bitten by a poisonous snake when he put mail inside a mailbox. He told authorities he shook his arm and beat the snake against his car door to loosen its grip. He continued his rounds for the next 30 minutes before seeking help. The snake was thought to be an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake. (Source: MSNBC.com)

    　　9. 2 ex-workers sue Neiman Marcus over sex tape

    　　Two former security employees at an Illinois Neiman Marcus are suing the department store, alleging they were illegally videotaped while having sexual intercourse at work. The two claim they were secretly videotaped on a hidden video camera and were fired because of their interactions. They also allege that a store manager shared the videotape with several others and on a nationwide online database of security personnel. (Source: Chicago Tribune)

    　　10. Employee is charged in fight at restaurant

    　　Two brothers employed at a Maryland restaurant argued over their job duties, which resulted in a knife fight. One brother reportedly told the other to mop the floor, which enraged him. Both brothers suffered small cuts, but only one was charged with first-degree assault. This was the second call from the restaurant where one worker attacked another with a knife. (Source: Baltimore Sun)

    趣味双语：十大不可思议的职场故事

    　　2008年是重要的一年：我们经历了最富争辩的总统大选；费城队夺得世界职业棒球大赛；麦当娜和盖伊·里奇分手了；经济不景气；一个理发师因为剪了个糟糕的发型而被刺伤。

    　　稍等片刻---你没有听说过最后那件事么？那让我来告诉你：一个圣地亚哥男人，按照他自己的说法因为理发师给他剪了个难以接受的发型而刺伤了理发师。这名男子在店主准备关门的时候，在他脸上砍了两刀。按照权威人士透露这件事的起因是对所理发型的不满。

    　　我们的世界每天都发生着各种各样的事情，我们的工作场所也发生了非同寻常的趣事。有些你听过，有些你闻所未闻---你根本就没有这样的机会，我们却为您搜集了。

    　　这些是2008年在工作场所发生的的荒诞离奇的故事。

    　　1.中佛罗里达州救火员为救狗进行“人工呼吸”。

    　　佛罗里达州的救火员为从着火的房子中救出的狗进行口对口呼吸抢救。狗随后被送往当地医院。

    　　2.为逃避工作让朋友用枪射击自己的男人

    　　一个男人为了请病假走极端：让朋友射击他的手臂，这样他就可以不去上班。这个男人告诉帕斯卡公司的主管说，当他在上班前做慢跑运动的时候，一辆经过他身边的汽车中的人拔枪向他射击。他后来又透露实情是他为了避免公司的药物测试而叫一位朋友朝他开枪射击

    　　3.警察局长从消防队冰箱偷牛肉

    　　堪萨斯州小镇上的一位警察局长被证明犯下偷窃牛肉罪，监控录像显示他偷窃了消防队冰箱内的牛肉。新闻并没有说他偷了多少牛肉以及为什么偷消防队冰箱的牛肉。他被宣判并没有提起上诉。

    　　4.救同伴逃离鳄鱼之口时射中同伴

    　　澳大利亚北部的两个鳄鱼农场工人在河岸边捡拾鳄鱼蛋，一不小心，一个工人被鳄鱼咬住了胳膊。另一个人开枪射击鳄鱼，希望以此来救同伴。当他第二枪打出的时候，不巧正射中同伴那只被鳄鱼咬住的肩膀。不过万幸的是同伴还是活了下来。

    　　5.外套中的DVD光盘挡子弹救人命

    　　巴里·麦克罗伊是一位南加利福尼亚州的火灾和营救主管，当他离开“闲聊屋”旅店的时候正好碰上两个人在枪战。枪战正酣，一个人被射伤，玻璃也被打碎，子弹也向麦克罗伊射过来，但是他并没有感觉道自己已经中弹。因为子弹正中了罗伊口袋中的DVD，他只不过是受了点皮外伤。

    　　6.用罐装大麻付餐费的男人

    　　在佛罗里达威罗海岸的麦当劳餐厅，当一位驾车的过路顾客用大麻来付餐费确实让员工大吃一惊。这位出纳员呼叫了警察，随后警察在这位顾客的车上发现毒品并将他逮捕。

    　　7.改变“开门做生意”方针的商店

    　　在一年内被偷窃三次后，一家新罕布什尔州高质高价自助食品商店要求顾客只有被店主批准后才能进入店内。这件商店将把大门紧锁，店主透过玻璃无法认出的顾客将被拒绝进入。

    　　8.邮递员被蛇咬仍坚持送完信

    　　一位66岁的佛罗里达邮递员正在送信，当他往一个邮箱塞信的时候一只有毒的蛇了他一口。他告诉专家们他不停的摇他的手臂，并用蛇往车门上撞击来让它松开。他继续送30分钟信，才向人求救。据说咬他的蛇是一只东部菱形斑纹响尾蛇。

    　　9. 2位前工人控告内曼·马库斯商店的性录影带

    　　伊利诺州内曼·马库斯商店的两名前雇员控告这家百货公司，宣称他们对性爱场面进行非法的录像。这两个员工称当他们在做爱的时候被公司秘密安装在摄像头后的录影带所记录下来。他们还声称商店经理与其他的人共同观看了这盘映带，并把它上传到保安人员的全国性网络数据库中。

    　　10. 餐厅员工激战

    　　在马里兰饭店工作的两兄弟因为工作上的分歧发生争吵，最后就演变成一场真刀真枪的打斗。据报道事情是这样的，兄弟中的一个叫另一个去拖地，后者很恼怒就发生了争吵。两兄弟都受了点小小的刀伤，但只有一位兄弟被控告轻度袭击。这已经是这家餐馆的第二个关于用刀攻击的报案。

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  • 男女大脑间重大差异新发现

    2009-6-09

    Women's brains are different from men's 　

    　　[1]Men and women show differences in behaviour because their brains are 

    physically distinct organs, new research suggests. Male and female brains 

    appear to be constructed from markedly different genetic blueprints。

    　[2]The differences in the circuitry1 that wires them up and the chemicals 

    that transmit messages inside them are so great as to point to the 

    conclusion that there is not just one kind of human brain, but two, 

    according to recent neurological2 studies。

    　　[3]Men may be from Mars and women may be from Venus, and since the 

    American psychotherapist3 John Gray wrote his famous book, in 1992, on 

    the idea, it has been a commonplace to think of men and women as being 

    from different planets in terms of their emotional responses。

    　　[4] But until recently, these differences were often explained by the 

    action of adult sex hormones, or by social pressures that encouraged males

    and females to behave in a certain way。

    　　[5]Increasingly, however, these assumptions are being challenged, 

    according to a review of recent neurological research appearing in 

    recent New Scientist magazine, and it is becoming clear that the brains 

    of men and women show numerous anatomical4 differences。

    　　[6]Some of these divergences, the review by Hannah Hoag suggests, could 

    explain a number of mysteries, such as why men and women are prone to 

    different mental health problems, why some drugs work well for one sex 

    but have little effect on the other, and why chronic pain tends to 

    affect women more than men。

    　　[7]Although it has long been known that there were some male-female differences, it was thought they were confined to the hypothalamus5, 

    the brain region involved in regulating food intake, fighting and the sex 

    drive, among other things. But it is becoming clear that the relative 

    sizes of many of the structures inside female brains are different from 

    those of males。

    　　[8]One study, by scientists at Harvard Medical School, found that parts

    of the  frontal lobe6, which houses decisionmaking and problemsolving 

    functions, were proportionally larger in women, as was the limbic cortex, 　which regulates emotions. Other studies have found that the hippocampus7, 

    involved in shortterm memory and spatial navigation, is also proportionally 

    larger in women than in men "perhaps surprisingly, given women's reputation 

    as bad map readers" says the New Scientist review。

    　　[9]Proportionally larger brain areas in men include the parietal cortex, 

    which processes signals from the sensory organs and is involved in space 

    perception, and the amygdala8, which controls emotions and social and 

    sexual behaviour. "The mere fact that a structure is different in size 

    suggests a difference in functional organisation," says Dr Larry Cahill 

    of the Centre for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, at the 

    University of California, Irvine。

    　　[10]One area of research concerns the brain's 

    painsuppressing mechanisms, and points to the fact that they may be 

    organised differently in men and women. This would explain why women 

    can suffer longterm pain more, and why there can be sex differences in 

    response to opiumderived 

    　painkilling drugs. The study notes: "Women get more relief from the 

    opioid painkiller nalbuphine9 compared to men, whereas in men morphine 

    is more effective and nalbuphine actually increases the pain intensity." 

    It is possible these findings could lead to new painkillers being 

    developed that are tailored to be more effective in women  but that 

    is some  way off10。

    　　[11]Mental health is another area where real brain differences may 

    offer explanations. 　Women are diagnosed with depression twice as often as men, and 

    this may be linked to relative levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. 

    Boys, on the other hand, are more likely than girls to be diagnosed with 

    autism,  Tourette's syndrome11, dyslexia, attentiondeficit disorder and 

    earlyonset schizophrenia. The review reports that Margaret McCarthy of 

    the University of Maryland in Baltimore believes that hormonelike substances 

    called prostaglandins, which help masculinise the male brain around 

    the time of birth, may be partly to blame。

    　　[12]One of the reasons why physiological differences between male 

    and female brains have not been widely noted before may be that most of 

    what we know about the brain comes from studies of males, animals and 

    human volunteers。

    　　[13]Professor Jeff Mogil from McGill University, in Montreal, Canada, 

    who has demonstrated major differences in pain processing in males and 

    females, puts it even more forcefully. He is astonished that so many 

    researchers have failed to include female animals in their studies. 

    "It's scandalous," he said. "Women are the most common pain sufferers, 

    and yet our model for basic pain research is the male rat."

    　　[1]最新研究表明，男女行为上表现出来的差异是因为他们的大脑是有着显著不同的器官。男性与女性大脑看来似乎建构于明显不同的基因蓝图。

    　　[2]根据近期的神经学研究，连接他们大脑的脑电网络与在大脑内部传输信息的化学物质差异巨大从而使人们得出结论－并不只有一种人类大脑，而是两种。

    　　[3]男人可能来自于火星，而女人则可能来自于金星。自从1992年美国心理治疗专家约翰？格雷在他所写的大名鼎鼎的著作中阐述了这一观点之后，从情感回应方面说来，认为男性和女性来自于不同的行星便已成为老生常谈之事。

    　　[4]直到最近，这些不同还经常被解释为是由于成年人性激素的作用或是社会压力促使男性和女性按照某种既有的模式行事。

    　　[5]然而根据《新科学家》杂志上刊登的一篇近期神经学研究回顾文章，这些假设正逐渐受到挑战。事实愈发清楚地表明男女大脑存在着诸多解剖差异。

    　　[6]汉纳·霍格写的这篇回顾文章中指出这些差异中的一部分可用来解释大量谜团。例如，男性和女性为何倾向于产生不同的心理健康问题，为何某些药品对一种性别效果不错，而对另外一种性别却是收效甚微，为何慢性疼痛对女性的影响往往会多于男性。

    　　[7]尽管男女有别早被人知，但此种认识只被局限于下丘脑——即专门用于调节食物摄取、争斗、性发育驱动的大脑区域。人们越来越清楚地认识到女性大脑中的许多构造的相对尺寸与男性的有所不同。

    　　[8] 从来自哈佛大学医学院的科学家们所进行的一项研究中发现女性大脑前额叶中具有决策和解决问题功能的那些部分从比例上说要比男性大，调节情感的皮质边缘也是如此。其它研究还发现，女性大脑中参与短时记忆和空间导向的海马区也要比男性的大些－或许令人惊讶，《新科学家》杂志中的回顾一文写到 “女性被称作糟糕的地图识别者” 。

    　　[9]按比例来说，男性比女性大的大脑结构包括顶叶皮质(负责处理来自于感知器官的信号并参与空间感知)和杏仁体(用于控制情感以及社会行为和性行为)。加州大学尔湾分校学习与记忆神经生物学中心的拉里？卡西尔博士说，“一种结构在尺寸上的差异这一事实表明功能组织的不同。

    　　[10]研究的一个领域涉及大脑的镇痛机制，这一研究指出如下事实，即男性和女性的镇痛机制组织不同。这些应该能解释女性更能承受常时间疼痛的原因以及为什么会有对鸦片类镇痛药物反应的性别差异。研究显示：“和男性比起来，女性可以从鸦片类镇痛药纳布芬中得到更多的缓解，但是对男性来说，吗啡对镇痛更有效而纳布芬却加重了疼痛。”这些发现可能导致开发出适用于女性更有效的新型止痛药剂，但那任重而道远。

    　　[11] 心理健康是真实的大脑差异可能提供解释的另一个研究领域。女性被诊断为抑郁症的数量是男性的二倍，这可能与神经传递介质血清素的相对水平有关。而另一方面男孩比女孩更易患自闭症、抽动症、失语症、注意力统合失调症以及早期攻击精神分裂症。这份回顾文章报告说在巴尔的摩马里兰大学的玛格丽特·麦卡锡相信那些被叫做前列腺素的在出生前后促进男性大脑雄性化的激素类物质是导致这些疾病的部分原因。

    　　[12]之所以以前人们没有更多注意到男女大脑的生理差异，其中一个原因是我们所了解的绝大部分大脑知识都来自于对雄性动物及男性自愿者的研究。

    　　[13]加拿大蒙特利尔麦卡吉尔大学的杰夫·摩泽尔教授已经演示了男女在疼痛感受上的主要差异，这使这项研究更有说服力。他很震惊，那么多的研究者在研究中没有包括雌性动物。他说：“这是可耻的。因为女性是最常见的疼痛承受者，而我们最基本的疼痛研究样本是雌性鼠。”

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  • 你知道拍卖的四种形式吗？

    2009-6-09

    There are several variations on the basic auction form, including time limits, minimum or maximum limits on bid prices, and special rules for determining the winning bidder(s) and sale price(s). Participants in an auction may or may not know the identities or actions of other participants. Depending on the auction, bidders may participate in person or remotely through a variety of means, including telephone and the internet. The seller usually pays a commission to the auctioneer or auction company based on a percentage of the final sale price.
    拍卖在基本形式之上存在着某些不同，包括限时、最低或最高竞投价格、以及用于决定竞价胜出者和成交价格的特别规则。参与拍卖的人不一定知道其他参与者的身份或者行为。根据拍卖形式的不同，竞投者可能会亲自出席，或者运用各种远程手段——例如电话和因特网——参与拍卖会。卖家一般会根据最终成交价格的一定比例付给拍卖商或拍卖公司佣金。

    Primary types of auction 拍卖的主要种类
     
    English auction 英式拍卖
    English auction, also known as an open ascending price auction. This type of auction is arguably the most common form of auction in use today. Participants bid openly against one another, with each subsequent bid higher than the previous bid. An auctioneer may announce prices, bidders may call out their bids themselves (or have a proxy call out a bid on their behalf), or bids may be submitted electronically with the highest current bid publicly displayed. In some cases a maximum bid might be left with the auctioneer, who may bid on behalf of the bidder according to the bidder's instructions. The auction ends when no participant is willing to bid further, at which point the highest bidder pays their bid.  Alternatively, if the seller has set a minimum sale price in advance (the 'reserve' price) and the final bid does not reach that price the item remains unsold. Sometimes the auctioneer sets a minimum amount by which the next bid must exceed the current highest bid.  
    英式拍卖，也称为公开增价拍卖。据称这种拍卖形式是当今最常见的拍卖方式。买家公开相互竞价，每次竞价都要比前一次的竞价更高。可以由拍卖师宣报价格，也可以由买家自己报价（或者请一位代理人代表买家报价）。当没有人愿意继续竞价时拍卖结束，出价最高者需支付所报出的价格。或者，如果卖家已经提前设定了最低售价（“保留价”），而最终的竞价没有达到这个价格，拍卖品则不出售。有时候拍卖师会限定最低报价增幅，从而使下一次竞价必须高于当前的最高价格。

    The most significant distinguishing factor of this auction type is that the current highest bid is always available to potential bidders. The English auction is commonly used for selling goods, most prominently antiques and artwork, but also secondhand goods and real estate. At least two bidders are required.
    这种拍卖方式最显著的特点在于，当前最高竞价始终对潜在的买家公开。英式拍卖目前广泛用于商品出售，主要是古董和艺术品拍卖，也用于二手商品和房地产拍卖。这种拍卖需要至少两个买家的参与。


    Dutch auction 荷兰式拍卖
    Dutch auction also known as an open descending price auction. In the traditional Dutch auction the auctioneer begins with a high asking price which is lowered until some participant is willing to accept the auctioneer's price. The winning participant pays the last announced price.
    荷兰式拍卖，也称为公开降价拍卖。在传统的荷兰式拍卖中，拍卖师以相对较高的价格起拍，然后逐步降低，直至有人愿意接受拍卖师开出的价格。胜出者需要支付最后一次宣布的价格。

    The Dutch auction is named for its best known example, the Dutch tulip auctions. ("Dutch auction" is also sometimes used to describe online auctions where several identical goods are sold simultaneously to an equal number of high bidders.) In addition to cut flower sales in the Netherlands, Dutch auctions have also been used for perishable commodities such as fish and tobacco. In practice, however, the Dutch auction is not widely used.
    荷兰式拍卖是因其最出名的一个案例——荷兰郁金香拍卖——而得名。（“荷兰式拍卖”有时也指网上拍卖，这种网拍形式同时为数量相等的高竞价买家提供数件相同的物品。）荷兰式拍卖不仅被用于荷兰的鲜切花交易，还被用于出售某些易腐烂的商品，例如鱼和烟草。然而在实际中，荷兰式拍卖并未被广泛应用。


    Sealed first-price auction 首价密封拍卖
    Sealed first-price auction, also known as a first-price sealed-bid auction (FPSB). In this type of auction all bidders simultaneously submit sealed bids so that no bidder knows the bid of any other participant. The highest bidder pays the price they submitted.
    首价密封拍卖也叫首价密封投标拍卖。根据这种拍卖方式的要求，所有买家须同时提交密封好的报价，因而没有人知道其他竞买者的报价。出价最高者支付其报出的价格。

    This type of auction is distinct from the English auction, in that bidders can only submit one bid each. Furthermore, as bidders cannot see the bids of other participants they cannot adjust their own bids accordingly. Sealed first-price auctions are commonly used in tendering, particularly for government contracts and auctions for mining leases.
    这种拍卖方式与英式拍卖的不同在于，每个买家只能出一次价。不仅如此，由于买家无法得知其他竞买人的报价，他们也无法相应地调整自己的报价。首价密封方式常用于投标，尤其是在政府项目和矿产租赁权拍卖中。


    Vickrey auction 维克瑞拍卖
    Vickrey auction, also known as a sealed-bid second-price auction. This is identical to the sealed first-price auction except that the winning bidder pays the second highest bid rather than their own. This is very similar to the proxy bidding system used by eBay, where the winner pays the second highest bid plus a bidding increment (e.g., 10%).
    维克瑞拍卖，也称为第二价格密封拍卖。这种拍卖方式与首价密封拍卖基本相同，区别仅在于胜出者需要支付的价格是第二高的报价，而不是他自己的报价。这与易趣网所使用的代理人竞价系统相似，在这个系统中，胜出者需要支付第二高的报价，再加上一个报价的增额（如10%）。

    Although extremely important in auction theory, in practice Vickrey auctions are rarely used.
    尽管这种方式在拍卖理论中占据重要地位，但在实际中，维克瑞拍卖方式却很少被使用。

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  • 90后的人比父母的智商低

    2009-6-09

    Middle-class teenagers are less intelligent than a generation ago due to the dumbing down of youth culture and school tests, a new study suggests.
    最新研究显示，由于文化传播与校园教育的低能化，如今中产阶级家庭的青少年的智商要比他们的上代人偏低。
     

    IQ tests show that scores for the average 14-year-old have dropped by more than two points between 1980 and 2008.
    分别在1980年和2008年对普通14岁青少年所作的智商测试发现，现在的青少年智商比28年前要低两分。

     

    For those in the upper half of the intelligence scale--a group typically dominated by the children of middle-class families--average IQ scores were six points down on 28 years ago.
    在智商较高的一半人中——这个群体的孩子大部分来自中产阶级——平均智商要比28年前低六分。
     

    Leisure time is increasingly taken up with playing computer games and watching TV instead of reading and holding conversations.
    休闲活动被电脑游戏和电视占据，而过去的青少年只能阅读看书或和朋友交谈说话。

     

    Education experts said a growing tendency in schools to "teach to the test" was affecting youngsters' ability to think laterally.
    教育专家表示，学校越来越以考试为教学标准，这也导致现在的青少年缺乏思考的能力。

     

    For the study, Professor James Flynn, of the University of Otago in New Zealand, analysed UK children's scores in IQ tests over time.
    进行调查的新西兰奥塔哥大学的詹姆斯·弗林教授分析了英国孩子们在这些年的智商得分数据。

     

    He found that IQs increased among children aged between five and 10 over the 28-year-period, at the rate of up to half a point a year.
    他发现，在过去的28年间，5至10岁孩子的智商在以每年提高0.5分的趋势增长。

     

    He believes these gains are linked to changes to the home environment children experience when they are young, with parents increasingly providing stimulating activities.
    他认为这是由于家庭环境所致，越来越多的家长乐于在孩子小的时候从事促进大脑发育的活动。

     

    But Professor Flynn also found that teenagers' scores had dipped slightly over the past generation.
    但弗林教授也发现，青少年的得分却比他们的上代人有所降低。

     

    It is the first time IQ scores have fallen for any age group during the past century, his research suggests.
    研究表明，在过去的一个世纪中，智力测试的分数下降还是头一次。

     

    "While we have enriched the cognitive environment of children before their teenage years, the cognitive environment of the teenagers has not been enriched."
    “我们强化了小孩子的认知环境，却忽视了青少年这个年龄段。”

     

    "Other studies have shown how pervasive teenage youth culture is, and what we see is parents' influence on IQ slowly diminishing with age."
    “其他研究也显示，青少年的特有文化已相当流行，家长对这个年龄段孩子的智商所能起到的影响随着他们年龄的增长而不断减弱。”

     

    "What we know is that youth culture is more visually orientated around computer games than they are in terms of reading and holding conversations."
    “据我们所知，年轻一代的文化明显倾向于电脑游戏，而冷落了阅读和与人聊天交往。”

     

    He said previous studies have tended to show IQ increasing as teenagers move into adulthood, entering university or starting work.
    他还说，之前的研究倾向于另一种观点，即青少年在成人、上大学以至开始工作的这段时间里，他们的智商在不断地增长。”

     

    Previous studies have claimed that using text messages and email can temporarily reduce IQ by causing concentration to drop, while smoking marijuana has also been linked with a decline in IQ.
    此前有调查发现，发送手机短信和电子邮件会影响注意力，以至于短暂降低一个人的智商，而吸食大麻也与智商降低有关。

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