[分享]090617 周三老外ODDS AND ENDS
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头衔:新会员 注册日期:2007-06-05 积分:28 发贴:12 精华:0 空间 |
[分享]090617 周三老外ODDS AND ENDS
1. 针眼中的微雕：奥巴马另类全家福
Mini Obamas give a micro wave in British sculptor's work that fits in the eye of a needle 2. 联合国呼吁发布全球禁塑令 U.N. environment chief urges global ban on plastic bags 3. 英国：让路人搭便车意愿降低 Thumbs down for British hitchhikers: poll 4. 东京人“租借”亲朋好友参加婚宴 Tokyo firm rents fake family, friends for weddings 01 A British sculptor has brought US 英国一位雕塑家最近创作了美国总统奥巴马的迷你雕像。 Talented Willard Wigan has carved Mr Obama and his family into the eye of a 24-carat gold needle. 天才微雕艺术家威拉德?维冈在一个24克拉的金针针眼里雕出了奥巴马一家 Speaking in Los Angeles, as he was about to launch his first American exhibition, Willard revealed: 'My favourite piece has to be 威拉德正在洛杉矶即将举办他的首次美国展览，他说：“我最心爱的作品当然是奥巴马全家的雕像。” The micro-sculptor's work is so small, you need a microscope to see it - it is invisible to the naked eye. 这位微雕艺术家的作品非常小，只有用显微镜才能看得到，用肉眼看不到 But Willard creates it all by hand in an astonishing process. 但威拉德全凭双手完成雕像，过程令人惊叹。 It takes him up to three months to create each amazing and unique sculpture, which usually sits within the eye of a needle or on a pin head. 每个让人叹为观止、别具一格的雕像都需要花费他三个月的时间，这种雕像通常放在针孔里或者大头针的针头上。 The personal sacrifice involved in creating pieces is almost inconceivable. Willard enters a meditative state in which his heartbeat is slowed, allowing him to reduce hand tremors and sculpt between pulse beats. 创作过程中付出的心血令人难以想像。威拉德在创作时接近于冥想状态，脉搏减慢，这使他可以减少手颤，并在心跳间隙进行雕刻 Even the reverberation caused by traffic outside can affect Willard's work, so he often works through the night when there is minimal disruption. 甚至门外车辆的回响都会影响到威拉德的创作，因此他经常在最清静的深夜工作 In the past he has created micro-sculptures of such stars as Brad But it is the Willard, who is from Birmingham, was subsequently honoured with receiving an MBE from HRH His exhibition and tour of the US begins this week and runs in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston through to November. 他的美国巡展将于本周开始，先后在洛杉矶、芝加哥、休斯敦等地举办，一直持续到11月。 micro-sculpture：微雕，是最为精细微小的一种工艺品，其作品要用放大镜或显微镜方能观看到镂刻的内容。英国伯明翰的 Willard Wigan 是一位国际知名的雕刻家，他是世界最小雕塑的创作者。他通过一把微型手术刀在米、沙和糖上雕刻，然后把它们放进针头里。 02 Single-use plastic bags, a staple of American life, have got to go, the United Nations' top environmental official said Monday. 一次性塑料袋是美国人的日常生活用品。联合国环境部门的高级官员于本周一称，应禁止使用塑料袋。 Although recycling bags is on the rise in the United States , an estimated 90 billion thin bags a year, most used to handle produce and groceries, go unrecycled. They were the second most common form of litter after cigarette butts at the 2008 International Coastal Cleanup Day sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy, a marine environmental group. 尽管越来越多的美国人开始使用环保袋，但据估计，每年人们使用的900亿个超薄塑料袋并没有被循环利用，大部分塑料袋用来装商品和杂货。在海洋环境组织“海洋保护协会”主办的“2008年国际海滩清洁日”活动上，塑料袋被列为第二大常见垃圾，仅次于烟蒂。 Steiner's declaration accompanied a UNEP report that identifies plastic as the most pervasive form of ocean litter. According to the report, " 与施泰纳的声明同时出炉的还有一份联合国环境规划署的报告，该报告将塑料列为最常见的海洋垃圾。该报告指出，“塑料在海洋垃圾中最常见，由于它能在海洋里停留很久，分解成小片直至碎片，甚至处于食物网底层的最小的海洋生物都能吸收，因此构成很大威胁。 Ireland managed to cut single-use plastic bag consumption 90 percent by levying a fee on each bag that consumers use. 自从爱尔兰对消费者使用的每个塑料袋收费后，该国塑料袋的使用量减少了90% In the United States , only San Francisco has completely banned plastic bags. Los Angeles will do so in 2010. Also, Washington, D.C.'s city council is set to vote on a five-cent -a-bag tax later this month. On first reading, the bill passed unanimously. Similar proposals have failed in New York and 在美国，仅有旧金山完全禁用塑料袋。洛杉矶在2010年也将效法。华盛顿特区市议会将于下半月投票决定是否对每个塑料袋征收五美分的税。该法案在初审时全票通过。类似的提案在纽约和费城遭到否决 Keith Christman , senior director for the plastics division of the American Chemistry Council , responded that the term "single-use" is misleading because most people actually reuse plastic bags, "for example, to line their trash cans." 美国化学理事会塑料分部的高级主管基思? 回应称，人们误解了“一次性”的含义，因为大部分人其实会多次使用塑料袋，“比如，垃圾桶。” "A ban on plastic bags could also cause some unintended consequences," he said. In particular, the increased demand for paper bags would double greenhouse emissions and create "a dramatic increase in waste," Christman said. 他说：“禁用塑料袋也会招致一些意外的影响。”特别是纸袋需求的大幅上升会使温室气体排出量加倍，并导致“浪费骤然加剧。” Leading U.S. plastic bag manufacturers aim to increase the recycled content of plastic bags to 40 percent by 2015, he added. That would reduce plastic waste by 300 million pounds a year. 他补充称，美国主要的塑料袋生产商打算在2015年之前将塑料袋可循环利用的成分增至40%。这可以每年减少3亿磅的塑料浪费。 "Recycling is what we see as the best approach for the US," Christman said. " 他说：“对美国来说，重复利用塑料是最好的办法。它价值很大，我们不能浪费。” single-use: 一次性使用的 line：to cover the inner side or surface of（加衬里，垫在里面） 03 Credit crunched travelers hoping to dodge transport fares by sticking up their thumbs may be in for a long wait, as a new study shows that only three-quarters of Brits would consider picking up a hitchhiker. 身陷经济危机的旅行者希望竖起大拇指搭便车来节省旅费，但如今他们要等更久了。一项最新研究表明，仅有3/4的英国人会考虑让路人搭便车。 The poll shows that hitchers have the highest chance of getting a lift, in Scotland and southwest England, where 21 percent of respondents said they would offer up a free seat, while only 14 percent of those questioned in the northwest and northeast said that they would consider stopping. 调查显示，在苏格兰和英格兰西南部地区，人们能搭上便车的几率最大，21%的受访者称会让路人免费搭便车，而在英国西北部和东北部的受访者中，仅有14%的人称会考虑让路人搭便车 The egalitarian pleasure of helping a fellow traveler is increasingly being replaced by internet-organized lift-share schemes (car pools), to save waiting in the rain by the side of the road, King said. 埃德蒙德?金表示，帮助同路人所带来的平等主义乐趣渐被网上组织的拼车所代替，这样人们就不用在路边冒雨等车了 He added that he was pleased that there is still a "core of trusty drivers who say they would pick up a hitchhiker." The study, released on this year's official lift-share day, also revealed that drivers are cutting back on journeys and expenditure as the price of fuel continues to climb. 他还说，他很高兴见到仍然有一些“会让人搭便车的可靠的‘铁杆’司机。”该研究报告于今年的官方“拼行日”发布，研究还显示，由于油价持续攀升，司机减少了出行路程和花费。 The AA encourages "responsible" car-sharing as a means to save cash, ease congestions and protect the environment. 英国汽车协会鼓励人们进行“负责任的”拼车，以此来节省费用，减轻交通堵塞，保护环境。 04 It's the wedding season in Japan but instead of opting for a small event in tough times, couples can rent fake family, friends and colleagues to plump up the guest list. 眼下正是日本的结婚季，但恋人们不但没有因为经济困窘而一切从简，反而“租借”假扮的亲朋好友和同事来充实宾客队伍 Many in Japan see weddings as a formal event that must be attended by as many family members, friends and co-workers as possible. At the party, bosses often give speeches, colleagues or friends stage performances, and families greet other guests. 很多日本人认为婚礼是正规仪式，参加的亲朋好友和同事越多越好。在婚宴上，老板常要致辞，同事或朋友会上台表演，家人则答谢其他来宾。 But what if you've got no one to do that for you? 但如果没人来参加你的婚礼呢？ "We'll attend the wedding as your friend instead of your friend," Hiroshi Mizutani, who heads Office Agents in Tokyo, a company that rents out guests, told the reporters. 东京办公代理公司的老板弘水谷在接受记者采访时说：“我们将扮成您的朋友来替他们参加婚礼。”这家公司提供租借宾客的业务 "Suddenly, a guest might not be able to make it. Or maybe you are concerned about the gap in the number of guests you have compared to your partner. Or, there are many temp workers these days and they may be uncomfortable inviting the boss." 也许有位客人临时有事来不了，或者自己的宾客人数与伴侣有差距而让你烦恼，又或者现今有很多临时工，他们觉得邀请老板不合适。 For 20,000 yen ($200), Office Agents provides a staff member to attend the ceremony. For an additional 5,000 yen, that person can perform a song or a dance. 办公代理公司每派出一人参加婚礼收费两万日元（合200美元）。加价五千日元，租用的宾客会现场表演唱歌跳舞，再加一万日元，宾客还会发表一番令人自豪的感言 At one wedding, all 30 of the family, friends and coworkers of the groom were fakes, Mizutani said. This was the second marriage for the groom, who wanted to avoid inviting the same guests from the first wedding. 弘水谷称，在某场婚礼中，新郎的所有三十位亲朋好友和同事都是“冒牌货”。这次是新郎再婚，他不想邀请头婚时的宾客。 The firm gets about 100 wedding requests per year and has some 1,000 fakes available for various occasions, including funerals and training seminars. 该公司每年婚礼业务量约有一百场，并有约一千位假宾客待命，这些假扮宾客还可以出席葬礼、培训研讨会等各种场合。 It even offers fake lovers to introduce to your family and stand-in secretaries for those that want to look important. 该公司甚至还租借供客户介绍给家人的假恋人，并为想抬高身价的人提供假秘书。 The key qualification for Office Agents' staff is that they do not stand out. 办公代理公司员工的一大重要特点是他们都不出众 "What's important is that these are normal people... normal as in they are cheery and clean and look like they have regular jobs," Mizutani said. 弘水谷说：“重要的是这些都是一般人，看上去是愉快、整洁利落并有正式工作的普通人。 Sometimes not even the marriage partner is aware. 有时甚至婚礼上的伴侣都浑然不觉。 "People are proud and they don't want to tell their partner that they do not have many friends," Mizutani said. 弘水谷说：“人们都爱面子，不想告诉爱人自己朋友很少 "The environment is so that people don't have anyone to invite. It may be that they are lonely and it may also be that the way people work are changing." “大环境就这样，人们请不到太多宾客。有可能因为这些人很孤独，也有可能是因为人们的工作方式在发生变化 |
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