Want to Lose Weight? Try Counting Calories

想减肥？试试控制卡路里摄入量

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。
 
How many calories we eat appears more important than what we eat when we eat too much. That was the finding of a new study that should be satisfying to anyone who counts calories for weight control.
我们吃进去多少热量似乎比我们吃的是什么更为重要，这是一项新研究的发现。该研究应当能让通过计算卡路里控制体重的人感觉满意。
 
More than one billion adults are overweight. The World Health Organization calls obesity a global epidemic. On Tuesday, government researchers reported the latest estimates for the United States. The good news: obesity rates have not increased much in recent years. The bad news: they have not decreased either. More than one-third of adults were obese in two thousand nine and two thousand ten.
全球有超过10亿成年人体重超重。世界卫生组织称肥胖症为一种全球流行病。周二，政府研究人员报告了美国最新评估结果。好消息是：近年来肥胖率没有增加。坏消息是：它们也没有降低。2009和2010年美国肥胖成年人比例超过了1/3。
 
Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows there are all kinds of conflicting diet plans. Some tell people not to eat carbohydrates. Others say not to eat fats. Still others say to eat more protein. Or to eat less protein.
曾经尝试过减肥的任何人都知道各种各样互相矛盾的饮食计划。有些饮食计划告诉人们不要吃碳水化合物，另一些说不要吃脂肪，还有一些说多吃蛋白质，或者说少吃蛋白质。
 
Dr. George Bray at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana led the new study. He wanted to know if protein in food affects weight gain.
路易斯安那州彭宁顿生物医学研究中心的乔治·布雷（George Bray）博士领导了这项新的研究。他想知道食物中的蛋白质是否会影响体重增加。
 
Twenty-five healthy adults were in the study. They were overfed by almost a thousand calories a day over an eight-week period. Calories in food are a measure of energy.
25名健康成年人参与了这项研究。他们在为期8周的研究期间，每天狂吃近1千卡路里。食物中的卡路里是能量计量单位。

One of those in the study was Daniel Kuhn.
丹尼尔·库恩（Daniel Kuhn）是被研究者之一。

DANIEL KUHN: "I was eating a lot of real butter, for instance, real whipped cream and things of that nature that I don't normally indulge in."
库恩：“我吃了很多黄油。例如奶油和类似性质的东西，平常我不喜欢吃这些东西。”

The people followed diets with low, normal or high levels of protein. Normal was defined as fifteen percent of energy from protein.
这些人饮食中的蛋白质被分为低、正常、高三种等级。正常水平是指蛋白质提供15%的能量。
 
Dr. Bray says all of them gained weight.
布雷博士表示，所有被研究者体重都增加了。
 
GEORGE BRAY: "Fat storage was exactly the same with all three levels of protein. It was the calories that they ate that affected the body fat that they stored."
布雷：“所有三种等级蛋白质导致的脂肪储存量完全相同。由此证明影响身体脂肪储存量的是他们吃进去的卡路里。”

The study found that those who ate a higher percentage of protein gained more lean body mass. The opposite happened on a low protein diet.
该研究发现，吃更高比例蛋白质的人瘦体重(查看百度百科解释)增加更多。低蛋白饮食则刚好相反。

GEORGE BRAY: "If your protein intake's low, you'll actually lose body mass even though you're eating an excess amount of calories."
布雷：“如果你蛋白质摄入量低，你实际会失去体重，即使你进食过量的卡路里。”
 
Dr. Bray tells his patients to weigh themselves regularly so they can know quickly if they gain weight.
布雷博士告诉他的病人定期测量体重，这样他们就能很快知道自己体重是否增加。
 
His study on protein, calories and weight gain appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
他对蛋白质、卡路里和体重增加的研究发表在《美国医学协会杂志》上。
 
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian at the Harvard School of Public Health studies the relationship between diet and conditions like heart disease and diabetes. He says keeping a healthy weight is not just about eating less, but also about what you eat.
哈佛公共卫生学院的达鲁希·莫兹法立安（Dariush Mozaffarian）研究了心脏病、糖尿病等疾病与饮食的关系。他表示，保持健康体重不在于少吃，而在于吃什么。
 
DARIUSH MOZAFFARIAN: "We don't need to go down a list of 'avoid this, avoid that' -- become, you know, food police. It's really actually mostly foods that should be increased. It's fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, vegetable oils and nuts."
莫兹法立安：“我们不需要成为一个食物警察，严格限定“这也不能吃，那也不能吃”。实际上有些食物我们要多吃，例如水果，蔬菜，粗粮，鱼，植物油和坚果。”

He says increasing these six foods by about one serving each day would reduce obesity and help slow the epidemic of obesity-related diseases.
他表示，每天增加一份这六种食物可以减少肥胖，并有助于减缓肥胖相关疾病的蔓延。
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注：由于本篇文章内容不全面，看完后可能会让你云里雾里！我们以该研究的具体数据为您解释一下：被研究者在8周时间里，同样每天摄入1000卡路里热量。结果蛋白质水平低、正常、高的三组研究者增加的脂肪量（即肥体重）都是7.7磅，但根据蛋白质水平不同，其瘦体重分别为减少1.5磅，增加6磅、增加7磅。用通俗的话来说就是，吃进去热量相同，脂肪量增加相同。吃蛋白质高的人虽然体重会增加更多，但他们增加的都是瘦肉，也就是我们说的长肌肉。

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Steps Toward Drought-Resistant Crops, 'Designer' Rice

抗干旱作物和'Designer'水稻

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
 
A discovery in a laboratory could help lead to new generation of drought-resistant crops. Drought conditions cause plants to produce a stress hormone called abscisic acid. This chemical activates a set of protein molecules called receptors. These receptors then activate a series of changes to help the plant survive.
一项实验室发现可能有助于带来新一代耐旱作物。干旱状况会导致作物产生一种被称为脱落酸的应激激素。这种化学物质会激活一套被称为受体的蛋白质分子。这些受体随即会激活一系列变化来帮助植物存活。
 
The natural reaction of the receptors is to close so-called guard cells on and inside the leaves. That closure decreases water loss and stops the plant from growing to save water during a drought.
受体的自然反应就是关闭植物叶子内外的所谓保卫细胞。保卫细胞的关闭会降低水分流失，使植物在干旱时期停止生长以节约水分。
 
Researchers say they have discovered a way to "supercharge," or increase, this reaction. Sean Cutler at the University of California, Riverside, led the team. The scientists engineered abscisic acid receptors that can be turned on at will and stay on. They tested hundreds of versions of engineered receptor genes until they found ones that worked right together.
研究人员说，他们已经发现一种“增压”方式来增强这种反应。加州大学河滨分校的肖恩·卡特勒（Sean Cutler）负责这个研究小组。科学家人工改造的脱落酸受体可以随意开启并保持这一状态。他们在发现合适基因前检测了数百种人工改造受体基因。
 
The team worked with Arabidopsis, a plant often used in experiments. The results recently appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
该小组采用了一种实验常用的植物拟南芥。研究结果最近发表在《美国国家科学院学报》上。
 
Professor Cutler says testing the new receptors in the field may take several years. He also points out that drought is not the only cause of plant stress.
卡特勒教授表示，实地检测这种新受体可能需要几年时间。他还指出，干旱不是植物抗逆性的唯一原因。
 
SEAN CUTLER: "If a plant grows in the deserts normally, like a cactus, what would be stressful for a crop plant is not stressful for a cactus because it has evolved to live in that ecological niche where the water is very rare. So it would really mean, you know, any significant deviation from the normal or ideal growth conditions for an organism."
卡特勒：“如果一种植物像仙人掌一样在沙漠生长。对这种植物来说可能会产生巨大抗逆性，但对仙人掌来说不会。因为仙人掌已经进化到在那种极度缺水的生态小生境中存活。所以它可能意味着一种有机体在正常和理想生长环境的显著偏差。”

In another development, scientists have produced a new system for analyzing genetic markers in rice plants. A genetic marker is a DNA sequence with a known location. It can help scientists identify nearby genes linked to individual qualities, or traits.
另据报道，科学家已经制造出分析水稻遗传标记的新系统。遗传标记是一种位置已知的DNS序列。它可以帮助科学家确定与特质或性状相关的邻近基因。
 
Anna McClung and Georgia Eizenga are genetic scientists with the United States Department of Agriculture. Their new system will let researchers genetically "fingerprint" rice varieties and gain a better understanding of the markers.
安娜·麦克朗（Anna McClung）和乔治亚·艾森格（Georgia Eizenga）是就职于美国农业部的遗传学家。他们的新系统可以让研究人员从基因上鉴别水稻品种，并更好地了解标记。

Until now, breeders have been limited to using perhaps two hundred markers. But modern technology lets scientists identify differences throughout the plant's genome, its genetic map. Ms. McClung says that means the ability to identify new genes that control biological pathways.
到目前为止，育种者限于使用两百种左右的标记。但现代科技能够让科学家通过遗传图谱，也就是植物基因组来确定差异。麦克朗女士说，这意味着有能力识别控制生物途径的新基因。
 
ANNA McCLUNG: "You know, biological pathways in the plant that may control yield, disease resistance, nutritional quality ... "
麦克朗：“植物的生物途径可以控制产量，抗病性，营养品质...”
 
The finding could make it easier in the future for farmers to grow "designer rice," rice bred to meet their specific needs.
该发现可能使农民将来种植满足他们特定需求的和'Designer'水稻更为容易。

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A Mobile App in Delhi Aims to Protect Women

一款保护女性安全的手机应用程序

This is the VOA Special English Technology Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。
 
More than twenty thousand new products appeared at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Among the attention getters last week were "ultrabooks," or very thin notebook computers. Also, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer announced new smartphones with the Windows Phone operating system.
今年在美国内华达州拉斯维加斯举行的国际消费电子展上出现了超过两万种新产品。上周的关注焦点是超轻薄笔记本电脑ultrabooks。此外，微软首席执行官史蒂夫·鲍尔默（Steve Ballmer）发布了安装微软手机操作系统的新智能手机。
 
Far from the bright lights of Vegas are the poorly lit streets of Delhi. A new mobile app called Fight Back aims to make those streets safer for women like Cheena Sikka. She often works late. A company taxi takes her part of the way home, but then she has to walk five to ten minutes alone.
远离拉斯维加斯明亮灯光的是德里光线昏暗的街道。一款名为“反击（Fight Back）”的手机应用新程序旨在使这些街道对西卡（Cheena Sikka）这类女性更为安全。西卡经常工作到很晚。回家时公司的出租车会送她一段路，但随后她必须独自步行五到十分钟。
 
CHEENA SIKKA: "It's dark and the kind of people who are around are not really to be comfortable with or safe. You cannot feel safe."
西卡：“街道很暗，附近的人也让我感觉不是很自在，你无法感觉安全。”
 
Ms. Sikka uses Fight Back to follow her location with GPS, or global positioning system, software. Jagdish Mitra is the head of CanvasM Technologies, which recently launched the app.
西卡女士使用“反击”应用程序，通过GPS全球定位系统跟踪她的位置。贾格迪什·米特拉（Jagdish Mitra）是最近推出了该程序的CanvasM科技公司的负责人。

JAGDISH MITRA: "The moment you feel uncomfortable, you really don't need to do anything else but press one button."
米特拉：“当你觉得不自在时，你无需做任何其它事情，只要按下一个按钮。”
 
The woman pushes the button on her touchscreen but has a few seconds to cancel her decision. If not, a message with her location will go by text, e-mail or Facebook to anyone she has put on a list.
按下触摸屏上按钮的女性还有几秒钟可以取消她的这次操作。如果不取消，一条包含她位置的信息将通过短信、电邮或Facebook发给她列出的名单上的任何人。
 
MALE EMPLOYEE: "Divya has raised a panic alert. She might be in trouble."
男性员工：“迪夫亚（Divya）发出了恐慌警报，她可能遇到了麻烦。”

The location also appears on a map in the company's offices. But Mr. Mitra says his company does not serve as a public monitoring center.
位置也会出现在该公司办公室的地图上。但米特拉先生说，他的公司并不会充当公共监控中心。
 
JAGDISH MITRA: "We are not in the provision of, you know, managing the law, if you may. The law has to be managed by the people who actually are authorized to do it, which is the police and so on and so forth."
米特拉：“我们无权维护法律。法律必须由被授权的人来维护，也就是警察之类的。”
 
Officials reported more than four hundred rapes in Delhi in twenty-ten. Many media organizations have called the city of seventeen million people "India's rape capital."
2010年在德里，有关官员报告了四百多起强奸案。许多媒体组织将这座1700万人口的城市称为“印度强奸之都。”
 
Kalpana Viswanath is a researcher with the women's group Jagori. She works to make cities safer for women through changes like better lighting and wider sidewalks. She supports Fight Back but has some concerns.
卡尔帕娜·维斯瓦纳特（Kalpana Viswanath）是女性团体Jagori的一名研究员。她致力于通过改善照明和加宽人行道一类的改革，使城市对女性更为安全。她支持“反击”应用程序，但还有一些顾虑。
 
KALPANA VISWANATH: "While the app to me is very important and has a good role to play, I think what we have to be careful about is that it doesn't again fall back on women to solve their problem."
维斯瓦纳特：“尽管这款应用程序对我来说非常重要，并且发挥了很好的作用。我认为我们必须要小心的是，它不能再次依赖女性解决她们自己的问题。”
 
Hindol Sengupta is a founder of Whypoll, a nonprofit group that works on the Fight Back project. He says Indian police often do not take women's safety seriously. He says, "Most women don't go to the police because in most parts of the country, the police are seen as more part of the problem than part of the solution."
欣德尔·森古普塔是致力于“反击”项目的非营利性组织Whypoll的一名创始人。他称印度警察往往不重视女性安全。他说，“大多数女性不去报警，因为在印度大部分地区，警察被更多的视为是一个问题而不是一个解决办法。”

HINDOL SENGUPTA: "So we're saying here's a tool -- you can go to the police if you want, and so you should, and so you must. But, in case you choose not to, and in case you can't reach them, you can directly reach out to your friends and family. And together, you can propel the system. You can propel the security apparatus, so to speak, to act."
森古普塔：“所以我们说这个应用程序一个工具。如果你愿意，或有需要，你可以去报警。但如果你选择不报警，或者无法报警，你可以直接求助于你的朋友和家人。而且，你可以推动这个系统，推动这个安全装置发挥其作用。”
 
The makers of Fight Back say police in Delhi and other Indian cities have expressed interest in linking to the system.
“反击”应用程序开发商表示，德里和其它印度城市的警察都表示有兴趣连接到这一系统。

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Health Problems Slow Gains in US Life Spans

健康问题影响美国人预期寿命

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

Americans spend more on health care than most other people. Yet a new study shows that life expectancy in the United States is falling behind other developed countries.
美国人在医保上的花费超过其它大部分国家。然而一项新的研究表明，美国的预期寿命（或人均寿命预期）已经落后于其它发达国家。

In two thousand seven an American man could expect to live about seventy-five and a half years. That was less than in thirty-six other countries. Life expectancy for American women was almost eighty-one years. They were also in thirty-seventh place among almost two hundred countries and territories.
2007年，美国男性的预期寿命大约是75.5岁，低于其它36个国家。美国女性预期寿命接近81岁，在全球近200个国家和地区中也排在第37位。

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington studied the numbers. Professor Ali Mokdad says increases in life expectancy have slowed in the United States compared to other countries.
华盛顿大学卫生计量与评估研究所对这些数字进行了研究。阿里·穆克达德（Ali Mokdad）教授表示，与其他国家相比，美国预期寿命的增速已经放缓。

ALI MOKDAD: "We've seen an improvement almost everywhere in the world. And in countries that are developed, we're seeing a higher improvement, a faster improvement rate, than we are seeing in the United States."
穆克达德：“我们看到了世界各地预期寿命的增长。我们也看到了发达国家比美国更大的增长和更快的增长率。”

Professor Mokdad says the reason is Americans have made less progress in reducing problems like obesity and high blood pressure.
穆克达德教授表示，原因是由于美国人在减少肥胖和高血压一类问题上进展较小。

The report also identifies wide differences in life expectancy rates within the United States. The researchers created maps of life expectancy in each of the more than three thousand counties.
该报告同时指出了美国各地预期寿命的巨大差异。研究人员制作了3000多个县的预期寿命地图。

Areas with the shortest expected life spans are largely in the South. Ali Mokdad says researchers know some of the reasons.
预期寿命最短的地区主要集中于南方。穆克达德称，研究人员了解其中一部分原因。

ALI MOKDAD: "Less education, less income in some of these rural counties, more likely to be smokers, more likely to be obese. They don't have health insurance, or they don't have adequate access to health care, and the quality of medical care is not as good as well."
穆克达德：“一些农业县教育水平和收入水平较低，吸烟和肥胖的可能性更大。他们没有医疗保险，或者无法获得足够的医疗保健。同时医疗保健的质量也不太高。”

In the United States, many public health matters are local responsibilities. Restrictions on public smoking, for example, differ from community to community. Some communities have more bicycle paths and other chances for physical activity, or more places to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
在美国，许多公共健康问题都是当地的责任。例如，禁止公共场所吸烟的政策因社区而有所不同。有些社区的自行车道和体育锻炼的机会，以及购买新鲜蔬菜水果的场所都超过其它社区。

ALI MOKDAD: "A long-term investment in their community to increase physical activity and improve diet are needed in this country."
穆克达德：“美国需要对社区进行长期投资，以提高体育锻炼和改善饮食。”

The study appears in the journal Population Health Metrics. Journal editor Chris Murray says at least one finding was unexpected.
这项研究发表在《人口健康指标》杂志上。该杂志主编克里斯·默里表示，至少有一项该研究中的发现出乎意料。

CHRIS MURRAY: "It's a real surprise to us in the study that women are faring so much worse than men."
默里：“这项研究中，女性预期寿命的境况比男性差这么多，真是出乎意料。”

Around the country, American women still live longer than men by five to eight years. But their international ranking has been falling since the nineteen nineties. Dr. Murray says women are increasingly taking risks with their health.
在美国各地，美国女性仍比男性长寿5-8年。但自上世纪九十年代以来，她们的预期寿命全球排名一直在下滑。默里博士表示，美国女性健康方面面临的风险在持续增加。

CHRIS MURRAY: "Women are now smoking more. The obesity epidemic in women is greater than in men. Progress in tackling blood pressure is much worse in women."
默里：“与男性相比，女性吸烟和肥胖症数量越来越多，在控制血压方面的进展也更为糟糕。”

In other news, the first report on the number of American births in twenty-ten shows another decrease. Births have been decreasing since an all-time high of more than 4.3 million in two thousand seven. Federal officials say state health departments reported just over four million births last year.
在其它新闻方面，首份关于2010年美国出生率的报告显示出生率再次下降。自2007年430万新生儿的历史高点以来，出生率持续下降。联邦官员表示，美国卫生部门报告称，去年新生儿数量刚刚超过400万。

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Words and Their Stories: Have a Heart

词汇掌故：有点同情心吧

Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. I'm Rich Kleinfeldt with some expressions using the word

heart.
现在是美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故节目。我是Rich Kleinfeldt，今天给大家带来一些关于“心”的词汇。
 
People believed for a long time that the heart was the center of a person's emotions. That is why the word heart is used in

so many expressions about emotional situations.
很长一段时间，人们认为心是一个人的情绪中心。这就是为什么心这个单词用在这么多关于情绪状态的词汇中。

One such expression is to "lose your heart" to someone. When that happens, you have fallen in love. But if the person who

"won your heart" does not love you, then you are sure to have a "broken heart." In your pain and sadness, you may decide that

the person you loved is "hard-hearted," and in fact, has a "heart of stone."
例如"lose your heart" to someone，是指你爱上某人。但如果这个“赢得你芳心”的人并不爱你，你就一定会“心碎”。在悲痛中，你可能

认为你爱的那个人是“硬心肠”，也就是说他有一颗“铁石心肠”。
 
You may decide to "pour out your heart" to a friend. Telling someone about your personal problems can often make you feel

better.
你可能决定对一个朋友“pour out your heart（倾诉衷肠）”。向别人诉说一下自己的心事往往会让你感觉好受些。
 
If your friend does not seem to understand how painful your broken heart is, you may ask her to "have a heart." You are

asking your friend to show some sympathy for your situation. Your friend "has her heart in the right place" if she says she

is sorry, and shows great concern for how you feel.
如果你的朋友看上去并不理解你有多么心痛，你可能会让她“have a heart（有点同情心）”。也就是让她对你的处境表现出一点同情心。如

果她表示抱歉，同时对你的感受表示出极大的关心，你的朋友"has her heart in the right place"（心地善良，关心某人处境之类的）"
 
Your friend may, however, warn you "not to wear your heart on your sleeve." In other words, do not let everyone see how

lovesick you are. When your heart is on your sleeve you are showing your deepest emotions.
然而你的朋友可能提醒你，“不要太情绪化。”换句话说，不要让大家看到你如此相思。当你情绪化时你展示了你的内心情感。

If your friend says, "my heart bleeds for you," she means the opposite. She is a cold-hearted person who does not really care

about your situation.
如果你的朋友说，“我对你深表同情，”她的意思正好相反。她是一个冷酷的人，并不真正关心你的情况。

In the ever-popular motion picture, The Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man seeks a heart. He wanted to feel the emotion of love, and

was seeking help from the powerful Wizard of Oz to find a heart.
在绿野仙踪这部广受欢迎的影片中，铁皮人想找一颗心，他想感受到爱，因此向奥兹魔法师寻求帮助。
 
The cowardly lion, in the same movie, did have a heart. But he lacked courage and wanted to ask the Wizard of Oz to give him

some. You could say that the cowardly lion was "chicken-hearted." That is another way of describing someone who is not very

brave. A chicken is not noted for its bravery. Thus, someone who is chicken-hearted does not have much courage.
在同一部影片中，胆小的狮子有一颗心，但他缺乏勇气，想求奥兹魔法师给他一些勇气。你可以说这头狮子“胆小如鼠。”这是另一种描述某

人不够勇敢的方式。鸡并不以勇气著称。因此，chicken-hearted的人没有多大勇气。

When you are frightened or concerned, your "heart is in your mouth." You might say, for example, that your heart was in your

mouth when you asked a bank to lend you some money to pay for a new house.
当你害怕或担心，你“心悬到嗓子眼。”例如，当你向银行贷款买新房的时候，你可能会说，你的心悬到嗓子眼了。

If that bank says no to you, do not "lose heart." Be "strong-hearted." Sit down with the banker and have a "heart to heart"

talk. Be open and honest about your situation. The bank may have a "change of heart." It may agree to lend you the money.

Then you could stop worrying and "put your heart at rest."
如果银行拒绝了你，不要“失望”，“勇敢点”。坐下来与银行家“诚心”交谈。对你的情况要开诚布公。银行可能会“改变看法”同意借给

你钱。这样你就可以“放心”了。

lose one's heart to someone: 爱上某人
 
win one's heart: 获得某人欢心，赢得某人的爱情
 
broken heart：心碎，伤心
 
hard-hearted：无情的，心肠硬
 
heart of stone：铁石心肠
 
pour out one's heart：倾诉衷肠
 
have a heart: ，发慈悲
 
have one's heart in the right place: 真心实意，富于同情心
 
wear one's heart on one's sleeve: 十分坦率，感情容易激动
 
my heart bleeds for you: 我对你深表同情
 
chicken-hearted：胆怯，胆小鬼
 
heart is in one's mouth: 十分紧张，焦急万分
 
lose heart: 失去信心，失望
 
strong-hearted：勇敢的
 
heart to heart：诚恳的，诚心的
 
change of heart：改变看法
 
put your heart at rest  放心,安心 

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'Passive' Homes Save Energy, Money

大幅节约能源和费用的被动式住宅

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
 
Heating and cooling equipment are the biggest users of energy in American homes. And homes are responsible for about one fourth of the nation's total energy use. But there are surprisingly simple ways to deeply cut energy use, its effect on the environment and its cost.
采暖和制冷设备是美国家庭的能源大户，家庭占到了美国全国能源使用量的1/4左右。但也有一些令人惊讶的简单途径可以深度减少能源使用，降低其对环境的影响和由此产生的费用。
 
David Peabody and his team at Peabody Architects design passive homes. He says the design of a passive house aims to reduce energy demand to its lowest possible level. Passive houses use no solar, geothermal or wind energy equipment. But they are extremely energy efficient.
大卫·皮博迪（David Peabody）和他的皮博迪建筑师团队设计被动式住宅。他表示，被动式住宅的目标是将其能源需求降低到尽可能低的水平。被动式住宅不使用太阳能、地热能或风能设备。但它们都非常高效节能。

Mr. Peabody says passive houses cut heating and cooling costs by about ninety percent. But what sets his design apart from other "green homes" is that it looks like any other home.
皮博迪先生表示被动式住宅可以削减90%左右的采暖和制冷成本。让他的设计与其它“绿色住宅”相区分的是，它看起来和任何其它住宅别无不同。

DAVID PEABODY: "That is the beauty of the passive house approach is that you don't have to build in a particular way with any particular materials or to any particular style. That's why in our case we decided to try to do something to prove that point to make something that was very traditionally American."
皮博迪：“这是被动式住宅的美妙之处，你无需通过任何特殊材料或任何特殊风格以一种特殊方式来建造它。这就是为什么在我们的案例中，我们决定尝试做一些事情来证明这点，使一些东西成为非常传统的美国人的东西。”
 
Peabody Architects says it is building the first passive home in the Washington, DC, area. But it will not be the last. In Arlington, Virginia, Roger Lin and his brother Eric are also building one. Roger Lin of Southern Exposure Homes explains that windows are sealed against leaks and have three layers of glass.
皮博迪建筑师公司表示，它们在华盛顿特区正建造第一栋被动式住宅。但它不会是最后一栋。在弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿市，罗杰·林恩和他的弟弟埃里克也正在建造这样一栋住宅。Southern Exposure Homes（公司名）的林恩解释说，那个窗户是密封的，有三层玻璃。

ROGER LIN: "And these are triple-paned."
林恩：“这是三层叠加的。”
 
The windows are airtight. On a cold winter day, the temperature inside the unfinished home is a comfortable twelve degrees, or fifty degrees Fahrenheit.
窗户是密闭的。在寒冷的冬天，这栋未完成的住宅里的温度是舒适的12摄氏度，即华氏五十度。

ROGER LIN: "In here it's above fifty actually. It's above fifty right now."
林恩：“这里现在实际上高于华氏50度。”
 
David Peabody says you can find passive homes all over the world.
皮博迪表示，你可以在全球各地找到被动式住宅。

DAVID PEABODY: "North Africa, for example, has a passive house community designing for very hot dry climates and that's a whole other area of exploration for passive house."
皮博迪：“就像北非有一个设计用于非常干燥气候的被动式住宅区。这是被动式住宅在其它方面的全新探索。”

The first passive design was an apartment building in Darmstadt, Germany. Two physicists helped develop it about twenty years ago.
第一个被动式设计是德国达姆施塔特的一栋公寓楼，这是两位物理学家在大约二十年前帮助设计的。

Passive houses use some specialized materials. These include precast concrete panels and insulation. They also need to have special air treatment systems. Supporters say they cost only about five to eight percent more than traditional homes. But they use ten percent of the energy for heating and cooling.
被动式住宅使用一些专用材料，其中包括混凝土预制板和隔热材料。它们还需要有特殊空气处理系统。支持者称，其成本只比传统住宅多出5%-8%。但用于采暖和制冷的能源只有传统住宅的10%。
 
But Passive House Institute US says even greater savings can be reached with additions like solar water heating systems. They might call that an active passive house.
但美国被动式住宅研究所说，使用太阳能热水系统等作为补充可以实现更大节约。他们可能称其为积极被动式住宅。

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More School May Mean Higher IQ Scores

上学越多可能意味着智商越高

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。
 
A study in Norway has found that students who stayed in school longer than others their same age scored higher on intelligence tests.
挪威的一项研究发现，同龄人中，上学时间更长的学生智力测验得分更高。
 
In the middle of the nineteen fifties, the government began requiring students to attend school until the age of sixteen instead of fourteen. Communities had almost twenty years to make the change. So some students went to school for seven years while others went for at least nine years.
在上世纪90年代中期，挪威政府开始要求学生16岁前必须上学，此前要求是14岁。公众有近20年时间就此做出改变。所以有些学生上了7年学，而另一些学生上了至少9年学。
 
This difference gave researchers the chance to see if the additional schooling had any effect on intellectual development.
这种差异使研究人员有机会看到新增的学校教育对智力发展是否有任何影响。
 
All young men in Norway must take a test of their cognitive ability at age nineteen in preparation for required military service. This is commonly called an IQ, or intelligence quotient, test.
挪威所有青年男子在19岁准备服兵役时必须参加一项认知能力测试。也就是通常所说的智商测试。
 
The researchers compared the test results of one hundred seven thousand young men to their years of school. Taryn Ann Galloway is a researcher at the University of Oslo.
研究人员把10.7万青年男子的测试结果和他们的上学时间做了一个比较。泰伦·安·加洛韦（Taryn Ann Galloway）是奥斯陆大学一名研究人员。
 

TARYN ANN GALLOWAY: "The young men who were basically forced to stay in school for two years longer actually did have higher IQs. So, based on that, we were able to say that increasing compulsory schooling did actually have an effect on their cognitive abilities as measured at nineteen years of age."
加洛韦：“被迫在学校多呆了两年的青年男子确实智商更高。所以在此基础上，我们可以说，以19岁时的认知能力来衡量，增加义务教育确实对此有影响。”

An average IQ is one hundred. Most people score between eighty-five and one hundred fifteen.
平均智商为100.多数人得分在85到115之间。
 
Ms. Galloway says students who attended school for nine years scored seven points higher than those who attended for seven years. Those who went for eight years scored about four points higher.
加洛韦女士说，与上了7年学的学生相比，上了9年学的学生的智商高出7个点，上了8年学的学生的智商高出大约4个点。

TARYN ANN GALLOWAY: "So that's still quite large."
加洛韦：“所以这个差别还是相当大的。”

Experts have debated for years about the extent to which people are born with intelligence or develop it later. This is the nature versus nurture argument -- the influence of biology compared to the environment in which people are raised and educated.
专家们数年来一直在争论智商先天具备或后天发展的程度。这是自然（即先天）与培养（即后天）之争，也就是生物学方面的影响与人的成长、教育环境两者的比较。

The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
这一研究结果发表在《美国国家科学院学报》上。
 
Another recent study, in the journal Nature, found that IQ scores can rise or fall during the teenage years. In two thousand four, researchers from University College London tested thirty-three young people ages twelve to sixteen. They repeated the tests four years later. They found increases or decreases of as much as twenty points.
《自然》杂志上另一项最近的研究发现，十来岁时的智商得分可能会上升或下降。2004年，伦敦大学学院的研究人员对33名年龄在12到16岁的青年进行了测试，四年后又对他们再次进行了测试。他们发现，智商得分上升或下降多达20个点。
 
Both times, they also took structural brain scans using MRI, magnetic resonance imaging. The study found that as IQ scores increased, so did the density of gray matter in some areas of the students' brains.
两次测试他们还使用了磁共振成像进行了脑部结构扫描。该研究发现，当智商提高时，学生脑部某些区域的灰质密度也会提高。
 
Professor Cathy Price says the differences in performance could be the result of some teens being early or late developers. But she says it is equally possible that education played a part. She sees a lesson for educators: "We have to be careful not to write off poorer performers at an early stage when in fact their IQ may improve significantly given a few more years."
凯茜·普莱斯说，测试的差异可能是某些青年早期或后期发展的结果。但她说，教育同样也可能发挥了作用。她得出一个教育工作者的教训：“我们在早期阶段必须谨慎，不要写测试者较差，再过几年实际上他们的智商可能会显著提高。”

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AIDS Study Called 2011 'Breakthrough'

一项艾滋病研究被评为2011年“年度突破”

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。
 
The journal Science chose an AIDS study as the twenty-eleven "Breakthrough of the Year." The study found that antiretroviral drugs can greatly lower the risk of spreading HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. It showed that infected people with early treatment were ninety-six percent less likely to infect their partners.
《科学》杂志评选一项艾滋病研究作为2011年的“年度突破”。该研究发现，抗逆转录病毒药物可以极大地降低艾滋病毒传播的风险。这表明，接受早期治疗的感染者感染其性伴侣的几率要低96%。

The study was a clinical trial known as HPTN 052. Myron Cohen led an international team that began the study in two thousand seven and announced the results last May. But Dr. Cohen says the work really began twenty years ago.
该研究是一项被称为HPTN 052的临床试验。迈伦·科恩（Myron Cohen）领导的一个国际研究小组于2007年开始了这项研究，并于去年5月宣布了研究结果。科恩表示，这项研究工作真正开始于20年前。
 
MYRON COHEN: "We had a strong suspicion based on all the biological studies we had done that when we treat people and lower the concentration of HIV in the blood and secretions, we were rendering them less contagious. But we didn't understand the magnitude of the benefit. It blows a gigantic wind behind the idea that treatment will serve as prevention."
科恩：“我们强烈怀疑，基于我们在治疗病人和降低血液及分泌物中艾滋病毒的浓度时所做的所有生物实验，我们降低了它们的传染性。但我们不清楚其受益程度。它让我们突发想象：治疗可以用作预防。”

Dr. Cohen is director of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases paid for the study.
科恩博士是北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校全球卫生和传染病研究所所长。美国国立过敏和传染病研究所为该研究提供资金。
 
The study involved heterosexual couples in nine countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. The results have already had an effect on government policies. Those changes include treating HIV-infected people when their immune systems are still relatively healthy.
该研究涉及了生活在非洲、亚洲和美洲9个国家的异性伴侣。研究结果已经影响到政府的政策。这些变化包括在艾滋病病毒感染者的免疫系统仍相对健康时对他们进行治疗。
 
MYRON COHEN: "This particular 052 study in the last six months has generated policy changes at the level of the United States and the World Health Organization and UNAIDS. And it's inspired new community-based clinical trials that are just about to be launched that apply the scientific discovery. So when you do a single study and it receives so much recognition, and then seems to inform policy in a dramatic way, you think, OK, this was twenty years well-spent."
科恩：“过去6个月，052这一特殊研究已经在美国、世界卫生组织和联合国艾滋病规划署这一层面上产生了政策变化。它也启发了正要推行的应用了科学发现的基于社区的新临床试验。因此当你从事一项单一研究并得到这么多的认可，然后似乎又以一种戏剧性方式影响到政策，你就会认为这20年功夫没白费。”

Dr. Cohen says the study results will be wasted unless they are linked to other areas of HIV treatment and prevention.
科恩博士表示，如果不和其它方面的艾滋病病毒治疗和预防相结合，这一研究结果就将被浪费。

MYRON COHEN: "So the 052 study kind of lends itself to understanding that if we don't know who's positive and negative, there's no benefit. If people aren't linked to care, there's no benefit. If they aren't provided drugs, there's no benefit. If they receive the drugs but don't take the pills, there's no benefit. So this cascade is now the focus of our attention."
科恩：“052研究有点儿便于理解，如果我们不知道谁是阴性和阳性，如果人们不与治疗挂钩，如果不给他们提供药物，如果他们得到了药物却不吃，都不会从中受益。所以这一系列问题是我们现在关注的焦点。”

AIDS activist Mitchell Warren was among those who welcomed the results.
艾滋病活动家米切尔·沃伦（Mitchell Warren）是欢迎这一研究结果的人士之一。

MITCHELL WARREN: "Treatment is prevention. And that becomes a fundamentally different conversation because for many years debates have waged whether we should do treatment or prevention. And the results of the HPTN 052 study actually affirm once and for all that treatment is prevention."
沃伦：“治疗就是预防，这成为了一种本质不同的对话。因为多年来一直辩论我们是否应该进行治疗和预防。HPTN 052研究的结果实际上彻底肯定了治疗就是预防。”

Science also recognized nine other scientific developments last year. You can find the list at 51voa.com. They include progress on a malaria vaccine and research on the DNA of our ancient ancestors. They also include a study of cells that have stopped dividing. It found that clearing them from the bodies of mice can delay some of the effects of aging.
《科学》杂志还表扬了去年的另9项科技发展。你可以在51voa.com网站上找到该名单。这其中包括疟疾疫苗以及我们远古祖先的DNA研究的进展。还包括一项已经停止分裂的细胞的研究，该研究发现，从老鼠身体中清除这种细胞后，可以延缓衰老。

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Big Investors, Small Farmers in Africa: a Fair Deal?

非洲大投资者和小农户之间的不公平交易

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
 
Foreign investment in African land is growing. Countries like China, Saudi Arabia and South Korea are leasing or buying millions of hectares to grow food for their people.
对非洲土地的外商投资持续增加。中国、沙特和韩国等国家租赁或购买了数百万公顷土地为本国人民种植粮食。
 
Research shows that many large land deals lack protections for small farmers. Contracts may guarantee leases for up to ninety-nine years, leaving local people without land for generations.
研究表明，多数大型土地交易缺乏对小农户的保护。合同可能担保了长达99年的租赁期，使得当地人一连数代人都没有自己的土地。
 
Better practices balance exports with local food needs and give farmers ways to enforce promises by investors. They also make clear what kinds of jobs and how many jobs will be created. Smallholders can gain influence if they form cooperatives or unions or have the support of nongovernmental organizations.
更好的做法平衡了出口和当地粮食需求，并给了农民执行投资者承诺的途径。他们也弄清楚了这会创造什么类型的工作，会有多少工作。如果组成合作社、工会，或者有非政府组织的帮助，小农户就能获得影响力。
 
There are different business models for cooperation between investors and local farmers. Lorenzo Cotula is a senior researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London. One popular method, says Mr. Cotula, is contract farming.
在投资者和当地农民的合作中有几种不同的商业模式。Lorenzo Cotula是伦敦国际环境与发展研究所一名高级研究员。Cotula先生说一种常见模式是订单农业。
 
LORENZO COTULA: "Contract farming has been around for a very long time and which essentially involves a company providing credit, inputs like seeds and fertilizers and training and all that, and then buying produce from the farmers at a fixed price when harvest time comes."
LORENZO COTULA：“订单农业已经存在很长一段时间，它主要包括公司提供信贷，以及种子、化肥和培训等投入，然后在收获季节以固定价格收购农民的产品。”

Companies usually deduct the cost of the inputs from the final purchase price. He says contract farming represents up to sixty percent of tea and sugar farming in Kenya and one hundred percent of cotton farming in Mozambique.
公司通常会从最终收购价格中扣除成本。他说，订单农业代表了肯尼亚高达60%的茶叶和蔗糖种植，以及莫桑比克100%的棉花种植。
 
Contract farming may give farmers more access to markets for high-value crops. But Mr. Cotula found that contracts often go to wealthier farmers. Poorer farmers often work as labor on the contracted farms.
订单农业能给农民提供更多进入高价值农作物市场的途径。但Cotula先生表示，订单通常给了富农。贫农通常都在承包农场中担任劳动力。

The price that companies pay to farmers may be low, and companies might not honor purchase agreements when market conditions change.
公司支付给农民的价格可能会很低，而且当市场情况发生变化时，公司可能不会履行收购协议。

Also, growers may go into debt when the company deducts payments for inputs from the final purchase price.
此外，当公司从最终收购价扣除成本时，种植户可能会陷入债务。
 
Another business model is a joint venture. Lorenzo Cotula says an equity stake, or share of ownership, in a business can give communities a voice in decision-making. It can also provide income in the form of dividend payments.
另一种商业模式是合资企业。Cotula说，企业股权能够为民众提供参与决策的机会，还能提供股息形式的收入。

But a practice called "transfer pricing" can make those dividends disappear. Prices are inflated or deflated in deals with companies linked to the partner in the joint-venture. This practice reduces profits for the joint-venture company and dividends for smallholder partners.
但一种被称为“转让定价”的做法会使股息消失。在与合资企业合作者相关联公司的交易中价格会虚高。这种做法降低了合资公司的利润，以及给小农户合作者的股息。

As a solution, contracts may require fair market prices for sales to partners.
作为一种解决方案，向合作者销售时，合同需要有一个公平的市场价格。

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Bright Idea: Light Bulbs From Plastic Bottles, Water and Bleach

水、漂白剂和塑料瓶构成的水灯泡

This is the VOA Special English Technology Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语科技报道。
 
Nearly a billion and a half people, mainly in Asia and Africa, were living without electricity in two thousand nine. That latest count from the International Energy Agency was an improvement. In Asia, three out of four people in developing countries had electricity in rural areas. So did almost everyone in cities. But in Africa the rate was less than seventy percent in cities, and just one-fourth of the people in rural areas.
2009年将近15亿人在没有电力的情况下生活，他们主要集中在亚洲和非洲。来自国际能源机构的这一最新统计数字是一种进步。在亚洲发展中国家，3/4的农村地区居民和几乎全部的城市居民拥有电力。但在非洲，拥有电力的城市居民比例低于70%，而农村地区只有1/4。
 
There are many efforts to find low-cost ways to light homes. One idea is a "water bulb." This system has recently been used to brighten more than one hundred homes in the Korogocho settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. These included the home of Madina Muhsin's family.
现在有很多寻找低成本照明方式的尝试。其中一个想法就是“水灯泡。”这一系统最近被用来照亮肯尼亚首都内罗毕Korogocho定居点的一百多个家庭。这其中就包括马迪纳·穆赫辛(Madina Muhsin)一家的房子。
 
MADINA MUHSIN: "I'm very happy. I can see the light. Before it was all dark, dark, dark. Now I am happy -- I am very happy."
穆赫辛：“我很高兴，我可以看到光亮，在此之前一片漆黑。现在我很高兴，非常高兴。”

Members of the youth group Koch Hope installed the water bulb. First, they filled a two-liter plastic bottle with water and a little bleach. Next, they cut a hole in the metal roof. They pressed the bottle halfway into the hole. Then they used silicone caulk to seal around it to prevent rain from coming in.
青年组织Koch Hope的成员们安装了水灯泡。首先，他们把一个两升的塑料瓶装满水和一点点漂白剂。下一步，他们在金属屋顶上钻一个洞，把瓶身的一半按进洞里面，然后用硅胶把四周密封以防止雨水渗进来。
 
In no time, the home was lit with about fifty to sixty watts' worth of light. The combination of water and bleach refracts light from the sun and a full moon. The bleach keeps the water clear.
在任何时间，房子里都被相当于五六十瓦的光照亮。水和漂白剂的混合物能折射来自太阳和满月的光芒。漂白剂可以保持水质清澈。

Madina Muhsin, like many of her neighbors, was spending a lot on kerosene to light her home. Now, she says she will save almost half of her weekly income. Her son Abbas can now read a book at home in the middle of the day.
穆赫辛和许多邻居一样，曾经在煤油上花费了很多钱来照亮她的房子。她说现在她能省下自己每周收入的近一半。她儿子阿巴斯现在中午能够在家看书。
 
Veronica Wanjiru and her two children also have a water bulb in their home. She says her older son had to repeat a grade in school because he could not get his homework done when their home was dark.
维罗尼卡·万吉鲁和她的两个孩子也都在家里装上了水灯泡。她说，她大儿子不得不留级，因为当家里黑漆漆时，他无法完成功课。

VERONICA WANJIRU (in Swahili with translation): "I've seen a big difference, especially with my children's education. If they're given homework, they can finish it on time. And they don't have to wait for me to come and light the candle or go outside and do their studies outside so that they can finish their homework."
 万吉鲁（斯瓦希里语翻译）：“我看到了巨大的变化，特别是在我孩子的教育上。如果他们被布置了功课，他们可以按时完成。他们不需要等我来点燃蜡烛或到外面做功课，这样他们就能完成自己的功课。”

In the Philippines, a nonprofit group called My Shelter Foundation has used a similar low-cost lighting solution in thousands of homes. The project is called "A Liter of Light." The head of the group, Illac Diaz, says the idea is better than candles and kerosene, and offers a great new use for old plastic soda bottles.
在菲律宾，一个名为My Shelter Foundation的非营利性组织在几千个家庭中采用了一种类似的低成本照明解决方案。这个项目被称为“A Liter of Light”。该组织负责人Illac Diaz说，这个创意比蜡烛和煤油灯更好，还为旧塑料饮料瓶提供了一个很好的新用途。

ILLAC DIAZ: "It's safer. It's healthier. It's brighter, and the funny thing is the light bulb actually comes from the place you'd least expect it, which is the trash bin. So it's the cheapest light bulb in the world."
ILLAC DIAZ：“它更安全，更健康，更亮。有趣的是，这种灯泡实际上来自你最意料不到的地方，也就是垃圾桶。所以它是世界上最廉价的灯泡。”

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Words and Their Stories: Heart to Heart

词汇掌故：坦诚交流

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
现在是美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故节目。
 
Each week, this program explains the many meanings of English expressions. Today's expressions include a very important word – heart.
每周我们都会在这个节目里介绍一些英语词汇的多重含义。今天要介绍的词汇中包含了一个非常重要的单词--heart。

We will try to get to the heart of the matter to better understand the most important things about words and their stories. So take heart. Have no fear about learning new expressions. Besides, popular English words can be fun. There is no need for a heavy heart. Such feelings of sadness would only break my heart, or make me feel unhappy and hopeless.
我们将触及本质来更好地理解词汇典故中这个最重要的部分。因此请拿出勇气来，不要害怕学习新词汇。此外这些常用英语词汇会很有趣，没必要心情沉重。那种诅丧的心情只会让我伤心。
 
Now, let us suppose you and I were speaking freely about something private. We would be having a heart to heart discussion. I might speak from the bottom of my heart, or say things honestly and truthfully. I might even open up my heart to you and tell a secret. I would speak with all my heart, or with great feeling.
现在让我们假设你我在自由交谈一些私事。我们将进行一次坦诚交流。我可能会说出心底的话，甚至会敞开心扉说出一个秘密。我会全身心地与你交流。

When a person shares her feelings freely and openly like this, you might say she wears her heart on her sleeve, or on her clothing. Her emotions are not protected.
当一个人如此直率、公开地和你分享她的感受，你可以说她非常坦率，她的情感毫不设防。

If we had an honest discussion, both of us would know that the other person's heart is in the right place. For example, I would know that you are a kind-hearted and well-meaning person. And, if you are a very good person, I would even say that you have a heart of gold. However, you might have a change of heart based on what I tell you. Our discussion might cause you to change the way you feel about something.
如果我们坦诚交流，我们就会知道对方心地不坏。例如我就会知道你是个心善、好心的人。如果你是一个非常好的人，我甚至会说，你有一颗金子般的心。然而，你可能会因为听了我的话而改变心意。我们的谈话可能会改变你对某些事物的看法。

But, let us suppose you get angry over what I tell you. Or worse, you feel no sympathy or understanding for me or my situation. If this happens, I might think that you have a heart of stone. And, if you say something to make me frightened or worried, my heart might stand still or skip a beat.
但是，让我们假设，你对我所说的非常生气，或者更糟，你根本不同情或不了解我的处境。如果这样，我会认为你铁石心肠。如果你说了一些让我害怕或担心的事，我的心跳可能会停止，或心跳加速。
 
Yet, even though you may be angry, I would know that at heart, you are a kind person. In reality, you do care. And any argument between us would not cause me to lose heart or feel a sense of loss.
然而，即便你可能会生气，我也知道在内心里，你是一个好人。事实上，你会在乎。我们之间的任何争论都不会让我失落。
 
My heart goes out to anyone who loses a friend over an argument. It really is a sad situation, and I feel sympathy for the people involved.
我同情因为一次争论失去朋友的任何人。那的确是一种糟糕的情况。我对所有当事人表示同情。
 
I promise that what I have told you today is true – cross my heart.
我保证我今天对你所说的都是事实，我发誓。
 
I really wanted to play some music at the end of this feature. In fact, I had my heart set on it. So here it is, "Don't Go Breaking my Heart" by Elton John.
在节目最后，我很想放点音乐。实际上，我已有所决定。下面就是，埃尔顿·约翰演唱的“Don't Go Breaking my Heart”。

get to the heart of the matter ：触及问题关键，抓住问题的核心。

take heart：鼓起勇气,  鼓足信心,  振作起来。

a heavy heart： 沉重的心情。

break my heart： 使我心碎。

a heart to heart discussion： 心与心的交流，坦诚交流。

the bottom of my heart：心底，内心深处。

open up my heart ：打开心扉。

with all my heart： 真心实意，全心全意。

wears her heart on her sleeve： 坦率，情绪挂在脸上。

heart is in the right place： 心地善良，心肠好。

kind-hearted ：厚道的，仁慈的，富于同情心的。

a heart of gold ：一颗金子般的心，心地善良。

a change of heart ：改变心意，改变看法。

a heart of stone ：铁石心肠。

stand still ：静止。

skip a beat ：心跳加快。

at heart ：在感情深处，内心里。

lose heart ：诅丧，灰心。

heart goes out ：同情。

cross my heart： 在胸口画十字，即发誓。

have one's heart set on 有所决定。

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Obama Sets Plan for 'Leaner' Military

奥巴马制定国防新战略

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
这里是美国之音慢速英语时事新闻节目。
 
This week, President Obama announced a new defense plan based on budget cuts in the coming years.
本周，奥巴马总统基于未来数年的预算削减，宣布了一项新的防御计划。
 
BARACK OBAMA: "Our military will be leaner, but the world must know the United States is going to maintain our military superiority."
奥巴马：“我们的军队将会有所倾斜，但全世界必须知道，美国将继续维持我们的军事优势。”
 
Mr. Obama said details of the defense budget will be announced in the coming weeks. But he said Asia and the Middle East will get greater attention.
奥巴马先生表示，国防预算细节将在未来几周内公布。但他表示，亚洲和中东地区将获得更大关注。
 
BARACK OBAMA: "As I made clear in Australia, we'll be strengthening our presence in the Asia Pacific, and budget reductions will not come at the expense of this critical region. We're going to continue investing in our critical partnerships and alliances, including NATO, which has demonstrated time and again -- most recently in Libya -- that it's a force multiplier. We will stay vigilant, especially in the Middle East."
奥巴马：“正如我在澳大利亚明确指出的，我们将加强我们在亚太地区的军事存在，预算削减不能以削弱这一关键地区力量为代价。我们将继续投资于包括北约在内的我们的重要伙伴和盟友，这已经无数次被证明，最近在利比亚就是一次多方军力合作。此外，我们将继续保持警惕，尤其是中东地区。” 
 
Mr. Obama spoke Thursday in a rare presidential appearance in the press briefing room at the Pentagon -- the Defense Department headquarters. He said the nation is at a "moment of transition" after ten years of war.
周四，奥巴马先生在国防部总部五角大楼新闻简报室罕见出席并发言。他表示，经过十多年的战争后，美国正处于一个“过渡时期。”
 
BARACK OBAMA: "As we look beyond the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the end of long-term, nation-building with large military footprints, we will be able to ensure our security with smaller conventional ground forces. We'll continue to get rid of outdated Cold War-era systems so that we can invest in the capabilities we need for the future, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; counterterrorism; countering weapons of mass destruction; and the ability to operate in environments where adversaries try to deny us access."
奥巴马：“当我们将眼光转移到伊拉克和阿富汗战争之外，以及长期带有大量军事印记的国家建设时代宣告结束。我们将能够以更小规模的常规地面部队保卫国家安全。我们将继续摆脱过时的冷战时期的体系，这样我们就能在未来所需的战斗力上投入更多，包括情报、侦查和巡逻、反恐、打击大规模杀伤性武器，以及在敌人力图阻止我们进入的环境中进行作战的能力。”

Joining Mr. Obama were Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army General Martin Dempsey.
与奥巴马一同出席的还有国防部长利昂·帕内塔（Leon Panetta）和参谋长联席会议主席，陆军上将马丁·登普西将军（Martin Dempsey）。
 
The president ordered a strategic review last year to help guide decision-making by the Defense Department. American military policy is currently designed to be prepared to fight and win two wars at once. Secretary Panetta said that idea was a "residual of the Cold War." He said this, in some ways, restricted thinking about the future.
奥巴马去年下令进行一项战略评估以帮助指导国防部决策。美国军事政策当前设计的是同时做好参加和打赢两场战争的准备。国防部长帕内塔表示，这一理念是“冷战残留。”他称这一理念在某些方面限制了对未来的思维。
 
LEON PANETTA: "Our strategy review concluded that the United States must have the capability to fight several conflicts at the same time. We are not confronting obviously the threats of the past, we are confronting the threats of the twenty-first century, and that demands greater flexibility to shift and deploy forces to be able to fight and defeat any enemy anywhere."
帕内塔：“战略评估得出的结论是，美国必须有能力同时应对数场冲突。我们面临的显然不是过去的威胁，而是二十一世纪的威胁，这就要求美军在转移和部署军事力量上具备更大灵活性，以打败任何地方的任何敌人。”

The defense secretary said troop numbers would be cut. But he said the United States will protect and in some cases increase its investments in areas such as special operations and cyberspace.
帕内塔说，美国军队人数将被削减。但他表示，美国将会保持，在某些情况下还会增加其在一些领域的投资，例如特种作战和网络空间。
 
For some defense experts, including Michael O'Hanlon at the Brookings Institution in Washington, the new strategic plan makes sense.
对包括华盛顿布鲁金斯学会的迈克尔·奥汉隆（Michael O'Hanlon）在内的防务专家来说，这一新的战略计划极具意义。
 
MICHAEL O'HANLON: "It's been in discussion for twenty years, and it's even more feasible now with Saddam Hussein gone from Iraq, and I think it's also responsive to the set of threats we face today where more of them are likely to be at sea or in the air -- from Iran, for example."
奥汉隆：“二十多年来一直在讨论战略计划，随着萨达姆在伊拉克下台它现在甚至变得更为可行。我认为它对我们当前面临的威胁也能做出反应，当前面临的这种威胁可能是在海上或空中，例如来自伊朗的威胁。”
 
But former defense official Frank Gaffney, now president of the Center for Security Policy, says the new strategy has many problems.
但前国防部官员，现任安全政策中心主席弗兰克·加夫尼（Frank Gaffney）表示，这一新战略存在诸多问题。

FRANK GAFFNEY: "It may not be up to us how many wars we have to fight. Enemies who perceive us unable to deal with more than one problem at a time may decide to collaborate and work in a simultaneous fashion that will simply overtax us. And worse, the perception that we are so weak as to be unable to deal with that sort of danger invites it."
加夫尼：“必须打多少场战争可能不取决于我们自己。敌人察觉到我们无法同时处理多个问题，可能就会决定相互勾结并同时出手，这样就会使我们承受不住。更糟糕的是，我们如此薄弱以至于无法处理这类威胁的这样一种观感，更会引发这类威胁。”

The defense budget for this year is about five hundred thirty billion dollars. Mr. Panetta said the new strategy aims to cut about four hundred eighty-seven billion dollars over ten years. However, the military may face more than five hundred billion dollars in additional cuts as Congress and the president seek to reduce the federal deficit.
今年国防预算约为5300亿美元。帕内塔先生说，新战略旨在未来十年内削减大约4870亿美元。但由于国会和奥巴马总统寻求降低联邦赤字，军方可能会面临超过5000亿美元的额外削减。

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President Appoints Consumer Agency Chief

奥巴马任命消费者金融保护局局长

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
 
This week, President Obama appointed Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The new government agency says it has already made home loans and credit card agreements easier for Americans to understand. But the Obama administration said the bureau cannot supervise financial products like home loans without a director.
本周，奥巴马总统任命理查德·柯德瑞(Richard Cordray)出任消费者金融保护局(Consumer Financial Protection Bureau，CFPB)局长。这一新的政府机构表示，它们已经使得住房贷款和信用卡协议更易于被美国公众理解。但奥巴马政府表示，如果没有局长，该局无法对类似住房贷款的金融产品进行监管。
 
The president used a measure known as a recess appointment to fill the position. He nominated Mr. Cordray last July. But the opposition Republican Party blocked a vote in the full Senate.
奥巴马利用一项被称为“休会任命权”的措施填补了这一职位。他去年7月提名柯德瑞，但反对党共和党阻止了这一提名在参议院进行全体表决。
注：休会任命权是指总统在参议院休会期间，为保障运作灵活性，不经参议院批准直接任命重要官员。

Mr. Obama announced the appointment Wednesday during a visit to Ohio. It was his first political campaign trip of the year. He told the crowd that the severe economic crisis three years ago did not happen because of too many financial rules.
奥巴马周三在俄亥俄州访问期间宣布了这一任命。这是奥巴马今年首次政治竞选之旅。他对人群表示，3年前严重的经济危机没有爆发，是因为有着众多金融规则。
 
BARRACK OBAMA: "That makes no sense. Does anyone think the reason why we got into such a financial mess, the worst financial crisis since the great depression, the worst economic crisis in a generation, that the reason was because of too much oversight of the financial industry? Of course not. We shouldn't be weakening oversight, we shouldn't be weakening accountability, we should be strengthening it!"
奥巴马：“那毫无道理。有人会认为，我们陷入这样一次金融混乱，这样一次自大萧条以来最为严重的金融危机，这样一次一代人最为严重的经济危机，其原因是因为金融行业监管过多吗？当然不是这样！我们不应该弱化监管，弱化问责制，我们应该加强它们！”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the president's appointment. Many Republicans oppose the new agency, saying its goals are not clear. They also want a group of people to lead the agency instead of a single director.
参议院少数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔（Mitch McConnell）指责总统的这次任命。许多共和党人反对这一新的机构，称该机构目标不明确。他们还希望由一群人，而不是单独一个局长来领导这一机构。
 
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau resulted from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of twenty ten. Its goal is to make the market for financial products safer. Educating Americans about investment and loan products, enforcing financial laws and studying financial information are all part of its duties. The agency's budget is expected to be around five hundred million dollars.
消费者金融保护局源自于《2010年多德－弗兰克华尔街改革与消费者保护法》。其目标是使金融产品市场更为安全。在投资与贷款产品方面对美国人进行教育，执行金融法规和研究金融信息也是其职责的一部分。该机构财政预算预计为5亿美元左右。

Richard Cordray served as Ohio's Attorney General for two years. He has earned praise for bringing legal action against banks and financial companies accused of harming homeowners and borrowers. Mr. Condray launched cases against Bank of America and insurer AIG. His recess appointment is effective only until the end of the Senate's current term.
柯瑞德担任了两年俄亥俄州总检察长。他对被指控损害房主与借款人利益的银行和金融公司采取了法律行动，并赢得好评。柯德瑞对美国银行和AIG保险公司发起过诉讼。他的休会任命在本届参议院任期结束前是有效的。

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Unequal Treatment Drives Disability Rights Movement

不公平待遇推动残疾人权利运动的发展

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

New estimates show that more than one billion people have a physical or mental disability. Experts say almost one-fifth of them experience serious difficulties in their daily lives as a result of their disability. And disability rates are increasing as populations get older and more people get long-term conditions, like heart disease and diabetes.
一项新的估计显示，超过10亿人有身体或精神残疾。专家们表示，他们中的近1/5由于残疾在日常生活中经历了非常严重的困难。同时随着人口老化，以及心脏病和糖尿病一类慢性病患病人群的增加，残疾率也不断攀升。

The estimates are in a report from the World Health Organization and the World Bank. The World Report on Disability says few countries do enough to meet the needs of the disabled.
这份估计来自世卫组织和世界银行的一份报告。这份关于残疾的全球报告称，大部分国家在满足残疾人士需求方面做得不够。

They face problems like discrimination and a lack of health care and other services. They have higher poverty rates and lower education levels than other people. This is true in both rich and poor countries.
残疾人士面临歧视、医疗保健和其他服务缺乏等问题。与其他人群相比，他们贫困率更高，教育水平更低。这一现象在富裕国家和贫穷国家中均是如此。

Cindy Lewis is the director of programs for an organization called Mobility International USA. Ms. Lewis says people with disabilities helped write the new report. One of its messages is that people with disabilities should not only receive services -- they should also help design and provide them.
辛迪·刘易斯（Cindy Lewis）是美国残疾人通行国际（Mobility International USA）组织的一名项目经理。刘易斯女士表示，残疾人士帮忙撰写了这份新报告。这释放出这样一个信息，残疾人士应该不仅接受服务，还应该帮助设计和提供这类服务。

Ms. Lewis says that way they can become decision makers and policy makers.
刘易斯女士表示，这样残疾人士就能成为决策者和政策制定者。

CINDY LEWIS: "People with disabilities are a huge and untapped resource for governments, communities, for development programs. And that is a big problem that we are working on addressing."
刘易斯：“残疾人对政府、社区和发展项目来说是一个巨大的未被发掘的资源。这是我们正在着手解决的一个大问题。”

Ms. Lewis says in many countries, people with disabilities are organizing to support disability rights.
刘易斯女士表示在很多国家，残疾人士被组织起来维护残疾人权利。

CINDY LEWIS: "It's a very incorrect assumption that people with disabilities are in their community sitting around passively waiting for something good to happen. People with disabilities around the world are getting together and mobilizing and speaking out."
刘易斯：“残疾人消极等待天上掉馅饼是一种非常错误的想法。世界各地的残疾人正联合起来发出他们的声音。”

Her group is working with the United States Agency for International Development. The projects bring together disability groups and development organizations in Colombia, Jordan and Ethiopia.
她的小组正和美国国际开发署合作。该项目汇集了哥伦比亚、约旦和埃塞俄比亚的残疾团体和开发组织。

For example, Fundamental is an organization in Colombia for people with mental illness. This group is training its members to become leaders in explaining their problems and urging their communities to treat them fairly.
例如，Fundamental是哥伦比亚的一个精神疾病患者组织。这个组织训练其成员学会解释他们的问题，并督促其社区公平对待他们。

The Ethiopian National Association of the Blind helped write a training document on how to include blind people in education projects.
埃塞俄比亚全国盲人协会帮助撰写了一份如何将盲人纳入教育方案的培训文件。

The United Nations has a human rights treaty called the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Almost one hundred fifty governments and regional organizations have signed it.
联合国有一份名为《残疾人权利公约》的人权条约。仅150个国家和地区组织签署了这一公约。

The World Health Organization and the World Bank say people with disabilities should be able to use the same services as everyone else. They call for more laws to give the disabled the same rights and chances to succeed as everyone else. These laws, they say, will help the public understand that people with disabilities also have abilities.
世卫组织和世界银行表示，残疾人应该享有和其他正常人相同的服务。他们呼吁制定更多法律赋予残疾人享有和其他正常人同样的权利和成功机会。这些法律将帮助公众理解残疾人也有能力。

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A Goal for 2012: Learning English

2012年决心：学好英语

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。
 
Did you make a New Year's resolution? Some of you shared your goals at the VOA Learning English page on Facebook. And, no surprise, many of you said at least one of your goals for twenty-twelve is to speak English better. Daniel Kwon even went so far as to declare: I'm definitely going to try to study English at least an hour a day.
你下新年决心了吗？一些听众在美国之音Facebook页面上分享了自己的目标。而且毫无疑问，很多听众都表示，至少2012年的目标之一是把英语说得更好。 Daniel Kwon甚至宣布：我一定要试着每天至少学一小时的英语。
 
Jose Antonio Velarde says: My first resolution is to speak English as fluently as my Spanish. And Tuti Riel says: My New Year's resolution is to be able to speak English and Mandarin fluently, and be a better person.
Jose Antonio Velarde说：我的第一个决心是把英语讲得像我的西班牙语一样流利。而Tuti Riel则说：我的新年决心是能讲一口流利的英语和普通话，成为一个更优秀的人。

Juwita Zulmi says she wants to improve her English and get a scholarship to study overseas. Another goal for twenty-twelve: a new boyfriend.
Juwita Zulmi表示她想要提高自己的英语水平，并获得一份奖学金去国外留学。另一个2012年的目标是认识一个新男友。

Derly Johanna Barreto has these two resolutions: to speak English fluently and to get a job. Jiseon Kim also has two goals: to lose weight and improve speaking English. And Katie Chekalina has these resolutions: Don't eat meat. I'll take it easy. Then, to learn Spanish or Italian, and find my real love. The last ones will be the most difficult, she thinks.
Derly Johanna Barreto有这么两个决心：讲好英语，找到一份好工作。Jiseon Kim也有两个目标：减肥和提高英语口语。而Katie Chekalina有三个决心：不吃肉，这事我会放轻松的。然后，学英语或意大利语，并且找到我的真爱。她认为最后一点将是最困难的。

Rafa Mtz's main goal is finishing high school and getting into a university. Lola Wazqito Oktobrata says: I am going to get married and finish my undergraduate study with good results. And Uma Cherif is ready for the next step this year: a master's degree.
Rafa Mtz的主要目标是完成高中学业进入大学。Lola Wazqito Oktobrata说：我将要结婚，也将以好成绩完成本科学业。而Uma Cherif已经为今年的下一步做好了准备：读一个硕士学位。

Handri Permana has this resolution: Be more meaningful before my time's up on earth. And Handri has this advice for others: Have fun seriously in life!
Handri Permana的决心如下：活得更有意义。而Handri对他人建议说：开心生活。

Dionel Paguirigan has fun playing the video game Defense of the Ancients, or DotA. Dionel says: My New Year's resolution is I want to spend more time on my studying than playing DotA.
Dionel Paguirigan喜欢玩视频游戏远古守卫（Defense of the Ancients）。Dionel说：我的新年决心是在学习上花更多时间。

Refky Aditya's resolution is to not be lazy about studying anymore. And Nur Chanifah says: I want to be the best in my national examinations, to be a braver girl, and to take a scholarship abroad.
Refky Aditya的决心是在学习上不要在懒惰了。而Nur Chanifah表示：我要在全国统考中做到最好，做一个勇敢的女孩，拿到一份奖学金出国。
 
Sharah Radinka offered this comment: My resolutions are to pass vocational school, get a scholarship and visit Singapore and Malaysia. And Sita Ayudha is thinking of Australia in twenty-twelve: I wish I could have a career abroad in my dreamland of Oz. And let's see, as I'm an optimist, I'm gonna make it real this year, hahaha.
Sharah Radinka写下了这样的评论：我的决心是从职业学校毕业，获得奖学金，并到新加坡和马来西亚游览。而Sita Ayudha在2012年正考虑澳大利亚：我希望可以到我的心仪之地澳大利亚工作。我们来看看，因为我是一个乐观主义者，今年我要把它实现，哈哈。

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In US, an Epidemic of Prescription Drug Abuse

美国处方药滥用成灾

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。
 
Officials in the United States say deadly abuse of painkillers and other prescription drugs has reached epidemic levels. More than thirty-six thousand people died from drug overdoses in two thousand eight, the latest year available. That was almost as many as from road crashes.
美国官员称，止痛药和其它处方药的致命滥用已经达到了泛滥水平。在能够获得相关数据的最近的一年2008年，有超过3.6万人死于用药过量，这一数字几乎与车祸相当。
 
More than half of the overdoses involved drugs that need a doctor's approval. And three-fourths of those deaths involved what are called opioid pain relievers. These include drugs like methadone; morphine; hydrocodone, also known as Vicodin; and oxycodone, or OxyContin.
一半以上的用药过量涉及需要医生批准的药物（即处方药）。其中3/4的死亡涉及所谓的阿片类止痛药，这类药包括美沙酮、吗啡、被称为维柯丁的氢可酮，以及氧可酮或奥施康定。
 
Death rates from prescription drugs were highest among people forty-five to fifty-four years old.
年龄45到54岁之间人群中处方药死亡率最高。

A recent government report said painkiller deaths more than tripled in the past decade. They now top the number of heroin and cocaine deaths combined. The Obama administration released a plan last year to try to deal with the problem.
政府最近一份报告称，过去十年，止痛药死亡人数增加了两倍以上，该数字超出海洛因和可卡因死亡人数的总和。奥巴马政府去年公布了一项试图解决这一问题的计划。
 
Some abusers seek help at places like the Malibu Beach Recovery Center near Los Angeles. They learn yoga and other ways to deal with anxiety, stress and pain. Yoga teacher Shannon Scott herself formerly abused Vicodin and the anti-anxiety pill Xanax.
一些药物滥用者在洛杉矶附近的马里布海滩康复中心一类的地方寻求帮助。他们学习瑜伽和其它方式来应对焦虑、紧张和疼痛。瑜伽教练夏侬·斯科特（Shannon Scott）本人就曾经滥用维柯丁及抗焦虑药物xanax（阿普唑仑的别名）。
 
SHANNON SCOTT: "Vicodin was a stimulant for me. So I also used Vicodin as something to, you know, get my engine going and carry me through the day. And then my Xanax would, you know, balance me out and bring me down and relax me."
斯科特：“维柯丁对我来说是一种兴奋剂。所以我还使用维柯丁作为一种让我身心焕发的东西。而阿普唑仑让我放松。”
 
Joan Borsten heads the center. She says stopping is difficult because the drugs change the body's chemistry.
琼·波斯丹（Joan Borsten）负责这一康复中心。她说，停止滥用药物非常困难，因为药物已经改变了身体的化学性质。

JOAN BORSTEN: "In the case of pain pills, the body has stopped producing its natural defenses to pain, and they just have to have more and more and more and more, and finally there's nothing else to take."
波斯丹：“由于使用止痛药，身体已经停止产生其对疼痛的自然防御，他们只有吃越来越多的止痛药，最终无药可治。”

Around the country, special drug courts work with addicts to get them counseling and treatment. Mary Ann Gunn is a retired drug-court judge. She now appears on "Last Shot With Judge Gunn," a television program that shows the effect of drugs on users and their families.
在美国各地，特别药品法院与滥用药物的瘾君子合作，让他们得到辅导和治疗。玛丽·安·葛恩（Mary Ann Gunn）是药品法院的一名退休法官。她现在出现在“法官葛恩的最后一击”电视节目上，该节目展现了药物对使用者及其家庭的影响。

MARY ANN GUNN: "For instance, in nineteen ninety-nine, the big problem was methamphetamine. And it was a cancer, if you will, throughout our country. And we have addressed that and are continuing to address it. And more and more over the years we began to see people being addicted to prescription drugs."
葛恩：“例如1999年最大的问题是脱氧麻黄碱。这是遍及美国的一种社会恶习。我们已经解决了它并在持续努力。这些年来，我们开始看到越来越多的人们开始沉迷于处方药。”

James Adams is a pharmacologist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He says millions of people live with pain, much of it from arthritis caused by obesity and aging.
詹姆斯·亚当斯（James Adams）是位于洛杉矶的南加州大学的一名药理学家。他说，数以百万计的人与疼痛为伴，其中大多数是由于肥胖和衰老导致的关节炎。

JAMES ADAMS: "And it's a real tough problem for a doctor because here you've got a patient with chronic pain, and these patients know exactly how to get what they want. And if that doctor doesn't give it to them, they just go to the next doctor."
亚当斯：“这对医生来说，是一个真正棘手的问题。因为你遇到的这些慢性疼痛病患者确切地知道如何得到他们想要的东西。如果这位医生不给他想要的药物，他就换另一位医生。”

He says many patients may be able to manage their pain if they lose weight and get exercise and physical therapy. Another solution: California and many other states have registries. These tell doctors and pharmacists what potentially dangerous drugs their patients are already taking.
他说，许多患者如果减肥，进行锻炼和物理治疗，他们也许能够控制自己的疼痛。另一种解决办法：加州和许多其它州进行了登记，它可以告诉医生和药剂师他们的病人已经在服用哪种有潜在危险性的药物。

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In the Garden: Growing Your Own Lettuce

自己在菜园子里种生菜

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
 
MIRANDA (TV's "Sex and the City"): "I'll start with a salad with extra blue-cheese dressing, thank you."
米兰达（美剧“欲望都市”片段）：“开胃菜来份沙拉，多加蓝芝士调味酱，谢谢。”

Many people have lettuce in a salad at the beginning of a meal. The ancient Egyptians and Romans had it at the end. Either way, gardening experts say lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow in a garden.
很多人吃饭前先吃生菜沙拉，古埃及和古罗马人把生菜沙拉放到最后。总之，园艺专家说生菜是菜园子里最容易种植的蔬菜之一。

There are hundreds of kinds of head and leaf lettuces besides the most popular choices, like iceberg, Boston, bibb and romaine. The best time to plant the seeds is during cool weather. Gardening advisers at the University of Illinois Extension say the best planting temperature is fifteen degrees Celsius.
除了最为常见的卷心生菜、波士顿生菜、比布生菜和长叶生菜之外，还有数百种不同种类的球生菜和叶生菜。凉爽天气是播种的最佳时间。伊利诺伊大学推广部门的园艺顾问表示，播种的最佳温度是摄氏15度。

You can use a seed tray to start the seeds indoors. The container should be deep enough to hold at least three centimeters of soil. Leave about one centimeter of space between the soil and the top of the container. The container should have holes in the bottom so extra water can flow out.
你可以用播种盘在室内播种，容器的深度要至少可以容纳3厘米高的土壤。在土壤和容器口之间保留1厘米空间，容器底部要有小洞，以便多余水分排出。
 
Cover the seeds lightly with soil. If the soil is not already a little wet, give it some water, but not too much. Too much water could drown the seeds.
在种子表面轻轻撒上一层土。如果土壤不够湿润就洒点水，但不要洒得太多，水太多会把种子淹坏。

Next, cover the seed tray with paper. Remove the paper when the seedlings are tall enough to touch it. You can transplant the seedlings into the garden when they are about two to three centimeters tall. Do this when the weather is not too hot and not too cold.
然后，用纸把播种盘盖上。当幼苗长到快接触到纸的时候把纸拿掉。等幼苗长到两三厘米高时就可以移栽到菜园里了。移栽时温度要适宜。

Take out as much of the soil as you can with the seedlings. Plant them in the ground in a hole that is bigger than the lettuce roots. Keep the plants watered, but not too heavily.
移栽幼苗时尽量多带些土，在地上挖个比生菜根大一点的洞，将幼苗种下。要勤浇水，但是不要浇得太多。
 
Planting seeds every week or two will provide a continuous supply of lettuce to harvest. 每一两周播种一次就可以保证生菜的持续供应。
 
Harvest leaf lettuces when the leaves are big enough to eat. Pull the leaves from the outside of the plant so the inner leaves will keep growing. Or cut off the whole plant but leave about two or three centimeters so it will regrow. Cut off head lettuces at ground level.
当叶子长到能食用的时候，就可以采摘叶生菜了。把生菜外面的叶子摘下来，这样里面叶子能继续生长。或者，你可以把整颗生菜割下来，但是在地面上留2到3厘米的根茎，这样生菜就能重新长出来。如果是球生菜，就沿着地平面割下来。
 
Lettuce is best when served fresh. The remainder should be stored in a refrigerator in a plastic bag.
新鲜的生菜是最好的，剩下的生菜应该用塑料袋装好放入冰箱保存。

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Happy New Year, Choosing the Right Calendar Takes Time

新年特别节目：买本日历正当时

Now, a Special Words and their Stories for New Years. I'm Faith Lapidus.
现在是美国之音慢速英语词汇掌故新年特别节目。

The New Year is the time for new beginnings. It is also the time to buy a new calendar. Yet it can take a lot of time just to choose the right one. There are lots and lots of choices. In fact, There are more calendars than days in the year. There are small ones. Big ones. Calendars that sit on a desk. Calendars that hang on the wall. Calendars to carry around. Calendars that show a whole month or one day at a time.
新年是一个新的开始，也是买份新日历的时间。然而光是选择一个合适的日历就要花很多时间，可供选择的日历太多了。实际上，当前在售的日历比一年中任何一天都要多。日历有大的，小的，有放办公桌上的（台历），有挂墙上的（挂历），有随身携带的（日程表），有一次显示整个月的，（月历）也有一次显示一天的（日历）。

Of course, in one way all calendars are the same. They all list the same days of the year in exactly the same order. But people do not buy calendars just to know what day it is. Calendars have become popular gifts because many are filled with beautiful pictures.
当然，某种意义上来说，所有日历都一个样，都是根据完全相同的顺序排列出同一天。但人们买日历不仅仅是看今天是几号。日历成为颇受欢迎的礼物是因为许多日历都画满了美丽的图画。

Some have pictures of famous art works. It is like hanging a different painting on your wall each month. You can even learn from calendars. They often give information about their subject -- such as famous writers or American Indians or flower gardens.
有些日历上有著名艺术作品，挂上它就像每月在墙上挂着不同的画。你甚至可以从日历中学习。它们经常会给出和主题相关的信息，如著名作家、美洲印第安人或花园。

There are calendars about food and about beautiful places in the world. Calendars about sports and about movies. Funny calendars with popular cartoon characters. Calendars of famous people, like Elvis Presley or Marilyn Monroe.
有些日历是关于世界各地的美食或美景，有些是关于体育或电影，有些是关于流行卡通人物的趣味日历，还有些日历是关于明星，例如埃尔维斯·普雷斯利（Elvis Presley）或玛丽莲·梦露（Marilyn Monroe）。

For pet lovers, there are calendars with pictures of cats doing unusual things. Three hundred sixty-five of them – one for each day of the year. Calendars of dogs wearing clothes. And calendars of beautiful women in swimming suits, not wearing much at all.
还有些是为宠物爱好者准备的日历，日历上有各种不同动作的猫咪的图片，365张图片，每天一张。还有穿着衣服的狗的日历，以及穿着泳衣，其实根本就没怎么穿的美女的日历。

Would you rather look at pictures of cars? There are calendars with those, too. For busy mothers, there is a magnetic calendar to hang on the wall. There are even calendars for children who can draw the pictures themselves.
你更喜欢看汽车图片？也有这种日历。还有给忙碌的母亲准备的挂在墙上的磁性日历。甚至还有可以让孩子们自己画画的日历。

Some people do not just look at their calendars. They use them to write down important things they must remember, like meetings or doctor's appointments. Busy people can buy small calendars to carry around to help them organize and plan their life.
有些人不止是看日历是几号。他们还用日历记下一些必须记住的重要事情，像开会或门诊预约。忙人可以购买随身携带的小日历（日程表），帮助他们组织和规划他们的生活。

But what if they forget to look at their calendar? Do not worry, there are electronic organizers that make sounds to remind people of things they must do. These days, if you forget something, it is getting harder and harder to find a good excuse.
但如果他们忘了看日历了呢？别担心，电子记事本可以发出声音提醒人们必须做的事情。这年头，如果你忘了什么事情， 想找个好借口越来越难了。

A website called calendars.com sells more than 6,000 different calendars.
一家名为calendars.com的网站出售超过6000种日历。
 
Some people do not like little calendars, or big ones, or noisy electronic ones. They are happy just to write down notes to themselves on small pieces of paper. The smaller the better, usually.
有些人不喜欢小日历、大日历或吵闹的电子日历。他们喜欢在小纸条上记便签，通常越小越好。

These people never worry about all the time it takes them to find their small pieces of paper when they need them.
这种人从不担心当自己需要时寻找这些小纸条要花费的时间。

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20 Years After the Soviet Union, Renewed Calls for Political Reform

苏联解体20年后，俄罗斯政治改革呼声再起

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
这里是美国之音慢速英语时事新闻节目。
 
December marks twenty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mikhail Gorbachev was the last Soviet leader. His reforms influenced the Soviet Union's fall.
今年十二月是苏联解体二十周年。戈尔巴乔夫是最后一任苏联领导人，他的改革影响了苏联的瓦解。
 
In nineteen eighty-five, Mr. Gorbachev was elected General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. He was fifty-four years old - the youngest member of the ruling committee, called the Politburo, that voted him into power.
1985年，戈尔巴乔夫当选为苏共总书记，当时年仅54岁，是苏共政治局中最年轻的委员，这一执政委员会投票让他上台执政。
 
For the next six years, Mr. Gorbachev worked toward a series of reforms that radically changed the Soviet Union. His reforms included loosening press restrictions and releasing political prisoners and dissidents from jail and exile within the country.
在接下来的6年里，戈尔巴乔夫先生进行了一系列从根本上改变苏联的改革。他的改革包括放宽新闻出版限制，释放国内政治犯和持不同政见者。
 
One institution Mr. Gorbachev failed to reform, however, was the Soviet Communist Party. And it was people within the party, along with the leadership of the military and the KGB, the Soviet intelligence service, that attempted a coup against Mr. Gorbachev in nineteen ninety-one.
戈尔巴乔夫先生未能成功改革的机构之一是苏共。1991年，苏共人士、军队领导以及苏联情报机构克格勃试图发动一场反对戈尔巴乔夫的政变。
 
The coup failed. And the Soviet Union collapsed four months later. On December twenty-fifth, nineteen ninety-one Mr. Gorbachev resigned as Soviet president.
这场政变未能成功。四个月后，苏联解体。1991年12月25日，戈尔巴乔夫辞任苏联总统。

Russia has made major economic progress since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Incomes have increased sharply. But twenty years after demonstrations against communism, Russians are again taking to the streets. This time the demonstrations are not for capitalist revolution, but for democratic reform.
自苏联解体以来，俄罗斯已经取得了重大经济进步，收入大幅增加。但在反苏共示威20年后，俄罗斯人再次走上街头。这一次示威不是为了资本主义革命，而是民主改革。
 
Masha Lipman marched in the nineteen ninety-one protests. She is now an expert at Carnegie Moscow Center.
玛莎·利普曼（Masha Lipman）参加了1991年的示威活动。她现在是莫斯科卡内基中心的一名专家。
 
MASHA LIPMAN: "It's very symbolic that we are having this public activism on the rise exactly twenty years after the collapse of the USSR."
利普曼：“在苏联解体整整二十年后，我们这次公众行动主义的崛起具有很大的象征意义。”

In nineteen ninety-one the major concern was economic. Vladimir Ryzhkov, at the time, was trying to run a provincial city.
1991年的主要问题是经济。弗拉基米尔·雷日科夫（Vladimir Ryzhkov）当时正试图管理一个省级城市。
 
VLADIMIR RYZHKOV: "The economy was destroyed. Nothing worked. I remember we had meetings every day to discuss very simple questions: Where could we get coal? Where could we get kerosene? We even had a meeting to figure out how to assure the supply of bread and milk for the city."
雷日科夫：“经济被摧毁了，所有一切都停止了运转。我记得每天我们都开会讨论一些非常简单的问题：我们可以从哪里获得煤炭、煤油？我们甚至开了一个会，来找出如何保证城市中面包牛奶的供应。”
 
In the twenty years since the Soviet collapse, Russians' real incomes have increased. But democratic institutions have not kept up.
自苏联解体的二十多年中，俄罗斯人的实际收入有所增加，但民主体制没能跟上。

Public opinion expert Lev Gudkov says institutions did not evolve with Russia's consumer economy.
舆论专家列弗·古德可夫（Lev Gudkov）说，制度未能与俄罗斯消费型经济一同发展。

LEV GUDKOV: "Government is still vertical, it is not controlled by the society and in essence, despite all the changes, is built the same way it was built in the Soviet Union. And its base is mainly political police, criminal police, there is no independent court, prosecution and system of education."
古德可夫：“政府仍然是垂直的，它并不是由社会控制。尽管有所变化，但本质上政府的组成方式和苏联相同，主要基于政治警察、刑事警察，没有独立的法院、检察机关和教育系统。”

Next March, Russian citizens will elect a new president to replace Dmitry Medvedev. Former president and current prime minister, Vladimir Putin is expected to win. Russian President Medvedev is stepping down to make way for Mr. Putin's candidacy.
明年三月，俄罗斯人民将选出一位新总统以取代梅德韦杰夫。担任现任总理的前任总统普京有望胜出。俄罗斯总统梅德韦杰夫将卸任，为普京先生的候选资格让路。

Suspected cheating in the December fourth Russian parliamentary elections has caused the largest protests since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Activists say Mr. Putin's United Russia party illegally won a narrow majority. They want to throw out the results and hold a new vote.
12月4日俄罗斯杜马选举涉嫌舞弊，造成了自苏联解体以来最大规模的抗议活动。活动人士表示，普京的统一俄罗斯党非法赢得微弱多数。他们想要废除选举结果，举行新一轮投票。

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Economic News in 2011

2011年全球经济要闻回顾

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
 
This week, we look back on a few of the big economic stories of twenty eleven.
本周我们来回顾一下2011年发生的一些经济大事件。
 
The debt crisis in Europe spread from it's started in greece and Ireland last year.
欧洲经济危机去年从希腊和爱尔兰开始蔓延。
 
Portugal needed a financial rescue of over one hundred billion dollars in this spring. And Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi lost support because of his country's debt troubles. Former EU official Mario Monti took over as prime minister in November.
葡萄牙今年春天需要1千亿美元金融救助。而意大利总理贝卢斯科尼也因为国家债务问题失去了民众支持，前欧盟官员蒙蒂于11月出任新总理。
 
Greek debt continued to hurt European banks. Pressure on Europe's financial system from debt problems in countries using the euro have placed the future of the euro itself in debt. As a result, European finance officials have called for tighter financial cooperation and new rules.
希腊债务危机继续危害欧洲银行。欧元区国家债务问题给欧洲金融体系造成的压力，已经将欧元自身的未来拖入了债务中。因此，欧盟官员呼吁更加严格的金融合作和新规则。
 
But European leaders have yet to agree on enlarging the rescue fund meant for debt-troubled euro-area economies.
但欧洲领导人还未就针对债务困扰的欧元区经济体的救助基金达成一致。
 
World Bank President Robert Zoellick say Europe will have to find answers to its debt problems.
世界银行行长佐利克说，欧洲必须找到解决其债务问题的办法。
 
ROBERT ZOELLICK: "Europe has to rescue Europe, OK? And it's very important. If there's any message when I'm asked, 'Well, what can the U.S. do and what can China do?' The best thing they can do is clean up their act at home, be a source of growth at home."
佐利克：“欧洲必须拯救欧洲，是吧？这是非常重要的。当我问‘美国和中国可以怎么做呢？’，如果有任何回应的时候。他们能做到的最好的事情就是做好自己国内的事，成为经济增长的源泉。”
 
But Mister Zoellick also said it was important for other big economies to deal with their own budget imbalances.
但佐利克先生也表示，其它经济大国处理好自身的预算失衡也很重要。
 
ROBERT ZOELLICK: "The downgrade of America from triple A didn't affect the finances today, but it may be one of those events people look back on 10 years from now and say, 'Did they get the warning? '"
佐立克：“美国从AAA降级并没有影响到今天的金融，但它可能是十年后人们回顾今天时的一个重大事件，人们可能会说,'他们收到警告了吗？'”
In August, the United States had its credit rating cut from the highest level, triple A, to double A plus. The move was widely blamed on the failure of American lawmakers to agree on details of budget cuts to reduce deficits.
今年8月，美国信用评级从最高级AAA降到AA+。此举被广泛归咎于美国国会议员未能就减少赤字的预算削减细节达成一致。

In business news, the largest publicly traded technology company, Apple, lost its chief.
在商业新闻中，全球最大公开上市的科技公司苹果公司失去了其领袖乔布斯。
 
Steve Jobs brought the world the iPhone, iPod and iPad. He stepped down in August because of health problems. He helped make Apple into one of the world's most valuable companies. Steve Jobs died in October at the age of fifty-six.
乔布斯给世界带来了iPhone,iPod和iPad，今年8月他因为健康问题卸任。他让苹果成为了全球最有价值的公司之一。今年十月，乔布斯去世，享年56岁。
 
Protests for political freedom swept North Africa and the Middle East in the Arab Spring. But protests over budget cuts and jobs were heard around the world.
在阿拉伯之春中，寻求政治自由的抗议活动席卷北非和中东。但就预算削减和就业机会的抗议席卷了全球。

In the United States, activists in hundreds of cities protested economic inequality and joblessness. Protestors were angry that banks got rescued with taxpayers' money during the financial crisis nearly four years ago. But many Americans continue to face hardship.
在美国，数百个城市的活动人士抗议经济不平等和失业。示威者对近四年前金融危机期间，国家用纳税人的钱救助银行感到非常愤怒，而许多美国人仍继续面临着困境。
 
Anger over government budget cuts led to protests in Greece, Britain and elsewhere.
对政府削减预算的怒火导致了希腊、英国和其它地方的抗议活动。