| Niger famine worst in history |
尼日尔面临严峻饥荒 |
| Niger is now facing the worst hunger crisis in its history, the UN's World Food Programme says, with almost half the population - or 7.3 million people - in desperate need of food, BBC reported. After a prolonged drought, heavy rains have now hit parts of the country, killing at least six people. The WFP says 17% of children, or one in five, are acutely malnourished. The figure is well above the normal 15% threshold for declaring an emergency. WFP is appealing for US$213m (￡136m) in aid, but is still 40% short of its target. |
据英国广播公司报道，联合国世界粮食计划署表示，尼日尔目前正遭受历史上最严重的饥荒威胁，共有730万人亟需粮食救济，几乎占到了该国总人口的50%。长期的干旱过后，暴雨又袭击了尼日尔部分地区，致使至少6人死亡。世界粮食计划署称，约17%-20%的尼日尔孩子严重营养不良，远高于15%这一标志着进入紧急状态的门槛。日前，粮食计划署呼吁对尼日尔提供2.13亿美元的资金援助，但仍有40%的资金没到位。 |
| Philanthropy the new status symbol |
做慈善成富豪地位新象征 |
| As dozens of U.S. billionaires pledge their fortunes to charity while the country struggles to shake off recession, philanthropy is becoming a status symbol among the rich, Reuters reports. Being truly wealthy may no longer be about how many properties or fast cars a billionaire owns - it could be about how much money they give away. Investor Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates are urging America's billionaires to sign a pledge to give away at least half their wealth during their lifetime or upon their death. While experts say recognition is not a key motivation for people to give, some say it would not be a bad thing if philanthropy became more of a badge of honor among the rich. |
路透社报道，在美国亿万富翁纷纷承诺捐赠善款和该国努力走出经济衰退的大背景下，做慈善正逐渐成为富人社会地位的一种象征。一个人到底有多富有可能已与拥有房产或跑车的数量无关，而捐出多少善款似乎更值得一谈。近来，“股神”巴菲特与微软创始人比尔•盖茨敦促美国亿万富翁们签字承诺，在生前或死后将至少一半的财产捐献出来。尽管专家称人们施善的主要动机并非借以扬名，一些人还是表示说，如果做慈善在富人中成为一种更大的荣誉，那倒也不是什么坏事。 |
| Venice gets 1st female gondolier |
威尼斯迎来首位女船夫 |
| Venice has finally gotten its first ever female gondolier, the Telegraph reported. Giorgia Boscolo, a 24-year-old mother of two, passed her final exams on Friday and her name has now been added to the official list of those allowed to practice the age-old profession in the lagoon city. She is so remarkable because since gondoliers took to the waterways of Venice in 1094, there had never been a woman among them. The gondolier course lasts six months and includes 400 hours of instruction in using the single oar that is used to propel a gondola through the water. |
据英国《每日电讯报》报道，上周五，威尼斯终于迎来了首位女船夫乔治娅•博斯科洛。年仅24 岁的博斯科洛已是两个孩子的母亲。在通过最后的考核之后，她的名字被添加到获准从事这一古老职业的官方名单中。博斯科洛之所以令人侧目，是因为自从1094年威尼斯水路上出现船夫以来，还从来没有过女性撑船人。威尼斯驾船课程共6个月，其中有400小时的课是讲授如何用一支桨操纵狭长的平底船在水路上行进的。 |
| Childhood stress leads to adult ill health |
童年不幸影响成年健康 |
| A series of studies suggest that childhood stress caused by poverty or abuse can lead to heart disease and speed up cell ageing. The American Psychological Association meeting heard that early experiences "cast a long shadow" on health, BBC reported. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh looked at the relationship between living in poverty and early signs of heart disease in 200 healthy teenagers. They found that those from the worst-off families had stiffer arteries and higher blood pressure. Another study presented by Researchers at Ohio State University at the conference showed that childhood events such as the death of a parent or abuse can make people more vulnerable to the effects of stress in later life and even shorten lifespan. |
英国广播公司从美国心理协会一次大会获悉，一系列研究表明，童年时由于贫穷或受虐待造成的压力会对一个人以后的生活带来长远的影响，比如导致心脏病，加速细胞老化。匹兹堡大学的研究者在探寻贫困生活和早期心脏病之间的关系时发现，200名参与实验的青少年中，来自特困家庭的人在动脉硬化和血压等指数上要高于其他人。在另外一项研究中，俄亥俄州立大学研究者发现，童年丧亲或受虐待会使一个人在日后生活中更容易受压力影响，甚至会折寿。 |
| Shopping is big try-on for women |
女性一生试衣2万件 |
| Women will try on more than 21,000 items of clothing in a lifetime but will only buy half of them, the Daily Mail reported. On average, women go shopping four times a month and try on pairs of jeans, dresses or shoes on each trip. The average woman will try on 40 different items of clothing each month or 480 a year. That's more than 21,000 items of clothing over a typical 45-year shopping lifespan. The research shows that for many women, trying on different clothes is often the best part of a shopping trip. It's also an excuse to try on clothes that are too expensive. |
英国《每日邮报》报道，女性平均一生要试约2.1万件衣服，不过最后能让她们掏钱买下的只有一半。女性平均每月逛街4次，每次会试牛仔裤、裙子或鞋，平均每月要试40件不同款式的衣服，一年就是480件。以女性一生购物时间45年计算，一名女性一生大概要试2.1万件服饰。调查显示，试各式各样的衣服是逛街时最令人开心的部分。对不少女性而言，她们还可以利用这个机会尝试那些超贵的衣服。
（China.org.cn）
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