An American country music star has used artificial intelligence to make music again, years after suffering a stroke. 

一位美国乡村音乐明星在中风多年后再次使用人工智能创作音乐。 

Randy Travis is 65 years old. He was a popular country music performer in the 1980s and 1990s and won several Grammy awards during his career. But in 2013, he went to the hospital with a heart problem and later had a stroke. The stroke made it hard for Travis to speak. He has not made music since his stroke – until now. 

兰迪·特拉维斯今年 65 岁。 他是20世纪80年代和90年代流行的乡村音乐表演者，在他的职业生涯中多次获得格莱美奖。 但2013年，他因心脏病入院，后来中风。 中风使特拉维斯说话变得困难。 自从中风以来，他一直没有创作音乐，直到现在。 

On May 3, Travis released a new song with the help of artificial intelligence, or AI. It is called Where That Came From. Nashville, Tennessee songwriters Scotty Emerick and John Scott Sherrill wrote the song. 

5月3日，Travis 在人工智能（AI）的帮助下发布了一首新歌。 它的名字叫《从哪里来》。 田纳西州纳什维尔的词曲作者斯科蒂·埃默里克和约翰·斯科特·谢里尔创作了这首歌。 

Cris Lacy is co-president of Warner Music Nashville, the company that produces Travis’ music. Lacy said she contacted Travis’ wife Mary and asked “What if we could take Randy’s voice and recreate it using AI?” 

克里斯·莱西 (Cris Lacy) 是纳什维尔华纳音乐公司 (Warner Music Nashville) 的联合总裁，该公司为特拉维斯 (Travis) 制作音乐。 莱西说，她联系了特拉维斯的妻子玛丽并询问“如果我们可以采用兰迪的声音并使用人工智能重新创建它怎么办？” 

“We were all over that, so we were so excited,” Mary Travis said about the chance to hear her husband’s voice in a new song. “All I ever wanted since the day of the stroke was to hear that voice again.” 

“我们都沉浸在这一切之中，所以我们非常兴奋，”玛丽·特拉维斯谈到有机会在一首新歌中听到她丈夫的声音时说道。 “自从中风那天起，我唯一想要的就是再次听到那个声音。” 

Lacy talked with computer programmers in London about making an AI system that could recreate Travis’ voice. They produced two models. One model used 12 vocal samples from Travis’ career and the other used 42 samples. There was a lot of material to work with; the singer’s first big record, Storms of Life, came out in 1985. 

莱西与伦敦的计算机程序员讨论了如何制作一个可以重现特拉维斯声音的人工智能系统。 他们生产了两种型号。 一个模型使用了 Travis 职业生涯中的 12 个声音样本，另一个模型使用了 42 个样本。 有很多材料可供使用； 这位歌手的第一张大唱片《Storms of Life》于 1985 年发行。

Travis’ long-time music producer is Kyle Lehning. He said Where That Came From was a song that fit Travis’ way of singing. When Travis was at the top of his career, he was known for a more traditional kind of country music. It was a contrast to the pop-country songs that were popular in the late 1980s. 

特拉维斯的长期音乐制作人是凯尔·莱宁。 他说《Where That Came From》是一首适合特拉维斯演唱方式的歌曲。 当特拉维斯（Travis）处于职业生涯的巅峰时，他以更传统的乡村音乐而闻名。 这与 20 世纪 80 年代末流行的流行乡村歌曲形成鲜明对比。 

Lehning talked about the process of making the song. First, another singer recorded the song in what is known as a “demo.” Then the AI system analyzed the song and applied Travis’ voice to it. 

莱宁谈到了这首歌的制作过程。 首先，另一位歌手以所谓的“演示”形式录制了这首歌。 然后人工智能系统分析了这首歌并将特拉维斯的声音应用到其中。 

“I really wish somebody had been here with a camera,” Lehning said about the experience of watching the computer apply Travis’ voice to the song. “And it was stunning, to me, how good it was … right off the bat.” 

“我真的希望有人带着相机来到这里，”莱宁谈到观看电脑将特拉维斯的声音应用到歌曲中的经历时说道。 “对我来说，这真是太棒了……立刻就变得多么好。”

Lehning said some parts of the sound created by the computer were “not authentic to Randy’s performance.” Lehning worked with Casey Wood, a recording engineer who knew Travis well, to get it right. 

莱宁表示，计算机产生的声音的某些部分“与兰迪的表演并不真实”。 莱宁与熟悉特拉维斯的录音工程师凯西·伍德合作，以确保其正确。 

The two music professionals used sound parts from both vocal models. They made changes to the speed of some of the sounds. Lehning said Travis is “a laid-back singer,” so they had to slow down some parts. They wanted to keep an “old soul quality” in Travis’ voice. 

两位音乐专业人士使用了两位声乐模型的声音部分。 他们改变了一些声音的速度。 莱宁说特拉维斯是“一位悠闲的歌手”，所以他们不得不放慢一些部分的速度。 他们希望特拉维斯的声音保持“古老的灵魂品质”。 

Lehning said they were able to improve on the AI version. And Mary Travis said the final version of her husband’s song is much different than what happens when a computer programmer uses AI to create something without permission. 

Lehning 表示他们能够改进人工智能版本。 玛丽·特拉维斯 (Mary Travis) 表示，她丈夫歌曲的最终版本与计算机程序员未经许可使用人工智能创建某些东西时发生的情况有很大不同。 

She called the producers’ and engineers’ work on the project “the human element.” 

她将该项目的制作人和工程师的工作称为“人的因素”。 

She added that her husband had a thoughtful look on his face when he first heard the song. “I think he went through every emotion there was in those three minutes of just hearing his voice again,” Mary Travis said. 

她补充说，当她丈夫第一次听到这首歌时，脸上露出若有所思的表情。 “我认为，在再次听到他的声音的那三分钟里，他经历了所有的情绪，”玛丽·特拉维斯说。

Venice is a fragile jewel faced with rising sea levels from climate change and mass tourism. Of the estimated 30 million visitors a year, around two thirds are day trippers, placing sites under huge strain. 

威尼斯就像一颗脆弱的宝石，一方面面临着气候变化导致海平面上升的威胁，同时也需要应对大量游客带来的挑战。每年约有3000万名游客访问威尼斯，约三分之二是当天往返的一日游游客，这给威尼斯带来了游客大批涌入的巨大压力。 

词汇表

fragile 脆弱的
jewel 宝石，比喻威尼斯 “精美绝伦，独一无二”
mass tourism （尤指游客数量多的）大众旅游
day trippers 一日游游客
trial scheme 试行方案
discourage 阻止，为…设置障碍
descending 涌入
critics 批评者，反对者
minimal cost 极低的费用
fundamental problems 根本问题
overtourism “过度旅游”，指游客数量过多

Now they'll have to pay €5 to enter the city in a trial scheme in place on specific days over the next few months. The aim, say the authorities, is to discourage crowds descending at certain times, adding that the plan, the first such one in the world, could be extended in duration and price. Critics say the ticket is a minimal cost that will not address Venice's fundamental problems. 

现在一项试行方案规定，在未来几个月的特定旅游高峰日，一日游游客们必须支付5欧元才能进城观光。威尼斯官方表示，这样做的目的是阻止人群在特定日子大批涌入威尼斯，并补充说，作为世界上首个推行 “进城费” 的方案，试行收费的时间可能会延长，价格也可能会上调。反对 “进城费” 方案的人说，收费很低，无法解决威尼斯面临的根本问题。 

Other cities facing similar overtourism challenges will be watching closely to see if it works. 

其它面临类似客流量过大问题的城市将密切关注该试行方案，看它是否奏效。

Dogs are in high demand as pets. In fact, 36% of households in the UK own one, according to the UK Pet Food survey 2024. Our canine pals can be cute, cuddly and loyal friends. But, for many owners, dogs are much more than this – they are a lifeline. 

狗作为宠物的需求量很大。 事实上，根据 2024 年英国宠物食品调查，36% 的英国家庭拥有一只狗狗。我们的狗狗朋友可以是可爱、惹人喜爱且忠诚的朋友。 但是，对于许多主人来说，狗的意义远不止于此——它们是生命线。 

Assistance dogs provide essential support, increased independence and companionship for disabled people and people with medical conditions – they have even saved lives. There are many different types of assistance dogs out there, from hearing dogs to autism dogs to guide dogs. But what makes the perfect assistance dog? 

协助犬为残疾人和患有疾病的人提供必要的支持、增强的独立性和陪伴——它们甚至拯救了生命。 那里有许多不同类型的辅助犬，从助听犬到自闭症犬再到导盲犬。 但什么才是完美的协助犬呢？ 

Common assistance dog breeds are Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and German shepherds. The most common guide dog in the UK is the golden retriever-Labrador cross, which, according to the Guide Dogs National Centre, has a 'combination of desirable traits'. Guide dogs need to be able to lead a blind or visually impaired person outside and inside, while avoiding distractions and recognising and avoiding obstacles such as changes in elevation, like tree roots, curbs and stairs. With that in mind, training puppies is essential. 

常见的辅助犬品种有拉布拉多犬、金毛猎犬和德国牧羊犬。 英国最常见的导盲犬是金毛猎犬和拉布拉多杂交犬，根据国家导盲犬中心的说法，它具有“理想特征的组合”。 导盲犬需要能够在室外和室内引导盲人或视障人士，同时避免分心，识别和避开障碍物，例如海拔变化，如树根、路缘和楼梯。 考虑到这一点，训练小狗是至关重要的。 

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association trains puppies using positive reinforcement, rewarding good behaviour with food, praise and affection. When it comes to hearing dogs, a very important part of their training is sound awareness – alerting their deaf partner to sounds they would otherwise miss, for example a smoke alarm, an alarm clock or a crying baby. Katie Grundy, a puppy trainer at the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, teaches puppies targeting, a technique where the dogs touch a target, like a hand, with their nose for a treat. This teaches hearing dogs how to notify their partner when a sound goes off. 

盲人导盲犬协会使用积极强化的方式训练小狗，通过食物、赞美和关爱来奖励良好的行为。 对于听力狗来说，训练的一个非常重要的部分是声音意识——提醒聋哑伙伴注意他们可能会错过的声音，例如烟雾报警器、闹钟或哭闹的婴儿。 凯蒂·格伦迪（Katie Grundy）是慈善机构“聋人助听犬”的小狗训练师，她教小狗瞄准目标，这是一种狗用鼻子触摸目标（例如手）的技巧。 这教会听力狗如何在声音响起时通知其伴侣。 

At the end of training, not all pups qualify, but they are put up for adoption and, of course, make excellent lovable pets. 

训练结束时，并非所有幼犬都符合资格，但它们会被收养，当然，它们会成为优秀的可爱宠物。 

词汇表

lifeline 生命线
assistance dog 协助犬
independence 独立
companionship 陪伴，友谊
disabled 残疾的
medical condition 疾病
save lives 救命
hearing dog 助听犬
autism dog 协助自闭症人士的服务犬
guide dog 导盲犬
lead 引导
blind 失明的
visually impaired 视力受损的
obstacle 障碍
puppy 小狗
positive reinforcement 正向强化（奖励或积极回应良好行为的训练方法）
sound awareness 声音感知
alert 提示，提醒
deaf 失聪的，听不见的
targeting （动物）通过碰触特定目标物得到奖励
treat 奖励或训练狗的食物，零食

American pop music star Madonna performed before an estimated 1.6 million people on Saturday at Brazil’s famous Copacabana Beach. 

周六，美国流行音乐明星麦当娜在巴西著名的科帕卡巴纳海滩向估计 160 万人表演。 

The outdoor show in Rio de Janeiro was free to attend. 

里约热内卢的户外表演免费参加。 

The fans turned a long stretch of the coast into a huge dance floor for the last show of Madonna’s Celebration Tour. The series began last October in London. 

歌迷们把一段长长的海岸变成了一个巨大的舞池，为麦当娜庆祝巡演的最后一场演出。 该系列于去年十月在伦敦开始。

The so-called “Queen of Pop” began Saturday’s show with her 1998 song Nothing Really Matters. Huge cheers rose from the crowd pressed up against the barriers. Other attendees held parties in houses and hotels overlooking the beach. Helicopters and drones flew overhead, and boats floated on the water nearby. 

这位所谓的“流行天后”以她 1998 年的歌曲《Nothing Real Matters》拉开了周六的演出的序幕。 挤在护栏上的人群中爆发出巨大的欢呼声。 其他与会者在俯瞰海滩的房屋和酒店举行聚会。 直升机和无人机在头顶飞过，船只漂浮在附近的水面上。 

“Here we are in the most beautiful place in the world,” the 65-year-old Madonna told the crowd. Pointing out the ocean, the mountains and the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking the city, she added: “This place is magic.” 

“我们现在身处世界上最美丽的地方，”65 岁的麦当娜对人群说道。 她指着海洋、山脉和俯瞰城市的基督救世主雕像补充道：“这个地方很神奇。”

Madonna performed her popular songs, including Like A Virgin and Hung Up. For the introduction to another, Like A Prayer, Madonna covered her head in black cloth and held a rosary. 

麦当娜表演了她的流行歌曲，包括《Like A Virgin》和《Hung Up》。 在另一首歌曲《Like A Prayer》的介绍中，麦当娜用黑布遮住头，并手持一串念珠。 

The star honored those who died of AIDS with the song Live to Tell. Large black and white images of the disease’s victims appeared behind her as she sang. Later, she was joined on stage by Brazilian artists Anitta and Pabllo Vittar. 

这位明星用歌曲《Live to Tell》向死于艾滋病的人们致敬。 当她唱歌时，该疾病受害者的大幅黑白图像出现在她身后。 随后，巴西艺术家 Anitta 和 Pabllo Vittar 也与她一起登上舞台。 

Rio city officials estimated that 1.6 million people attended the show. Madonna’s official website called the show the biggest ever in her 40-year career. 

里约市官员估计有 160 万人观看了演出。 麦当娜的官方网站称这场演出是她40年职业生涯中规模最大的一次。 

“Since Madonna arrived here, I’ve been coming every day with this outfit to welcome my idol, my diva, my pop queen,” said 69-year-old retiree Rosemary de Oliveira Bohrer. She wore a gold-colored top and a black cap in a style that Madonna made popular. 

“自从麦当娜来到这里以来，我每天都穿着这套衣服来欢迎我的偶像、我的天后、我的流行天后，”69 岁的退休人员罗斯玛丽·德奥利维拉·博雷尔 (Rosemary de Oliveira Bohrer) 说道。 她穿着金色上衣和黑色帽子，这种风格是麦当娜流行的。 

Eighteen sound towers were spread along the beach to ensure that all attendees could hear the performance. 

沿着海滩分布着十八座音塔，以确保所有参加者都能听到表演。

Fan Alessandro Augusto flew about 2,500 kilometers, from Brazil’s Ceara state to Rio, to attend the show. Augusto said, “It’s a unique opportunity to see Madonna, who knows if she’ll ever come back.”

范·亚历山德罗·奥古斯托 (Alessandro Augusto) 从巴西塞阿拉州飞往里约，飞行约 2500 公里来参加演出。 奥古斯托说：“这是一个见到麦当娜的独特机会，她知道她是否会回来。” 

“Welcome Queen!” a drink company announced with advertising around the city. Bars and restaurants prepared special alcoholic drinks named after Madonna songs. A shop known for selling Carnival clothing temporarily became a “Madonna” clothing store. 

“欢迎女王陛下！” 一家饮料公司宣布在城市各处做广告。 酒吧和餐馆准备了以麦当娜歌曲命名的特殊酒精饮料。 一家以销售嘉年华服装而闻名的商店暂时变成了“麦当娜”服装店。

Several huge concerts have taken place on Copacabana beach before, including musician Rod Stewart’s 1994 show. It took place on New Year’s Eve as part of the city’s holiday celebration. About 4 million people attended. However, not all necessarily took in the music show. 

科帕卡巴纳海滩此前曾举办过几场大型音乐会，其中包括音乐家罗德·斯图尔特 (Rod Stewart) 1994 年的演出。 它发生在除夕夜，作为该市节日庆祝活动的一部分。 约有400万人参加。 然而，并非所有人都一定参加了音乐表演。 

And, in 2006, a Rolling Stones concert drew 1.2 million people onto the famed beach, the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo reported at the time. 

据《圣保罗页报》当时报道，2006 年，滚石乐队的一场音乐会吸引了 120 万人来到这片著名的海滩。

Madonna fan Ana Beatriz Soares attended the show Saturday. She said Madonna has made her mark across the years. 

麦当娜的粉丝安娜·贝阿特丽斯·苏亚雷斯周六出席了演出。 她说麦当娜多年来已经留下了自己的印记。 

“Madonna had to run so that today’s pop artists could walk. That’s why she’s important, because she serves as an inspiration for today’s pop divas,” she said. “And that’s 40 years ago. Not 40 days, 40 months. It’s 40 years,” she added. 

“麦当娜必须跑步，这样今天的流行艺术家才能走路。 这就是为什么她很重要，因为她是当今流行天后的灵感来源，”她说。 “那是 40 年前的事了。 不是40天，是40个月。 40 年了，”她补充道。 

Financial support for climate technology startups in Africa from the private sector is growing. Businesses have raised more than $3.4 billion since 2019. However, the continent requires $277 billion each year to meet its climate goals for 2030. 

私营部门对非洲气候技术初创企业的财政支持正在增加。 自 2019 年以来，企业已筹集超过 34 亿美元。然而，非洲大陆每年需要 2770 亿美元才能实现 2030 年的气候目标。 

Experts say to receive more money, African countries need to deal with risks such as unexpected currency value changes. And they say investors need to expand into different climate sectors, including flood protection, disaster management and heat management. Investors should also use more kinds of funding methods. 

专家表示，为了获得更多资金，非洲国家需要应对货币价值意外变化等风险。 他们表示，投资者需要扩展到不同的气候领域，包括防洪、灾害管理和热量管理。 投资者还应该采用更多种类的融资方式。 

Africa: The Big Deal is a financial support database. It says that last year, climate tech startups on the continent raised $1.04 billion. That is a 9 percent increase from the year before and three times what they raised in 2019. That increase comes as overall money for startups in Africa fell last year. 

Africa: The Big Deal 是一个金融支持数据库。 据称，去年非洲大陆的气候技术初创公司筹集了 10.4 亿美元。 这比前一年增长了 9%，是 2019 年筹集资金的三倍。这一增长是在去年非洲初创企业的总体资金下降的情况下实现的。 

The money climate tech startups raised last year was more than one-third of all monies raised by startups in Africa in 2023. It came in second to financial technology, a more established sector. 

去年，气候科技初创公司筹集的资金占 2023 年非洲初创公司筹集资金总额的三分之一以上。它位居第二，仅次于更为成熟的金融技术领域。 

Venture capital is usually given to business with large risk but great long-term growth possibilities. Startups use it to expand into new markets and to get products and services on the market. 

风险投资通常给予风险较大但长期增长潜力巨大的企业。 初创公司利用它来拓展新市场并将产品和服务推向市场。 

Even with the noted growth, private sector financing represented only 14 percent of all of Africa’s climate finance from 2019 to 2020. That information comes from a study by Climate Policy Initiative, a finance and policy research organization. 

尽管增长显着，但 2019 年至 2020 年，私营部门融资仅占非洲气候融资总额的 14%。该信息来自金融和政策研究组织气候政策倡议的一项研究。 

That number is far lower than in other parts of the world. In East Asia and the Pacific, for example, private sector financing represents 39 percent of climate finance. And in Latin America and the Caribbean, it makes up 49 percent. 

这个数字远远低于世界其他地区。 例如，在东亚和太平洋地区，私营部门融资占气候融资的 39%。 在拉丁美洲和加勒比海地区，这一比例为 49%。 

Sandy Okoth works at FSD Africa. The non-profit organization receives funding from the British government. Okoth said the low financial support in Africa is linked to investors putting money in areas they are more familiar with, such as renewable energy technology. Less money comes in for “more complex” technology, Okoth said. That includes technology for adapting to climate change, he added. 

桑迪·奥科斯 (Sandy Okoth) 在 FSD Africa 工作。 该非营利组织接受英国政府的资助。 奥科斯表示，非洲的财政支持较低与投资者将资金投入他们更熟悉的领域有关，例如可再生能源技术。 奥科斯说，“更复杂”的技术投入的资金更少。 他补充说，这包括适应气候变化的技术。 

Wetility is a renewable energy startup based in South Africa. Last year, it secured funding of $48 million, mostly from private equity, to expand its operations. 

Wetility 是一家位于南非的可再生能源初创公司。 去年，该公司获得了 4800 万美元的资金，主要来自私募股权，用于扩大业务。 

The startup provides solar panels for homes and businesses and an online service that permits users to remotely access power usage. It aims to solve the problems of energy access and dependability in southern Africa. 

该初创公司为家庭和企业提供太阳能电池板，并提供允许用户远程访问用电情况的在线服务。 它旨在解决南部非洲的能源获取和可靠性问题。 

Vincent Maposa is founder and chief executive officer of Wetility. He said, “Private sector financing in African climate is still rather low.” But he added that there is clear growth. 

Vincent Maposa 是 Wetility 的创始人兼首席执行官。 他说：“非洲气候下的私营部门融资仍然相当低。” 但他补充说，增长明显。 

Maëlis Carraro is partner at Catalyst Fund. The Kenya-based venture capital fund supports climate adaption solutions. She urged for more diverse funding, such as mixing private and public sector funding together. 

Maëlis Carraro 是 Catalyst 基金的合伙人。 总部位于肯尼亚的风险投资基金支持气候适应解决方案。 她敦促提供更加多样化的资金，例如将私人和公共部门的资金混合在一起。 

She said one aim of public financing should be to bring more private sector capital into financing climate initiatives. 

她表示，公共融资的目标之一应该是吸引更多私营部门资本为气候举措提供融资。 

She added, “We need the private sector and the public sector to work together to unlock more financing.” 

她补充道，“我们需要私营部门和公共部门共同努力，释放更多资金。” 

Robert Burns is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, perhaps best known for Auld Lang Syne, which is sung across the world on Hogmanay. 

罗伯特·彭斯被公认为是苏格兰的民族诗人，他最著名的作品应该就是《友谊地久天长》，这首歌在新年前夜被全世界传唱。

The National Trust for Scotland's online portal will allow people to view fragments of one of only six known manuscripts of the poem, dating from 1793.

苏格兰国民信托的在线门户网站将允许人们查看这首诗仅存的六份手稿其中之一的碎片，手稿年份可以追溯到1793年。

The wedding ring of Burns's wife Jean Armour will also be on show, as will a lock of hair belonging to the woman believed to have inspired the song 'Highland Mary'. A blue monogrammed sock is also featured. It reveals Burns was a size eight.

展品还包括彭斯妻子简·阿莫尔的婚戒、一缕头发——据说这缕头发的主人正是启发彭斯创作歌曲《高原玛丽》的那位女士。此外，还有一只织有花押字的蓝色袜子，从这只袜子可以看出，彭斯穿8码的鞋子。

词汇表

widely regarded 被公认，普遍认为
Hogmanay （苏格兰的）除夕，新年前夜
online portal 在线门户
fragments 碎片
manuscripts 手稿
lock of hair 一缕头发
inspired 启发了，赋予了灵感
monogrammed 有花押字的

Over half of American TV viewers now use subtitles whenever they watch TV, according to survey company YouGov. This trend is even more noticeable in viewers under 30. Subtitles have long been used to help people with hearing impairments or to allow people to watch films in a different language, but why has their use become so widespread?

据调查公司 YouGov 称，现在超过一半的美国电视观众在看电视时都会使用字幕。 这种趋势在 30 岁以下的观众中更为明显。长期以来，字幕一直被用来帮助听力障碍人士或让人们观看不同语言的电影，但为什么字幕的使用变得如此广泛？

The reasons for this are both technical and social. Advances in digital sound production and microphones mean that actors can be more natural in their vocal performance, while at the same time audio directors are able to make more and more dramatic soundscapes. Combined with the much smaller speakers contained in modern TV sets, this can all make dialogue seem unintelligible.

造成这种情况的原因既有技术原因，也有社会原因。 数字声音制作和麦克风的进步意味着演员的声乐表演可以更加自然，同时音频导演也能够制作出越来越戏剧性的音景。 再加上现代电视机中包含的小得多的扬声器，这一切都会使对话显得难以理解。

Smartphones may play a role. We are used to subtitled social media videos that can be watched without headphones. Smartphones also allow us to watch film and TV in public places where they are not easily audible.  Another social reason could be the increased appetite for programmes in other languages accessible through international streaming services.

智能手机可能会发挥一定作用。 我们已经习惯了无需耳机即可观看的带字幕的社交媒体视频。 智能手机还允许我们在不易被听到的公共场所观看电影和电视。 另一个社会原因可能是人们对通过国际流媒体服务访问的其他语言节目的兴趣增加。

While some viewers may consider subtitles to be distracting, or worry about the potential for spoilers, they don't just help with unclear audio. A number of studies have suggested that subtitles could help people to increase their vocabulary and boost their listening skills in languages that they do not currently speak.

虽然一些观众可能认为字幕会分散注意力，或者担心可能会剧透，但它们不仅仅有助于解决不清楚的音频。 许多研究表明，字幕可以帮助人们增加词汇量并提高他们目前不会说的语言的听力技能。

This may be particularly effective when subtitles are in the same language as the audio track of the programme. Same-language subtitles have also been shown to help young children develop their reading skills in their first language, to the point where campaigners have suggested enabling subtitles on all children's programmes by default.

当字幕与节目音轨采用相同语言时，这可能特别有效。 同语言字幕也被证明可以帮助幼儿发展母语的阅读技能，以至于活动人士建议默认在所有儿童节目中启用字幕。

词汇表

viewers 观众
hearing impairment 听觉障碍
digital sound production 数字声音制作
natural 自然的
vocal performance 声乐表演
audio director 音频导演
dramatic soundscape 戏剧化的声景
dialogue 对话
unintelligible 无法理解的
audible 听得见的，可以听到的
distracting 分散注意力的
spoiler 剧透
unclear 不清楚的
audio track 音轨
same-language subtitles 同语言字幕
enable 使…可能

Worobey said the virus likely spreads among the cows due to contact with milking machines, trucks or the shoes of farm workers. It then moves from cow to cow before making its way back to birds. Worobey said birds tested on the same farms as sick cows have a form of the virus with “clear mammalian adaptations.” In other words, the virus shows signs of changing before infecting the bird populations. 

沃罗比说，由于接触挤奶机、卡车或农场工人的鞋子，病毒可能在奶牛之间传播。然后它从一头牛转移到另一头牛，最后又回到鸟类身上。沃罗比说，在与病牛相同的农场进行测试的鸟类携带了一种具有“明显的哺乳动物适应性”的病毒。换句话说，病毒在感染鸟类之前就表现出了变化的迹象。 

Scientists say the best way to keep the virus from spreading to more cows, and possibly humans, is to test cows as often as possible and follow their movements. 

科学家表示，防止病毒传播给更多奶牛（甚至可能是人类）的最佳方法是尽可能频繁地对奶牛进行检测并跟踪它们的活动。 

Thomas Friedrich is a virology expert at the University of Wisconsin’s animal medical school. “We need to be able to do greater surveillance so that we know what’s going on.” 

托马斯·弗里德里希是威斯康星大学动物医学院的病毒学专家。“我们需要能够进行更大规模的监视，以便我们知道发生了什么。” 

Worobey said testing for active virus is one thing. But the tests must also look for antibodies, or evidence of past infections.

沃罗贝说，检测活性病毒是一回事。但测试还必须寻找抗体或过去感染的证据。 

“That is a really accessible and quick way to find out how widespread this is,” he said. 

他说：“这是了解这种情况有多普遍的一种非常容易且快速的方法。” 

Scientists are working to be sure that heating up the milk before it is put into containers for humans to drink is enough to kill the virus. The process is called pasteurization. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will have more information about that soon. 

科学家们正在努力确保在将牛奶放入容器供人类饮用之前将其加热足以杀死病毒。该过程称为巴氏灭菌。美国食品和药物管理局 (FDA) 将很快提供更多相关信息。 

Right now, the FDA recommends humans to avoid raw or unpasteurized milk. Farm workers are also being told to wear masks, wash their hands and change their work clothes often, Aliota said. 

目前，美国食品和药物管理局建议人们避免食用生牛奶或未经高温消毒的牛奶。阿利奥塔说，农场工人还被告知要戴口罩、勤洗手并经常更换工作服。 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 23 people have been tested for the virus so far. One person has tested positive for a mild eye infection. CDC officials are watching for signs of sickness in 44 other people who were in contact with infected animals. 

美国疾病控制与预防中心表示，迄今为止已有 23 人接受了病毒检测。一名患者轻度眼部感染检测呈阳性。CDC 官员正在观察另外 44 名接触过受感染动物的人是否有生病迹象。 

David O’Connor is a virus expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He said that knowing about the virus should not make humans “change anything about how (they) live their daily lives.” 

大卫·奥康纳是威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的病毒专家。他说，了解这种病毒不应让人类“改变他们的日常生活方式”。 

But he said humans should have “increased awareness that something is happening.” 

但他表示，人类应该“提高对正在发生的事情的认识”。

The United States plans new rules for the movement of dairy cows between states because of concerns about a bird flu outbreak. 

出于对禽流感爆发的担忧，美国计划对各州之间奶牛的流动制定新规则。

The virus is called Type A H5N1. It has been found in over 30 different groups of cows across eight states. 

该病毒被称为 A 型 H5N1。 已在 8 个州的 30 多个不同的奶牛群中发现了这种病毒。 

Some inactive markers of the virus have been found in milk sold in stores. Inactive markers mean the virus is dead and cannot harm humans who drink the milk. 

在商店出售的牛奶中发现了一些非活性病毒标记。 不活跃的标记意味着病毒已经死亡，不会伤害喝牛奶的人。 

The concern is that the virus could mutate, or change. It could then possibly spread from cows or other animals to humans. Experts, however, believe the risk of that is low. 

令人担忧的是病毒可能会变异或改变。 然后它可能从牛或其他动物传播到人类。 然而，专家认为这种风险很低。 

After April 29, cows must have been tested and found to not have the virus before they are permitted to be moved between states. 

4 月 29 日之后，奶牛必须经过检测并发现没有携带病毒，然后才能获准在各州之间转移。 

The virus has been known by scientists to circulate among wild birds. It appears in other animals if they eat sick birds. Some animals that live near the sea have tested positive for the virus, including harbor seals and polar bears. Animals that eat grasses, such as cows and goats, have only recently been found to have the virus. 

科学家已知该病毒在野生鸟类中传播。 如果其他动物吃了病鸟，也会出现这种情况。 一些生活在海边的动物的病毒检测呈阳性，包括斑海豹和北极熊。 直到最近才发现牛和山羊等吃草的动物携带这种病毒。

Richard Webby is an influenza expert at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee. He said flu viruses are known for adapting to spread among new animals. Finding the virus in dairy milk raises concerns that it could spread to people, Webby said. 

理查德·韦比是田纳西州圣裘德儿童研究医院的流感专家。 他说，众所周知，流感病毒能够适应在新动物之间的传播。 韦比说，在牛奶中发现这种病毒引发了人们对其可能传播给人类的担忧。 

Scientists confirmed the virus in cows in March after farmers said their cows were sick. They said the animals’ symptoms included tiredness and low milk production. Some farmers said the milk the sick cows produced was thick and yellow. 

三月份，在农民表示他们的奶牛生病后，科学家们证实了奶牛体内存在这种病毒。 他们说，这些动物的症状包括疲倦和产奶量低。 一些农民表示，病牛产出的牛奶又浓又黄。 

Matthew Aliota is an animal medicine researcher at the University of Minnesota. He said finding the inactive virus in the milk “suggests this has been going on longer, and is more widespread, than we have previously recognized.” 

马修·阿利奥塔（Matthew Aliota）是明尼苏达大学的动物医学研究员。 他说，在牛奶中发现失活病毒“表明这种情况持续的时间比我们之前认识的要长，而且范围更广。” 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently sent out new genetic information about the virus. 

美国农业部最近发布了有关该病毒的新基因信息。 

Michael Worobey is an evolutionary biologist with the University of Arizona. He said the federal agency information makes him think the virus moved from birds to cows late in 2023. 

迈克尔·沃罗贝 (Michael Worobey) 是亚利桑那大学的进化生物学家。 他说，联邦机构的信息让他认为病毒在 2023 年底从鸟类转移到了牛身上。 

Heavy rains and severe flooding have been hitting Kenya since March. They are among the most disastrous rainstorms to hit the East African country in recent years.

自三月以来，肯尼亚遭受暴雨和严重洪水袭击。 这是近年来袭击这个东非国家的最具灾难性的暴雨之一。

At least 169 people have died from the heavy rains. At least 91 others are missing, the latest government estimates say.

至少有169人因暴雨死亡。 政府最新估计称，至少还有 91 人失踪。

On Monday, at least 48 people died after water blew through a blocked river tunnel under a railway line in southwestern Kenya.

周一，肯尼亚西南部铁路线下一条被堵塞的河流隧道被洪水冲破，造成至少 48 人死亡。

The flooding has displaced more than 190,000 people and damaged roads and other structures.

洪水导致超过 190,000 人流离失所，道路和其他建筑物受损。

Seasonal weather patterns, climate change and other natural weather events all combine to create deadly rainstorms.

季节性天气模式、气候变化和其他自然天气事件结合在一起，造成了致命的暴雨。

Kenya and some other parts of eastern Africa have two main rainfall periods: the “long rains” season from March to May, and the “short rains” season from October to December.

肯尼亚和东非其他一些地区有两个主要降雨期：3月至5月的“长雨”季节和10月至12月的“短雨”季节。

The “long rains” season is when most of the country’s average yearly rainfall happens.

“长雨”季节是该国年平均降雨量的大部分时间。

In its forecast for this year’s “long rains” season, the Kenya Meteorological Department predicted above-average rainfall in many parts of the country. It also warned of flooding, landslides and other harmful effects.

肯尼亚气象部门在对今年“长雨”季节的预测中预计，该国许多地区的降雨量将高于平均水平。 它还警告洪水、山体滑坡和其他有害影响。

Last year’s “short rains” season saw severe storms in many parts of the country. The meteorological department said Lamu, Mombasa and Garissa areas received nearly three times their long-term average rainfall.

去年“短雨”季节，全国多地遭遇严重风暴。 气象部门表示，拉穆、蒙巴萨和加里萨地区的降雨量几乎是长期平均降雨量的三倍。

Kenya's rainfall frequency and intensity are affected by a natural climate system called the Indian Ocean Dipole.

肯尼亚的降雨频率和强度受到称为印度洋偶极子的自然气候系统的影响。

The Indian Ocean Dipole makes the surface of the western Indian Ocean warmer and then colder than the eastern Indian Ocean. It causes heavy rainfall in areas west of the Indian Ocean, such as Kenya, and droughts in Indonesia and Australia.

印度洋偶极子使西印度洋的表面比东印度洋先暖后冷。 它导致肯尼亚等印度洋以西地区出现强降雨，并导致印度尼西亚和澳大利亚出现干旱。

Joyce Kimutai is a researcher at Imperial College London. She said that, in Kenya’s case, the Indian Ocean Dipole and climate change are likely bringing more severe rainfall and flooding.

乔伊斯·基穆泰 (Joyce Kimutai) 是伦敦帝国理工学院的研究员。 她说，就肯尼亚而言，印度洋偶极子和气候变化可能会带来更严重的降雨和洪水。

In a study in December last year, Kimutai and other scientists from World Weather Attribution found that human-caused climate change had made last year’s “short rains” season in Kenya and other parts of eastern Africa up to two times more intense.

在去年 12 月的一项研究中，Kimutai 和世界天气归因组织的其他科学家发现，人为造成的气候变化使肯尼亚和东非其他地区去年的“短雨”季节强度增加了两倍。

It has become more difficult to predict long-term weather in Kenya in recent years. The start and the length of dry and wet seasons have increasingly changed.

近年来，预测肯尼亚的长期天气变得更加困难。 旱季和雨季的开始和长度发生了越来越大的变化。

The Kenya Meteorological Department expects the “long rains” season to continue into June. In its latest weather report on Monday, the department said it expects heavy rain in six areas of the country. It also predicted flooding in low-lying areas and landslides in hilly areas.

肯尼亚气象部门预计“长雨”季节将持续到六月。 该部门在周一最新的天气报告中表示，预计该国六个地区将出现大雨。 它还预测了低洼地区的洪水和丘陵地区的山体滑坡。

Flooding in East Africa also has killed more than 150 people in neighboring Tanzania and Somalia. It has also affected hundreds of thousands of people in Ethiopia and Burundi.

东非的洪水也导致邻国坦桑尼亚和索马里的 150 多人死亡。 它还影响了埃塞俄比亚和布隆迪的数十万人。

Less than half of Americans say they are getting enough sleep, according to a recent opinion study by the Gallup organization. 

盖洛普组织最近的一项民意研究显示，不到一半的美国人表示他们睡眠充足。

The poll found that 57 percent of Americans say they would feel better if they could get more sleep. Only 42 percent say they are getting as much sleep as they need. 

民意调查发现，57% 的美国人表示，如果能够获得更多睡眠，他们会感觉更好。 只有 42% 的人表示他们的睡眠充足。 

Gallup carried out the same kind of study in 2013. That time, the results were different. Fifty-six percent said they got enough sleep, while 43 percent said they did not get enough sleep. 

盖洛普在2013年进行了同类研究，但当时的结果有所不同。 56% 的人表示他们睡眠充足，43% 的人表示他们睡眠不足。 

Women under the age of 50 were the most likely to report they are not getting enough rest. Only 27 percent of women in that group said they usually get all the sleep they need. 

50 岁以下的女性最有可能报告她们没有得到足够的休息。 该群体中只有 27% 的女性表示她们通常能获得所需的全部睡眠。 

The poll also asked people to report how many hours of sleep they usually get each night. Only 26 percent said they got eight or more hours. Many sleep experts say adults should aim for eight hours of sleep a night. 

该民意调查还要求人们报告他们通常每晚的睡眠时间。 只有 26% 的人表示他们有 8 个小时或更长时间。 许多睡眠专家表示，成年人的目标应该是每晚睡八小时。 

Just over half of the respondents reported getting between six and seven hours of sleep a night. And 20 percent said they got five hours or less. That number increased from 2013, when 14 percent of respondents reported getting five hours or less.

超过一半的受访者表示每晚睡眠六到七个小时。 20% 的人表示他们的时间不超过五个小时。 这个数字比 2013 年有所增加，当时 14% 的受访者表示工作时间为 5 小时或更少。 

Justine Broughal is a self-employed event planner with two small children. She is 31 years old. Her 4-month-old son still wakes up throughout the night. After her 3-year-old daughter goes to bed, she still needs to do some work in the house. That makes it difficult for her to get the sleep she needs. 

贾斯汀·布鲁尔 (Justine Broughal) 是一名自营活动策划者，有两个小孩。 她今年 31 岁。 她四个月大的儿子仍然整夜醒来。 3岁的女儿睡觉后，她还需要做一些家务。 这使她很难获得所需的睡眠。 

“I really treasure being able to spend time with (my children),” Broughal says. However, she added that it can reduce the amount of time for her to rest and take care of herself. 

“我真的很珍惜能够与（我的孩子们）共度时光，”布鲁尔说。 然而，她补充说，这会减少她休息和照顾自己的时间。 

Claude Fischer is a professor of sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. He said that American culture has valued hard work and productivity since the first European immigrants arrived. He added that the religious beliefs of some groups connected hard work with approval from God. 

克劳德·费舍尔是加州大学伯克利分校的社会学教授。 他说，自从第一批欧洲移民抵达以来，美国文化就重视努力工作和生产力。 他补充说，一些群体的宗教信仰将努力工作与上帝的认可联系在一起。 

Working hard, he said, “has been a core part of American culture for centuries.” 

他说，努力工作“几个世纪以来一直是美国文化的核心部分。” 

Some Americans also say their busy workdays make them want to stay up late. After a long day of work, spending time at night on social media or watching television can help them lower stress or have some time to themselves. But this reduces the number of hours they can sleep. 

一些美国人还表示，忙碌的工作日让他们想熬夜。 经过一整天的工作后，晚上花时间浏览社交媒体或看电视可以帮助他们减轻压力或享受一些独处的时间。 但这会减少他们的睡眠时间。 

Liz Meshel has experienced this. The 30-year-old American is temporarily living and doing research in Bulgaria. But she also works a part-time job on U.S. hours to help pay her bills. That means she sometimes works until 10 at night local time. 

莉兹·梅舍尔就经历过这一点。 这位30岁的美国人暂时在保加利亚生活和研究。 但她也在美国工作时间做兼职，以帮助支付账单。 这意味着她有时会工作到当地时间晚上 10 点。 

When it is close to her bedtime, she said she thinks about the time she did not have for herself during the day. So, she decides to watch television and look at social media instead of getting to sleep earlier. 

当临近睡觉时间时，她说她会想起白天没有属于自己的时间。 因此，她决定看电视和浏览社交媒体，而不是早点睡觉。 

That, Meshel said, “will always make the problem worse.” 

梅舍尔说，这“总是会让问题变得更糟。”