英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

中英對照讀新聞》Astronomers spot new tiny moons around Neptune and Uranus 天文學家在海王星和天王星周圍發現新小衛星

2024/03/04 05:30
◎陳成良

Astronomers have found three previously unknown moons in our solar system — two additional moons circling Neptune and one around Uranus. The latest tally puts Neptune at 16 known moons and Uranus at 28.

天文學家在我們的太陽系中發現3顆以前未知的衛星：2顆繞著海王星運行的額外衛星，以及1顆繞著天王星運行的衛星。最新的統計數據顯示，海王星有16顆已知的衛星，天王星有28顆。

The distant tiny moons were spotted using powerful land-based telescopes in Hawaii and Chile, and announced Friday by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center.

2024/02/29 05:30

◎孫宇青

Women officially joined a so-called "naked festival" at a shrine in central Japan for the first time in the event’s 1,250 year history, donning purple robes and chanting excitedly as they bore a large bamboo trunk as an offering.

在日本中部一座神社舉行的所謂「裸祭」，身穿紫色長袍、興奮地高喊口號的女性們，扛起當作祭品的大竹子，這是首次有女性參與這場1250年歷史的活動。

Seven groups of women took part in the ritual which is said to drive away evil spirits and where participants pray for happiness. Despite its name, those taking part are not naked.

7組女性團體參加這場據稱可以除厄及祈福的儀式。儘管被稱為「裸祭」，但參加者並未赤身裸體。

Many women wore "Happi Coats" (robes that reach to the hips) and shorts that are typically worn at Japanese festivals, although men just wore loincloths similar to those worn by sumo wrestlers.

許多女性穿著日本慶典活動上常穿的「法被」（長度覆蓋臀部的罩袍）和短褲，而男性只穿著類似於相撲選手所穿的纏腰布。

"I heard that women could participate so I definitely wanted to take part to help bring excitement to this town and festival," said 59-year-old civil servant Emi Tachibana, one of the participants.（Reuters）

參加者之一、59歲公務員立花惠美（音譯）表示：「我聽說女性可以參加，所以我絕對想參加，為這個小鎮和節慶帶來活力。」（路透）

2024/02/27 05:30◎盧永山

Plunging into a frozen lake and swimming laps may not be everyone’s good time but for winter swimmers who return year after year to a northern Vermont lake near the Canadian border, there’s nothing better.

跳入冰凍的湖水中游上幾圈，可能不是每個人都喜歡的時光，但對於年復一年返回鄰近加拿大邊境佛蒙特州北部湖泊的冬泳運動員來說，沒有什麼比這更好的了。

The 10th annual Memphremagog Winter Swimming Festival kicked off Friday with the 200-meter freestyle race in a narrow pool cut from the ice. But the festivities started Thursday and on Friday morning some of the 180 participants swam a lap wearing a decorated hat.

第10屆年度孟弗雷梅戈格冬季游泳節於週五揭開序幕，比賽在由湖冰切出的狹窄泳池中進行200公尺自由式比賽。但慶祝活動從週四開始，而在週五早上，180名參賽者中的一些人戴著裝飾帽子游了1圈。

“It was amazing. It’s the highlight of my year,” said Andie Nelson, of Arlington, Virginia, after swimming 25 meters in the hat competition. “It makes me happy.”

來自維吉尼亞州阿靈頓的安蒂‧尼爾森在這項戴著帽子的比賽中游了25公尺後說：「太不可思議了。這是我這1年的亮點，這點讓我開心。」

Andie planned to compete in all events over the three days and said it’s more about the people and comradery than the icy water.

安蒂計畫參加這3天的所有比賽，並說這個活動與人和友情的關聯更多過冰水。

2024/02/26 05:30◎陳成良

The first human patient implanted with a brain-chip from Neuralink appears to have fully recovered and is able to control a computer mouse using their thoughts, the startup’s founder Elon Musk said late on Monday.

首位接受Neuralink腦晶片植入的人類病患似已完全康復，並能夠用思想控制電腦滑鼠，該新創公司創辦人馬斯克週一晚間表示。

"Progress is good, and the patient seems to have made a full recovery, with no ill effects that we are aware of. Patient is able to move a mouse around the screen by just thinking," Musk said in a Spaces event on social media platform X.

「進展良好，病患似乎已完全康復，我們並未察覺到任何不良影響。病患能夠僅憑思考就在螢幕上移動滑鼠」，馬斯克在社群媒體平台X的「空間」活動中說。

Musk said Neuralink was now trying to get as many mouse button clicks as possible from the patient.

馬斯克表示，Neuralink現在正在嘗試讓病患儘可能多地點擊滑鼠按鈕。

The firm successfully implanted a chip on its first human patient last month, after receiving approval for human trial recruitment in September

該公司在去年9月獲得人體試驗招募許可後，上個月成功地為其首位人類病患植入一顆晶片。

The study uses a robot to surgically place a brain-computer interface implant in a region of the brain that controls the intention to move, Neuralink has said, adding that the initial goal is to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using their thoughts.

2024/02/21 05:30
◎管淑平

The organizers of the first protest against Argentine President Javier Milei’s government will have to cough up tens of thousands of dollars to cover the cost of security forces deployed to the demonstration, the government’s spokesman said Friday.

第一場針對阿根廷總統哈維爾‧米雷伊政府的示威活動主辦者，將得掏出數萬美元，負擔為這場示威部署安全部隊的費用，政府發言人週五說。

Thousands turned out for the march to oppose Milei’s austerity measures and commemorate the deadly 2001 protests that followed the country’s economic meltdown.

數千人參加這場遊行反對米雷伊的撙節措施，並且紀念2001年該國經濟崩潰後引發導致人命喪失的示威。