英倫翻譯社/ Trsmaster

We often hear stories about kind people saving the lives of animals. Perhaps they pulled a cat from a burning building or adopted a dog from a shelter where the animal might otherwise have died. Well, more and more stories about animals rescuing people are emerging, too.

Take Pudding, a 9.5-kilogram cat, for example. After being adopted from a shelter by a woman and her son, he was able to return the kindness almost immediately. During the night, he sensed that the woman, who was having a diabetic seizure, was sick. He jumped on her chest and nipped her face to wake her up. Then, he went to wake her son so he could call for help. Pudding's quick actions saved the woman's life.

Jake, a Rottweiler from England, is also a hero. While walking in a park with his owner, the dog heard some screaming. He ran to the rescue and chased away a man who was attacking a woman. Even pet birds have been known to save the day. When Willie the parrot saw two-year-old Hannah choking, he kept shouting “Mama, baby!” This strange behavior caught the babysitter's attention and drew her into the room, where she saw Hannah needed help.


我們常聽到好心人士拯救動物生命的故事。他們也許是把一隻貓從失火的建築物中抱出來，或是從收容所裡領養一隻狗，否則這隻動物在那裡可能就死掉了。不過也有愈來愈多動物拯救人類的故事不斷出現。

就以布丁為例，牠是一隻九點五公斤重的貓。在被一位女士和她的兒子從收容所領養之後，布丁幾乎馬上就回報了他們的善心。在那天晚上，牠察覺到那位患有糖尿病性癲癇的女士發病了。牠跳上她的胸口、輕咬她的臉要叫醒她。然後牠跑去叫醒她兒子好讓他打電話求救。布丁的迅速行動救了那位女士一命。

傑克，一隻來自英國的羅威納犬，也是個英雄。當牠和主人在公園散步時，這隻狗聽到尖叫聲。牠跑去營救並趕走一名正在攻擊一位女子的男人。甚至連寵物鳥都已知有過救命的紀錄。當鸚鵡威利看到兩歲大的漢娜噎住時，牠不斷大叫：「媽媽，寶寶！」這個奇怪的舉動引起了臨時保姆的注意並吸引她走進那個房間，她在房間裡看到漢娜需要幫助。

Fairy tales bring people on exciting journeys to distant times and places. Many well-known fairy tales were made famous by the Grimm brothers, who traveled across Germany collecting stories that they put into books. Today, the 595-kilometer Fairy-Tale Road in Germany takes visitors on an adventure to discover the origins of some of these tales.

Starting in Hanau, the Grimms' birthplace, visitors head north to Schwalmstadt, where the story of "Little Red Riding Hood" took place. The red caps worn traditionally by little girls here remind us of Little Red Riding Hood's costume. You can see the fairy-tale costume at the regional museum, or during the "salad festival," when people dress up in traditional clothes to celebrate the local culture. 

North of Schwalmstadt is the spa town of Bad Wildungen, the setting of Snow White's story. Visitors can see Snow White's house and then soak in the mineral springs or stroll through the town’s parks and gardens.

Further northeast is Kassel, where the Grimms began studying German literature. It's home to the Brothers Grimm Museum, which contains handwritten books that belonged to the brothers. Another famous attraction here is Wilhelmshohe Park, with a magnificent palace and water garden.


童話故事引領人們到遙遠的時空踏上刺激的旅程。許多耳熟能詳的童話故事都是因為格林兄弟走遍德國收集故事集結成書而聞名。今日，德國境內五百九十五公里長的童話大道帶領遊客來趟探險之旅，去發掘其中一些故事的起源。

遊客從格林兄弟的出生地哈瑙出發，往北來到修瓦斯達城，這是〈小紅帽〉故事發生的地點。這裡的小女孩傳統戴的紅色帽子讓我們想起小紅帽的服裝。你可以在此區的博物館中看到童話故事裡的服飾，在「沙拉慶典」期間也可看到，此時人們會穿上傳統服飾來歌頌當地的文化。

Stay warm, or you'll catch a cold. Brush your teeth often to prevent cavities. We've heard such advice and accepted them as truths. However, many popular health-related beliefs are actually based on misconceptions. Here are some of them.

Winter Colds
Can cold weather really make you catch a cold? Science tells us the answer is "no." Colds are caused by viruses, not low temperatures. People get sick more often in the winter because they stay indoors, where they're more likely to spread and pick up germs.

Fresh vs. Frozen Foods
For years, scientists have advanced the health benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. This has led many to consider frozen foods to be less nutritious. However, the freezing process actually locks in the foods'nutrients. Fresh foods, if left uneaten for too long, can lose their nutrients through heat and air exposure.

Natural vs. Artificial Products
Nature has created countless harmful substances such as toxins and bacteria, but this hasn't stopped people from assuming that natural is always safer than artificial. Instead of focusing on whether a product is natural or artificial, consider its safety record, and find out whether it has been clinically tested.

The sound of jazz music fills the air. A warm breeze blows through the crowd, as people of all ethnic backgrounds dance and clap their hands to the beat of the music. Vendors shout out to advertise their goods, and the smell of grilled shrimp stirs the appetite. This is the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, better known to most as simply “Jazz Fest.”

Jazz Fest is a celebration of New Orleans and Louisiana, and in particular, their music. Held every year in late April, it's a major event for music lovers everywhere. Though officially called a “jazz fest,” the event actually includes a wide variety of musical styles, including blues, gospel, folk, rock, and rap. Each of the festival's twelve stages offers a specific type of music.

Jazz Fest is more than just music, however. It also features a market where crafts and handmade local items are sold. There are dozens of food stands, with many selling spicy Cajun food as well as Native American food. Festivalgoers can bite into an alligator sausage po'boy or enjoy boiled crawfish, fried bread, or a plate of jambalaya as they listen to live music.

爵士樂的樂音瀰漫在空中。不同民族背景的人隨著音樂節奏起舞並打著拍子時，一陣溫暖的微風吹過人群。小販大聲叫賣他們的商品，而烤蝦的香氣激起大家的食慾。這就是紐奧良爵士與傳承音樂節，較為多數人所知的簡稱是「爵士音樂節」。

爵士音樂節是紐奧良市和路易斯安那州的慶典活動，尤其是頌揚他們的音樂。這個活動在每年四月底舉辦，對各地的音樂愛好者來說是重要的盛事。雖然正式名稱是「爵士音樂節」，這個活動其實包含了各式各樣廣泛的音樂類型，包括藍調、福音音樂、民謠、搖滾樂和饒舌樂。活動的十二個舞台各呈現一種特定的音樂類型。

然而，爵士音樂節不只有音樂而已。其特色還包括販賣手工藝品和當地手工商品的市集。裡頭有很多小吃攤，其中許多賣著辛辣的卡津食物以及美洲原住民美食。參加音樂節的人在聆聽現場音樂之際，可大口享用鱷魚肉腸潛艇堡或水煮小龍蝦、油炸麵包或一盤什錦飯。

文章出處：Live互動英語雜誌

Life in the modern world makes it hard for us to avoid noise pollution. Often, environmental sounds are so loud that they become more dangerous than we think. Ten million Americans suffer from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). One in six American teenagers suffers from noise-induced hearing disorder. Since hearing problems caused by noise occur gradually and often go unnoticed, we must actively take steps to prevent this silent threat.

How can loud noise damage hearing? Our inner ear has a snail-like structure lined by cells with fine hairs. Loud noise can kill hair cells and harm the hearing nerve. Once the hair cells are destroyed, no current treatment exists to repair them. The result is permanent hearing loss.

NIHL can result from a one-time exposure to a loud sound, like a gunshot or fireworks. It is also caused by repeated exposure to sounds over an extended period. This means listening to music on our phones and MP3 players for a long time and at high levels is unhealthy for our ears.

Even if we avoid fireworks and earphones, everyday urban sounds can also lead to NIHL. Sirens, garbage trucks, jackhammers, and loud music blasting from shops cause havoc on our hearing. At home, vacuum cleaners, blow-dryers, and TVs also produce potentially harmful noises.

生活在現代社會讓我們很難避免噪音汙染。很多時候，周遭環境的聲音十分吵雜，變得比我們認為的更加危險。有一千萬名美國人身受「噪音性聽力損失」之苦。每六個美國青少年就有一個罹患噪音性聽力疾病。由於噪音造成的聽力問題是逐漸產生的，且通常不會被注意到，因此我們必須積極採取行動來預防這個無聲的威脅。

強烈噪音是如何傷害聽力的呢？我們的內耳有一個長得像蝸牛的構造，上頭排列著長了細毛的細胞。強烈的噪音會殺死毛細胞，並損害聽覺神經。一旦毛細胞受損，目前並沒有能修復的治療方法。結果就是永久性的聽力損失。