CD Voice

社评：基于谎言抵制冬奥会是亵渎体育精神｜Lies-Based Boycottof Games Unsporting

Canada joined Australia and the United Kingdom in following the lead of the United States by announcing a "diplomatic boycott" of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on Wednesday. "It shouldn't be a surprise that we decided not to send diplomatic representation," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, citing concerns about alleged human rights abuses by China.

当地时间12月8日，继美国宣布对北京冬奥会进行“外交抵制”后，加拿大、澳大利亚和英国跟风宣布“外交抵制”。加拿大总理贾斯廷·特鲁多（Justin Trudeau）援引美方对中国所谓涉嫌“侵犯人权”的妄言表示，“我们不派遣外交代表的决定完全在情理之中。”

The move was indeed not a surprise, although his brazenness in citing that excuse may have been to some due to the widely reported human rights violations at residential homes for indigenous children in his own country.

加方的举动确实在情理之中，之所以厚颜无耻地打“人权牌”可能部分原因在于，加拿大土著儿童的住所中就曾发生过臭名昭著的侵犯人权事件。

Its jumping on the US' boycott bandwagon simply reflects how eager Canada is to not be left out of the club of Anglo-Saxon powers.

加方在美国的抵制浪潮中上蹿下跳，煽风点火，明显地反映了加拿大是多么害怕被排除在盎格鲁-撒克逊列强俱乐部之外。

The US was the first to announce the boycott this week, with Australia and the UK quickly following suit. The political posturing, however, will not in any way hinder the preparations for the Winter Games, let alone embarrass China as they are intended to. After all, the Games provides a stage for athletes, not a runway for flouncing politicians.

美国是本周第一个宣布“外交抵制”的国家，澳大利亚和英国也迅速趋之若鹜。然而，这种政治闹剧丝毫不会妨碍冬奥会的筹备工作，更不用说有意让中国难堪了。毕竟，奥运会是运动健儿们的盛会，而不是政客哗众取宠的秀场。

It is no secret that the US is trying to form an alliance of like-minded allies to contain China on all fronts, be it military, economic or ideological. It is sad that the line of confrontation has now been extended to the Olympic Games, whose very purpose is to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation.

众所周知，美国正在努力组织臭味相投的盟友形成联盟，以期在军事、经济或意识形态等各方面遏制中国。令人痛心的是，遏制中国的战略魔爪竟伸向了以促进和平、交流与团结为使命的奥运会。

The moral high ground that the US and its allies are trying to stand on is very shaky and threatens to topple them from the perch from which they preach. To point an accusing finger at China for what they claim are "atrocities" being committed in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region they are relying on the fabrications of those trying to split the region from the motherland.

美国及其盟国所站道德高地摇摇欲坠，言论之荒谬，不攻自破。凭借着新疆分裂分子的捏造的谎言，他们指责中国在新疆犯下了所谓的“暴行”。

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation banning imports from the region, based on lies about "a brutal and accelerating campaign of repression against the Uyghur people and other Muslim minorities" there. The latest move, part of a smear campaign against China, will only push bilateral relations to a new low.

当地时间12月8日，美国众议院通过了禁止从新疆进口的立法，理由是该地区“对维吾尔族人民和其他穆斯林少数民族进行了残酷且愈演愈烈的镇压运动”这一谎言。其旨在污名化中国的最新举措只会将双边关系推至新低。

A return to the Cold War era will serve no country any good, and the more adamantly the US pushes for ideological confrontations through divisive means, the less inclined countries that are not already members will be to join its club. The fact that few countries have joined the US-orchestrated diplomatic boycott points to the futility of the attempt to hijack the Games for its own political ends.

回到冷战时代对任何国家都没有好处。美国不知悔改地通过制造分裂推动意识形态对抗，只会让那些尚未加入美方阵营的国家避之不及。实际上，加入美国精心策划的“外交抵制”行动的国家少之又少，这充分说明，妄想在奥运会上搞政治操弄只会无功而返。

The Games is for athletes and sports fans. If the US wants to compete with countries fairly as it says, it should let its athletes do so, and not make an unsporting brouhaha in an attempt to disturb other competitors.

奥运会为运动员和体育爱好者们举办。如果美方真想如它声称的那样与其他国家公平竞争，就应该让美国运动员光明正大地参赛，而不是制造亵渎奥林匹克精神的“闹剧”去干扰其他竞争者。

重点词汇：

brazenness

英[breiznis]；美[breiznis]

n. 厚颜无耻

indigenous

英 [ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs]；美[ɪnˈdɪdʒənəs]  

adj. 本地的；当地的；土生土长的

bandwagon

英 [ˈbændwæɡən]；美[ˈbændwæɡən]  

n. 风靡的活动；时尚

reconciliation

英 [ˌrekənsɪliˈeɪʃn]；美[ˌrekənsɪliˈeɪʃn]  

n. 调解；和解；协调；和谐一致

atrocity

英 [əˈtrɒsəti]；美[əˈtrɑːsəti]  

n. 暴行；（尤指战争中的）残暴行为

brouhaha

英 [ˈbruːhɑːhɑː]；美[ˈbruːhɑːhɑː]  

n. 喧闹；喧哗；起哄

On the morning of Oct 23, Chinese singer-songwriter Liu Shuang arrived in Heze, Shandong province, with his band to perform at an outdoor music festival.

10月23日早晨，独立音乐人柳爽抵达山东菏泽，携乐队成员登台菏泽海报音乐节。

柳爽 图源：中国日报

One hour before they checked their equipment and tested the sound, they were told that the event had been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

还没来得及检测设备和试音，他们便被告知因疫情防控，2021菏泽海报音乐节延期举办，原定活动取消。

Liu and the band were soon on their way back to Beijing, where they are based.

不久，柳爽和乐队又返回了他们的驻地北京。

On the train journey to the Chinese capital, Liu received a message on Sina Weibo, saying that his song Mohe Ballroom had gone viral on the Douyin video-sharing platform.

回北京的路上，柳爽收到微博私信：他的歌《漠河舞厅》在抖音火了。

However, he didn't take the message seriously until the next day, when he learned that footage of the song had been viewed more than 10 million times on Douyin.

起初他没有在意这个消息。但第二天《漠河舞厅》的片段在抖音的浏览量就破了1000万。

Liu, 29, now one of the most talked about Chinese singer-songwriters, said: "My team and I were overwhelmed by this sudden fame. It was like a dream come true, as we had been working hard to get our songs known by a wider audience."

29岁的柳爽是现在讨论热度很高的创作歌手，他说：“我们没想到能一夜成名，有点发懵。我一直期待我们的歌能被更多人听到，也算是圆梦了。”

图源：澎湃新闻

In less than two days, the video of the song had been viewed some 700 million times.

短短两天时间，歌曲视频播放量已达7亿次。

Mohe Ballroom was released in June last year and featured in Liu's third album, First Planet.

《漠河舞厅》发行于2020年6月，是柳爽的第三张专辑《1st.星球》中的一首。

The song was inspired by Liu's trip in 2019 to Mohe, Heilongjiang province, China's northernmost city, where he met an elderly man who was dancing alone in a ballroom.

这首歌的灵感诞生于柳爽的一次旅行。2019年，柳爽到东北边陲小城漠河采风，遇到了一位在舞厅里独自舞蹈的老人。

"I was curious and danced with him. We talked for a while during a break, when I learned about his story," said Liu, who later wrote an article titled Goodbye Evening Star, which he published on his social media platform.

“我当时对他很好奇，就跟着一起跳。休息间隙和他闲聊时，了解到了他的故事。”之后，柳爽写下《再见了晚星》一文，并发布在他的社交媒体平台上。

Mohe Ballroom, written in March last year, is based on the old man's story.

2020年3月，柳爽创作出《漠河舞厅》，背景故事中的原型人物，便是那位舞厅中央独自舞蹈的老人。

On May 6, 1987, about 200 people were killed when a fire that broke out in mountains near Mohe tore through the city. The fire, which lasted 28 days, destroyed more than 10,000 square kilometers of forest. Direct economic losses were estimated at 500 million yuan.

1987年5月6日，漠河—大兴安岭山区发生特大森林火灾，211人葬身火海。大火持续了28天，焚毁了1万多平方公里的森林，造成直接经济损失达5亿元。

The elderly man, who uses the pseudonym Zhang Dequan, lost his wife to the blaze. He has not remarried and has no children, so he often visits the old ballroom and dances alone to remember the times he and his wife spent there.

老人名为张德全（化名），他的妻子就在这场大火中丧生。之后几十年，老人未再婚，也没有子女。他常常独自在漠河舞厅跳舞，回忆和妻子在这里共舞的时光。

Liu said: "Both the article and the song have been fictionalized, and I added some additional details. To me, the most important part of the song are the lyrics. I wanted to dedicate Mohe Ballroom to those who lost their lives in that big fire."

柳爽说：“《再见了晚星》和《漠河舞厅》都加入了一些文学想象和细节填充。对我来说，最重要的部分是歌词，我想把《漠河舞厅》这首歌献给所有在那场大火中逝去的生命。”

One listener said: "It's easy to see why Mohe Ballroom resonated with listeners when it did. Full of emotional detail and poetic lyrics, the song, with Liu's whispery vocals, fulfills people's imaginations about a tragic love story."

一位听众说道：“其实不难看出《漠河舞厅》引得听众共鸣的原因：情感细节到位，歌词极具诗意，加上柳爽似低语般的嗓音，满足了人们对凄美爱情故事的想象。”

But Liu is upset when people refer to him as a singer who gained overnight fame on the internet.

但对于人们把他看作一个一夜成名的“网红歌手”，柳爽感到有些困扰。

Born and raised in Kuqa city, Aksu prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the self-taught singer-songwriter made his stage debut in 2014, performing his original song Grandpa during a year-end gala at his university. Since then, he has been writing his own material. In 2018, he released his debut album Grow and toured nationwide.

柳爽出生于新疆维吾尔自治区阿克苏地区库车市，自学唱歌和词曲创作。2014年，他登上中国人民公安大学年终晚会的舞台，演唱了原创歌曲《姥爷》，那是他的舞台首秀。自此，柳爽成为独立音乐人，并于2018年发行首专《生长》，开启首次全国巡演。

The song's huge popularity has made Mohe an in-demand tourism destination. Visitors flock to the city to see the ballroom, in the hope of meeting the elderly man.

《漠河舞厅》大火带动了漠河旅游业需求上涨。游客蜂拥来到漠河，参观舞厅，希望能遇到这位老人。

Li Jinbao, who owns the ballroom, told Beijing News: "The man often visited my ballroom in 2019. However, since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have not seen him.

舞厅老板李金宝告诉《新京报》：“2019年的时候，的确有个老人常来舞厅跳舞。但有了疫情以后，已经很久没有见他了。”

"I was 21 when I witnessed the fire that swept through Mohe. The city was later rebuilt and its first public ballroom opened, which immediately became popular among local residents."

“那年我才21岁，亲眼目睹了这场大火席卷漠河。火灾之后，漠河重建，当地出现了第一家真正意义上的私营大众舞厅，成为除电影院之外最受当地人喜爱的休闲娱乐场所。”

Zhang Wenqian, 30, a civil servant, visited the venue for the first time after she viewed Mohe Ballroom online.

30岁的公务员张文倩在网上看到《漠河舞厅》的视频后，第一次来到舞厅。

"This is a good chance to promote our city nationwide," she said. "At the same time, the song also reminds residents of painful memories and of the need to prevent a similar incident."

她说：“这是个宣传漠河的好机会。而这首歌也会警醒居民们记住那场灾难，防止类似事件再次发生。”

Mohe is one of the few places in China with a subarctic climate－long, severe winters and short, warm summers. Winter begins in early to mid-October and lasts until late April. The city holds the record for China's lowest temperature, minus 52.3 C in 1956.

漠河市，是国内为数不多拥有亚北极气候的城市之一。夏日温暖却短暂，冬日严寒而漫长，会从十月中上旬一直持续到次年四月底。1956年，漠河创下了中国最低气温纪录零下52.3摄氏度。

漠河 图源：中国新闻社

But if the climate suggests an inhospitable place, this is not the case. The border with Russia has a raw beauty, attracting countless tourists every year, although they mostly visit in summer to witness the aurora borealis, or northern lights.

但如果说这种气候意味着漠河不宜居住，就你就错了。因与俄罗斯接壤，边境线的风光野性奔放，每年都吸引着无数游客，哪怕多数游客只选择在夏天过来欣赏极光。

The local tourism department has been quick to seize the chance brought by Mohe Ballroom.

当地旅游部门迅速抓住了《漠河舞厅》带来的契机。

Feng Guangqing, director of the bureau, told China Tourism News: "The local government has developed the tourist industry since 1981. However, due to the long distances involved and inconvenient transportation links, we haven't seen a large influx of tourists like some other well-known tourist destinations."

旅游局局长冯广庆告诉《中国旅游报》：“漠河旅游从1981年开始开发，虽然有三十几年的历史，但受制于交通问题，一直是个很平静、没有大量游客涌入的状态。”

Mohe has a long history, profound cultural heritage, and Mohe Ballroom has touched the hearts of millions of people.

漠河历史悠久，文化底蕴深厚，而《漠河舞厅》更是触动了百万人的心。

编辑：陈月华 周婵 商桢

记者：陈楠  周慧颖

录音：Stephanie Stone

实习生：李蕤 申乐

报告：美国是全球塑料垃圾最大来源国| “Deluge of Plastic Waste”: US is World’s Biggest Plastic Polluter

The US is the world’s biggest culprit in generating plastic waste and the country urgently needs a new strategy to curb the vast amount of plastic that ends up in the oceans, a new report submitted to the federal government has found.

据一份提交给美国联邦政府的新报告，美国是全世界塑料垃圾的最大来源国。报告认为，美国亟需制定新战略来遏制污染海洋的大量塑料垃圾。

The advent of cheap, versatile plastics has created “a global scale deluge of plastic waste seemingly everywhere we look”, the report states, with the US a leading contributor of disposable plastics that ends up entangling and choking marine life, harming ecosystems and bringing harmful pollution up through the food chain.

报告指出，廉价又用途广泛的塑料造成了“全球范围内随处可见塑料垃圾泛滥的景象”。其中，一次性塑料制品会缠绕海洋生物，导致其窒息，危害生态系统，在食物链中向上传播有害污染，而美国则是“贡献”一次性塑料制品最多的国家。

Plastic waste has increased sharply in the US since 1960, with the country now generating about 42m metric tons of plastic waste a year, amounting to about 130kg of waste for every person in America. This total is more than all European Union member countries combined. The overall amount of municipal waste created in the US is also two to eight times greater than comparable countries around the world, the report found.

从上世纪60年代起，美国的塑料垃圾开始急剧增加。现在美国每年大约会产生4200万公吨塑料垃圾，这意味着每个美国人平均一年产生130千克塑料垃圾。美国一年产生的塑料垃圾总量比所有欧盟国家的垃圾总和加起来还要多。报告发现，与其他体量相当的国家相比，美国产生的城市垃圾总量也要多出2到8倍。

Recycling infrastructure has failed to keep pace with the huge growth in American plastic production. Littering, dumping and inefficient waste disposal in landfills has caused up to 2.2m tons of plastic – including everything from plastic bottles and straws to packaging – to “leak” into the environment each year. The total waste may be even greater than this due to data gaps in tracking it.

美国回收基础设施的处理能力已经跟不上美国塑料垃圾增长的速度。乱丢垃圾、垃圾倾倒和垃圾填埋场对垃圾的低效处理每年导致包括塑料瓶、塑料吸管和塑料包装在内的220万吨塑料垃圾“泄露”到环境中。由于追踪数据存在漏洞，实际总量甚至可能比这个数字还要大。

Much of this plastic ends up, via rivers and streams, in the world’s oceans.

很多塑料垃圾最后都经由河流进入了世界各大海洋。

Worldwide, at least 8.8m tons of plastic waste enters the marine environment each year, the equivalent of dumping a garbage truck filled with plastic into the ocean every single minute. If current trends continue, scientists have estimated this total could leap to 53m tons annually by 2030, which is roughly half of the weight of all fish caught from the oceans globally each year.

在世界范围内，每年至少有880万吨塑料垃圾进入海洋环境，相当于每分钟就有一卡车的塑料垃圾倾倒进海洋。如果当前这种趋势持续下去，科学家预计到2030年每年塑料垃圾总量将达到5300万吨，这大约相当于全球每年从海洋捕捞的所有鱼类重量的一半。

"Plastic waste is an environmental and social crisis that the US needs to affirmatively address from source to sea,” said Margaret Spring, chief conservation and science officer at Monterey Bay Aquarium. Spring chaired a committee of experts who compiled the congressionally mandated report for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

蒙特利湾水族馆的首席环保科学官玛格丽特·斯普林表示：“塑料垃圾是美国需要积极处理的一个环境和社会危机，涉及从源头到海洋各环节。”斯普林是编撰这一国会授权报告的专家委员会领头人。该报告为美国国家科学、工程和医学研究院撰写。

The committee’s report recommends that a new national strategy is required by the end of next year to stem the flow of plastics into the ocean. The strategy, the report states, should aim to slash plastic production, particularly for plastics not reusable or recyclable, help promote alternative materials that can be reused and set better standards for waste collection and capture.

报告建议，美国明年年底前应出台一项新国家战略来阻止塑料垃圾流入海洋。报告指出，这一战略的目标应该是大量减少塑料生产，尤其是不可再利用或不可回收的塑料，推进可重复利用替代材料的研发和生产，并为垃圾收集和捕获制定更高标准。

The US, along with many other developed countries, used to outsource its waste problem by shipping plastics to China but these imports were halted by the Chinese in 2018. This has led to an increase in plastic waste sent to other countries, such as Vietnam and Thailand, as well as “recycled” plastic being burned in domestic landfills unable to cope with the sheer volume of waste.

过去，美国和许多其他发达国家一样将塑料垃圾运到中国，将垃圾问题外包，但中国从2018年开始停止进口“洋垃圾”。结果美国不得不将更多塑料垃圾运往越南、泰国等其他国家，或者将“已回收”塑料在无力处理海量垃圾的国内垃圾填埋场焚烧。

"There is an urgency to the issue because production is increasing, waste generation is increasing and therefore leakage impacts have the potential to increase too,” said Jenna Jambeck, a member of the scientific committee behind the report.

撰写报告的科学委员会成员詹娜·詹贝克表示：“这个问题亟待解决，因为塑料生产持续增加，产生的塑料垃圾也越来越多，垃圾泄露到环境中的影响也会因此加深。”

重点词汇：

culprit

英 [ˈkʌlprɪt]；美[ˈkʌlprɪt]  

n. 罪魁祸首；罪犯；肇事者；引起问题的事物

deluge

英 [ˈdeljuːdʒ]；美[ˈdeljuːdʒ]  

n. 暴雨；洪水；涌现的事物；蜂拥而至的事物

vt. 使涌来；使充满；泛滥；淹没

municipal

英 [mjuːˈnɪsɪpl]；美[mjuːˈnɪsɪpl]  

adj. 市政的；地方政府的

affirmatively

英[ə'fə:mə'tivli]；美[ə'fə:mə'tivli/]

adv. 肯定地；断然地

aquarium

英 [əˈkweəriəm]；美[əˈkweriəm]  

n. 养鱼缸；水族玻璃槽；水族馆

社评：默克尔离任，中德友好是政治遗产｜Merkel Leaves Positive Legacy

‍With Olaf Scholz becoming the new chancellor of Germany on Wednesday, the curtain falls on the leadership of Angela Merkel, who has been at the helm of the country for 16 years, serving four consecutive terms.

12月9日，奥拉夫·朔尔茨当选德国总理，安格拉·默克尔的执政生涯正式落幕。默克尔四次连任德国总理，已掌舵德国16年。

What she did for the country and beyond during her chancellorship will be long remembered, especially the exemplary role she played during the difficult times of the global financial crisis, Europe's sovereign debt crisis and the 2015-16 influx of refugees to Europe.

世人将长久铭记默克尔在担任总理期间为全世界做的一切。在全球金融危机、欧洲主权债务危机以及2015至2016年欧洲难民潮等艰难时期，她均发挥了模范作用。

European Council President Charles Michel was certainly forthcoming in his praise for her contributions when he told Merkel, "you are a monument", at her final European Union summit in Brussels in October, saying a summit without her would be like "Rome without the Vatican or Paris without the Eiffel Tower". Indeed, Merkel has gained many labels throughout the years including "a compromise machine", "a crisis manager" and "the world's most powerful woman". All of them pay tribute to her forceful character.

今年10月，默克尔于布鲁塞尔出席她总理生涯中最后一场欧盟峰会。当时，欧洲理事会主席夏尔·米歇尔（Charles Michel）盛赞默克尔：“你是一座丰碑”，并表示峰会没有默克尔，就像是“罗马拿掉梵蒂冈，巴黎失去埃菲尔铁塔”。事实上，执政多年的默克尔获得了许多荣誉称号，包括“和解机器”、“危机管理者”和“世界上最有权势的女性”。人们称赞她为“铁娘子”。

In China, she will forever be called "an old friend of the Chinese people", for the contributions she made to promoting Sino-German and Sino-EU relations. "We will always keep the door open for you," President Xi Jinping told Merkel via video link in October. Never has any other contemporary Western leader attached so much importance to building a pragmatic partnership with China than Merkel. She visited the country 12 times during her tenure, leaving her footprint in almost all the major cities and regions of China. Merkel also co-chaired all the six rounds of intergovernmental consultations initiated in 2011 to expand and strengthen cooperation between China and Germany; talks that also covered thorny issues such as the rule of law and human rights, on which the two sides have their differences.

默克尔为改善中德关系和中欧关系作出了许多贡献，她永远被视为“中国人民的老朋友”。今年10月国家主席习近平同默克尔举行视频会晤。其间，习近平对默克尔表示：“中国的大门随时向你敞开”。现代西方领导人从未有谁像默克尔那样重视与中国建立务实伙伴关系。在任期内，她曾12次访问中国，足迹遍及中国几乎所有主要城市和地区。默克尔还参与主持了六轮中德政府磋商。该磋商于2011年启动，旨在扩大和加强两国合作，并主持多次会谈，涉及诸如法治和人权等双方存在分歧的棘手问题。

Her commitment to engagement was based on her realization that China is playing an irreplaceable role in economic globalization and other major international affairs. "We will neither be able to cope with climate change nor solve WTO (World Trade Organization) issues or other global issues without or against China," she rightly said.

默克尔认识到，中国在经济全球化和其他重大国际事务中发挥着不可替代的作用。因此，她致力于促进中德关系。默克尔表示：我们要想应对气候变化、解决世贸组织等全球性问题，就不能“撇开中国或是和中国对抗”。

And she pushed hard for the signing of the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment in December last year because she appreciated that China is indispensable as an economic partner to Germany and Europe, even though the agreement, unfortunately, was later frozen by the European Parliament.

默克尔深知中国是德国和欧洲不可或缺的经济伙伴。她曾大力推动于去年12月签署的中欧全面投资协议，尽管后来该协议不幸被欧洲议会冻结。

Yet even after being constantly criticized over her "soft approach" to China, Merkel insisted that Germany, and more broadly the EU, should continue to cooperate with China. "Total decoupling wouldn't be right in my view, it would be damaging for us," she said.

默克尔因其对中国的“温和方式”不断受到批评，但她仍坚持认为德国和欧盟应该继续与中国合作。默克尔强调：“和中国完全脱钩是不对的，这会对我们造成损害。”

Now that a new German government is in office and Sino-German relations are set to enter a new chapter, there are reasons for optimism so long as Merkel's legacy is inherited.

如今，德国新政府上台，中德关系进入新篇章。愿默克尔留下的政治遗产能得到传承。

重点词汇：

helm

英 [helm]；美[helm]  

n. 舵柄；舵轮

vt. 指挥；给…掌舵；给…戴上头盔

exemplary

英 [ɪɡˈzempləri]；美[ɪɡˈzempləri]  

adj. 模范的；典范的；严厉的；儆戒性的；惩戒性的

tenure

英 [ˈtenjə(r)]；美[ˈtenjər]  

n. 任期；（尤指重要政治职务的）任职；（尤指大学教师的）终身职位；长期聘用；（房地产的）保有权；保有期

thorny

英 [ˈθɔːni]；美[ˈθɔːrni]  

adj. 多刺的；棘手的；麻烦的；引起争议的；有刺的

decouple

英 [diːˈkʌpl]；美[diːˈkʌpl]  

vt.（使两事物）分离，隔断

疫情反复压力大韩国人只想找个地方“发呆”| “Hitting mung”: In stressed-out South Korea, people are paying to stare at clouds and trees

Tucked away in a side street near an urban park named Seoul Forest is a tea shop that barely seats 10. Here, you can’t talk. Your phone must be on silent. No shoes allowed.

首尔森林城市公园附近的一条小巷中有一家茶馆，里面只能容纳10个人。在这里，不能讲话，手机必须静音，不能穿鞋进去。

The rules have one aim. Relax. Just space out.

这些规则都有一个目标：放松，让自己放空。

As South Koreans enter the living-with-corona phase of the pandemic, some are easing back into social life by visiting public spaces where they can be alone and do very little. Nothing is the new something in South Korea as people desperately seek refuge from the pressures of living as functioning adults in a global pandemic in a high-stress and fast-paced society with soaring real estate prices and often-grueling work schedules.

随着韩国进入和新冠共存的疫情新阶段，有些人开始逐渐回归社交生活，到一些可以独处的公共场所去，然后几乎什么也不做。在全球疫情冲击下，身处于快节奏的高压社会中，面对飙升的房价、繁重的工作，拼命想逃离生活压力的韩国成年人不再热衷于追求那些新鲜事物。

At a Space Out Competition this year, competitors sought to achieve the lowest heart rate possible while sitting in a “healing forest” on the southern island of Jeju.

在今年的放空比赛中，参赛者坐在南部济州岛的“治愈森林”中，试图让自己的心率降到最低。

And the concept is seeping out into a handful of public spaces in South Korea. This month, theaters throughout the country premiered a movie simulating a 40-minute plane ride above and through clouds. Tickets for “Flight,” a project backed by Megabox, a major movie theater company, are just under $6. A tagline reads: “Take a brief rest through the fluffy clouds.”

放空的理念也渗透进韩国的多个公共空间。本月韩国各地的影院首映了电影《飞行》，该片模拟乘坐飞机在云上和云中飞行40分钟的感受。大型影院公司Megabox出资拍摄的这部电影票价不到6美元（约合人民币38元）。宣传语是“在松软的云朵中小憩一下吧”。

It’s a sequel to a movie released this spring, “Fire Mung”: 31 minutes of footage of a burning campfire.

《飞行》是今春上映的《看火放空》的续集，《看火放空》就是31分钟的篝火燃烧视频。

Spacing out is known in Korean as “hitting mung,” a slang usage of the word “mung” to describe a state of being totally zoned out. (In this case, “mung” describes a state of blankness.) With the weather change this fall, now popular are the terms “forest mung” and “foliage mung,” meaning spacing out while looking at trees or foliage. There’s “fire mung,” or spacing out while watching logs burn, and “water mung,” being meditative near bodies of water.

放空在韩语中的表达是“hitting mung”，用mung这个词来形容出神的状态，表示大脑一片空白。入秋变天后，最流行的词语是forest mung（森林放空）和foliage mung（树叶放空），意思是看着树或树叶发呆。类似的还有fire mung（火边放空）和water mung（水边放空）。

Cafes like Green Lab, the shop near Seoul Forest, have been featured in local media reports and have enjoyed a steady stream of visitors throughout the pandemic by offering spaces to heal and “hit mung.” Over tea, customers can read, write poetry, meditate or simply stare out at the trees.

首尔森林附近这家提供放空和治愈空间的茶馆Green Lab已经被当地多家媒体报道，在疫情期间一直客流不断。顾客可以在这里喝茶、阅读、写诗、冥想或看着树发呆。

On a recent weekday afternoon, Jung Jae-hwan, 38, took a group of colleagues to the shop. As the head of a skin-care brand, Hyggee, Jung said he had been looking for ways to find peace as he hustles in an intensely competitive business world. He has tried Pilates and yoga but wanted to find a place that would require him to do nothing — and ended up at Green Lab.

在不久前一个工作日的下午，38岁的郑在奂带一群同事去了这家茶馆。作为护肤品牌休给的负责人，郑在奂表示，在竞争激烈的商界中奋力前行的他一直在寻找让自己平静下来的方式。他试过了普拉提和瑜伽，但是他想要的是一个什么事都不用做的地方，于是他找到了Green Lab茶馆。

"I wanted to be able to press the stop button and take a moment for myself, but I feel like I constantly have to do something,” he said.

　　他说：“我想按下暂停键，让自己有片刻喘息的时间，但是我觉得自己总是有事要做。”

"In this space, the rule is that I must do nothing,” he said. “It made space in my brain. I even read a book, enjoyed the smell of diffusers, looked at flowers, wrote poetry. I started getting new ideas, one by one, and I felt so refreshed.”

他说：“在这个空间里，规则就是我什么事都不能做。它能让我的大脑放空。我甚至看了一本书，闻了喷雾器散发出的气味，赏了花，还写了诗。我的脑子里开始涌现出新想法，一个接一个，我感觉神清气爽。”

One of his colleagues, Ahn Areum, said she had heard of the Space Out Competition but didn’t know places such as Green Lab existed. She was eager to check it out and said she had been looking for ways to cope with her pandemic anxieties and daily stresses.

他的同事安雅琳表示她听说过放空比赛，但是不知道还有Green Lab这种地方。她迫不及待地想体验一番，并坦言自己一直在想办法应对自己的疫情焦虑和日常压力。

"I’ve been so tired, and I don’t even have time to space out. After work, I go home, and I have to do housework, and then I barely have 30 minutes to an hour before I need to sleep. I spend that time on my phone. So with a space like this, I can actually focus on taking a break,” said Ahn, 32.

32岁的安雅琳说：“我一直觉得好累，我甚至没有放空的时间。下班后回家我要做家务，一直忙到快睡觉，睡前能腾出半小时到一小时的时间给自己就不错了。这点时间我会刷刷手机。所以在这样的空间里，我终于可以专心地休息了。”

Similar spaces have opened in other parts of the country.

韩国其他地方也开设了类似的空间。

At a Jeju cafe named Goyose, the upstairs area is designated by reservation for people to spend time alone. The cafe provides stationery so that you can write letters to yourself over coffee and dessert.

济州岛有一家名为Goyose的咖啡厅，楼上是专门供顾客独处的。咖啡厅提供文具，你可以在喝咖啡吃甜点的时候写信给自己。

On Ganghwa Island, off South Korea’s west coast, a cafe named Mung Hit also offers no-activity relaxation areas. In one section is a single chair facing a mirror for anyone who wants to sit and stare. There are nooks for meditating, reading, sitting by a pond or the garden, or enjoying mountain views. No pets or children are allowed.

在临近韩国西海岸的江华岛上，有一家名为Mung Hit的咖啡厅也提供“不活动”放松区。在咖啡厅的一角是一把面对镜子的椅子，你可以坐在椅子上看镜子中的自己。咖啡厅内、池塘边或花园里有供你冥想、阅读、欣赏山景的角落。宠物和小孩不许入内。

Ta Jung Kim, 32, found the cafe online and recently visited it to get away from the city. There were other visitors, but she found enough nooks to be alone with minimum contact with others and to clear her head.

32岁的金大贞从网上发现了这家咖啡厅，最近她为了逃离城市生活拜访了这家店。店里有其他顾客，但是有足够的角落让她可以独处并尽量减少和别人的接触，让她可以理清头脑。

"As I sat there, secluded and relaxed, taking in the view and drinking coffee, I couldn’t help but space out,” she said. “I felt so comforted, and I felt like my heart opened up. The busy thoughts in my head disappeared, and I came back with a more positive outlook.”

她说：“当我坐在那个隐蔽角落，放松地欣赏景色、喝咖啡时，我不由自主地出神了。我觉得自己得到了很大安慰，感觉自己的心打开了。我脑中充斥的乱七八糟的想法消失了，回来后我的心态也变得积极了。”

重点词汇：

tuck

英 [tʌk]；美[tʌk]  

vt. 卷起；（把衣服、纸张等的边缘）塞进；折叠；把…塞进狭窄的空间；把…藏入；收藏；用…盖住/围紧/裹严

n. （衣服或织物的）褶；去赘皮手术；减肥手术；零食（尤指儿童在学校吃的糖果等）

grueling

美 [ˈɡru(ə)lɪŋ]；英 [ˈɡruːəlɪŋ]

adj. 累人的；紧张的，激烈的；使极度疲劳的

premiere

英 [ˈpremieə(r)]；美[prɪˈmɪr]  

n.（电影、戏剧的）首次公演，首映

v. 首次公演（戏剧、音乐、电影）

adj. 首位的；首次的

meditate

英 [ˈmedɪteɪt]；美[ˈmedɪteɪt]  

v. 冥想；沉思；暗自策划；考虑；谋划

nook

英 [nʊk]；美[nʊk]  

n. 僻静处；幽静的角落

社评：美“外交抵制”北京冬奥是荒谬闹剧｜Boycott of Beijing GamesAbsurd

The Olympics are grand gatherings of global athletes and fans. The Beijing Winter Olympics are no exception. Yet some countries are trying to turn the event into a political publicity stunt.

北京冬奥会是全球冬奥会运动员和冰雪运动爱好者的盛会，而个别国家却想将国际舞台变为搞政治操弄的秀场。

It is perfidious of Washington to declare a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games while professing to want improved relations with Beijing. The announcement on Monday only reinforces how supercilious US politicians are. The boycott is nothing but a grand gesture that indulges their pompous belief that being American they have carte blanche to calumniate other countries.

美国政府一边声称希望改善中美关系，一边又宣布外交抵制北京冬奥会，如此作为自相矛盾，背信弃义。美方12月6日宣布的消息只会让美国政客的傲慢嘴脸欲盖弥彰。所谓“抵制”只不过是一场“闹剧”，是对美方自以为是信念的纵容——纵容美国人坚信他们有权诽谤其他国家。

To politicize the world sports event with a view to portraying the United States as the "guardian of human rights" is risible. The whole world knows that human rights are a movable feast for Washington. They are nothing but an easy label Washington pins on any political maneuver that ignores the US' self-proclaimed right to pursue its own agenda. There is no need and it is harmful in many ways to politicize an international sports event such as the Olympic Games.

美国想将世界体育赛事政治化，当上“人权卫士”，如此做法不免令人齿冷。全世界都知道，“人权”对美国政府来说是个“任人打扮”的噱头，是美方肆意张贴在任何政治策略上的简单标签。但凡任何事件无视了美方自诩的权力，侵扰了美国的优先事项，就会被打上“侵犯人权”的标签。将奥运会等国际体育赛事政治化没有必要，且百害无一利。

Yet for the Joe Biden administration, it is an opportunity that is too good to miss. It is a prime occasion for badmouthing China. A diplomatic boycott gives a veneer of substance to its fabricated allegations of human rights abuses by China. By distorting China's success in cracking down on terrorism in its Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region as "genocide" and an "abuse of human rights", the US is doing a disservice to the global war against terrorism.

然而，对于美国政府来说，这是一个不容错过的好机会，一个诋毁中国的最佳时机。“外交抵制”实则是美方为捏造“中国侵害人权”的假象，戴上了一顶冠冕堂皇的帽子。美方将中国在新疆打击恐怖主义的工作歪曲为“种族灭绝”和“侵犯人权”是对全球反恐战争的不敬。

By ignoring what China has achieved in improving the livelihoods of people of different ethnic groups in Xinjiang, the US is denying the progress of human rights in the region. The diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games simply reinforces the fact that Washington is not qualified to talk about human rights.

美方无视了中国在改善新疆各族人民生活方面取得的成就，否认了新疆地区人权的进步。对北京冬奥会的外交抵制只会愈发证明美国没有资格谈论人权。

The US should look in the mirror before talking about human rights elsewhere. Gun violence that claims thousands of innocent lives a year, racism and the ever widening wealth gap, have made the human rights situation deplorable in the United States. Turning a blind eye to their own country's human rights conditions, US politicians take it for granted that they have the moral high ground to point an accusing finger at others when it comes to human rights. But from the perspective of others their words are just base hypocrisy.

美国在他国面前大放厥词前，应该自己先照照镜子。每年夺走数千无辜生命的枪支暴力、种族主义和日益扩大的贫富差距，使美国的人权状况颇为不堪。美国政界人士对本国的人权问题视而不见，还理所当然地站在道德制高点去指责他国的“人权问题”。从外界看，美国政客的言论卑鄙伪善。

Consider the wars the US has launched in the past couple of decades, to say nothing of the color revolutions it has supported. None of the wars, its invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq included, has brought peace and democracy to local residents. Instead, these wars and the color revolutions it has instigated have only plunged people in these countries into misery and poverty.

想想美国在过去几十年里发动的战争，还有那些美方支持的“颜色革命”，所有的战争，包括对阿富汗和伊拉克的入侵，哪项行动给当地居民带来了和平与民主？相反，这些战争及美方煽动的“颜色革命”只会让这些国家的人民陷入苦难和贫困。

A senseless boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics will only worsen bilateral relations, which will cast a shadow on the recovery of the global economy. That points to the inconvenient truth that Washington has become a hindrance to global governance and development.

抵制北京冬奥会毫无意义，只会恶化双边关系，给全球经济复苏蒙上阴影。美方对北京冬奥会的“外交抵制”揭示了一个令人不安的事实：美国政府已经成为全球治理和发展的障碍。

重点词汇：

perfidious

英 [pəˈfɪdiəs]；美[pərˈfɪdiəs]  

adj. 背信弃义的；不忠的；不可信任的

supercilious

英 [ˌsuːpəˈsɪliəs]；美[ˌsuːpərˈsɪliəs]  

adj. 傲慢的；高傲的

carte blanche

英 [ˌkɑːt ˈblɑːnʃ]；美[ˌkɑːrt ˈblɑːnʃ]  

n. 全权委托,署名空白纸（任人填写条件等）

veneer

英 [vəˈnɪə(r)]；美[vəˈnɪr]  

n. 虚饰；饰面薄板，薄片镶饰（尤用于家具上）；虚假的外表

vt. （用薄片镶饰等）饰面，覆盖

disservice

英 [dɪsˈsɜːvɪs]；美[dɪsˈsɜːrvɪs]  

n. 损害；伤害；危害

instigate

英 [ˈɪnstɪɡeɪt]；美[ˈɪnstɪɡeɪt]  

vt. 使（正式）开始；使发生；煽动；唆使；鼓动

冬天多久洗一次澡合适？网友：原来这些年都错了……︱How often should we take a bath in winter?

The outermost layer of human skin is the stratum corneum, on top of which there is an acid sebaceous film. The fatty acids, urea, uric acid and lactate in the sebaceous film protect and hydrate the skin.

人体皮肤最外层是角质层，上面有一层酸性皮脂膜，皮脂膜中的脂肪酸、尿素、尿酸、乳酸盐对皮肤有着保护和滋润作用。

For young people, it is advisable to take a bath once every 2-3 days in winter, and the elderly as well as infants are recommended to take a bath every 3-5 days. Use cleaning products with harsh chemicals as little as possible.

对于年轻人来说，冬天2-3天洗一次澡为宜，老人和婴幼儿建议3-5天洗一次，尽量少用清洁产品，用清水洗澡即可。

Dr. Rajani Katta, professor of dermatology at Baylor, recommended patting the skin partially dry, then using moisturizer cream while skin is still damp after a shower.

贝勒医学院皮肤病学教授拉贾尼·卡塔（Rajani Katta）建议淋浴后在擦干身体之前可以先用手轻轻地把皮肤拍干，然后使用润肤乳进行保湿。

Taking a bath in the morning can be refreshing, helping you feel more alert at work. By contrast, a warm bath before going to bed can remove the dirt from the surface of the skin, accelerate blood circulation, relax the muscles of the whole body, eliminate fatigue, and improve sleep quality.

早上洗澡会使头脑清醒，元气满满地进入工作状态。而晚上睡觉前来一个温水浴，在清除皮肤表面污垢的同时，还能加快血液循环，使全身肌肉放松，消除疲劳、改善睡眠。

During a shower, what we wash away is mainly metabolites of human skin, including cells, sebum, and sweat, as well as external microorganisms on the body surface and cosmetics residue.

在洗澡的时候，经常会搓出一些灰白色的细长泥状物。这些物质主要是人体皮肤自然产生的代谢产物，包括正常代谢脱落的细胞、皮脂、汗液等，也包括一些体表外来的微生物、化妆品残留等。

When taking a bath in winter, it is recommended to turn on the bathroom exhaust fan to improve circulation, and leave the door ajar so that you can be reached quickly if an accident occurs.

冬季洗澡时，尽量不要锁住浴室的门窗，建议打开浴室排风扇或者把门留个缝隙，以防出事时无法及时施救。

Derrick Phillips, consultant dermatologist at the Cadogan Clinic in London, recommends being very gentle in the shower. Avoid products with fragrances and always use a gentle emollient like cream or lotion afterward to help restore oils in the skin and avoid irritation.

英国伦敦卡多根诊所的皮肤科顾问德里克·菲利普斯医生建议，洗澡的时候动作要轻柔，避免使用香味太重的产品，然后使用乳霜或乳液等温和的润肤剂，帮助恢复皮肤的油脂，避免刺激皮肤。

"Washing strips natural oils from the upper layer of the skin, leading to drying and irritation" Phillips says. "This can be particularly problematic in those with eczema who have naturally dry skin."

德里克介绍称：“搓澡会搓走表层皮肤的天然油脂，导致皮肤干燥和刺激，这对那些患有湿疹以及皮肤本来就干燥的人来说尤其成问题。”

Dr. Rajani Katta, recommends showering with lukewarm water for no more than 10 to 15 minutes during wintery months.

拉贾尼·卡塔建议，在冬季，用温水洗澡的时间不要超过10-15分钟。

A hot steamy bath might feel good during the winter months but it could leave your skin desperate for moisture. Doctors at Baylor College of Medicine say the higher temperatures at bath time increase dry skin, which could have long-term damaging effects.

贝勒医学院研究表明，在冬天洗个热水澡可能会让人觉得神清气爽，但它会让皮肤变得更加干燥。洗澡时的水温过高会加剧皮肤干燥，由此产生的损害可能会持续很长一段时间。

"Even though long hot showers feel soothing to the skin during cold weather, it is actually hard on the skin," she said. "The high water temperature and the evaporation of water off the skin once out of the shower, causes the skin to become drier."

拉贾尼·卡塔解释说：“在寒冷的天气里长时间的热水淋浴可以舒缓皮肤，但这实际上对皮肤不好。洗澡的时候水温很高，皮肤上的水分会蒸发，一旦结束淋浴，皮肤会变得更干燥。”

"Generous application of an emollient rich in ceramides immediately after washing will help to restore the natural oils and repair the skin barrier," adds Phillips.

“洗完澡后涂上富含神经酰胺的润肤乳，有助于恢复天然油脂，修复皮肤屏障。”德里克·菲利普斯补充道。

Note:

► Bathe daily if it works for your lifestyle and body type；

出于个人生活方式需要或者体型需要，可以每天洗澡；

► Bathe every other day if you're concerned about saving water or a skin condition；

需要节约用水或者皮肤状况不允许每天洗澡的话，每隔一天洗一次澡；

► Spot cleaning is better than nothing if you can't shower daily；

如果不能天天洗澡的话，局部清洗总比不清洗好；

► Avoid products that are overly drying；

避免使用过于干燥的清洁产品；

► Avoid using scrubs or exfoliation techniques more than once a week；

使用磨砂工具或去角质工具一周不超过一次；

► Use body moisturizers and lotions after every shower or bath.

每次沐浴后使用润肤霜和乳液进行保湿。

中央定调2022年中国经济| CPC Leadership Sets Tone for Economic Policy

China will strive to stabilize the fundamentals of its macro economy next year, with steps to make its fiscal policies more efficient, targeted and sustainable and promote the steady recovery of consumer spending, the core leadership of the Communist Party of China said on Monday.

中央政府12月6日表示，明年经济工作要稳字当头、稳中求进，积极的财政政策要提升效能，更加注重精准、可持续，促进消费持续恢复。

The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee set the tone for the nation's economic policies next year, highlighting stability as the top priority and the need to continue to implement a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy.

中共中央政治局会议对2022年中国经济怎么干进行了定调，强调“稳字当头”，继续实施积极的财政政策和稳健的货币政策。

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.

中共中央总书记习近平主持会议。

The nation will expedite steps to foster a new development paradigm, deepen reform and opening-up across the board, coordinate efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and sustain socioeconomic growth and maintain its major economic indicators within a proper range, policymakers said.

会议要求，国家将加快构建新发展格局，全面深化改革开放，统筹疫情防控和经济社会发展，保持经济运行在合理区间。

The nation must ensure that its macro policies are prudent and effective, with monetary policy being flexible and appropriate in terms of maintaining liquidity at a reasonable and adequate level, they said.

会议强调，国家必须确保宏观政策稳健有效，货币政策要灵活适度，保持流动性合理充裕。

The meeting reiterated the importance of carrying out the strategy of boosting domestic demand, including measures to proactively expand effective investment.

会议重申了实施好扩大内需战略的重要性，包括积极扩大有效投资的措施。

Priority must be given to energizing market players, and greater emphasis must be placed on the protection of intellectual property rights, they said, adding that the nation must continue to lift the core competitiveness of the manufacturing sector and enhance the resilience of supply chains.

会议表示，必须优先考虑激发市场主体活力，强化知识产权保护，着力提升制造业核心竞争力，增强供应链韧性。

As for the real estate sector, the policymakers pledged to move forward with the development of affordable housing projects in a bid to enable the sector to meet reasonable demand from homebuyers.

住房方面，会议承诺，要推进保障性住房建设，支持商品房市场更好满足购房者的合理住房需求。

China will continue to focus on breakthroughs in core technologies, strengthen its national strategic force in science and technology, bolster the principal role of businesses in conducting innovation and facilitate a favorable relationship between science and technology, industries and the financial sector, according to the meeting.

会议强调，要继续抓好关键核心技术攻关，强化国家战略科技力量，强化企业创新主体地位，实现科技、产业、金融良性循环。

In moving forward with reform and opening-up, the nation must effectively push forward major regional strategies and strategies for coordinated regional development, pilot reforms to promote the market-based allocation of productive forces and expand opening-up at a higher level.

改革开放政策要有效推进区域重大战略和区域协调发展战略，抓好要素市场化配置综合改革试点，扩大高水平对外开放。

The policymakers underscored that China's social policies must ensure that the basic living needs of the public are met, adding that the employment-first policy and the new third-child policy must be fully carried out.

会议强调，社会政策要兜住民生底线，落实好就业优先政策，推动新的生育政策落地见效。

The nation will continue to work toward the unified national management of pension funds and improve the mechanism under which residents obtain public services based on where they actually live, they said.

会议表示，国家要推进基本养老保险全国统筹，健全常住地提供基本公共服务制度。

The meeting's participants called for sound and targeted measures to contain and prevent COVID-19 outbreaks, saying that the supply of coal, electricity, oil and gas must be guaranteed to meet the public's demand for heating in the winter.

会议指出，要科学精准扎实做好疫情防控工作，统筹安排煤电油气运保障供应，确保老百姓温暖过冬。 

It is important to conduct sound preparatory work for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics to ensure that the nation will host streamlined, safe and splendid Olympic Games, they said.

会议表示，要做好北京冬奥会、冬残奥会筹办工作，确保办成一届简约、安全、精彩的奥运盛会。

The Political Bureau meeting was held days after the CPC Central Committee convened a symposium with non-CPC members to solicit their opinions on economic policies.

政治局会议召开前几日，中共中央召开非中共党员座谈会，征求对中国2022年经济政策的意见。

While presiding over the symposium, Xi stressed that the upcoming 20th National Congress of the CPC next year would be a major event in the political life of the Party and State.

中共中央总书记习近平主持座谈会并发表重要讲话强调，明年将召开中共二十大，这是党和国家政治生活中的一件大事。

He highlighted the complex situation facing the Chinese and global economies, and called for efforts to act on the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability and faithfully, accurately and comprehensively carrying out a new development philosophy.

习近平强调当前国际国内形势纷繁复杂，要坚持稳中求进工作总基调，完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念。

重点词汇：

fiscal

英[ˈfɪskl]；美[ˈfɪskl]  

n. 财政；财政年度；会计年度；财政部长；（苏格兰等的）检察官；（西班牙及葡萄牙的）检察长；印花税票

adj. 财政的；国库的；国家岁入的

proactive

英[ˌprəʊˈæktɪv]；美[ˌproʊˈæktɪv]  

adj. 积极主动的；主动出击的；先发制人的

prudent

英[ˈpruːdnt]；美[ˈpruːdnt]  

adj. 谨慎的；慎重的；精明的

expedite

英[ˈekspədaɪt]；美[ˈekspədaɪt]  

vt. 加快；加速

adj. 没有阻碍的；迅速的；便当的

bolster

英[ˈbəʊlstə(r)]；美[ˈboʊlstər]  

n. 靠垫；垫枕（长而厚）

vt. 加强；改善

pension

英[ˈpenʃn , ˈpɒ̃sjɒ̃]；美[ˈpenʃn , pɑːnsiˈoʊn]  

n. 退休金；养老金；抚恤金

v. 发给…养老金（退休金）

n. （欧洲，尤指法国的）廉价小旅店

口罩戴前必须“甩一甩”？专家解读来了︱Questions about mask sterilization

最近，一则“口罩残留致癌物，戴前要甩一甩”的短视频引发广泛关注。所以，口罩生产过程有什么问题？又是否需要引起我们重视呢？

A video, claiming the sterilization processes of masks leave carcinogens on the products, has raised concerns among the general public this week. So, what exactly does happen during mask production? Is it really a cause for concern?

1. What is used to sterilize masks?

1、口罩消毒灭菌的方法都有哪些？

Medical masks are sterilized in a variety of ways including with steam, radiation, ethylene oxide and other methods.

医用口罩的消毒方法很多，包括蒸汽熏蒸、辐照灭菌、环氧乙烷消毒等。

Most of the medical and N95 masks available on the market are sterilized by ethylene oxide (EtO). It is an important sterilization method that manufacturers widely use to keep medical devices safe.

市面上出售的医用外科口罩、N95口罩大部分经过环氧乙烷消毒。环氧乙烷消毒法，是口罩产商为确保医疗器械的安全而广泛使用的灭菌方法。

2. Can ethylene oxide residue on masks cause immediate/acute health effects?

2、经环氧乙烷消毒的口罩会对佩戴者健康造成伤害吗？

Only long-term and occupational exposure to EtO has been linked to cancer in research studies.

研究表明，因职业原因，长期接触环氧乙烷才可能致癌。

For major manufacturers that follow production standards and guidelines, the level of residual EtO left on a mask after it has undergone EtO sterilization is within safe limits.

多数口罩产商均遵循产品生产标准，口罩中环氧乙烷残留量符合国家安全标准。

3. How long does ethylene oxide remain in the body?

3、环氧乙烷会在人体内停留多长时间？

EtO is eliminated from the body fairly quickly – with levels dropping by about 50 percent every 42 minutes. At that rate, almost 90 percent of EtO would be gone from the body after two hours.

环氧乙烷在人体内的代谢速度极快，平均每42分钟含量下降50%左右。以此速度计算，两小时后，近90%的环氧乙烷都会被排出体外。

4. Is it necessary to shake a mask before wearing it?

4、佩戴口罩前，有没有必要先“抖一抖口罩”呢？

It is not necessary to shake a mask before wearing it.

没有必要。

Shaking the masks or drying them under the sun before using them is a personal choice. These actions generally do not hinder the protective effect of the mask.

使用前“抖一抖”、“晾一晾”均是个人选择，一般情况下并不妨碍口罩的防护效果。

Medical staffers do not shake their masks because a mask is sterile when taken out of the package. Deliberately shaking and exposing it in the air can cause unintended contamination in places such as hospitals.

医护人员在佩戴口罩前也不会“抖一抖”口罩。口罩刚从包装里拿出来时处于无菌状态。在特定环境，比如医院里，刻意去“抖一抖”，“晾一晾”，反而会污染口罩。

5. Can masks made by smaller manufacturers meet ethylene oxide level safety standards?

5、“小作坊产品”的环氧乙烷残留是否会超标呢？

The costs of EtO sterilization devices are high, so smaller manufacturers generally use other methods of sterilization.

环氧乙烷消毒装置成本较高，因此规模较小的产家通常采取其他方法消毒。

For poorly-made masks, the hygiene of the product poses more health concerns than the level of EtO it may contain.

对于劣质口罩，比起环氧乙烷残留度超标，更值得大家注意的是口罩的卫生情况不好，造成其他健康问题。

6. What is the scientific recommendation for mask-wearing?

6、如何科学佩戴口罩呢？

- People not in a high-risk environment such as in direct contact with respiratory disease patients don't generally need to wear N95 masks.

- 如不处在与呼吸道疾病病人直接接触等高风险环境时，不建议佩戴N95口罩。

- In places where the virus may be present, such as hospitals, closed rooms, and medium risk areas, wearing a medical mask is necessary.

- 在病毒可能出没的地方，如医院、密闭的室内、中风险地区，戴医用外科口罩即可。

- It is recommended to change masks daily.

- 口罩更换频次，建议保持一天一换。

- When not wearing a mask, people can hang the mask up or help preserve it using a clean paper towel.

- 中途需要摘下时，可以把口罩挂起来，或找张干净的纸巾把口罩包起来。

- For the prevention of respiratory and digestive diseases, wearing masks alone is not enough. People must pay attention to hand hygiene and wash their hands frequently.

- 对于呼吸道、消化道疾病的预防，仅配戴口罩还不够。注意手部卫生，勤洗手也是一道重要防线。

sterilize

英 [ˈsterəlaɪz]；美[ˈsterəlaɪz]  

vt. 灭菌；消毒；绝育

派生 sterilization

英 [ˌsterəlaɪ'zeɪʃ(ə)n]；美 [ˌsterəlaɪ'zeɪʃ(ə)n]

n. 灭菌；消毒；绝育

carcinogen

英 [kɑːˈsɪnədʒən]；美[kɑːrˈsɪnədʒən]  

n. 致癌物

residue

英 [ˈrezɪdjuː]；美[ˈrezɪduː]  

n. 残留，残渣；剩余；遗产

contamination

英 [kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃn]；美[kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃn]  

n. 污染，玷污；污秽

respiratory

英 [rəˈspɪrətri]；美[ˈrespərətɔːri]  

adj. 有关呼吸的；呼吸道的

 In response to Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Le Yucheng's criticism that the so-called Summit for Democracy that the United States is hosting on the coming Thursday and Friday is intended to divide the world, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: "That's nothing we're going to apologize for."

2021年12月2日，外交部副部长乐玉成表示，将于12月9日至10日召开的所谓“民主峰会”是在加剧世界的混乱和分裂。白宫新闻秘书普萨基却回应称，美方不会为此道歉。

It would certainly come as a surprise if it did. The United States never apologizes for anything it does. Certainly not its destructive attempts to graft its "model of democracy" on countries by orchestrating coups or inciting "people's revolutions"; nor has it apologized for its disastrous invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

确实如此，要是美国道歉，情状反倒稀奇。美国从未对本国的任何行径表露丝毫歉意。策划政变，煽动“人民革命”，将本国所谓“民主”的大帽扣在别国头上，种种破坏他国的企图，美国没有道歉；入侵伊拉克，进军阿富汗，民众怨声载道，苦不堪言，美国也没有道歉。

Although US President Joe Biden said "Democracy doesn't happen by accident. We have to defend it, fight for it, strengthen it, renew it" — the catchphrase the US State Department has quoted to promote the summit — the US pursues democracy-by-design in countries where it wants a more amenable regime, either through color revolutions or the ushering in of a so-called Arab Spring.

美国国务院援引拜登总统的言论作峰会口号：“民主不是偶然发生的，必须予以捍卫，为民主奋斗，强化民主，革新民主。”即便如此，为了他国政权更为顺从、更易控制，美国刻意追求民主，要么搞“颜色革命”强行移植，要么引发又一场所谓的“阿拉伯之春”。

The US attributed the end of the Cold War to the victory of "US-style democracy", which prompted some to hail it as the end of history.

美国将冷战的结束视为“美式民主”的胜利。一部分人欢呼雀跃，彷佛“美式民主”就是时间的终点、历史的目标。

But not only has "American democracy" failed in other countries, it has failed at home. The US is wracked by socioeconomic issues, ranging from racism and the failure to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic to an ever-widening wealth gap and the damaging tug-of-war of partisan politics. The divisions in US society culminated in the storming of Capitol Hill in January this year by some wanting to overturn the US presidential election result, and they are evident in the disproportionate toll the pandemic is having on vulnerable populations in the US.

然而这种所谓的“民主”不仅在其他国家四处碰壁，甚至在美国也披靡败退。从一开始的种族主义抬头、新冠疫情控制不力，到如今贫富鸿沟扩大、多党间的恶性博弈，美国已然饱受社会经济问题的困扰。新冠疫情对美国弱势群体造成的极大伤害，便是美国社会分歧的明证；而年初美国国会大厦暴乱，不少民众渴求推翻美国总统选举结果，彼时美国社会已近乎撕裂。

The US is not in a position to set tests and standards on what is democracy for others, nor does it have the right to demand others emulate its model of democracy.

美国没有资格对其他国家的民主指手画脚，乱设标准，更无权要求其他国家效仿本国的民主模式。

As such, to hold a "Summit for Democracy" while Washington openly identifies China as its No 1 challenge and priority, the Biden administration is only taking democracy as an excuse to advance the new Cold War it is trying to start.

如此一来，召集“民主峰会”，公开视中国为首要威胁和优先要务，皆只是美方假借民主之名，暗里盘算发动新冷战的幌子罢了。

Rather than being respected and promoted, democracy is being humiliated by such a hegemony-driven event, as it seeks to divide the international community with ideological prejudice, and wind the clock back to an era that the world has been glad to say good riddance to.

民主非但没有受到尊重，得以发扬，反遭这类霸权驱使的事件亵渎而蒙羞。此次“民主峰会”亦是如此，想渲染意识形态偏见，分裂国际社会，开时代的倒车。

The Information Office of the State Council issued a white paper "China: Democracy that Works" on Saturday displaying China's confidence in its own democratic path and process. In stark contrast with the money-talks democracy of the US, China's socialist democracy with Chinese characteristics is a whole-process people's democracy. Integrating two major democratic models — electoral democracy and consultative democracy — it is a complete system with supporting mechanisms and procedures, and has been fully tested through wide participation.

12月4日，国务院新闻办发表《中国的民主》白皮书，处处彰显着对国内民主道路与进程的中国自信。中国特色社会主义民主是全过程人民民主，具有完整的制度程序和完整的参与实践，使选举民主和协商民主这两种重要民主形式更好结合起来，与美国的“金钱民主”形成鲜明对比。

Democracy is a right of people of all countries, not the preserve of a few. Whether a country is democratic or not should be judged by its people; and whether or not a country is democratic should be judged by the international community.

民主是各国人民的权利，不是少数国家的专利。一个国家是否民主，当事国的人民最有发言权；一个国家是否民主，国际社会都看在眼中。

US democracy has become demo-crazy. The US' attempts to hijack democracy for its own ends should be boycotted by the international community.

美国的“民主”已然变味，说是“民谵”也不为过。美国为谋取本国私利，假民主之名、行反民主之实，应受国际社会共同抵制。

amenable

英 [əˈmiːnəbl]；美[əˈmiːnəbl]  

adj. 易控制的；顺从的

hail

英 [heɪl]；美[heɪl]  

n. 冰雹 

v. 大声称颂；招手；跟…打招呼

disproportionate

英 [ˌdɪsprəˈpɔːʃənət]；美[ˌdɪsprəˈpɔːrʃənət]  

adj. 极为…的；不成比的

good riddance

英 [ɡʊd ˈrɪdns]；美[ɡʊd ˈrɪdns]  

（含愤怒、不耐烦等情绪）走好；总算摆脱了；终于结束了