West Africa was hit with a severe drought following a humid heat wave that drove temperatures to record levels in February. 西非遭受了严重的干旱，此前潮湿的热浪使2月份的气温达到了创纪录的水平。 
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group say the unusually hot weather was made ten times more likely because of the greenhouse gases humanity has been pumping into the atmosphere. 世界天气归因组织的科学家们表示，由于人类一直向大气中排放温室气体，因此导致出现异常炎热天气的可能性增加了十倍。 
Shortages of cocoa have helped drive prices to record highs, and since cocoa is the main ingredient in chocolate, you can expect the prices of people's favourite chocolate treat to rise in the coming months. 因供应短缺，可可豆价格创历史新高，由于可可豆是生产巧克力的主要原料，所以深受人们喜爱的巧克力的价格将在未来几个月上涨。 
Some big chocolate companies, including Cadbury and Lindt, have said they have already had to increase prices in response to the cocoa shortage. 包括吉百利和瑞士莲在内的一些大型巧克力品牌公司表示，为了应对可可豆短缺的情况，他们已经不得不提高巧克力的价格。
词汇表severe 严重的
drought 干旱
humid 潮湿的
heat wave 热浪
drove 推动了
record levels 创纪录的水平，历史最高水平
greenhouse gases 温室气体
pumping 排放，向…注入
shortages 短缺



第2162期:Climate change causes chocolate price increase

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One side of the planet probably always faces its star. Four other planets, all gas giants, are known to orbit the same star. The planet is found in our Milky Way galaxy, about 41 light-years from Earth. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, or 9.5 trillion kilometers. 行星的一侧可能总是面向其恒星。 已知还有另外四颗行星，都是气态巨行星，绕着同一颗恒星运行。 这颗行星位于我们的银河系中，距地球约 41 光年。 一光年是光一年传播的距离，即 9.5 万亿公里。 
The planet’s star is gravitationally tied to another star in the system. Having two stars in the same system is called a binary system. 该行星的恒星通过引力与系统中的另一颗恒星相连。 同一系统中有两颗恒星称为双星系统。 
The other star is a red dwarf, the smallest kind of an ordinary star. The distance between these two stars is 1,000 times the distance between Earth and the sun. Light from one star takes six days to reach the other star. 另一颗恒星是红矮星，是最小的普通恒星。 这两颗恒星之间的距离是地球与太阳之间距离的1000倍。 来自一颗恒星的光需要六天才能到达另一颗恒星。 
Although the rocky planet does appear to have an atmosphere, scientists say it probably should not even have one. Being so close to its star, any atmosphere should be taken away by the effects of the star. 尽管这颗岩石行星似乎确实有大气层，但科学家表示它可能根本不应该有大气层。 由于距离恒星如此之近，任何大气层都会受到恒星的影响而消失。 
But gases dissolved in the planet’s large ocean of molten rock may continue to fill up the atmosphere, Hu said. 但胡说，溶解在地球上巨大的熔岩海洋中的气体可能会继续充满大气层。 
“The planet cannot be habitable,” Hu added. That is because it is too hot to have liquid water, which is also considered necessary for life. “这个星球不适合居住，”胡补充道。 这是因为太热了，无法拥有液态水，而液态水也被认为是生命所必需的。 
Scientists have found other planets with an atmosphere outside our solar system. But they have all been gaseous planets, not rocky ones. 科学家们在太阳系之外发现了其他拥有大气层的行星。 但它们都是气态行星，而不是岩石行星。 
As the James Webb telescope pushes the limits of space exploration, the discovery of a rocky planet with an atmosphere is a sign of progress. 随着詹姆斯·韦伯望远镜突破了太空探索的极限，发现具有大气层的岩石行星是进步的标志。 
On Earth, the atmosphere warms the planet. It contains the oxygen people breathe and protects against the effects of the sun. It also creates the pressure needed for liquid water to remain on the planet’s surface. 在地球上，大气层使地球变暖。 它含有人们呼吸的氧气并防止阳光的影响。 它还产生液态水留在地球表面所需的压力。 
Brice-Olivier Demory is a scientist at Switzerland’s University of Bern’s Center for Space and Habitability. He helped write the new study. He said, “On Earth, atmosphere is key for life.” He added that the findings create hope that the Webb telescope may one day find cooler planets that could support liquid water on their surface. 布里斯-奥利维耶·德莫里 (Brice-Olivier Demory) 是瑞士伯尔尼大学空间与宜居中心的科学家。 他帮助撰写了这项新研究。 他说：“在地球上，大气是生命的关键。” 他补充说，这些发现带来了希望，韦伯望远镜有一天可能会发现能够在其表面支持液态水的较冷行星。 
“But,” he said, “we are not there yet.” “但是，”他说，“我们还没有到那一步。” 



第2197期:Astronomers Find Super-hot ‘Super-Earth’(2)

Astronomers have searched for years for rocky planets outside our solar system. They have finally found one with an atmosphere. 天文学家多年来一直在太阳系外寻找岩石行星。 他们终于找到了一个有气氛的人。
Scientists believe that a rocky planet with an atmosphere is key to sustaining life. But the planet that astronomers found offers no hope for life. Its surface is made up of molten rock. 科学家认为，具有大气层的岩石行星是维持生命的关键。 但天文学家发现的这颗行星没有生命存在的希望。 它的表面由熔岩组成。 
Researchers recently called the planet a “super-Earth.” It is a rocky world much larger than our planet but smaller than the gas giant in our solar system, Neptune. 研究人员最近称这颗行星为“超级地球”。 这是一个岩石世界，比我们的星球大得多，但比太阳系中的气态巨行星海王星小。 
The planet orbits extremely close to its star. The star is less bright and smaller than our own. 这颗行星的轨道非常靠近其恒星。 这颗恒星比我们的恒星更暗、更小。 
Observations using two devices aboard the James Webb Space Telescope suggest there is an atmosphere. But the atmosphere may not be able to support life. It could be continuously filled up by gases that large areas of molten rock release. 使用詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜上的两个设备进行的观测表明存在大气层。 但大气层可能无法维持生命。 它可以不断地被大面积熔岩释放的气体充满。 
Renyu Hu is a planetary scientist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Institute of Technology. He was the lead writer of the study, which appeared recently in the publication Nature. 胡仁宇是美国宇航局喷气推进实验室和加州理工学院的行星科学家。 他是这项研究的主要作者，该研究最近发表在《自然》杂志上。 
Hu said, “The atmosphere is likely rich in carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, but can also have other gases such as water vapor and sulfur dioxide.” He added that current observations cannot tell what the exact atmospheric makeup is. 胡说：“大气中可能富含二氧化碳或一氧化碳，但也可能含有其他气体，例如水蒸气和二氧化硫。” 他补充说，目前的观测无法告诉我们确切的大气成分是什么。 
The Webb data also did not make clear the thickness of the atmosphere. Hu said it could be as thick as Earth’s or even thicker than that of Venus. Venus has a toxic atmosphere that is the densest in our solar system. 韦伯数据也没有明确大气层的厚度。 胡说，它的厚度可能与地球一样厚，甚至比金星还要厚。 金星的有毒大气层是太阳系中最稠密的。 
The planet is called 55 Cancri e. Scientists also call it Janssen. It is about 8.8 times more massive than Earth and about two times as wide. 这颗行星被称为 55 Cancri e。 科学家也称其为詹森。 它的质量约为地球的 8.8 倍，宽度约为地球的两倍。 
It orbits its star at one-25th the distance between our solar system’s innermost planet Mercury and the sun. As a result, its surface temperature is about 1,725 degrees Celsius. 它绕恒星运行的距离是太阳系最内层行星水星与太阳之间距离的二十五分之一。 因此，其表面温度约为1725摄氏度。 



第2196期:Astronomers Find Super-hot ‘Super-Earth’(1)

A Japanese town hopes to keep out crowds of visitors by building a large barrier to block views of the country’s tallest mountain, Mount Fuji. 日本的一个小镇希望通过建造一个巨大的屏障来阻挡大批游客，以阻挡该国最高峰富士山的景色。 
The town is called Fujikawaguchiko. It sits on Japan’s main island of Honshu, southwest of Tokyo. The community is known for having good spots for taking pictures of Mount Fuji. 这个小镇叫做富士河口湖。 它位于东京西南部的日本主岛本州岛。 该社区以拍摄富士山的好地点而闻名。 
But some locals and business owners feel there are too many misbehaving tourists. In an effort to reduce the number of visitors, city workers have started building a large black screen to block views of Mount Fuji. 但一些当地人和企业主认为，行为不端的游客太多了。 为了减少游客数量，城市工作人员开始建造一个巨大的黑屏来遮挡富士山的景色。 
Michie Motomochi owns a restaurant that serves Japanese sweets near the soon-to-be-blocked photo spot. She told The Associated Press that while she welcomes visitors to the area, “there are many things about their manners that are worrying.”Michie Motomochi 在即将被封锁的拍照点附近拥有一家供应日式甜点的餐厅。 她告诉美联社，虽然她欢迎游客来到该地区，但“他们的举止有很多令人担忧的地方。”
Motomochi said she has seen visitors crossing the road in busy traffic, leaving waste on streets, ignoring stop lights and trespassing onto private property. 元持说，她看到游客在繁忙的交通中过马路，在街道上留下垃圾，无视红绿灯，并侵入私人财产。 
She noted, however, that about 80 percent of her business is driven by foreign visitors. Tourist numbers have been rising in Japan since restrictions were lifted after the COVID-19 pandemic. 然而她指出，她约 80% 的业务是由外国游客推动的。 自 COVID-19 大流行后取消限制以来，日本的游客人数一直在增加。
Motomochi said her neighborhood suddenly became a popular spot for visitors about two years ago. That is when a photo taken in the area went viral on the internet. The photo showed Mount Fuji in the background. But it appeared as though the mountain was sitting on top of a local store called Lawson. 本持说，大约两年前，她的社区突然成为游客的热门景点。 就在那时，一张在该地区拍摄的照片在互联网上疯传。 照片的背景是富士山。 但这座山似乎坐落在当地一家名为劳森的商店的顶部。 
Town officials say the photo was widely shared on social media and became known online as “Mt. Fuji Lawson.” Since then, foreign tourists have crowded the neighborhood. 镇官员表示，这张照片在社交媒体上广泛传播，并在网上被称为“山”。 富士劳森。” 从那时起，外国游客就挤满了附近。
The town has tried other methods to limit bad behaviors by tourists. The town put up signs in several languages urging visitors not to run into the road. It has provided information about crosswalks. And it even hired security guards 该镇尝试了其他方法来限制游客的不良行为。 镇上竖起了多种语言的标牌，敦促游客不要跑到马路上。 它提供了有关人行横道的信息。 甚至还聘请了保安 
The black screen is expected to be completed in the middle of May. It will stand 2.5 meters high and 20 meters long. Officials say the barrier will almost completely block the view of Mount Fuji. 黑屏预计5月中旬完成。 它将高 2.5 米，长 20 米。 官员称，该屏障将几乎完全挡住富士山的视线。 
French tourist Anthony Hok told the AP he thinks the screen was an overreaction by city officials. He said the solution seemed “too big” for the problem the town was facing. The 26-year-old visitor suggested setting up road barriers for safety instead of blocking views for pictures. 法国游客安东尼·霍克告诉美联社，他认为该屏幕是市政府官员反应过度。 他说，这个解决方案对于该镇面临的问题来说似乎“太大了”。 这位26岁的游客建议为了安全而设置路障，而不是挡住拍照的视线。
But Helen Pull, a 34-year-old visitor from Britain, said she understood the local concerns. She said she had seen tourism “really ramped up” in the country. “I can see why people who live and work here might want to do something about that," Pull added. 但来自英国的 34 岁游客海伦·普尔 (Helen Pull) 表示，她理解当地人的担忧。 她说她看到该国的旅游业“真正蓬勃发展”。 “我可以理解为什么在这里生活和工作的人们可能想为此做点什么，”拉补充道。 
Yoshihiko Ogawa runs an old rice shop in the Fujikawaguchiko area. He said overcrowding there had worsened in recent months, with tourists gathering from around 4 or 5 in the morning and talking loudly. Ogawa said crowds in the area also sometimes block his car. 小川义彦在富士河口湖地区经营一家老米店。 他说，近几个月来，那里的拥挤状况进一步恶化，游客从凌晨四五点左右就开始聚集并大声交谈。 小川说，该地区的人群有时也会堵塞他的车。 
“We’ve never thought we'd face a situation like this,” Ogawa told the AP. But he added that he was unsure what the right solution might be. “I suppose we all just need to get used to it,” he said. “我们从未想过会面临这样的情况，”小川告诉美联社。 但他补充说，他不确定正确的解决方案是什么。 “我想我们都需要习惯它，”他说。



第2195期:Japanese Aims to Block View of Fuji to Reduce Tourists

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。

第2194期:Country Singer Randy Travis Releases AI Song after Stroke

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。


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