Shoppers  must guard against fake customer reviews online

买家需警惕网购虚假好评

China  has become a global leader in e-commerce because Chinese consumers have taken to online shopping like fish takes to water. What has made this miracle possible is the high internet penetration rate (77.5 percent by 2023) in China.

中国之所以成为全球电子商务的领导者，是因为中国消费者对网购如鱼得水。而促成这一奇迹的重要原因之一，是中国高达77.5%的互联网普及率（截至2023年）。

In  the first three quarters of this year, online retail sales in China reached 10.89 trillion yuan ($1.51 trillion), up 8.6 percent year-on-year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The continuous rise in online sales revenue can be attributed to online shopping becoming increasingly mainstream in China, especially during the "Double Eleven" (Nov 11) shopping festival.

据国家统计局数据显示，今年前三季度，中国网络零售额达到10.89万亿元人民币（约合1.51万亿美元），同比增长8.6%。网购逐渐成为主流消费方式，特别是在“双十一”购物节期间，网络销售额持续攀升。

As  China's biggest annual online shopping event, the festival, which this year actually started at the end of October, has been playing a vital role in further stimulating the appetite of consumers for years despite online buyers having become more rational.

作为中国最大的一年一度购物盛宴，今年双十一从十月底就拉开帷幕，近年来持续激发消费者的购买热情，然而消费者在决策上也变得更加理性。

Online  merchants now find it difficult to sell their products to consumers who know exactly what they want. This has prompted some online merchants to choose wrong and even illegal tactics to attract consumers. One such illegal tactic is to post fake customer reviews online.

面对需求更加明确的消费者，网络商家要吸引顾客消费变得愈发困难。部分商家因此选择不当甚至违法手段来吸引消费者，其中一种便是刷虚假好评。

For  example, some businesses promise buyers a small amount of refund on their purchase if they write a positive review, preferably with photographs, or offer other benefits to lure consumers into writing "five-star" reviews despite the poor quality of their products. Worse, some online shops even hire ghostwriters to post a large number of manipulated reviews and photographs online to promote their products or services. Incidentally, photographs can cause more trouble than fake consumer reviews because most probably they are stolen from some other e-shops or platforms.

比如，一些商家承诺，消费者只要给出带图片的好评，就能获得小额返现，也有商家用其他奖励诱导消费者为低质商品留下“五星好评”。更有甚者，一些网店甚至雇佣“水军”，通过大批量虚假评论和盗用图片来夸大产品或服务的质量。这些盗用图片的行为，可能比普通的虚假评价更具危害性，因为它们很可能是从其他网点或者电商平台盗用的。

Customers  losing trust in the products and services will harm the development of the e-commerce sector, and deal a blow to online enterprises that do business in good faith. To address this problem, the authorities should take action to deter online enterprises from indulging in such acts. Online shoppers, too, have a role to play in curbing such harmful behavior by resisting the lure of a small amount of money and sounding the alarm against those e-shops that offer them "bribes" to write fake reviews. As for online enterprises, they should abide by the law.

如果顾客对产品和服务失去信任，将严重影响电商行业的健康发展，也会殃及诚信经营的网络商家。为解决该问题，有关部门需要采取更严格的措施，制止商家从事这些违法行为。同时，消费者也应制止这种行为，主动抵制小额返现的诱惑，警惕提供“好评奖励”的商家。网络商家则更应自觉遵守法律，诚信经营。

Fortunately , people are becoming more aware of the developments on online platforms and are prepared to do their bit to ensure the culprits receive due punishment according to law. Also, the State Administration for Market Regulation introduced fair competition regulation, especially for the internet industry, in May, to deal with infringements of consumer rights on online platforms including fake orders and manipulated reviews.

幸运的是，越来越多的消费者已经意识到这种现象的危害，并愿意参与进来，使不良商家受到法律的制裁。此外，为了维护消费者权益，国家市场监督管理总局于今年5月出台了《网络反不正当竞争暂行规定》，重点打击网购平台上虚假订单和操控评价等侵犯消费者权利的行为。

Better reading services await elderly

老年阅读服务将更完善

China  will ramp up efforts to enrich reading experiences for seniors by creating accessible reading environments and providing them with scientific guidance and products, with the aim of securing their right to read and attaining spiritual fulfillment in their twilight years.

中国将加大力度为丰富老年人阅读体验，为老年人创造便捷的阅读环境，并为他们提供科学的阅读指导和相关产品，以保障他们的阅读权利，让他们在晚年获得精神上的满足。

Fourteen  central departments, including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Education and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, have recently released a guideline urging local authorities to offer more accessible and higher-quality reading services to the elderly.

近日，包括民政部、教育部和中华全国总工会在内的14个中央部门联合发布指导意见，促使地方政府为老年人提供更加便捷和高质量的阅读服务。

The  guideline clarifies that it's of great importance to offer seniors more convenient ways to read, which can boost their self-improvement and facilitate better engagement in family and social activities. The nation will integrate its resources to make sure older adults in rural and urban areas can access reading materials. 

指导意见明确指出，为老年人提供更加便利的阅读方式具有重要意义，这不仅能促进其自我提升，还能帮助他们更好地参与家庭和社会活动。国家将整合资源，确保城乡老年人都能获取阅读材料。

Under  the guideline, some State-level reading promotion campaigns targeting seniors will be launched and carried out via smart tools such as digital and information technologies, which will allow them to experience audiovisual reading. Local authorities are encouraged to organize reading activities, including recitation, book-sharing parties and sitcom performances, to make the experiences more interesting and attractive for the elderly.

根据该指导意见，将推出、开展一些面向老年群体的国家级阅读推广活动，通过数字化和信息化技术等智能工具，帮助老年人体验视听阅读。指导意见也鼓励地方政府组织朗诵、书友会和情景剧表演等阅读活动，以增加老年人的阅读兴趣和体验。

Figures  from the civil affairs ministry showed that the number of people in China aged 60 and above was almost 297 million by the end of last year, accounting for more than 21 percent of the nation's total population. Among these people, about 37 million have completed senior high school and are literate, but their reading demands are not fully met due to a lack of accessible reading materials and related services.

民政部数据显示，截至去年底，中国60岁及以上人口接近2.97亿，占全国总人口的21%以上。其中约3700万人完成了高中学业并具备阅读能力，但由于缺乏便捷的阅读材料和相关服务，他们的阅读需求尚未完全得到满足。

The  guideline encourages publishing houses and printing presses to publish books, magazines or newspapers appealing to seniors and make the copyrighted materials more accessible to them by adding audio services and printing with larger characters. Also, local public services departments are required to optimize the reading environment for older adults by installing barrier-free facilities or offering voluntary services such as delivering books to their homes. Local authorities can use some AI tools to offer scientific, systematic and personalized reading guidance to the elderly based on their ages, education backgrounds and health conditions, and publish regular reports listing their favorite books.

指导意见鼓励出版机构和印刷厂出版老年人感兴趣的书籍、杂志和报纸，并通过添加音频服务和大字印刷等方式让老年人更容易获取版权作品。同时，指导意见要求地方公共服务部门优化老年人的阅读环境，例如安装无障碍设施，或提供上门送书的志愿服务。地方政府还可以利用人工智能工具，根据老年人的年龄、教育背景和健康状况，为其提供科学、系统和个性化的阅读指导，并定期发布他们喜爱书籍的榜单。

Some  provinces and cities have taken steps to better meet the older residents' reading demands. The city-level Wenzhou Library in Zhejiang province offers regular book interpretation services to the elderly, with volunteers speaking in the local dialect to help them better understand some classic Chinese novels. Jiang Xianjing, who works at the Wenzhou Library, told China Central Television that the library workers will help local residents aged 70 and above select the books they want and have them mailed to their homes. All they have to do is call the library.

一些省市已经采取措施，以更好地满足老年居民的阅读需求。浙江省温州市图书馆为老年人提供定期的图书解说服务，由志愿者用当地方言帮助他们更好地理解一些经典的中国小说。温州市图书馆的蒋显菁（音译）向中央电视台介绍，图书馆工作人员会帮助70岁及以上的当地居民挑选他们想要的书籍，并将书邮寄到家中，老年人只需打个电话即可。

The  Great Wall helped rulers of the Central China Plains secure a relatively peaceful environment for development of an agricultural civilization. However strong it is, the Great Wall, made of stones, lime, bricks, wood or rose willow, still faced wind erosion and people's influence over centuries so that in many sections, only obscure ruins remain. "This is why we need to capture images for posterity," says 72-year-old Hohhot photographer Lei Qinghui.

长城帮助中原统治者为农业文明的发展营造了相对和平的环境。无论有多么坚固，由石头、石灰、砖块、木头或柳木建成的长城几百年来仍然饱受风雨侵蚀和人类活动影响，目前许多段落的长城仅存断壁残垣。“所以，我们需要为子孙后代留下长城的影像，”72岁来自呼和浩特的摄影师雷青辉表示。

Since  he retired 10 years ago, Lei has visited 95 percent of the 924-km-long Ming Great Wall in Inner Mongolia and snapped 80,000 pictures. What fascinates Lei the most are the beacon towers, some of which are 22 meters tall, a feature "rarely seen" elsewhere.

自从十年前退休以来，雷青辉走访了内蒙古自治区内长达924千米的明长城的95%的部分，拍下了八万张照片。让雷青辉最着迷的是烽火台，有些高达22米，这在其他长城段落十分“罕见”。

The  Ming Great Wall is in relatively better shape than the sections built by other dynasties. Some portions are still magnificent, like the Badaling section in Beijing, which has hosted many world dignitaries, including former US president Richard Nixon and the late Queen Elizabeth II. "Apart from some beacon towers, some sections of the Great Wall, despite the vicissitudes, still appear tough and glorious after so many years, which is really touching to see," he says.

明长城相较其他朝代长城保存完好，一些部分仍然很壮观，比如北京八达岭长城，美国前总统理查德·尼克松（Richard Nixon）和已逝的伊丽莎白女王二世等世界名人就曾造访过这里。“除了烽火台外，长城的一些段落在历经多年风霜后仍然雄伟坚毅，的确令人动容，”他说。

In  Alshaa League, Lei used drone cameras to capture the breathtaking beauty of the three lines of the Ming Great Wall. Alshaa League is also famous for the section built under the Han Dynasty, especially in Juyan, a military stronghold 17 km southeast of Ejine Banner. Running through a bleak desert, the fortifications, including beacon towers and castles for stationing troops, are well-preserved.

在阿拉善盟，雷青辉使用无人机摄像头捕捉到了明长城三道防线的壮丽景观。阿拉善盟还以汉代修建的长城段闻名，特别是在距额济纳旗东南17公里的军事重镇居延。长城穿越荒凉的沙漠，沿途的防御工事，包括烽火台和驻军堡垒，至今保存完好。

During  an excursion in 1930, Swedish archaeologist Folke Bergman unearthed in Juyan more than 10,000 bamboo slips dating back to the Han Dynasty — most of them are military archives, while the rest are books, private letters and calendars. These bamboo slips piece together the defense system of the Great Wall, as well as social lives of local people, says Jing Xueyi, director of the Alshaa League cultural heritage bureau.

1930年，在一次考察中，瑞典考古学家福尔克·贝格曼在居延挖掘了1万多枚汉代竹简——其中大多数是军事档案，其余则是书籍、私人信件和历书。阿拉善盟文化遗产局局长景学义表示，这些竹简拼凑出长城的防御系统以及当地人的社会生活。 

Another  major portion of the Great Wall in the league was built under the Western Xia regime (1038-1227). Facing threats from the Liao in the north, the Jin in the northeast and the Song (960-1279) in the east, the Western Xia rulers erected the bulwark against rivals.

阿拉善盟的另一部分长城是在西夏王朝（1038-1227年）期间修建的。面对北方的辽国、东北的金国以及东方的宋朝（960-1279年）的威胁，西夏统治者修筑了这道屏障以抵御敌对势力。

Since  the Han Dynasty, Alshaa League has been an area of overlapping agricultural and nomadic cultures, especially with the involvement of the central government of many dynasties, whose troops and farmers came and stayed there, Jing says. Despite its pronounced military role, the Great Wall in Alshaa League symbolized order instead of chaos in peacetime, which covers a greater part of history, Jing adds.

景学义表示，自汉代以来，阿拉善盟一直是农耕文化与游牧文化交汇的地区，特别是历代中央政权的介入使得朝廷的军队和农民来到这里并定居。尽管阿拉善盟的长城在军事上有着重要作用，但它在和平时期象征的是秩序而非混乱，而和平时期占据了更长的历史时段。

An epic bulwark

长城，人类壮举

One  of the largest construction projects in the history of mankind, the Great Wall is the epitome of ancient Chinese wisdom and perseverance. It was an awe-inspiring defense strategy that spanned dynasties and remains an eloquent testimony to the edifice of Chinese civilization.

作为人类历史上最大的建筑工程之一，长城代表了古代中国人的智慧和勤劳。这一防御战略令人叹为观止，历经数个朝代，仍是中国文化文明宝藏的明鉴。

The  earliest sections of the Great Wall were built by the ancient Chinese people to keep invaders at bay. After the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), the first emperor of China, Qinshihuang, wiped out six states and established the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). He ordered consolidation and extension of the Great Wall to protect his territory from his archenemy, the Xiongnu in the north. In the 2,000 years that followed, and until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), this effective military master plan was applied by rulers of different ethnicities. 

中国古人最早修筑长城是为了抵御外敌。在战国时期（公元前475年-221年）后，中国第一位皇帝秦始皇灭六国建立秦朝（公元前221年-206年），他下令加固并延伸长城，以抵御大敌——北方匈奴的入侵。在此后的两千年间，一直到明朝（1368年-1644年），这一行之有效的军事总规划被不同民族的中国统治者所运用。

From  Northeast China's Liaoning province to swathes of arid land in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, from Central China's Henan province to the border between China and Mongolia in the north, the incredible fortifications ran through rugged mountains, vast grasslands and remote deserts. In 1987, the Great Wall was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More recently, a nationwide survey of different sections of the Great Wall found that its total length of 21,196.18 kilometers surpassed the distance between the Earth's two poles.

从东北辽宁省到西北新疆维吾尔自治区广袤的旱地，从中原地区河南省到北部中国与蒙古交接的边陲地带，长城这一防御工事途径崎岖的高山、广阔的草地和偏远的荒漠。1987年，长城被联合国教科文组织列入《世界遗产名录》，此后，一项全国范围对于长城各个段落的普查发现其总长度为21196.18千米，超过了地球南北极之间的距离。

Among  the 15 provincial-level administrative regions through which the Great Wall runs, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region boasts the most extensive fortifications, adding up to 7,570 kilometers across 80 banners and counties. Construction of the bulwark in Inner Mongolia spanned more than 2,000 years, beginning during the Warring States Period, continuing through the Qin, Han (206 BC-AD 220), Liao (916-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties, and ending with the Ming Dynasty.

长城跨越15个省市自治区，其中内蒙古是我国古代长城遗址保存最多、里程最长的地区，共7570千米，遍布80个旗和县。内蒙古自治区有2000多年修建长城的历史，始于战国时期，历经秦、汉（公元前206年-公元220年）、辽（916年-1125年）、金（1115年-1234年），终于明代。

Based  on the lengthy time frame, the Great Wall in the autonomous region is divided into 12 types. The most well-known section was built during the Ming Dynasty. It enters Inner Mongolia's Xinghe county from Hebei province and winds its way westward for over 860 km, across cities of Ulaanqab, Hohhot, Ordos and Wuhai, and Alshaa League.

基于其各朝代的修建历史，内蒙古自治区的长城分为12类，其中明长城最为著名，从河北省进入内蒙古兴和县，向西蜿蜒860余公里，途径乌兰察布市、呼和浩特市、鄂尔多斯市、乌海市以及阿拉善盟。

The  earliest section of the Great Wall in the region was built in the 4th century BC by the king of the state of Zhao. "The Great Wall of Zhao was a military installation to defend the agricultural state from nomadic powers in the north," says Zhang Wenping, deputy director of Inner Mongolia Museum. Such coexistence of agrarian dynasties and nomadic powers lasted for more than 2,000 years, Zhang says. 

内蒙古自治区长城最早由赵国国王建于公元前4世纪。“赵长城是为抵御北方游牧势力入侵农业国家所修建的军事设施，”内蒙古博物院副院长张文平表示。“这种农耕王朝与游牧势力共存的局面持续了2000多年，”张文平表示。

Elegance  in the air: red-crowned crane

空中精灵：丹顶鹤

The  Zhalong National Nature Reserve in Heilongjiang province has released over 380 red-crowned cranes into the wild, making it the world's largest and most populous breeding and habitat site for wild red-crowned cranes, as well as a base for artificial breeding and rewilding.

黑龙江省扎龙国家级自然保护区已将380多只丹顶鹤放归自然，使这里成为全球最大的丹顶鹤野生繁殖和栖息地，同时也是丹顶鹤人工繁育和野化放归的重要基地。

Established  in 1979, the reserve was upgraded to a national-level reserve by the State Council in 1987 and is now known as the hometown of red-crowned cranes. It was inscribed on the List of Wetlands of International Importance in 1992 and was honored as one of China's Top Ten Charming Wetlands in 2013.

该保护区建立于1979年，并于1987年由国务院升级为国家级自然保护区，如今被誉为“丹顶鹤之乡”。1992年，扎龙自然保护区被列入《国际重要湿地名录》，并于2013年入选“中国十大魅力湿地”。

Reflecting  on these hard-won achievements, Wang Wenfeng, a conservationist who has worked at the reserve for 21 years, has many emotions. When he began his work at Zhalong, Wang initiated the establishment of a red-crowned crane captive breeding work group and set up a red-crowned crane captive breeding base. The work aimed to reduce interference in the breeding of free-range red-crowned cranes and facilitate the successful rewilding of their offspring.

回顾这些来之不易的成就，在保护区工作了21年的保护工作者王文锋百感交集。刚到扎龙工作时，王文锋牵头组建了丹顶鹤圈养繁育工作组，并成立了丹顶鹤圈养繁育基地，旨在减少对散养丹顶鹤繁殖的干扰，助力后代成功回归自然。

" The breeding season for red-crowned cranes is from March to June, with each pair laying one to two eggs at a time," said Wang. "Initially, we retrieved the eggs of free-range cranes for artificial incubation, but we gradually found that red-crowned cranes are often affected by environmental factors and predators, making it difficult to ensure the survival rate. "Especially after May and June, flying insects and biting pests abound, constantly disturbing the incubation process, significantly reducing the success rate of hatching," he added.

“丹顶鹤的繁殖季节在每年的三月至六月，每对丹顶鹤一次会产下一到两个蛋，”王文锋说，“起初我们收集野外丹顶鹤的蛋进行人工孵化，但逐渐发现丹顶鹤常受环境因素和捕食者影响，导致成活率难以保障。尤其是每年五六月份飞虫和叮咬类害虫数量增多，频繁干扰孵化过程，显著降低了孵化成功率。”他补充道。

The  red-crowned crane is a vigilant bird that often chooses to nest and breed hidden in the reed beds in relatively shallow waters. "The water surface cannot be too deep," said Wang. "It needs to be easy for them to wade in for feeding and the height of the reeds cannot be too low to avoid detection by predators. "In 2017, we found a sharp decline in the wild red-crowned crane population in the core area of the Lindian Reed Breeding Field," he said. "It was mainly due to excessive reed harvesting, leaving the cranes with no place to nest and breed." 

丹顶鹤是一种高度警觉的鸟类，通常选择在浅水区的芦苇丛中隐蔽筑巢繁殖。王文锋解释说：“水面不能太深，这样方便它们涉水觅食；而芦苇的高度也不能太低，以避免被捕食者发现。”他还提到，“2017年，我们发现林甸育苇场核心区的野生丹顶鹤数量急剧减少，主要原因是过度砍伐芦苇使丹顶鹤失去了筑巢繁殖的场所。”

After  contacting the local forestry department, they adopted a reed leasing approach and continued implementing wetland restoration projects to reserve reed belts. They provided compensation to farmers to preserve reed and create suitable habitats for red-crowned cranes and other rare waterfowl. So far, the compensation area for reed ponds in the core area managed by the Zhalong administration has reached 1,300 hectares, with an annual compensation amount of 2 million yuan.

与当地林业部门联系后，他们采取了芦苇租赁的方式，并持续实施湿地修复项目以保留芦苇带。同时，他们向农民提供补偿，以保护芦苇，为丹顶鹤及其他珍稀水禽提供适宜的栖息地。目前，扎龙保护区管理的核心区域芦苇池的补偿面积已达到1300公顷，每年补偿金额达200万元。

Study  casts new light on origins of dairy fermentation

研究新发现揭示奶制品发酵起源

A  groundbreaking study conducted by Chinese scientists has shed new light on the origins of dairy fermentation practices dating back thousands of years. The study, published in the journal Cell, offers a glimpse into the lives of Bronze Age people and their innovative food production techniques. The samples of kefir cheese, found in a cemetery in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, are around 3,500 years old and could be the most ancient variety of cheese known to humans.

中国科学家的开创性研究揭示了数千年前奶制品发酵实践的起源。该研究发表于《细胞》，让读者得以一窥青铜时代人类生活及其创新食品生产技术。开菲尔奶酪样本出土于新疆维吾尔自治区墓地，距今约3500年，可能是人类已知最古老的奶酪品种。

The  research team, led by Fu Qiaomei, director of the Molecular Paleontology Laboratory at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, extracted high-quality genomes of Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens, a bacterial species used for fermentation, from the cheese samples found inside mummies at the Xiaohe cemetery, located in Xinjiang's Bayingolin Mongol autonomous prefecture. "This indicates that residents of Xiaohe were already using kefir grains to make kefir yogurt or cheese, demonstrating ancient wisdom and craftsmanship in using fermentation microbes to ferment dairy products," Fu said.

该团队由中国科学院分子古生物学实验室主任付巧妹带领，从新疆巴音郭楞蒙古自治州小河墓地的木乃伊体内发现奶酪样本，从中提取出高质量马乳酒样乳杆菌基因组，该菌种用于发酵。付巧妹表示，“这表明小河居民早已使用开菲尔粒制作开菲尔酸奶或奶酪，展现了其利用发酵微生物发酵乳制品的古老智慧和工艺。”

The  study challenges the long-held belief that kefir spread from the Northern Caucasus to Europe and other regions, as it found an additional spreading route of kefir from Xinjiang to inland East Asia. The spread of dairy fermentation techniques largely accompanied human migration and interaction, which in turn drove the evolution of lactic acid bacteria.

长期以来人们认为开菲尔从北高加索传播到欧洲和其他地区，该研究发现了开菲尔从新疆传播到东亚内陆的另一条传播路线，从而挑战了现有观点。乳制品发酵技术的传播在很大程度上伴随着人类的迁徙和互动，进而推动了乳酸菌的演化。

The  research team reconstructed the ancient L. kefiranofaciens genomes and found two important strains, one originating in Europe and the other in East Asia. The European strain originated in Russia's Caucasus region, while the East Asian one originated in the Xizang autonomous region of China, according to the study.

研究团队重建了古老的马乳酒样乳杆菌基因组，发现了两种重要菌株：一种起源于欧洲，另一种起源于东亚。研究表明，欧洲菌株起源于俄罗斯高加索地区，而东亚菌株起源于中国西藏自治区。

The  Russian strain is currently widely used globally, including in Europe, the United States and Japan, for making yogurt and cheese. "The strain used by the residents of Xiaohe for fermentation is closely related to a less common group of L. kefiranofaciens that originated in Xizang. Xinjiang and Xizang are at the source of this East Asian transmission route," Fu said. She added that before this study, no DNA research had been conducted on fermented products anywhere in the world.

俄罗斯菌株目前在全球范围内广泛用于制作酸奶和奶酪，包括欧洲、美国和日本。付巧妹表示，“小河居民发酵时使用的菌株与一种不太常见的马乳酒样乳杆菌群密切相关，这种菌群起源于西藏。新疆和西藏是这种东亚传播途径的源头。”她补充说，此研究之前，全球学界未对发酵产品进行过DNA研究。

William  Taylor, an anthropologist at the University of Colorado Boulder, described the study as groundbreaking, highlighting how cheese and dairy products were foundational to ancient ways of life. Yang Yimin, a professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that organic residues provide valuable insights into human behavior and culture that have been lost in time. "It is exciting to see how much information can be retrieved from these cheese samples," he added.

科罗拉多大学博尔德分校人类学家威廉·泰勒称该研究具有开创性，强调了奶酪和乳制品是古代生活方式的基础。中国科学院大学教授杨益民表示，有机残留物为了解已经消失的人类行为和文化提供了宝贵线索。他补充道，“看到从奶酪样本中可以提取出如此多的信息，真是令人兴奋。”

Enhanced  beauty can be compatible with intellectual development

美貌可与智慧兼修

Two  girls are unpacking their luggage in a university dorm after going through their registration procedures. At that moment, the two girls stop unpacking and look more closely at each other. The girls then jump to embrace each other. They were classmates and good friends in senior high school! The reason they failed to recognize each other is that after taking the college entrance exam, they both went for a series of cosmetic surgeries to "enhance their beauty" to the extent of looking like different persons. This is the gist of a popular story online.

大学宿舍里，两个女孩办完入学手续正在收拾行李。突然她们停下来，仔细看着对方，跳起来抱在一起。她们竟然是高中好友！之所以没有认出对方，是因为她们高考后都做了整容手术，甚至认不出来了。这种情节在网络段子里屡见不 鲜。

According  to reports, plastic surgeons have to work overtime during summer vacations, especially after the conclusion of the college entrance exam, because thousands of girls make appointments in advance for beauty enhancement procedure. More than 1 million Chinese people underwent cosmetic surgery in 2023, according to some reports.

有报告称，随着成千上万的女孩预约医美手术，暑假期间尤其是高考结束后，整形外科医生就不停加班加点。2023年，中国有超过100万人接受整容手术。

Reports  say an increasing number of girls are asking their parents to pay for their "beauty-enhancing procedure" as their reward for doing well in the college entrance exam. Parents, in general, are mostly happy to pay if they can afford to, because many think that inner beauty and outer beauty are equally important to their daughters' development.

报告称，越来越多的女孩要求父母为其支付医美费用，作为对高考成绩的奖励。一般来说，家长们只要负担得起，都乐意出钱，很多人认为内在美和外在美对女儿的成长同样重要。

The  long summer vacation provides enough time for girls to undergo a cosmetic surgery. When a new school year begins in September, a girl who has undergone a cosmetic surgery and looks "more beautiful" can walk onto the campus with more confidence. In a completely new environment, few people would realize that the girl has probably undergone a double-eyelid or rhinoplasty surgery, or breast augmentation procedure, or all possible procedures.

暑假时间长，女孩们有足够时间去做整形手术。九月新学期开始时，做了整形手术、看起来“更漂亮”的女孩可以更自信地走进校园。在一个全新环境中，几乎没人会注意到她可能做了双眼皮、隆鼻、隆胸等各种项目。

Chinese  society has become tolerant toward young women's efforts to "look beautiful". Unlike about 20 years ago when a person with double eyelids would become the favorite topic of discussion of neighbors, people today tend to turn a blind eye toward someone who looks different after being absent from the neighborhood for a few days. Most people tend to believe those undergoing cosmetic surgery are not doing anything wrong by paying, with their own money, to enhance their beauty because it makes them feel more confident of and satisfied with themselves.

中国社会对年轻女性“变美”的努力已经变得宽容。大约20年前，割了双眼皮的人会成为邻居们最喜欢谈论的话题，而现在大家对小区里消失了几天、改头换面的人见怪不怪了。大多数人倾向于认为，这些人自掏腰包让自己变得更漂亮、更自信、更满意，这并没有错。

Opposing  opinions do exist. Some say cosmetic surgeries may weaken women's social standing and turn them into eye candies. Others claim that by being obsessed with their physical appearance, young women could end up neglecting their studies, and lose out on intellectual and spiritual development. Such criticisms compel us to choose either option A or option B. The question is: Why can't people choose both of them?

当然也有人持反对意见。有人认为整容手术可能会削弱女性的社会地位，让她们成为“花瓶”。还有人声称，年轻女性过于注重外表的话会忽视学业，错失智力进步和心灵成长。此类批评总是非黑即白，问题是：为什么不可以两者兼得呢？

Camping trend goes wild, with room to grow

露营风起，发展空间广阔

Nature  experiences receive a boost with enterprises and sites offering various options

商家与场地提供多样化选择，自然体验进一步升级

Polychromatic  tents of various sizes and shapes resembling a mosaic have added vibrancy to forests, lakesides and beaches across the country's vast landscape since early summer.

初夏以来，大小不一、形状各异、犹如马赛克的多色帐篷为全国广阔的森林、湖畔和海滩增添了活力。

It  took Wu Xintao a while before he found an ideal vacant spot to set up camp at Xiangshanhu Park in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, for his first camping trip in June. The park's grasslands have seen an increasing number of campers spread out equipment and lay back to bask in the sunny breeze while chatting with friends and families.

花了好一段时间，吴新涛（音译）才在中国东部省份江苏南京的香山湖公园找到一个理想空地，开始了他今年6月的第一次露营之旅。公园的草地上，越来越多的露营者铺开装备，躺下晒太阳吹着风，和朋友家人聊天。

According  to market consultancy iiMedia Research, there were more than 6,500 campsites across the country last year, with Beijing and Guangdong, Zhejiang, Sichuan and Shandong provinces hosting the most. The camping market scale is expected to reach 248 billion yuan by 2025, according to the consultancy.

根据市场咨询公司艾媒咨询的数据，去年全国有6500多个露营地，其中北京以及广东省、浙江省、四川省和山东省的露营地最多。该咨询公司称，到2025年，露营市场规模预计将达到2480亿元。

Stiff  competition

露营市场竞争激烈

Although  some obsolete camping businesses have been eliminated by market competition, the number of campsites nationwide has grown at a 30 percent rate annually, according to the 2023 Camp Market Research Report. It noted that the lower-tier markets are beginning to enter a stage of rapid development.

《2023年中国露营地市场调研报告》显示，尽管一些落后露营企业被市场竞争淘汰，但全国露营地数量以每年30%的速度增长。报告指出，二三线市场开始进入快速发展阶段。

Picturesque  mountains and waters, a strong pastoral atmosphere, ancient-style courtyards and camping tents have visitors flocking to the Hetang Yueshe (moon house over the lotus pond) campsite in Wufu, Nanping city of Fujian province.

在福建省南平市五福的荷塘月舍露营地，山水风景如画、田园气息浓郁、庭院和露营帐篷古朴雅致，游客蜂拥至此。

About  a two-hour drive to the southwest, Fulyu RV campsite in Taining county of Fujian offers accommodation in recreational vehicles, each of which is designed in courtyard style surrounded by greenery. Additionally, each RV is equipped with a panoramic sunroof, allowing guests to enjoy a starry night while lying in bed.

向西南方向驱车约两小时，即可到达福建泰宁福旅房车露营地，房车住宿采用庭院式设计，四周绿树环绕。此外每辆房车都配有全景天窗，客人躺在床上即可欣赏星空。

Effective  solutions

有效的解决方案

However , despite its rapid development over the past few years, the camping industry is still in its infancy, experts said. The low average transaction value and low repurchase rate are common issues that urgently need effective solutions. The camping industry has a long way to go, said Li Yangjun, a senior official with the China Sporting Goods Federation's camping industry committee.

然而，专家表示，尽管露营行业在过去几年发展迅速，但仍处于起步阶段。平均交易值低、复购率低等都是亟待有效解决的普遍问题，中国体育用品业联合会露营产业专委会高级官员李洋君表示，露营行业还有很长的路要走。

In  July 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission issued measures on restoring and expanding consumption, which pointed out the need to promote rural homestay service certification, support business entities in developing new formats like camping, outdoor sports and study tours, and expand rural ecological and leisure tourism.

2023年7月，国家发改委发布《关于恢复和扩大消费的措施》，指出要推动实施乡村民宿服务认证，支持经营主体开发露营、户外运动、游学等新业态，拓展乡村生态游、休闲游。

Liu  from the Beijing RV Camping and Self-Drive Tourism Association believes it's important to standardize camping operations, as some destinations have shown a lack of professional management personnel, mismatched prices and services, and limited service options.

北京房车露营自驾旅游协会刘先生认为，露营经营要规范化，一些目的地存在专业管理人员不足、价格和服务不匹配、服务选择有限等问题。

Subsidizing  tours can be designed to offer more returns

设计旅游补贴，促进更多收益

Statistics  from the National Immigration Administration show that as many as 17.25 million foreign tourists entered China in the first seven months of this year, up 129.9 percent compared with the same period last year. Impressive as the number is, foreign tourists will soon find themselves overshadowed by domestic tourists who are flocking to some of the hot destinations.

国家移民管理局统计数据显示，今年前七个月入境外国游客达1725万人次，比去年同期增长129.9%。尽管外国游客规模庞大，但热门景点的国内游客数量更胜一筹。

The  Ministry of Culture and Tourism had earlier disclosed that in the first half of this year, Chinese people made 2.72 billion domestic trips, up 14.3 percent year-on-year. Domestic tours usually refer to people traveling using different transport means and heading to other regions for nonbusiness reasons. Going by the ministry's statistics, on average, each Chinese person made nearly two domestic trips in the first six months of this year. Total expenditure incurred on tourism, during the period, was 2.73 trillion yuan, making tourism an important contributor to national efforts at boosting domestic consumption.

文化和旅游部此前透露，今年上半年，中国国内游客人数达27.2亿人次，同比增长14.3%。国内旅游通常是指使用各种交通工具前往其他地区的非商务旅行。根据文化和旅游部数据，今年上半年，平均每个中国人有近两次国内旅行。在此期间，旅游总支出为2.73万亿元人民币，旅游业成为国家促进国内消费的重要支柱。

Throughout  history, China has never been short of brave and curious people. Nearly 2,500 years ago, Confucius toured many states to promote his philosophy as well as to explore new landscapes. The works of great poets like Li Bai and Du Fu would have been devoid of all their color had they not toured different parts of the country 1,300 years ago for a better understanding of society and a deeper appreciation of the beautiful sceneries.

纵观历史，中国从不缺少勇敢和好奇的人。近2500年前，孔子周游列国，宣扬哲学思想，探索新风景。如果李白和杜甫等伟大诗人没有在1300年前周游列国，更好地了解社会，更深入地欣赏美丽的风景，他们的作品也将黯然失色。

By  the 1990s, more and more Chinese people began to flock to tourist destinations. Since then, the number has been rising, enabling China to become the world's biggest domestic tourism market and probably the biggest source country for outbound tourism. In the early stages, people mostly joined tour groups for convenience as well as affordability. Then they chose to do it on their own, for relaxation and freedom. Now many people prefer driving to faraway destinations for greater mobility.

到20世纪90年代，越来越多的中国人开始涌向旅游目的地。自此中国旅游人数持续上升，中国成为世界上最大的国内旅游市场，也可能是最大的出境旅游客源国。在早期阶段，人们大多为了方便和便宜跟团旅游。后来大家选择自由行，轻松自在。现在很多人选择长途自驾去旅游目的地，更加随心所欲。

Though  the country has more than 13,000 tourist destinations ranked between 1A and 5A, the huge number of domestic tourists means that most of them, especially the 300 top-ranked 5A sites, are crowded most of the time. Therefore, most Chinese people know that they should avoid traveling during the two Golden Week holidays, in May and in October, when most tourist sites are crammed with people, who make use of the week-long vacation to visit tourist sites.

尽管中国有13000多个1A至5A级景区，但由于国内游客数量庞大，大多数景区在大部分时间都人满为患，尤其是排名前300位的5A级景区。因此，大多数中国人都避免在五月和十月的两个“黄金周”期间出行。由于人们会在为期一周的假期中旅游各景点，黄金周期间的大多数景点都挤满了人。

To  boost domestic consumption, the central and local governments have been offering subsidies to those looking to buy motor vehicles, machinery, and other industrial products. I think the authorities should put in more efforts to subsidize tourism because, as is amply clear now, people are more willing to loosen their purse strings when it comes to tours.

为刺激国内消费，中央和地方政府一直在为机动车、机械和其他工业产品消费提供补贴。依我之见，政府应该加大力度补贴旅游业，人们愿意在旅游上慷慨解囊这一点已经不言而喻。