Throughout history, technological progress has brought new wealth but has not always improved people’s lives. Economists now say it is not clear whether artificial intelligence (AI) will help or hurt society. Simon Johnson teaches economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology near Boston. He said AI has a lot of possibilities. But he added, “We are at a fork in the road.” A fork in the road is an expression used to describe a situation where the outcome is uncertain.

纵观历史，技术进步带来了新的财富，但并不总是改善人们的生活。经济学家现在表示，尚不清楚人工智能（AI）是否会帮助或损害社会。西蒙·约翰逊在波士顿附近的麻省理工学院教授经济学。他表示，人工智能有很多可能性。但他补充道，“我们正处于岔路口。”岔路口是一个表达方式，用来描述结果不确定的情况。

McKinsey is a business consulting company. It said AI could add between $14 trillion and $22 trillion of value to the world’s economy. Supporters say the technology will create wealth and improve living standards. Some go as far as saying AI will increase people’s free time and help them be more creative. But others are worried the technology will lead to lost jobs. They point to Hollywood writers and actors who are worried that they will be replaced by technology. The internet arrived with a similar promise of more productivity, wealth and jobs. Last month, the French bank Natixis noted in its research that most of the wealth has gone to a few billionaires. And many of the jobs do not require highly paid, skilled workers.

麦肯锡是一家商业咨询公司。报告称，人工智能可为世界经济增加 14 万亿至 22 万亿美元的价值。支持者表示，这项技术将创造财富并提高生活水平。有些人甚至说人工智能将增加人们的空闲时间并帮助他们更具创造力。但其他人担心这项技术会导致失业。他们指出好莱坞作家和演员担心自己会被技术取代。互联网的到来也带来了类似的承诺：提高生产力、财富和就业机会。上个月，法国外贸银行在其研究中指出，大部分财富都流向了少数亿万富翁。而且许多工作并不需要高薪、技术熟练的工人。

The bank warned in its report, “We should be cautious when estimating the effects of artificial intelligence on labor productivity.” In July, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released its opinion research of 5,300 workers about AI. Some workers hope the technology will increase pay and job satisfaction. But they are also concerned that the technology could push people to work too hard.

该银行在报告中警告称，“在评估人工智能对劳动生产率的影响时，我们应该保持谨慎。” 7月，经济合作与发展组织发布了针对5300名工人对人工智能的意见研究。一些工人希望这项技术能够提高工资和工作满意度。但他们也担心这项技术可能会促使人们工作过度。

Such concerns are not unfounded. History has shown the economic impact of technological progress is generally uncertain, unequal and even harmful. Johnson recently published a book, Power and Progress, with Daron Acemoglu, another economist from MIT. They studied technological progress over the last 1,000 years including clothing production, train travel, and even food shopping. The two economists looked at an invention called the spinning jenny that made it easier to turn cotton and wool into yarn. They said the device helped clothing production and created wealth for many people in the late 1700s. However, it also increased the demand for cotton and led to longer hours for workers. The demand also led to the growth of slavery in the southern United States.

这种担忧并非没有根据。历史表明，技术进步的经济影响通常是不确定的、不平等的，甚至是有害的。约翰逊最近与麻省理工学院的另一位经济学家达伦·阿西莫格鲁 (Daron Acemoglu) 合作出版了一本名为《权力与进步》(Power and Progress) 的书。他们研究了过去 1000 年的技术进步，包括服装生产、火车旅行，甚至食品购物。两位经济学家研究了一项名为珍妮纺纱机的发明，它可以更轻松地将棉花和羊毛变成纱线。他们表示，该设备在 1700 年代末帮助服装生产并为许多人创造了财富。然而，这也增加了对棉花的需求，并导致工人的工作时间延长。这种需求也导致了美国南部奴隶制的增长。

Johnson noted that it is easier to create something new than to make sure it works for everyone. His book shows how the arrival of rail travel improved the lives of many people in England in the 1800s. People were able to travel longer distances and eat fresh food because it could move faster from farms to cities. On the other hand, Johnson said self-checkout technology at food stores does not lower the cost or make life easier for people. All it does is reduce the number of workers and help businesses lower labor costs. As for AI technology, Johnson wonders if it will make existing inequalities worse, or “could it help us get back to something fairer?”

约翰逊指出，创造新事物比确保它适合每个人更容易。他的书展示了 1800 年代铁路旅行的到来如何改善了许多英格兰人的生活。人们能够旅行更远的距离并吃到新鲜食物，因为它可以更快地从农场转移到城市。另一方面，约翰逊表示，食品店的自助结账技术并没有降低成本或让人们的生活更轻松。它所做的只是减少工人数量，帮助企业降低劳动力成本。至于人工智能技术，约翰逊想知道它是否会使现有的不平等现象变得更糟，或者“它能否帮助我们恢复更公平的状态？”

A major American game maker has banned designers from using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create artwork for its games. The company, Wizards of the Coast, owns the product collection for the popular game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). The role-playing game, set in an imaginary world, was first launched in 1974. Toy manufacturer Hasbro is the parent company of Wizards of the Coast and the related company D&D Beyond. Officials at D&D Beyond said they did not find out until recently that one of its artists used AI to create artwork for an upcoming book. The company said in a statement it had talked to the artist involved.

美国一家主要游戏制造商禁止设计师使用人工智能 (AI) 工具为其游戏创作美术作品。 Wizards of the Coast 公司拥有热门游戏《龙与地下城》(D&D) 的产品系列。这款角色扮演游戏以虚构世界为背景，于 1974 年首次推出。 玩具制造商 Hasbro 是 Wizards of the Coast 及其关联公司 D&D Beyond 的母公司。 D&D Beyond 的官员表示，直到最近他们才发现其中一位艺术家使用人工智能为即将出版的书籍创作艺术品。该公司在一份声明中表示，已与涉事艺术家进行了交谈。

D&D Beyond said the artist – who had worked for the company for more than 10 years – had agreed to no longer use AI tools for artistic designs. The company said it is also examining its current AI rules. Some D&D fans discovered the AI-developed art in the series. Hasbro bought D&D Beyond for $146.3 million last year. The Rhode Island-based toy company has owned Wizards of the Coast for more than 20 years.

D&D Beyond 表示，这位已在该公司工作了 10 多年的艺术家已同意不再使用人工智能工具进行艺术设计。该公司表示，它还在审查当前的人工智能规则。一些《龙与地下城》粉丝发现了该系列中人工智能开发的艺术。孩之宝去年以 1.463 亿美元收购了《D&D Beyond》。这家总部位于罗德岛州的玩具公司拥有威世智 (Wizards of the Coast) 已超过 20 年。

The AI artwork in question was part of a soon-to-be-released book of creature descriptions and lore called Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants. The digital and physical versions of the game are set for release August 15. The use of AI tools to assist with creative work has raised copyright and labor concerns across a number of industries. The issue is part of what is fueling the current Hollywood strike. It also led the music industry organization, the Recording Academy, to change the rules of its Grammy Awards process.

所讨论的人工智能艺术作品是即将出版的一本关于生物描述和传说的书的一部分，名为《毕格比的礼物：巨人的荣耀》。该游戏的数字版和实体版将于 8 月 15 日发布。使用人工智能工具辅助创意工作引起了许多行业的版权和劳工问题。这个问题是当前好莱坞罢工的部分原因。它还导致音乐行业组织唱片学院改变了格莱美颁奖流程的规则。

Some artists have brought legal action against AI companies for using their work without permission. The Associated Press reported that Hasbro competitor Mattel had used AI-created images to help come up with ideas for a new Hot Wheels toy car. The news agency noted, however, that Mattel has not said exactly how it is using AI in product development.

一些艺术家对未经许可使用其作品的人工智能公司提起法律诉讼。美联社报道称，孩之宝的竞争对手美泰公司使用人工智能创建的图像来帮助提出新的风火轮玩具车的创意。不过，该通讯社指出，美泰尚未具体说明其如何在产品开发中使用人工智能。

An ocean researcher at the University of California, San Diego says waves are getting bigger and stronger since 1970. There are also more “big wave events” than ever before. A big wave is about four meters tall or more. Peter Bromirski at the university’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography looked at seismic records going back to 1931 in his research. Seismic information is often used to measure the power of earthquakes. But Bromirski said large waves create enough energy to be measured by seismographs, also.

加州大学圣地亚哥分校的一位海洋研究人员表示，自 1970 年以来，波浪变得越来越大、越来越强。“大波浪事件”也比以往任何时候都多。大波浪大约有四米高或更高。该大学斯克里普斯海洋学研究所的彼得·布罗米尔斯基 (Peter Bromirski) 在他的研究中研究了可追溯到 1931 年的地震记录。地震信息通常用于测量地震的强度。但布罗米尔斯基表示，大波浪也能产生足够的能量，可供地震仪测量。

When large waves reach the shore, they bounce back and run into new waves. The crash sends energy through the ocean floor where it can be measured by seismographs. Those measurements permitted Bromirski to judge the strength and size of waves over a period of 90 years. Bromirski said he “stumbled upon” the seismographic information. Before the discovery, he said, “it was almost impossible” to compare waves from the past with those from the present.

当大浪到达海岸时，它们会反弹并形成新的波浪。碰撞将能量传送到海底，可以通过地震仪进行测量。这些测量使布罗米尔斯基能够判断 90 年来波浪的强度和大小。布罗米尔斯基说，他“偶然发现”了地震信息。他说，在发现之前，“几乎不可能”将过去的波浪与现在的波浪进行比较。

It took a lot of work to put the data together. Much of the information was on paper. Bromirski and his team of student researchers had to put the information into a computer so they could examine the data. The slow process took years. They found that the height of most waves in the winter along the California coast have grown by about 30 centimeters since 1970. Starting that year, waves of over 4 meters happened more often, as well. Between 1996 and 2016, the large waves happened twice as often as they did from 1949 to 1969. Bromirski and his team published their research recently in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans.

将数据整合在一起需要花费大量的工作。许多信息都是纸质的。布罗米尔斯基和他的学生研究团队必须将信息输入计算机，以便他们可以检查数据。这个缓慢的过程需要数年时间。他们发现，自 1970 年以来，加州海岸冬季的大多数波浪高度增加了约 30 厘米。从那一年开始，超过 4 米的波浪也更频繁地发生。 1996 年至 2016 年间，巨浪发生的频率是 1949 年至 1969 年的两倍。布罗米尔斯基和他的团队最近在《地球物理研究杂志：海洋》上发表了他们的研究成果。

1970 is the year scientists believe the warming of the planet began to speed up. Bromirski says the new data shows that climate change is making ocean waves taller and stronger. That means they are more likely to damage the coast, roads and structures, such as piers and houses. Bromirski said his research may be a warning that bigger and stronger waves are ahead. With more warming, sea levels will rise and waves will get stronger, causing flooding and more damage to land. The California coast has already been damaged by big waves in recent years.

1970年是科学家认为地球变暖开始加速的一年。布罗米尔斯基说，新数据表明气候变化正在使海浪变得更高更强。这意味着它们更有可能破坏海岸、道路和建筑物，例如码头和房屋。布罗米尔斯基表示，他的研究可能是一个警告，更大更强的波浪即将到来。随着气候变暖，海平面将上升，波浪将变得更强，导致洪水和对土地的更大破坏。近年来，加州海岸已遭受巨浪破坏。

Gary Griggs is an ocean researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He did not work on the study. He said a 30 centimeter increase in wave height over 50 years is not that large. However, the findings of the study support what scientists already know: waves are becoming stronger and causing more damage along coasts. He said Bromirski’s project adds to the data showing the world is warming fast and sea levels are rising. “The challenge,” he said, “is sort of how to really respond to that.”

加里·格里格斯是加州大学圣克鲁斯分校的海洋研究员。他没有参与这项研究。他说，50年来波高增加30厘米并不算大。然而，这项研究的结果支持了科学家们已经知道的事实：海浪正在变得越来越强，对海岸造成的破坏也越来越大。他说，布罗米尔斯基的项目增加了显示世界正在快速变暖和海平面正在上升的数据。 “挑战在于，”他说，“如何真正应对这一问题。”

Flights coming from the US to Europe normally benefit from the powerful winds from the jet stream, which can boost speeds by up to 300 km/h. But this new study says that advantage will be undermined by rising emissions of CO2.

从美国飞往欧洲的航班通常会受益于急流带来的强大风力，速度最多可提高 300 公里/小时。 但这项新研究表明，二氧化碳排放量的增加将削弱这一优势。

Climate change could increase the jet stream wind by 15 per cent. Flights from New York would speed up. But journeys from London would be twice as likely to take over seven hours. The overall result is that round trips would get significantly longer with planes spending an extra 2,000 hours in the air, costing around $22 million every year.

气候变化可能会使急流风增加 15%。 从纽约起飞的航班将会加速。 但从伦敦出发的旅程花费七个小时以上的可能性会增加一倍。 总体结果是，由于飞机在空中的飞行时间增加了 2,000 小时，往返时间将大大延长，每年花费约 2,200 万美元。

While the study only looked at flights between Europe and the US, the authors believe the same impact is likely to be seen in the southern hemisphere as well. And with warming expected to increase turbulence, flying to the US could be longer, bumpier and more expensive as airlines seek to recoup their costs though higher ticket prices.

虽然该研究仅关注欧洲和美国之间的航班，但作者认为南半球也可能会受到同样的影响。由于气候变暖预计会增加湍流，飞往美国的航班可能会更长、更颠簸、更昂贵，因为航空公司试图通过提高机票价格来收回成本。

词汇表

boost 提高，增加
undermined 削弱
overall 总体上
significantly 巨大地
impact 影响
turbulence （气流）湍流，颠簸
recoup 补偿

Japanese railway operator, Seibu, is testing a special help desk for foreigners at one of the company’s busiest train stations.↳ Visitors who need help at the Seibu-Shinjuku station in Tokyo can go to an information window and ask questions. About 135,000 people per day pass through the Seibu-Shinjuku station. To get help, a person just speaks into a microphone. A system called VoiceBiz listens to their words and displays them on the window in Japanese. The railway worker can see the question and reply in Japanese. Then VoiceBiz translates the answer into a language the person who needs help can understand. The system works with Japanese and 11 other languages.

日本铁路运营商西武铁路正在该公司最繁忙的火车站之一测试针对外国人的特殊服务台。在东京西武新宿站需要帮助的游客可以前往信息窗口提问。 西武新宿站每天约有 135,000 人次通过。要获得帮助，人们只需对着麦克风说话即可。 一个名为 VoiceBiz 的系统会聆听他们所说的话，并将其用日语显示在窗口上。 铁路工作人员可以看到日语的问题和回复。 然后 VoiceBiz 将答案翻译成需要帮助的人可以理解的语言。 该系统支持日语和其他 11 种语言。

Rail stations throughout Japan are very busy this summer. More than 2 million people visited Japan in June, the most since before 2020. COVID-19 restrictions barred most foreign travelers for a long time. Kevin Khani was visiting Japan from Germany. He tried out the VoiceBiz system recently after getting confused in Seibu’s Shinjuku station.He said the translations were “spot on,” which means they were exactly right. He also said it is nice to see that there is a human working at the window. “So, you take your time to explain what you need, and you will know that they will understand what you need," he said.

今年夏天，日本各地的火车站都非常繁忙。 6 月份访问日本的人数超过 200 万人，是 2020 年以来的最高水平。COVID-19 限制措施长期禁止大多数外国游客入境。凯文·卡尼 (Kevin Khani) 从德国访问日本。 最近，他在西武新宿站感到困惑后，尝试了 VoiceBiz 系统。他说翻译是“准确的”，这意味着它们完全正确。 他还说很高兴看到有人在窗口工作。“所以，你花时间解释你的需求，你就会知道他们会理解你的需求，”他说。

The Seibu railway has been testing the VoiceBiz system for three months. After that time, the company will consider using it in additional stations. Ayano Yajima is a sales and marketing official for Seibu. Yajima said looking at each other adds to the “smoothness of communication.” Toppan is the company that makes VoiceBiz. It tested the window at Kansai International Airport near Osaka earlier this year. It hopes to sell the windows to businesses and government offices in Japan so they can communicate with travelers and immigrants.

西武铁路已经对 VoiceBiz 系统进行了三个月的测试。 在此之后，该公司将考虑在其他车站使用它。矢岛彩乃 (Ayano Yajima) 是西武百货公司的销售和营销官员。 矢岛说，互相看着对方可以增加“沟通的顺畅度”。Toppan 是开发 VoiceBiz 的公司。 今年早些时候，它在大阪附近的关西国际机场测试了该窗户。 它希望将这些窗户出售给日本的企业和政府机构，以便他们能够与旅行者和移民进行沟通。

The company believes the Shinjuku area is a good testing place. The busiest railway station in the world is nearby – 3.6 million people use the Japan Railway station in Shinjuku. Many people use the Seibu train to get to other trains and subways and go to other places in Tokyo or the rest of Japan. As a result, there is a high chance that someone gets lost or needs help.French visitors Isabelle and Marc Rigaud used the help window to find their way from the Seibu station to the Japan Railway station. They had just gotten off an airplane at 1 in the morning, local time.“It’s very Japan,” Isabelle said of the technology.

该公司认为新宿地区是一个很好的测试地点。 世界上最繁忙的火车站就在附近 – 360 万人使用位于新宿的日本火车站。 许多人乘坐西武列车前往其他火车和地铁，前往东京或日本其他地方的其他地方。 因此，有人迷路或需要帮助的可能性很高。法国游客 Isabelle 和 Marc Rigaud 使用帮助窗口找到了从西武站到日本火车站的路线。 当地时间凌晨1点，他们刚刚下了飞机。“这非常日本，”伊莎贝尔谈到这项技术时说道。

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently said that by law food makers are permitted to add sesame to their products. They also must identify sesame content in their foods on product packaging. Sesame is the seed of the sesamum or benne plant. It is used to make oil and the seeds themselves are often used on bread or baked goods. The seeds come in black and white colors. Sesame is used in many foods to add a nutty flavor or some crunch. But the American non-profit group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), says about 1.6 million people are allergic to the seeds. Someone who is allergic can get very sick after eating the seeds. People with the allergy usually learn to stay away from traditional foods that contain sesame.

美国食品和药物管理局（FDA）最近表示，根据法律，食品制造商可以在其产品中添加芝麻。 他们还必须在产品包装上标明食品中的芝麻含量。芝麻是芝麻或芝麻植物的种子。 它用于制造油，种子本身通常用于面包或烘焙食品。 种子有黑色和白色。芝麻用于许多食品中以增加坚果味或松脆感。但美国非营利组织公共利益科学中心 (CSPI) 表示，约有 160 万人对这些种子过敏。 过敏的人吃了种子后可能会病得很重。 患有过敏症的人通常会学会远离含有芝麻的传统食物。

The CSPI is protesting to the FDA about a law that went into effect in January. The Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act, known as FASTER, listed sesame as a major allergen requiring identification on packaging for the first time.↳ Some food companies made changes to their production centers in reaction to the new law. Some cut sesame use completely. Others, however, decided to add sesame to products that did not usually contain it. As long as they identified the sesame on the food packaging, they were obeying the law fully. The CSPI and other organizations argue that adding sesame to foods that did not contain it in the past limits food choices for allergic people.

CSPI 就 1 月份生效的一项法律向 FDA 提出抗议。《食品过敏安全、治疗、教育和研究法案》（FASTER）首次将芝麻列为主要过敏原，需要在包装上进行标识。为了应对新法律，一些食品公司对其生产中心进行了调整。 有的完全切芝麻。 然而，其他人决定在通常不含芝麻的产品中添加芝麻。 只要他们识别出食品包装上有芝麻，就完全遵守了法律。CSPI 和其他组织认为，在过去不含芝麻的食物中添加芝麻限制了过敏人群的食物选择。

Some food companies say it is too hard to prevent sesame from getting into some products, or it is too costly to change their production centers. It is easier to add sesame and identify it legally. Some restaurants are also adding sesame to their foods and noting it on menus or meal listings in order to meet the requirements of the food law. Robert Earl is a food safety advocate. He said the practice will put people with food allergies in danger of getting sick. “It puts our community at greater risk,” he said. Earl added that food companies and restaurants adding sesame to products reduces food choices.

一些食品公司表示，很难阻止芝麻进入某些产品，或者改变生产中心的成本太高。 添加芝麻更容易合法识别。一些餐馆还在食物中添加芝麻，并在菜单或餐单上注明，以满足食品法的要求。罗伯特·厄尔 (Robert Earl) 是一位食品安全倡导者。 他说这种做法将使食物过敏的人面临生病的危险。 “这使我们的社区面临更大的风险，”他说。 厄尔补充说，食品公司和餐馆在产品中添加芝麻会减少食物的选择。

Earl said his organization – Food Allergy Research and Education – has received a number of complaints from people who said they got sick by eating formerly “safe” products. Ruchi Gupta is a children’s doctor at Northwestern University. She is director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma research there. Gupta called the FDA’s decision “disappointing,” and noted that the food company and restaurant changes are permitted by law. However, she said she hoped the FDA would have “come out in a way to try to discourage” putting sesame in unusual products. Robert Califf leads the Food and Drug Administration. In a message posted online in 2023, he wrote about companies adding sesame to their foods. He called it “a practice with an outcome we do not support.” He said it does not break any rule but that it “limits options for consumers who are allergic to sesame.”

厄尔说，他的组织——食物过敏研究和教育——收到了许多人们的投诉，他们说他们因为吃了以前“安全”的产品而生病了。鲁奇·古普塔 (Ruchi Gupta) 是西北大学的儿童医生。 她是那里食物过敏和哮喘研究中心的主任。 古普塔称 FDA 的决定“令人失望”，并指出食品公司和餐厅的改变是法律允许的。 然而，她表示，她希望 FDA 能够“采取某种方式阻止”在不寻常的产品中添加芝麻。罗伯特·卡利夫 (Robert Califf) 领导食品和药物管理局。 在 2023 年在线发布的一条消息中，他写到了一些公司在食品中添加芝麻的情况。 他称其为“我们不支持这种做法的结果”。 他表示，这并没有违反任何规则，但它“限制了对芝麻过敏的消费者的选择”。

He also noted that consumers should “check the label every time you buy a food product – even if you have eaten it before and didn’t have an allergic reaction.” The F.D.A. also said companies cannot use language like “may contain sesame” if the product does not contain it. Peter Lurie heads the CSPI. He said he hoped the FDA’s recent statements would send a message to food companies. He said “it’s on the companies to act responsibly,” if the FDA is not going to force them to make changes.

他还指出，消费者应该“每次购买食品时检查标签——即使你以前吃过它并且没有过敏反应。”FDA 还表示，如果产品不含芝麻，公司就不能使用“可能含有芝麻”之类的语言。Peter Lurie 是 CSPI 的负责人。 他说，他希望 FDA 最近的声明能够向食品公司传达一个信息。 他说，如果 FDA 不强迫他们做出改变，“公司就有责任采取负责任的行动”。

Summer is a great time of year – but, unfortunately, it's not just us humans that enjoy it. Mosquitos seem to make the most out of the season by biting us, and as well as being annoying, mosquito-borne diseases can be dangerous. What can we do to avoid getting bitten?

夏天是一年中的美好时光，但不幸的是，享受夏天的不仅仅是我们人类。蚊子似乎通过叮咬我们来充分利用这个季节，蚊子传播的疾病不仅令人烦恼，而且可能很危险。我们应该怎样做才能避免被咬呢？

The most obvious answer is to use mosquito repellent. Professor James Logan from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine explains that DEET, the chemical used in many repellents, confuses the insects' sense of smell, making it difficult to recognise humans. Though be careful – as biologist Roger Eritja points out – any bits of skin that aren't covered by repellent are still likely to get bitten. Logan also recommends using plug-in insecticides to kill or repel mosquitos in the room. However, it might be best to avoid using electric bug zappers. Daniel Markowski from the American Mosquito Control Association highlights that mosquitos are only a small proportion of the number of insects they kill, and that many of the others are beneficial.

最明显的答案是使用驱蚊剂。伦敦卫生与热带医学学院的詹姆斯·洛根教授解释说，许多驱虫剂中使用的化学物质避蚊胺会混淆昆虫的嗅觉，使其难以识别人类。尽管要小心——正如生物学家罗杰·埃里特加（Roger Eritja）指出的那样——任何没有被驱虫剂覆盖的皮肤仍然可能被咬。洛根还建议使用插入式杀虫剂来杀死或驱除房间内的蚊子。然而，最好避免使用电动灭虫器。美国蚊子控制协会的丹尼尔·马科夫斯基强调，蚊子只占其杀死的昆虫数量的一小部分，而其他许多昆虫都是有益的。

Clothing is another consideration that affects whether mosquitos choose to attack us. Amy Glover, writing in the Huffington Post, tells us that dark colours attract mosquitos. James Logan adds that loose clothing is preferable as it is harder for mosquitos to bite through – they're even able to penetrate jeans if they are worn tightly.

服装是影响蚊子是否选择攻击我们的另一个考虑因素。艾米·格洛弗（Amy Glover）在《赫芬顿邮报》上撰文告诉我们，深色会吸引蚊子。詹姆斯·洛根补充说，宽松的衣服更好，因为蚊子更难咬穿——如果牛仔裤穿得很紧，它们甚至可以穿透牛仔裤。

Light, loose clothing also means people sweat less. A 2019 study showed that mosquitos are able to use the smell of human sweat to find their victims. This is why Homes editor Katie Mortram recommends taking a shower before bed to avoid getting bitten. Another way to stop the smell of your sweat attracting mosquitos is to use deodorant to disguise the smell of your sweat. Masie Vollans – a researcher into mosquito ecology, points out that a compound found in deodorants has been shown to stop mosquitos landing on the skin.

轻便、宽松的衣服也意味着人们出汗较少。2019 年的一项研究表明，蚊子能够利用人类汗液的气味来寻找受害者。这就是为什么《Homes》编辑凯蒂·莫特拉姆（Katie Mortram）建议睡前洗澡以避免被咬。另一种阻止汗味吸引蚊子的方法是使用除臭剂来掩盖汗味。蚊子生态学研究员 Masie Vollans 指出，除臭剂中的一种化合物已被证明可以阻止蚊子落在皮肤上。

What we eat and drink may also have an impact on how attractive we are to mosquitos. Vollans mentions two studies that found drinking beer and eating bananas can make people more attractive to mosquitos. So, as well as using repellents and insecticides, thinking about our clothing, reducing our sweat and changing what we eat and drink could help to reduce the risk of mosquito bites.

我们吃什么和喝什么也可能会影响我们对蚊子的吸引力。沃伦斯提到两项研究发现，喝啤酒和吃香蕉可以让人对蚊子更有吸引力。因此，除了使用驱虫剂和杀虫剂之外，考虑一下我们的衣服、减少出汗和改变饮食习惯也有助于降低蚊虫叮咬的风险。

词汇表

bite 叮，咬
mosquito-borne disease 由蚊子传播的疾病
mosquito repellent 驱蚊剂
tropical medicine 热带医学
DEET 避蚊胺（常见防蚊液成分）
insect 昆虫
skin 皮肤
insecticide 杀虫剂
bug zapper 灭虫灯
attack 攻击
attract 吸引
penetrate 穿过，穿透
sweat 出汗，流汗
victim 牺牲品
deodorant 体味除臭剂
land on 落在，停在

A new fossil study by researchers from China and Canada suggests that ancient mammals may have attacked and eaten larger dinosaurs.

中国和加拿大研究人员的一项新化石研究表明，古代哺乳动物可能攻击并吃掉了更大的恐龙。

The scientists looked at a fossil found by a Chinese farmer in 2012. A fossil is the mineralized remains of an animal or plant left in an ancient rock.

科学家们观察了一位中国农民在 2012 年发现的化石。化石是古代岩石中动物或植物的矿化遗骸。

The scientists said the fossil is from 125 million years ago. They published their findings recently in the journal Scientific Reports.

科学家称这块化石距今1.25亿年前。 他们最近在《科学报告》杂志上发表了他们的发现。

The scientists believe a mammal, similar to a badger, attacked a small, beaked dinosaur. During the attack, the animals were caught up in a lava flow from a nearby volcano. The moment was locked in time until it was found over 12 years ago.

科学家们认为，一种类似于獾的哺乳动物袭击了一只小型的有喙的恐龙。 在袭击过程中，这些动物被困在附近火山的熔岩流中。 这一时刻被时间锁定，直到 12 年前才被发现。

Researchers call the place where the fossil was found “China’s Pompeii.” Pompeii was a city in Italy that was caught in a volcanic eruption about 2000 years ago. Ash covered the city and preserved moments from daily life. Researchers discovered the ruins of the city about 500 years ago.

研究人员将化石发现地称为“中国的庞贝古城”。 庞贝古城是意大利的一座城市，大约2000年前曾遭受火山喷发。 火山灰覆盖了整个城市，保留了日常生活的瞬间。 研究人员发现了这座大约 500 年前的城市遗址。

In the past, dinosaur researchers believed small, scavenging mammals might have eaten dead dinosaurs. However, they were not sure that mammals attacked living dinosaurs.

过去，恐龙研究人员认为小型食腐哺乳动物可能吃过死去的恐龙。 然而，他们不确定哺乳动物是否攻击过现存的恐龙。

Jordan Mallon is a paleobiologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Ontario. He was one of the study’s writers.

乔丹·马伦 (Jordan Mallon) 是安大略省渥太华加拿大自然博物馆的古生物学家。 他是该研究的作者之一。

“I’ve never seen a fossil like this before,” he said.

“我以前从未见过这样的化石，”他说。

Steve Brusatte is a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He did not work on the study. He described the fossil as a “freeze frame” or something like a photograph.

史蒂夫布鲁萨特是苏格兰爱丁堡大学的古生物学家。 他没有参与这项研究。 他将这块化石描述为“定格”或类似照片的东西。

“It turns the old story on its head,” he said. Brusatte said the old idea was that dinosaurs ruled the world with small mammals “in the shadows.”

“这颠覆了这个古老的故事，”他说。 布鲁萨特说，过去的想法是恐龙统治着世界，而小型哺乳动物则“在阴影中”。

Mallon said he would be happy for other scientists to examine the fossil if they are concerned that it might not be real.

马伦说，如果其他科学家担心这块化石可能不是真的，他会很高兴检查这块化石。

He described the mammal as about the size of a house cat. He said the dinosaur was about the size of an average dog.

他描述这种哺乳动物大约有家猫那么大。 他说这只恐龙的大小与普通狗差不多。

He said the species of dinosaur is Psittacosaurus and the mammal is called Repenomamus. The dinosaur ate plants, but other dinosaurs ate meat and hunted mammals.

他说，恐龙的种类是鹦鹉嘴龙，哺乳动物的名字是Repenomamus。 恐龙吃植物，但其他恐龙吃肉并捕猎哺乳动物。

Mallon said it would have been more common for a dinosaur to hunt a mammal, but the fossil he studied shows something new.

马伦说，恐龙捕食哺乳动物的情况更为常见，但他研究的化石显示了一些新的东西。

“We now know that the mammals were able to fight back, at least at times,” he said.

“我们现在知道哺乳动物能够反击，至少有时是这样，”他说。

More restaurants in Japan are offering bugs in their dishes.

日本越来越多的餐馆在菜肴中加入虫子。

On a recent vacation in Tokyo, Takumi Yamamoto ate a special lunch of cricket curry and silkworm sashimi, which is usually made with raw fish. He drank a water bug cider.

最近在东京度假时，山本拓海吃了一顿特别的午餐，包括咖喱蟋蟀和蚕生鱼片，这些午餐通常是用生鱼制成的。 他喝了一杯水虫苹果酒。

The 26-year-old office worker is one of many people around the world with a growing interest in entomophagy, or the practice of eating insects. Bugs are slowly becoming more usable as a food source.

这位 26 岁的办公室职员是世界各地对食虫现象日益感兴趣的人之一。 虫子正慢慢变得更适合作为食物来源。

Yamamoto said he sometimes ate grasshoppers dipped in soy sauce as a child. In Tokyo, he ate insect foods at Take-Noko cafe, which serves many bug dishes.

山本说，他小时候有时会吃蘸酱油的蚱蜢。 在东京，他在 Take-Noko 咖啡馆吃昆虫食品，那里供应许多昆虫菜肴。

"It's fun to select from a wider variety of dishes," Yamamoto said. "Everything was tasty. In particular, the water bug cider was quite refreshing … like a green apple."

“从更多种类的菜肴中进行选择很有趣，”山本说。 “一切都很美味。特别是水蝽苹果酒非常清爽……就像青苹果一样。”

Entomophagy started to be taken seriously after the United Nations declared bugs a good source of protein to feed a growing world population. With livestock farming’s effects on climate change and world hunger issues from weather and war, there has been more interest in the nutrition bugs can provide.

在联合国宣布昆虫是养活不断增长的世界人口的良好蛋白质来源之后，食虫行为开始受到认真对待。 由于畜牧业对气候变化以及天气和战争造成的世界饥饿问题的影响，人们对昆虫所能提供的营养越来越感兴趣。

In her latest gardening story, Jessica Damiano tells of the garden pests and diseases she has seen in her plants. The Associated Press writer suggests acting quickly when combatting garden pests and diseases. When not dealt with quickly, pests and diseases can quickly grow and reproduce. That can result in less plant growth and worse health, less flower and fruit production, or even death of your plants. Her measure always begins with the gentlest treatment possible. She only intensifies her treatments when necessary. Even then, she has her limits. Damiano says she would rather lose a flower or vegetable plant than use strong chemicals.

在杰西卡·达米亚诺最新的园艺故事中，她讲述了她在植物中发现的花园病虫害。美联社撰稿人建议在防治花园病虫害时迅速采取行动。 如果不及时处理，害虫和疾病会迅速生长和繁殖。 这可能会导致植物生长减少、健康状况恶化、花卉和水果产量减少，甚至植物死亡。她的措施总是从尽可能最温和的治疗开始。 她只在必要时加强治疗。 即便如此，她也有自己的局限性。 达米亚诺说，她宁愿失去一朵花或一株蔬菜，也不愿使用强效化学物质。

In the case of her tomato plants, Damiano caught the aphids, a pest, early. She washed them off and removed the ones that would not come off by using her fingers under moving water. They have not returned in the week since removing them, but she looks out for them every day, just in case. Had the invasion been severe or the water and finger removal method been ineffective, she would have used Neem oil. The organic oil, which comes from the seeds of the Neem tree, kills aphids by not permitting them to breathe. It is safe to use on plants that will be eaten and it is not harmful to people, animals, and birds. Still, it should be used after the sun has set when helpful insects are less active.

就番茄植株而言，达米亚诺很早就发现了害虫蚜虫。 她把它们洗掉，并用手指在流动的水下洗掉那些无法脱落的部分。 自从把它们移走后，他们已经一周没有回来了，但她每天都会照顾它们，以防万一。如果入侵很严重，或者水和手指去除方法无效，她就会使用印楝油。 来自印楝树种子的有机油通过阻止蚜虫呼吸来杀死它们。 它可以安全地用于可食用的植物，并且对人、动物和鸟类无害。 尽管如此，还是应该在太阳落山之后使用，此时有益的昆虫不太活跃。

The same day Damiano found the aphids, she found another pest called scarlet lily beetles on her Asiatic lily plants. The adult red insects feed on a grouping of plants called true lilies and fritillaries. In an earlier stage of life, called the larval stage, they cover themselves in waste. This makes them less appealing to those that would want to eat them. But the coating also protects them from chemicals, making them difficult to remove. The pests had already damaged some of her plants. To prevent more damage, she removed them by tapping them off of the plant into some water with soap and vinegar, or household cleaners.

达米亚诺发现蚜虫的同一天，她在她的亚洲百合植物上发现了另一种名为猩红百合甲虫的害虫。 成年红色昆虫以一组称为真百合和贝母的植物为食。在生命的早期阶段，即幼虫阶段，它们用废物覆盖自己。 这使得它们对那些想吃它们的人来说不太有吸引力。 但涂层还可以保护它们免受化学物质的侵害，使它们难以去除。害虫已经损坏了她的一些植物。 为了防止造成更多损害，她将它们从植物上敲下来，放入含有肥皂和醋的水或家用清洁剂中，从而将它们去除。

Her rhododendron, a flowering plant, were attacked by a pest called azalea bark scale last summer. She saw the white insects had come back this year. Some of the leaves were infested, so she cut them off. But because most of the leaves only had a few of the pests, she was able to remove them by touching each insect with some rubbing alcohol. By working early, Damiano slowed or stopped infestations that could have killed her plants. The same would be true for diseases, many of which also respond better to early treatments.

去年夏天，她的杜鹃花（一种开花植物）遭到一种名为杜鹃花树皮鳞片的害虫的侵袭。 她看到今年白色的虫子又回来了。 有些叶子被感染了，所以她把它们剪掉了。 但由于大多数叶子上只有少数害虫，她通过用外用酒精触摸每只昆虫来清除它们。通过尽早工作，达米亚诺减缓或阻止了可能杀死她的植物的虫害。 对于疾病来说也是如此，其中许多疾病对早期治疗的反应也更好。