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作者: 晨听英语
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Recent Episodes

第2863期:The rise of machine 2

第2863期:The rise of machine 2

We're returning to the topic of automation. Now last podcast we talked about how jobs were affected more in the manufacturing area, wasn't it Richard? Yes, we were talking about the production line and machines doing repetitive jobs in factories, weren't we?我们回到自动化这个话题。上期播客我们讨论了自动化对制造业的影响，对吧，Richard？是的，我们当时谈的是生产线，以及机器在工厂里如何执行重复性工作，对吗？Yes, and now we want to have a little look at the future and how businesses and jobs are going to be affected. The big change, in the past, machines did jobs in the manufacturing sector.没错，而现在我们想看看未来商业和工作将如何受到影响。最大的变化是：过去机器主要替代的是制造业的工作。It looks now as if the future, it will be the service sector jobs that are going to be lost. Can you give an example? Well, driverless taxi cabs. They're going to have taxis with no drivers going around the cities and this is actually happening now.而现在看来，未来将失去的将是服务业的工作。你能举例吗？比如无人驾驶出租车。未来城市里会有没有司机的出租车四处行驶，而这件事现在已经在发生。For instance, in Australia, we've got huge mines and they have the robots doing all the drilling. They've got driverless trucks and driverless trains. So there's hardly anyone in the mine at all.例如在澳大利亚，他们的大型矿区已经用机器人进行所有钻探工作。他们有无人驾驶卡车和无人驾驶火车。因此矿区几乎看不到人。So in the near future, more regular driving jobs could be lost. Yes, but also more interestingly is that even today, 30% of time spent in the workplace in the United States is spent collecting and processing data. And so therefore, a lot of jobs in the insurance industry, the finance industry, they could be in jeopardy.所以在不久的将来，更多传统驾驶类工作可能会消失。是的，但更有趣的是，即使在今天，美国职场中有 30% 的时间都花在数据收集和处理上。因此，保险业、金融业的许多岗位都可能面临风险。OK, I can understand that because they receive lots of data. I mean, not unlike playing chess or something. And then they have to decide what's the best thing to do.好的，我能理解，因为他们处理大量数据。这有点像下棋，需要分析，再决定最佳行动。But robots can do that. Exactly. The computers can do the number crunching and come out with the answers.但机器人可以做到这一点。没错，电脑可以进行大量计算，并给出答案。Right. Yes, so that means that we have computers now in insurance industries calculating credit scores and even managing stock portfolios. So when we have the situation of blue-collar jobs disappearing, we've now got, you know, the future is almost that white-collar jobs are disappearing.是的，这意味着如今保险行业已经有电脑在计算信用评分，甚至管理股票投资组合。所以，过去是蓝领工作在消失，而未来几乎是白领工作也开始消失。It's often a lot of the highly-paid jobs are just as much at risk as the low-paid jobs. Can you give an example, though, Richard, of jobs that won't be affected by automation? Yes.很多高薪工作面临的风险并不比低薪工作小。那么你能举例说明哪些工作不会被自动化取代吗，Richard？可以。The things that machines can't do very well require a high degree of flexibility and physical adaptability and human interaction. And creativity. Exactly.那些机器不擅长的工作需要高度灵活性、身体适应性，以及人与人之间的互动。还有创造力。没错。So the jobs that shouldn't be at risk are in health care, dentists, doctors, surgeons.因此不会太受影响的工作包括医疗领域：牙医、医生、外科医生。Teachers. And also in the education industry, teachers, social workers, psychologists, those sorts of things.教师。还有教育行业中的教师、社会工作者、心理学家等等。Right. OK. Oh, good news for us then. Yes.好的。那么这对我们来说是个好消息。是的。Yes. So the nature of work is changing, isn't it? A lot of jobs are disappearing. So it's very important for people, therefore, possibly to be retrained.没错。工作的性质正在改变，不是吗？许多岗位正在消失。因此，人们可能需要重新培训，这非常重要。So what about you, the listener? Are you worried about losing your job because of automation? Are you thinking aboutretraining? Or perhaps even you're doing a job caused by automation. We'd love to hear from you.那么你呢，听众朋友？你会担心因为自动化而失去工作吗？你是否考虑过重新培训？或者你现在的工作就是因自动化而产生的？我们很想听听你的想法。

1天前
03:14
第2862期:Ransomware

第2862期:Ransomware

Now, we've already had a podcast about computer hacking，we're talking about a different kind of cybercrime, ransomware. Richard, what is ransomware? Well, it's a specific type of malware that blocks access to a computer and then demands money to release that computer. Oh, you mean like a ransom? It is a ransom, yes.我们之前做过一期关于电脑黑客的播客，但今天我们要讨论另一种网络犯罪——勒索软件。Richard，什么是勒索软件？嗯，它是一种特定的恶意软件，会阻止你访问电脑，然后要求付钱才能解锁。哦，就像是勒索？没错，就是勒索。And it's in the news at the moment because? A lot of big companies have been hit with a latest piece of software. And basically they can't work unless they pay money. Yes, unless you've got a backup, of course.那它最近为什么上新闻呢？因为很多大公司都被最新的这款软件攻击了。基本上，他们付钱之前什么也做不了。是的，除非你有备份。Right, okay. How does it work, Richard? How does ransomware work? Well, to get it on your computer, you have to open often an email that has an infected Word document or PDF. And then once you've opened that document, it's on your computer, and then it can spread to other computers on your network.好，那它是怎么运作的呢，Richard？勒索软件到底如何运行？通常，你需要打开一封包含受感染 Word 文档或 PDF 的邮件。一旦你打开了那个文档，它就进入你的电脑，然后可以扩散到你网络中的其他电脑。If you're in a big company, it can go through the network very quickly. So you get it on your computer, right? Then what happens? Well, once it's on your computer, it encrypts all the files on that computer. Which means you can't access them? You can't.如果你是在一家大公司，它会非常迅速地在网络中传播。所以感染进入你的电脑后，会发生什么？它会加密你电脑上的所有文件。也就是说，你无法访问了？完全无法。And a message pops up asking for payment to decrypt your computer and instructions on how to pay. And it threatens to destroy all the data on your computer if you don't pay, often within a time limit. And so what kind of amounts are they asking for? Not huge amounts per computer.然后屏幕上会弹出一个消息，要求你付钱才能解密你的电脑，并告诉你如何付款。如果你不付钱，它会威胁要销毁你电脑中的所有数据，通常还会设定时间限制。他们一般索要多少钱？对每台电脑来说不算很高。This latest attack was $300. Right. And it's always, the problem is, of course, the payment is by Bitcoin.最近一次攻击的金额是 300 美元。对。而麻烦的是，他们总是要求用比特币支付。Oh, no. Okay, we did another podcast all about Bitcoins. So that's the cyber currency.哦，不会吧。我们之前还做过一期关于比特币的播客。那是一种网络货币。Yes. So presumably difficult to trace. Well, because I was going to ask you, Richard, who's behind it? Well, exactly.对。所以 presumably 就很难追踪。其实我正想问你，Richard，到底是谁在背后操控这些？没错，这正是问题所在。No one knows. If anyone does pay up, they are instructed to pay with Bitcoin, which is notoriously difficult to trace. However, because this latest attack was so widespread, there are a lot of people working on it to trace these guys.没人知道。如果有人付钱，他们会被要求用比特币付款，而比特币出了名地难以追踪。不过，由于最近这次攻击范围很广，已经有很多专业人员在试图追查幕后黑手。Okay. So what can people do about this? Is there some kind of defense? Very, very simple. Keep your computer up to date with the latest software.那人们能做些什么？有没有防御方法？非常简单：保持你的电脑软件是最新版本。Oh, really? Yes. Okay. So in Britain, right, the NHS, a huge institution, was affected by this ransomware.哦，真的吗？是的。好，那英国的 NHS（国家医疗体系）这么大的机构也受到了攻击？Are you telling me they just simply weren't keeping up to date with the latest software? Yes. This particular piece of malware uses a vulnerability in Windows computers, which has been known about since April. Microsoft issued a patch, but not everyone patched their software, including the NHS, Telefonica in Spain, and a number of other big companies.你是说他们只是没有更新软件？没错。这款恶意软件利用了 Windows 的一个漏洞，这个漏洞从四月起就已经被公开了。微软也发布了补丁，但不是每个人都更新了，包括 NHS、西班牙的 Telefónica，以及许多其他大公司。So basic just human error, really, people too busy or not realizing the importance? Well, some of these corporate systems are enormous, so it's very difficult to keep them all up to date.所以基本就是人为疏忽，人太忙或不了解其重要性？嗯，其中一些大型机构的系统庞大得惊人，要全部保持最新确实非常困难。Well, ransomware is the big thing in the news at the moment, Richard, but as far as business is concerned, it's not a one-off, is it? It certainly isn't. In a recent survey by a computer security firm, they found that 50% of businesses in the UK have been targeted by ransomware in the last year alone.现在勒索软件正是新闻热点，Richard，但对于企业而言，这并不是偶发事件，对吧？当然不是。某家计算机安全公司最近的调查显示，仅过去一年，英国有 50% 的企业都曾成为勒索软件攻击的目标。But are you really saying that all people need to do is to keep up to date with their software? Yes, it's as simple as that. These vulnerabilities in computer software are found all the time, and then the manufacturers release a patch, make sure you have your software completely up to date at all times, and then you'll be safe.但你真的是在说，人们所需要做的只是保持软件更新吗？是的，就这么简单。电脑软件中的漏洞一直在被发现，而厂商也会不断发布补丁。确保你的软件始终保持最新，你就能安全。

2天前
03:46
第2861期:Pets at work

第2861期:Pets at work

It's becoming more and more popular to take a pet to work. We're looking at the advantages and disadvantages of pets at work. Now, you say pets, it's mainly dogs though, isn't it? Yes, yes.带宠物上班变得越来越流行。我们今天来看一下宠物在工作场所的利与弊。你说宠物，其实主要是指狗，对吧？是的，是的。Now, Nestlé's corporate headquarters in Gatwick, Richard, they've allowed dogs to come to work for a couple of years now, okay? The dogs aren't working, though. No, the dogs aren't working. And they claim three key benefits.现在，说到雀巢在盖特威克的公司总部，Richard，他们允许员工带狗上班已经有好几年了。狗当然不是来“上班”的。对，狗并不会工作。他们认为这带来了三个主要好处。Oh, right. Can you guess what those could be? Well, I think with dogs, the overall feeling in the office is maybe more relaxed, it relaxes the workforce. Yep, yep.哦，好的。你能猜到是什么吗？嗯，我觉得有狗在办公室，整体气氛会更轻松，有助于让员工放松。嗯，对。They say people are seen to be friendlier. Hmm, I can see that. Yeah, and more approachable if there's a dog present in the office.他们说，有狗在办公室时，人们看起来会更友善。嗯，我能理解。是的，而且也更容易接近。Hmm. Okay, something else? Friendlier but also maybe calms people down, they give the animals a stroke, something like that. So it lowers the heart rate.嗯。好，还有别的吗？更友好之外，可能还能让人冷静下来，比如摸摸狗之类的行为，会降低心率。Yeah, it does. Well done, Richard. They say the dogs lower stress.对，确实如此。说得好，Richard。他们说狗能减轻压力。Lower stress, exactly. That's what I was thinking. So yeah, lower heart rate and lower blood pressure.减轻压力，对，就是这个。我刚刚也在想。所以，心率更低，血压也更低。And also those who work on their own feel less lonely. Okay, yep, that's true. They say what happens is that someone will go up to someone who's got a dog ride, and they'll say, you know, can I take your dog for a walk? So they have these kind of brief positive exchanges with people they would not normally speak to.此外，那些独自工作的人会觉得没那么孤单。好的，是的，这是真的。他们说经常会有人走到养狗的同事身边，问能不能带狗出去散步？于是就会有一些简短但积极的互动，而这些人平时可能根本不会交谈。Right, yes, yes, I can see that. Now that's all well and good, Jackie, but also I can see a few negative things in the background. For a start, well, two things, the dogs not getting on with each other.好，是的，我能理解。但这些都是优点，Jackie。不过我也能想到一些潜在的缺点。首先，有两点，比如狗之间可能相处不好。Yes, okay, that's one thing that they've taken into consideration. They say that there's a three-month probationary period. Okay, so the dogs have to kind of pass the test.是的，他们确实考虑到了这一点。他们设定了三个月的试用期。也就是说狗必须通过这个“测试”。So if they don't get on with the other dogs, after a while, they're not allowed to come. And productivity. I know I've been in an office where people smoke, and people go out for a cigarette for five minutes, and they're gone for half an hour.如果一段时间后它和别的狗相处不好，那就不能再来了。还有生产力问题。我以前在某个办公室，人们说出去抽五分钟烟，结果半小时才回来。With dogs, maybe people have to take them out to do their business, and maybe they've gone for a walk for half an hour or even longer.带狗上班的话，人们可能要带它们出去“方便”，结果可能也是半小时甚至更久。Yeah, but I think they'll be at lunchtime, Richard. But also, you see, linked to that, people are doing more exercise because they're taking the dog for a walk.是的，但我想这些通常会在午餐时间进行，Richard。而且你看，从另一个角度讲，人们因为带狗散步反而运动更多了。Yes, I suppose so. And also, what about the smell or people who are allergic to dogs?嗯，我想也是。不过，那味道怎么办？还有对狗过敏的人呢？Very good point. They have considered all of these things, Richard, and there are areas where the dogs are not allowed to go.提得很好。他们也考虑到了这些问题，Richard，所以办公室里有一些区域是禁止狗进入的。There are specific no-go areas. But they're loose in other places? Yeah, loose in certain areas, yeah. But they're under control, Richard.有专门的禁入区域。那在其他地方就自由活动？是的，在一些区域可以自由活动。但仍然在控制范围内，Richard。They wouldn't be our dogs then, that's for sure. Oh, come on. You see, all she would do is sleep all day underneath the chair, which is where she is right now.那就绝对不是我们的狗了。哎呀，别这样。你知道她一整天都会在椅子底下睡觉，就像现在一样。Right, okay, I suppose so, yes. And Betty wouldn't pass, so she wouldn't be able to go.好吧，我想也是。而 Betty 肯定通不过试用期，所以她不能来。Yes, well, you've almost sold me on that, but I have to say I'm still a little bit... I'm not so sure.是的，你差不多说服我了，但我还是有点……不太肯定。I'd like to experience it first. Well, you're right, Richard. There were certainly plenty of reservations before they started to do this, right? How long have they been going now? For a couple of years now.我想先亲身体验一下。你说得没错，Richard。他们刚开始实施的时候也确实顾虑重重。那他们实行多久了？已经好几年了。But now when they ask staff how they feel about it, they are overwhelmingly positive about the experience and the staff are very happy, including people who said that they were allergic to dogs themselves.但现在，当他们询问员工的感受时，大家的反馈几乎全是正面的，员工都非常满意，包括那些自称对狗过敏的人。Well, that's fantastic. Well, we certainly allow dogs in our office and we shall continue to do that as well.太好了。那我们办公室当然也要继续允许带狗上班.

3天前
03:43
第2861a期:The rise of machine

第2861a期:The rise of machine

We have the first of two podcasts on automation. Now automation, it's got a kind of a scary sound to it, Richard, but it's been going on for some time, hasn't it?我们今天有两期关于自动化的播客，这是第一期。自动化这个词听起来有点吓人，Richard，但它其实已经存在很久了，对吧？Yes, robots replacing humans. It really started with the first industrial revolution in the 1700s.是的，机器人取代人类。这实际上始于18世纪的第一次工业革命。OK. Which was when people started using steam to replace basically the muscles of people. OK, can you give an example? We're talking about manufacturing.没错，那时候人们开始用蒸汽动力来取代人的体力。你能举个例子吗？我们说的是制造业方面。Yes, the inventions of things called the spinning jenny and the flying shuttle. So we're talking about the cloth and the cotton mills, Richard. Exactly, yes.当然，比如“珍妮纺纱机”和“飞梭”等发明。所以我们说的是布料和棉纺工厂，Richard。没错，就是这些。And following on from that, we come to the second industrial revolution, which was all about using electrical power for mass production. And we often think of in the early 20th century, the production of the Model T Ford motorcar, for instance, the assembly line.接着就是第二次工业革命，它主要是利用电力进行大规模生产。我们常会想到20世纪初的例子，比如福特T型车的生产，也就是装配线。Now then we come to the third industrial revolution, and that's more modern using electronics and information technology to automate production.之后就是第三次工业革命，更现代一些，利用电子技术和信息技术实现生产自动化。OK, can you just give an example of that? Well, it's getting machines to do the repetitive jobs like involved in packing and again in manufacturing.你能举个例子吗？就是让机器来完成重复性工作，比如包装，或者制造业中的重复工序。OK, so again, you could take the car industry, lots of those robots with those hands coming out, putting all the...比如汽车行业，那些带着机械手臂的机器人在操作，把所有的——The rivets and screws in, yes. And painting the cars as well.铆钉和螺丝装上去，对，还有给汽车喷漆。All those things. OK, so where are we now then, Richard? Well, we're continuing with that. And actually, we talk about a lot of jobs being lost to these automated processes.所有这些工作都是机器人在做。那么现在我们处于哪个阶段呢，Richard？我们还在延续这种趋势。实际上，我们常常讨论许多工作正在被自动化流程取代。But they think in the near future and now, 90% of jobs in the garment and footwear industries in Cambodia and Vietnam are at risk of an automated assembly line, so-called so-bots.但他们认为，在不久的将来，甚至现在，柬埔寨和越南的服装和鞋类行业中有90%的工作，都可能被自动化流水线取代，也就是所谓的“缝纫机器人（sew-bots）”。OK. What on earth is a so-bot? Well, a robot that does the sewing.什么是“缝纫机器人”？就是能够进行缝纫的机器人。So they're making the shoes. Oh, the robots can make shoes? They can make shoes from start to finish now. And in fact, those jobs were outsourced to Southeast Asia.所以它们能够制作鞋子。哦，机器人能做鞋？它们现在能从头到尾做完整双鞋。而且这些工作过去是外包到东南亚的。Now they're coming back. Adidas is building a factory right now that will make shoes. And this factory, there's only going to be 160 people working in it.现在这些生产工作又回来了。阿迪达斯正在建造一座鞋类工厂，而这家工厂只需要160名工人。Wow. I suppose all of this has got a double-edged sword, Richard, because obviously a lot of goods are going to be cheaper, aren't they? But then jobs are at risk. Yes.哇。我想这些事情都是双刃剑，Richard，因为商品肯定会变得更便宜，对吧？但与此同时，工作岗位会面临风险。是的。The big advantage is automation means cheaper goods because you're not paying for people to make these things. But that means the people are out of work.最大的优势是，自动化意味着商品更便宜，因为你不需要支付人工成本。但这也意味着工人失业。And you can see that, can't you, already in places like the US? Yes.你已经能在一些地方看到这种情况了，比如美国，对吗？没错。A good example is what they call the Rust Belt in the Midwest of America. They used to make lots of things in their factories, but now machines are doing it or these jobs are being outsourced to other countries.一个典型例子就是美国中西部的“铁锈地带（Rust Belt）”。那里过去有大量工厂生产各种东西，但现在要么由机器完成，要么这些工作被外包到其他国家。So it's not from lack of funds that these factories are just laying there and rusting, literally. It's because machines are doing the work. Better and cheaper.所以这些工厂并不是因为缺钱而闲置、生锈。真正原因是机器能把工作做得更好更便宜。Hmm. So that sounds like worrying times then. It is worrying times. But in the future, it's not just going to be manufacturing jobs that are going to be lost.嗯，所以听起来是令人担忧的时代。确实很令人担忧。但未来不仅仅是制造业的工作会消失。The service industry is next. OK. So for the next podcast, we'll be looking at the future.接下来受影响的是服务业。好的，我们将在下一期播客中讨论未来的发展。

3天前
03:47
第2860期:'Lost' spider found after 40 years

第2860期:'Lost' spider found after 40 years

The two tiny arachnids, measuring just three millimetres long, were found by scientists surveying the Newtown National Nature Reserve using a type of handheld vacuum device. It sucks up material on the ground and safely deposits it inside a container.这两只小蜘蛛只有三毫米长，科学家在使用手持真空吸入设备调查纽敦国家自然保护区时发现了它们。这种设备能够吸起地面上的物体，然后将其安全地存放在一个容器中。The scientists searching the remote part of the Isle of Wight had almost given up hope of finding the animal, also called the white-knuckled wolf spider. But minutes before they had to board a boat to leave, they found one tiny creature followed by a second. The species had last been seen in Britain in 1985. The British Arachnological Society has welcomed the rediscovery of what it called one of the country's epic lost species.在怀特岛上这个偏远地区进行搜寻的科学家曾一度放弃了找到这种动物的希望，这种动物也被称为 “白关节狼蛛”。但就在他们需要登船离开的几分钟前，他们接连找到了两只小蜘蛛。该物种最后一次在英国被看到是 1985 年。英国蜘蛛学学会对重新发现该物种表示庆祝，并称其为英国最赫赫有名的失踪物种之一。

4天前
00:42
第2859期:Is your showerhead as clean as you think?

第2859期:Is your showerhead as clean as you think?

This is a city like no other. An invisible army of microbes live here, including bacteria, fungi, moulds and mites, and it's the one place you'd have hoped would be clean – your showerhead.这是一座与众不同的“城市”。这里住着一支看不见的微生物大军，包括细菌、真菌、霉菌和螨虫，而这地方正是你最希望保持干净的地方——你的淋浴喷头。If you unscrew it and take a peek inside, you might be surprised as to what you find – quite possibly a slimy dark biofilm. When you switch on the shower, it's not just steam and water that come out, but a blast of microbes as well.如果你把喷头旋开往里看，你可能会被里面的东西吓一跳——很可能是一层黏糊糊的暗色生物膜。当你打开淋浴时，不只是蒸汽和水喷出来，还有一阵微生物被一起喷出。Rob Dunn, an evolutionary biologist from North Carolina State University, calls showerheads extreme environments because they are either bone-dry or soaking wet. Once you've showered, the head remains warm and dries out undisturbed, creating the perfect ecosystem for bacteria to feed on dissolved nutrients from the water.北卡罗来纳州立大学的进化生物学家 Rob Dunn 称淋浴喷头是一种“极端环境”，因为它们要么完全干燥，要么完全湿透。洗完澡后，喷头保持温暖并在无人打扰的情况下慢慢变干，这为细菌提供了完美的生态系统，它们可以靠水中溶解的养分生存。It seems the majority of us don't need to worry about catching a bug from having a shower though. "Only showers contaminated with Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens pose a risk," says Frederik Hammes, a drinking water microbiologist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology in Switzerland.不过，大多数人似乎不需要担心因为洗澡而感染细菌。瑞士联邦水科学与技术研究所的饮用水微生物学家 Frederik Hammes 表示：“只有被军团菌等机会性致病菌污染的淋浴喷头才会构成风险。”Meanwhile, one study in the US found that warmer areas, like Florida and Hawaii, with higher chlorine levels tend to have more pathogenic mycobacteria, which can lead to higher rates of a chronic lung infection called non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung disease.同时，美国的一项研究发现，在佛罗里达、夏威夷等温暖地区，水中氯含量较高的地方往往含有更多致病性分支杆菌，这可能导致一种名为“非结核分枝杆菌（NTM）肺病”的慢性肺部感染发病率更高。This is likely because the showerhead has less time to dry out in more tropical climates, so bacteria can grow more easily.这很可能是因为在热带气候下，喷头没有足够的时间完全干燥，所以细菌更容易繁殖。Even if becoming ill from your showerhead is highly unlikely, you'd probably still like to reduce the number of bacteria coming out when you're trying to get clean.即使因淋浴喷头而生病的可能性极低，你在洗澡时大概仍然希望减少从喷头喷出的细菌数量。One study found that the spray pattern of your shower makes a difference – mist mode spreads NTM cells a lot more than a massage or rain showerhead, for example.有研究发现，喷头的喷水模式也会影响细菌扩散。例如，雾状喷洒模式比按摩式或雨淋式喷头传播更多 NTM 细胞。Higher temperatures have also been shown to spread microbes more easily. The best way to keep bacteria away though is to regularly clean your showerhead by descaling it or soaking it in lemon juice.研究还表明，高温会更加促进微生物扩散。而减少细菌的最佳方法是定期清洁喷头，例如除水垢或浸泡在柠檬汁中。Since we can't fully eradicate the microbes in our showers, and we like to stay clean, we'll have to learn to coexist with them.既然我们无法彻底消灭淋浴中的微生物，而我们又喜欢保持清洁，那么我们只能学会与它们共存。

5天前
02:39
第2858期:Death of diesel

第2858期:Death of diesel

We're talking about the future of diesel. Richard, does diesel have a future? Yes and no. It certainly doesn't if you live in the city, because many cities are banning diesel cars in the near future.我们来谈谈柴油车的未来。Richard，柴油车还有未来吗？有，也没有。如果你住在城市里，那基本上是没有的，因为很多城市将在不久的将来禁止柴油车。Paris, for example. IncludingParisand a number of other cities are considering it, yes. And also, Volvo have recently announced that all their vehicles will be electric or hybrid from 2019.比如巴黎。是的，包括巴黎在内的许多城市都在考虑禁用柴油车。此外，沃尔沃最近宣布，自2019年起，他们所有的车辆将是电动车或混合动力车。So you mean they're going to stop making diesel vehicles? Yes. So why is there such a negative attitude now towards diesel? Well, it all stems from the VW emissions scandal a few years ago. Which we did a podcast about.所以你的意思是他们要停止生产柴油车？是的。那么为什么现在对柴油会有如此负面的态度呢？这全部源于几年前大众汽车的排放造假丑闻。我们当时还为此做过一期播客。We did. Briefly, VW were making their car so they could fake the results for testing. And they found that their diesel cars were much more polluting than advertised.确实做过。简单来说，大众制造汽车时让它们能够在测试中作弊。而事实证明，他们的柴油车比宣传的污染严重得多。OK, so they were making it look like diesel cars were a good thing to buy, but in fact they weren't. Exactly. But Richard, even before that scandal, diesel was always promoted as a good environmental option.好的，所以他们让柴油车看起来像是很好的选择，但实际上并不是。没错。不过 Richard，即使在那场丑闻之前，柴油车一直被宣传成环保的选择。Yes. And that stems from the difference between the petrol engine and the diesel engine. Right.是的。这源自汽油发动机和柴油发动机之间的差异。确实。Which is? Well, diesels are actually more efficient than petrol engines and they produce less carbon dioxide. OK.那是什么差异？柴油发动机实际上比汽油发动机更高效，并且产生的二氧化碳更少。好的。However, more recently they've found that they produce more nitrogen dioxide, which is bad for the health, and more particulate matter, basically stuff, fumes, which can cause cancer.然而，近年来人们发现柴油车会排放更多的二氧化氮，这对健康有害，同时也会产生更多颗粒物，就是那些可能致癌的烟雾。And those are worse than CO2 emissions, are they? They're certainly worse for your immediate health. Right. Yes.这些排放比二氧化碳更糟吗？它们确实对人的直接健康危害更大。是的，没错。And also they produce these things in the cities. So they're more efficient cars in the country, they're fine. In the cities they produce more noxious fumes and that's why they're more unhealthy in cities.并且这些有害物主要在城市中排放。因此在乡村里，柴油车作为高效车辆还算可以；但在城市中，它们会产生更多有害废气，这就是为什么在城市里柴油车更不健康。Can I ask what you mean by them being more efficient? I won't go to the technicalities of an engine, but they're just simply a more efficient motor. They use less, slightly less fuel and they can go on for longer. So you use less fuel per kilometre? Yes.我可以问一下你说的更高效是什么意思吗？我不去讲发动机的技术细节，总之它就是效率更高。它使用的燃料更少，可以跑得更远。所以每公里耗油更少？是的。And they're more powerful as well. That's why they've generally been used in trucks. Now, I suppose this is where we have to admit that we have a diesel vehicle.而且柴油发动机更有动力。这也是为什么它们普遍用于卡车。我想这也是我们必须承认我们自己有一辆柴油车的原因。We drive a Toyota Hilux, Richard, which is what we need. We need a truck. We need a big truck.我们开的是一辆丰田 Hilux，Richard，那是我们需要的。我们需要卡车，需要一辆大卡车。Yeah. But we don't drive in the city, we live in the country. OK.对。但我们不在城市里开车，我们住在乡村。好的。So I suppose that's a little bit better. We're not driving around a city and causing problems. And of course they don't have petrol-driven trucks here.所以我想这样也好一点，我们不会在城市里开车制造污染。而且这里也没有汽油驱动的卡车。So we actually don't have a choice. We can't exchange that truck for a petrol one, can we? No. I suppose we're just going to have to wait for them to invent an electric-powered truck.所以我们其实没有选择。我们不能把那辆柴油卡车换成汽油车，对吧？没错。我想我们只能等他们发明电动卡车了。So in fact, Richard, the future for diesel does look a little bit grim. Yes, but I think the future is definitely the hybrid. Which means? A hybrid vehicle is one that uses... it can either be a petrol or a diesel-driven car.所以实际上，Richard，柴油车的未来看起来确实有些暗淡。是的，但我认为未来一定属于混合动力车。是什么意思？混合动力车是指……它可以是汽油机或柴油机驱动的车辆。Right. Which it's used for the longer journeys and then in the city it switches over to the electric technology. Which is? Well, there are no emissions when you use the electric part of the car in the city.对。长途时使用内燃机，在城市里则切换到电力驱动。那是什么呢？在城市里使用电动部分时是零排放的。Fantastic. That looks like the best of both worlds then, Richard. 太棒了。这看起来是两全其美的方案，Richard。

6天前
03:38
第2857期:We are electric

第2857期:We are electric

We're talking about electric cars. OK, Richard, so what exactly is an electric car? Well, simply, it's a car driven by an electric motor – a motor that runs on a battery.我们来谈谈电动车。好的，Richard，那么电动车到底是什么？简单来说，就是由电动机驱动的汽车——而电动机是依靠电池运作的。OK, so presumably they're becoming more popular because they're more environmentally friendly than regular petrol or diesel cars. Exactly. I mean, the batteries are charged by electricity, which comes from a normal power station.好的，所以它们越来越受欢迎，大概是因为比普通的汽油车或柴油车更环保。确实如此。电动车的电池是通过发电站提供的电力来充电的。But the cars themselves produce no emissions whatsoever. So there's no noxious fumes. Are they more expensive, though? Yes, they are more expensive.但电动车本身完全不产生排放物。所以没有任何有害废气。不过它们更贵吗？是的，它们确实更贵。But that price is coming down because obviously a lot of governments are giving tax advantages. So they're getting a bit cheaper and they're much cheaper to run. For instance, with the Nissan Leaf, which is the most popular electrical car today, according to UK figures, it costs 1.75 pence a mile to run as opposed to a petrol car, which is 10 pence a mile.但价格正在下降，因为显然有许多政府提供税收优惠。这样电动车的价格逐渐降低，并且使用成本也便宜得多。例如，根据英国的数据，目前最受欢迎的电动车——日产聆风，其运行成本是每英里1.75便士，而汽油车则是每英里10便士。So not even 2p a mile. Exactly. Much cheaper.所以每英里甚至不到两便士。没错，便宜很多。However, of course, the batteries are very expensive and you have to replace them after a certain amount of time. OK, this is something I get a bit confused about – the recharging. I mean, you can't go very far in an electric car, can you? Yes, going back to the Leaf, they reckon you can go for about 100 miles, maybe 120 miles without recharging.不过当然，电池非常昂贵，并且使用一段时间后必须更换。好的，有件事我有点迷糊——充电。我是说，电动车行驶不了太远，对吗？是的，回到聆风这个例子，据说一次充电可以行驶大约100到120英里。So going around town, it's no problem. You go to work, come back again and it recharges overnight. Now, how does it do that? You just plug it into the mains and then about eight hours later, it's fully charged, ready to go the following day.所以在城市里开车完全没问题。上班、回家都够用，晚上就能充满电。那么它是怎么做到的呢？你只需要把它插到普通电源插座，大约八小时后就能完全充满，第二天即可使用。OK, so you have to be able to park the car in a place where you can recharge it. Yes, that's a difficulty for some people. Well, if you live in a block of flats, for example, there's nowhere to recharge your car.好的，所以你必须把车停在能充电的地方。是的，这对有些人来说是个难题。例如，如果你住在公寓楼里，可能没有地方给车充电。Well, unless you've got a parking space and the people owning the flats, they put in a recharging point for you, it can be difficult. Now, we've seen a few of these charging points in Europe recently. Are there going to be more of those in the future? Yes, I didn't get figures for how many charging points they've got, but obviously it's increasing hugely.除非你有固定车位，而且大楼管理方愿意安装充电点，否则会很困难。我们最近在欧洲看到过一些充电站。未来会有更多吗？是的，虽然我没有确切数据，但显然数量正在快速增长。And the advantage is a lot of these charging points are quick charge points. They reckon they can fill up a car battery to 80% within half an hour. Right, so you could maybe, for example, go to the supermarket and do your shopping and by the time you come back, the car has recharged.而且很多充电点都是快速充电站。据说可以在半小时内把电池充到80%。对，所以你可以，比如去超市购物，等你回来时车就充好电了。Exactly. And of course, it's very, very cheap. So I suppose this slight difficulty of recharging is why hybrids are also got a place in the market.没错，而且价格也非常非常便宜。所以我想，充电方面的这个小麻烦也是混合动力车仍然占据市场一席之地的原因。Yes, of course, they've got the advantage of, they've got an electric engine and a petrol engine. So they use the electric engine in the towns and the petrol engine for those longer distances. So they have much better range.是的，混合动力车的优势在于同时拥有电动机和汽油发动机。所以在城市里使用电动机，在长途时使用汽油发动机。因此续航能力更强。And I suppose people don't need to worry about the fact that the battery might be running low and they're not near a recharging point. Exactly. And that's why the biggest selling hybrid, the Toyota Prius has sold 1.6 million cars since they introduced it in 1997.而且我想，人们就不用担心电量不足，附近又找不到充电站的问题。没错。这也是为什么最畅销的混合动力车——丰田普锐斯，自1997年推出以来已经卖出了160万辆。OK, so people are taking these on board then? Definitely. Well, as I said, they're much cheaper to run. Tax advantages. 好的，所以消费者已经接受这些车了吗？当然。正如我所说，它们的使用成本更低，还有税收优惠。

7天前
03:22
第2856期:The economics of Christmas

第2856期:The economics of Christmas

It's the peak shopping time of the year, We're looking at the economics of Christmas. Yes, Christmas is typically the largest economic stimulus for many nations around the world, as sales increase dramatically in almost all retail areas. Now the United States, for example, their retail industry generates over three trillion US dollars during the holidays.这是全年消费最旺的时期，我们来看一下圣诞节的经济学。是的，圣诞节通常是全球许多国家最大的经济刺激来源，因为几乎所有零售领域的销售都会大幅增长。以美国为例，他们的零售行业在假日期间能产生超过三万亿美元的收入。Yes, the average amount an American will spend just on Christmas gifts is 900 US dollars. Now that's about £670, Richard, and I have to say that the average amount a Brit will spend is about half that. Still a lot though.是的，美国人仅在圣诞礼物上的平均花费就达到900美元。那大约是670英镑，Richard，而英国人在这方面的平均花费大约只有美国人的一半。不过，这仍然算是相当多了。Yeah, but although spending for this time of the year is expected to increase... As every year. Every year. And you know, Richard, this is despite any economic downturn or austerity, it's the online Christmas shopping which is rising, isn't it? Yes, sales in physical shops, I think, is expected to decline slightly by approximately 2.8% this year in the UK.是的，但尽管如此，这个时期的支出仍预计会增加……就像每一年一样。每一年都是如此。而且你知道的，Richard，即使有经济下滑或紧缩，圣诞节的线上购物仍然在增长，不是吗？是的，我想英国实体商店的销售预计今年将略微下降，大约下降2.8%。And there are other winners and losers too at this time of the year. Yes, well, most retailers, they have their highest sales in the fourth quarter from October through to December. And of these, some retailers see 30% to 40% spikes in sales at this time.而且在这一时期，还有其他的赢家和输家。是的，大多数零售商在第四季度（从十月到十二月）会达到全年最高销量。其中有些零售商在此期间的销售会飙升30%到40%。That's amazing. So what kind of shops are we talking about that benefit from the Christmas shopping spree? Well, obviously, the big thing is electronics, appliances, home appliances, clothing, sporting goods, and online retail. People are buying for Christmas.太惊人了。那么我们说的是哪些商家会从圣诞购物潮中获益？嗯，显而易见的是电子产品、电器、家用电器、服装、运动用品和线上零售。这些都是人们为了圣诞节而大量购买的。Yeah, OK. So computers are one of the most popular items that people buy. I think online games, consoles and things like that, they're very popular, aren't they? Yes.是的，好的。所以电脑是人们购买最热门的商品之一。我想线上游戏、游戏机之类的东西也非常受欢迎，对吧？是的。But there are losers, Richard, and that includes the motor industry. Not many people buy a car for Christmas, do they? Furniture goes down, petrol stations. Yes.但也有一些输家，Richard，其中包括汽车行业。不是很多人会在圣诞节买车，对吧？家具销售下降，加油站也是。是的。In the northern hemisphere, in the winter, building materials, people aren't really building much outside, are they? And perhaps not surprising, Richard, they're not doing much gardening, and gardening centres, their sales fall as well. And also, talk about the bad weather, it's no surprise that there's a huge decline in people going to restaurants during the holiday season. Yes, obviously, it's a time for family, isn't it? So most people are eating indoors at home.在北半球的冬天，建筑材料的销量也会下降，因为人们并不会在这个季节进行太多户外施工。而且不意外的是，Richard，人们也不会做太多园艺活动，因此园艺中心的销售也会下降。此外，说到恶劣天气，节日期间去餐厅的人数大幅减少也不奇怪。是的，很明显，这是一个家的季节，不是吗？所以大多数人都在家里吃饭。Well, we talked about this quarter being so well for many in the retail sector, but there are specific days which are even better, aren't they? Oh, yes. In the US especially, obviously, Black Friday is huge. Yeah, that's typically the busiest shopping day of the year.我们刚才提到这个季度对许多零售商来说表现非常好，但其实还有一些特定的日子业绩会更好，对吧？哦，是的。尤其是在美国，黑色星期五特别重要。是的，那通常是一年中最忙的一天购物日。And it's getting more popular in the UK as well, but not as big as America. We're much lazier in the UK. Certainly are.黑五在英国也越来越流行，但还是没有美国那么疯狂。我们英国人懒得多。确实如此。I think the biggest shopping day in the UK is the 23rd of December. We leave everything to the last minute. Very last minute, yes.我觉得英国最大的购物日是12月23日。我们总是把所有事情留到最后一刻。真的非常最后一刻，是的。And also, the Saturday before Christmas is very popular, and this year, the 23rd is a Saturday, so it's going to be hell on the high street. Yes, never mind Black Friday, that's going to be Super Saturday. Well, it may be Super Saturday for the retailers, Richard, but let's make sure we've got ours done before then.而且圣诞节前的那个星期六也非常热门，而今年23号刚好是星期六，所以商业街一定会爆满。是的，别提黑色星期五了，那将会是超级星期六。不过，Richard，那对零售商来说也许是超级星期六，但我们最好在那之前把我们的购物都搞定。

2周前
03:37
第2855期:There is something wrong with the chips

第2855期:There is something wrong with the chips

Last year, a new restaurant opened near us. We went there, but we were very disappointed. Yeah, we felt that the, what, the prices were too high and the quality of food wasn't really very good.去年，我们家附近开了一家新餐厅。我们去吃了，但非常失望。是啊，我们觉得价格太高，而且食物质量也不太好。And we said then that the restaurant needed some feedback. Yes, but feedback from customers. I think they'd had feedback, but from family and friends who were always going to be supportive, always going to say that's a great idea opening the restaurant.那时候我们就说，这家餐厅需要一些反馈。是的，但需要来自顾客的反馈。我想他们也收到过反馈，但都是来自家人和朋友，这些人肯定只会支持他们、说“开餐厅这个主意真棒”。They're not getting the correct feedback. And we have now since discovered, Richard, haven't we, that the restaurant has closed down. We're talking about getting feedback from customers.他们没有获得真正正确的反馈。而后来我们也发现了，对吧，Richard？这家餐厅已经关门了。我们今天谈的，就是如何获得顾客的反馈。So, the restaurant didn't ask for feedback at all from its new customers, but we do often get asked for feedback from online businesses. Yeah, just like everybody else really, isn't it? However, there's not usually a response, I've found.餐厅完全没有向新的顾客征求过任何反馈，不过我们经常收到来自线上企业的反馈请求。是啊，就像其他人一样，对吧？然而，我发现通常根本不会收到任何回应。What do you mean, having given us, having given the feedback? Yeah, you give the feedback, they say your views are important, and then nothing.你是说，给了他们反馈之后？对，你提供了反馈，他们说“您的意见很重要”，然后……就没下文了。Yeah, it wasn't that long ago, Richard, if you remember. I wrote quite a negative feedback to a company that we'd been dealing with. And I spent quite a long time giving, I felt, constructive feedback.是的，不久前的事，Richard，你记得吗？我给我们合作的一家公司写了一份比较负面的反馈。我花了很长时间写，觉得内容是有建设性的。It was negative, but I expressed, quite politely as well, what I was unhappy about. And you took a long time doing it as well. Yeah, yeah.虽然是负面的，但我很礼貌地表达了我不满意的地方。而且你花了不少时间写。对，对。Two weeks later, I've heard nothing back. Yes, and let's face it, customers would like to know that they have been heard. Yeah, thank customers for their feedback, always do that.两周过去了，我仍然没有收到任何回复。没错，说实话，顾客希望知道自己的意见被听到了。是啊，应该永远感谢顾客的反馈。Now, I read a blog recently about how to get feedback from customers, and they were talking about FedEx, and they said that FedEx put a telephone number on their receipt. And this person who wrote the blog said it would be much better if the cell phone number of the regional manager was on the receipt. I'm not sure he would want to receive a lot of complaints though.最近我读了一篇关于如何获取顾客反馈的博客，里面提到 FedEx。说 FedEx 会在收据上印一个电话号码。而作者还说，如果收据上放的是区域经理的手机号码会更好。不过，我不确定那位经理是否愿意接到那么多投诉电话。But it did remind me of what happened to you, Richard, recently. Yes, I bought a pair of high-tech trainers, and there was a problem with them. I think it was a design fault.但这让我想起你最近发生的事，Richard。是的，我买了一双高科技跑鞋，但它们有问题。我想那是设计缺陷。But there was a little card inside from, so it said, the CEO, and it had his email address on it. So I wrote to him, told him about the problems I was having, and thought no more of it. Did he reply? He did.但鞋盒里有一张小卡片，说是来自 CEO 的，上面有他的邮箱。所以我写信告诉他我遇到的问题，然后也没再多想。他回复了吗？回复了。Well, I'm sure it wasn't him, but it was a personal reply from a real person saying that they'd heard me and they were dealing with it in some way. I think even if something has gone wrong, if you feel you're a valued customer, it makes all the difference.我肯定不是 CEO 本人，但那封回信确实由一位真实的人写的，告诉我他们已经收到我的问题，并会处理。我觉得，即使事情出了问题，只要让顾客觉得自己被重视，那感觉完全不同。Feedback surveys are another big topic. We're not going to talk about it on this podcast. That's all going to be on the extra worksheet that goes with the podcast. But I think we can sum it up, Richard, by saying that online businesses should ask for feedback and respond to it.反馈调查是另一个大话题，我们不会在这期播客里讨论。这部分内容会放在播客附带的额外讲义里。但我想我们可以总结一句：线上企业应该征求反馈并对反馈做出回应。So getting back to the restaurant then, Jackie, so what happened there? Well, I think it was possible to see what your customers are doing and draw conclusions from their behaviour. In the case of the restaurant, there were eight of us, right, and seven of us left most of the chips uneaten. So the waiter collecting the plates should note and report this.回到那家餐厅吧，Jackie，到底发生了什么？嗯，其实完全可以通过观察顾客的行为而得出结论。比如那次我们八个人，对吧，其中七个人的薯条几乎都没吃。收盘子的服务员应该注意到并上报。I think there's something wrong with the chips. I doubt he even did that though. No, of course not.我觉得那些薯条肯定有问题。不过我怀疑他根本没做记录。没错，当然没有。That's why the restaurant closed down. If you don't know what's going wrong, you can never fix it.这就是餐厅关门的原因。如果你不知道哪里出了问题，你永远无法修复。

2周前
03:42
第2854期:A new design for pie

第2854期:A new design for pie

We're celebrating the new design of our website. Yeah, up until recently, the general lifespan of websites was between two and three years but now they're saying it's fallen to one year. Now Richard, we've had our website since 2006.我们正在庆祝我们网站的新设计。是的，直到最近，网站的一般寿命是两到三年，但现在人们说已经缩短到一年了。Richard，我们的网站自 2006 年以来就一直存在。Wow! Wow! Yeah, so we must be doing something right to be still going. Yes, there's been a few changes, mainly under the hood as it were. What does that mean? Well, things that the users wouldn't really recognise, things like HTML5 is the new technology that's taken over and also the biggest thing recently is HTTPS.哇！哇！是啊，我们能坚持这么久，说明我们确实做对了一些事情。是的，期间有一些改动，主要是在“引擎盖下面”。那是什么意思？嗯，就是用户不太察觉的东西，比如 HTML5 已经成为新主流技术，而最近最大的更新就是 HTTPS。What do you mean by that? Well, most people will see the little green padlock at the top of the browser bar, which means that the website is safe, basically. OK. Now, for our new design, we've concentrated on a few major areas, haven't we? And I suppose number one has to be the overall look, the overall design.你是什么意思？嗯，大多数人会在浏览器地址栏看到一个小小的绿色锁头，那基本上意味着这个网站是安全的。好的。现在，对于这次新设计，我们专注于几个主要方面，是吧？我想第一点就是整体外观，整体设计。You were mainly responsible for that, Jackie. What were you looking for here? Well, I suppose I wanted a fresher, more modern look and for me the starting point was I wanted an image of England or Britain and we didn't want the typical London look, you know, the double-decker buses and all that kind of stuff. But you wanted something green.Jackie，这部分主要是你负责的。你当时想要呈现什么呢？嗯，我想要更清新、更现代的外观。对我来说，起点是我想呈现英国的形象，但我们不想要典型的伦敦风，比如双层巴士那些东西。而你想要绿色的感觉。Well, I wanted something to represent England's green and pleasant land, so the countryside and I think it's a reflection of our culture and it says something about us. Yes, it's not just the colours though, is it? It's also the navigation and things like that. People are often saying how user-friendly our site is and I really wanted us to stay with that.嗯，我想呈现“英国绿野和美丽乡村”的形象，我觉得那能反映我们的文化，也能代表我们自己。是的，不过不仅仅是颜色，对吧？还有导航之类的设计。人们经常说我们的网站非常易用，我真的希望我们继续保持这一点。And I think we've... I hope we've done that. Yes, it's less cluttered, isn't it? We've just got the one sidebar now rather than two. I think originally, Richard, we were very concerned when people turned on their computers that all the information, the important information, was there to be seen straight away.我觉得我们……我希望我们做到了。是的，现在简洁多了，对吗？我们现在只有一个侧边栏，不再是两个。我记得当初，Richard，我们很担心用户打开电脑时，所有重要的信息能不能第一时间看到。But that's not so necessary nowadays, is it? The long scroll. It used to be important, as you said, to place all your important elements above the fold, as it were, immediately visible, but now people are more willing to scroll down. And I think they're more willing to scroll down because people, when they use mobile phones, they're always scrolling, scrolling, scrolling down, so it's become a familiar thing to do.但如今这已经不再那么必要了，对吧？现在大家习惯长距离滚动页面。以前，正如你说的，把所有重要内容放在“折叠线以上”（即无需滚动即可看到）是很重要的，但现在人们更愿意往下滑。我想这是因为大家用手机时一直在往下滑，所以已经习惯了这种行为。That is a very good point, Jackie, and it actually brings us to point number two, being responsive. What do you mean by that? Well, you talk about people using mobile phones, so the website has got to change size for people using mobile, so mobile phone users can see the website very, very clearly and very easily. So you're saying that the content should be available on every device? Yes, desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones.这一点非常好，Jackie，而且它引出了我们的第二点：响应式设计。你指的是什么？嗯，你提到人们使用手机，所以网站必须根据设备自动调整大小，这样手机用户才能清晰、方便地查看内容。也就是说，内容应该在每种设备上都能正常显示？是的，包括台式机、笔电、平板和手机。And also, of course, that helps us because Google favours sites that are mobile-friendly as well, so search engine optimisation is a very important thing. And the third point, Richard, we're thinking about is shareable content, sharing things. So we really want people to be able to share the podcasts that they like very easily on another social media site, for example, Facebook or Twitter.而且，这样做对我们也有好处，因为 Google 更喜欢对手机友好的网站，所以搜索引擎优化非常重要。第三点，Richard，就是可分享的内容。我们希望用户能够非常轻松地将自己喜欢的播客分享到其他社交媒体，比如 Facebook 或 Twitter。So the website, like every other one, is a work in progress, and we're also looking at future improvements as well, such as, as I mentioned, search engine optimisation and also the speed of page downloads as well. So it's been an exciting new project for us. We hope everybody likes it and we look forward to you telling us what you think about it.所以，我们的网站与其他网站一样，是一个持续改进的过程，我们也在考虑未来的优化，例如我刚提到的搜索引擎优化，以及页面下载速度。对我们来说，这是一个令人兴奋的新项目。我们希望大家喜欢，也希望你们告诉我们对它的看法。Yes, especially if you spot any glitches, let us know.是的，特别是如果你发现任何小问题，请告诉我们。

2周前
03:59
第2853期:Fake facebook

第2853期:Fake facebook

With 2 billion users, Facebook is the largest social networking company in the world. And for many people, it's the first port of call for information, both from friends and family. But it's also chock-a-block with adverts, stories that may interest you, videos and all the latest news and trends.拥有 20 亿用户的 Facebook 是世界上最大的社交网络公司。对许多人来说，它是获取信息的第一站，无论来自朋友还是家人。但它也塞满了广告、可能吸引你的故事、视频，以及最新的新闻和趋势。However, a dark side has begun to emerge and Facebook has gone from fun to fake. We're looking at fake Facebook. Well, we're going to look at three main fake things.然而，一个黑暗面开始浮现，Facebook 正从有趣变成虚假。今天我们要谈的是“假 Facebook”。我们将讨论三类主要的“假东西”。And the first of those is fake adverts, isn't it, Jackie? Yeah, we're going to start with Martin Lewis. Now, he's a consumer advisor and money-saving expert, and he's suing Facebook for publishing fake adverts. Yes, he's hugely popular in the UK and a very respected figure.第一类就是假广告，对吧，Jackie？对，我们先从 Martin Lewis 开始说。他是一位消费者顾问和省钱专家，他正在起诉 Facebook，因为 Facebook 发布了假广告。是的，他在英国非常受欢迎，也是备受尊敬的人物。Yeah. Now, the adverts feature his face and name, but he has nothing to do with them at all. They are simply scams.对。那些广告使用了他的照片和名字，但他与这些广告完全没有关系。这些完全是骗局。Victims pay a lot of money, thinking it's a scheme supported by him, a well-trusted advisor, but it's nothing of the kind. Now, Facebook's defence is that they've taken down individual adverts as they are reported. But then Lewis counter charges that they're soon predictably up and running again, slightly different.受害者花了大量钱，以为这是由他这位值得信赖的顾问支持的项目，但事实完全不是这样。Facebook 的辩解是：他们会在广告被举报后逐条下架。但 Lewis 反驳说，这些广告很快就会重新出现，只是内容稍有变化。Yeah. And he just can't keep up. And he's not the only one.对，他根本无法跟上。而且受害者不仅仅是他一个。Scammers often use pictures of celebrities to grab attention and increase the number of clicks on an advert and imply that the public figure has endorsed the product or investment, and it's not true. The second issue is fake pages. Yes.骗子经常使用名人的照片来吸引注意力、提高广告点击率，并暗示这些公众人物代言了产品或投资，但这完全不是真的。第二类问题是假页面。是的。Earlier this year, there was a Facebook page associated with the American Black Lives Matter campaign, and this was proved to be fake. Although it had nearly 700,000 followers, which made it the largest Facebook page affiliated with this movement, it was nothing to do with them.今年早些时候，出现了一个与美国“黑人的命也是命”（Black Lives Matter）运动相关的 Facebook 页面，但最后被证实是假的。尽管它有近 70 万粉丝，是该运动在 Facebook 上最大的页面，但它与真正的组织毫无关系。No, it turned out to be linked to a white Australian man, and it was in operation for more than a year, despite multiple efforts to warn Facebook that it might be fraudulent.不是的，最终发现这个页面与一名澳大利亚白人男子有关。尽管多次有人警告 Facebook 该页面可能存在欺诈，但它仍然运营了一年多。Yes. And in fact, it had raised at least $100,000 in donations, and much of that money went into private bank accounts.是的，而且这个假页面实际上募得至少 10 万美元的捐款，其中大部分进入了私人银行账户。Yeah. So completely conning so many people. And the last one is what we hear about all the time, Richard, fake news. Now before the last US election, Obama and his topaideswere aware of Russia's intervention on behalf of the Trump campaign.对，完全欺骗了那么多人。最后一类就是我们经常听到的，假新闻。上一次美国大选前，奥巴马和他的高级顾问们已经知道俄罗斯正在干预，以支持特朗普的竞选活动。Yes. For instance, there was a Facebook page called Heart of Texas, and it said that Hillary Clinton had a 69% disapproval rate among all veterans, and it was rubbish, and it was supplied by Russia, or a Russian source.是的。例如，有一个名为“Heart of Texas”的 Facebook 页面声称希拉里·克林顿在所有退伍军人中有 69% 的不支持率，但这完全是假消息，并且来自俄罗斯或与俄罗斯相关的来源。Yeah. Now Zuckerberg himself then acknowledged that there was a problem posed by fake news, but he just said that, you know, it wasn't that widespread, and it was difficult to deal with. Hmm. Since then...对。扎克伯格后来承认假新闻确实是一个问题，但他当时表示假新闻并不普遍，而且很难处理。嗯。从那以后……He's admitted that Facebook had indeed been manipulated, and that the company would now turn over to Congress more than 3,000 politically-themed advertisements that were bought by suspected Russian operatives.他承认 Facebook 确实被操纵过，公司将向美国国会提交 3000 多条由疑似俄罗斯势力购买的政治广告。Yes, it's fake news, but it's also not good news, either for individual people or for businesses who are using Facebook. So what can be done about it? Yes, I think a major problem is that Facebook has actually known about it, but they haven't been doing that much to stop it. Hmm.没错，这是假新闻，但对个人用户和使用 Facebook 的企业来说，这同样不是好消息。那么该怎么办呢？我认为主要问题是 Facebook 其实早就知道这些情况，但并没有做太多来阻止它。嗯。Either they're very naive, or, let's face it, they get a lot of money from the advertisements. Well, exactly. So you need to ask yourself, is this for real? Is this true? And then ask for evidence, especially if you're sceptical.要么他们非常天真，要么——说实话——他们从广告中赚了很多钱。没错。因此，你需要问自己：这是真的吗？内容可信吗？如果你心存怀疑，就更应该要求证据。And this is important both for consumers and businesses. And voters and politicians. And for the future of Facebook.这对消费者和企业都非常重要。对选民和政治人物也很重要。对 Facebook 的未来更是如此。

2周前
04:18
第2852期:New UK award for children's fiction open to global author

第2852期:New UK award for children's fiction open to global author

This new prize aims to celebrate the best contemporary fiction for children aged eight to 12 years old. It will be open to authors from around the world and will be given for a book written in English or translated into English, providing it was published in the UK or Ireland.这一新奖项的目标是庆贺写给八到 12 岁儿童的最佳当代小说。该奖项将向来自全球的作家开放，颁发给用英语创作或翻译成英语的小说，小说需要已经在英国或爱尔兰出版。The UK's Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce is set to be the inaugural chair of judges. The panel will decide a shortlist of eight books to be announced in November next year. The first winner will be chosen in February 2027.英国儿童文学桂冠作家弗兰克·科特雷尔·博伊斯将成为首任评委会主席。评委会将选出包含八本书的入围名单，并于明年 11 月公布。第一位获奖者将于 2027 年 2 月被选出。The chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation Gaby Wood described the new award as its most ambitious endeavour in 20 years and said it was hoped its impact would resonate for decades to come.布克奖基金会的首席执行官加比·伍德称这一新奖项是基金会 20 年来最具雄心的一次尝试，基金会希望这个奖项的影响能在未来几十年产生深远的影响。The foundation will gift 30,000 copies of the shortlisted and winning books, with the aim of engaging a new generation of readers.基金会将送出三万本入围和获奖作品，以期吸引新一代的读者。

2周前
00:49
第2851期:Do we give weight too much weight?

第2851期:Do we give weight too much weight?

Take your height in metres, square it, then divide it by your weight in kilograms. That's how you calculate your body mass index, or BMI. If it's between 18 and 25, your weight is healthy. If it's over, it isn't. So far, so simple. BMI has become a popular metric for people to check their health.把你的身高（以米为单位）平方，然后用这个数去除以你的体重（以千克为单位）。这就是计算你的身体质量指数（BMI）的方法。如果BMI介于18到25之间，你的体重被认为是健康的；如果高于这个范围，则不健康。到目前为止，这很简单。BMI已经成为人们检查自身健康状况的一个常用指标。On a population level, data backs this up. People with a high BMI are statistically more likely to develop conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and some types of cancer along with other health problems. Checking BMI could be a way for people to easily assess their health and decide if they need to make any lifestyle changes.从人群层面来看，数据支持这一点。统计显示，BMI较高的人更容易出现高血压、糖尿病、关节炎以及某些类型的癌症等健康问题。检查BMI可以让人们更容易评估自身健康状况，并决定是否需要作出生活方式上的改变。However, BMI does not give the full picture. It's known that it's less accurate for some groups of people, such as children, the elderly or athletes. The measure was devised in the 19th Century by a Belgian mathematician, and this may be why the figures are more accurate for Europeans than other ethnicities. There are also several important factors that it doesn't measure. Someone who is very active may have significant weight from muscle. BMI doesn't differentiate between this or the visceral fat that is linked with negative health outcomes. It doesn't account for the range of nutrients or the level of cholesterol in someone's diet. What this means is that people can have a high BMI and be relatively healthy, while others may have a low BMI but be unhealthy.然而，BMI并不能提供全貌。众所周知，它对某些群体的准确度较低，比如儿童、老年人或运动员。BMI由一位比利时数学家在19世纪提出，这可能也是它对欧洲人比对其他种族更准确的原因。此外，还有一些重要因素是它无法衡量的。一个经常锻炼的人可能因为肌肉较多而体重偏高，而BMI无法区分肌肉重量与对健康不利的内脏脂肪。它也无法衡量一个人的营养摄入结构或胆固醇水平。也就是说，有些人BMI较高但相对健康，而另一些人BMI较低却并不健康。The simplicity of BMI is attractive, it's also very visible and fits with society's perception of the importance of weight. However, dependence on it as an indication of health can cause stigma. People can feel judged because of their weight. This sometimes leads people to avoid going to the doctors if they know they're likely to be questioned on it. While BMI may be a useful measure, experts remind us that it should always be considered alongside other measures, such as blood pressure, blood sugar level, cholesterol level and others.BMI的简单性很吸引人，它也很直观，并且符合社会对体重重要性的普遍看法。然而，把它当成健康的主要指标可能会让人感到被污名化，人们可能因为体重而感到被评判。这有时会导致一些人因为害怕被询问体重而避免看医生。虽然BMI是一个有用的指标，但专家提醒我们，它应该与其他指标一起考虑，例如血压、血糖、胆固醇水平等。

2周前
02:17
第2850期:The artisan economy

第2850期:The artisan economy

We're in the midst of a craft revolution. We're seeing explosive growth in many consumer products categories. There is no one definition, I would say, but oftentimes there are artisanal products, locally sourced, handmade, and sometimes made in small batches.我们正处在一场手工艺革命的浪潮之中。我们看到许多消费品类别都在出现爆炸式增长。虽然没有一个统一的定义，但通常它们是手工制作的产品、本地采购、手工打造，有时以小批量方式生产。It resonates with many of the megatrends that we see with consumers, particularly millennials who are really looking for something very authentic. They like to take risks and try new products. Right now, it's primarily a U.S. phenomenon, but we're seeing growth in many markets outside the U.S. as well.这与我们看到的许多消费大趋势相契合，尤其是千禧一代，他们非常追求真实的东西。他们喜欢冒险、尝试新产品。目前这主要是一种美国现象，但我们也在看到美国以外许多市场的增长。We really think the craft revolution will be a global phenomenon over the next 10 years. We're seeing the craft revolution across many categories. You know, when you think about restaurants, the whole farm-to-table concept is a great example of craft.我们确实认为，在未来10年内，手工艺革命将成为全球现象。我们在许多类别中都看到了这种手工艺浪潮。例如，当你想到餐饮业时，“从农场到餐桌”的理念就是一个典型的手工化代表。You're seeing it in cosmetics. Handmade soap, for example, is really a growing part of that industry. I think most importantly, where we're seeing the most and the fastest growth we're seeing is really in the alcoholic beverages.你也能在化妆品领域看到这种趋势。例如手工皂，已成为该行业快速增长的部分。而我认为最重要的是，我们看到增长最多、增速最快的领域其实是酒精类饮品。Beer and spirits are examples of where we're seeing really a true craft revolution playing out. Craft beer is the most developed and largest segment within craft. It's about 10% of the total industry volume, independent crafts, and if you include some of the craft-style brands that are owned by the major companies, it's actually as large as 13%, 14%.啤酒和烈酒是我们看到真正的手工革命正在发生的典型例子。在所有手工领域中，精酿啤酒是发展最成熟、规模最大的部分。独立精酿啤酒约占整个行业销量的10%，如果再算上大公司拥有的精酿风格品牌，比例实际上可达到13%至14%。It's interesting because it's not a new concept per se. Craft beers have been around since the 80s and 90s, really started out as some of the smaller microbrewery developing their own beer in their garages, and I think the last 10 years, we've seen such explosive growth in craft beer. And we think that over the next five years, the craft beer segment could be as big as 20% of the total industry volume.有趣的是，这本身并不是一个新概念。精酿啤酒从80年代、90年代就已经出现，最早是一些小型的家庭微型酿酒厂在车库里自行酿造。而在过去10年，我们看到了精酿啤酒的爆炸式增长。我们认为，在未来五年内，精酿啤酒可能会增长到整个行业规模的20%。Craft spirits is smaller than beer. Today we think it's about 2% to 3% of the total industry volume, but what's interesting and fascinating is that this is growing at a really faster rate than beer. Many of the craft spirits brands are growing 40%, 50%, and really it touches on across many categories within spirits.精酿烈酒目前比啤酒小得多。现在我们估计它占整个行业的2%到3%。但有趣的是，它的增长速度比啤酒还要快。许多精酿烈酒品牌正以40%至50%的速度增长，而且涵盖烈酒中的多个类别。So it's not just the whiskey phenomenon, but you're seeing it in vodka, you're seeing it in gin. The other thing that's interesting is when you think about the number of distilleries that are actually popping up, it's very close to where beer was 10, 15 years ago. So think about the trajectory that craft spirits could be on for the next 10 years, really replicating what beer went through on the craft side.所以这不只是威士忌的现象，你能在伏特加、杜松子酒中都看到这一趋势。另一个有趣的点是，当你观察新成立的蒸馏厂的数量时，它与啤酒在10到15年前的情况非常相似。所以想象一下未来10年精酿烈酒的发展轨迹，很可能会复制精酿啤酒过去的路径。Interestingly, I think what you have to keep in mind is the consequences of what all this means for some of the larger players. Some are buying some of these smaller craft brands, some are trying to develop their own brands organically, but certainly the competitive intensity has been rising and we think will continue to rise as a result of just the proliferation and the competitive pressure from these craft beer brands. So the rise of craft is here to stay.值得注意的是，我们必须考虑这些变化对大型企业意味着什么。一些大公司正在收购小型精酿品牌，一些则试图自行开发手工风格产品。但无论如何，竞争强度正在上升，且我们认为会持续上升，因为精酿品牌数量迅速增加并带来了巨大的竞争压力。因此，手工艺浪潮势不可挡。In some categories we think the craft will really take over the mainstream segments in that particular category, and like it or not, the larger companies really have to deal with the consequences of what that means. It's not just an impact on the consumers, but how the companies are dealing with that will really define how the industry impacts the broader trends over time.在某些类别中，我们认为手工化甚至会取代该类别的主流市场。不管大型企业愿不愿意，它们都必须应对这种变化带来的影响。这不仅影响消费者行为，更影响企业如何调整策略，而这些变化将最终塑造整个行业如何影响未来更广泛的趋势。

2周前
03:22
第2849期:The four-day week

第2849期:The four-day week

It's becoming increasingly popular for businesses to only accept payments by card. Yes. London's bus network has been cashless since 2014.越来越多的商家只接受刷卡支付。是的，伦敦的公交系统从 2014 年起就已经全面取消现金支付了。And now there are many food and drink outlets in the UK that only accept payment by card. We're looking at the benefits of a cashless company.现在英国有许多餐饮店也仅接受刷卡支付。我们现在要讨论无现金公司的好处。Yes, specifically in the hospitality trade. If you think about in the past, Richard, restaurants. Imagine the scenario. Saturday night, they've done very well, OK.是的，尤其是在餐饮与服务行业。想想过去吧，Richard，比如餐馆。想象一个场景：星期六晚上，他们生意很好。They've had a lot of customers, well, a lot of orders. They've taken a lot of money. What happens at the end of the evening?有很多顾客、很多订单，收入也很多。那么在晚上打烊后会发生什么？Well, obviously the first thing is, after they close, they've got to count the cash, haven't they? They've got to count the takings for the night and record it.首先显而易见的是，打烊后他们必须清点现金，对吧？必须数清这晚的收入并记录下来。And it needs to be checked with the receipts. Exactly. So that takes up a lot of time and resources.而且还需要与收据核对。没错。所以这会占用大量时间和人力资源。And then, of course, if it's night time, they've got to hang on to that money, probably keep it in a safe. If it's a Saturday night, they've got to keep all that cash safe and then probably not be able to take it to the bank, what, until Monday morning?而且，如果是晚上，他们必须妥善保管这些现金，可能要放在保险箱里。如果是星期六晚上，他们需要整晚保管所有现金，并可能直到周一早上才能存入银行。And the bank is the other problem as well, of course, Jackie, because banks will charge customers if they deposit large amounts of cash.银行也是一个问题，Jackie，因为银行在客户存入大量现金时会收取费用。What kind of bank charges do restaurants have a year then, about?那餐馆一年大概要付多少银行手续费呢？Well, it can be as much as from £3,000 to £5,000 for a decent-sized restaurant, and obviously the chains pay much more than that.一家规模不错的餐馆一年大约要支付 3,000 到 5,000 英镑，连锁店则要付更多。Actually, even when people paid with their cards in the past, it wasn't easy or cheap for the restaurants either. The card processing system was much more complicated than it is now.事实上，即使过去顾客使用银行卡支付，对餐馆来说也不简单或便宜。当时的刷卡处理系统比现在复杂得多。OK, so you're talking about people putting their cards into the machine, the handheld machine? Exactly, yes.你是指顾客把卡插进那种手持刷卡机？没错。They had different cards, different fees, some were accepted, some weren't, different card readers. The process is much more streamlined now.当时不同的卡收费不同，有些能刷，有些不能，而且刷卡机也不统一。现在这个流程已经顺畅多了。Yeah, and I think that the card readers, they're much cheaper and easier to use, aren't they, for restaurants?是的，而且现在的刷卡机对餐馆来说更便宜、更容易使用了，对吧？Yes, and interestingly enough, in addition to that, at one particular McDonald's branch, where they introduced cashless kiosks, i.e. they wouldn't take cash at all, the values of the individual orders went up by 30%.是的，而且很有趣的是，在某家麦当劳分店，他们引入了完全不接受现金的自助点餐机后，单笔订单金额竟然上涨了 30%。Well, I suppose people are more willing to spend more if it's with a card, as opposed to putting their hands in their pockets for cash.嗯，我想人们在刷卡时更愿意多花钱，相比掏出现金要更轻松。Certainly would seem so. So maybe, perhaps after all, we are moving towards a cashless society.确实如此。所以或许，我们正在迈向一个无现金社会。However, interestingly, the Bank of England has observed that despite the rate of card transactions soaring, and actually back in 2016, purchases using a debit card overtook cash for the first time in the UK, the volume of cash in circulation is at a record high, which sounds a bit strange.不过有趣的是，英格兰银行观察到，尽管银行卡交易量大幅上升——实际上早在 2016 年英国借记卡消费就首次超过现金——但市场上流通的现金量却创下历史新高，这听起来有点奇怪。And the number of British people who only deal in cash, which is about 2.7 million, is also rising.而只使用现金的人数也在上升，约有 270 万英国人只使用现金交易。So why is that then? Well, there's a number of reasons.那为什么会这样呢？原因有很多。People are hoarding money after the 2008 crash.人们在 2008 年金融危机后开始囤积现金。They're stuffing it underneath their mattresses again, are they?他们又把现金塞回床垫下面了吗？Yeah, sounds a bit strange. But perhaps most interestingly, there's a booming criminal economy.是的，听起来有点奇怪。但也许最值得注意的是，黑色经济正在蓬勃发展。Cash in hand, avoiding taxes, etc. Exactly.比如私下收现金、逃税等等。没错。So cards are great for restaurants, but not necessarily for all businesses.所以刷卡支付对餐馆很有帮助，但不一定适用于所有行业。

3周前
03:38
第2848期:The four-day week

第2848期:The four-day week

Back in March 2018, an insurance company from New Zealand started a landmark trial with its company staff. It decided to trial a four-day working week. Almost 250 staff at Perpetual Guardian took part.早在 2018 年 3 月，新西兰一家保险公司开始对员工进行一项具有里程碑意义的试验：他们决定试行每周四天工作制。大约有 250 名来自 Perpetual Guardian 的员工参与了这项试验。We're looking at the pros and cons of working a four-day week. Right, Jackie. So that New Zealand company, what was the result of their trial? The employees completed surveys before they did the trial and after they did the trial.我们现在要讨论每周四天工作制的利与弊。好的，Jackie。那么那家新西兰公司，他们的试验结果如何？员工们在试验前和试验后都填写了问卷调查。And it was upon reading the results that the company declared it was a great success and decided to adopt the new schedule full-time.在看到调查结果后，公司宣布试验非常成功，并决定永久采用这一新的工作安排。OK. So why was it such a great success then? Well, there were three factors that they looked at.好的。那么它为何如此成功？他们主要从三个因素进行评估。And overall, staff reported lower stress levels, higher levels of job satisfaction. Interesting. And also an improved sense of work-life balance.总体而言，员工表示压力降低、工作满意度提高——很有趣——而且工作与生活的平衡感也有所提升。OK. That sounds obvious. The employees loved it. What did the firm get out of it?好的，这听起来很合理。员工很喜欢。那么公司从中获得了什么呢？Actually, because there was less stress, productivity increased. People who enjoy their job at the end of the day work better. Fantastic.实际上，由于压力减少，生产力反而提高了。喜欢自己工作的人最终会做得更好。太棒了。But actually, the four-day week, it's nothing new, is it? No, they've had it in America for some time. Richard, the difference is, in America, you still work 40 hours, right? But you just do it over four days.不过事实上，每周四天工作制并不新鲜，对吧？对，美国很早以前就有了。Richard，不同之处在于，美国人仍然工作 40 小时，只是把这 40 小时压缩在四天内完成。So you still do the same number of hours as you did in five days, but you do it in the four days.也就是说，你工作时长一样，只是从五天集中到四天中。Exactly. You're working a 10-hour day instead. The important thing here was that people worked fewer hours got paid the same.没错，你每天工作 10 小时。这里重要的是，人们工作更少的时间，却拿同样的薪水。They worked for four days but got paid for five. Exactly.他们只工作四天，但拿五天的工资。没错。So a four-day week then, it can't all be good then, surely?所以每周四天工作制肯定也不是全都是好处吧？Well, I suppose there is a possibility that if you're working harder for four days, you could actually come the fourth day, become less productive.嗯，我想有一种可能是，如果你在四天内更拼命工作，到了第四天你的效率可能反而下降。And also those on a four-day week, they may feel some pressure to come into meetings on that fifth day when they're not there. Or work from home.此外，实行四天工作制的人，可能会感到压力必须在他们本不应该上班的第五天参加会议，或在家工作。OK, it was a great success then, this four-day week. But why did the company actually go for it in the first place?好的，这个四天工作制非常成功。但是，公司当初为什么会尝试这样的制度？Yeah, new technology, Richard. I mean, you know, the use of computers.嗯，是因为新科技，Richard。比如电脑的使用。People always thought, didn't they, that in the future, it wasn't that long ago, they said in the future, people will be working more from home and having a more relaxed work-life balance.人们一直认为——直到不久前还这样说——未来大家会更多在家工作，拥有更轻松的工作与生活平衡。Yeah, they always said people will be working less in the future, didn't they? But it appears that people are actually working more.是啊，他们总说未来人们会工作得更少，对吧？但事实似乎是人们现在反而工作得更多。Exactly. You can't get away from the office nowadays, can you, with emails and phone calls, etc.没错，如今你完全无法远离办公室邮件、电话等。No. It's created a culture where workers are required to be constantly available to work.是的，这创造了一种文化：员工必须随时待命。You see that all the time, Richard. And with our friends, they're on the phone or answering emails at the weekend.你经常能看到这样的情况，Richard。我们的朋友们在周末也在打电话或回邮件。Now that company in New Zealand did one thing. But they've been trying something else in France, haven't they?那家新西兰公司采取了一种方式。但法国采取了另一种方式，对吧？Yeah, France realised that work was spilling into after hours. So they tried a different approach.是的，法国意识到工作不断侵入下班时间，于是他们尝试不同的方式。And this was getting companies to make regulations that stopped employees responding to emails, answering phones after a certain time.他们让公司制定规定，禁止员工在特定时间后回复邮件或接电话。But I wonder, it's interesting, the four-day week. It works for some companies. I wonder if it's the future.不过我很好奇，四天工作制很有趣。它对一些公司有效。我想知道这是否会成为未来趋势。Yes, I think it depends on the company itself, doesn't it? Some companies can lend their ways to four days where it might be impossible for others.是的，我想这取决于公司本身。有些公司可以适应四天工作制，而另一些公司则完全无法实行。Anyway, do you work for a company who does a four-day working week? Or would you like to see it introduced to your company? 总之，你的公司实行四天工作制吗？或者你希望公司引入这样的制度吗？

3周前
03:58
第2847期:The sportswriter

第2847期:The sportswriter

I'm talking to Simon. Hi Simon. Hi.我正在和西蒙说话。嗨，西蒙。嗨。Who is hoping to become a full-time freelance sports writer. Am I right about that? Yes, just about, yes.他希望成为一名全职自由体育作家。我这样说对吗？是的，差不多，是的。What kind of sports do you write about? Well, at the moment I only write about football.你写哪种运动？嗯，目前我只写足球。That's my specialist subject and that is done in two directions. I have always followed Manchester City Football Club, so that is my English arm of the football writing. And because I'm a resident of Lisbon, I also write about Portuguese football affairs.那是我的专长，而且分为两个方向。我一直关注曼城足球俱乐部，所以那是我足球写作的英格兰部分。而由于我住在里斯本，我也写葡萄牙足球的相关事务。Manchester City, you write about Manchester City. I do. Who do you write for? I write predominantly for ESPN.曼城，你写曼城的内容。是的。你主要为谁写？我主要为 ESPN 写作。Right. So I have a contract with them to produce three or four Manchester City-related articles per week. Per week? Per week.好的。我和他们有合约，每周需要写三到四篇与曼城相关的文章。每周？每周。And you find enough to write about per week? Always. And how long have you been doing that for? I've been doing that for about six or seven years, I think.那你每周都能找到足够的题材？总是能。你这样做多久了？我想大概六七年了。And then you said your other arm, as it were, is writing about Portuguese football. Tell me about that.你刚才还说你的另一部分写作是关于葡萄牙足球的。说说这个吧。Well, there's a huge global interest in the English Premier League, obviously, so there's a lot of competition amongst sports writers, football writers, to get their work published. There is not so much being done in the area of Portuguese football, so it's more of a niche market.嗯，全球对英超的兴趣非常大，所以体育记者、足球记者之间竞争激烈，想发表文章很难。而关于葡萄牙足球的内容并不多，所以这是一个更小众的市场。I write for an English-language website called portugol.net, which is run by a friend of mine in Lisbon. It's the biggest and most well-known English-language site covering Portuguese football.我为一个叫 portugol.net 的英文网站写稿，它由我在里斯本的朋友经营。这是最大、最知名的英文葡萄牙足球网站。Am I right in saying then, both... for both the Manchester City writing and for the Portugal writing, your writings appear on the internet only? No, it can be in print as well.那么我这样说对吗——无论是写曼城还是写葡萄牙足球，你的文章都是发表在网络上？不，也可以是纸媒。OK. Sometimes... sometimes... there's a lot of website-based stuff, but I write, for example, for the Irish Examiner.好。有时候……有很多是在线内容，但比如我也会为《Irish Examiner》（爱尔兰观察家报）写稿。All right. Again, about Manchester City. So that will be a newspaper?好的，又是关于曼城的。这是纸媒吗？That's a weekly column on a Monday in the newspaper, which is sort of a reflective piece on what happened at the weekend.那是报纸上每周一的专栏，主要是对周末比赛的一些回顾性评论。If there are other people listening who have a passion for a sport and like writing about it, what advice would you give them if they wanted to do something like this as well?如果有其他人热爱某项运动，也喜欢写作，希望做类似的事情，你会给他们什么建议？If it's football, it's very difficult to get into because there is a cabal of well-known writers who almost always are chosen by the newspapers and the magazines to do their stuff for them.如果是足球，这个行业很难进入，因为报纸和杂志几乎都选择那群知名作者来写稿。So are you the Man City expert?所以你算是曼城专家吗？Because I'm so old, I do have an advantage over some of the younger guns because I go back further and I can add historical perspective to a lot of my articles, which some of the others can't unless they research it.因为我年纪大，我相比年轻作者有优势——我能回顾更久远的历史，可以在文章中加入历史视角，而其他人若不特别研究，就无法做到。And even then, they don't have the feel as someone who was actually there and lived through whichever period we're writing about or talking about.即使研究了，他们也没有那种亲历其境的感觉——不像真正经历过那个时代的人。So you've got the experience. Yes. Yeah.所以你有经验。是的，没错。But I would say just keep going and try and get yourself noticed.但我会说，坚持写，让别人注意到你。If you have the skill and the ability and you write in an interesting, informative and entertaining way, somebody somewhere will take you on.如果你有技巧、有能力，并且写得有趣、有信息量、有可读性，总会有人愿意用你的文章。They probably will not offer to pay you to start with. So be prepared to do work for free just to get your name out there.他们一开始可能不会付你钱，所以准备好先免费写稿，让自己的名字被看到。Now, I know you're not a full-time freelance worker. So although you seem to be very busy, it's still a step away then from it paying all your bills.我知道你还不是全职自由工作者。虽然你看起来很忙，但这些收入还不足以支付你所有的开销。Yes, it doesn't pay all my bills. That's why I also teach.是的，不能完全覆盖所有开支。所以我还要教书。My dream would be to be free of teaching and just to write because I'd like to be a creative writer as well as a contracted writer because there's not complete creativity with what I do.我的梦想是不再教书，只靠写作，因为我希望既能成为创意写作者，也能成为签约作者——我现在做的写作并不完全属于创意写作。And how are you going to get onto that next step? Very good question.那你要怎么迈向下一步？好问题。Just keep writing. The more writing I do, the more it gets noticed. The more people want stuff from you, the more people are prepared to pay for it.就是继续写。我写得越多，就越容易被注意到。越多人想要你的内容，就越多人愿意付费。And your passion shows through your writing. I hope so. I hope so.而且你的热情会通过你的文字展现出来。我希望如此，我希望如此。

3周前
04:09
第2846期:Thinking with Adam Grant

第2846期:Thinking with Adam Grant

Hey, WorkLifers, it's Adam here, and I have some exciting news.嘿，WorkLifers，我是 Adam，有个令人兴奋的消息要告诉你们。Last year, by popular demand, we started releasing more conversations and debates with my favorite thinkers, creators, doers, and leaders.去年，根据大家的强烈要求，我们开始发布更多与我最喜爱的思想家、创作者、实干家和领导者的对话与讨论。The goal is to figure out what makes them tick, and what they can teach us about a life well lived.目标是弄清楚是什么驱动着他们，以及他们能教会我们如何过好一生。Sometimes we talk about work, but often it's just been a window into the interesting ways their minds work.有时我们谈论工作，但更多时候，这些对话是了解他们独特思维方式的窗口。If you haven't had a chance to listen, the guests have included Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brene Brown, Ava DuVernay, and Malcolm Gladwell.如果你还没收听过，嘉宾包括林-曼努尔·米兰达、布芮内·布朗、艾娃·杜威内以及马尔科姆·格拉德威尔。You asked for more episodes, so we're doing just that, regular episodes all year round.你们希望有更多节目，所以我们照做了——全年持续更新。We've decided to call it Rethinking with Adam Grant, because that's been the pull for me, a chance to reexamine the things I think are true, and to dig into the psychology of these fascinating guests.我们决定把节目命名为《Rethinking with Adam Grant》（与 Adam Grant 一起重新思考），因为这对我来说，是一个重新审视自以为真实的事物、深入挖掘这些迷人嘉宾心理的机会。We'll kick off the fall with conversations with entrepreneur Mark Cuban, best-selling author Celeste Ng, Oscar-winning actor and producer Rhys Witherspoon, neuroscientist Chantal Pratt, Nobel Laureate physicist Saul Perlmutter, and death-defying rock climber Alex Connold.秋季我们将以一系列对话开场——包括企业家马克·库班、畅销书作家伍绮诗、奥斯卡影后兼制片人瑞茜·威瑟斯彭、神经科学家尚塔尔·普拉特、诺贝尔物理学奖得主索尔·珀尔马特，以及挑战死亡极限的攀岩者亚历克斯·霍诺德。And season six of Work Life will still be coming out right here next year.另外，《Work Life》第六季将在明年继续在这个频道推出。Thanks as always for listening. Follow Rethinking with Adam Grant on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.一如既往感谢你的收听。请在 Apple Podcasts、Spotify 或任何你使用的平台关注《Rethinking with Adam Grant》。

3周前
01:20
第2845期:Fixable

第2845期:Fixable

You know that saying, move fast and break things? I do. Well, we say move fast and fix things, because in our experience, speed and fixing go hand in hand. Absolutely.你知道那句“快速行动，打破常规”的说法吗？ 我知道。而我们说的是“快速行动，迅速修复”，因为根据我们的经验，速度和解决问题是相辅相成的。的确如此。Speed's gotten a dangerous reputation, but it signals that you take a problem seriously, and it builds momentum for real change. Which is why we move fast and we fix things. My name is Anne Morris.速度常常名声不佳，但它表明你认真对待问题，并且能为真正的改变积累动能。 这就是为什么我们快速行动并迅速解决问题。我叫安妮·莫里斯。I'm a company builder and a leadership coach. And I'm Frances Frey. I'm an author and a Harvard Business School professor.我是一名公司创建者和领导力教练。而我是弗朗西丝·弗雷，一名作家，也是哈佛商学院的教授。And, most importantly, I'm Anne's wife. You're going off script, sunshine. We're the co-authors of two books on building better businesses, and we've spent decades helping everyone, from entrepreneurs just starting out to CEOs of global corporations.而且最重要的是，我是安妮的妻子。你已经开始偏离台本了，亲爱的。我们共同撰写了两本关于打造更好企业的书籍，并花了数十年时间帮助各类人士——从刚创业的创始人到全球公司的 CEO。We help them all solve their work problems. Along the way, we've noticed something surprising. When people come to us with a work problem, whether it's completely new or something they've been wrestling with for years, often they're just one good conversation away from removing the roadblock and finding a solution.我们帮助他们解决各种工作难题。在这个过程中，我们注意到一个令人惊讶的现象：不管人们带来的工作问题是全新的，还是多年来一直困扰他们的，往往只需要一次高质量的对话，就能解除障碍，找到解决方案。That's where we come in. We guide people past those barriers so that they can make things happen. And that's exactly what we'll be doing here.这就是我们出现的地方。我们引导人们跨越这些障碍，让他们真正推动事情发生。而这正是我们将在这里做的事。Unfixable. This is a new show from the TED Audio Collective. Each week, we'll take a call from someone who's stuck, someone who's facing a work problem that they just don't know how to solve.《不可修复？》——这是 TED 音频团队推出的新节目。每周我们都会接到来自陷入困境的人的来电，他们正面临一个不知道如何解决的工作难题。We'll cover things like when to say enough is enough. The workload was starting to get unmanageable. What to do when you think your boss is acting unethically.我们将讨论的话题包括：什么时候该说“够了”；工作量已经变得无力承担；以及当你认为上司行为不道德时该怎么办。How do I convey that messages in a manner where they understand doing the right thing is not just aboutrhetoric. And my personal favorite, how to find your strengths and lean into them. Wow, you know, I came for the discussion and I'm staying for the ego boost.我该如何传达信息，让他们明白做正确的事不仅仅是口头说说？还有我个人最喜欢的话题：如何发现自己的优势并好好运用它们。哇，我本来是来听讨论的，现在是为了被夸留下的。This is great. Our hope is that by doing this work out here in the open, inviting everyone to the party, we can start to really spread the message that meaningful change happens fast and really that everything is fixable. Everything is fixable.太棒了。我们希望通过公开做这些事情、邀请所有人参与，真正传达一个信息：有意义的改变可以很快发生，而且——所有问题都能修复。所有问题都能修复。And that's where you come in. If you have a work problem you're feeling stuck on, get in touch. Tell us how we can help.这就是你可以参与的地方。如果你有工作上的困扰，卡住了，来联系我们。告诉我们如何能帮到你。Email us at fixable at ted.com or give us a call at 234-fixable. That's 234-349-2253. And make sure to subscribe to Fixable right now on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss a single episode.你可以发邮件到 fixable@ted.com，或拨打 234-FIXABLE（234-349-2253）。并记得在你喜欢的播客应用上订阅《Fixable》，别错过任何一集。Part of what we do in the world is just bring some can-do lesbian spirit into organizations. We are can-do lesbians and we think there's a can-do lesbian inside of everyone. You just have to find her.我们做的事情之一，就是把那种“什么都能做的女同志精神”带进各个组织。我们是能干的女同志，而且我们相信每个人心里都住着一个能干的女同志。你只需要把她找出来。You just got to find her. She's in there.你只要找到她。她就在你的心里。

3周前
02:44
第2844期:Customer loyalty

第2844期:Customer loyalty

We belong to an organisation that puts you in touch with pet-sitters when you go away. People who can look after your house and animals while you're on holiday. And it was coming up for renewal, wasn't it? The subscription, yes.我们加入了一个组织，当你外出时，它会帮你联系宠物看护的人。他们可以在你度假期间照顾你的房子和动物。而我们的会员马上要续费了，是吗？对，就是订阅服务。Every year. Fine. But what they didn't tell us was it was more expensive than the previous year.每年都要续费，好吧。但他们没告诉我们的是，这次续费比前一年更贵。And what's more, it was more expensive, a lot more expensive than new customers were going to pay. We're looking at customers' loyalty. It wasn't the first time that we found out that we as existing customers were paying more for a product than new customers coming on.更糟的是，这次续费比新客户要付的钱贵得多。我们说的就是对老顾客忠诚度的“惩罚”。这不是第一次我们发现，作为老客户，我们反而比新客户付更多钱。We're not the only ones. In the UK, Citizens Advice, which is an independent charity, have recently complained to a government department about these loyalty penalties, which people are paying in essential markets. Yes, now these essential markets, they include things like paying for your mobile, broadband, home insurance is a big one, bank savings and mortgages.我们并不是唯一的例子。在英国，一个独立慈善机构“公民咨询局”最近向政府部门投诉这种“忠诚惩罚”，它出现在很多基本民生市场里。是的，这些基本市场包括手机套餐、宽带、家庭保险（这个特别严重）、银行储蓄和房屋贷款。They're all more expensive for their loyal customers than for new people joining. Yeah, their existing customers. Up to 64% of consumers didn't know that they were being charged either the same or much more than newer customers.这些服务对长期客户来说都比对新加入的人更贵。是的，就是说对老客户更贵。多达 64% 的消费者甚至不知道自己被收取的费用要么和新客户一样高，要么更高。Yes, and they found that 8 in 10 bill payers are currently charged significantly higher prices for remaining with their existing supplier rather than getting a new supplier. And I suppose, Richard, part of this is because of privatisation. In the past, a lot of these – especially gas and electricity, things like that – the government provided those.是的，而且他们发现，十分之八的账单付款人因为继续使用原服务商，而不是更换新服务商，被收取了明显更高的费用。我想，Richard，这部分原因是私有化导致的。过去很多服务——特别是燃气、电力之类——都是政府提供的。And now you have to go and look, and it's difficult to choose which company to go for. And when they've got special offers to attract new customers, that's got to be paid for by someone. So, we're feeling very sympathetic towards these people, especially because of our own situation.而现在你必须自己去选择，挑选哪家公司很麻烦。而且企业为了吸引新客户会推出特价优惠，而这些成本总得由某些人承担。所以我们对这些被多收费的人很同情，尤其是因为我们自己也遇到了类似的情况。However, Richard... Yes? I'm wondering whether this might change your mind. OK. Now, we have a couple of dogs and we go to the supermarket and we buy dog food.不过呢，Richard……什么？我在想这件事可能会改变你的看法。好，现在我们有几只狗，我们去超市买狗粮。Yes. We can choose to switch to a different brand if we discover that it's cheaper. We have the option to do that.对。如果我们发现另一种品牌更便宜，就可以换品牌。我们完全可以这样做。Yes. And it would actually be very nonsensical of us to stay with our normal brand if it has become more expensive. Do you agree with that? If the quality is identical, you go for the cheaper the product.是的。如果我们发现平常买的品牌变贵了，还坚持不换，那其实很不明智。你同意吗？如果品质一样，当然选便宜的。Right. OK. Because this is all about a competitive market.好的。因为这一切都与竞争性市场有关。And competition is for the benefit of the consumers. And so, if you're going to have a competitive market, this includes switching from one brand to another. Loyalty doesn't pay.而竞争是为了让消费者获益。所以在竞争市场里，你就应该在品牌之间切换。忠诚并不划算。Right. OK. So, there is less sympathy for people being penalised for being loyal if, in fact, they just need to do a little bit more work and go for the cheaper brand.好的。所以如果消费者只需要稍微动动手，就能找到更便宜的品牌，那么他们因忠诚而被多收费，别人可能就不太同情了。It's just like buying in a supermarket. I'm not so sure about that. Obviously, there's more to it, isn't there, Richard? Because in the supermarket, the switching is very simple, isn't it? You just choose the other brand.这就像在超市购物。我不太确定哦，显然事情没那么简单，是吧 Richard？因为在超市换品牌很容易，你只要拿另一包就行了。Exactly. And I think what's happened nowadays, it's much more difficult to switch from one brand to another. And there are often penalties.没错。但现在情况更复杂了，从一个品牌切换到另一个往往非常困难，而且还会有罚金或额外费用。And also, if it's an auto-renewal subscription, then that price increase should be communicated to customers.而且如果是自动续订的订阅服务，价格上涨应该明确告知客户。Definitely. Actually, recently we changed our web host that hosts the site, Podcast in English.没错。事实上，我们最近更换了为 "Podcast in English" 网站提供服务的网络主机。I didn't choose the very cheapest host. I chose one a bit more expensive because their renewal price didn't actually go up that much. You're computer savvy, you see.我没有选择最便宜的那家，而是选了稍微贵一点的，因为他们续费的涨幅不大。你是电脑高手嘛。So, at the end of the day, if you know there are cheaper options out there but don't switch, that's your problem. However, if you stay with a brand who is overcharging because the barriers to switching, you know, it's too expensive or it's difficult to understand, those barriers are too big, then that is not acceptable.所以，最终如果你明明知道外面有更便宜的选择却不切换，那是你自己的问题。但如果你因为转换成本太高、太复杂，而被迫留在一家乱收费的公司，那就不可接受了。But really, people are going to be less sympathetic to us because we can find out about the switching and go for the cheaper option.但说实话，别人对我们不会太同情，因为我们有能力查到替代方案，也能选择更便宜的选项。

3周前
04:47
第2843期:Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time

第2843期:Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time

Iceland has no shortage of natural dangers – volcanic eruptions, glacial floods, scaldingly hot springs and bitterly cold winters. But it is at least one of the few places on Earth where humans don't have to worry about mosquitoes – until now.冰岛总是有各种各样的自然危险，那里有火山喷发、冰川导致的洪水、滚烫的温泉和苦寒冰冷的冬季。不过，冰岛至少是地球上少数几个人类不必担心蚊子的地方之一，直到现在。Two females and a male have been caught on a sticky trap used to attract moths. They're a species that's resistant to the cold.两只雌蚊和一只雄蚊被一个用于吸引飞蛾的粘性陷阱所捕获。它们属于一种能抵抗寒冷的蚊种。It isn't clear how many other mosquitoes are in Iceland or exactly how they got there. One scientist said he did not believe their arrival was linked to climate change and suggested they could have been stowaways on a ship.人们尚不清楚冰岛目前还有多少只蚊子，以及这些蚊子如何来到了这里。一名科学家表示，他不认为这些蚊子的到来和气候变化有关，并提出它们也可能是坐船抵达冰岛的 “偷渡者”。

3周前
00:35
第2842期:Zone zero: Does no-effort exercise have benefits

第2842期:Zone zero: Does no-effort exercise have benefits

"No pain no gain!" That's a mindset applied to many things – from working long hours when starting a new business, to studying hard for an important exam. And gym culture often encourages people to push themselves to their limits, leading people to have an all or nothing attitude, where they feel they must either have an extremely tough fitness regime, or do nothing at all. But what if it doesn't have to be this way? What if you can improve your fitness and wellbeing with minimal effort? Meet the new trend gainingtraction: zone zero exercise.“不劳无获！” 这种心态适用于许多事情——从创业初期的长时间工作，到为重要考试而刻苦学习。健身文化往往鼓励人们把自己推到极限，导致一种“要么全力以赴、要么干脆不做”的态度，仿佛非得执行极其严苛的健身计划，否则就是零运动。但事情真的一定要这样吗？如果只需付出最小的努力，也能提升健康与体能呢？让我们来认识一个正在流行的新趋势：零区运动（zone zero exercise）。Zone training is about your heart rate. For example, zone 1 exercise requires 50% of your maximum heart rate, up to zone 5 which is 100% effort. Activities range from a dog walk or easy warm-up in zone 1, to a sprint up the stairs at zone 5. Think of zone zero as any kind of movement that keeps your heart rate below 50%. This could be a gentle stroll, a few stretches in between long stints of sitting at your desk, even gardening or light housework. Terry Tateossian, a personal trainer and nutritionist, said that for many of her clients, "zone zero is the bridge between sedentary and sustainable". It is exercise that feels effortless.分区训练（zone training）主要基于你的心率。 例如，一区运动需要达到最大心率的 50%，五区则是 100% 的全力输出。日常活动从牵狗散步或轻松热身（一区），到冲刺上楼梯（五区）不等。所谓的零区，就是任何让心率维持在 50% 以下的动作。这可能是一段轻松的散步、久坐办公期间的几下伸展运动，甚至是园艺或轻度家务。私人教练兼营养师 Terry Tateossian 说，对于她的许多客户来说，“零区是从久坐到持续运动之间的桥梁。” 它是一种几乎不费力的运动方式。One major benefit of zone zero activity is accessibility. For those unable to do high intensity workouts, such as those recovering from injury, light exercise may feel like a smaller mountain to climb. And with this comes another benefit – consistency. A routine based on zone zero activity is easier to sustain, meaning the long-term benefits are easier to achieve. A 2018 review of research, published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, found that zone zero activity can support mental wellbeing, help regulate blood sugar and improve circulation. It can even lower the risk ofcardiovasculardisease.零区运动的一大优势是容易执行。 对于无法进行高强度训练的人，如正在从伤病中恢复者，轻度运动更像是一座较易攀登的小山。同时也带来另一项好处——坚持性更强。以零区活动为基础的运动习惯更容易长期维持，也因此更容易获得长期健康效益。2018 年发表在《国际行为营养与体育活动杂志》上的一项研究综述显示，零区运动有助于提升心理健康、调节血糖并改善血液循环，甚至可以降低心血管疾病风险。Of course, if you're gunning for a personal best, or wanting to significantly improve your fitness, you shouldn't stop at zone zero activities. You'll need to do challenging, high-intensity workouts to grow stronger. But even top athletes must embrace gentle movement. Endurance coach Stephanie Holbrook says, "it's often the missing piece that unlocks breakthrough performances because it facilitates genuine recovery." Maybe slowing down is the best way to move forward.当然，如果你想刷新个人最佳成绩，或者显著提升体能，就不能只停留在零区活动上。你仍然需要具挑战性的高强度训练来变得更强。但即便是顶尖运动员也必须接受轻柔的活动。耐力教练 Stephanie Holbrook 说：“这往往是促成突破性表现的关键，因为它让身体真正恢复。” 或许，放慢脚步才是继续前进的最好方式。

4周前
02:36
第2841期:The best restaurant in London

第2841期:The best restaurant in London

We're talking about a restaurant. A restaurant that became the top-rated restaurant in London. Except that the restaurant was a fake.我们要谈的是一家餐厅——一家成为伦敦最高评分餐厅的餐厅。只不过，这家餐厅是假的。It didn't exist. Yes, so we ask who did it, why he did it and how. Well, let's start with who, Richard.它根本不存在。那么我们来问：是谁干的？为什么要这么做？又是怎么做到的？我们先从“谁”开始吧，理查德。It was a journalist, OK? By the name of Ubar Butler. And what's interesting was that his original job included writing fake reviews for TripAdvisor restaurants, even though he never went to them, right? And he saw that these fake reviews actually helped the restaurants to become very popular. The reviews were always positive.是一个记者，名叫乌巴·巴特勒。有趣的是，他之前的工作就是帮餐厅在TripAdvisor上写假评论——虽然他从来没去过那些餐厅。而且他发现，这些虚假的好评确实能让餐厅变得很受欢迎。Yes, obviously the restaurants themselves paid for him to write the reviews. Of course, which leads on to why he had his idea. Yes, he wondered whether it was possible for not only to have fake reviews but actually have a fake restaurant.没错，那些餐厅当然是付钱请他写好评的。而这也引发了他的灵感：他在想，既然有假的评论，那能不能干脆弄一家假的餐厅？Would it be possible to become the best restaurant in London? Yeah, now this became a challenge for him, didn't it, Richard? And we're talking about April 2017. So how did he go about it, Richard?能不能让这家假餐厅成为伦敦最好的餐厅？对，这对他来说成了一个挑战。时间是在2017年4月。那他是怎么做的呢，理查德？Well, the first thing is he decided to use his real shed in the garden. That was the restaurant.首先，他决定用自己花园里的小棚子当作餐厅。Yeah, and he called it The Shed. And for £10 he was actually able to get it verified as a real place. Because it wasn't real, he didn't want to give his real address, so he made it appointment-only.对，他把餐厅命名为“The Shed（棚屋）”。花了10英镑，他居然真的能让TripAdvisor验证通过。因为餐厅并不存在，他不想公开真实地址，于是设置为“仅限预约”。And then, so he did that, then he designed a website and he created a concept. What was that? He named all his dishes after moods. So he had a happy, love, comfort as his dishes.接着他做了网站，并设计了一个概念。他把所有菜品都以情绪命名，比如“快乐”“爱情”“安慰”等。So comfort for me would be something like shepherd's pie. Yes, and he also took some photos of the dishes. Yeah, those arty, soft, focused, close-up photos of food that is very popular nowadays.比如“安慰”这道菜，对我来说可能就像牧羊人派一样。是的，他还拍了一些菜的照片——那种现在很流行的艺术感、柔焦、特写的美食照。But they were all fake as well. Yeah, he didn't even use real ingredients, right? He used shaving cream instead of cream. Shaving cream, yes, and paint.但那些照片也全是假的。他根本没用真正的食材，比如用剃须膏代替奶油。没错，还有颜料。He painted his things to look attractive. Yeah, so he had a name, had a logo, and lots of great photos. So then he submits his restaurant to TripAdvisor and... Well, it's approved and then it's put on their site for everyone to see.他用颜料把东西涂得看起来很诱人。于是，他有了名字、有了标志，还有很多漂亮的照片。接着，他把餐厅提交到TripAdvisor——结果真的通过审核，上了网站。He started out ranked at number 18,149, but by the end of August he was at number 156. And by the winter he's number 30. How did he do that, Richard?起初他的排名是第18,149名，但到了八月底，已经上升到第156名。到了冬天，更是进入前三十。理查德，他是怎么做到的？Well, obviously, he has a history of writing fake reviews. Yes. He had lots of contacts. He got all his friends to write really great reviews for his non-existent restaurant and that soon got him shooting up the charts.很明显，他有写假评论的经验。而且人脉广，他请朋友们帮忙为这家不存在的餐厅写极好的评论。没多久，排名就蹭蹭往上涨。It was all about the reviews. All the reviews were fantastic and it made all the difference. And of course he couldn't have any bad reviews because no real people went to the restaurant at all.一切都靠评论。所有的评论都极其出色，这就是关键。而且根本不会出现差评，因为没有真正的顾客去过。Exactly. And then on the 1st of November, the same year, just six months after listing The Shed online, he gets an email from TripAdvisor. He's worried, isn't he?没错。然后在同年11月1日，也就是上架六个月后，他收到了TripAdvisor的邮件。他当时很紧张，对吧？Yes, he thinks they've rumbled him. Yeah. But an actual fact is to tell him that he's London's top-rated restaurant.对，他以为自己被揭穿了。其实不是。那封邮件是告诉他，他的餐厅成了伦敦排名第一的餐厅。A restaurant that doesn't exist, he's told, is currently the highest ranked in one of the world's biggest cities on perhaps the internet's most trusted review site.一间根本不存在的餐厅，成了世界上最大城市之一、也许是最受信任的评论网站上的第一名。Number one, Richard. I mean, that is just incredible.第一名啊，理查德。这真是太不可思议了。Now, he stayed there for two weeks, but of course now that the page has been deleted, everybody realises it was a fake.后来它保持第一名两周，但如今页面已被删除，大家才意识到那是个骗局。But he said it was a fake, didn't he? Yeah, he... It wasn't actually found out by anybody. No, no, no. He wanted to show that this was possible, right?不过是他自己公开承认的。并不是被揭穿的。他只是想证明，这一切是可以做到的。And I suppose it's sad really because it just shows how easily fooled people are.说起来也挺讽刺的，这说明人们是多么容易被欺骗。How fake everything is. But an actual fact, in his own words, he's much more positive. He says, if he can transform his garden into London's best restaurant, then literally anything is possible in the business world.世界多么虚假。但用他自己的话说，他倒是更乐观——如果他能把自家花园变成伦敦最好的餐厅，那在商业世界里，一切皆有可能。

4周前
04:49
第2840期:Riding in a driverless taxi

第2840期:Riding in a driverless taxi

Hey, what's up guys, MKBHD here, still in Las Vegas, and I've seen a lot of self-driving tech so far here at CES, like if you walk through any of the halls with cars in them, there's tons of like open room concepts and things like that, but they feel kind of useless, you know, like as long as they're still in a concept phase, they don't really feel real yet.大家好，我是 MKBHD，现在还在拉斯维加斯。在今年的 CES 展会上，我已经看到了很多自动驾驶技术。走进任何一个汽车展厅，都能看到各种“开放空间”式的概念车，设计很炫，但感觉都没什么实际用途。你懂的，只要还停留在概念阶段，就让人觉得离现实还挺远的。So then I got an email from a company called Yandex, you may know them as a Russian tech company, and they said, hey, come check out our autonomous car at CES.然后我收到一封来自一家叫 Yandex 的公司的邮件——你可能知道，这是一家俄罗斯科技公司。他们说：“嘿，来看看我们在 CES 上的无人驾驶汽车吧！”I'm kind of thinking, okay, well, I've seen a lot of autonomous concepts and things like that, how could this be much different? But then they said, listen, we have a fully autonomous driverless car hitting the streets of Las Vegas with all the other regular cars right now, you can go for a ride, you in? So I'm super in, let's do it.我当时心想，好吧，我已经看过那么多自动驾驶概念了，这还能有多不一样？但他们接着说：“听好了，我们的车已经在拉斯维加斯的街头，与普通车辆一起行驶，你可以亲自坐上去试一试。要不要来？”我当然要啊，立刻答应了！So the car itself is a retrofitted Prius, on top is radar, lidar, and camera array for the car to map out its surroundings.这辆车本身是一辆经过改装的丰田 Prius（普锐斯），车顶上安装了雷达、激光雷达和摄像头阵列，用来扫描和绘制周围的环境地图。I think as someone who's used the autopilot from a Tesla, it helps me to not be as nervous in the backseat, but it's still crazy not having anyone in the driver's seat at all as the car navigates the streets.我以前开过特斯拉的自动驾驶，所以坐在后座的时候没那么紧张，但眼前这辆车完全没有司机、自己在街上行驶，还是让人觉得很不可思议。There's a safety engineer in the passenger seat, which had a kill switch next to him for if anything happened to go wrong or it needed to be interrupted, but we did about a 15 minute loop around real streets, real drivers, real people, and everything went smoothly and it was kind of still trippy the whole time.副驾驶坐着一位安全工程师，旁边有个紧急关闭开关，如果出现问题可以立刻介入。我们在真实街道上行驶了大约15分钟，周围都是正常行驶的车辆和行人，一切顺利，但整个过程还是让人觉得有点“魔幻”。This really feels like the future, I gotta say. It might not be this crazy self-driving interior that everyone else is talking about, but this tech part is cool to me.我得说，这真有种“未来已至”的感觉。虽然它没有其他厂商展示的那种炫酷自动驾驶内饰，但技术本身就已经够让我兴奋了。The details are that this is a small area in Las Vegas that was already mapped by this company, so it was a predetermined route and the car knew where it was going to go, but everything else, road conditions, the other cars, the pedestrians, the traffic lights, the turns, speed changes, all of that was decisions made by the car, but all that makes sense for a taxi.具体来说，这辆车运行的区域是 Yandex 事先绘制好的拉斯维加斯一小片区域，路线是预设的，车知道自己要去哪。但像路况、其他车辆、行人、红绿灯、转弯、加减速这些，全都是车自己实时判断的。对无人驾驶出租车来说，这样的模式其实挺合理的。I mean you map the town or city you want to be in, you have predetermined routes for pickup and drop off, and then the taxis are driverless and they just go from there.比如说，你先把城市或镇区地图建好，设定好接送点的路线，然后这些出租车就可以无人驾驶运行了。And the even cooler, nerdier part is these iPad Pros you're seeing, that's a visualization of what the sensors on top of the car are seeing in real time.更酷、更“极客”的部分是，车里这些 iPad Pro 上显示的，就是车顶传感器实时捕捉到的周围环境画面。So the radar, lidar, and cameras are all combining to identify what is other cars on the road, what's pedestrians, what is a stationary object, and seeing things up to 250 meters away in every direction.雷达、激光雷达和摄像头的数据融合在一起，用来识别道路上的其他车辆、行人以及静止物体。它可以在四个方向上探测到最远250米外的情况。So things 6, 7 cars away were on the iPad that I couldn't even see in real life out the windows.我在 iPad 上能看到六七辆车之外的物体，而从车窗外肉眼是完全看不到的。So there are some red paths, and when we start driving you're going to see some green paths. And basically what I'm seeing here is, it's evaluating what's currently happening on the road and what's about to happen.屏幕上有一些红色路径和绿色路径。开车时你会看到绿色路径代表可行方向。简单来说，车在实时评估当前路况和即将发生的情况。Red paths, no good. Green paths, good. And it takes the green path, and it has a predetermined destination, we're on a left turning lane, so you can see way up ahead where it wants to go, and it's just going to follow where it can.红色路径代表不可行，绿色路径代表可行。车辆会自动选择绿色路径行驶。现在我们在左转车道上，可以看到系统已经标出了它想去的方向，车辆会顺着可行的路线前进。Based on the cars around us, you can't really merge right now, so those paths are red, but it has a green path, and it has a bunch of other possible paths to take if it wants to switch it up. But right now, it's all green.根据周围车辆的情况，现在无法并线，所以那些方向是红色的。但它仍然有一条绿色路线可走，而且系统还规划了备用路线以防需要变道。此刻，一切都是绿的。And the best part is the reaction from other people on the road was pretty great.最有趣的是，路上其他人的反应相当精彩。There's people pulling out their phones to record the driverless car, people kind of stare a little bit at stoplights when they realize what's going on, and apparently Las Vegas cops think it's pretty funny too.有人掏出手机拍摄无人驾驶车，也有人在红灯时发现没有司机后，盯着看个不停。听说连拉斯维加斯的警察都觉得挺有意思。But overall, the 15 minutes we spent in this car were a lot of fun, I learned a lot just looking at these iPads and what they were seeing as the car drove around, and this gave me sort of an optimism for the future of self-driving tech.总的来说，那15分钟真的很有趣。我通过这些 iPad 看到车在“看什么”，也学到了不少，让我对自动驾驶技术的未来充满信心。So that's pretty much it, I figured I would share my experience.这就是我今天的经历，想和大家分享一下。Would you let yourself get driven in a driverless taxi like this? Maybe share this video with other people you think would be interested, and I'll leave some links below with some more information so you can look it up if you want to see that too. Either way, thanks for watching, see you guys in the next one.你愿意坐上这样一辆无人驾驶出租车吗？可以把这个视频分享给感兴趣的朋友。我会在下方附上更多相关信息的链接，想了解的可以去看看。不管怎样，感谢观看，我们下期再见。

4周前
03:51
第2839期:One euro homes

第2839期:One euro homes

Imagine you're the mayor of a small, rural town. Over the years the houses have become empty as people move to the city for employment. An earthquake 50 years ago caused terrible damage and forced more families to leave their homes.想象一下，你是一座偏远小镇的市长。多年来，随着人们为了工作迁往城市，镇上的房屋逐渐空置。而且在五十年前，一场地震造成了严重破坏，迫使更多家庭离开家园。And you find yourself facing the possibility of living in a ghost town but in a most beautiful area. We look at the strategy that one local council used to reverse their decline. So where are we, Jackie? On the Italian island of Sicily in a small town called Sambuca.于是你发现自己正面临着一个可能——生活在一座风景优美却濒临“鬼城”的地方。我们来看一个地方政府是如何扭转这种衰退的。那么，我们现在在哪儿呢，杰基？在意大利西西里岛，一个名叫桑布卡（Sambuca）的小镇。Sounds great. So what was Sambuca like in the past then? Very different, Richard. It was a bustling town of about 9,000 people.听起来不错。那么，桑布卡过去是什么样的呢？完全不一样，理查德。那时它是一个热闹的城镇，约有九千名居民。It was, well, and still is, on the top of a hill. And it's in a nature reserve about an hour's drive from the capital. Right, OK.它坐落在一座山顶上，现在依然如此。小镇位于一个自然保护区内，距离首都大约一个小时车程。好的，明白了。So what happened? Basically, Richard, farming practices changed. And following the industrialisation of the agricultural sector, farm workers simply left. So they didn't need so many farm workers.那么后来发生了什么？基本上，理查德，是农业方式发生了变化。随着农业产业化的发展，农场工人不再被需要，因此纷纷离开了。They all left to the city to find jobs then. Yeah, I mean, there's just no human labour needed in the fields anymore. And that left the mayor and his deputy needing to decide what to do.他们都去了城市找工作。是的，因为农田里再也不需要人工劳作了。于是市长和副市长不得不面对一个问题——该怎么办。Exactly, with only about 5,000 people now. So what they decided to do was to sell the homes that the council owned because they wanted people to buy the homes and do them up, live in them and then provide a community once more. Actually, they had an interesting marketing strategy.没错，如今镇上只剩约五千人。所以他们决定出售镇政府名下的房屋，希望吸引人们购买、修缮、居住，从而重建一个社区。事实上，他们采用了一种非常有趣的营销策略。They wanted to sell the houses, but they also wanted to attract media attention. So they decided to advertise the homes for €1 each. €1.他们不仅想卖房子，还想吸引媒体关注。于是，他们决定以每套1欧元的价格对外宣传这些房屋。1欧元！So you can imagine, right, huge reaction and interest from around the world. And just a few weeks after the announcement, the council received almost 100,000 emails. Right, OK, but I still can't believe all these houses were for sale for just €1.你可以想象，来自世界各地的反响有多大。公告发布仅几周后，镇政府就收到了近十万封电子邮件。好的，但我还是难以相信这些房子真的只卖1欧元。They'd all be gone now, surely. Actually, it was an auction. The houses did indeed start at €1, Richard, but of course if there was competition, the price went up.这些房子现在肯定早就卖光了吧？其实并不是——那是一场拍卖。房价确实从1欧元起拍，理查德，但当然，如果有人竞争，价格就会上涨。So was it a success then? Was it a successful initiative? Well, five months after the scheme was advertised, the mayor announced the sale of the first 16 houses. The cheapest went for €1,000, so still very cheap. Very cheap.那么这个计划成功了吗？是一次成功的尝试吗？在计划公布五个月后，市长宣布首批16套房屋售出。最便宜的一套卖了1000欧元，依然非常便宜。非常便宜。The most expensive for €25,000. So what's the latest then, Jackie? What's happening now? Well, I've had a look at the Sambuca council site, Richard, and it looks like there are another 44 houses up for sale right now and people are bidding for them. And some of them still only have €1 bids on and some of them have higher bids on.最贵的一套卖了2万5千欧元。那么，杰基，现在最新的情况如何？我看了桑布卡镇政府的网站，理查德，目前又有44套房屋在出售，正在接受竞标。其中一些仍然只有1欧元的出价，而有些已经更高了。And do you know who's bought these houses? It's a whole mixture of people. Among the new owners are British, Russian, Chilean,Israelifamilies. Wow.你知道是谁买下这些房子的吗？买家可谓五花八门——包括英国人、俄罗斯人、智利人和以色列家庭。哇！So then from a business perspective then, it sounds like it's been quite successful. Yeah, I mean the mayor, he said we did not expect it to be so successful. What, selling houses for €1? Yeah, but I mean it's still a remote area of Europe, Richard, and the houses still need to be worked on.从商业角度来看，这似乎相当成功。是的，市长也说他们没想到会这么成功。卖1欧元的房子还能这么火？没错，但毕竟这里仍是欧洲的偏远地区，这些房子还需要修缮。These aren't houses you can just move into. They need to be rehabilitated. So this sounds great for the mayor, but what about the locals? What do they think about this? Well, interesting question, Richard.这些房子不是买来就能直接入住的，必须整修。因此，这对市长来说听起来很好，但当地居民怎么看呢？这是个有趣的问题，理查德。Many have feared that Sambuca will fall into decline, like many towns in southern Italy. So if the scheme prevents that from happening, I think they're willing to accept their new neighbours. It's certainly an interesting survival strategy.许多人担心桑布卡会像意大利南部的其他小镇一样继续衰落。因此，如果这个计划能阻止那种命运，他们愿意接受这些新邻居。这确实是一种有趣的生存策略。We'll just have to wait and see what happens.我们只能拭目以待，看看结果如何。

4周前
04:08
第2838期:The vegan market

第2838期:The vegan market

In the UK, over 3 million people are vegetarian. That's 7% of the population. And in addition to that, a further 600,000 people, less than 2% of the population, are vegan.在英国，有超过三百万人是素食者，占全国人口的7%。除此之外，还有大约六十万人（不到2%）是纯素食者。Yeah, now 600,000 is not a lot of people, but it's 4 more, 4 times more than in 2014. And half of these made the change just last year. In addition, a third of all Brits are reducing the amount of meat they eat.是的，六十万人并不是很多，但比2014年多了四倍。而且，其中一半人是在去年才改成纯素的。另外，三分之一的英国人正在减少他们吃肉的量。Yes, and actually it's even predicted that vegans and vegetarians will make up a quarter of the British population by 2025. So, without doubt, this is a new and fast-growing area. We're looking at how UK companies are responding.没错，事实上，有预测认为到2025年，素食者和纯素食者将占英国人口的四分之一。因此，这无疑是一个新兴且增长迅速的领域。我们来看看英国的企业是如何应对的。Now, Richard, tell us about Gregg's the Bakers. Yes, it's the largest bakery in the UK and this year in January they launched their first vegan sausage roll. As a result of that single sausage roll, profits leapt more than 50% to £40 million in the first six months of 2019.那么，理查德，请你谈谈英国最大的连锁面包店——Gregg’s。是的，它是英国最大的面包连锁店，今年一月他们推出了第一款纯素香肠卷。结果仅凭这一款产品，公司在2019年上半年的利润就激增了50%以上，达到四千万英镑。I have to say, vegan and sausage roll, it sounds a bit strange to me, Richard. Yes, it does sound a bit strange, but it's obviously very tasty as it's now one of Gregg's five bestsellers. Wow! And for them, of course, veganism is great for business.我得说，纯素和香肠卷放在一起听起来有点怪，理查德。是啊，听起来确实有点奇怪，但显然味道很好，因为它现在是Gregg’s销量前五的产品之一。哇！对他们来说，纯素主义简直成了生意上的福音。But the marketing strategy also meant an increase in their other products, so its shares have also doubled in value over the past year. Yes, because people are going in to buy the vegan sausage roll and buying other things at the same time. So Gregg's is a good example of a company embracing veganism and profiting from that.而且，这种市场策略也带动了他们其他产品的销量，所以过去一年公司股价翻了一倍。是的，因为顾客去买纯素香肠卷时，也顺便买了别的东西。所以Gregg’s是一个很好的例子，说明企业拥抱纯素潮流也能从中获利。But it's not just the food industry, is it, that's riding the vegan wave? No, no. Another British company, Dr Martens, often called Doc Martens, isn't it? It's famous for its boots and shoes. Now they've been going in and out of fashion, what, since the 1960s? Don't tell me, Jackie, they've got a vegan boot.不过，乘着纯素潮流的不仅仅是食品业，对吧？没错，还有另一家英国公司——马汀博士（Dr. Martens），也叫Doc Martens，它以靴子和鞋子闻名。从上世纪六十年代起，它的鞋子时尚与否几经起伏。别告诉我，杰基，他们现在也出纯素靴子了？Yes, the company launched a vegan range of boots. Now this was back in 2011, actually, but it was this year that profits surged by 70% and online sales also rose by two-thirds to £72.7 million. And this accounts for 16% of the total revenues for the company.是的，这家公司在2011年就推出了纯素系列靴子。不过，今年它的利润猛增了70%，线上销售额也增长了三分之二，达到7270万英镑，占公司总收入的16%。Right, Jackie, what makes their boots vegan then? Well, you're not going to eat them, but they have replaced the leather uppers with a combination of polyester fabric and polyurethane. So you're basically telling me they're making plastic boots. It does seem a bit odd to exchange leather for plastic.好的，杰基，那他们的靴子怎么叫“纯素”呢？嗯，当然不是给人吃的，只是他们把皮革鞋面换成了聚酯纤维和聚氨酯的组合。也就是说，他们其实在做塑料靴子？是的，用塑料取代皮革确实有点奇怪。I mean, they may not be made out of animals, but plastic is hardly an ecological alternative. Again, it's the marketing, isn't it? Yes, it's interesting that these companies use the term vegan. But of course, we're talking about clothes.我的意思是，虽然这些靴子不是动物制品，但塑料显然也谈不上环保。又是营销手法，对吧？是的，这些公司使用“纯素”这个词很有意思。但别忘了，我们讨论的是衣物，不是食物。We're not talking about things that the customers are eating, is it? But it's the brand, isn't it, Richard? Because not that long ago, synthetic leather, it was considered fake. It was considered a product for people who couldn't afford the real thing. But now the brand, the marketing, it's making all the difference.我们不是在谈顾客吃的东西，对吧？但这关键在于品牌，不是吗，理查德？因为就在不久前，合成皮还被认为是“假货”，是买不起真皮的人才会买的产品。但如今，品牌与营销改变了一切。Yes, anything animal-free and it's flying off the shelves. Yeah, yeah. My question is this, Richard.是的，只要打上“无动物成分”的标签，产品就会被抢购一空。没错，没错。不过理查德，我有个问题。People become vegans for their health, for the animals and for the environment. But the reason companies are embracing the term and design vegan-labeled products, I think is a little bit more questionable. They're just after the cash, aren't they? Of course.人们选择纯素，是为了健康、动物和环境。但企业热衷推出纯素产品、打上“纯素”标签的动机，我觉得就值得怀疑了——他们只是为了赚钱，对吧？当然。Because at the end of the day, if you want to be eco-friendly, ethical, more sustainable, you just need to consume fewer items. Yeah, buy less. But that's hardly something that businesses want to hear.毕竟，如果真想做到环保、道德、可持续，其实只需要少消费。是的，少买点东西。但这显然不是企业愿意听到的话。

4周前
04:07
第2837期:Michelin stars

第2837期:Michelin stars

Very recently, a restaurant in Manchester, in the north-west of England, won the city's first Michelin star in 40 years. We talk about the Michelin Guide and the effect of winning one of its prestigious stars. Yes, because this restaurant, Mana it's called, opened less than a year ago.最近，位于英格兰西北部的曼彻斯特有一家餐厅获得了该市四十年来的第一颗米其林星。我们今天要谈的，就是米其林指南以及获得这一权威星级后的影响。是的，这家名为 Mana 的餐厅开业还不到一年。And as soon as it was awarded the star, it became fully booked for months ahead, well into the next year. Yeah, and good news also for Manchester, Richard. Once a restaurant in a town gets given a star, it elevates not just the restaurant's profile but that of the city too.一旦获得米其林星级，这家餐厅立刻变得一位难求，订位排到了好几个月之后，甚至延续到下一年。是啊，Richard，这对曼彻斯特来说也是个好消息。因为一旦一座城市有餐厅获得米其林星，不仅餐厅的声誉得到提升，整个城市的形象也会随之提高。I mean, quite simply, people want to come to a place which has a Michelin-starred restaurant. Yeah, so it all seems a very positive thing, doesn't it? The most Michelin-starred chef, who was French, he claimed that the stars were financially transformative. Yes, indeed, because I think he said with one Michelin star you can get about 20% more business.很简单，人们总是想去有米其林星级餐厅的地方。是啊，这听起来一切都很正面，不是吗？拥有最多米其林星星的那位法国厨师就曾说过，米其林星对餐厅的经济效益有“颠覆性的作用”。没错，他说获得一颗星后，生意可以增长大约20%。Two stars, 40% more business, and with three stars you'll do twice as much business. That's 100% improvement. So you'd think then all restaurants would want to get at least star, but that is not necessarily the case.拿到两颗星，生意增长40%；而三颗星的餐厅，营业额可以翻倍，也就是提升100%。听起来每家餐厅都该梦想至少拿到一颗星，但事实并非如此。Gaining a star, surely that can only be a positive thing. Actually some restaurants return their stars and don't actually want to be in the Guide. That sounds very odd.获得米其林星，照理说应该是件好事吧？但实际上，有些餐厅选择“退星”，甚至不想再出现在米其林指南里。这听起来相当奇怪。Why would they do that? Two main reasons, right? One is undesirable customer expectations. Ah, OK. The customers expect too much, do they? Well, as soon as you become a Michelin-starred restaurant, then customers have... they expect a certain style of food and formal dining.他们为什么要这么做呢？主要有两个原因。第一个是顾客的期望变得“难以招架”。哦？是顾客期望太高了吗？没错，一旦餐厅获得米其林星，顾客便会期待一种特定风格的菜肴和正式的用餐体验。So restaurants that, especially those that serve very, very good but perhaps more simple food, they start to get loads of complaints from customers. Ah, the pressure. The pressure's really on, isn't it? For example, there was one chef, she had a restaurant in a garden centre and she said it changed the atmosphere.于是，那些原本提供非常美味但较为简朴菜肴的餐厅，就会突然收到一堆顾客投诉。啊，这压力确实不小，对吧？例如有一位女厨师，她的餐厅开在一个花园中心里，她说获得星级后，整个餐厅的氛围都变了。Instead of people coming in and being surprised how good the food was, they came expecting something very special and they complained, for example, that there wasn't tablecloths on the wooden tables. They didn't like the rustic feel, they wanted something posher, did they? Yeah. The other thing is that the chefs are overwhelmed by the response.以前，顾客走进来时往往惊喜于食物的美味；但现在，他们带着极高的期望而来，然后抱怨木桌上没有铺桌布。原本的乡村风格不再被欣赏，他们反而希望环境更华丽。是的。另一方面，厨师们也被这种反应压得喘不过气来。You talked about that restaurant in Manchester, completely full up. And then the thing is, Richard, you've got this star. Any minute now, any day, without anybody knowing, a judge can come into your restaurant and decide whether or not you should keep that star or not.你刚提到曼彻斯特那家餐厅——订位已经排满。而问题在于，Richard，一旦你有了这颗星，任何时候、任何一天，米其林评审员都可能悄悄走进你的餐厅，决定你是否还能保住这颗星。So the pressure on the chefs to maintain that star is enormous. And if you lose that star... If you lose a star, you can actually have fewer customers than before. People think it's gone downhill.因此，厨师们为了维持这颗星所承受的压力极大。而一旦失去了星级……顾客甚至可能比以前还少，因为人们会认为餐厅“变差了”。Now, an example of this, a restaurant in Dublin, right, lost its star and as a result, profits declined by 76% and eventually the restaurant was forced to close. Oh dear. So it's a double-edged sword, really.比如，有一家位于都柏林的餐厅在失去米其林星后，利润下滑了76%，最终被迫关门。真糟糕。看来这真是一把双刃剑啊。So perhaps, Richard, you won't be surprised to hear that in fact, a few years ago, a celebrated French chef wanted to lose one of his three stars. But surely that is the industry's highest accolade. That's the right, the top.所以，Richard，也许你不会惊讶地听到，其实几年前有一位著名的法国厨师，主动要求摘掉他三颗星中的一颗。可那可是厨师界的最高荣誉啊。没错，顶级的象征。He said he wanted to be allowed to cook excellent food, but away from the frenzy of star ratings and the anxiety over Michelin's anonymous food judges, it just wasn't worth the stress. It's interesting then, isn't it, that becoming the best in the business is one thing, but maintaining that is even more demanding.他说，他只想专注于烹饪美食，而不想再被星级排名的狂热和对匿名米其林评审的焦虑所折磨。这种压力，根本不值得。真是有趣——成为业界最优秀的人是一回事，但要持续保持在那个位置，却更艰难。

4周前
04:04
第2836期:What insects can teach surgeons

第2836期:What insects can teach surgeons

Sawflies are named after the saw-like organ used by the females to lay eggs in plants. The insects want to avoid killing the plants, which provide food for their larvae.锯蜂以它身上一种像锯子一样的器官命名，雌性锯蜂会用这个锯状器官在植物内部产卵。这种昆虫会尽量避免杀死植物，因为植物可以为它们的幼虫提供食物。The researchers discovered that small serrations on the sawfly's teeth worked with larger protrusions to create a selective cutting action, allowing them to avoid cutting internal structures carrying water and nutrients. The team scaled up the mechanism and tested it on material mimicking human tissue.研究人员发现，锯蜂牙齿上较小的锯齿状突起和较大的突起物共同作用，从而创造出了一种具有选择性的切割动作，这种动作让锯蜂能够避免切断植物中含有水分和养分的内部结构。研究团队按比例放大了这一构造机制，然后在模拟了人体组织的材料上对其进行了测试。Although more work is needed, they think there's potential for a surgical instrument based on this natural mechanism, which could instinctively avoid critical tissues whilst cutting.虽然尚有更多工作需要完成，但研究人员认为也许能够发明出一种基于这种自然机制的外科手术器械，这种器械可以在切割时本能地避开关键组织。

4周前
00:39
第2835期:The meat eaters

第2835期:The meat eaters

When you hear the word 'carnivore', do you think of lions and bears and sharks, or humans? Steak for breakfast, chicken breasts for lunch and salmon and lamb for dinner. No veg and no carbs. This is just a typical day for someone on the carnivore diet. It's a meal plan that only allows meat, poultry, eggs, fish, seafood, dairy products and water. It's animal-based opposed to plant-based. But why are some people following this diet? And what do nutritionists think about it?当你听到“食肉者”这个词时，你会想到狮子、熊和鲨鱼，还是人类？早餐是牛排，午餐是鸡胸肉，晚餐是三文鱼和羊肉——没有蔬菜，也没有碳水化合物。这就是一个典型的“食肉饮食”者的一天。这种饮食方式只允许食用肉类、禽类、鸡蛋、鱼类、海鲜、乳制品和水——完全以动物性食物为主，与植物性饮食截然相反。但问题是，为什么会有人选择这种饮食方式？而营养学家对此又怎么看？The carnivore diet is a type of ketogenic diet. Normally the body uses glucose from carbohydrates as energy, but when there's a lack of this, the liver breaks fat down into ketones. This essentially means the body can fuel itself using fat instead of sugar. Followers of the diet may experience weight loss, especially early on. One reason for this is that protein is highly satiating, so you consume fewer calories. On top of this, cutting out sugary snacks and fizzy drinks has significant health benefits, and when our carb intake is reduced, our stored water levels fall, again helping to reduce weight.食肉饮食其实是一种生酮饮食。通常，人体会利用来自碳水化合物的葡萄糖作为能量来源，但当缺乏碳水化合物时，肝脏就会将脂肪分解为酮体。这意味着身体可以用脂肪代替糖来提供能量。遵循这种饮食的人通常在初期会出现体重下降，这部分是因为蛋白质具有很强的饱腹感，从而减少总热量摄入。除此之外，戒掉含糖零食和碳酸饮料本身就有益健康，而当碳水摄入减少时，身体储存的水分也会随之减少，从而进一步帮助减重。Nevertheless, the carnivore diet can't be described as 'balanced' by any stretch, according to health experts. In fact, the British Heart Foundation strongly opposes it, saying there is no scientific evidence that it helps weight loss in the long term, and it's lacking in essential nutrients. They say extreme diets which are low in fibre and high in fat can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Saturated fat increases levels of LDL cholesterol and processed meat is high in salt which can raise blood pressure. Fibre, they say, is necessary andcounteracts all these issues, but it can only be found in 'banned foods' of the carnivore diet – fruits, vegetables, seeds, legumes and wholegrains, for example.然而，健康专家指出，食肉饮食无论如何都不能称作“均衡”。事实上，英国心脏基金会（British Heart Foundation）强烈反对这种饮食方式，认为没有科学证据表明它能长期有效减重，而且缺乏必需营养素。他们警告说，这种高脂肪、低纤维的极端饮食可能增加心脏病发作和中风的风险。饱和脂肪会提高“坏胆固醇”（LDL）的水平，而加工肉类中含有大量盐分，会升高血压。专家还指出，膳食纤维对人体是必需的，它能抵消这些风险，但纤维主要存在于食肉饮食所“禁止”的食物中——例如水果、蔬菜、种子、豆类和全谷物。On social media you'll find plenty of people showing off their muscles and claiming their brain is working better than ever after weeks of fat and eggs and butter. Influencer Paul Saladino was an advocate of the carnivore diet until he started experiencing some persistent unpleasant symptoms. Speaking on a health and fitness podcast, he recounted heart palpitations, muscle cramps and sleep disturbances. He researched the diet more and concluded it was detrimental to his health and probably "not a great thing for most humans".在社交媒体上，你会看到很多人炫耀自己的肌肉，并声称在连续几周只吃脂肪、鸡蛋和黄油之后，大脑运转比以往更好。网红Paul Saladino曾是食肉饮食的倡导者，但后来他开始出现一些持续的不适症状。在一次健康与健身播客中，他提到自己经历了心悸、肌肉痉挛和睡眠障碍。经过进一步研究后，他得出结论：这种饮食对健康有害，可能“并不适合大多数人”。Most experts recommend balance, such as the Mediterranean diet, which is full of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and seeds – it even includes meat, fish and eggs – but everything in moderation.大多数专家仍然推荐“均衡饮食”，比如地中海饮食。这种饮食富含水果、蔬菜、全谷物和种子，也包含肉类、鱼类和鸡蛋——但一切都讲究“适量”。

5周前
03:13