第3028期:German companies in trouble

A fertilizer factory in northern Germany has existed for over 100 years, but its future is uncertain.德国北部的一家化肥厂已经存在超过100年，但其未来仍不确定。It made a loss in 2024 and is now working at a lower capacity because of high energy prices.由于能源价格高企，该工厂在2024年出现亏损，目前正以较低产能运行。These rising costs and low demand are creating problems for the company, and it is unclear if the business model can still be successful.不断上升的成本和低迷的需求正在给公司带来问题，目前尚不清楚其商业模式是否还能继续成功。This problem doesn’t concern only one company.这个问题不仅仅影响一家公司。Many German factories are producing less and letting workers go.许多德国工厂正在减产并裁员。While Germany has protected industrial jobs more than many other countries, some businesses and whole industries are now at risk.尽管德国比许多其他国家更重视保护工业岗位，但现在一些企业甚至整个行业都面临风险。The new government wants to invest more money to support both old industries and new technologies, but it is still unknown if this will work.新政府希望投入更多资金来支持传统产业和新技术，但这种做法是否有效仍然未知。Germany is one of the world’s top manufacturing countries.德国是世界上主要的制造业国家之一。It makes products like machines, steel, and textiles.它生产机械、钢铁和纺织品等产品。When compared to its size, Germany produces more than many other rich nations.与其国土和人口规模相比，德国的工业产出超过许多其他富裕国家。People are now asking how the country can keep these jobs and grow its economy.人们现在正在思考，德国如何才能保住这些就业岗位并实现经济增长。

Experts are increasingly concerned about a boy crisis in schools across Canada and the world.专家们越来越关注加拿大及全球学校中正在出现的“男孩危机”。Data shows that boys are falling behind girls in several key areas.数据显示，在一些关键领域，男孩正在落后于女孩。In Quebec, for example, the dropout rate for boys is over 27%, compared to about 20% for girls.例如在魁北克省，男孩的辍学率超过27%，而女孩约为20%。Boys are also less likely to attend university; currently, only about 44% of post-secondary students in Canada are male.男孩进入大学的可能性也更低；目前加拿大高等教育学生中只有约44%是男性。This gap exists partly because traditional classrooms often value sitting still, neatness, and following strict rules – tasks that many young boys find difficult.这种差距部分源于传统课堂往往更重视安静坐着、整洁以及遵守严格规则——而这些任务对许多男孩来说较为困难。The consequences of this gap are serious.这种差距的后果是严重的。When boys feel they cannot succeed in school, they often disengage or give up.当男孩觉得自己在学校无法成功时，他们往往会失去参与感或直接放弃。This can lead to poor mental health, a lack of job opportunities, and a higher risk of falling under toxic online influences.这可能导致心理健康问题、就业机会减少，并更容易受到有害网络内容的影响。Some teachers suggest that the way we evaluate students should change to include active organization, like the teamwork seen during sports at recess.一些教师建议，应改变评估学生的方式，加入更强调主动组织能力的内容，例如课间体育活动中体现的团队协作。To fix the problem, experts suggest more physical activity and flexible learning environments that help boys feel they belong without hurting the progress made by girls.为了解决这个问题，专家建议增加体育活动，并创造更灵活的学习环境，让男孩有归属感，同时不损害女孩已取得的进步。

Speculation regarding the existence of extraterrestrial life is increasing following the release of never-before-seen documents on UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects).随着从未公开过的 UFO（不明飞行物）文件被发布，关于外星生命存在的猜测正在增加。The Pentagon has declassified and released 161 files containing reports of sightings.The Pentagon已经解密并公布了161份包含目击报告的文件。These include observations from astronauts during Moon missions, and from the military and civilians on Earth.这些文件包括宇航员在登月任务期间的观察记录，以及地球上军方和普通民众的目击报告。One notable description was from Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin.其中一个值得注意的描述来自Apollo 11宇航员Buzz Aldrin。In 1969, he reported seeing a mysterious light.1969年，他报告称看见了一道神秘光源。He said: "I observed what appeared to be a fairly bright light source which we tentatively ascribed to a possible laser."他说：“我观察到一个看起来相当明亮的光源，我们暂时认为它可能是某种激光。”In 1965, Frank Boman reported seeing "trillions of little particles" from the Gemini 7 spacecraft.1965年，Frank Borman在“双子星7号”飞船上报告称看见了“数以万亿计的小颗粒”。The documents were released at the request of President Donald Trump.这些文件是在Donald Trump总统的要求下公布的。In a post on social media, President Trump wrote: "In an effort for complete and maximum transparency, it was my honour to direct my administration to identify and provide government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs)."特朗普总统在社交媒体发文称：“为了实现完全和最大程度的透明化，我很荣幸指示我的政府识别并提供与外星生命、不明空中现象（UAP）相关的政府文件。”Many organizations welcomed the release of the documents.许多组织对这些文件的发布表示欢迎。The Sol Foundation, a research group focused on UAPs, called for a comprehensive review of classified UAP records.专注于研究 UAP 的组织The Sol Foundation呼吁对机密 UAP 记录进行全面审查。It said people should know "the full truth about longstanding government knowledge and programs concerning technologies and vehicles not of human origin".该组织表示，人们应该知道“有关非人类来源技术和飞行器的长期政府认知与项目的全部真相”。

There are signs that a huge part of East Africa is starting to break away from the African continent.有迹象表明，东非的一大片地区正开始从非洲大陆分离出去。Geologists (people who study the Earth and its land and rocks) studied a deep crack that runs along a large part of Zambia.地质学家（研究地球、陆地和岩石的人）研究了一条贯穿赞比亚大部分地区的深裂缝。The crack is called a rift.这条裂缝被称为“裂谷”。It is a major fault in the rock that covers Earth's surface.它是覆盖地球表面的岩层中的一条主要断层。Geologist Mike Daly of the University of Oxford is studying Zambia's Kafue Rift.来自University of Oxford的地质学家Mike Daly正在研究赞比亚的卡富埃裂谷。He believes there is activity in the rift that suggests a giant piece of land is breaking away.他认为，裂谷中的活动表明一大片陆地正在分离。He wrote: "There is evidence that the fault boundary of the Kafue Rift is active and therefore the Southwest African Rift Zone is too."他写道：“有证据表明，卡富埃裂谷的断层边界是活跃的，因此西南非裂谷带也是活跃的。”He warned that this "may be an early indication of the break-up of sub-Saharan Africa".他警告说，这“可能是撒哈拉以南非洲分裂的早期迹象”。The land on Earth is constantly moving.地球上的陆地一直在不断移动。Three hundred million years ago, there was just one huge supercontinent.三亿年前，地球上只有一个巨大的超级大陆。It was called Pangea.它被称为“盘古大陆”。Over millions of years, Pangea broke up.经过数百万年，盘古大陆逐渐分裂。Giant areas of land slowly moved across the oceans to form the continents we know today.巨大的陆地区域缓慢穿越海洋，形成了我们今天所知道的各大洲。This movement is called continental drift.这种运动被称为“大陆漂移”。Rifts are one reason why land masses split apart.裂谷是大陆板块分裂的原因之一。The Kafue Rift in Zambia is part of a 2,500-kilometre-long rift zone stretching from Tanzania to Namibia.赞比亚的卡富埃裂谷是一个长达2500公里裂谷带的一部分，该裂谷带从坦桑尼亚延伸至纳米比亚。The rift is moving at a rate of about 4.7 mm per year.该裂谷正以每年约4.7毫米的速度移动。At this rate, it will take millions of years for Africa to split in two.按照这个速度，非洲大陆需要数百万年才会分裂成两部分。Scientists believe that in 200 million years from now, there could be just one supercontinent again.科学家认为，在两亿年之后，地球可能又会重新形成一个超级大陆。

The report highlights how people and nature can thrive together, with wildlife across more than 5,000,000 sq miles of protected land remaining on average stable, despite a 73% global decline in monitored population since 1970.该报告强调，人与自然可以和谐共生，因为在超过 500 万平方英里的受保护土地上，野生动物的种群数量总体保持稳定，尽管自 1970 年以来，全球受监测的野生动物种群数量平均下降了 73%。But the research says many of these areas are increasingly under pressure from rising temperatures, extreme weather and habitat loss.但研究指出，受气温升高、极端天气和栖息地丧失的影响，这些保护区面临的压力正日益增大。Unesco says a quarter of the sites could reach criticaltippingpoints by 2050, with the loss of glaciers, forests and coral reefs.联合国教科文组织表示，到 2050 年，四分之一的遗址可能达到关键临界点，届时冰川、森林和珊瑚礁将面临消失的风险。It says this progress shows what's possible with long-term protection and community support and is calling for greater investment and faster action to safeguard them.该组织还表示，目前的进展显示了长期保护和社区支持所带来的成效，并呼吁加大投资、加快行动，以保护这些宝贵的遗产。

What animal do we have the closest relationship with? Many people would say dogs or cats, but it's actually the tiny arachnids that live all over your face. Yes, your face. Don't worry it's probably fine. Demodex mites live in the hair follicles around the peach fuzz hair that grows on your face. They are just one of the parasites that make our bodies a habitat. Some are harmless, while there are some that can cause problems.我们与什么动物关系最密切？ 很多人会说是狗或猫，但实际上是生活在你脸上的微小蜘蛛。 是的，你的脸。 别担心，可能没问题。 蠕形螨生活在脸上生长的桃绒毛周围的毛囊中。 它们只是使我们的身体成为栖息地的寄生虫之一。 有些是无害的，而有些则可能会引起问题。Demodex mites are usually harmless. They live in our pores and feed on sebum, the oil produced by our skin. This means that you find the most in the greasiest areas of your face, particularly around your eyes, nose and mouth. According to associate professor of invertebrate biology Alejandra Perotti, we should be grateful because demodex clean our pores and keep them flat. She even describes them as 'cute'. However, you can have too many of them. It is possible to find your face covered with a white frost of demodex mites. This usually only affects people if their immune system is compromised. But some people may also have an allergic reaction to these creatures.蠕形螨通常是无害的。 它们生活在我们的毛孔中，以皮脂为食，皮脂是我们皮肤产生的油脂。 这意味着您会在脸部最油腻的区域发现最多的油脂，尤其是眼睛、鼻子和嘴巴周围。 无脊椎动物生物学副教授亚历杭德拉·佩罗蒂 (Alejandra Perotti) 表示，我们应该心存感激，因为蠕形螨可以清洁我们的毛孔并使其保持平整。 她甚至形容它们“可爱”。 但是，您可能拥有太多。 您可能会发现您的脸上覆盖着蠕形螨的白色霜。 这通常只会影响免疫系统受损的人。 但有些人也可能对这些生物产生过敏反应。Not all mites are as cute and useful as demodex. Scabies is a condition that is caused by mites that burrow into our skin and lay eggs. This is very itchy and usually spreads to most of a person's body. It can also be quite uncomfortable to think about and is often stigmatised. Now, this is a problem because it can delay people getting treatment. Some of this stigma can come because we often associate scabies with people being unclean. This, however, is a complete myth.并非所有螨虫都像蠕形螨一样可爱且有用。 疥疮是一种由钻入我们皮肤并产卵的螨虫引起的疾病。 这种情况非常痒，通常会扩散到身体的大部分部位。 想到它也会让人感到非常不舒服，并且常常受到侮辱。 现在，这是一个问题，因为它可能会延迟人们接受治疗。 这种耻辱可能会出现，因为我们经常将疥疮与不洁的人联系起来。 然而，这完全是一个神话。This stigma may also be linked to how we feel. Mites and other parasites often cause us to feel disgust. This is something that we may have evolved to help us avoid illnesses, but here it could be stopping people getting the help they need or causing us to worry about something that can even be beneficial.这种耻辱也可能与我们的感受有关。 螨虫和其他寄生虫常常让我们感到厌恶。 这是我们进化来帮助我们避免疾病的东西，但在这里它可能会阻止人们获得他们需要的帮助，或者导致我们担心一些甚至可能有益的事情。

Shajarina Monie lives in Juba. Six of her nine children have died of various illnesses.Shajarina Monie住在朱巴。她九个孩子中有六个死于各种疾病。The first one died at nine months; another one died at the age of ten months; another one died when he was crawling about three months.第一个孩子在九个月大的时候夭折，在十个月大的时候夭折；还有一个在大约三个月刚会爬的时候就夭折了。Millions of children in South Sudan do not get routine vaccinations.南苏丹数百万儿童没有接种常规疫苗。Now the country is battling an unprecedented measles outbreak with over 4,700 confirmed cases and 26 deaths since January 2019.自2019年1月以来，该国已确诊4700多例麻疹病例，26人死亡，目前该国正在抗击一场前所未有的麻疹疫情。In February, a nationwide measles vaccination campaign was launched here: the only Children's Hospital in the entire country.今年2月，在全国唯一的一家儿童医院开展了一场覆盖全国范围的麻疹疫苗接种活动。The campaign aims to reach two and a half million children by April.这项运动的目标是在4月前惠及250万儿童。One reason why childhood immunization coverage is so low, is because of the challenges in keeping vaccines at near freezing temperatures.儿童免疫覆盖率如此之低，是因为将疫苗保持在接近冰点温度十分困难。UNICEF provided the solar-powered fridge. The organization is helping to restore what is known in healthcare terms as the cold chain system, which was severely disrupted during the civil war that broke out in 2013.联合国儿童基金会（UNICEF）提供了太阳能冰箱。该组织正在帮助恢复医疗领域所谓的冷链系统，该系统在2013年爆发的内战期间遭到严重破坏。Even private partners like Continental Medical Supplies are getting involved, to make sure life-saving medicines stay fresh at every step in the cold chain.甚至像大陆医疗用品这样的私营合作伙伴也参与其中，确保救命药物在冷链的每一个环节都能保持新鲜。Another reason why immunization coverage is low is because people aren't informed.免疫覆盖率低的另一个原因是人们不知情。The efforts are paying off. So far the vaccination campaign has reached more than a million children including Shajarina's. 这些努力正在取得成效。到目前为止，疫苗接种运动已惠及100多万儿童，其中包括Shajarina的孩子。

Thirty-five-year-old Fatima, who for privacy did not want to use her family name, says their family lost all their livestock to drought.35岁的法蒂玛（出于隐私考虑，她不想透露自己的姓氏）表示，家里的牲畜全因旱灾而死。After moving with her husband and children closer to town to find work, Fatima's husband abandoned her and filed for divorce, but not before assaulting her.在和丈夫、孩子搬到城里找工作后，丈夫不仅殴打她，还抛弃了她并申请离婚。He did harm me physically three times. He hit me a few times and one time he told me that he would hang me and he threatened me with a rope.他家暴了我三次，打了我好几次，有一次说要绞死我，拿绳子威胁我。Fatima now lives in a camp for displaced people on the outskirts of Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland.法蒂玛现在住在索马里首府哈尔格萨郊区的一个流离失所者营地。She supports her children through a small tea shop earning about $40 per month barely enough to feed themselves.她靠一家小茶馆勉强维持生计，每月收入约40美元，几乎不够养活自己和孩子们。Oxfam Gender Protection Coordinator in Somaliland Abdul Rashid Yousef says women displaced by climate change like Fatima are at high risk for sexual and gender-based violence as GBV.救济会索马里性别保护协调员阿卜杜勒·拉希德·尤塞夫说，像法蒂玛这样因气候变化而流离失所的妇女遭遇性暴力和基于性别暴力的风险很高。The risks include that women were independent in the workforce place when GBV comes.风险包括女性在工作场所独立一人时，遭遇性别暴力。The risks include they are more exposed on that GBV like great sexual exploitation zone.还包括他们更多暴露在性剥削高发地区。On that they are more explicit about that they had limited knowledge about to cope the situation.由于教育匮乏，她们不知道该如何应对这种情况。On the outskirts of the town of Oak, Ibado Mohammed Abdulle is working to prevent violence against displaced women. She oversees three displacement camps.在奥克镇郊外，伊巴多·穆罕默德·阿卜杜勒正致力于防止针对流离失所妇女的暴力行为，她负责监管三个流离失所者营地。To improve women's safety in the camp, Abdullah created women's associations, provides counseling for those assaulted and takes criminal cases to the authorities.为了提高妇女在营地的安全，阿卜杜勒创建了妇女协会，为那些被袭击的人提供咨询，并将刑事案件提交给当局If a girl who was raped would come to me, I would take her to the hospital.如果一个被强奸的女孩来找我，我会带她去医院。After she is treated, I would then immediately take her to the nearest police station to arrest the perpetrator of this crime.在她接受治疗后， 然后我会立即带她去最近的警察局逮捕肇事者。Women in the camps take precautions. They travel in groups to collect firewood and water and make sure one woman keeps watch while the others sleep.营地里的女性采取防范措施，她们结伴拾柴取水，并确保睡觉时有人放哨。But as climate change intensifies in the region, the number of displaced women at risk of violence will only get worse. 但随着该地区气候变化加剧，面临暴力风险的流离失所妇女人数只会变得更多。

With fireballs in his hands, the Cauldron Group's David Duckworth sets magical potions ablaze.Cauldron酒吧的大卫·达克沃斯手里拿着火球，点燃了魔法药水。So all the drinks that we have on offer at the Cauldron, the key thing to know about them is that they're all fully interactive.我们在Cauldron酒吧提供的所有饮品，它们都是可以发生反应的。So you are able to interact with the various ingredients, and using molecular mixology and science behind the drinks.你可以使各种成分相互作用，利用饮料背后的分子调酒技术和科学。You are able to make your drinks do something that you've probably never seen a drink do before.你可以让饮料做一些以前从未见过的事情。Gathered around crystal balls in Cauldron in a dark, magical room, sit witches and wizards learning new and delicious magic.在一个黑暗的魔法房间里，女巫和男巫们围坐在Cauldron酒吧的水晶球旁，学习新奇而美妙的魔法。So this is a potion making class. When people come in, they get a robe, they get a magic wand, that's one of our custom magic wand that actually works.这是一堂药剂制作课。人们进店的时候，会得到一件长袍，一根魔杖，这是我们定制的一根真正能够起作用的魔杖。And they learn to brew molecular potions, which are molecular cocktails, where we employ chemistry in the drink making process.他们学习调制分子药剂，也就是分子鸡尾酒，我们在调酒过程中运用化学原理。When customers arrive, they receive their magician's cloak and a magic wand they use to pour themselves a drink from a beheaded magical creature.当顾客到达店里时，他们会收到魔术师斗篷和一根魔杖，他们用这根魔杖从一只被斩首的魔法生物那里给自己倒一杯饮料。The magic wand powered by the sorcery known as the Internet of Things also operates taps, turns on lights and unlocks doors at the Cauldron.这根由被称为物联网的魔法驱动的魔杖，还在Cauldron酒吧操控水龙头、开灯和开门。So our mission is to bring fantasy and magic to life with science, technology and design,我们的使命是用科学、技术和设计将幻想和魔法变为现实，and to allow people to step into the imagined world, to their childhood in a really authentic way.让人们以一种真实的方式踏入想象中的世界，重温他们的童年。Cortland, once a high school reading teacher, says that career progressed into this one,科特兰曾是一名高中阅读教师，他表示这份职业逐渐发展成了现在的工作——where he teaches adults to interact with literature, and the STEM curriculum of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.教导成年人如何与文学作品互动，以及教授科学、技术、工程和数学课程。The experience, he says, takes some adults back in time.他说，这种体验让一些成年人回到了过去。We just googled fun things to do in London. It was one of the things that came up.我们刚刚在谷歌上搜索了伦敦有趣的活动，就出现了这家酒吧。Owners say fantasy fans of all ages appreciate a place that brings magic to life.酒吧业主们说，各个年龄段的奇幻爱好者都很喜欢这个能让魔法照进现实的地方。But junior witches and wizards beware, the Cauldron only shares the dark arts with those 18 years and older. 但是年轻的巫师们要当心， Cauldron酒吧只与18岁及以上的巫师分享黑魔法。

So, both along the fault, we like those sensors really close the fault because that gives us really those first motions that are coming out of the earthquake.这两个传感器都紧贴断层，我们很喜欢紧贴断层的传感器，因为这样能让我们真正捕捉到地震最初的震动情况。It tells us the earthquake has started. So, once that earthquake started, seismic waves start travelling away from where that earthquake starts.这样我们就知道地震发生了。一旦地震开始发生，地震波就会从地震起始处向外传播。'P waves' or primary waves are the first waves that arrive. They're faster and you feel sort of a jolt coming up beneath you.“P波”或“初至波”最先到达观测点，传播速度很快，你会感觉到脚下有种震动感。The 'S waves' would travel along behind those and start shaking you back and forth.“S波”会紧随其后，让你来回摇晃。So, we're in Pasadena and we're at one of the seismic stations. At the bottom of this vault, this is what it is.我们正在帕萨迪纳的一个地震监测站。在这个小仓库的地下，这就是传感器。So, and it moves relative to the earth and basically whatever happens in here, gets turned into an electrical signal and boom.这个传感器会随地面一同移动，基本上，无论地表发生什么运动，它都能将其转化为电信号。It takes some very, very precise observation about what's happening.要记录这些运动需要非常精密的监测。We were one of the early adopters of the ShakeAlert system. We implemented it in January of 2017.我们是早期采用ShakeAlert系统的机构之一。我们于2017年1月启用了该系统。And it gives us precious seconds to anticipate an earthquake that may be coming to Los Angeles area and that will enable us to put an alert out to our operators.它能让我们争取到宝贵的几秒钟时间来预判可能会袭击洛杉矶地区的地震，还能让我们向工作人员发出警报。Part of the protocol is to slow down the train as it is moving in advance of an earthquake.协议的一部分是让列车在地震发生前减速行驶。So, the slower you're moving, the more safely you can operate the vehicle and stopping the vehicle is the best course of action for a large scale event.开得越慢就越安全，在这种大型灾难面前，停车当然是最好的选择。For very large earthquakes, the ShakeAlert early warning system is going to use seismometers.对于影响范围很广的地震，ShakeAlert预警系统将开启地震仪，But with the really big earthquakes, we're going to need information from these stations但如果是真的非常剧烈的地震，我们就需要这些监测站的信息，because what's going to happen is that if there's a really big earthquake, these stations are going to move very quickly in a very short amount of time.因为如果真的发生大地震，这些监测站会在极短时间内快速移动。And that information is critical to understand the biggest of earthquakes. We're talking earthquakes that are magnitude 8 and above.这些信息对于最大程度了解地震是至关重要的。我们谈论的是8级及以上的地震。Big earthquakes in places like Iran and Indonesia and they could stand to have their own earthquake early warning systems.伊朗和印度尼西亚等地都发生过大地震，他们可以有自己的地震预警系统。And this has actually become a really interesting international community. We're all learning from each other.这实际上已经成为一个非常有趣的国际社区。我们都在互相学习。One thing we want to do and the big currency of ShakeAlert is time. Time is really important to us.我们想要进一步完善的，同时也是ShakeAlert的重要价值所在，就是争取时间。时间对我们来说真的很重要。Currently, the time that it takes to get messages out is taking way too long and we want to reduce what we call 'latencies' as much as possible.目前，信息传递所需的时间过长，我们希望尽可能减少所谓的“延迟”。So, we're working with a whole array of partners, the telecommunications industry.我们正在与整个电信行业的一系列合作伙伴合作。We're working with mass notification providers, to get those messages out as quickly as possible.我们正在与大规模通知服务提供商合作，以便尽快发布这些消息。