As fuels, oil and electricity have meaningfully different characteristics OIL shaped the 20th century. In war, the French leader Georges Clemenceau said, petroleum was “as vital as blood”. In peace the oil business dominated stock markets, bankrolled despots and propped up the economies of entire countries. But the 21st century will see oil’s influence wane. Cheap natural gas, renewable energy, electric vehicles and coordinated efforts to tackle global warming together mean that the power source of choice will be electricity. That is welcome. The electricity era will diminish the clout of the $2trn oil trade, reduce the choke points that have made oil a source of global tension, put energy production into local hands and make power more accessible to the poor. It will also make the world cleaner and safer—reassuringly dull, even. The trouble is getting from here to there. Not just oil producers, but everyone else, too, may find the transition perilous . bankroll: to supply money for ( a business, project, person, etc.) despot: a ruler who has total power and who often uses that power in cruel and unfair ways perilous: full of danger: dangerous 石油早就了20世纪，在战争年代，石油就像血液一样重要；在和平年代，它掌控着经济命脉... Oil and electricity are a study in contrasts (see our special report). Oil is a wonder fuel, packed with more energy by weight than coal and by volume than natural gas (both still the main sources of electricity). It is easy to ship, store and turn into myriad refined products, from petrol to plastics to pharmaceuticals. But it is found only in specific places favoured by geology. Its production is concentrated in a few hands, and its oligopolistic suppliers—from the Seven Sisters to OPEC and Russia—have consistently attempted to drip-feed it on to the market to keep prices and cartelisation make oil prone to crises and the governments of oil-rich states prone to corruption and abuse. 石油有很多的优点，很容易运输，储存和合成其他产品... from petrol to plastics to pharmaceuticals 记住这个表达 但石油只产在某几个国家与地区，就让这些国家形成了垄断... Different kettles of fuel Electricity is less user-friendly than oil. It is hard to store, it loses its oomph when shipped over long distances, and its transmission and distribution require hands-on regulation. But in every other way, it promises a more peaceful world. Electricity is hard to monopolise because it can be produced from numerous sources of fuel, from natural gas and nuclear to wind, solar, hydro and biomass . The more these replace coal and oil as fuel for generation, the cleaner it promises to be. Given the right weather conditions, it is abundant geographically, too. Anyone can produce electricity—fromgreener-than-thou Germans to energy-poor Kenyans. oomph: power or energy ( his argument lacks oomph; the truck doesn't have the oomph to haul the boat) 电力能源虽然不如石油方便，但是却不会被某几个国家垄断，很多方法可以产生电力能源：风力，太阳能，氢能等 True, the technologies used to produce electricity from renewable resources, and the rare earths and minerals that some, including solar panels and wind turbines, rely on, could be subject to protectionism and trade wars. China, which produces 85% of the world’s rare earths, sharply tightened export quotas in 2010 with OPEC-like zeal. America and the European Union have slapped tariffs on Chinese solar-panel imports. Yet the vital substances involved in generating and storing electricity are not burned up like oil. Once a stock of them exists it can for the most part be recycled. And, even if today’s output is concentrated, for most materials the planet has undeveloped deposits or substitutes that can thwart a would-be monopolist. Rare earths, for example, are not rare—one of them, cerium , is almost as common as zinc. Electricity also rewards renewables are intermittent , regional grids are needed to ship electricity from where it is plentiful to where it is not. This could replicate the pipeline politics that Russia engages in with its natural-gas shipments to Europe. More likely, as grids are interconnected so as to diversify supply, more interdependent countries will conclude that manipulating the market is self-defeating. After all, unlike gas, you cannot keep electricity in the ground. thwart: to prevent someone from doing something or to stop something from happening intermittent: starting, stopping, and starting again: not constant or steady An electric world is therefore getting there will be hard, for two reasons. First, as rents dry up, authoritarian oil-dependent governments could collapse. Few will miss them, but their passing could cause social unrest and strife. Oil producers had a taste of what is to come when the price plunged in 2014-16, which led to deep, and unpopular, austerity measures. Saudi Arabia and Russia have temporarily stopped the rot by curtailing production and pushing oil prices higher, as part of an“OPEC+” agreement. They need high prices to buy time to wean their economies off oil. But the higher the oil price, the greater the incentive for energy-thirsty behemoths like China and India to invest in renewable-powered electrification to give themselves cheaper and more secure supplies. Should the producers’ alliance crumble in the face of a long-term decline in demand for oil, prices could once again tumble, this time for good. wean: to start feeding ( a child or young animal) food other than its mother's milk 从石油能源时代转换到电力能源时代是一个艰难的过程，第一个难点就是石油价格下降的话，这些产油国就会产生动荡和冲突... That will lead to the second danger: the fallout for investors in oil assets. America’s frackers need only look at the country’s woebegone coalminers to catch a glimpse of their fate in a distant post-oil future. The International Energy Agency, a forecaster, reckons that, if action to limit global warming to below 2°C accelerates in coming years,$1trn of oil assets could be stranded, ie, rendered obsolete. If the transition is unexpectedly sudden, stockmarkets will be dangerously exposed. The tension is the one hand government policy should press forward with the transition as fast as it can. On the other, a rapid transition will cause upheaval. Expect the big consumers, especially India and China, to force the pace. woebegone: looking or feeling very sad 点评：矛盾是无法避免的，一方面各国政府希望尽快转变到可持续的能源（产油国除外），另一方面这个转变过程速度太快的话会造成动乱。一言以蔽之，就是钱惹的祸 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Results Lexile®Measure: 1100L - 1200L Mean Sentence Length: Mean Log Word Frequency: Word Count: 853 这篇文章的蓝思值是在1100-1200L， 是经济学人里普通难度的文章~ 使用kindle断断续续地读《经济学人》三年，发现从一开始磕磕碰碰到现在比较顺畅地读完，进步很大，推荐购买！ 点击这里可以去亚马逊官网购买~
本文节选自《经济学人》期Business版块的一篇文章《China’s YouTube》，简单介绍了bilibili营收及发展情况 本文总共6段，建议大家先自主阅读原文，再学习精读笔记。 文末会总结此次学习写作可以使用的词句，读者也可自己总结。 会定期将内容进行总结，做成word分享，希望大家也能坚持学习 1 The mission statement of Bilibili, often dubbed “China’s YouTube”, stands out for its modesty. Instead of promising to change the world, the firm aspires merely to “enrich the everyday life of young generations in China”. If user figures are a guide, the Chinese young feel enriched. In the last quarter of 2020 the number of people who used the service at least once a month shot up by half from a year earlier , to 202m. Nearly nine in ten were under the age of 35. Videos on the platform, which range from sports highlights to selfhelp lectures and everything in between, attract an average of daily views . mission statement ： 宗旨说明，英文：an official statement of the aims of a company or an organization，即一家公司或组织的目标 【词汇积累】 dubbed ： dub，称作，起绰号，A is dubbed被动形式表示……被称作 【词汇积累】 stand out for sth ： 以……脱颖而出，引人注目 【词组积累】 aspire to do or sth ： 立志于做某事 【词组积累】 user figures ： 用户数据 【词汇积累】 shot up by half from a year earlier ： shot up表示激增，猛涨，by half表示增长的量，表示比一年前猛增了一半 【词组积累】 selfhelp lectures ： self-help表示自助的，可以表示自主学习课程 【地道表达】 bn daily views ： 12亿每日观看次数 【地道表达】 Bilibili，常被称作中国的YouTube，以其谦虚的公司宗旨而引人注目，他并非承诺改变世界，而只是希望“丰富中国年轻一代的日常生活”。如果以用户数据为依据，中国年轻人确实感受到了充实感。在2020年的最后一个季度，每月至少使用这项服务一次的人数比一年前猛增了一半，达到了亿，将近十分之九的人年龄在35岁以下。该平台上的视频，从体育高光时刻到自主学习，以及介于两者之间的一切，平均每天吸引12亿人次观看。 2 Launched in 2009 as a website for fans of Japanese anime, Bilibili has evolved into a diversified entertainment group. In recent months even Western musicians (such as Jessie J and Charlie Puth) and Hollywood stars (including Dwayne Johnson) have rushed to set up Bilibili accounts . Investors, too, have taken notice. Between March 2018, when the firm listed in New York, and February this year its market capitalization rose more than tenfold, to $41bn. On March 23rd it raised $ in a secondary listing in Hong Kong. Launch ： 上市。除了发射（火箭）外，还有上市的意思，launched in 2009 于2009年上市。下文中的 list in New York中的list也有上市的意思 【词汇积累】 evolved into ： 进化成为 【词组积累】 rush to set up Bilibili accounts ： rush to do争先箜篌地做某事，set up …… accounts则表示开设创建……的账号 【词组积累】 Between …… and ……： 表示在……和……之间，可以为两个时间段之间 【词组积累】 Bilibili于2009年上市，是一家面向日本动漫迷的网站，现已发展成为一家多元化的娱乐集团。近几个月来，甚至连西方音乐家（Jessie J和Charlie Puth）和好莱坞明星（包括Dwayne Johnson）都争先恐后地开设了Bilibili账户。投资者也注意到了这一点。从2018年3月该公司在纽约上市到今年2月，其市值增长了10倍多，达到410亿美元。3月23日，在香港二次上市中筹集了26亿美元。 3 Unlike YouTube, Bilibili refuses to clutter usergenerated videos with adverts. That way, the thinking goes, it can attract new users put off by such interruptions, and convince them to spend more time on the platform. The central aim, as described by executives, is to “convert” this “sticky community” into “paying users”. Bilibili does so in two main ways: by offering games where players purchase virtual items to advance to the next level , and access to original and licensed firms and series. This Netflixlike business, launched in 2018, now has paying subscribers. clutter ： ~ sth (up) (with sth/sb) 凌乱地塞满；乱堆放to fill a place with too many things, so that it is untidy。文中指的是bilibili不会在用户上传的视频中，随意添加广告：clutter user-generated videos with adverts 【词汇积累】 put off by ： 被……推迟，这里指的是bilibili运用不放广告的理念吸引那些被广告阻碍看视频的用户 【词组积累】 by offering games where players purchase virtual items to advance to the next level ： 这里的定语从句where后面句子是完整的，不缺成分，where表示玩家在游戏中发生购买行为时的场所，也可以理解为in which 与YouTube不同，Bilibili拒绝在用户自制的视频中添加广告，这样做可以吸引新用户推迟这种中断，并说服他们花更多的时间在平台上。正如高管们所描述的，核心目标是将这个“粘性社区”转化为“付费用户”。Bilibili主要通过两种方式实现这一点：提供玩家购买虚拟物品以提升到下一个级别的游戏，以及访问原始和许可的公司和系列产品。这种类似Netflix的业务于2018年推出，目前拥有1450万付费用户。 4 The share of users who pay for things like ingame accessories and subscriptions has risen from in 2018 to in 2020. Receipts from these sources helped Bilibili nearly to double its revenues in each of the past three years , to 12bn yuan ($) in 2020. It also sells adverts on parts of its platform, but they made up less than fifth of its sales. accessory ： 配件、附属品，文中指游戏中的付费物品，in-game accessories 【词汇积累】 double its revenues in each of the past three years ：： 在过去的三年中收入每年都翻了一番 【地道表达】 支付游戏内附属品和订阅费的用户比例从2018年的上升到2020年的。这些来源的收入帮助Bilibili在过去三年中每年的收入翻了一番，到2020年达到120亿元人民币（合17亿美元）。它也在部分平台上销售广告，但这些广告所占的份额还不到其销售额的四分之一。 5 All this has yet to make any money . Last year Bilibili reported an operating loss of 3bn yuan, double the shortfall in 2019. Profits may remain elusive; the company must invest to maintain a pipeline of addictive games and pays top dollar to outbid big streamers like iQiyi for the rights to popular movies and shows its nascent subscription business needs. All this has yet to make any money ： 然而这还没有赚到一分钱 Shortfall ： 亏空，缺口 【词汇积累】 pays top dollar ： 付高价 【词汇积累】 outbid sb for sth ： 出价高于某人 【词组积累】 nascent ： 新生的，萌芽的 【词汇积累】 然而所有这些都还没有赚到钱。去年，Bilibili公布了30亿元的经营亏损，是2019年亏损额的两倍。利润可能仍然难以捉摸；该公司必须通过投资维持游戏渠道，并支付高价，以超过爱奇艺等大型流媒体，获得热门电影的版权，并展示其新生的订阅业务需求。 6 Bilibili’s executives are sanguine . “As our net revenues continue to grow, we do not expect our total content costs as a percentage of total revenue to substantially increase,” they wrote in the prospectus for the firm’s Hong Kong listing. Its share price, down by a third since its February peak, suggests investors want finally to see some proof. Sanguine ： 充满信心的，乐观的 【词汇积累】 Substantially ： 除了基本上，总体来说，还有大大地，大幅地 【熟词僻义】 Prospectus ： 招股书 Bilibili的高管们很乐观。“随着我们的净收入继续增长，我们不希望我们的总内容成本占总收入的百分比大幅增加，”他们写道，在该公司的香港上市的招股书。该公司股价自2月份高点以来下跌了三分之一，这表明投资者终于希望看到一些证据。 总结 mission statement ： 宗旨说明，英文：an official statement of the aims of a company or an organization，即一家公司或组织的目标 【词汇积累】 dubbed ： dub，称作，起绰号，A is dubbed被动形式表示……被称作 【词汇积累】 user figures ： 用户数据 【词汇积累】 Launch ： 上市。除了发射（火箭）外，还有上市的意思，launched in 2009 于2009年上市。下文中的 list in New York中的list也有上市的意思 【词汇积累】 clutter ： ~ sth (up) (with sth/sb) 凌乱地塞满；乱堆放to fill a place with too many things, so that it is untidy。文中指的是bilibili不会在用户上传的视频中，随意添加广告：clutter user-generated videos with adverts 【词汇积累】 accessory ： 配件、附属品，文中指游戏中的付费物品，in-game accessories 【词汇积累】 Shortfall ： 亏空，缺口 【词汇积累】 pays top dollar ： 付高价 【词汇积累】 nascent ： 新生的，萌芽的 【词汇积累】 Sanguine ： 充满信心的，乐观的 【词汇积累】 stand out for sth ： 以……脱颖而出，引人注目 【词组积累】 aspire to do or sth ： 立志于做某事 【词组积累】 shot up by half from a year earlier ： shot up表示激增，猛涨，by half表示增长的量，表示比一年前猛增了一半 【词组积累】 evolved into ： 进化成为 【词组积累】 rush to set up Bilibili accounts ： rush to do争先箜篌地做某事，set up …… accounts 则表示开设创建……的账号 【词组积累】 Between …… and ……： 表示在……和……之间，可以为两个时间段之间 【词组积累】 outbid sb for sth ： 出价高于某人 【词组积累】 put off by ： 被……推迟，这里指的是bilibili运用不放广告的理念吸引那些被广告阻碍看视频的用户 【词组积累】 Substantially ： 除了基本上，总体来说，还有大大地，大幅地 【熟词僻义】 selfhelp lectures ： self-help表示自助的，可以表示自主学习课程 【地道表达】 bn daily views ： 12亿每日观看次数 【地道表达】 double its revenues in each of the past three years ：： 在过去的三年中收入每年都翻了一番 【地道表达】
A revolution in healthcare is coming Welcome to Doctor You Feb 1st 2018NO WONDER they are called “patients”.When people enter the health-care systems of rich countries today, they know what they will get: prodding doctors, endless tests, baffling jargon, rising costs and, above all, long waits. Some stoicism will always be needed, because health care is complex and diligence matters. But frustration is boiling week three of the biggest names in American business—Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase—announced a new venture to provide better, cheaper health care for their employees. A fundamental problem with today’s system is that patients lack knowledge and control. Access to data can bestow both. The internet already enables patients to seek online consultations when and where it suits them. You can take over-the-counter tests to analyse your blood, sequence your genome and check on the bacteria in your gut. Yet radical change demands a shift in emphasis, from providers to patients and from doctors to data. That shift is happening. Technologies such as the smartphone allow people to monitor their own health. The possibilities multiply when you add the crucial missing ingredients—access to your own medical records and the ability easily to share information with those you trust. That allows you to reduce inefficiencies in your own treatment and also to provide data to help train medical algorithms. You can enhance your own care and everyone else’s, too. jargon: the language used for a particular activity or by a particular group of people stoicism: the quality or behavior of a person who accepts what happens without complaining or showing emotion 现在病人走进一家医院，都能预料到会是什么样的：仓促的医生，数不清的检测，看不懂的病例，涨不停的费用和无尽的等待... 病人的问题就是他们不清楚状况和缺乏对自己病情的控制 所以亚马逊和JPMorgan还有Berkshire Hathaway 成立了一个新的公司，为他们的员工提供更好更廉价的医疗 The doctor will be you now Medical data may not seem like the type of kindling to spark a revolution. But the flow of information is likely to bear fruit in several ways. One is better diagnosis. Someone worried about their heart can now buy a watch strap containing a medical-grade monitor that will detect arrhythmias. Apps are vying to see if they can diagnose everything from skin cancer and concussion to Parkinson’s disease. Research is under way to see whether sweat can be analysed for molecular biomarkers without the need for an invasive blood test. Some think that changes in how quickly a person swipes a phone’s touchscreen might signal the onset of cognitive problems. A second benefit lies in the management of complex diseases. Diabetes apps can change the way patients cope, by monitoring blood-glucose levels and food intake, potentially reducing long-run harm such as blindness and gangrene. Akili Interactive, a startup, plans to seek regulatory approval for a video game designed to stimulate an area of the brain implicated in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (see article). 医疗数据可能不会带来一个伟大的变革，但是会有非常多的好处，这四段分别讲了四个有用的地方，看经济学人重要的是看清楚文章的逻辑！ 第一个好处是：更好地诊断 第二个好处是：管理复杂的疾病 Patients can also improve the efficiency of their care. Although health records are increasingly electronic, they are often still trapped in silos. Many contain data that machines cannot read. This can lead to delays in treatment, or worse. Many of the 250,000 deaths in America attributable to medical error each year can be traced to poorly co-ordinated care. With data at their fingertips, common standards to enable sharing and a strong incentive to get things right, patients are more likely to spot errors. On January 24th Apple laid out its plans to ask organisations to let patients use their smartphones to download their own medical records (see article). A final benefit of putting patients in charge stems from the generation and aggregation of their data. Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being trained by a unit of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, to identify cancerous tissues and retinal damage. As patients’data stream from smartphones and “wearables”, they will teach AIs to do ever more. Future AIs could, for instance, provide automated medical diagnosis from a description of your symptoms, spot behavioural traits that suggest you are depressed or identify if you are at special risk of cardiac disease. The aggregation of data will also make it easier for you to find other people with similar diseases and to see how they responded to various treatments. 第三个好处是提高医疗效率 第四个好处是病人掌控自己的数据整合等 讲完了好处接下来讲坏处... An Apple a day As with all new technologies, pitfalls accompany the promise. Hucksters will launch apps that do not work. But with regulators demanding oversight of apps that present risks to patients, users will harm only their wallets. Not everyone will want to take active control of their own health care; plenty will want the professionals to manage . Data can be pored over by those who are interested, while those who are not can opt to share data automatically with trusted providers. The benefits of new technologies often flow disproportionately to the rich. Those fears are mitigated by the incentives that employers, governments and insurers have to invest in cost-efficient preventive care for all. Alphabet has recently launched a firm called Cityblock Health, for example, which plans to trawl through patients’ data to provide better care for low-income city dwellers, many of them covered by Medicaid, an insurance programme for poorer Americans. pitfall: a danger or problem that is hidden or not obvious at first pore over: to read or study something very carefully trawl: to search through something in order to find someone or something 很多先进的技术都是益了富人，因此这需要纳税人，政府和保险公司一起想出保障到所有人的医疗制度 Google在这方面有做出了努力，成立了一各公司Cityblock Health，为低收入人群提供更好的医疗！（真心觉得googlers 是为了人类进步而发展的公司...) Other risks are harder to deal transparency may encourage the hale and hearty not to take out health insurance. They may even make it harder for the unwell to find cover. Regulations can slow that process—by requiring insurers to ignore genetic data, for example—but not stop it. Security is another worry. The more patient data are analysed in the cloud or shared with different firms, the greater the potential threat of hacking or misuse. Almost a quarter of all data breaches in America happen in health care. Health firms should face stringent penalties if they are slapdash about security, but it is naive to expect that breaches will never happen. Will the benefits of making data more widely available outweigh such risks? The signs are that they will. Plenty of countries are now opening up their medical records, but few have gone as far as Sweden. It aims to give all its citizens electronic access to their medical records by 2020; over a third of Swedes have already set up accounts. Studies show that patients with such access have a better understanding of their illnesses, and that their treatment is more successful. Trials in America and Canada have produced not just happier patients but lower costs, as clinicians fielded fewer inquiries. That should be no surprise. No one has a greater interest in your health than you do. Trust in Doctor You. hale: healthy and strong, usually used in the phrase hale and hearty 一个坏处就是让那些身体情况良好的人不会再买保险，而让那些身体不好的人很难买到保险；还有分享的数据越多，就越有可能发生数据泄露和被黑客黑的可能 stringent: very strict or severe slapdash: quick and careless 那分享这些医疗数据到底是不是利大于弊还是弊大于利？种种迹象标明是 利大于弊的！ 总结：科技改变生活，本文是这期经济学人杂志的封面文章 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Results Lexile®Measure: 1100L - 1200L Mean Sentence Length: Mean Log Word Frequency: Word Count: 1030 这篇文章的蓝思值是在1100-1200L， 适合英语专业大二的水平学习，是经济学人里比较简单的使用kindle断断续续地读《经济学人》三年，发现从一开始磕磕碰碰到现在比较顺畅地读完，进步很大，推荐购买！ 点击这里可以去亚马逊官网购买~
As fuels, oil and electricity have meaningfully different characteristics OIL shaped the 20th century. In war, the French leader Georges Clemenceau said, petroleum was “as vital as blood”. In peace the oil business dominated stock markets, bankrolled despots and propped up the economies of entire countries. But the 21st century will see oil’s influence wane. Cheap natural gas, renewable energy, electric vehicles and coordinated efforts to tackle global warming together mean that the power source of choice will be electricity. That is welcome. The electricity era will diminish the clout of the $2trn oil trade, reduce the choke points that have made oil a source of global tension, put energy production into local hands and make power more accessible to the poor. It will also make the world cleaner and safer—reassuringly dull, even. The trouble is getting from here to there. Not just oil producers, but everyone else, too, may find the transition perilous . bankroll: to supply money for ( a business, project, person, etc.) despot: a ruler who has total power and who often uses that power in cruel and unfair ways perilous: full of danger: dangerous 石油早就了20世纪，在战争年代，石油就像血液一样重要；在和平年代，它掌控着经济命脉... Oil and electricity are a study in contrasts (see our special report). Oil is a wonder fuel, packed with more energy by weight than coal and by volume than natural gas (both still the main sources of electricity). It is easy to ship, store and turn into myriad refined products, from petrol to plastics to pharmaceuticals. But it is found only in specific places favoured by geology. Its production is concentrated in a few hands, and its oligopolistic suppliers—from the Seven Sisters to OPEC and Russia—have consistently attempted to drip-feed it on to the market to keep prices and cartelisation make oil prone to crises and the governments of oil-rich states prone to corruption and abuse. 石油有很多的优点，很容易运输，储存和合成其他产品... from petrol to plastics to pharmaceuticals 记住这个表达 但石油只产在某几个国家与地区，就让这些国家形成了垄断... Different kettles of fuel Electricity is less user-friendly than oil. It is hard to store, it loses its oomph when shipped over long distances, and its transmission and distribution require hands-on regulation. But in every other way, it promises a more peaceful world. Electricity is hard to monopolise because it can be produced from numerous sources of fuel, from natural gas and nuclear to wind, solar, hydro and biomass . The more these replace coal and oil as fuel for generation, the cleaner it promises to be. Given the right weather conditions, it is abundant geographically, too. Anyone can produce electricity—fromgreener-than-thou Germans to energy-poor Kenyans. oomph: power or energy ( his argument lacks oomph; the truck doesn't have the oomph to haul the boat) 电力能源虽然不如石油方便，但是却不会被某几个国家垄断，很多方法可以产生电力能源：风力，太阳能，氢能等 True, the technologies used to produce electricity from renewable resources, and the rare earths and minerals that some, including solar panels and wind turbines, rely on, could be subject to protectionism and trade wars. China, which produces 85% of the world’s rare earths, sharply tightened export quotas in 2010 with OPEC-like zeal. America and the European Union have slapped tariffs on Chinese solar-panel imports. Yet the vital substances involved in generating and storing electricity are not burned up like oil. Once a stock of them exists it can for the most part be recycled. And, even if today’s output is concentrated, for most materials the planet has undeveloped deposits or substitutes that can thwart a would-be monopolist. Rare earths, for example, are not rare—one of them, cerium , is almost as common as zinc. Electricity also rewards renewables are intermittent , regional grids are needed to ship electricity from where it is plentiful to where it is not. This could replicate the pipeline politics that Russia engages in with its natural-gas shipments to Europe. More likely, as grids are interconnected so as to diversify supply, more interdependent countries will conclude that manipulating the market is self-defeating. After all, unlike gas, you cannot keep electricity in the ground. thwart: to prevent someone from doing something or to stop something from happening intermittent: starting, stopping, and starting again: not constant or steady An electric world is therefore getting there will be hard, for two reasons. First, as rents dry up, authoritarian oil-dependent governments could collapse. Few will miss them, but their passing could cause social unrest and strife. Oil producers had a taste of what is to come when the price plunged in 2014-16, which led to deep, and unpopular, austerity measures. Saudi Arabia and Russia have temporarily stopped the rot by curtailing production and pushing oil prices higher, as part of an“OPEC+” agreement. They need high prices to buy time to wean their economies off oil. But the higher the oil price, the greater the incentive for energy-thirsty behemoths like China and India to invest in renewable-powered electrification to give themselves cheaper and more secure supplies. Should the producers’ alliance crumble in the face of a long-term decline in demand for oil, prices could once again tumble, this time for good. wean: to start feeding ( a child or young animal) food other than its mother's milk 从石油能源时代转换到电力能源时代是一个艰难的过程，第一个难点就是石油价格下降的话，这些产油国就会产生动荡和冲突... That will lead to the second danger: the fallout for investors in oil assets. America’s frackers need only look at the country’s woebegone coalminers to catch a glimpse of their fate in a distant post-oil future. The International Energy Agency, a forecaster, reckons that, if action to limit global warming to below 2°C accelerates in coming years,$1trn of oil assets could be stranded, ie, rendered obsolete. If the transition is unexpectedly sudden, stockmarkets will be dangerously exposed. The tension is the one hand government policy should press forward with the transition as fast as it can. On the other, a rapid transition will cause upheaval. Expect the big consumers, especially India and China, to force the pace. woebegone: looking or feeling very sad 点评：矛盾是无法避免的，一方面各国政府希望尽快转变到可持续的能源（产油国除外），另一方面这个转变过程速度太快的话会造成动乱。一言以蔽之，就是钱惹的祸 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Results Lexile®Measure: 1100L - 1200L Mean Sentence Length: Mean Log Word Frequency: Word Count: 853 这篇文章的蓝思值是在1100-1200L， 是经济学人里普通难度的文章~ 使用kindle断断续续地读《经济学人》三年，发现从一开始磕磕碰碰到现在比较顺畅地读完，进步很大，推荐购买！ 点击这里可以去亚马逊官网购买~
这篇文章有几个非常有意思的句子和表达，我贴出来，大家一起赏析一下： 佳句篇： Sentence 1. He helped popularise the idea that some diseases not previously thought to have a bacterial cause were actually infections, which ruffled many scientific feathers when it was first suggested. 解析： Ruffle弄皱的意思 Ruffle one’s feathers惹怒（想想逆毛流撸猫） The idea that ...用的是同位语从句，不太多，常用搭配是the evidence that，the concept that 等。That后从句解释idea, concept或evidence等。 Which的指代问题。Which指代的不是上文任何一个出现的单词或词组，而是Dr. Cochran的这波操作。Sentence 2. Ashkenazim generally do well in IQ tests, scoring 12-15 points above the mean value of 100, and have contributed disproportionately to the intellectual and cultural life of the West, as the careers of Freud, Einstein and Mahler, pictured above, affirm. disproportionately不成比例地 主干and复合句+非谓语动词scoring+as引导的从句（插入后置定语） 每个部分都不难，集合到一起就对理解产生障碍了。Sentence 3. But in the Middle Ages, success in Christian society tended to be violently aristocratic (warfare and land), rather than peacefully meritocratic (banking and trade). 这个句子不难，为什么拿出来是因为这个violently的用法。简单来讲，这一个单词乍一看是作aristocratic的副词，实则在翻译（以及理解）当中，我们必须单独翻译成一个实意的成分，而且作副词处理。 Aristocratic贵族统治 Meritocratic德治Sentence 4. That small, reproductively isolated groups of people are susceptible to genetic disease is well known. 主语从句，注意 5. Most of the dozen or so disease genes that are common in them belong to one of two types: they are involved either in the storage in nerve cells of special fats called sphingolipids, which form part of the insulating outer sheaths that allow nerve cells to transmit electrical signals, or in DNA repair. 典型长句，如何解析？ Most of the dozen or so disease genes that are common in them belong to one of two types: Or so大约 斜体作的是disease genes they are involved either in the storage in nerve cells of special fats called sphingolipids, which form part of the insulating outer sheaths that allow nerve cells to transmit electrical signals, or in DNA repair. either or后面是两个in... 第一个in后面的which form part of the insulating outer sheaths解释的是Sphingolipids that allow nerve cells to transmit electrical signals解释的是sheaths。 也就是说，（非限制性）定语从句后面紧接另一个定语从句。 第二个in后面很简单，但！！！文章最后一段有解释，对于 文章结构 至关重要。Sentence 6&7. Thus, the theory goes, the pressure to keep the sickle-cell gene in the population because of its malaria-protective effects balances the pressure to drive it out because of its anaemia-causing effects. It therefore persists without becoming ubiquitous. 两句话放一起。 主干已加黑。很有意思的句子，工整、对仗，而又解释非常清楚。 下一句，persist和ubiquitous用词极其精准，整句话像外科手术般，精准简练。作者还是怕读者一下子没读懂，用简单而又高效的句子总结下。写作手法很老练高超，字字玑珠，像极了宝马M3。Sentence 8. Genes that promote intelligence in an individual when present as a single copy create disease when present as a double copy. 乍一看没什么稀奇，再一看，把一个comparison分别放在了主语和谓语的修饰成分中，可谓老辣。 作何解？ That promote intelligence对genes做了一个限定，指的是genes的其中一种特征，然后用when说明了适用情况。 Create谓语的主语也是genes，但这时候是没有限定的genes。Create disease做的是限定，其实对应的是promote intelligence。后面同样用一个when来说明范围。 简单来讲，genes的含义做了一个缩小和限定，又在create的时候恢复了genes的双重功能含义。 Promote intelligence和create diseases一个对应，尽管成分差别很大。 两个when的对比。 可谓神句。Sentence 9. An Israeli clinic devoted to treating people with Gaucher's has vastly more engineers, scientists, accountants and lawyers on its books than would be expected by chance. Than (what) would be expected by chance. 省略了what。。。你能理解吗？ 还有这个books，这个同语境关联强烈。好的表达： 1. ruffle one’s feather 2. Tremble at the thought 3. Affirm作不及物动词（Ashkenazim generally do well in IQ tests, scoring 12-15 points above the mean value of 100, and have contributed disproportionately to the intellectual and cultural life of the West, as the careers of Freud, Einstein and Mahler, pictured above, affirm. ） 4. aristocratic . meritocratic 5. Exact a price类似用法 exert influence附原文及翻译： Natural genius? 天生我才？ The high intelligence of Ashkenazi Jews may be a result of their persecuted past 德系犹太人的高智商或许是因为曾经遭受迫害的后果 THE idea that some ethnic groups may, on average, be more intelligent than others is one of those hypotheses that dare not speak its name. But Gregory Cochran, a noted scientific iconoclast, is prepared to say it anyway. He is that rare bird, a scientist who works independently of any institution. He helped popularise the idea that some diseases not previously thought to have a bacterial cause were actually infections, which ruffled many scientific feathers when it was first suggested. And more controversially still, he has suggested that homosexuality is caused by an infection. 某些少数民族的平均智商高于其他民族这一说法，是很多不敢公开的假设之一。不过著名的科学狂人Gregory Cochran 决意要做第一个吃螃蟹的人。他很特别，总是独立工作而不属于任何机构。某些曾被诊断并非病菌引起的疾病，其实病源来自传染病。这一观点因他的推动受到了关注。此观点一经提出，就受到了许多科学家的反对。这还不算，更具争议的是，他认为同性恋也是由传染病引起的。 Even he, however, might tremble at the thought of what he is about to do. Together with Jason Hardy and Henry Harpending, of the University of Utah, he is publishing, in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Biosocial Science, a paper which not only suggests that one group of humanity is more intelligent than the others, but explains the process that has brought this about. The group in question are Ashkenazi Jews. The process is natural selection. 然而就算是Cochran，也为自己接下来要做的事捏了一把汗。他准备同Utah大学的Jason Hardy与Henry Harpending一同，在最新一期的《生物社会科学杂志》发表一篇论文，文中不仅提出了某一少数民族比其他民族更聪明这一观点，还解释了这一结果产生的过程。文中两大主角就是德系犹太人和自然选择。 History before science 不管是否科学，先来看看历史 Ashkenazim generally do well in IQ tests, scoring 12-15 points above the mean value of 100, and have contributed disproportionately to the intellectual and cultural life of the West, as the careers of Freud, Einstein and Mahler, pictured above, affirm. They also suffer more often than most people from a number of nasty genetic diseases, such as Tay-Sachs and breast cancer. These facts, however, have previously been thought unrelated. The former has been put down to social effects, such as a strong tradition of valuing education. The latter was seen as a consequence of genetic isolation. Even now, Ashkenazim tend to marry among themselves. In the past they did so almost exclusively. 德系犹太人不仅在IQ测试上表现不俗，正常人一般在100分左右，而他们大多都能得个112-115分，而且虽然人数不多，但他们在欧洲知识、文化生活中的地位却举足轻重。想想弗洛伊德、爱因斯坦、马勒，我们就会点头称是了。但同时，他们中患有如泰-萨克斯病、乳腺癌这类严重的遗传疾病的比率明显高于其他种族。这些事实，最初被人们认为是毫无联系的。前者被说成是社会原因引起的，如浓烈的价值观教育的传统；后者则被说成是基因隔离的结果，不过即使是现在，德系犹太人还是愿意同本族人结婚，在过去，就更是如此了。 Dr Cochran, however, suspects that the intelligence and the diseases are intimately linked. His argument is that the unusual history of the Ashkenazim has subjected them to unique evolutionary pressures that have resulted in this paradoxical state of affairs. 但Cochran博士对以上两点表示质疑，并认为德系犹太人的天赋异禀与痛病缠身联系密切。他认为正是异常的历史环境强加给了德系犹太人独有的进化压力，才导致了这些看似奇怪的现象。 Ashkenazi history begins with the Jewish rebellion against Roman rule in the first century AD. When this was crushed, Jewish refugees fled in all directions. The descendants of those who fled to Europe became known as Ashkenazim. 德系犹太人的历史源于公元1世纪。犹太人在反对罗马人的统治失败后，犹太难民四散而逃，逃亡欧洲的犹太后裔就是如今的德系犹太人。 In the Middle Ages, European Jews were subjected to legal discrimination, one effect of which was to drive them into money-related professions such as banking and tax farming which were often disdained by, or forbidden to, Christians. This, along with the low level of intermarriage with their gentile neighbours (which modern genetic analysis confirms was the case), is Dr Cochran's starting point. 在中世纪，欧洲的犹太人在法律上地位很不平等，结果之一就是他们不得不从事与金钱相关的职业，如被人看不起或不准基督徒涉足的银行或征税工作，此外，他们只能与邻居中社会地位较低的非犹太人通婚（这种状况通过现代基因学分析得到了证实）。上述就是Cochran 博士论文的起点。 He argues that the professions occupied by European Jews were all ones that put a premium on intelligence. Of course, it is hard to prove that this intelligence premium existed in the Middle Ages, but it is certainly true that it exists in the modern versions of those occupations. Several studies have shown that intelligence, as measured by IQ tests, is highly correlated with income in jobs such as banking. 他认为欧洲犹太人从事的职业都是些需要一定智商的职业，虽不能证明这些职业在中世纪时就是这样了，但在当代它们确实如此。一些研究表明，智力水平（按智力测试的标准来算）与工资水平（如那些从事银行工作的人）联系密切。 What can, however, be shown from the historical records is that European Jews at the top of their professions in the Middle Ages raised more children to adulthood than those at the bottom. Of course, that was true of successful gentiles as well. But in the Middle Ages, success in Christian society tended to be violently aristocratic (warfare and land), rather than peacefully meritocratic (banking and trade). 这些历史记录证明了，那些在欧洲工作地位较高的犹太家庭子女存活率要高于那些地位较低的犹太家庭。情况对于那些其他种族的也是一样的。但在中世纪，基督教社会中所谓的成功多是贵族通过战争与土地强争豪取，而非通过量才而用（如从事银行或贸易工作）和平地获得。 Put these two things together—a correlation of intelligence and success, and a correlation of success and fecundity—and you have circumstances that favour the spread of genes that enhance intelligence. The questions are, do such genes exist, and what are they if they do? Dr Cochran thinks they do exist, and that they are exactly the genes that cause the inherited diseases which afflict Ashkenazi society. 把智力与成功的关联以及成功与生殖力的关系合二为一，你就具备了有利于智商提高的基因传播的条件。问题是这种智商基因确实存在吗？假如它果真存在的话，那究竟是什么呢？科克伦博士认为它们的确存在，而且正是那种引起折磨德系犹太人遗传疾病的基因。 That small, reproductively isolated groups of people are susceptible to genetic disease is well known. Constant mating with even distant relatives reduces genetic diversity, and some disease genes will thus, randomly, become more common. But the very randomness of this process means there should be no discernible pattern about which disease genes increase in frequency. In the case of Ashkenazim, Dr Cochran argues, this is not the case. Most of the dozen or so disease genes that are common in them belong to one of two types: they are involved either in the storage in nerve cells of special fats called sphingolipids, which form part of the insulating outer sheaths that allow nerve cells to transmit electrical signals, or in DNA repair. The former genes cause neurological diseases, such as Tay- Sachs, Gaucher's and Niemann-Pick. The latter cause cancer. 众所周知，越是人口稀少并且生育范围狭小的种族就越易患遗传疾病。总是于同族人通婚，就算不是近亲，也会较少遗传的多样性，同时也会使某些致病基因没有规律地在该种族内部泛滥起来。而这种无规律性意味着人们不知道何类致病基因会被大量传播。但对德系犹太人来说，Cochran 医生指出，情况却并非如此。他们当中最常见的十几种疾病基因基本上可以归结于两类：一类参与神经细胞中鞘脂类特殊脂肪）的储存。鞘脂组成一部分绝缘外层鞘，允许神经细胞发射电子信号。另一类参与DNA 的修复。前者基因会引发神经性疾病，如泰萨二氏病、脑苷脂沉积病和神经鞘磷脂沉积病；而后者会导致癌症。 That does not look random. And what is even less random is that in several cases the genes for particular diseases come in different varieties, each the result of an independent original mutation. This really does suggest the mutated genes are being preserved by natural selection. But it does not answer the question of how evolution can favour genetic diseases. However, in certain circumstances, evolution can. 上述看起来并非毫无规律。而且更趋于规律的表现就是，在一些病例中，特殊疾病的致病基因来自于不同的变体，而每个变体都是独立的原基因变异的结果。这就印证了变异基因是自然选择保留下来的结果，可它却不能回答自然选择为什么会成了遗传疾病的帮凶，但在一些特殊的条件下，进化能够产生这样的结果。 West Africans, and people of West African descent, are susceptible to a disease called sickle-cell anaemia that is virtually unknown elsewhere. The anaemia develops in those whose red blood cells contain a particular type of haemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen. But the disease occurs only in those who have two copies of the gene for the disease-causing haemoglobin (one copy from each parent). Those who have only one copy have no symptoms. They are, however, protected against malaria, one of the biggest killers in that part of the world. Thus, the theory goes, the pressure to keep the sickle-cell gene in the population because of its malaria-protective effects balances the pressure to drive it out because of its anaemia-causing effects. It therefore persists without becoming ubiquitous. 如西非人以及他们的后代易患一种叫做镰状细胞性贫血的疾病，这种病在西非之外几乎都没人听说过。贫血症发于那些红血球中含有一种特殊的血红蛋白，其蛋白质中含有氧气的人。但这种镰状细胞性贫血症只会发生在同时有两组这种致病的血红蛋白（父母都有这种血红蛋白）的人身上。而那些只有一组的人不但不会患这种贫血症，也不会患疟疾，该病被称为非洲的头号杀手。因此，我们可以这样说，抵御疟疾的特性使得镰状细胞在得以人体中存活下来，同时这种细胞导致贫血症的特性也会被人体排斥，只有在为保持这两种状态而产生的压力达到平衡时，才不会有任何一个特性占据上风。 Dr Cochran argues that something similar happened to the Ashkenazim. Genes that promote intelligence in an individual when present as a single copy create disease when present as a double copy. His thesis is not as strong as the sickle-cell/malaria theory, because he has not proved that any of his disease genes do actually affect intelligence. But the area of operation of some of them suggests that they might. Cochran博士认为，德系犹太人也面临着同样的情况，他们的某些基因如果以单组出现就可以提高智力，一旦以双组出现就会引起疾病。显然，该理论并不如他的镰状细胞/疟疾理论那样具有说服力，因为他尚未证明任何一种致病基因确实能够影响智力，但是某些基因的活动区域显示它们或许真能影响智力。 The sphingolipid-storage diseases, Tay-Sachs, Gaucher's and Niemann-Pick, all involve extra growth and branching of the protuberances that connect nerve cells together. Too much of this (as caused in those with double copies) is clearly pathological. But it may be that those with single copies experience a more limited, but still enhanced, protuberance growth. That would yield better linkage between brain cells, and might thus lead to increased intelligence. Indeed, in the case of Gaucher's disease, the only one of the three in which people routinely live to adulthood, there is evidence that those with full symptoms are more intelligent than the average. An Israeli clinic devoted to treating people with Gaucher's has vastly more engineers, scientists, accountants and lawyers on its books than would be expected by chance. 鞘脂储存类疾病，如泰萨二氏病、脑苷脂沉积病和神经鞘磷脂沉积病，都涉及到连接神经细胞的凸起的多余生长和分叉。显然，这种生长和分叉太多的话就会引起疾病。但是，也有可能，仅有单份致病基因的人会出现比较有限的、但仍然加强了的凸起生长。这将有助于加强脑细胞之间的连接，或许因此导致智力提高。实际上，在脑苷脂沉积病的例子中，在三分之一能够活到成年的患者中，确实有证据表明完全发病的人拥有高于平均值的智商。根据一家专门治疗脑苷脂沉积病的以色列诊所的医疗记录，患者中的工程师、科学家、会计和律师的比例多于常人。 Why a failure of the DNA-repair system should boost intelligence is unclear—and is, perhaps, the weakest part of the thesis, although evidence is emerging that one of the genes in question is involved in regulating the early growth of the brain. But the thesis also has a strong point: it makes a clear and testable prediction. This is that people with a single copy of the gene for Tay-Sachs, or that for Gaucher's, or that for Niemann-Pick should be more intelligent than average. Dr Cochran and his colleagues predict they will be so by about five IQ points. If that turns out to be the case, it will strengthen the idea that, albeit unwillingly, Ashkenazi Jews have been part of an accidental experiment in eugenics. It has brought them some advantages. But, like the deliberate eugenics experiments of the 20th century, it has also exacted a terrible price. 为什么基因修复系统失灵会提高智力，现在还不清楚原因何在。虽然，陆续有证据表明产生问题的基因之一参与了调节大脑的早期发育，但是这仍是该论题最薄弱的环节。不过，该理论也有令人信服的地方：它对于拥有单份泰萨二氏病或脑苷脂沉积病或神经鞘磷脂沉积病基因的人会比普通人更聪明做出了明确而可检验的预测。Cochran 博士和他的同事认为，这些人的智商因此会比平均水平高出5 个点。尽管有人不愿接受，假如确实如此的话，它将有力地证明，德系犹太人在不经意间经历了优生实验，而这为他们带来了智商上的优势。但是，如同发生在20 世纪的人为的优生实验一样，它同样让他们付出了可怕的代价。
这篇文章有几个非常有意思的句子和表达，我贴出来，大家一起赏析一下： 佳句篇： Sentence 1. He helped popularise the idea that some diseases not previously thought to have a bacterial cause were actually infections, which ruffled many scientific feathers when it was first suggested. 解析： Ruffle弄皱的意思 Ruffle one’s feathers惹怒（想想逆毛流撸猫） The idea that ...用的是同位语从句，不太多，常用搭配是the evidence that，the concept that 等。That后从句解释idea, concept或evidence等。 Which的指代问题。Which指代的不是上文任何一个出现的单词或词组，而是Dr. Cochran的这波操作。Sentence 2. Ashkenazim generally do well in IQ tests, scoring 12-15 points above the mean value of 100, and have contributed disproportionately to the intellectual and cultural life of the West, as the careers of Freud, Einstein and Mahler, pictured above, affirm. disproportionately不成比例地 主干and复合句+非谓语动词scoring+as引导的从句（插入后置定语） 每个部分都不难，集合到一起就对理解产生障碍了。Sentence 3. But in the Middle Ages, success in Christian society tended to be violently aristocratic (warfare and land), rather than peacefully meritocratic (banking and trade). 这个句子不难，为什么拿出来是因为这个violently的用法。简单来讲，这一个单词乍一看是作aristocratic的副词，实则在翻译（以及理解）当中，我们必须单独翻译成一个实意的成分，而且作副词处理。 Aristocratic贵族统治 Meritocratic德治Sentence 4. That small, reproductively isolated groups of people are susceptible to genetic disease is well known. 主语从句，注意 5. Most of the dozen or so disease genes that are common in them belong to one of two types: they are involved either in the storage in nerve cells of special fats called sphingolipids, which form part of the insulating outer sheaths that allow nerve cells to transmit electrical signals, or in DNA repair. 典型长句，如何解析？ Most of the dozen or so disease genes that are common in them belong to one of two types: Or so大约 斜体作的是disease genes they are involved either in the storage in nerve cells of special fats called sphingolipids, which form part of the insulating outer sheaths that allow nerve cells to transmit electrical signals, or in DNA repair. either or后面是两个in... 第一个in后面的which form part of the insulating outer sheaths解释的是Sphingolipids that allow nerve cells to transmit electrical signals解释的是sheaths。 也就是说，（非限制性）定语从句后面紧接另一个定语从句。 第二个in后面很简单，但！！！文章最后一段有解释，对于 文章结构 至关重要。Sentence 6&7. Thus, the theory goes, the pressure to keep the sickle-cell gene in the population because of its malaria-protective effects balances the pressure to drive it out because of its anaemia-causing effects. It therefore persists without becoming ubiquitous. 两句话放一起。 主干已加黑。很有意思的句子，工整、对仗，而又解释非常清楚。 下一句，persist和ubiquitous用词极其精准，整句话像外科手术般，精准简练。作者还是怕读者一下子没读懂，用简单而又高效的句子总结下。写作手法很老练高超，字字玑珠，像极了宝马M3。Sentence 8. Genes that promote intelligence in an individual when present as a single copy create disease when present as a double copy. 乍一看没什么稀奇，再一看，把一个comparison分别放在了主语和谓语的修饰成分中，可谓老辣。 作何解？ That promote intelligence对genes做了一个限定，指的是genes的其中一种特征，然后用when说明了适用情况。 Create谓语的主语也是genes，但这时候是没有限定的genes。Create disease做的是限定，其实对应的是promote intelligence。后面同样用一个when来说明范围。 简单来讲，genes的含义做了一个缩小和限定，又在create的时候恢复了genes的双重功能含义。 Promote intelligence和create diseases一个对应，尽管成分差别很大。 两个when的对比。 可谓神句。Sentence 9. An Israeli clinic devoted to treating people with Gaucher's has vastly more engineers, scientists, accountants and lawyers on its books than would be expected by chance. Than (what) would be expected by chance. 省略了what。。。你能理解吗？ 还有这个books，这个同语境关联强烈。好的表达： 1. ruffle one’s feather 2. Tremble at the thought 3. Affirm作不及物动词（Ashkenazim generally do well in IQ tests, scoring 12-15 points above the mean value of 100, and have contributed disproportionately to the intellectual and cultural life of the West, as the careers of Freud, Einstein and Mahler, pictured above, affirm. ） 4. aristocratic . meritocratic 5. Exact a price类似用法 exert influence附原文及翻译： Natural genius? 天生我才？ The high intelligence of Ashkenazi Jews may be a result of their persecuted past 德系犹太人的高智商或许是因为曾经遭受迫害的后果 THE idea that some ethnic groups may, on average, be more intelligent than others is one of those hypotheses that dare not speak its name. But Gregory Cochran, a noted scientific iconoclast, is prepared to say it anyway. He is that rare bird, a scientist who works independently of any institution. He helped popularise the idea that some diseases not previously thought to have a bacterial cause were actually infections, which ruffled many scientific feathers when it was first suggested. And more controversially still, he has suggested that homosexuality is caused by an infection. 某些少数民族的平均智商高于其他民族这一说法，是很多不敢公开的假设之一。不过著名的科学狂人Gregory Cochran 决意要做第一个吃螃蟹的人。他很特别，总是独立工作而不属于任何机构。某些曾被诊断并非病菌引起的疾病，其实病源来自传染病。这一观点因他的推动受到了关注。此观点一经提出，就受到了许多科学家的反对。这还不算，更具争议的是，他认为同性恋也是由传染病引起的。 Even he, however, might tremble at the thought of what he is about to do. Together with Jason Hardy and Henry Harpending, of the University of Utah, he is publishing, in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Biosocial Science, a paper which not only suggests that one group of humanity is more intelligent than the others, but explains the process that has brought this about. The group in question are Ashkenazi Jews. The process is natural selection. 然而就算是Cochran，也为自己接下来要做的事捏了一把汗。他准备同Utah大学的Jason Hardy与Henry Harpending一同，在最新一期的《生物社会科学杂志》发表一篇论文，文中不仅提出了某一少数民族比其他民族更聪明这一观点，还解释了这一结果产生的过程。文中两大主角就是德系犹太人和自然选择。 History before science 不管是否科学，先来看看历史 Ashkenazim generally do well in IQ tests, scoring 12-15 points above the mean value of 100, and have contributed disproportionately to the intellectual and cultural life of the West, as the careers of Freud, Einstein and Mahler, pictured above, affirm. They also suffer more often than most people from a number of nasty genetic diseases, such as Tay-Sachs and breast cancer. These facts, however, have previously been thought unrelated. The former has been put down to social effects, such as a strong tradition of valuing education. The latter was seen as a consequence of genetic isolation. Even now, Ashkenazim tend to marry among themselves. In the past they did so almost exclusively. 德系犹太人不仅在IQ测试上表现不俗，正常人一般在100分左右，而他们大多都能得个112-115分，而且虽然人数不多，但他们在欧洲知识、文化生活中的地位却举足轻重。想想弗洛伊德、爱因斯坦、马勒，我们就会点头称是了。但同时，他们中患有如泰-萨克斯病、乳腺癌这类严重的遗传疾病的比率明显高于其他种族。这些事实，最初被人们认为是毫无联系的。前者被说成是社会原因引起的，如浓烈的价值观教育的传统；后者则被说成是基因隔离的结果，不过即使是现在，德系犹太人还是愿意同本族人结婚，在过去，就更是如此了。 Dr Cochran, however, suspects that the intelligence and the diseases are intimately linked. His argument is that the unusual history of the Ashkenazim has subjected them to unique evolutionary pressures that have resulted in this paradoxical state of affairs. 但Cochran博士对以上两点表示质疑，并认为德系犹太人的天赋异禀与痛病缠身联系密切。他认为正是异常的历史环境强加给了德系犹太人独有的进化压力，才导致了这些看似奇怪的现象。 Ashkenazi history begins with the Jewish rebellion against Roman rule in the first century AD. When this was crushed, Jewish refugees fled in all directions. The descendants of those who fled to Europe became known as Ashkenazim. 德系犹太人的历史源于公元1世纪。犹太人在反对罗马人的统治失败后，犹太难民四散而逃，逃亡欧洲的犹太后裔就是如今的德系犹太人。 In the Middle Ages, European Jews were subjected to legal discrimination, one effect of which was to drive them into money-related professions such as banking and tax farming which were often disdained by, or forbidden to, Christians. This, along with the low level of intermarriage with their gentile neighbours (which modern genetic analysis confirms was the case), is Dr Cochran's starting point. 在中世纪，欧洲的犹太人在法律上地位很不平等，结果之一就是他们不得不从事与金钱相关的职业，如被人看不起或不准基督徒涉足的银行或征税工作，此外，他们只能与邻居中社会地位较低的非犹太人通婚（这种状况通过现代基因学分析得到了证实）。上述就是Cochran 博士论文的起点。 He argues that the professions occupied by European Jews were all ones that put a premium on intelligence. Of course, it is hard to prove that this intelligence premium existed in the Middle Ages, but it is certainly true that it exists in the modern versions of those occupations. Several studies have shown that intelligence, as measured by IQ tests, is highly correlated with income in jobs such as banking. 他认为欧洲犹太人从事的职业都是些需要一定智商的职业，虽不能证明这些职业在中世纪时就是这样了，但在当代它们确实如此。一些研究表明，智力水平（按智力测试的标准来算）与工资水平（如那些从事银行工作的人）联系密切。 What can, however, be shown from the historical records is that European Jews at the top of their professions in the Middle Ages raised more children to adulthood than those at the bottom. Of course, that was true of successful gentiles as well. But in the Middle Ages, success in Christian society tended to be violently aristocratic (warfare and land), rather than peacefully meritocratic (banking and trade). 这些历史记录证明了，那些在欧洲工作地位较高的犹太家庭子女存活率要高于那些地位较低的犹太家庭。情况对于那些其他种族的也是一样的。但在中世纪，基督教社会中所谓的成功多是贵族通过战争与土地强争豪取，而非通过量才而用（如从事银行或贸易工作）和平地获得。 Put these two things together—a correlation of intelligence and success, and a correlation of success and fecundity—and you have circumstances that favour the spread of genes that enhance intelligence. The questions are, do such genes exist, and what are they if they do? Dr Cochran thinks they do exist, and that they are exactly the genes that cause the inherited diseases which afflict Ashkenazi society. 把智力与成功的关联以及成功与生殖力的关系合二为一，你就具备了有利于智商提高的基因传播的条件。问题是这种智商基因确实存在吗？假如它果真存在的话，那究竟是什么呢？科克伦博士认为它们的确存在，而且正是那种引起折磨德系犹太人遗传疾病的基因。 That small, reproductively isolated groups of people are susceptible to genetic disease is well known. Constant mating with even distant relatives reduces genetic diversity, and some disease genes will thus, randomly, become more common. But the very randomness of this process means there should be no discernible pattern about which disease genes increase in frequency. In the case of Ashkenazim, Dr Cochran argues, this is not the case. Most of the dozen or so disease genes that are common in them belong to one of two types: they are involved either in the storage in nerve cells of special fats called sphingolipids, which form part of the insulating outer sheaths that allow nerve cells to transmit electrical signals, or in DNA repair. The former genes cause neurological diseases, such as Tay- Sachs, Gaucher's and Niemann-Pick. The latter cause cancer. 众所周知，越是人口稀少并且生育范围狭小的种族就越易患遗传疾病。总是于同族人通婚，就算不是近亲，也会较少遗传的多样性，同时也会使某些致病基因没有规律地在该种族内部泛滥起来。而这种无规律性意味着人们不知道何类致病基因会被大量传播。但对德系犹太人来说，Cochran 医生指出，情况却并非如此。他们当中最常见的十几种疾病基因基本上可以归结于两类：一类参与神经细胞中鞘脂类特殊脂肪）的储存。鞘脂组成一部分绝缘外层鞘，允许神经细胞发射电子信号。另一类参与DNA 的修复。前者基因会引发神经性疾病，如泰萨二氏病、脑苷脂沉积病和神经鞘磷脂沉积病；而后者会导致癌症。 That does not look random. And what is even less random is that in several cases the genes for particular diseases come in different varieties, each the result of an independent original mutation. This really does suggest the mutated genes are being preserved by natural selection. But it does not answer the question of how evolution can favour genetic diseases. However, in certain circumstances, evolution can. 上述看起来并非毫无规律。而且更趋于规律的表现就是，在一些病例中，特殊疾病的致病基因来自于不同的变体，而每个变体都是独立的原基因变异的结果。这就印证了变异基因是自然选择保留下来的结果，可它却不能回答自然选择为什么会成了遗传疾病的帮凶，但在一些特殊的条件下，进化能够产生这样的结果。 West Africans, and people of West African descent, are susceptible to a disease called sickle-cell anaemia that is virtually unknown elsewhere. The anaemia develops in those whose red blood cells contain a particular type of haemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen. But the disease occurs only in those who have two copies of the gene for the disease-causing haemoglobin (one copy from each parent). Those who have only one copy have no symptoms. They are, however, protected against malaria, one of the biggest killers in that part of the world. Thus, the theory goes, the pressure to keep the sickle-cell gene in the population because of its malaria-protective effects balances the pressure to drive it out because of its anaemia-causing effects. It therefore persists without becoming ubiquitous. 如西非人以及他们的后代易患一种叫做镰状细胞性贫血的疾病，这种病在西非之外几乎都没人听说过。贫血症发于那些红血球中含有一种特殊的血红蛋白，其蛋白质中含有氧气的人。但这种镰状细胞性贫血症只会发生在同时有两组这种致病的血红蛋白（父母都有这种血红蛋白）的人身上。而那些只有一组的人不但不会患这种贫血症，也不会患疟疾，该病被称为非洲的头号杀手。因此，我们可以这样说，抵御疟疾的特性使得镰状细胞在得以人体中存活下来，同时这种细胞导致贫血症的特性也会被人体排斥，只有在为保持这两种状态而产生的压力达到平衡时，才不会有任何一个特性占据上风。 Dr Cochran argues that something similar happened to the Ashkenazim. Genes that promote intelligence in an individual when present as a single copy create disease when present as a double copy. His thesis is not as strong as the sickle-cell/malaria theory, because he has not proved that any of his disease genes do actually affect intelligence. But the area of operation of some of them suggests that they might. Cochran博士认为，德系犹太人也面临着同样的情况，他们的某些基因如果以单组出现就可以提高智力，一旦以双组出现就会引起疾病。显然，该理论并不如他的镰状细胞/疟疾理论那样具有说服力，因为他尚未证明任何一种致病基因确实能够影响智力，但是某些基因的活动区域显示它们或许真能影响智力。 The sphingolipid-storage diseases, Tay-Sachs, Gaucher's and Niemann-Pick, all involve extra growth and branching of the protuberances that connect nerve cells together. Too much of this (as caused in those with double copies) is clearly pathological. But it may be that those with single copies experience a more limited, but still enhanced, protuberance growth. That would yield better linkage between brain cells, and might thus lead to increased intelligence. Indeed, in the case of Gaucher's disease, the only one of the three in which people routinely live to adulthood, there is evidence that those with full symptoms are more intelligent than the average. An Israeli clinic devoted to treating people with Gaucher's has vastly more engineers, scientists, accountants and lawyers on its books than would be expected by chance. 鞘脂储存类疾病，如泰萨二氏病、脑苷脂沉积病和神经鞘磷脂沉积病，都涉及到连接神经细胞的凸起的多余生长和分叉。显然，这种生长和分叉太多的话就会引起疾病。但是，也有可能，仅有单份致病基因的人会出现比较有限的、但仍然加强了的凸起生长。这将有助于加强脑细胞之间的连接，或许因此导致智力提高。实际上，在脑苷脂沉积病的例子中，在三分之一能够活到成年的患者中，确实有证据表明完全发病的人拥有高于平均值的智商。根据一家专门治疗脑苷脂沉积病的以色列诊所的医疗记录，患者中的工程师、科学家、会计和律师的比例多于常人。 Why a failure of the DNA-repair system should boost intelligence is unclear—and is, perhaps, the weakest part of the thesis, although evidence is emerging that one of the genes in question is involved in regulating the early growth of the brain. But the thesis also has a strong point: it makes a clear and testable prediction. This is that people with a single copy of the gene for Tay-Sachs, or that for Gaucher's, or that for Niemann-Pick should be more intelligent than average. Dr Cochran and his colleagues predict they will be so by about five IQ points. If that turns out to be the case, it will strengthen the idea that, albeit unwillingly, Ashkenazi Jews have been part of an accidental experiment in eugenics. It has brought them some advantages. But, like the deliberate eugenics experiments of the 20th century, it has also exacted a terrible price. 为什么基因修复系统失灵会提高智力，现在还不清楚原因何在。虽然，陆续有证据表明产生问题的基因之一参与了调节大脑的早期发育，但是这仍是该论题最薄弱的环节。不过，该理论也有令人信服的地方：它对于拥有单份泰萨二氏病或脑苷脂沉积病或神经鞘磷脂沉积病基因的人会比普通人更聪明做出了明确而可检验的预测。Cochran 博士和他的同事认为，这些人的智商因此会比平均水平高出5 个点。尽管有人不愿接受，假如确实如此的话，它将有力地证明，德系犹太人在不经意间经历了优生实验，而这为他们带来了智商上的优势。但是，如同发生在20 世纪的人为的优生实验一样，它同样让他们付出了可怕的代价。
今晚听Justin解读《经济学人》的各个板块，让我既梳理了自己的阅读偏好，又有了新的收获和目标。 一. 我的喜好 1. China 板块的 Chaguan 专栏 茶馆专栏的内容几乎是我拿到每期经济学人后会第一篇阅读的文章，因为话题本身就既有意思又接地气。读读“老外”如何看待中国的热点，总让我觉得新奇又好玩。 2. Business 板块的 Bartleby 专栏 我一直对职场类话题很感兴趣，所以 Bartleby 专栏一出来，我就眼睛一亮。我知道中外职场既有共性，又存在明显的差异。更重要的，读读这些文章，也许还可以避免我们无知地踏进职场的“坑”里。 3. Letters 原先我并没有注意到这个“不起眼”的板块，直到上个月读到Justin的公众号文章—— 这可能是《经济学人》最好玩儿的板块 ——我才开始关注这些读者信件。有的读者来信会让我眼睛一亮，尤其是信中的观点与我阅读某篇文章时的想法不谋而合，或是他们的想法让我陷入思考的时候，我都会觉得很有意思。 二. 部分解读 1. The world this week 一周要闻包括三部分： 我可以好好利用碎片时间来读一读这个版块。 2. Briefing 深度长文、专题（单篇篇幅最长的板块，将Leaders里的一篇充分展开） 3. Essay 随笔（不定期出的有大量论证的长文） 4. Technology Quarterly 科技季刊 （夹在杂志中，由6-8篇文章组成，对某一话题作深度探讨） 5. Business 是唯一一个有两个专栏的板块 三. 课程总结 1. 从兴趣出发来阅读，不要被别人牵着鼻子走。 2. 刚开始读《经济学人》，坚持读一个板块就好。 3. 按需阅读，每个版块对应不同的学习目标。 四. 学习表达 1. survey 总览 2. paraphrase 意译、改述 3. nomenclature 命名 4. dumb down: make sth. more accessible and comprehensible
《经济学人》中有这样一句话：Yet the idea of sector-by-sector membership is problematic. The EU has made plain its dislike of cherry-picking.其中，...has made plain its dislike of... 就是一个值得模仿的表达，它的含义是“……已经表明不喜欢……”。可以造几个句子：a) Many CEOs in top American companies made plain their dislike of Donald Trump before the presidential election, and that has put them in a dilemma as Trump makes his way to the White ) In preserving natural resources, most ecologists have made plain their dislike of disposable ) China has made plain its dislike of a trade war with America, for it will damage the interests of both countries.通过这样的形式进行思维发散，加深对所学表达的理解和记忆。在接下来的几个例子里面我也会演示如何造句：下面的句子出自经济学人关于日本和俄罗斯领导人会谈的报道：Two men in a tubAmong the possible enticements for Russia is the revival of a mothballed proposal to build a $ gas pipeline between Russia’s Sakhalin Island and Tokyo. Japan is also dangling billions in soft loans for the development of Russia’s impoverished Far East, as well as a boost to private investment. 日本与俄罗斯（苏联）在二战后出现了北方四岛争端（目前北方四岛被俄罗斯占领）。最近日本首相安倍晋三邀请普京访问日本，其中一个重要议题就是解决领土争端问题。作为交换，日本可能会提供给俄罗斯经济利益，包括天然气管道合约以及贷款等。作者在写日本给俄罗斯提供好处时用了一个词：dangle.这个词用得很形象，放在句子中给人的感觉是日本像财大气粗的土豪，手里挥舞着巨额钞票引诱俄罗斯接受。dangling 一词也与前面的 enticements 形成呼应。在实际写作中，我们可以使用 dangle 来表达“（为了吸引某人而）提供（优厚条件）”的含义，例如：a) Many parents have tried dangling all sorts of offers such as pocket money, toys and opportunities to go to amusement parks in front of their children in an attempt to get them study ) Plenty of IT startups in China are dangling a handsome pay package before prospective employees to lure the best 下面的段落节选来自文章 Changing track: Britain’s wheezing railways are set for a shake-up, 文章的背景是应该英国政府希望给予铁路公司更多自主权，能让他们帮忙维护和升级英国的铁路系统。Since privatisation, the distance travelled by passengers has doubled, but the amount of track has remained the same (see chart). That means that builders updating Victorian tracks and stations to 21st-century standards have to do so alongside crowds of passengers. Doing essential work while the network continues in full operation is like performing “open heart surgery on a marathon runner”, as one rail minister put it.英国的铁路系统在私营化之后，旅客流量大增，但旧有的铁路系统逐渐力不从心。在升级维多利亚时代铁路系统的同时还要保证旅客能正常出行，这无疑是一件很困难的事情，对此文中出现了一个很精妙的比喻：open heart surgery on a marathon runner, 在跑马拉松的人身上同时进行心脏手术——一项几乎不可能完成的任务。由此让人直观感受到升级铁路系统的难度之大。下面的段落选自文章 Rent extraction: The end of the £75 pet-licence, 文章的背景是英国政府在酝酿法案禁止房屋中介向租客收取费用。Philip Hammond pulled no rabbits from his fiscal hat when he delivered his Autumn Statement on November 23rd. But he did offer up a carrot, when he recycled an old Labour proposal to ban the fees that property-letting agents can charge tenants.菲利普·哈蒙德在11月23日的秋季预算报告中没有提出什么令人惊喜的方案，但他重提了一项旨在禁止房屋租赁中介向租客收取费用的旧工党议案，这的确是一个诱惑。文章开头的两个句子写得很有意思，短短一个句子里面用了两处习语，一处是 pulled no rabbits from his fiscal hat, 另一处是 no rabbits from his fiscal hat 来自习语 pull a rabbit out of a hat, 就像魔术师从帽子中变出小白兔一样，它的含义是“突然提出解决方法；突施妙计”。carrot 则来自短语 carrot and stick, 即我们常说的“胡萝卜加大棒（把承诺的奖赏与威胁性的惩罚结合在一起的软硬兼施的做法）”，carrot 在语境中的含义是“诱惑，奖励”。 下面的段落来自文章 Out of the doghouse, 文章介绍了目前随着共享经济而兴起的为宠物狗提供犬舍的共享服务。文中很多地方用词很有特色，例如：Now a pack of startups has sniffed a fresh opportunity. Much as Airbnb has offered travellers an alternative to staying in a hotel, two firms, Rover and DogVacay, want to give pet owners an alternative to kennels when away from home.创业公司嗅到了为外出的宠物狗提供犬舍服务的商机，这里不是写 find/get/seize/grasp a fresh opportunity, 而是使用了一个与文章主题非常贴切的词 sniff（如同宠物狗一般嗅到了机会）, 这样用词无疑更加具有感染力。在文末也可以找到另外一个例子：Despite having anticipated the trend early, such firms may never achieve the same scale as an Airbnb. But then no one ever said it was easy to be top dog.文末用 top dog 来指代这些创业公司中的佼佼者，这也与文章主题形成呼应。在写问题解决类话题时我们经常会碰到这样的表达：……导致了……问题，对于这类情形，可以参考下面两个句式：Two long-standing structural problems are largely to blame: understaffing and overcrowding.句式基本结构为：...are largely to blame...，例如在关于健康的话题里面，我们可以写：As to rising obesity rate, two factors are to blame: too much exposure to fast food and sedentary lifestyles. The proliferation of fast-food chains offers a great variety of quick meals that are high in salt and calories, and having such foods contributes to people's bulging waistline. Desk-bound work also does its bit. As office workers spend long hours sitting in front of computer screens and are constantly stressed by deadlines and work challenges, they seldom have time for physical exercise, and this could lead to the accumulation of fatty substances in blood vessels.这里还有另外一个句型：The obvious culprit for rising prices is the 15% drop in sterling since June. Britain imports nearly all of its clothes, and month-on-month inflation in clothing now exceeds 5%. 句式的基本结构是：The obvious culprit for...is... 其中 culprit 是一个很好用的词，它的本义是“过失者，责任人”，可以引申为“问题的起因”。举个例子，关于犯罪与法律的话题可以说：The obvious culprit for rising crime rate in large cities is economic recession. As economic climate deteriorates, many companies have to scale down their workforce to save costs, and it is young people who bear the brunt of unemployment. In the face of this, some youngsters may turn to crime such as burglary, kidnapping and drug trafficking, the effects of which could destabilize the economy further.
（一）人民日报新年献词
回首来时路，2020年是极不平凡的一年，更是刻骨铭心的一年。“新冠疫情”“大流行”“隔离”“密切接触”……各国评选的年度热词，诉说着人类共同经历的艰难岁月。2020，在你生命中刻下怎样的印记？回望中，那一个个难忘的日日夜夜，依然鲜活如昨，让人百感交集。
2020有声音，那是“武汉加油”“中国必胜”的坚强呐喊，也是“健康所系，生命相托”的铿锵誓言；是“等你回家”的亲人寄语，也是“风月同天”与“同担风雨”的互助情义。2020很难，2020也很暖，真情大爱总是点燃我们心中的希望，给予我们前行的力量。
2020有颜色，那是逆行出征、舍生忘死的“天使白”，是冲锋在前、勇挑重担的“橄榄绿”，是老年患者与医生共赏的金色余晖，是洪峰中屹立不倒的鲜红党旗。无数种色彩，晕染出“人民至上、生命至上”的感人画卷，温暖着14亿人的心田。
2020有味道，那是大街小巷重燃的烟火气，是生活的酸甜苦辣，是丰收之年的稻麦飘香，是汗水里的奋斗味道。每个时代最深的刻痕，总有奋斗者笃行的足迹。各行各业按下“快进键”，脱贫攻坚收官战加紧推进，人们奋力把失去的时间夺回来。无数人的日夜兼程，挺立起一个国家风雨无阻向前进的雄伟身姿。
“青松寒不落，碧海阔逾澄。”历经艰难险阻，付出巨大努力，我国成为全球唯一实现经济正增长的主要经济体，三大攻坚战取得决定性成就，如期实现现行标准下农村贫困人口全部脱贫，科技创新取得重大进展，改革开放实现重要突破，民生得到有力保障，社会主义中国交出了一份人民满意、世界瞩目、可以载入史册的答卷。
诸多奋斗目标在2020年画上句号，“十三五”规划圆满收官，全面建成小康社会取得伟大历史性成就，中华民族伟大复兴向前迈出了新的一大步。我们不仅见证历史，更在创造历史。
诗人说，光荣的桂冠从来都是用荆棘编成的。2020很短，一个个困难挑战接踵而来，把时间折叠压缩。
2020很长，亿万中华儿女从困难中奋起，拼出了一片新天地！
（二）人民日报新年献词
事实是最好的老师，胜过一切豪言壮语。从抗疫到抗洪，从脱贫攻坚到复工复产，一个个“在磨难中成长、从磨难中奋起”的艰辛故事，如同一场场超大规模“现场情景教学”，让人们更真切、更深刻地读懂中国。
以习近平同志为核心的党中央一声令下，9000多万党员冲在前，14亿人齐动员，千家万户共坚守，仅用3个月左右的时间就取得武汉保卫战、湖北保卫战的决定性成果，这是何其强大的组织动员力和治理能力！
为了保护人民生命安全和身体健康，中国宁可承受一段时间内经济下滑甚至短期“停摆”，为了救治患者不惜一切代价，还有什么比这更能说明中国无比珍视生命、人民在执政党心中至高无上？
全国调集340多支医疗队、4．2万多名医务人员驰援湖北，数万名建设者仅用10天就建成有1000张病床的火神山医院，仅用12天就建成有1600张病床的雷神山医院，这难道不是对中国速度、中国效率的生动诠释？
顶住前所未有的压力，中国率先控制疫情、率先复工复产、率先实现经济增长由负转正，对世界经济增长贡献率超过30％，各国企业和机构纷纷“看好中国”。
面对单边主义、保护主义逆流涌动，一些国家遏制打压全面升级，中国坚定不移深化改革开放，促进全球团结抗疫，高举多边主义旗帜推动开放合作，赢得国际社会广泛赞誉。谁“站在历史正确的一边”，一目了然。
有人说，疫情没有成为中国的“切尔诺贝利时刻”，反而成了社会主义中国的“高光时刻”。
2020年的大战大考，无可辩驳地告诉我们：党的坚强领导是风雨来袭时最可靠的主心骨；中国特色社会主义制度是抵御风险挑战的根本保证；中国人民团结奋斗的洪荒伟力是战胜艰难险阻的力量源泉；生生不息的民族精神是凝心聚力的强大力量。
这就是读懂社会主义中国的“核心密码”。
从打破封锁围堵，到战胜地震洪水，从抗击严重疫情，到应对金融危机，新中国成立70多年来，改革开放40多年来，中华民族就是这么栉风沐雨走过来的，中国就是这么披荆斩棘闯过来的，震撼世界的中国奇迹就是这么在攻坚克难中创造出来的。
“原来你是这样的中国”。有人感慨，2020带给国人最大的感受，就是对党和国家的信任与信赖。经历了大灾大疫，我们更懂得感恩和珍惜；经历了生死考验，我们更能体会到家和国的命运与共。一个以人民为中心的国家，一个心系人民、造福人民的执政党，让人们感到安心，对明天更有信心。
沉舟侧畔千帆过，病树前头万木春。
（三）人民日报新年献词
2021年，是中国共产党成立100周年，是“十四五”开局之年，也是全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程开启之年。在历史坐标系中，这一年注定将留下极其特殊而重要的印记。
这是一道历史的分水岭。1949—1978—2020—2021—2035—2050，历史前进的脉络总是给人以深刻启示。新中国成立，中国人民实现了“站起来”；实行改革开放、全面建成小康社会，实现了“富起来”；开启建设社会主义现代化国家新征程，则标志着我们正处于全力实现“强起来”的历史新时代。跨越重重峰峦，开拓全新境界，乘势而上向第二个百年奋斗目标进军，民族复兴事业将揭开新篇章。
这是发展进程中的里程碑。新征程，重新定义了发展，也重塑着我们的生活。从“有没有”到“好不好”，迈入新发展阶段，贯彻新发展理念，构建新发展格局，意味着高质量发展、高品质生活、高效能治理，实现由量到质、由大到强的一次大跨越。
这是人类发展史上的新奇迹。14亿中国人携手迈入社会主义现代化，意味着什么？如果说18世纪下半叶英国开启现代化时人口是千万级的，20世纪之后美国逐渐领跑现代化时人口是上亿级的，那么中国的现代化是“10亿级”超大人口规模的现代化。当今世界，完成工业化的发达国家和地区的人口总和不到10亿人，中国实现现代化的“惊人一跃”，将超过几个世纪以来全世界所有国家和地区现代化人口的总和，必将深刻改写现代化世界版图。
“只有敢于走别人没走过的路，才能收获别样的风景。”中国开辟的社会主义现代化道路，扎根中国实际，打破了“现代化就是西方化”的神话，拓展了发展中国家走向现代化的途径，给人类带来了新希望。这是人类历史上一件震古烁今、影响深远的大事。
现代化的梦想，曾经如此遥远，现在又如此真切。梁启超在《新中国未来记》里的预言，孙中山在《建国方略》中的畅想，方志敏在《可爱的中国》里的深情呼唤，在今天的中国大地上逐渐化为现实。
历史是什么？是过去传到将来的回声。曾经的历史叩问“中国人能近代化吗”，在新时代中国浩荡前行的步伐中，得到了无比坚定的回答：
中国一定行，中国人一定能！
（四）人民日报新年献词
一家外国媒体感言：在中国，党的计划也是人民的计划，因为这些计划致力改善社会各阶层民众的生活。翻开《中共中央关于制定国民经济和社会发展第十四个五年规划和二〇三五年远景目标的建议》，2万多字的内容，既有大国发展的雄心壮志，更有每一个人的期盼与幸福。
“基本建成法治国家、法治政府、法治社会”“建成文化强国、教育强国、人才强国、体育强国、健康中国”“美丽中国建设目标基本实现”……新征程的宏伟蓝图振奋人心，每一个目标的实现，背后凝结着多少代人的追求与奋斗。
千方百计稳定和扩大就业，为民生改善打牢基础；健全工资合理增长机制，让老百姓的腰包更鼓、生活更富足；推动义务教育均衡发展和城乡一体化，更有力地托举起学子们的梦想之翼；推动养老事业和养老产业协同发展，让老年人安享晚年有更多保障；健全覆盖全民、统筹城乡、公平统一、可持续的多层次社会保障体系，解除人们的后顾之忧……“十四五”规划建议字里行间传递着发展的温度，“人民”二字如一条红线贯穿始终，让每一个人都能从中看到自己的未来。
这是一份庄严的承诺，更是一种温暖而朴素的价值追求：中国的现代化，不仅是“物”的现代化，更是“人”的现代化；不仅要实现国家的富强，更要实现人的全面发展、社会全面进步。
汇入江海，涓滴才能永不干涸；融入时代，人生自有无限精彩。新征程，是中国发展的新征程，也是我们每个人的新征程。在中国号巨轮航行的海图中，每一个人找到自己的坐标，尽到自己的一份责任，让个体奋斗与时代宏图相互激荡，就一定能建设一个更强盛的国家，成就一个更美好的自己。
“百围之木，始于勾萌；万里之途，起于跬步。”没有等出来的成功，只有干出来的精彩。人间值得，每一个打拼的你更值得。
（五）人民日报新年献词
“要知道，春天的道路依然充满泥泞。”站在新年的门槛上眺望前方，有阳光也有风雨，有通途也有险阻。中国经济持续复苏、形势向好，我国继续发展具有多方面优势和条件，但发展不平衡不充分问题仍然突出，经济恢复基础尚不牢固，重点领域关键环节改革任务仍然艰巨，一些领域“卡脖子”问题仍然严重，民生保障存在短板，社会治理还有弱项。迎来新的一年，人们还有这样那样的操心事、烦心事、揪心事。
在新冠肺炎疫情的巨大冲击之下，一些人感慨“世界再也回不到从前了”。当今世界，百年未有之大变局进入加速演变期，疫情带来的各类衍生风险不容忽视，各种“黑天鹅”“灰犀牛”层出不穷，我们必须在充满不确定性的国际环境中谋求发展。前进道路上，不可能一马平川、一帆风顺、一路鲜花，少不了“拦路虎”和“回头浪”，我们必须付出更为艰苦的努力。
“遵通衢之大道兮，求捷径欲从谁？”追梦人的世界，没有“容易”二字。实现心中梦想，唯有“奋斗”成就。走过2020年，走过新中国成立70多年来的风雨历程，一个启示分外鲜明：在危机中育先机，于变局中开新局。时代前行的迅猛步伐，让我们等不得；日趋激烈的竞争态势，让我们慢不得；不容忽视的现实问题，更让我们拖不得。
任凭乱云飞渡，哪怕惊涛骇浪，关键是要办好自己的事。新征程上，我们更需增强危中有机、化危为机的机遇意识，增强守住底线、安全发展的风险意识，以准确识变之智、科学应变之道、主动求变之能，坚定不移办好自己的事，将奋斗进行到底。
我们即将迎来农历辛丑牛年。俗话说“牛马年好耕田”，这是辛勤耕耘的年份，“牛”象征着拼搏实干的精神。新征程上，我们更加呼唤这样的“中国牛”。
做“开山牛”，敢闯敢拼，一往无前，挺进“无人区”；做“拓荒牛”，改革创新，敢为人先，当好“排头兵”；做“孺子牛”，心系人民，苦干实干，甘当“勤务员”；做“老黄牛”，敬业奉献，踏踏实实，争做“实干家”。
“天下无难能不可为之事，而有能为必可成之人。”胸中若有凌云志，不待扬鞭自奋蹄。凝聚“九牛爬坡，个个出力”的奋斗合力，负重前行的“中国牛”，定能耕耘出更加绚丽的“中国红”。
甘祚成2021年元旦献词
人民日报元旦献词如下：
百年奋斗，书写恢宏史诗；伟大征程，召唤新的进发。走过激荡人心的2021年，迎来充满希望的2022年，中国号巨轮奋楫扬帆、劈波斩浪，亿万人民激情澎湃、豪情满怀。
这一年，我们如期打赢脱贫攻坚战，如期全面建成小康社会、实现第一个百年奋斗目标。
这一年，我们顺利开启全面建设社会主义现代化国家、向第二个百年奋斗目标进军新征程。
这一年，我们全面推进中国特色大国外交，维护和践行真正的多边主义，努力构建新型国际关系，推动构建人类命运共同体。
在新的伟大征程上奋勇前进，必须保持战略定力。将改革开放进行到底，在中国特色社会主义道路上昂首阔步向前进，我们一定能牢牢把中国发展进步的命运掌握在自己手中。
在新的伟大征程上奋勇前进，必须鼓足奋斗干劲。社会主义是干出来的，新时代是奋斗出来的。世纪疫情冲击下，百年变局加速演进，外部环境更趋复杂严峻和不确定，我国正处于实现中华民族伟大复兴关键时期。
1 经济学人 《经济学人The Economist》是一份由伦敦经济学人报纸有限公司出版的杂志，创办于1843年9月，创办人詹姆士·威尔逊。杂志的大多数文章写得机智，幽默，有力度，严肃又不失诙谐，并且注重于如何在最小的篇幅内告诉读者最多的信息。该杂志又以发明巨无霸指数闻名，是社会精英必不可少的读物。杂志主要关注政治和商业方面的新闻，但是每期也有一两篇针对科技和艺术的报导，以及一些书评。 2 太空居民：人类将如何在无垠宇宙中定居 在阿波罗11号登月50多年后，为什么太空中人类的身影如此之少?我们会到达火星吗?怎样才能成为一个多星球物种，殖民太阳系并前往其他恒星? 本书将直面这些问题。 本书对离开地球的安全界限、实际挑战或合理动机进行了深入探讨。克里斯托弗·万杰克认为，考虑到潜在的科学和商业宝藏，在未来几十年里，我们将重返月球并探索火星，这一点毫无疑问。其中私营企业已经发挥了主导作用，并从人类的太空活动中获利。万杰克认为，这可以是一个可持续的项目，是地球科学、商业和休闲活动的自然延伸。他设想在近地轨道上建造旅馆，在月球上采矿、发展旅游和科学探索。他还建议在火星上缓慢而稳定地建设科学基地。如果火星的重力能够允许生育和儿童的健康成长，那么人类将在火星上建立定居点。 对奇迹的渴望会带领我们走得很远，但如果我们真的想在新世界定居，则需要工程师、科学家和企业家的筹划。万杰克向我们介绍了那些规划者，他们正在努力使太空生活成为现实。 3 少年维特的烦恼 （2021） 歌德25岁时，从自身情感经历出发，花4周时间写出了震惊世界的书信体小说《少年维特的烦恼》，两百多年后，这部作品仍在读者心里电闪雷鸣。 少年维特爱上了一个名叫绿蒂的姑娘，而这个姑娘已同别人订婚。爱情上的受挫使得维特悲痛欲绝，加之他自己又与当时的封建社会格格不入，这一切让维特感到人生无望。 在失去爱情、事业受挫后，不为世人所理解的年轻人维特ZUI后一次来到所爱之人绿蒂的身边，用子弹结束了生命。 4 谎言守护人 有轨电车首次在布拉格街头开动、马戏团的公主飘浮在半空、第三帝国中心的舞台熠熠生辉，对男孩莫舍来说，这一切都是魔术的幻影。他被魔术中蕴含的神奇深深吸引，追随舞台上的公主，开始在欧洲大陆上辗转飘零。 新世纪的大洋彼岸，男孩马克斯试图寻找咒语，让父母再度相爱，意外发现自己的家族中埋藏着巨大的秘密。 他们的命运交织于一次荒唐的邂逅，一段逃离现实的谎言，一个关于生命的奇迹…… 5 主义与现实：理想国纪实系列套装 （全14册） 选编自理想国纪实系列，关注每个人真实处境，立足更多元视角，保存时代的印记。 1.《出身：不平等的选拔与精英的自我复制》中劳伦·A.里韦拉深入美国起薪最高的行业——投行、咨询和律所，访谈上百位招聘官和求职者，详细考察了宣讲会、内部推荐、简历投递、面试和评议等招聘环节，通过丰富的案例，揭示出看似能力取向的选拔标准如何帮助精英阶层完成了优势地位的代际传递。除对选拔机制的分析外，书中披露的大量招聘内部知识，亦可作为普通人突破阶层天花板的行动指南。 2.《从早“茫”到晚》是为都市青年所作的绘本，书中的主角可能和你一样，在工作日挣扎起床，和地铁里的人群“亲密接触”，与同事分享零食和不良嗜好，无奈面对打印机卡纸，下班后也许还得艰难social。 3.《到未来去》以“未来”为题，是从内部进入的。它不是一个来自外太空的预言，好像用些刺激的、炫目的、烟花般的句子，就能自带科幻片的效果，自动照亮人的前路，而是在想象未来之前，首先打破对未来的想象。未来是一种幻觉，我们不因整体上的悲观而放弃它，也不因为我们这一代人正活在兴头上就必须对它充满期待。更真实的情况是，每个人都处在同等的迷茫中。对未来失去追踪，某种意义上让人如释重负。那就更加热烈地了解过去吧。去反省，现在自己该做点什么。 4.《改变一切：气候危机、资本主义与我们的终极命运》中对为什么气候危机要求我们放弃 “自由市场”的核心意识形态，重构全球经济，乃至重塑我们的政治体系，这本书给出了睿智的解答。 5.《回归家庭？：家庭、事业与难以实现的平等》的作者沙尼·奥加德对受过高等教育的伦敦女性及其伴侣进行了深入采访，这些女性为了照顾孩子回归家庭，而丈夫则继续从事高薪工作。媒体和政策鼓励职业女性维持工作和家庭的平衡、构建伙伴式的平等夫妻关系。而女性们面对的现实情况却截然相反：不友好的职场文化、对家庭妇女的污名化和对育儿事务的贬低……她们牺牲了事业，结果发现家庭也不是真正的避风港。 6.《夹缝生存：不堪重负的中产家庭》描述了如今中产阶级家庭的真实境况：社会保障越发薄弱，生育成本不断上涨，怀孕歧视和性别歧视频现、中年失业成为常态，越来越多的白领难以拥有正常的工作时间，更别提保持工作和生活的平衡。 7.《梁庄十年》：2010年，《中国在梁庄》首次出版，向我们展现了一个急速变化的时代下的中国村庄的变迁。十年之后，作者梁鸿再次回到故乡，重访当年的书中记述的人和事。 8.《扫地出门：美国城市的贫穷与暴利》聚焦美国愈演愈烈的住房问题——房价持续上涨、生活成本不断上升，收入却停滞不前、甚至不增反减——马修·德斯蒙德决意深入贫困社区，一探问题的核心。 9.《失业白领的职场漂流》是一部生存启示录，为失业白领、为焦虑的在职白领而写。企业当然不能为员工提供一个完全稳定和成长的环境，但随时待命、放弃休假、开夜车、全力以赴、身心负荷达到极限的不安定感，已有的教育和社会环境并未为白领做好准备。通过七个月“失业白领”的失败求职经历，调查记者芭芭拉·艾伦瑞克实地探查美国白领阶层向下流动的真实情况。作者不仅批判九型人格、MBTI性格测验的荒谬，职业训练、社交活动对既有不当体制、机制的维护，更呼吁白领阶层应该在态度上改变、在心理上转换——持续完善简历，建立和维系稳定的人脉网络，有勇气与中、下阶层团结合作。 10.《私立小学闯关记》：太郎五岁时，槙原久美子听取朋友的建议，舍弃教学品质日益下滑的公立小学，将太郎送到私立小学。槙原是一位非常专业的记者，她的叙述和太郎的日记，可以帮助我们更好反思我们当今的教育环境和淘汰焦虑，并向父母和教育者提出一个问题：我们应该为孩子寻找“最好的”教育，还是“最适合”的教育？ 11.《我的孤单，我的自我：单身女性的时代》是一部关于21世纪美国单身女性议题的纪实作品。作者特雷斯特聚焦这一群体，从近百个原始访谈中选取了约三十位女性的故事。这些单身女性积极争取自身权益（选举权、堕胎权益），影响经济、文化与社会生活的方方面面。单身女性正在这个本不是为她们设计的世界里，逐渐占据一席之地，是时候开启一个“单身时代”了。 12.《幸运者：一位乡村医生的故事》在社会观察与医学哲理方面都具有开创性。作者与摄影师一同深入英格兰乡村三个月，循着乡村医生约翰·萨塞尔的足迹，记录下他救死扶伤又按部就班的日常生活。 13.《正午》第七期，发掘“名人”不被知晓的另一面，寻找乡野间被忽视的角落，捕捉时代中执拗的低音。这一次，我们潜入社会现实与自我的心灵，以故事重新理解“我们的生活”——表面看似波澜不惊，内里却激烈动荡。从“自我”出发，回忆“尼曼项目和我的记者生涯”；于“春秋”中，听“乞丐的歌单”、看“东北农民彼得洛夫的幸福生活”，捕捉普通人日常生活中的戏剧一刻，感受时光流逝的力量；于“传奇”中，展现围绕“浙江省第一悬案”追缉凶手的二十二年，看到阳光照耀下，还有晦暗不明的地方；最后，从“自我”回到“我们”，以一幅“被遗忘的女子图鉴”记录我们所处的时代。这就是我们，一个一个“不彻底的人物”。个人的悲歌，大时代中微小的努力，集聚于此，就是我们共同的生活。 14.《资本之都》讲述的主体是印度与德里，更是现代资本主义社会的缩影与许多城市未来的共同面貌。拥有炫目财富和复杂文化的地区受殖民政权接管，遭受文化摧毁、财富掠夺，并经历了种族灭绝的灾难，后殖民政府则深陷经济重建与权力斗争，最终让路给了充满活力的自由市场.
经济学人杂志每周更新一期。经济学人杂志是周刊，因此经济学人杂志每周更新一期。heEconomist经济学人杂志期刊一直秉承其创建者JamesWilson的办刊原则。
经济学人一周出一期。因为是周刊，所以经济学人一周出一期，《经济学人》杂志是一份国际性新闻和商业周刊，提供对全球政治、商业、金融、科学及技术的清晰报道、评论和分析。《经济学人》不同于其它出版物，它的文章都是匿名发表。对《经济学人》来说，集体的声音和特性远比单个记者的个人身份更加重要。每周，《经济学人》都会被全球200多个国家超过400万的读者阅读，《经济学人》被认可为全球最具影响力的政治商业期刊之一。