Category: Chinese Culture

2013年7月31日晚，2013第12届汉语桥世界大学生中文比赛总决赛在长沙落幕。最终最终来自大洋洲组的澳大利亚选手贝乐泰摘得桂冠，荣获“汉语之星”称号，韩国选手金恩智、俄罗斯选手索兰、加拿大选手傅大江、澳大利亚选手贝乐泰和苏丹选手李云龙，凭借出色的汉语语言表现，分获洲冠军，网络人气奖由傅大江获得。

The constant delays have seen mobs of angry passengers mount at least eight large protests at departure gates in the last two months, two of which saw staff physically beaten. There is even a new Chinese phrase for the rampaging hordes: the "kong nu zu", or "air rage tribe".飞机频繁晚点造成乘客不满。仅上两月，登机口就发生了至少八起大规模抗议事件，其中两起事件中的工作人员还遭到了攻击。如今这些愤怒乘客甚至有了专门称谓——“空怒族”。
China has spent billions on building some of the largest and most modern airports in the world. But much to everyone's embarrassment, it seems unable to get planes to fly between them on schedule.中国花了数十亿资金建造了世界最大最现代化的几座机场。但极为尴尬的是，中国的飞机貌似总也不能准时起飞降落。
Last month, only 18 per cent of the 22,000 flights out of Beijing's Capital airport departed on time, according to the aviation research company FlightStats, making it the worst major airport in the world in terms of punctuality.航空研究公司FlightStats报道，上月北京首都机场共有2.2万航班出港，但仅有18%准时起飞，成为全世界准点率最差的大型机场。
Shanghai was scarcely any better, with only 24 per cent of flights from Hongqiao airport leaving on time. Indeed, not a single Chinese airport managed to get even half their flights to leave on time.上海的情况也不容乐观，虹桥机场航班起飞准点率只有24%。事实上，全中国没有一家航空公司的出港准点率能达到50%。
The weekend before, passengers in Shanghai tried to rip off an attendant's name badge before hitting her in the head. In the subsequent fracas, two airport staff were hospitalised and three passengers arrested.在此前一周，上海一位乘客试图扯下工作人员的姓名牌，之后又打了她的头部。随后的混乱中又有两名工作人员被送入医院，三名乘客被捕。

What you are looking at is Beijing Subway’s Line 13 on the morning of Thursday, July 18, around 7:30. It’s likely the Xierqi station which is a transfer station.你现在看到的就是北京13号地铁的西二旗中转站在7月18日周四早上7：30左右时的状况。
It has, like other stations in Beijing’s vast underground transportation network, built-in artificial bottlenecks intended to relieve congestion in the form of gates and narrow staircases. On some occasions, however, those fail.同北京许多大型地下交通网一样，这里的大门和狭窄楼梯都设有内置人工障碍，以缓解拥堵现象。但在某些情况下，这并不起作用。
You can see the ridiculous process of people fighting their way off the train as a horde barely waits to fight their way on, and then the train can hardly get moving because of all the people crammed in and blocking doors, which is helped by subway attendants (in yellow) who shove the last people onto the train.照片里展现的是一段不可思议的上下车过程：车里一群人像是打仗一样争着下车，同时车外一群人几乎都等不及要急着挤进车厢里。随后由于太多人都拥堵在车门口，穿黄色制服的人还需要帮忙把人推进车里才能保证列车安全启动。

Pity the nouveau riche Russians who missed last week's bargain on Japanese-grown, cube-shaped watermelons at high-end Moscow markets: just $700.上周没去买方形西瓜的俄罗斯暴发户们真是太可惜了，当时这种日本种植的西瓜在高端市场上仅售700美元（约合人民币4300元）。
But news of the novelty, a couple of weeks before the start of Russia's watermelon season, has boosted the price in recent days to around $860. That's more than 300 times the price of your standard melon.但是对于这种新奇玩意儿的各种新闻报道让方形西瓜的价格一下涨到了近860美元（约合人民币5300元），这可比普通西瓜价格的300倍还多。再过两周，俄罗斯自产的西瓜就要开始上市了。
How are square watermelons grown? 如何种植方形西瓜？
While the watermelon is still small on the vine, a square, tempered glass box is placed around it. When the watermelon gets bigger, it assumes the shape of the box! Just remember to use a glass or transparent mold so the sunlight can reach the watermelon on all sides.当藤上的西瓜还小的时候，就用一个方形的钢化玻璃盒将它罩住。西瓜长大后就成了盒子的形状了。记得要用玻璃或者其他透明的模具，那样阳光才能照射到整只西瓜。
Why are square watermelons grown? 为何种植方形西瓜？
First, the square watermelons are easier to stack, which makes them easier to ship. Second, with space being an issue in crowded areas of Japan, the square watermelon is designed to fit perfectly inside smaller Japanese refrigerators.首先，方形西瓜易于堆放，运输起来更方便。另外，在日本一些拥挤的场所，空间就成了一个重要问题，而方形西瓜正好能放进日本的小型冰箱，完美贴合不占空间。

The Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy, Kensington Palace has announced.肯辛顿宫宣布，凯特王妃顺利产下一个男婴。
The baby was delivered at 16:24 BST at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, west London, weighing 8lb 6oz.小王子在当地时间16点24分出生在伦敦西部帕丁顿圣玛丽医院，体重8磅6盎司（7.6斤）。
The Duke of Cambridge said in a statement the couple "could not be happier". He and the duchess will remain in the hospital overnight.剑桥公爵在一份声明中说他“从未如此幸福”。他和凯特王妃将一起在留在医院过夜。
The news has been displayed on an easel in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace in line with tradition.遵循皇室传统，这一消息现已公布在白金汉宫前院的画架展板上。
A bulletin – signed by the Queen's gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who led the medical team that delivered the baby – was taken by a royal aide from St Mary's to the palace under police escort.这一公告由凯特王妃的接产医师马库斯·塞切尔签署，他负责王妃分娩及孕期保健的医疗小组。在警方护送下他随皇家助手从圣玛丽医院转移到肯辛顿宫。
The document said: "Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son at 4.24pm today.这份布告称：“尊敬的凯特王妃在今日下午4点24分顺利诞下一个男婴。”
"Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well."“现在母子二人状态良好。”
When the news was announced, a large cheer went up from well-wishers and journalists outside the hospital while a large crowd greeted the posting of the bulletin outside Buckingham Palace.当消息传出时，医院外面的祝福者和记者爆发出巨大欢呼声，还有一大群人则从白金汉宫外的布告板上得知喜讯。
The Kensington Palace press release said the Duke of Cambridge was present for the birth of his son, who will be known as the Prince of Cambridge and who is third in line to the throne.肯辛顿新闻稿称孩子出生时威廉王子就在现场，这位王室宝宝的封号是“剑桥王子”，是英国王位的第三顺位继承人。