高中英语 第2辑 脑洞大开素材1

高中英语 第2辑 脑洞大开 Ig Nobel win for Alpine goat man获得搞笑诺贝尔奖的阿尔卑斯羊人A British man who lived in the Alps as a goat for three days has won one of this years Ig Nobel Prizes.英国一名男子在阿尔卑斯山区和一群山羊生活了三天，并凭此获得了今年的搞笑诺贝尔奖。Tom Thwaites had specially made prostheses so he could walk like an animal.汤姆思韦茨身穿特制的假肢，这样他就可以像动物那样用四肢行走。The spoof awards, which are not quite as famous as the real Nobels, were handed out during their annual ceremony at Harvard University, US.搞笑诺贝尔奖并不如真正的诺贝尔奖那么有名，该奖项在美国哈佛大学举行年度颁奖典礼上颁发。Other studies honoured during the event examined the personalities of rocks, and how the world looks when you bend over and view it through your legs.在这场颁奖典礼中还有其他一些研究也获了奖，包括对岩石性格的研究以及对当人弯下腰从两腿之间看到的世界是什么样子的研究。On the surface, all the celebrated research sounds a bit daft, but a lot of it when examined closely is actually intended to tackle real-world problems.乍看之下，所有这些被评奖的研究听起来都有一点蠢，但是一旦细细思考一下，我们会发现事实上它们中的许多都旨在解决现实生活中的问题。And nearly all of the science gets published in peer-reviewed, scholarly journals.而且几乎所有这些科学研究都出版在了同行评审的学术期刊上。Goat-man Tom Thwaites actually shares his biology prize with another Briton, Charles Foster, who also has spent time in the wild trying to experience life from an animals perspective.羊人汤姆思韦茨和另一名英国人查尔斯福斯特一起获得了搞笑诺贝尔生物学奖。查尔斯福斯特也曾花了一些时间，想要在野外从动物的角度来体验生活。Mr Thwaites concedes his effort was initially an attempt to escape the stress of modern living, but then became a passion.汤姆思韦茨承认，他最开始这样做的目的是要逃离现代生活的压力，但是后来却迷上了它。He spent a year researching the idea, and even persuaded an expert in prostheses, Dr Glyn Heath at Salford University, to build him a set of goat legs.他花了一年的时间来研究这一想法，甚至说服了索尔福德大学的假肢专家格林希思博士来为他制造了一组山羊腿假肢。Fascinating, if a little bizarre on occasions, was Mr Thwaites verdict on the whole venture.令人着迷的是，虽然有时候看起来有点怪异，但是汤姆思韦茨对自己的整个冒险之旅的评价非常高。He developed a strong bond with one animal in particular a goat buddy, but also very nearly kicked off a big confrontation at one point.他和羊群里的一只羊建立了深厚的关系，他称其为山羊兄弟，但是也有一次差点就激起了大矛盾。I was just sort of walking around, you know chewing grass, and just looked up and then suddenly realised that everyone else had stopped chewing and there was this tension which I hadnt kind of noticed before and then one or two of the goats started tossing their horns around and I think I was about to get in a fight, he told BBC News.他在接受BBC采访时说道：我只是到处逛逛、吃吃草，而当我抬头看的时候，我突然意识到所有的羊都停止了吃草，而空气中弥漫着一种我以前没有注意到的紧张气氛，有一两只山羊开始在我周围晃自己的犄角，我当时认为我可能要打一架了。The American science humour magazine, The Annals of Improbable Research, is the inspiration behind the Ig Nobels, which are now in their 26th year.搞笑诺贝尔奖的灵感源于美国科学幽默杂志不可思议研究年报，至今已举办26年了。Amazing spying weapon hidden in an ordinary coffee cup藏在咖啡杯盖中的侦查神器It resembles nothing more innocuous than an ordinary coffee cup.从表面上看，这就是一个再普通不过的咖啡杯。But it is actually a disguised hi-tech gadget which could become a potent new weapon in the fight against criminals, enemy spies and benefits cheats.但实际上，里面藏着尖端科技，这个产品可能会成为对抗犯罪分子、敌方间谍和福利欺诈的新式有力武器。For the plastic lid, which is almost identical to millions handed out by coffee chains such as Starbucks and Caffe Nero, contains James Bond-style filming and listening equipment.这是因为这款塑料杯盖里隐藏着詹姆斯邦德式的拍摄和窃听设备，虽然它的外表几乎和星巴克或是尼路咖啡等咖啡连锁店中使用的千千万万个咖啡杯盖没什么两样。It is fitted out with a high-definition pinhole camera and an eavesdropping device that can listen into and record a room full of people.这个杯盖配备了高分辨率的针孔相机以及可以监听并记录整间屋子里所有人声音的窃听设备。Investigators will be able to gather vital evidence using the device, which is turned on by pressing the letter H which stands for Hot on the innovative lid.调查人员只需轻轻按下这个创意杯盖上的H键（代表英文HOT），就能开启设备，用它来收集重要证据。The lid, which is 9 cm in diameter, has been created by Cornwall-based company LawMate UK to fit any takeaway coffee cup.这个直径为9厘米的杯盖由总部位于康沃尔的LawMate UK公司设计，适用于所有外带咖啡杯。Britains police and security services are said to be very interested in the device and store detectives and private investigators have placed orders to use it in undercover work, say the company.该公司称，英国警方以及安全部门对这个设备十分感兴趣，一些商店侦探和私家侦探已经下单订购该设备，用于卧底工作。LawMate UK has already sold more than 100 of the devices. It will be unveiled officially in London on Tuesday at DSEI, the worlds largest defence and security exhibition.LawMate UK已经售出100多台该设备，并且将于周二在伦敦举行的世界最大的防务与安全设备展英国国际防务展上正式露面。The idea for the coffee lid came from the Association of British Detectives and undercover police as many covert recording devices are commonly known in the criminal underworld.这一咖啡杯盖的创意源于英国侦探协会以及卧底警察，因为许多秘密录音设备在黑社会中是众所周知的。Tim Cowley, head of LawMate UK, said: Its very easy to get clocked for what you are doing undercover so to have something that people use everyday is crucial.LawMate UK公司的掌门人蒂姆考利说：卧底的工作很容易被察觉，因此利用一些人们的日常用品是至关重要的。You either simply pop it on a table aimed at the targets or simply hold it in your hand and stand on a street corner or in a coffee shop. It can also be used in face-to-face meetings.你要做的只是把它放在桌子上，对准目标人物，或是拿着它站在街角或咖啡店中。它也可以用在面对面的会议中。You can stick it on anything on a range of coffee cups from different manufacturers and still drink from it.你可以把它装在不同厂家生产的各种咖啡杯上，还可以正常地喝咖啡。The pinhole camera produces video footage of sufficient quality to use in prosecutions and it is marked with a time and date stamp so it can be submitted as evidence in court.针孔相机可以拍出能够用于诉讼的高质量的视频片段，同时带有时间和日期水印，足以作为法庭证物提交。The lid has a self-contained recording system that can pick up voices up to 15ft away.这个咖啡杯盖自带独立的录音系统，能够识别15英尺（约合4.57 米）以外的声音。All the electronics are fed by a battery that lasts for almost two hours.该设备的全部电子器件由一块电池带动，其电量可维持近两个小时。For the last decade LawMates covert recording devices, including key fob voice recorders and buttonhole cameras, have been used by the Ministry of Defence and the police.在过去的十年中，英国国防部和警方都有使用LawMate公司的秘密录音设备，比如录音钥匙链和纽扣摄像机。More recently, the Department for Work and Pensions have used them to tackle the rise of benefit fraud.最近，英国就业与退休保障部门将其用于解决愈演愈烈的福利欺诈问题。