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By: 晨听英语

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第2861期:Pets at work
#1
Today at 12:00 AM

It's becoming more and more popular to take a pet to work. We're looking at the advantages and disadvantages of pets at work. Now, you say pets, it's mainly dogs though, isn't it? Yes, yes.带宠物上班变得越来越流行。我们今天来看一下宠物在工作场所的利与弊。你说宠物,其实主要是指狗,对吧?是的,是的。


Now, Nestlé's corporate headquarters in Gatwick, Richard, they've allowed dogs to come to work for a couple of years now, okay? The dogs aren't working, though. No, the dogs aren't working. And they claim three key benefits.现在,说到雀巢在盖特威克的公司总部,Richard,他们允许员工带狗上班已经有好几年了。狗当然不是来“上班”的。对,狗并不会工作。他们认为这带来了三个主要好处。


Oh, right. Can you guess what those could be? Well, I think with dogs, the overall feeling in the office is maybe more relaxed, it relaxes the workforce. Yep, yep.哦,好的。你能猜到是什么吗?嗯,我觉得有狗在办公室,整体气氛会更轻松,有助于让员工放松。嗯,对。


They say people are seen to be friendlier. Hmm, I can see that. Yeah, and more approachable if there's a dog present in the office.他...


第2860期:'Lost' spider found after 40 years
#1
Yesterday at 12:00 AM

The two tiny arachnids, measuring just three millimetres long, were found by scientists surveying the Newtown National Nature Reserve using a type of handheld vacuum device. It sucks up material on the ground and safely deposits it inside a container.这两只小蜘蛛只有三毫米长,科学家在使用手持真空吸入设备调查纽敦国家自然保护区时发现了它们。这种设备能够吸起地面上的物体,然后将其安全地存放在一个容器中。


The scientists searching the remote part of the Isle of Wight had almost given up hope of finding the animal, also called the white-knuckled wolf spider. But minutes before they had to board a boat to leave, they found one tiny creature followed by a second. The species had last been seen in Britain in 1985. The British Arachnological Society has welcomed the rediscovery of what it called one of the country's epic lost species.在怀特岛上这个偏远地区进行搜寻的科学家曾一度放弃了找到这种动物的希望,


第2859期:Is your showerhead as clean as you think?
#1
Last Saturday at 12:00 AM

This is a city like no other. An invisible army of microbes live here, including bacteria, fungi, moulds and mites, and it's the one place you'd have hoped would be clean – your showerhead.这是一座与众不同的“城市”。这里住着一支看不见的微生物大军,包括细菌、真菌、霉菌和螨虫,而这地方正是你最希望保持干净的地方——你的淋浴喷头。


If you unscrew it and take a peek inside, you might be surprised as to what you find – quite possibly a slimy dark biofilm. When you switch on the shower, it's not just steam and water that come out, but a blast of microbes as well.如果你把喷头旋开往里看,你可能会被里面的东西吓一跳——很可能是一层黏糊糊的暗色生物膜。当你打开淋浴时,不只是蒸汽和水喷出来,还有一阵微生物被一起喷出。


Rob Dunn, an evolutionary biologist from North Carolina State University, calls showerheads extreme environments because they are either bone-dry or soaking wet. Once you've showered, the head remains warm and dries out undisturbed, creating the perfect ecosystem for bacteria to feed on dissolved nutrients from the water.北卡罗来纳州立大学的进化生物学家 Rob Dunn 称淋浴喷头是一种“极端环境”,因为它们要么完全干燥,要么完全湿透。洗完澡后,喷头保持温暖并在无人打扰的情况下慢慢变干...


第2858期:Death of diesel
#1
Last Friday at 12:00 AM

We're talking about the future of diesel. Richard, does diesel have a future? Yes and no. It certainly doesn't if you live in the city, because many cities are banning diesel cars in the near future.我们来谈谈柴油车的未来。Richard,柴油车还有未来吗?有,也没有。如果你住在城市里,那基本上是没有的,因为很多城市将在不久的将来禁止柴油车。


Paris, for example. IncludingParisand a number of other cities are considering it, yes. And also, Volvo have recently announced that all their vehicles will be electric or hybrid from 2019.比如巴黎。是的,包括巴黎在内的许多城市都在考虑禁用柴油车。此外,沃尔沃最近宣布,自2019年起,他们所有的车辆将是电动车或混合动力车。


So you mean they're going to stop making diesel vehicles? Yes. So why is there such a negative attitude now towards diesel? Well, it all stems from the VW emissions scandal a few years ago. Which we did a podcast about.所以你的意思是他们要停止生产柴油车?是的。那么为什么现在对柴油会有如此负面的态度呢?这全部源于几年前大众汽车的排放造假丑闻。我们当时还为此做过一期播客。


We did. Briefly, VW were making their car so they could fake the results for testing. And they fo...


第2857期:We are electric
#1
Last Thursday at 12:00 AM

We're talking about electric cars. OK, Richard, so what exactly is an electric car? Well, simply, it's a car driven by an electric motor – a motor that runs on a battery.我们来谈谈电动车。好的,Richard,那么电动车到底是什么?简单来说,就是由电动机驱动的汽车——而电动机是依靠电池运作的。


OK, so presumably they're becoming more popular because they're more environmentally friendly than regular petrol or diesel cars. Exactly. I mean, the batteries are charged by electricity, which comes from a normal power station.好的,所以它们越来越受欢迎,大概是因为比普通的汽油车或柴油车更环保。确实如此。电动车的电池是通过发电站提供的电力来充电的。


But the cars themselves produce no emissions whatsoever. So there's no noxious fumes. Are they more expensive, though? Yes, they are more expensive.但电动车本身完全不产生排放物。所以没有任何有害废气。不过它们更贵吗?是的,它们确实更贵。


But that price is coming down because obviously a lot of governments are giving tax advantages. So they're getting a bit cheaper and they're much cheaper to run. For instance, with the Nissan Leaf, which is the most popular electrical car today, according to UK figures, it costs 1.75 pence a mile to run as opposed to a petro...


第2856期:The economics of Christmas
#1
Last Wednesday at 12:00 AM

It's the peak shopping time of the year, We're looking at the economics of Christmas. Yes, Christmas is typically the largest economic stimulus for many nations around the world, as sales increase dramatically in almost all retail areas. Now the United States, for example, their retail industry generates over three trillion US dollars during the holidays.这是全年消费最旺的时期,我们来看一下圣诞节的经济学。是的,圣诞节通常是全球许多国家最大的经济刺激来源,因为几乎所有零售领域的销售都会大幅增长。以美国为例,他们的零售行业在假日期间能产生超过三万亿美元的收入。


Yes, the average amount an American will spend just on Christmas gifts is 900 US dollars. Now that's about £670, Richard, and I have to say that the average amount a Brit will spend is about half that. Still a lot though.是的,美国人仅在圣诞礼物上的平均花费就达到900美元。那大约是670英镑,Richard,而英国人在这方面的平均花费大约只有美国人的一半。不过,这仍然算是相当多了。


Yeah, but although spending for this time of the year is expected to increase... As every year. Every year. And you know, Richard, this is despite any economic downturn or austerity, it's the online Christmas sho...


第2855期:There is something wrong with the chips
#1
Last Tuesday at 12:00 AM

Last year, a new restaurant opened near us. We went there, but we were very disappointed. Yeah, we felt that the, what, the prices were too high and the quality of food wasn't really very good.去年,我们家附近开了一家新餐厅。我们去吃了,但非常失望。是啊,我们觉得价格太高,而且食物质量也不太好。


And we said then that the restaurant needed some feedback. Yes, but feedback from customers. I think they'd had feedback, but from family and friends who were always going to be supportive, always going to say that's a great idea opening the restaurant.那时候我们就说,这家餐厅需要一些反馈。是的,但需要来自顾客的反馈。我想他们也收到过反馈,但都是来自家人和朋友,这些人肯定只会支持他们、说“开餐厅这个主意真棒”。


They're not getting the correct feedback. And we have now since discovered, Richard, haven't we, that the restaurant has closed down. We're talking about getting feedback from customers.他们没有获得真正正确的反馈。而后来我们也发现了,对吧,Richard?这家餐厅已经关门了。我们今天谈的,就是如何获得顾客的反馈。


So, the restaurant didn't ask for feedback at all from its new customers, but we do often get...


第2854期:A new design for pie
#1
12/01/2025

We're celebrating the new design of our website. Yeah, up until recently, the general lifespan of websites was between two and three years but now they're saying it's fallen to one year. Now Richard, we've had our website since 2006.我们正在庆祝我们网站的新设计。是的,直到最近,网站的一般寿命是两到三年,但现在人们说已经缩短到一年了。Richard,我们的网站自 2006 年以来就一直存在。


Wow! Wow! Yeah, so we must be doing something right to be still going. Yes, there's been a few changes, mainly under the hood as it were. What does that mean? Well, things that the users wouldn't really recognise, things like HTML5 is the new technology that's taken over and also the biggest thing recently is HTTPS.哇!哇!是啊,我们能坚持这么久,说明我们确实做对了一些事情。是的,期间有一些改动,主要是在“引擎盖下面”。那是什么意思?嗯,就是用户不太察觉的东西,比如 HTML5 已经成为新主流技术,而最近最大的更新就是 HTTPS。


What d...


第2853期:Fake facebook
#1
11/30/2025

With 2 billion users, Facebook is the largest social networking company in the world. And for many people, it's the first port of call for information, both from friends and family. But it's also chock-a-block with adverts, stories that may interest you, videos and all the latest news and trends.拥有 20 亿用户的 Facebook 是世界上最大的社交网络公司。对许多人来说,它是获取信息的第一站,无论来自朋友还是家人。但它也塞满了广告、可能吸引你的故事、视频,以及最新的新闻和趋势。


However, a dark side has begun to emerge and Facebook has gone from fun to fake. We're looking at fake Facebook. Well, we're going to look at three main fake things.然而,一个黑暗面开始浮现,Facebook 正从有趣变成虚假。今天我们要谈的是“假 Facebook”。我们将讨论三类主要的“假东西”。


And the first of those is fake adverts, isn't it, Jackie? Yeah, we're going to start with Martin Lewis. Now, he's a consumer advisor and money-saving expert, and he's suing Facebook for publishing fake adverts. Yes, he's hugely popular in the UK and a very respected figure.第一类就是假广告,对吧,Jackie?对,我们先从 Martin Lewis...


第2852期:New UK award for children's fiction open to global author
#1
11/29/2025

This new prize aims to celebrate the best contemporary fiction for children aged eight to 12 years old. It will be open to authors from around the world and will be given for a book written in English or translated into English, providing it was published in the UK or Ireland.这一新奖项的目标是庆贺写给八到 12 岁儿童的最佳当代小说。该奖项将向来自全球的作家开放,颁发给用英语创作或翻译成英语的小说,小说需要已经在英国或爱尔兰出版。


The UK's Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce is set to be the inaugural chair of judges. The panel will decide a shortlist of eight books to be announced in November next year. The first winner will be chosen in February 2027.英国儿童文学桂冠作家弗兰克·科特雷尔·博伊斯将成为首任评委会主席。评委会将选出包含八本书的入围名单,并于明年 11 月公布。第一位获奖者将于 2027 年 2 月被选出。


The chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation Gaby Wood described the new award as its most ambitious endeavour in 20 years and said it was hoped its impact would resonate for decades to come.布克奖基金会的首席执行官加比·伍德称这一新奖项是基金会 20 年来最具雄心的一次尝试,基金会希望这个奖项的影响能在未来几十年产生深远的影响。


The foundation will gift 30,000 copi


第2851期:Do we give weight too much weight?
#1
11/28/2025

Take your height in metres, square it, then divide it by your weight in kilograms. That's how you calculate your body mass index, or BMI. If it's between 18 and 25, your weight is healthy. If it's over, it isn't. So far, so simple. BMI has become a popular metric for people to check their health.把你的身高(以米为单位)平方,然后用这个数去除以你的体重(以千克为单位)。这就是计算你的身体质量指数(BMI)的方法。如果BMI介于18到25之间,你的体重被认为是健康的;如果高于这个范围,则不健康。到目前为止,这很简单。BMI已经成为人们检查自身健康状况的一个常用指标。


On a population level, data backs this up. People with a high BMI are statistically more likely to develop conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and some types of cancer along with other health problems. Checking BMI could be a way for people to easily assess their health and decide if they need to make any lifestyle changes.从人群层面来看,数据支持这一点。统计显示,BMI较高的人更容易出现高血压、糖尿病、关节炎以及某些类型的癌症等健康问题。检查BMI可以让人们更容易评估自身健康状况,并决定是否需要作出生活方式上的改变。


However, BMI does not give the ful...


第2850期:The artisan economy
#1
11/27/2025

We're in the midst of a craft revolution. We're seeing explosive growth in many consumer products categories. There is no one definition, I would say, but oftentimes there are artisanal products, locally sourced, handmade, and sometimes made in small batches.我们正处在一场手工艺革命的浪潮之中。我们看到许多消费品类别都在出现爆炸式增长。虽然没有一个统一的定义,但通常它们是手工制作的产品、本地采购、手工打造,有时以小批量方式生产。


It resonates with many of the megatrends that we see with consumers, particularly millennials who are really looking for something very authentic. They like to take risks and try new products. Right now, it's primarily a U.S. phenomenon, but we're seeing growth in many markets outside the U.S. as well.这与我们看到的许多消费大趋势相契合,尤其是千禧一代,他们非常追求真实的东西。他们喜欢冒险、尝试新产品。目前这主要是一种美国现象,但我们也在看到美国以外许多市场的增长。


We really think the craft revolution will be a global phenomenon over the next 10 years. We're seeing the craft revolution across many categories. You know, when you think about restaurants, the whole farm-to-table concept is a great example of craft.我们确实认为,在未来10年内,手工艺革命将成为全球现象。我们在许多类别中都看到了这种手工艺浪潮。例如,当你想到餐饮业时,“从农场到餐桌”的理念就是一个典型的手工化代表。


第2849期:The four-day week
#1
11/26/2025

It's becoming increasingly popular for businesses to only accept payments by card. Yes. London's bus network has been cashless since 2014.越来越多的商家只接受刷卡支付。是的,伦敦的公交系统从 2014 年起就已经全面取消现金支付了。


And now there are many food and drink outlets in the UK that only accept payment by card. We're looking at the benefits of a cashless company.现在英国有许多餐饮店也仅接受刷卡支付。我们现在要讨论无现金公司的好处。


Yes, specifically in the hospitality trade. If you think about in the past, Richard, restaurants. Imagine the scenario. Saturday night, they've done very well, OK.是的,尤其是在餐饮与服务行业。想想过去吧,Richard,比如餐馆。想象一个场景:星期六晚上,他们生意很好。


They've had a lot of customers, well, a lot of orders. They've taken a lot of money. What happens at the end of the evening?有很多顾客、很多订单,收入也很多。那么在晚上打烊后会发生什么?


Well, obviously the first thing is, after they close, they've got to count the cash, haven't they? They've got to count the takings for the night and record it.首先显而...


第2848期:The four-day week
#1
11/25/2025

Back in March 2018, an insurance company from New Zealand started a landmark trial with its company staff. It decided to trial a four-day working week. Almost 250 staff at Perpetual Guardian took part.早在 2018 年 3 月,新西兰一家保险公司开始对员工进行一项具有里程碑意义的试验:他们决定试行每周四天工作制。大约有 250 名来自 Perpetual Guardian 的员工参与了这项试验。


We're looking at the pros and cons of working a four-day week. Right, Jackie. So that New Zealand company, what was the result of their trial? The employees completed surveys before they did the trial and after they did the trial.我们现在要讨论每周四天工作制的利与弊。好的,Jackie。那么那家新西兰公司,他们的试验结果如何?员工们在试验前和试验后都填写了问卷调查。


And it was upon reading the results that the company declared it was a great success and decided to adopt the new schedule full-time.在看到调查结果后,公司宣布试验非常成功,并决定永久采用这一新的工作安排。


OK. So why was it such a great success then? Well, there were three factors that they looked at.好的。那么它为何如此成功?他们主要从三个因素进行评估。


And overall, staff reported l...


第2847期:The sportswriter
#1
11/24/2025

I'm talking to Simon. Hi Simon. Hi.我正在和西蒙说话。嗨,西蒙。嗨。


Who is hoping to become a full-time freelance sports writer. Am I right about that? Yes, just about, yes.他希望成为一名全职自由体育作家。我这样说对吗?是的,差不多,是的。


What kind of sports do you write about? Well, at the moment I only write about football.你写哪种运动?嗯,目前我只写足球。


That's my specialist subject and that is done in two directions. I have always followed Manchester City Football Club, so that is my English arm of the football writing. And because I'm a resident of Lisbon, I also write about Portuguese football affairs.那是我的专长,而且分为两个方向。我一直关注曼城足球俱乐部,所以那是我足球写作的英格兰部分。而由于我住在里斯本,我也写葡萄牙足球的相关事务。


Manchester City, you write about Manchester City. I do. Who do you write for? I write predominantly for ESPN.曼城,你写曼城的内容。是的。你主要为谁写?我主要为 ESPN 写作。


Right. So I have a contract with them to produce three or four Manchester City-related articles per week. Per week? Per week.好的。我和...


第2846期:Thinking with Adam Grant
#1
11/23/2025

Hey, WorkLifers, it's Adam here, and I have some exciting news.

嘿,WorkLifers,我是 Adam,有个令人兴奋的消息要告诉你们。


Last year, by popular demand, we started releasing more conversations and debates with my favorite thinkers, creators, doers, and leaders.

去年,根据大家的强烈要求,我们开始发布更多与我最喜爱的思想家、创作者、实干家和领导者的对话与讨论。


The goal is to figure out what makes them tick, and what they can teach us about a life well lived.

目标是弄清楚是什么驱动着他们,以及他们能教会我们如何过好一生。


Sometimes we talk about work, but often it's just been a window into the interesting ways their minds work.

有时我们谈论工作,但更多时候,这些对话是了解他们独特思维方式的窗口。


If you haven't had a chance to listen, the guests have included Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brene Brown, Ava DuVernay, and Malcolm Gladwell.

如果你还没收听过,嘉宾包括林-曼努尔·米兰达、布芮内·布朗、艾娃·杜威内以及马尔科姆·格拉德威尔。


You asked for more episodes, so we're doing just that, regular episodes all year round.

你们


第2845期:Fixable
#1
11/22/2025

You know that saying, move fast and break things? I do. Well, we say move fast and fix things, because in our experience, speed and fixing go hand in hand. Absolutely.你知道那句“快速行动,打破常规”的说法吗? 我知道。而我们说的是“快速行动,迅速修复”,因为根据我们的经验,速度和解决问题是相辅相成的。的确如此。


Speed's gotten a dangerous reputation, but it signals that you take a problem seriously, and it builds momentum for real change. Which is why we move fast and we fix things. My name is Anne Morris.速度常常名声不佳,但它表明你认真对待问题,并且能为真正的改变积累动能。 这就是为什么我们快速行动并迅速解决问题。我叫安妮·莫里斯。


I'm a company builder and a leadership coach. And I'm Frances Frey. I'm an author and a Harvard Business School professor.我是一名公司创建者和领导力教练。而我是弗朗西丝·弗雷,一名作家,也是哈佛商学院的教授。


And, most importantly, I'm Anne's wife. You're going off script, sunshine. We're the co-authors of two books on building better businesses, and we've spent decades helping everyone, from entrepreneurs just starting out to CEOs of global corporations.而且最重要的是,我是安妮的妻子。你已经开始偏离台本了,亲爱的。我们共同撰写了两本关于打造更好企业的书籍,并花了数十年时间帮助各类人士——从刚创业的创始人到全球公司的 CEO。


We help them all...


第2844期:Customer loyalty
#1
11/21/2025

We belong to an organisation that puts you in touch with pet-sitters when you go away. People who can look after your house and animals while you're on holiday. And it was coming up for renewal, wasn't it? The subscription, yes.我们加入了一个组织,当你外出时,它会帮你联系宠物看护的人。他们可以在你度假期间照顾你的房子和动物。而我们的会员马上要续费了,是吗?对,就是订阅服务。


Every year. Fine. But what they didn't tell us was it was more expensive than the previous year.每年都要续费,好吧。但他们没告诉我们的是,这次续费比前一年更贵。


And what's more, it was more expensive, a lot more expensive than new customers were going to pay. We're looking at customers' loyalty. It wasn't the first time that we found out that we as existing customers were paying more for a product than new customers coming on.更糟的是,这次续费比新客户要付的钱贵得多。我们说的就是对老顾客忠诚度的“惩罚”。这不是第一次我们发现,作为老客户,我们反而比新客户付更多钱。


We're not the only ones. In the UK, Citizens Adv...


第2843期:Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time
#1
11/20/2025

Iceland has no shortage of natural dangers – volcanic eruptions, glacial floods, scaldingly hot springs and bitterly cold winters. But it is at least one of the few places on Earth where humans don't have to worry about mosquitoes – until now.冰岛总是有各种各样的自然危险,那里有火山喷发、冰川导致的洪水、滚烫的温泉和苦寒冰冷的冬季。不过,冰岛至少是地球上少数几个人类不必担心蚊子的地方之一,直到现在。


Two females and a male have been caught on a sticky trap used to attract moths. They're a species that's resistant to the cold.两只雌蚊和一只雄蚊被一个用于吸引飞蛾的粘性陷阱所捕获。它们属于一种能抵抗寒冷的蚊种。


It isn't clear how many other mosquitoes are in Iceland or exactly how they got there. One scientist said he did not believe their arrival was linked to climate change and suggested they could have been stowaways on a ship.人们尚不清楚冰岛目前还有多少只蚊子,以及这些蚊子如何来到了这里。一名科学家表示,他不认为这些蚊子的到来和气候变化有关,并提出它们也可能是坐船抵达冰岛的 “偷渡者”。


第2842期:Zone zero: Does no-effort exercise have benefits
#2
11/19/2025

"No pain no gain!" That's a mindset applied to many things – from working long hours when starting a new business, to studying hard for an important exam. And gym culture often encourages people to push themselves to their limits, leading people to have an all or nothing attitude, where they feel they must either have an extremely tough fitness regime, or do nothing at all. But what if it doesn't have to be this way? What if you can improve your fitness and wellbeing with minimal effort? Meet the new trend gainingtraction: zone zero exercise.“不劳无获!” 这种心态适用于许多事情——从创业初期的长时间工作,到为重要考试而刻苦学习。健身文化往往鼓励人们把自己推到极限,导致一种“要么全力以赴、要么干脆不做”的态度,仿佛非得执行极其严苛的健身计划,否则就是零运动。但事情真的一定要这样吗?如果只需付出最小的努力,也能提升健康与体能呢?让我们来认识一个正在流行的新趋势:零区运动(zone zero exercise)。


Zone training is about your heart rate. For example, zone 1 exercise requires 50% of your maximum heart rate, up to zone 5 which is 100% effort. Activities range from a dog walk or easy warm-up in zone 1, to a sprint up the stairs at zone 5. Think of zone zero as any kind of movement that keeps your heart rate below 50%. This cou...


第2841期:The best restaurant in London
#3
11/18/2025

We're talking about a restaurant. A restaurant that became the top-rated restaurant in London. Except that the restaurant was a fake.我们要谈的是一家餐厅——一家成为伦敦最高评分餐厅的餐厅。只不过,这家餐厅是假的。


It didn't exist. Yes, so we ask who did it, why he did it and how. Well, let's start with who, Richard.它根本不存在。那么我们来问:是谁干的?为什么要这么做?又是怎么做到的?我们先从“谁”开始吧,理查德。


It was a journalist, OK? By the name of Ubar Butler. And what's interesting was that his original job included writing fake reviews for TripAdvisor restaurants, even though he never went to them, right? And he saw that these fake reviews actually helped the restaurants to become very popular. The reviews were always positive.是一个记者,名叫乌巴·巴特勒。有趣的是,他之前的工作就是帮餐厅在TripAdvisor上写假评论——虽然他从来没去过那些餐厅。而且他发现,这些虚假的好评确实能让餐厅变得很受欢迎。


Yes, obviously the restaurants themselves paid for...


第2840期:Riding in a driverless taxi
#4
11/17/2025

Hey, what's up guys, MKBHD here, still in Las Vegas, and I've seen a lot of self-driving tech so far here at CES, like if you walk through any of the halls with cars in them, there's tons of like open room concepts and things like that, but they feel kind of useless, you know, like as long as they're still in a concept phase, they don't really feel real yet.大家好,我是 MKBHD,现在还在拉斯维加斯。在今年的 CES 展会上,我已经看到了很多自动驾驶技术。走进任何一个汽车展厅,都能看到各种“开放空间”式的概念车,设计很炫,但感觉都没什么实际用途。你懂的,只要还停留在概念阶段,就让人觉得离现实还挺远的。


So then I got an email from a company called Yandex, you may know them as a Russian tech company, and they said, hey, come check out our autonomous car at CES.然后我收到一封来自一家叫 Yandex 的公司的邮件——你可能知道,这是一家俄罗斯科技公司。他们说:“嘿,来看看我们在 CES 上的无人驾驶汽车吧!”


I'm kind of thinking, okay, well, I've seen a lot of autonomous concepts and things like that...


第2839期:One euro homes
#1
11/16/2025

Imagine you're the mayor of a small, rural town. Over the years the houses have become empty as people move to the city for employment. An earthquake 50 years ago caused terrible damage and forced more families to leave their homes.想象一下,你是一座偏远小镇的市长。多年来,随着人们为了工作迁往城市,镇上的房屋逐渐空置。而且在五十年前,一场地震造成了严重破坏,迫使更多家庭离开家园。


And you find yourself facing the possibility of living in a ghost town but in a most beautiful area. We look at the strategy that one local council used to reverse their decline. So where are we, Jackie? On the Italian island of Sicily in a small town called Sambuca.于是你发现自己正面临着一个可能——生活在一座风景优美却濒临“鬼城”的地方。我们来看一个地方政府是如何扭转这种衰退的。那么,我们现在在哪儿呢,杰基?在意大利西西里岛,一个名叫桑布卡(Sambuca)的小镇。


Sounds great. So what was Sambuca like in the past then? Very different, Richard. It was a bustling town of about 9,000 people.听起来不错。那么,桑布卡过去是什么样的呢?完全不一样,理查德。那时它是一个热闹的城镇,约有九千名居民。


It was, well, and still is, on the top of a hill. And it's in a nature reserve about an hour's drive from the capital. Right, OK.它坐落在一座山顶上,现在依然如此。小镇位于一个自然保护区内,距离首都大...


第2838期:The vegan market
#2
11/15/2025

In the UK, over 3 million people are vegetarian. That's 7% of the population. And in addition to that, a further 600,000 people, less than 2% of the population, are vegan.在英国,有超过三百万人是素食者,占全国人口的7%。除此之外,还有大约六十万人(不到2%)是纯素食者。


Yeah, now 600,000 is not a lot of people, but it's 4 more, 4 times more than in 2014. And half of these made the change just last year. In addition, a third of all Brits are reducing the amount of meat they eat.是的,六十万人并不是很多,但比2014年多了四倍。而且,其中一半人是在去年才改成纯素的。另外,三分之一的英国人正在减少他们吃肉的量。


Yes, and actually it's even predicted that vegans and vegetarians will make up a quarter of the British population by 2025. So, without doubt, this is a new and fast-growing area. We're looking at how UK companies are responding.没错,事实上,有预测认为到2025年,素食者和纯素食者将占英国人口的四分之一。因此,这无疑是一个新兴且增长迅速的领域。我们来看看英国的企业是如何应对的。


Now, Richard, tell us about Gregg's the Bakers. Yes...


第2837期:Michelin stars
#3
11/14/2025

Very recently, a restaurant in Manchester, in the north-west of England, won the city's first Michelin star in 40 years. We talk about the Michelin Guide and the effect of winning one of its prestigious stars. Yes, because this restaurant, Mana it's called, opened less than a year ago.最近,位于英格兰西北部的曼彻斯特有一家餐厅获得了该市四十年来的第一颗米其林星。我们今天要谈的,就是米其林指南以及获得这一权威星级后的影响。是的,这家名为 Mana 的餐厅开业还不到一年。


And as soon as it was awarded the star, it became fully booked for months ahead, well into the next year. Yeah, and good news also for Manchester, Richard. Once a restaurant in a town gets given a star, it elevates not just the restaurant's profile but that of the city too.一旦获得米其林星级,这家餐厅立刻变得一位难求,订位排到了好几个月之后,甚至延续到下一年。是啊,Richard,这对曼彻斯特来说也是个好消息。因为一旦一座城市有餐厅获得米其林星,不仅餐厅的声誉得到提升,整个城市的形象也会随之提高。


I mean, quite simply, peopl...


第2836期:What insects can teach surgeons
#4
11/13/2025

Sawflies are named after the saw-like organ used by the females to lay eggs in plants. The insects want to avoid killing the plants, which provide food for their larvae.锯蜂以它身上一种像锯子一样的器官命名,雌性锯蜂会用这个锯状器官在植物内部产卵。这种昆虫会尽量避免杀死植物,因为植物可以为它们的幼虫提供食物。


The researchers discovered that small serrations on the sawfly's teeth worked with larger protrusions to create a selective cutting action, allowing them to avoid cutting internal structures carrying water and nutrients. The team scaled up the mechanism and tested it on material mimicking human tissue.研究人员发现,锯蜂牙齿上较小的锯齿状突起和较大的突起物共同作用,从而创造出了一种具有选择性的切割动作,这种动作让锯蜂能够避免切断植物中含有水分和养分的内部结构。研究团队按比例放大了这一构造机制,然后在模拟了人体组织的材料上对其进行了测试。


Although more work is needed, they think there's potential for a surgical instrument based on this natural mechanism, which could instinctively avoid critical tissues whilst cutting.虽然尚有更多工作需要完成,但研究人员认为也许能够发明出一种基于这种自然机制的外科手术器械,这种器械可以在切割时本能地避开关键组织。


第2835期:The meat eaters
#5
11/12/2025

When you hear the word 'carnivore', do you think of lions and bears and sharks, or humans? Steak for breakfast, chicken breasts for lunch and salmon and lamb for dinner. No veg and no carbs. This is just a typical day for someone on the carnivore diet. It's a meal plan that only allows meat, poultry, eggs, fish, seafood, dairy products and water. It's animal-based opposed to plant-based. But why are some people following this diet? And what do nutritionists think about it?当你听到“食肉者”这个词时,你会想到狮子、熊和鲨鱼,还是人类?早餐是牛排,午餐是鸡胸肉,晚餐是三文鱼和羊肉——没有蔬菜,也没有碳水化合物。这就是一个典型的“食肉饮食”者的一天。这种饮食方式只允许食用肉类、禽类、鸡蛋、鱼类、海鲜、乳制品和水——完全以动物性食物为主,与植物性饮食截然相反。但问题是,为什么会有人选择这种饮食方式?而营养学家对此又怎么看?


The carnivore diet is a type of ketogenic diet. Normally the body uses glucose from carbohydrates as energy, but when there's a lack of this, the liver breaks fat down into ketones. This essentially means the body can fuel itself using fat instead of sugar. Followers of the diet may experience weight loss, especially early on. One reason for this is that protein is highly satiating, so you consume fewer calories. On t...


第2834期:Sponsorship
#6
11/11/2025

Sporting events and organisations have long looked to sponsorship for a way of surviving. For many, without financial support of sponsors, they simply wouldn't be able to compete. We're talking about one particular area of concern in sponsorship.体育赛事和组织长期以来都依靠赞助来维持生存。对许多赛事而言,如果没有赞助商的资金支持,他们根本无法继续竞争。我们今天要谈的是赞助领域中的一个特别值得关注的问题。


Yeah, now we both remember, Richard, the dominance of tobacco companies sponsoring major events, especially things like Formula One. Yes, the Marlborough McLaren cars, for instance. Yeah.是的,Richard,我们都还记得,以前烟草公司主导了大型赛事的赞助,尤其是像一级方程式赛车这样的赛事。没错,比如万宝路赞助的迈凯伦车队。


Now, that's not allowed anymore. But there's a new industry taking over, isn't there? And that is gambling and betting. Betting companies take £14.4 billion from punters every year.如今,烟草赞助已经被禁止了。但现在有一个新的行业正在接手,不是吗?那就是博彩业。博彩公司每年从赌客那里获得高达144亿英镑的收入。


In the UK. Yes, that is equal to about £200 from every man, woman and child. It's a huge amount.在英国,这相当于全国每个男人、女人和孩子各贡献了约200英镑。这是一个庞大的数字。


Yeah. So why has this happened? How has it happened? A...


第2833期:Rat populations rise in cities
#7
11/10/2025

The British Pest Control Association says its members have recorded an increase in complaints about rat activity around the UK. Cleankill, a company that operates in the south of England, says it's seen a 20% rise in call-outs about rats in the last two years, and climate change may be playing a role.英国虫害防治协会称,其成员记录了英国各地对老鼠的活动情况投诉数量的增长。一家在英格兰南部地区开展业务的名为 “Cleankill” 的公司称,他们在过去两年中发现由老鼠引起的呼叫请求上升了 20%,而气候变化可能是其中一个原因。


A study published earlier this year of 16 cities around the world, mostly in North America, found a strong link between rising temperatures and rat activity. The researchers believe warmer winters enable rats to reproduce more rapidly.今年早些时候发布的一项针对全球 16 座主要分布在北美洲的城市的研究发现气温上升和老鼠的活动情况之间有密切联系。研究人员认为,更温暖的冬季让老鼠能以更快的速度繁殖。


But there are also other issues at play. Pest controllers say our overflowing bins, fractured communities and growing appetite for fast food all allow rats to thrive.不过依然有其它因素在发挥作用。害虫防治人员表示,人们满当当的垃圾桶、分崩离析的社区关系和快餐食品盛行都让老鼠得以快速成长。


第2832期:Why some people believe AI is human
#8
11/09/2025

After MIT Professor Joseph Weizenbaum created the chatbot Eliza, he became concerned that people who had used the programme started to act as if it was human. This might sound like a modern problem, but Eliza was created in 1966. If a programme from the 1960s was capable of tricking people into thinking it was human, what effect could the large-language-model-based chatbots of the 2020s have?麻省理工学院教授 Joseph Weizenbaum 创建聊天机器人 Eliza 后,他开始担心使用该程序的人开始表现得像人类一样。 这听起来像是一个现代问题,但 Eliza 是在 1966 年创建的。如果 1960 年代的程序能够欺骗人们认为它是人类,那么 2020 年代基于大型语言模型的聊天机器人会产生什么效果呢?


Modern philosophers and technology experts have discussed whether AI could develop consciousness. Sentience is difficult to define, but the fact that large language models respond by mathematically calculating the probability of certain patterns appearing suggests that it would be hard to consider them to be alive. However, in terms of our responses to them, what matters is not whether they are sentient, but wh...


第2831期:Stock market
#9
11/08/2025

For our last business podcast, we talked about the big PLCs, the companies traded on the stock exchange.在上一期商业播客中,我们谈到了大型公众有限公司(PLCs),也就是在证券交易所上市的公司。


We're talking about the stock exchange. Richard, what is it?我们现在要谈的是证券交易所。Richard,它是什么?


The stock exchange is also called the stock market and essentially it is a market.证券交易所也叫股票市场,本质上它就是一个市场。


It's where the big companies, the shares in the big companies are bought and sold. Simple as that.在那里,大公司的股票被买卖。就是这么简单。


Now, Richard, I have to confess my image of the stock market comes from films where you often see scenes of people throwing their arms in the air and, you know, lots of pieces of paper.Richard,我得承认,我对股票市场的印象来自电影——你经常看到人们挥舞着手臂,还有满天飞的纸片。


It seems very mad. What's happening there?看起来很疯狂。那是怎么回事?


Well, that doesn't really...


第2830期:Company
#10
11/07/2025

People often ask me what we do, and I reply by saying we have an internet business. But we don't actually have a... we're not actually a company, are we, Richard?人们经常问我我们是做什么的,我通常回答说我们有一家互联网业务。但实际上我们并没有……我们其实不是一家公司,对吧,Richard?


No we're not, we are going to talk about companies, in particular PLCs. So, OK, what is a PLC? A PLC, a public limited company, is one which has a number of shares which are publicly traded on the stock exchange.没错,我们不是。接下来我们要谈的是公司,特别是股份有限公司(PLC)。那么,什么是 PLC?PLC,也就是公众有限公司,是一种拥有股票,并且这些股票可以在证券交易所公开交易的公司。


So, when you say shares... Well, the company is divided into shares, so you own a share of the company. A portion of the company. Exactly.那么,当你说“股份”时……公司被分成许多股份,所以你拥有公司的一个股份,也就是一部分公司。没错。


So these shares are bought or sold on the stock exchange, and so the value goes up and down.这些股份可以在证券交易所买卖,因此它们的价值会上下波动。


Is there a certain number of sha...


第2830a期:Product Placement
#11
11/06/2025

We're talking about product placement.我们在谈植入式广告。


Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, has grown both on TV and on the big screen.植入式广告,也称为嵌入式行销,在电视和大银幕上都越来越常见。


OK, OK, Jackie, I've heard of product placement but what exactly is it?好,好,Jackie,我听说过植入式广告,但它到底是什么呢?


Well, basically it means a deliberate inclusion of a product or a brand for promotional purposes.简单来说,就是为了宣传目的而刻意把产品或品牌放入内容中。


If we think about, Richard, think about the 1986 film, Top Gun, right?如果我们想一下,Richard,想想1986年的电影《壮志凌云》,对吧?


Oh, one of my favourites.哦,那是我最喜欢的电影之一。


Now there's a particular product worn by many of the characters but especially by Tom Cruise, Maverick, right?片中很多角色都戴了一样特定产品,尤其是汤姆·克鲁斯扮演的Maverick,对吗?


I know this, I know this, he's so cool, isn't he? Because of the aviator sunglasses.我知道,我知道,他超级酷,对吧?因为那副飞行员太阳镜。


Yeah, so... Ray-Bans.对,就是……雷朋(Ray-Ban)。


第2829期:Instagram
#12
11/06/2025

We're talking about Instagram and why it's a useful platform for businesses. You know my first question, of course, Jackie. I know nothing about Instagram.
我们在谈论 Instagram,以及为什么它对企业来说是一个有用的平台。当然,你知道我第一个问题是什么,Jackie。我对 Instagram 一无所知。


What is it? Well, it's an American photo and video sharing social networking service and it's owned by Facebook.
它是什么?它是一个美国的照片和视频分享社交网络服务,由 Facebook 所拥有。


Aha! I know all about Facebook, the world's top social media platform. Yeah.
啊哈!我对 Facebook 很了解,它是世界顶级的社交媒体平台。是的。


With about one and a half billion users? No, almost 2.4, Richard. Oh, wow. I know.
大约十五亿用户?不,接近二十四亿,Richard。哦,哇。我知道。


Instagram, on the other hand, has one billion users but considering it was launched in 2010, this is actually quite amazing. Facebook bought it in 2012 for about a billion dollars. Wow, big, big numbers.
另一方面,Instagram 有十亿用户,但考虑到它是在 2010 年推出的,这实际上相当惊人。Facebook 在 2012 年以约十亿美元的价格收购了它。哇,真是巨大的数字。...


第2828期:Underground
#13
11/05/2025

In an underground car park in Paris, I encountered something I didn't expect. I had to wipe the spores off my camera. I was in a huge mushroom farm.在巴黎的一处地下停车场,我遇到了一件意想不到的事情。我不得不用手擦去相机上的孢子,因为我置身于一个巨大的蘑菇农场中。


So why was it down here? When housing blocks like this sprouted up in Paris in the 1960s and 70s, it was common practice to also build underground parking for residents. So beneath Paris, there are millions of square meters of car park. But car ownership is in steady decline in Paris, a trend city authorities are keen to encourage.那么,为什么农场会在这里呢?当上世纪六七十年代巴黎建起这样的大型住宅区时,人们通常会为居民修建地下停车场。于是,在巴黎地下,隐藏着数百万平方米的停车空间。然而,如今巴黎的汽车拥有量正在稳步下降,而这正是市政府乐于推动的趋势。


And thanks to technology, there are new ways to get around the city. Some underground car parks now find themselves surplus to requirements. City officials have been running competitions to find new leases of life for them.多亏了科技的发展,人们有了更多在城市中出行的新方式。于是,一些地下停车场变得多余。市政官员因此举办竞赛,征集这些空间的新用途。


One of the winners of these was urban farmers, Cycloponics. They've...


第2827期:Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time
#14
11/04/2025

Huntington's is one of the most brutal and devastating of all diseases. It's caused by a faulty gene which progressively destroys brain cells, which then affects all parts of the body. Symptoms tend to first appear in your 30s or 40s, leading to death within 20 years.亨廷顿病是最凶残和最具破坏性的疾病之一。这种疾病是由一种基因缺陷引起的,这种基因缺陷会渐进性地破坏脑细胞,进而影响身体的所有部位。亨廷顿病的症状通常在 30 多岁或 40 多岁时首次出现,然后会在 20 年内导致死亡。


The treatment is a gene therapy which is injected deep into the brain during lengthy surgery. The drug enters cells and delivers a new piece of DNA, which blocks the production of a faulty protein. The trial involved 29 patients. Only the topline results have been released by the company, but these show that three years after surgery, the disease was slowed by an average of 75%, based on measures including cognition, movement and the ability to manage in daily life.本次用于治疗这种疾病的新手段是一种基...


第2826期:The way you move may be as unique as your fingerprint
#15
11/03/2025

Have you ever been alone in a room, heard someone coming, and been able to identify who it was based solely on the recognisable stomp of their shoes? Maybe you've experienced seeing a group in the distance, too far to recognise faces, but you're absolutely sure one blurry figure is your friend because of the way they're swinging their arms when they walk. Research suggests that a person's movement signature, or the way they move, could be as unique as a fingerprint. So, what makes up a person's movement signature?您是否曾经独自一人待在一个房间里,听到有人走过来,并且仅根据可识别的鞋子踩踏声就能够识别出是谁? 也许您曾经历过在远处看到一群人,距离太远而无法识别面孔,但您绝对确定一个模糊的人物是您的朋友,因为他们走路时摆动手臂的方式。 研究表明,一个人的运动特征或运动方式可能像指纹一样独特。 那么,一个人的动作特征是由什么组成的呢?


We all have a particular way of moving our faces. One person might purse their lips when they're angry. Another might squint their eyes or pull their face into a grimace, and these movement patterns help us recognise familiar people, even in poor visibility. Another reliable clue for identifying people is their gait. The combination of stride...


第2825期:E-business means business
#16
11/02/2025

Things turned upside down for many businesses earlier this year. We're looking at how two companies made changes to survive. So, OK, Richard, what happened? In March 2020, companies in the UK, they were told that they weren't allowed to offer over-the-counter services.今年年初,许多企业的经营状况被彻底颠覆。我们今天要看看两家公司是如何调整策略以求生存的。好的,Richard,当时发生了什么?2020年3月,英国政府宣布企业不得提供柜台服务。


So obviously that would affect many high-street shops. Yes, indeed, all high-street shops and including those who sell fish and chips. So the Chesterfield Group in the UK owns 40 fish and chip restaurants, serving about 50,000 people every week.显然,这一规定会影响许多街边商店。没错,所有街头商铺都受到了影响,其中包括炸鱼薯条店。英国的切斯特菲尔德集团拥有40家炸鱼薯条餐厅,每周为大约五万人提供餐饮服务。


However, of course, the coronavirus lockdown forced the restaurants to close for all walk-in customers. So therefore no customers at all then? They lost all their customers in one fail swoop. Right.然而,由于新冠封锁政策,这些餐厅不得不关闭所有堂食服务。那么,这是不是意味着他们一个顾客都没有了?没错,他们在一夜之间失去了所有顾客。


So what the CEO, James Lipscomb, did was he realised the company was running out of cash fast, so he had to do som...


第2824期:Digital nomads
#17
11/01/2025

When we moved to Portugal, it was the third country that we had lived in while working on our podcasting website. Yeah, we realised that, of course, working digitally, you can live anywhere in the world. And with online teaching these days, it's become even easier.当我们搬到葡萄牙时,那已经是我们在经营播客网站期间居住过的第三个国家了。是啊,我们意识到,既然是数字化工作,那其实你可以生活在世界的任何角落。而如今随着线上教学的普及,这变得更加容易了。


Yes, and perhaps it's not surprising that there's been a really sharp increase in the no longer work from a set office. So if you can do your job by opening a laptop in any location in the world, why not move from one virtual desk in your home country to another on the other side of the globe? We're talking about digital nomads. Yes, and interestingly, there are actually some countries which are actively encouraging business people to...


第2823期:Stand out
#18
10/31/2025

My friend Anne says that when her children were very small and they received presents, it was the packaging that excited them the most. First they would play with the brightly coloured wrapping paper, then they would play with the box, opening and closing it and when it was empty, filling it with toys they already had. It wasn't until some time later that their attention was drawn to the actual present that had been inside.我的朋友安妮说,她的孩子在很小的时候,每当收到礼物,最让他们兴奋的其实是包装。起初,他们会先玩那色彩鲜艳的包装纸,然后再玩盒子——开开关关,等到盒子空了,还会把自己已有的玩具放进去。直到过了好一阵子,他们才会注意到盒子里真正的礼物。


That is so true. We're talking about the importance of packaging, in particular the design. Yeah, because adults too are drawn towards a product because of the packaging.的确如此。我们今天要谈的是包装的重要性,尤其是包装的设计。是的,因为成年人也常常因为包装而被某个产品吸引。


Now if you go to any supermarket, you'll see the shelves are completely stacked with similar products from different b...