1 / Mask-wearing dolls for Christmas
新冠主题儿童玩具热销
Children in Spain and Portugal could find that their Christmas presents this year reflect the coronavirus pandemic as dolls wearing face masks, kits for making personal protection items, and other toys adapted to fit the times fly off the shelves.
西班牙和葡萄牙的孩子们会发现,与新冠疫情相关的儿童玩具成为了今年圣诞季的热门礼物。戴口罩的娃娃、制作个人防护用品的工具包、以及其他新冠主题的玩具十分畅销。

In a toy store in Madrid, some of Spanish toymaker Famosa's popular Nancy dolls were wearing a protective mask. Another set of dolls came with a virus tester, which can detect if the toy is "infected".
在马德里的一家玩具店里,西班牙著名玩具制造商富美思生产的一些兰茜娃娃戴上了口罩。另一套娃娃玩具则带有病毒测试仪,可以检测出玩具娃娃是否"感染了"病毒。
If it is, the child can cure it by tickling it. "Putting a mask on their dolls helps (kids) realize they need to wear one themselves," shopper Cristina Hernandez said.
如果是的话,孩子可以通过挠痒痒来治愈它。店主克里斯蒂娜•埃尔南德斯说:"给娃娃戴上口罩有助于(孩子们)意识到他们自己也需要戴口罩。"
Portuguese firm Science4You said sales of its toys related to the virus were booming, especially online as people stayed away from big shopping malls due to fear of contagion. Science4You said they had sold more than 8,000 anti-virus lab kits since it came on the market in mid-July.
在邻国葡萄牙,科学玩具品牌Science4You公司表示,新冠主题的玩具销售火爆,尤其是在网上,因为人们担心病毒传染而远离大型购物中心。该公司表示,自从7月中旬抗病毒实验室套装玩具上市以来,已售出8000余套。
重点词汇:
contagion
英 [kənˈteɪdʒən] 美 [kənˈteɪdʒən]
n. 传染病;蔓延;触染
2 / Color of the Year 2021
潘通发布2021年代表色
As 2020 nears its tumultuous end, the Pantone Color Institute has taken up its annual task of forecasting the color that will best reflect the year ahead.
2020年即将在一片混乱中走向尾声之时,潘通色彩研究所进行了一年一度的下一年度代表色预测。

And, in a decision befitting a complex time, the color authority - which standardizes swatches for the design industry - has revealed not one, but two hues for its Color of the Year: the neutral Ultimate Gray and vibrant yellow Illuminating.
潘通色彩研究所是为设计行业提供标准色卡的色彩权威机构。与复杂的情势相称,潘通本次发布的年度色彩不是一个,而是两个:中性的极致灰和充满活力的荧光黄。
"It's a combination that speaks to the resilience, the optimism and hope and positivity that we need, as we reset, renew, reimagine and reinvent," said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, in a video call along with executive director, Leatrice Eiseman.
潘通色彩研究所的副所长劳里•普雷斯曼在和执行董事莉雅翠丝•艾斯曼一起参加的视频通话中表示:"这个色彩组合代表了我们在重置、重启、重构和重塑过程中所需要的适应力、乐观、希望和积极性。"
It's the first time an achromatic shade has been selected, and the second time two colors have been chosen. In 2016, the pale pink and blue hues, Rose Quartz and Serenity, broke the norm when they were presented as a gradient.
这是潘通首次选择非彩色颜色(灰色)作为年度色,也是第二次选出两个代表色作为年度色。2016年潘通曾打破常规,选择水晶粉和宁静蓝两种色彩的渐变组合作为年度色彩。
重点词汇:
resilience
英 [rɪˈzɪliəns] 美 [rɪˈzɪliəns]
n. 恢复力;弹力;顺应力
3 / Green hydrogen gaining traction
绿氢或成未来首选燃料
Hydrogen has taken off this year as the future green fuel of choice, with governments and businesses betting big that the universe's most abundant element can help fight climate change.
氢在今年成为首选的未来绿色燃料,各国政府和企业都断定这种宇宙中最丰富的元素可以帮助应对气候变化。

More than $150 billion worth of green hydrogen projects have been announced globally in the past nine months. In total, more than 70 gigawatts of such projects are in development, which could require $250 billion in investments by 2040, research firm Rystad Energy estimates.
据挪威吕斯塔德能源公司估计,总共有超过70吉瓦的此类项目正在开发之中,到2040年可能会需要2500亿美元的投资。
Green hydrogen, which is produced using electricity from renewable resources, could be the key to curb our carbon footprint. But today, 99% of hydrogen is still made using fossil fuels, usually through a pollution-heavy process.
过去9个月里,全球宣布了总额超过1500亿美元(约合人民币9830亿元)的绿氢项目。绿氢即利用可再生能源电解水制成的氢,可能在人类控制碳足迹的过程中发挥关键作用。但直至今日,99%的氢的制作过程仍然需要使用矿物燃料,通常会造成重污染。
重点词汇:
renewable
英 [rɪˈnjuːəbl] 美 [rɪˈnuːəbl]
n. 再生性能源
adj. 可再生的;可更新的;可继续的
4 / Concerns over grounded jets
飞机长期停飞或存隐患
Regulators and experts are warning airlines to take extra care when reactivating planes left in extended storage during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing potential pilot rustiness, maintenance errors and even insect nests blocking key sensors.
监管部门与行业专家警告称,航空公司在重启疫情期间被停飞的飞机时要格外注意,这些飞机可能存在飞行员技术生疏、维护不当,甚至有昆虫堵塞关键传感器等问题。

The unprecedented number of aircraft grounded as coronavirus lockdowns blocked air travel - at one point reaching two-thirds of the global fleet - has created a spike in the number of reported problems as airlines return them to service.
由于新冠疫情导致航空旅行受限,全球飞机停飞的数量达到前所未有的水平,最高峰时全球三分之二的飞机停飞,这些飞机复飞后,航空公司报告的飞机问题数量激增。
The number of "unstabilized" or poorly handled approaches has risen sharply this year, according to the International Air Transport Association. Such mishaps can result in hard landings, runway overshoots or even crashes.
根据国际航空运输协会的数据,不稳定或处理不当的航线数量今年急剧上升。而这些问题可能导致飞机硬着陆、冲出跑道甚至坠毁。
重点词汇:
rustiness
英 ['rʌstinis] 美 ['rʌstinis]
n. 生锈;声音嘶哑
mishap
英 [ˈmɪshæp] 美 [ˈmɪshæp]
n. 灾祸;不幸事故;晦气
重点单词怎么读?
Hi everyone, here are words you should know from today's news.
No.1 contagion
Portuguese firm Science4You said sales of its toys related to the virus were booming, especially online as people stayed away from big shopping malls due to fear of contagion.
No.2 resilience
"It's a combination that speaks to the resilience, the optimism and hope and positivity that we need, as we reset, renew, reimagine and reinvent," said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, in a video call along with executive director, Leatrice Eiseman.
No.3 renewable
Green hydrogen, which is produced using electricity from renewable resources, could be the key to curb our carbon footprint. But today, 99% of hydrogen is still made using fossil fuels, usually through a pollution-heavy process.
No.4 rustiness
Regulators and experts are warning airlines to take extra care when reactivating planes left in extended storage during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing potential pilot rustiness, maintenance errors and even insect nests blocking key sensors.
No.5 mishap
Such mishaps can result in hard landings, runway overshoots or even crashes.
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