1. 情趣门厅

Glue leftover cards, double sided tape or rubber cement and hang as holiday artwork. The boards could be trimmed down to the size of a single card or left as a whole board with numerous cards attached to it lined up against a wall.

可以用双面胶带或者树胶胶水把剩余没用的卡片粘合并悬挂起来作为节日的装饰。用来黏合卡片的既可以是裁减好的多块小面板，也可以在一块大板子上黏合许多小卡片。注意黏合好的挂在墙上的卡片要排列整齐。

2. 绚丽客厅

Take your throw pillows and tie them with holiday colored ribbons. Add a rhinestone pin for an extra kick!

拿出你的抱枕，在上面系上节日彩带，如果中间能再别上亮闪闪的装饰别针就更完美了！

3. 典雅餐厅

Welcome your guests with an easy but elegant arrangement of luscious fresh fruits. We set a silver tray and decked it with a pineapple. We surrounded it with a wreath of shiny apples and cascading bunches of grapes in alternating colors of red and green. What could be more simple?

用一种简单而不乏雅致的新鲜美味的水果装饰来迎接你的客人吧。我们在银盘子上放一只菠萝。菠萝周围环绕一些发亮的苹果和垂坠下来的成串葡萄。红色和绿色葡萄最好交错码放。还有什么比这更简单的吗？

4. 温馨卧室

Take holiday-colored ribbon and pin or glue it around the bottom of your lamp shade. So

simple and so stylish!

把节日装饰彩带环绕着别在或者粘在灯罩的下方。简单又时髦！

5. 温暖浴室
Take red, white or green bath towels and stack each three with holiday colored ribbons, thus creating a "gift wrapped package." Place on bath counters to dress up the bath.

取出红色、白色或者绿色的浴巾，三个为一组用节日彩带系好，看起来就像包装好的礼物盒子。把它们放在浴柜中就能把浴室装扮得很漂亮。

6. 二人世界

Take clear vases or bottles, fill them with water, add holiday-colored food coloring--a few drops will do--and float candles in them!

取几只透明的花瓶或杯子，往里面倒点水，再加些节日用的食用色素（几滴就够），然后再在杯中放块漂蜡。

7. Toys on Parade 家有宝贝

Gather up some of the children's toys for their own special holiday centerpiece! We dressed our

teddies in Christmas bow ties and added pretty presents. To finish the topper, we tucked a mini tree in the middle.

收集一些儿童玩具，完成与众不同的节日摆设。我们可以给泰迪熊戴上圣诞领花，然后再点缀些漂亮的礼物盒，并在中间插一棵迷你的圣诞树。

8. 高朋满座
With a merry trio of chunky goblets swaddled in sprigs of holly or other fresh greens. Provide friends and family with an interesting twist on the vigil lights by using candle balls!

三只较短的高脚杯立在冬青枝或者其他鲜嫩的绿植中，俨然在鸣唱快乐的三重唱！在和家人和朋友相聚的夜晚，在杯中点燃球蜡，情趣顿生。

一本旧书或半新的厨房用具可能不是大家最想要的圣诞礼物，但经济不景气加上人们环保意识的增强，法国人对于送礼的态度正在发生变化。

French holiday shoppers are opting in larger numbers for "green" gifting this Christmas, studies show.

研究显示，今年圣诞节，法国人更倾向于选送“绿色”环保礼物。

About 30 percent of French consumers will give second-hand items as gifts to stretch out their tight budgets but also to do their little bit forrecycling, according to a study by international consulting firmDeloitte.

德勤国际咨询公司开展的一项研究显示，法国约30%的消费者打算送二手礼品，一方面是为了省点钱，另一方面也是为环保做点贡献。

The survey of Christmas consumer behaviours in 18 European countries foundthe French were more than twice as likely as other Europeans to give second-hand items, making France a pioneer in the trend.

这项圣诞节消费者行为调查在欧洲18个国家开展。调查发现，法国人送二手礼物的可能性是欧洲其他国家的两倍，成为这一潮流的引领者。

Websites promoting re-gifting and green gifting are flourishing in France, with many reporting a rise in business.

在法国，提倡礼物再利用和绿色送礼的网站十分盛行，而且其中很多网站生意不错。

"Concerns about the ecology and the economy have come together and we are nowseeing people who accept the types of gifts that were not appreciated just a short time ago," said Sebastien Ravut, who runs a website promoting eco-friendly consumerism.

塞巴斯蒂安·拉夫特经营一家宣传环保消费主义的网站。他说：“结合生态和经济两方面的考虑，人们开始接受这类不久前还不怎么受欢迎的礼物。”

His site lists shops in France that offer fair trade products, bio-friendly goods and recycled items. Over the Christmas holidays, the number of visits to the site has doubled from last year, reaching 60,000 permonth.

塞巴斯蒂安的网站列出了法国的一些平价、环保和提供再利用商品的商店名单。在圣诞假期期间，该网站的访问量达到每月6万人次，为去年的两倍。

A study by online survey firm Vivodi for PriceMinister showed eight outof 10 people would be happy to receive a used item as a gift and that younger consumers were more open to the idea.

由在线调查公司Vivodi为PriceMinister购物网站开展的一项调查显示，十人中有八人不介意收到二手礼物，而且年轻的消费者更能接受这一理念。

But Gilles Goldenberg, author of the Deloitte study, cautioned that environmental concerns are not the overriding consideration when buying used goods.

但德勤调查的负责人吉勒·戈登伯格提醒说，环保并不是人们选择二手礼品时首要的考虑因素。

"The number one concern is getting the lowest possible price," said Goldenberg. "Eco-friendly products are drawing a lot of interest, butnot if that means paying more."

戈登伯格说：“消费者首要的考虑因素是争取尽可能低的价格，环保产品引起很多人的兴趣，但如果要花更多的钱，那又不一样了。”

The atretickets and other low-carbon gifts are in vogue, and eco-friendly websites are also encouraging gift givers to offer time and services instead of stuff.

送电影票和其他低碳礼物也非常流行，环保网站还鼓励送礼者送时间、送服务来代替实物。

"Theorder of the day is to spend less time shopping and more timeconnecting" over the holidays, said Florence de Monclin from theNicolas Hulot foundation for Nature and Humanity.

尼古拉斯·于勒自然与人类基金会的弗洛伦斯·德·蒙可琳说，节日期间“人们应该少购物，多联络感情”。

圣诞假期人们会做些什么？你了解多少的圣诞知识？快来看看我们的节日测试吧。

1 In many countries, Christmas seems to be all about ________ shopping; buying presents,

presents and more presents!  

A: go shopping
B: going
C: do the
D: doing the

答案是：B，going shopping is a popular pastime in the UK! D不对，"Doing the shopping" 通常指例行购物这件事。
 

2 What do you traditionally find in Christmas pudding? The possible answers were:

A: Money
B: A ring
C: Banana
D: Beans

答案是：A，传统上人们会把银币放在圣诞布丁里面。C不对，虽然圣诞布丁里有水果，但是不包括香蕉在内；D不对，虽然圣诞布丁里有水果成分，但是没有黄豆。

3 What sauce is often eaten with turkey at Christmas dinner? The possible answers were:

A: Strawberry
B: Cranberry
C: Blueberry
D: Raspberry

答案是：B，cranberry是一种红色的浆果，译成汉语就是酸果蔓，同火鸡配套吃。 A不对，不是草莓酱；C不对，不是蓝梅子酱；D不对，不是木莓/山莓酱。这种果酱做成的浓汁常常配冰激淋最好吃。

4 What would you find in a cracker? The possible answers were:

A: A Christmas tree
B: Tinsel
C: A Christmas card
D: A joke

答案是：D，笑话往往还都是调皮的笑话，这也正是玩笑的一个要素。A不对，圣诞卡是邮寄给朋友和亲人的；B不对，金属箔是用来装饰圣诞树的；C不对，圣诞树太大了，不现实。

5 What do you do under mistletoe? The possible answers were:

A: Shake hands
B: Kiss
C: Say "Merry Christmas"
D: Open presents

答案是：B，我们会在槲寄生这种植物下亲吻，这通常发生在圣诞聚会的时候。A不对，因为握手的情况经常出现在两个人被初次介绍给对方的时候；C不对，虽然你可以在槲寄生下面说"Merry Christmas", 但是你还可以做一件事；D不对，因为圣诞礼物都放在圣诞树下，英国人不在槲寄生之下来拆开礼物。

6 Did you know, in Britain the Queen has made a _________ on TV every Christmas day since 1957? 

A: sermon
B: talk
C: speech
D: lecture
   

 
答案是：C，speech通常含有公共演讲的意思，比如政治家或名人演讲。A不对，因为sermon带有宗教色彩，是布道说教的意思；B不对，在表达女王讲话这个意思的时候，talk 未免过于随便了，因为talk一词多用于有听众在场的发言和讲话，而女王都是在电视上发表全国讲话或祝词的，非常郑重; D不对，lecture通常指比较正式的讲座，带有专业和学术色彩，最长使用的场合就是在大学里面。

7 In Mexico and parts of Brazil, people watch a traditional _______ called "The Shepherds"--the

shepherds kidnap (abduct) the baby Jesus! 

A: play
B: theatre
C: stage
D: acting
    
 
答案是：A，when you go to the theatre, you see a play。B不对，theatre是剧院的意思，人们去剧院看歌剧和戏剧；C不对，stage是舞台的意思；D不对，因为acting指的是具体的表演和演技本身: "His acting was fantastic" or "He's been acting since he was 3 years old".

8 Traditional nativity scenes are popular in many countries--they show the ___________ of Jesus. 

A: life
B: birth
C: born
D: all of the above answers

答案是：B, "Birth"是个名词，你可以说"It was a difficult birth（难产）"。C不对，因为"Born"是个形

容词，可以用这个句型：Jesus was born in Bethlehem。

9 A traditional English song is known as a Christmas ______. The possible answers were:

A: Carl
B: Carol
C: Karen
D: Kath

答案是：B，Carol是个女子用名，不过最初是从一个同舞蹈相关的词儿演变而来。

10 What was Rudolph, Santa's best-known reindeer famous for? The possible answers were:

A: His beautiful sleigh
B: His red nose
C: His huge antlers
D: His big eyes

答案是：B，这是从圣诞歌曲中得来的，歌中唱道，“鲁道夫，红鼻子的驯鹿”。A不对，虽然驯鹿拉雪橇，但它并不是以漂亮的雪橇而出名的；C不对，虽然它有鹿角，但是并不特别大；D不对，也许它的眼睛很大，但是它并不是以此而出名的。

办公室里的八卦你会参加吗？我不想让人觉得我八卦，但我也承认我常会参与其中。在我这个千变万化的行业中，我认为我的行为是合理的，理由是八卦可以帮我获得信息，弄清形势──也许这样想是错误的。

Amid a rise in office gossip, researchers are disagreeing over whether it is fundamentally good or bad. Some defend it as a way of building bonds among people and sharing essential information.

随着办公室八卦的兴起，研究人员对它到底是好是坏也存在不同看法。一些人为它辩解说，这是同事间建立关系和分享必要信息的一种途径。

But others hold that office gossip can be savage and destructive, as the New York Times reports. At one company, PrintingForLess.com, which has a strict no-gossip policy, gossiping about colleagues can become a firing offense.

但根据《纽约时报》的报导，也有人认为，办公室八卦可能十分低级，具有破坏性。一家名为PrintingForLess.com的公司制定了严格限制八卦的政策，谈论同事的闲话可能面临被解雇。

In one case analyzed in a scholarly journal, middle school teachers' gossip about their principal became so poisonous that the principal retaliated, many teachers fled the school and students' test scores declined. In this case, gossip amounted to "a form of warfare that brought everyone down."

在某学术期刊分析的一个案例中，中学教师对他们校长的八卦影响很坏，以至于校长进行了报复，很多教师逃离了学校，学生的考试成绩一落千丈。在这个案例中，八卦成为了一种损人不利己的战争。

On the other hand, less malignant gossip that stops short of repeating lies or breaching confidences can serve as a source of understanding.

另一方面，没有重复谎言或泄漏机密的不存恶意的八卦可能带来互相理解。

Gossip helps us analyze the motivations of other people, and enables those low on the food chain, in particular, to understand how power is used in their organizations, says this New York Times article. It is relaxing, it brings people together, and as a pastime it beats gambling, drinking or doing drugs, this reasoning holds.

《纽约时报》的文章说，闲谈可以帮助我们分析其他人的动机，尤其是那些处于食物链低端的人可以了解所处组织中的权力是如何使用的。它是一种放松，可以让人们融洽，作为一种消遣它比赌博、饮酒或吸毒要好，这种判断也不无道理。

Whatever side you take, gossip is here to stay. It is a universal human practice and it is too complex to say it is either good or bad, a University of Colorado researcher says.

无论你站在哪一面，八卦都不会改变。美国科罗拉多大学的研究人员说，这是人类普遍存在的，很难说清到底是好是坏。

When researchers at Case Western University asked students to cite lessons they had learned from gossip, the students gave these examples: "Infidelity will eventually catch up with you" and "Cheerful people are not necessarily happy. "

当凯斯西大学的研究人员要求学生列出从八卦中得到的教训时，学生举出的例子有：“最终将众叛亲离”和“快乐的人不一定幸福”。

I have seen gossip help co-workers in some places where I have worked, giving rise to compassion or offers of support when someone is going through hard times. On the other hand, I have also seen gossip--over an office romance, for example--distract people from their work and even force unwanted transfers.

我看到八卦在我曾工作过的一些地方给同事带来了好处，增进了感情或给遇到困难的人提供了支持。另一方面，我也看到八卦──比如针对办公室恋情──分散了人们的工作精力，甚至带来了意想之外的变动。

1 Round the Bend 发疯了

Beth is in a cafe, waiting for Alex to finishi his Christmas shopping. Eventually he arrives.
贝丝在咖啡屋里等待去采购圣诞商品的阿力。终于，阿力来了。

Beth: Did you get everything?
Alex: Hardly. I haven't even got half my presents.
Beth: I told you it'd be busy.
Alex: Ok, clever clogs!
Beth: People go completely round the bend, don't they? You'd think the shops were going to close for a whole month.
Alex: To be honest, I wish they would.

贝丝：要买的都买了吗？
阿力：没有啊，我连一半的礼物都没买到。
贝丝：我就说现在购物会很挤嘛。
阿力：好吧，你总是对的。
贝丝：人们完全疯了，难道不是吗？你以为商店整个月都要关门吧。
阿力：说实话，我真希望如此。

2 Pretty Steep 太贵了

Alice and her boyfriend Scott are in a sports shop.
爱丽丝和男友斯科特在一家体育用品商店里购物。

Alice: Got any ideas what you're getting Craig for Christmas?
Scott: Christmas? That's three weeks away.
Alice: Exactly. You know how much you hate the last-minute panic.
Scott: What did you have in mind?
Alice: This croquet set. It's right up Craig's street, isn't it?
Scott: It looks great, but the price is a bit steep.
Alice: Yeah, but he's your brother, and he deserves it.

爱丽丝：想好给克雷格买什么圣诞礼物了吗？
斯科特：圣诞？还有三个星期呢。
爱丽丝：是啊，可你清楚你是多么憎恨最后一分钟的恐慌。
斯科特：你想到买什么了？
爱丽丝：买一套槌球游戏吧，这是克雷格喜欢的，没错吧。
斯科特：看起来不错，但是价格太高了。
爱丽丝：嗯，可他是你兄弟，他该得到的。

3 A Big Bird 大火鸡

Sidney and Esther are planning a Christmas lunch for 12 people.
西德尼和以斯帖正在规划一顿12个人的圣诞大餐。

Esther: We'll need a big bird. I'd better order it this week.
Sidney: I just hope it fits in the oven this year. Do you remember...?
Esther: Don't remind me! Will you do the stuffing?
Sidney: Of course. That's my specialty.
Esther: And I need you to serve the drink, too.
Sidney: Ah, yes. We need some booze. What will people be drinking?
Esther: Everything. And don't forget the port for Uncle Maurice.

以斯帖：我们需要只大火鸡。这周我最好就订一只。
西德尼：我只是希望今年它能塞进烤箱。你还记得......？

以斯帖：别说这个，你还负责往火鸡里填料吗？
西德尼：当然，这是我的特长。
以斯帖：我也需要你帮着端茶倒水。
西德尼：是啊，我们需要备些酒水。大家想喝些什么呢？
以斯帖：每样都备点，别忘了墨里斯叔叔爱喝的葡萄牙葡萄酒。

4 Over the Moon 乐疯了

Jenny is showing her sister Susan what she's bought for Amelia.
珍妮向苏珊显摆她买给艾米莉亚的礼物。

Jenny: I've got her these earrings. I hope she'll like them.
Susan: Oh, she'll love them.
Jenny: They go in this little box.
Susan: She's been going on about getting jewellery for weeks. She'll be over the moon. They'll be her favourite present, I'm sure.
Jenny: Well, it's nothing special.
Susan: No, they're lovely. There isn't a necklace that goes with them, too, is there?

珍妮：我给她买了一副耳环，希望她能喜欢。

苏珊：她会喜欢的。
珍妮：它们装进了这么一个小盒子里。

苏珊：她念叨这个念叨了几个星期了。她这下可要乐疯了。我想这一定是她最喜欢的礼物。
珍妮：其实这也没什么特别的。

苏珊：它们确实很漂亮啊。就是缺条项链搭配，是不是？

5 Buying Nothing 无消费

Sarah is on the phone to her sister Dinah.
莎拉给她的姐姐黛娜打电话。

Sarah: "Buy Nothing Day"? What's that?
Dinah: It's supposed to make you think about what you consume.
Sarah: That's silly. You still need to buy food, don't you?
Dinah: Yeah, but it's only one Saturday a year.
Sarah: Well, a friend of mine is buying her family a goat this Christmas.
Dinah: Did you say a goat?
Sarah: Yes, you donate money to a charity, and they buy a goat or chickens for village in Arica.
Dinah: Mmm! That's an idea! Can you send me a link?
莎拉：“国际无消费日”？那是什么？
黛娜：设这个日子就是想让你思考该如何消费。
莎拉：真是愚蠢，难道你连食物也不需要买了？
黛娜：毕竟一年只有一个周六要这么做。
莎拉：恩，我的一个朋友正打算这个圣诞买头山羊。
黛娜：山羊？
莎拉：是啊。就像你给慈善机构捐了钱一样，他们通过慈善机构购买了阿里卡农村的山羊或者鸡仔。
黛娜：哦，这个主意不错。能给我发下这个活动的链接吗？

10 The Muppets Christmas Carol 《圣诞颂歌》木偶版

Old Classic with good ol' Mr. Scrooge. Not a big fan of the Muppets though.

被翻拍过无数次的名著《圣诞颂歌》，虽然木偶版有点怪怪的说。（注：Mr. Scrooge是狄更斯的小说《圣诞颂歌》中的主人公，他是一家商号的老板，贪婪冷酷而自私，是个十足的吝啬鬼。）

9 The Polar Express with Tom Hanks 《极地特快》

I loved the book as a kid, but I wasn't too sure about the animation in the movie. It's a great movie with a great story line though.

非常棒的儿童书籍，而动画的演绎更为精致有趣，剧情非常棒。

8 The Santa Clause with Tim Allen 蒂姆·艾伦的《圣诞老人》

Lots of short lived laughs only due to the success of Tim Allen, without him this movie wouldn't be half as good.

蒂姆·艾伦的演出格外出色，为这部电影增加了不少笑料。

7 Bad Santa with Billy Bob Thornton 比利·鲍伯·松顿的《圣诞坏公公》

It's more of a Dark Comedy. Unlike " The Santa Clause ", this movie should not be watched by young kids, as this is one bad ass Santa story.

与《圣诞老人》不同，《圣诞坏公公》更像部黑色幽默的喜剧片，因为里面有个超坏的圣诞老人，所以并不适合小孩子观看。

6 The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton 蒂姆·波顿的《圣诞夜惊魂》

It's actually my favorite movie by Tim Burton. Funny story, with lovable characters. Good Christmas film, if it doesn't scare the kids!

《圣诞夜惊魂》实际上是我认为蒂姆·波顿最出彩的电影。有趣的剧情，可爱的角色，非常棒的圣诞影片，但是可能会吓到小孩子。

5 Scrooged with Bill Murray 比尔·默里的《小气财神》

This guy is just crazy. He is so funny in all of his movies. The classic take of Mr. Scrooge and how he almost ruins Christmas.
这个家伙真的很疯狂。他所有的电影都很有趣。《小气财神》根据《圣诞颂歌》的故事改编，剧中的这个吝啬鬼几乎毁了圣诞节。

4 National Lampoons Christmas Vacation 《疯狂圣诞假期》

I love Chevy Chase as Clark Griswald. Tons of laughs as to be expected, as with all the National Lampoons starring Chevy Chase! Good, clean Christmas fun with the Griswalds on vacation.

我喜欢塞维·蔡斯扮演的克拉克·葛利斯伍德。像塞维·蔡斯主演的系列喜剧一样，这部不出意料地笑料百出。健康纯净的圣诞题材，和葛利斯伍德一家一起旅行吧。

3 Home Alone with Macaulay Culkin and Joe Pesci 麦考利·卡尔金和乔·派西的《小鬼当家》

This was an instant classic Grossed huge at the box office. What is better then a 12 year old kid fry some really funny burglars? This movie will have you laughing hard.
《小鬼当家》当年就是票房大卖的电影，还有什么比12岁小屁孩智斗俩毛贼更有趣的情节呢？这部影片绝对让你笑掉大牙。

2 Elf with Will Ferrell 威尔·法瑞尔的《圣诞精灵》

This movie is super funny. Specially if you like the dumb humor of Will Ferrell. This is most of his best roles yet.
如果你喜欢威尔·法瑞尔的这种拍傻不拉机的喜剧片，那么你会觉得这部影片相当有趣，况且这是他出演的最棒的角色。

1 Miracle on 34th Street 《34街奇迹》

This story really gets me in the Christmas spirit. It is not just laughs and all light hearted comedy. It gives us hope that wishes can come true. It's a dark story. It all started with a chance, and ended with a miracle.
《34街奇迹》传递出的圣诞精神令人鼓舞。它不仅是部笑声不断，轻松愉快的喜剧，而且还给予我们一些美梦成真的希望。虽然有点忧伤，却以转机开头，以奇迹结尾。

A new blog, maybeyoushouldntbuythat.com, publishes pictures of ridiculously expensive products. Describing itself as "a collection of the mostexpensive and most worthless items in the world", it is proof that some people really do have more money than sense.
一个名为maybeyoushouldntbuythat.com的新博客登出了若干张出奇昂贵商品的照片。这些商品被形容为“ 世界上最贵而且最没用的商品”，看来世界上真有人不买对的只买贵的。

Ipod 立体声播放器手纸架

The iCarta+ Stereo Dock and toilet paper holder.
ICarta Ipod 立体声播放器手纸架。（售价90美元，约615元人民币）

皇家007披萨

The 2,800 Pizza Royale 007, created by Chef Domenico Crolla, is toppedwith tomato pizza sauce, smoked salmon, venison medallions,cognac- marinated lobster and champagne-soaked caviar. Oh, and 24-caratgold leaf.
皇家007披萨售价2800美元(约1万九千元人民币) ：披萨师傅Domenico Crolla以007《皇家赌场》为主题制作的皇家007披萨，顶部浇盖番茄披萨酱，烟熏三文鱼、鹿肉、白兰地腌制龙虾肉和香槟酒腌制鱼子酱。噢，还有24k金叶子。

Anita Bling-kini比基尼

There's the Anita Bling-kini by Pistol Panties, which cost£2,000 (about 22,000). But then they are covered in more than 5,000 Swarovski crystals.
Pistol Panties品牌下的Anita Bling-kini比基尼，售价2000英镑（约2万2千元人民币）。比基尼上镶有超过5000颗的施华洛世奇水晶。

松露巧克力

Here's a chocolate truffle for 240. Yes, for one truffle. That's 2,600 per pound. But it's a truffle with a black truffle inside, yousee. Lovely.
240美元（约1640元人民币）的松露巧克力：没错，240美元一块，也就是2600美元每磅。里面有一块黑色的松露，看，真是妙极了。

DualTow腕表

The DualTow watch by Christophe Claret retails for 300,000, but itonly displays the time to the nearest five minutes. So you're paying for a, seemingly, needlessly complicated watch that doesn't actually tell you the correct time.
由Christophe Claret 计的腕表零售价为30万美元（约205万人民币），但是该腕表仅显示最近5分钟内的时间。所以，你其实是买了一块貌似复杂但完全没有必要，且根本不能告诉你准确时间的手表。

It's not just the popular press that keeps us informed about the too-thin figures of Nicole Richie, Victoria Beckham, Renée Zellweger and Keira Knightley. The quality papers have also found ways to report on uberskinny stars. They handle the subject differrently, of course. Usually they attack the popular press for its obsession with women's bodies, and then give us an intellectual analysis of the paradox of thinness in an increasingly fat world.

不仅通俗报刊经常提醒我们妮可·里奇、维多利亚·贝克汉姆、芮妮·齐薇格和凯拉·奈特利等人身材过瘦，就连一些严肃报刊也在想方设法地报道那些骨瘦如柴的明星。当然，后者的选题角度不同。通常，严肃报刊会先批判通俗报刊过分关注女性身材，然后针对胖人日益增多的世界中出现以瘦为美这一悖论做出睿智的分析。

What all the stories have in common is that they claim to be worried about the health of the woman in question.(Notice how it's always a woman.)And it encourages other women who have fewer reasons to be cheerful than these overprivileged, underfed celebrities.

所有这些故事的共同点就是它们都声称自己是在关注女性的健康问题。请注意，为什么总是女性？而且，这会导致其他女性争相效仿，比起那些营养不良但又处处享受特殊待遇的明星，她们更缺少开心的理由。

Each year, anorexia kills an estimated 150,000 American women. In Britain, the charity ChildLine reports a 50 per cent rise in the number of children, some as young as 10, who are seeking help. Of all that is known about anorexia, the most significant is that it's most common among young Western women.

据估计，每年有15万美国女性死于厌食症。在英国，来自慈善团体儿童热线的报告显示，患厌食症的儿童增加了50%，其中一些患病的儿童才10岁大。在对厌食症的了解中，最重要的一个事实是，它在西方年轻女性中最为普遍。

Each era sets its ideal for feminine beauty: Rubenesque curves; tiny waist; large breasts; rounded hips; slender hips. But never has a set of conditions been as dangerous as 24-hour global media, airbrushing and the fashion for a figure that owes more to the unthreatening shape of a young girl that that of a fully grown, intelligent woman.

对于女性之美，每个时代都有不同的标准：或具有鲁本斯笔下妇女般的曲线、或细腰、或丰乳、或臀部浑圆、抑或臀部窄小。但从来没有哪个时代的条件像现在这样危险：24小时运转的全球媒体、精心修饰过的明星海报、体形的时尚标准更推崇小女孩没有发育的瘦小身材，而不是发育成熟、聪明睿智的女性的体形。

This impossible-to-achieve illusion leads 12-year-old girls to miss meals, go for leg waxes and, worst of all, judge each other's worth entirely on the basis of their physical appearance.

这种不可能实现的幻想导致一些12岁的女孩不吃饭，往腿上打蜡脱毛，最糟糕的是，完全以体态外貌来评判彼此的价值。

This is not a mental illness, it's an unpleasant woman-against-woman competition. Maybe it's better for women to return to the battle of the sexes. Feminism was never so successful in eating away at femininity as the present culture that makes women fear food and so show a lack of faith in their talents and pride in their natural form.

这不是一种精神疾病，而是一场令人不愉快的女性之间的竞争。也许回到为男女平等而斗争的时代对女性而言更好些。那时的女权运动都没能像如今的文化这样“成功”地磨灭掉女性的气质。现在的文化让女性对食物感到恐惧，使女性表现出缺乏对个人才华的自信和对自然形体的自豪。

一项最新调查显示，美国三分之二的消费者尚未完成圣诞采购，41%的消费者打算至少在节前一周去购物。

One-fourthof consumers will be shopping the week leading into Christmas,including Christmas Eve, according to the first annual American ExpressSpending and Saving Tracker research report.

据美国运通消费与储蓄追踪首个年度报告称，四分之一的消费者将在圣诞节当周进行大采购，包括圣诞前夕这一天。

"Actually,we found in this holiday season there is this game of watching andwaiting ... that deals will get sweeter as the clock winds down," said Mona Hamouly, a spokeswoman for the report.

该调查报告的女发言人莫娜·汉姆莉说：“实际上，我们发现这个圣诞季人们有点观望等待的意思，期待随着圣诞的临近能买到超值的东西。”

Some 62 percent of consumers are waiting until the last minute to shop for the holiday.

约62%的消费者准备等到最后一刻再去购物。

Thirty-onepercent are waiting for the best deals before finishing their shopping,while about 20 percent plan to do so at the last minute because theyare still saving or are busy, and one in 10 say they are waiting forthat last pay check before the holidays.

31%的消费者还在等待超值优惠，约20%的消费者由于仍在存钱或很忙，打算等到最后一刻再去采购，10%的消费者称他们等节前领到薪水再去购物。

Hamouly said consumers seem to be "managing their cash flow and seeking out those great deals" this year.

汉姆莉说，今年消费者似乎“更注意管理他们的资金流，希望买到超值的东西”。

Overthe next 30 days, 65 percent of people expect to spend the same or morethan they spent in the past 30 days and one-third intend to spend less,according to the survey prepared for American Express.

根据这项为美国运通开展的调查，在未来30天内，65%的人的消费支出将等同或超过过去30天，三分之一的人则打算少花点钱。

Hamouly said the weak economy was a large factor in consumers' attitude toward shopping, with many feeling cash-strapped.

汉姆莉说，疲软的经济状况是造成这种消费心态的一个重要因素，很多人觉得缺钱。

In addition to a general sample of consumers, the survey targeted two sub-groups--those designated as "affluents" and "young professionals."

除对消费者进行总体抽样调查外，该调查还特别关注了两个群体：“富裕人群”和“年轻职场人士”。

Affluentswere defined as having a minimum annual household income of 100,000,while young professionals were those who were less than 30 years old,had a college degree and a minimum annual household income of 50,000.

“富裕人群”被定义为年家庭收入至少为10万美元的人，“年轻职场人士”指的则是那些30岁以下、有大学学历和年家庭收入至少为5万美元的人群。

Duringthe next 30 days, among consumers who expect to spend more, 56 percentsay they will be spending the most on holiday gifts.

在未来30天内打算增加消费的人群中，56%的人说购买节日礼物将占节日支出的大头。

Morethan 40 percent expect to spend less in the next month because they aretrying to save money, the prices of goods have increased, or they wantto maintain a budget. One-third cite the need to reduce their debt.

超过40%的消费者打算在下个月缩减开支，有的是因为想省钱，有的是因为物品涨价，而有的则是想保持预算平衡。三分之一的人表示要减轻自己的负债。

"Even for the affluent population, they want to get the best deals too," Hamouly said.

汉姆莉说：“即使是富裕人群，他们也想买到最实惠的东西。”

The two top items consumers will be buying over the next 30 days are groceries and holiday gifts.

杂货和节日礼物将成为未来30天内最畅销的两样东西。

一头尥蹶子的骆驼和一只乱丢坚果的松鼠都被英国人包括在最离奇的汽车损坏索赔单里。

Other claims revealed by insurance company www.elephant.co.uk, motorists have cited naked pedestrian jumping on top of their car, as well as decomposing carrots smeared across the road.

大象保险公司公布的索赔单里还包括：驾车者目击一个裸体行人在车顶上跳上跳下以及腐烂的胡萝卜汁弄湿了道路。

One female driver managed to fill her tank with the wrong substance after mistaking shampoo for a container of petrol.

还有一个妇女驾车者错把香波当作汽油灌进了汽车的油箱。

A Harrier jet was accused of an incident when a motorist reported his windscreen melted when the aircraft crash landed nearby and burst into flames.

另一位驾车者则控诉他的车窗被头顶飞过摔下的飞机所燃起的火焰烧化。

Another windscreen was destroyed when by squirrel throwing a nut from a tree overhead.

另一则车窗破碎的事故则是由一只松鼠向树下的汽车投掷坚果所致。

Perhaps the most unlikely culprit singled out in the claims was a pile of decomposing carrots, which caused a driver to skid and lose control of his vehicle.

也许从一堆索赔单里挑出的最不可能的理由就是下面这个：一个驾车人刹车失灵，车子失控发生事故。其原因是大批腐烂胡萝卜的液体让路面变得湿滑。

Although the stories may seem funny, elephant Managing Director Brian Martin said that they should serve as a caution to drivers to be "aware of their surroundings at all times". Some claims can be avoided simply by being aware both of what you are doing and what is going on around you at all times.
尽管这些故事听起来很有趣，但是大象保险公司的总经理布莱恩·马丁提醒驾驶者应该“始终注意他们周围的情况”。只要时时留意周遭，那么有些事故还是可以避免的。

Among the incidents related by elephant, the car kicked by the camel or windshield cracked by a squirrel are examples of incidents that are unavoidable. The petrol tank filled up by shampoo is not unavoidable.

大象保险公司提及的这些事故中，骆驼踢坏汽车或者松鼠砸碎车窗之类的离奇事件是无法避免的，而诸如往油箱里灌洗发水之类的错误则是可以避免的。 

1. Wash your hair at least every other day. 至少要每隔一天洗一次头发。

A girl loves a boy who smells nice, and cares about his image. Besides, greasy hair is not a good look on anybody, even if they look like Brad Pitt. By taking care of your hair, you at least show that you're interested in your appearance and care enough about yourself to take good care of yourself.

女孩喜欢身上气味不错的男孩子，而且挺在乎他的形象。况且，油头在任何人身上都不好看，即使他们长得像布拉德皮特。护理好你的头发至少表明你在乎你的外形，而且花了不少心思照顾好自己。

2. Make sure you have good hygiene. 一定要做好个人卫生。
· Brush twice a day 一天刷两次牙

· If your face is clean shaven, shave regularly. Stubble, when it's not intentionally there, promotes a look of unkempt.

如果你的脸是刮得比较干净的，那么要定期刮。不是刻意蓄的短胡渣会给人带来一种不整洁的印象。

· Wash your face every day. This helps to clear up whiteheads/blackheads, as well.

每天洗脸。这会帮你去除脸上的“白头”或者“黑头”。

3. Be confident in yourself. 充满自信。

Girls love guys who are confident, and confidence is also the key to getting ahead in the business world. Unless you believe in yourself, you can't sell yourself, so less people will believe in you. Remember, though, that there is a line between confidence and arrogance. Arrogance is not sexy.

女孩喜欢自信的男人，而且自信也是商场中拼搏的关键。除非做到相信自己，不然你就不能推销自己，那样相信你的人会更少。但是请记住，自信和自负是有界限的。自负并不性感。

4. Wear nice clothes. 穿好一点。

The style of clothes that you wear doesn't matter, because you're expressing your personality. Whatever you choose to wear, though, should be clean. Also do not wear pants that show a lot of boxer. This is not sexy. It is gross to almost all girls. If you are going to wear jeans, make sure they are not too baggy. This does not look good.

你穿什么款式无所谓，因为你有你的个性。但无论穿什么，你的衣服必须是干净的。不要穿很皱的裤子，这也不性感，基本上女生都会讨厌。如果你要穿牛仔裤，不要穿那种口袋太多的，那也不好看。

5. Be funny! 搞笑一点！

A girl loves a guy who can genuinely make her laugh. If you notice she is being turned off by your sense of humor (which you will be able to tell by her body language) then stop. Give her space.

女孩喜欢能真正逗乐她们的男人。如果你发觉她对你的幽默感不感冒（你可以从她的肢体语言中察觉），那么见好就收。给她足够空间。

6. Smile 微笑

Girls love smiles. It makes them feel beautiful.

女孩喜欢看到微笑，那会让她们觉得自己很漂亮。

Tips 技巧

· If a girl does not give you a response, don't take it to heart--remain cool and think of your future with a new girl.

如果某一个女孩不给你答复，不要放在心上——保持冷静，想想自己和另一个女孩的未来。

· Different time frames for hair-washing apply to different people. If your hair is dirty and greasy between times when you wash it, make it a habit to wash it more often. Likewise, if you don't need to wash your hair every other day, don't feel like you have to anyway.

不同的人适用不同的洗头频率。假如你的头发在前后两次洗头中间这段时间又脏又油的话，养成一个更勤洗头的习惯。同样地，如果你觉得不需要每隔一天洗次头，那就不必那样做了。

· If you're trying to get a girlfriend talk to them. Say "hi" and start a conversation. She will most likely talk to you if you start a conversation.

如果想找女朋友，就找她们说话。以打招呼开头。如果你先说，她基本上会予以配合。

· Remember to check out the whole grade. There are some girls out there that are awesome and just aren't so popular. They would love some attention. And they don't expect so much so you can be more relaxed.

记得搜索整个年级的女生。有一些不是很显眼的女生其实非常不错。她们也许需要一些关注，但不会期待太多，所以你追求起来更轻松。

Warnings 警告

· Realize that being truly sexy to someone often has little to do with how you look or smell. Being truly sexy comes through love and a relationship, which should never be based on physical characteristics.

注意：对某些人来说，真正的性感和你看起来或者闻起来怎样没多大关系，它来自爱和友谊，这些是不能建立在外在的东西上的。

· Girls tend to stick together so don't be mean to one girl and expect another girl to love you.

女孩们喜欢黏在一起，因此不要既轻薄一个而又期待着另一个。

Things You'll Need 你需要的东西

· Shampoo 香波

· Comb 梳子

· Toothbrush 牙刷

· Soap 肥皂

· A smile 微笑

· clean clothes 干净衣服

· confidence 自信

· nice pair of denim 精品牛仔裤

当天气转冷时，不仅棉T恤和纱裙会显得太薄，脸上只擦一薄层润肤露也是不够的。

"Switch to a creamier face cleanser and moisturizer as soon as it starts getting cold," says Beverly Hills facialist Sonya Dakar. According to Audrey G. Kunin, an associate clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine "If you wait until your skin is cracked or irritated, it will be much harder to reverse the condition."

Beberly Hills美容院的美容师索耶·达克建议：“天气变冷的时候应该换用偏油性的洗面奶和保湿水。” 堪萨斯大学药学院皮肤学临床副讲师奥黛丽·G·库尼认为：“如果你等皮肤皲裂或者出现过敏反应再保护的话，就很难再改善皮肤的状况了。”

Exfoliating regularly also helps parched skin by both getting rid of flakes and allowing your moisturizer to penetrate more effectively.

定期做去死皮处理能够帮助改善干燥的皮肤，这不仅可以防止皮肤起皮，还可以使保湿水更充分地沁入皮肤深层。
　　
1. Exfoliate 去死皮

In the morning, just splash with lukewarm (never hot) water. At night, massage a nickel-size blob of a milky cleanser over the face, and rinse thoroughly with warm water. Twice a week, exfoliate with a scrub containing soft, synthetic beads. If rubbing irritates skin, try a gentle fruit-enzyme mask to dissolve flakes instead.
早上用温水（不要用热水）轻拍脸部。晚上，在脸上涂抹适量洗面奶，面积有五分硬币大小即可，然后用温水冲干净。每周做两次去死皮处理，用含有磨砂粒子的磨砂膏揉搓脸部。如果这样揉搓会刺激皮肤，就换用柔和的果酸面膜将死皮溶解。
　　
2. Moisturize 保湿

Pat your face with a soft towel. While the skin is still damp, smooth a quarter-size scoop of moisturizer with hyaluronic acid or glycerin over the face and neck, paying special attention to the corners of the mouth and nose. At bedtime, apply an even richer formula: look for one with a blend of lipids such as squalene or ingredients like panthenol to seal moisture into the skin while you sleep.
用柔软的毛巾拍脸。脸未干时在脸和颈部涂抹四分之一勺含有透明质酸或甘油的保湿水，要特别注意嘴角和鼻翼的部分。睡前要采取更充分的保护：使用含有脂质和鲨烯或者泛醇类成分的保湿水，在你睡着的时候将水分锁住。
　　
3. Fortify 加强防护

Eye and lip skin contain few oil glands, making it especially prone to dryness. Morning and night: Smooth on an eye cream beneath the lower lashes, tapping it lightly to blend. Repeat along the upper eyelids to the brow bone. Choose a lip balm with natural oils (but without any salicylic acid), and spread it all the way to the corners and rim, where cracking occurs.
眼睛和嘴唇部位油腺少，因此尤其容易干燥。每天早晚要在下睫毛下方涂抹眼霜，然后轻轻拍匀。再从上眼皮一直到眉骨的位置重复这一步骤。选择含有天然油脂（不含水杨酸）的润唇膏涂抹最容易干裂的嘴唇边缘和嘴角部位。

扮圣诞老人在办公室里大派礼物可要当心。送礼不当可能会惹祸上身。

A Victoria's Secret gift card for the cute gal who works in the neighboring cubicle? Not appropriate.

A dictionary for the new co-worker whose misspellings on email you've had to correct? It probably won't be appreciated.

例如给临桌的可爱女孩送张Victoria's Secret 性感内衣的代金卡？这可不太合适。或者给在电子邮件中常犯拼写错误，弄得你要帮他纠正的新同事送本字典？这或许也不会让对方心生感激。

Here are some guidelines for appropriate gift giving in the workplace 下面提供了一些工作场合适宜的送礼建议：

送上司：

Generally, it's not appropriate to give your boss a gift. It can come with mixed messages. People worry that it seems like you are trying to buy favoritism.

一般来讲，给上司送礼物是不合适的。这样做可能会产生副作用。人们担心这看上去好像你在讨好上司。

Instead, see if co-workers would like to contribute to a gift for the boss from the whole office. If you're charged with buying the gift, stick with office-related items or something that fits with the subject of your company's work. Or, if your boss has a hobby or interest, such as golf, consider a gift that plays to that.

相反，看看同事是否愿意凑钱、以整个办公室的名义给上司送个礼物。如果你负责买礼物，要买与办公有关的用品，或是符合公司工作内容的礼物。如果你的上司有什么兴趣或爱好的话，比如打高尔夫球，你还可以考虑买相应的物品作为礼物。

送同事：

You and co-workers also can chip in to get small gifts for people working under you, like the receptionist or mailroom staff.

你和同事还可以凑钱给级别比你们低的同事买点小礼物，比如前台或收发室的人。

If you're exchanging gifts with co-workers, it's best to buy something simple for everyone in your team or group. Keep individual gift giving outside the office.

如果你要和同事互换礼物，最好是买些对你们小组或团队中每个人都适用的简单礼物。不要在办公室里单独送礼物。

For the boss as well as co-workers, avoid items that are too personal--say, perfume, scented bath products, jewelry, lingerie or other clothing. Also steer away from alcohol and tobacco products.

无论是对上司还是同事，都要避免送过于私人性的礼物，比如香水、带香味的沐浴产品、珠宝、内衣或其他衣服。此外，还要避免送烟酒。

Gag gifts can cause problems as well. "Not everyone translates humor the way you might" and you risk offending someone, says Jacqueline Whitmore, author of "Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work." Cash is a no-no as are gifts that are too expensive. "You're going to look like you are just trying to win favor," she says.

带有恶作剧性质的礼物也可能会带来问题。《老板不说，但你要做到的事》一书的作者杰奎琳·惠特摩尔说，并非每个人都会以你那样的方式欣赏幽默，你可能会冒犯什么人。现金或是过于贵重的礼物都是禁忌。因为这些让你看起来好像是在努力赢得好感。

You don't have to reciprocate if a co-worker gives you a gift.

如果同事送礼物给你，你不一定要回赠。

送客户：

It's your call whether to buy gifts for clients, vendors or people you have a professional relationship with outside the office.

是否要给客户、供应商或办公室以外和你有业务关系的人买礼物，这就要你自己拿主意了。

If your office sends out gifts to clients and vendors, there's no need to do something on top of that. Write a nice card if you feel like that person really made your year.

如果你们办公室给客户或供应商送了礼物，你就没有必要再额外送了。如果你觉得对方在这一年里真是你的贵人，那么就送张精美的卡片。

If you decide to buy gifts for clients or vendors, make sure their company guidelines allow them to accept gifts. You also should check your company's gift-giving guidelines, especially if you plan to use company funds to purchase presents.

如果你决定给客户或供应商买礼物，要确保他们的公司行为守则允许他们接受礼物。你还应该查看自己公司的送礼规定，特别是如果你打算用公司的钱买礼物的话。

If you attend a holiday party with colleagues in someone's home, make sure you bring a hostess gift. While wine is usually a popular hostess gift, it may not always be appropriate if it's a work event. A nice box of chocolates or a poinsettia plant are good options.

如果你和同事到别人家里开节日派对，一定要给女主人带一份礼物。尽管葡萄酒通常是非常受欢迎的礼物，但如果是与工作相关的活动，就并不一定合适了。这时一盒上好的巧克力或者一株一品红都是不错的选择。

Please come in to eat or both of us will starve.
进来吃饭吧，否则我们都要挨饿。

Traffic slogans 交通宣传标语：

If you want to stay married, divorce speed.
想和爱人牵手，就和超速分手。

Don't let your kids drive if they are not old enough--or else they never will be...
如果你的孩子不够大就别让他开车，否则他就可能再也长不大了......

A US Marine Corps slogan for Anti-Terrorism 一条美国警方的反恐标语：

It's God's responsibility to forgive the terrorists. It's our responsibility to arrange the meeting.
宽恕恐怖主义分子是上帝的责任，安排他们和上帝见面则是我们的责任。

A French training school in Germany 德国一家法语培训学校的招生广告：

If you don't like the course, you can tell us to give your money back. But remember to tell us in French.
如果你听了一节课之后不喜欢这门课程，你可以要求退回学费，但必须用法语说。

A warning on the fence of a forbidden area 一处禁地围墙上的警示：

No trespassing! Violators will be shot; survivors will be shot again.
严禁擅闯！违者将被射杀；幸存者将被再次射杀。

Notice at the wildlife park 野生动物园里的游客须知：

Those who throw objects at crocodiles will be asked to retrive them.
向鳄鱼丢东西的人将被要求把东西取回。

While it may be tempting to chase down every possibility when you're searching for work, don't. Many can lead you down a blind alley--where you may lose the contents of your wallet.

虽说在找工作的过程中要抓住每一个机会听起来很诱人，但是不要这样做。很多机会可能会让你进入一个损失钱财的死胡同。

A focused search using tried and true methods, especially networking, will lead to your next job, not tactics that smack of desperation.

在找工作的时候，不是靠那些无用的战术理论，而是要有重点（特别是在人际网络方面）地使用正确的、可靠的方法才能找到下一份工作。

Avoid these five job-hunting "don'ts" that will yield the poorest of results, according to leading workplace advisor Liz Ryan.

根据职场顾问的领尖人物Liz Ryan的建议，要警惕以下5个求职者不能做的事情，它们可以避免最差的求职结果。

1. Spray and pray 广撒网，然后祈祷

Don't blindly send your resume unsolicited, electronically or otherwise, to any company without first making verbal contact. Says Ryan, founder of AskLizRyan.com, "Tossing out un-customized cover letters and undifferentiated resumes in huge volumes and crossing your fingers is a job-search non-starter. That doesn't work, and it hasn't worked in 10 years, or more."

不要在未和公司有任何联系之前，就盲目主动地发送你的简历。AskLizRyan.com网站的创始人Ryan说：“大批量地在网上或在人才市场投递没有规划的求职信和千遍一律的简历是求职中毫无意义的事。这样做起不到作用，在过去10年或更久的时间内都没有起过作用。”

Establish a connection before sending a customized cover letter and, adds Ryan, "You can even customize your resume if a job opening calls for it."

在发送一封特制的求职信之前要和公司建立一定联系。Ryan还说：“如果工作职位需要的话，你甚至需要定制你的简历。”

2. Stand in line for a job fair. 排队参加招聘会

Admits Ryan, "Sad to say, but most job fairs are a waste of time. Avoid the huge cattle call-type job fairs where zillions of employers have booths, yet no one is taking resumes."

“很不幸的是，大部分的招聘会都只是浪费时间。不要去参加那种虽然有着庞大的雇主摊位数量，但是没人收简历的大型招聘会。”

There are some job fairs that have value. Ryan, a former human resources executive, points to company-specific open hours and college placement job fairs. Tap your network to learn if anyone can recommend worthwhile fairs. "Ask around before you head off to a job fair or risk having your time wasted and your ego dashed."

Ryan以前是一位人力资源经理，他指出要参加的话就去那种指定公司指定时间的、或大学里举行的招聘会。在你的人际网络中看看是否有人能够向你推荐值得参加的招聘会。他说：“在你去参加一次招聘会之前问问周围的人，否则的话只会浪费你的时间、走向失败而已。

3. Earn certifications nobody wants. 报考没人需要的证书

It's common to feel less-than-confident in your skills if you're having a hard time finding work, but don't rush out to spend money on any additional training unless you're certain it will yield improved results.

如果你正处在找工作的困难时期，那么对自己的能力感到缺乏信心是很正常的，但是，不要急着把时间浪费在多余的培训上，除非你能够确定这样的培训会改善你的业绩水平。

Ryan reveals, "Before you sign up for a certification training program, check the job boards to make sure that employers are asking for it. There's no sense investing time and money in a certification no one wants."

Ryan指出说：“在你签下任何证书培训课程前，去求职公告板上确定这是否是雇主所需要的。浪费时间和金钱在不被需要的证书上面是没有一点意义的。”

If you're getting the hard-sell from an educational institution, Ryan says, "Ask the people at the school that's doing the certifying, 'Which local employers have hired your graduates in the past year?' If they can't tell you, run away."

如果你碰到了强行推销的教育机构，Ryan建议说：“就问问该所学校的负责人员，在去年有哪位雇主雇佣了你们学校毕业的人？如果他们回答不出来，就转身离开吧。”

4. Pay a headhunter. 付钱给猎头

Don't dole out money to any kind of recruiter or sign a contract agreeing to do so.

不要付钱给任何招聘人员，也不要签任何同意这样做的合同。

 "If a recruiter calls or emails you to say s/he's got jobs open, and then invites you to his or her office for a counseling session and presents you with a range of career-coaching services, bolt for the exit. Real search professionals won't take a dime from their candidates."

“如果一位招聘人员打电话给你或写邮件告诉你他那里有一份工作机会，让你去他/她的办公室详谈，并向你推荐一系列的职业生涯辅导服务，那马上就离开吧。真正的人力资源专家不会从他们的候选人身上要一分钱。”

5. Sign up with a resume fax-blast service. 定制群发简历的服务

This old-school--and desperate--tactic is a total turn-off to potential employers and smacks of spam.

这完全是学校的老式教育，也是无用的策略，这样做只会让雇主将你的邮件当做垃圾邮件拒收。

Ryan says, "Services that send out hundreds or thousands of your resumes might have been worthwhile 20 years ago. Today, they're worse than pointless, because it irks employers to get unsolicited resumes. Forget the fax-blast services and do your own careful research to reach decision-makers with messages they actually want to hear."

Ryan说：“成千上百地发送你简历的服务可能在20年前还有效果，但是在今天，这样做比没意义的事情更糟糕，因为雇主收到没有预约的简历是很厌烦的。忘记大量发送简历的服务吧，并且认真做好自己的调查，然后用雇主希望的方式和他们联系。”

staycation 家中度假

"Our language evolves in many ways," says John Morse, president and publisher of Merriam-Webster. "People enjoy blending existing words, like combining 'stay' and 'vacation' to make staycation. "
韦氏词典的总裁约翰·莫斯表示，语言总是以多种方式在不断地发展。人们喜欢将现有的词混合在一起，创造出新词。比如将"stay"与"vacation"混合而成了"staycation"这个新词。

"Staycation is a good example of a word meeting a need and establishing itself in the language very quickly.  Our earliest record of use is from 2005, but it seems to have exploded into popular use in 2007."
“‘staycation 家中度假’这个新词就是一个很好的例子，它根据需求应运而生，并很快在语言中占有了一席之地。关于该词的最早使用记录是在2005年，而它在2007年发展为被广泛地使用。”

carbon footprint  碳足迹

Many of the new additions reflect the importance of the environment (carbon footprint, green-collar), government activities (waterboarding), pop culture (flash mob, reggaeton), and online activities (sock puppet, vlog, webisode).
这次添加的不少新词都反应出了环境的重要性——比如说碳足迹、绿领；还有政府行为类词汇——例如水刑；流行文化类词汇——例如快闪族、雷击顿；网络传播类词汇——例如马甲、视频博客、网络视频短片。

waterboarding 水刑

The updated dictionaries define "waterboarding" as "an interrogation technique in which water is forced into a detainee's mouth and nose so as to induce the sensation of drowning" . Other words added to the new dictionary include "Webisode," defined as "an episode especially of a TV show that may or may not have been telecast but can be viewed at a Web site."

新字典对"waterboarding"的解释是：一种审讯方式，受审者的口鼻被强行灌水，从而产生溺亡的感觉。添加的新词还包括"Webisode" ，它的意思是：特指从电视节目中节选出来的一段视频，或未公开过的视频镜头，被上传到网上供人浏览。

Listed below is a sampling of these new words 这面列出了一些收录的新词：

Sock puppet: A false identity used for online fraud. 马甲：出于欺骗目的而使用的网络假身份。

Flash mob: A group of people gathered through online social networking. 快闪族：指一群人通过网络社交活动聚集在一起。
Green-collar: Describes the growing environmental-protection industry. 绿领：指成长中的与环保有关的行业。

green-collar / 绿领

你知道吗？圣诞节血拼对健康有害，而且危害要比你想象的还要严重。

Perhaps it's the added stress this year--and the thought ofour credit cards being refused at the tills--but, according to aninternet retail survey, the incidence of hypertension during thefestive shopping season is on the up.

一家购物网站的调查研究表明，也许是今年人们的压力增加了，又或许是人们提前意识到自己的信用卡会刷爆，在节日血拼时期引发高血压的几率大大提升了。

Christmas shopping increased blood pressure to dangerous levels in 50 per cent of shoppers. This can lead to hypertension, which can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney problems. Even low levels of hypertension are linked with migraines, panic attacks and osteoporosis. Heart rates increased by an average of 10 per cent during Christmas shopping.
圣诞购物会令50％的购物者的血压升高到一个危险阈值，并伤害肾脏，也增加了心脏病发作和中风的危险。即便血压升高得不多，也容易引发偏头痛、恐慌症以及骨质疏松症，而圣诞购物者的心跳平均加速10％。

In the study of 16 men and 16 women, men had the worst spikes in heart rate during a 90-minute spree.
研究者让16名男性和16名女性在一个半小时里购物，结果男人的心跳变化最糟糕。

Samuel Thompson, 30:" I HAD to buy five items and had an hour and a half to buy them. No sweat--or so I thought."
30岁的萨缪尔·汤普森说：“我要在规定的一个半小时内买五样东西。我觉得这毫无乐趣可言。”

"Normally, I know exactly what I want to get and do it as quick as possible. But having to make on-the-spot decisions, like we did in the test, makes it more stressful."
“我通常都知道自己想买什么，而且买了就走。但这次实验要求你当场做出决定，就像是在考试，这就很有压力了。”

"Lack of time and the crowds were the biggest pressure points. I got frustrated by other people slowing me down by stopping to chat in the street. And I could feel myself sweating in queues. Everything took longer than planned."
“时间紧迫、拥挤不堪是造成压力的最大所在。我对有人站在路上聊天而挡住了去路的事情很恼火。排队等待的时候我能觉出自己在出汗。完成每件事都比预计的时间长。”

Dr Turner's verdict:" Sam's heart rate was good at the start but it had almost doubled by the end. Combined with his hiked systolic blood pressure--up by nearly 15 per cent--it could put him in line for stroke. Systolic blood pressure relates to the pumping out of blood by the heart."
特纳医生的结论：“萨缪尔的心跳开始时还正常，但购物结束时心跳速度加快一倍。他的舒张压升高了15%，这是心脏泵出血液时的压力，受到这个压力时，心跳数字最容易发生变化。”

Men suffer twice as much as women, apparently, and are,therefore, in greater danger of dying on the High Street in thecoming weeks.

很显然，男性所遭受的冲击将会是女性的两倍，因此在几个星期后，他们逛街时将面临的死亡威胁也就更多。

Remember, a husband is for life and not just for Christmas.

一定要记住，老公是一辈子的，而不是仅仅是圣诞节的。

眼下号称是老虎伍兹情人的已有九位之多。许多人不禁要问，是什么原因让他如此堕落。

Was it the fame? The power? All that weightlifting? Because he's a guy?

因为名望？或是权力？还是大量的举重练习让他变成了肌肉男？又或是因为他是个男人？

Some psychologists say they have the answer: It was the money.

一些心理学者说他们知道答案：是钱在作怪。

"Wealthy people crave stimulus," Isreal Helfand, a high-end marriage counselor, told the Orlando Sentinel. "They are adrenaline junkies. The pursuit of happiness, for them, is more interesting than happiness."

富人婚姻顾问伊斯雷尔·海尔凡接受《奥兰多哨兵报》采访时说，有钱人渴望刺激。他们是肾上腺激素上瘾者。对他们而言，追求快乐要比快乐本身更有意思。

Every marriage has troubles, he said. But for the rich, famous or powerful, the temptations and opportunities for misbehaving are much greater. They can pop in on their private jet, get a pricey hotel room and fly back home within hours. And they are much better able to afford to divorce if they get caught.

海尔凡说，每一场婚姻都会遇到问题。但对有钱人、名人或大权在握的人而言，出轨的诱惑和机会要大得多。他们可以跳上自己的私人飞机，然后飞到豪华酒店开房，几小时后再飞回家。如果奸情败露，他们也更经得起离婚的损失。

Sounds reasonable. Yet a look at recent research shows that rich guys are not significantly more likely to have affairs than non-rich guys. According to a 2007 study of people worth 30 million or more by Prince & Assoc., 50% of of the male survey respondents who were married said they'd had affairs. That's about in line with findings for the broader American population, according to sexologists.

听起来这有道理。然而最近公布的一份研究显示，有钱男性发生出轨的可能性并不比普通男性高很多。据美国调查机构Prince & Assoc.在2007年对身家3,000万美元以上的富人所做调查，50%的受访已婚男性承认自己曾出轨。这与性学家对更大范围美国人所作做的调查结果相符。

In fact, it's the rich women who are more likely to stray. The survey found that nearly three-quarters of the women surveyed said they'd had affairs. That's more than twice as high as the national average for women.

实际上，有钱女性出轨的可能性更大。调查发现，将近四分之三的受访女性说自己有出轨行为。这比全美国女性的平均水平高出一倍多。

Clearly, money can be enable bad behavior. But when it comes to infidelity, money has a bigger impact on women than men.

很明显，钱能让人做出不轨行为。但在不忠问题上，钱对女性的影响甚于男性。

Do you think wealth was the main reason for Tiger's alleged behavior? Is it harder to stay faithful with large wealth?

你认为钱是伍兹做出那些被指证的出轨行为的主要原因吗？拥有了大笔财富，保持对婚姻的忠诚是否会变得更困难？

Tart in Ymber Day is a type of egg custard tart sweetened with raisins, compast is cooked root

vegetables boiled in a sweetened vinaigrette and frumenty is bulghar wheat and chicken stock

coloured and flavoured with saffron and served as a porridge type dish.

"Tart in Ymber Day"就是一种加了葡萄干的蛋挞；"compast" 则是用甜醋煮熟的根茎蔬菜，而"frumenty" 所指的就是用加了藏红花的鸡汤熬制出来的麦片粥。

The creations are courtesy of a 14th century cookbook, one of the oldest recipe compilations, stored in the library at University of Manchester.
这本14世纪的菜谱收藏在曼彻斯特的一家图书馆，它是迄今为止最古老的菜谱之一。

Alison Aucott, general catering manager, said it had been a "challenge" deciphering the book, Forme of Cury.
该校餐饮部负责人艾莉森·奥古特说，解密这本名为"Forme of Cury"的中世纪菜谱是一种挑战。

It hails back to Richard II's reign and is written in Middle English.
这本菜谱用中世纪英语写成，它的完成时代可以追溯到爱德华二世统治时期。

The dishes, which are being cooked in the catering department at the university's John Ryland's

library, will be made available to the public in the new year. The complete collection of manuscripts is also available online.
曼彻斯特大学约翰·里兰兹图书馆与该校餐饮部共同炮制出来的这些菜肴将在今年元旦与广大公众见面。所有的菜谱都将在互联网上向大家公布。

Many of them use ingredients unavailable in today's society. But out of the 150 recipes, 20 were picked and translated.

这些菜谱中的许多配料如今已经很少使用了。所以烹饪人员不得不从菜谱中的150道菜中挑出了20道菜，并对它们进行菜谱翻译。

Ms Aucott said: "It was a real challenge to the team they were very hard to translate.
奥古特说：“将这些菜谱翻译成现代英语是件非常困难的事情。”

"We worked really hard experimenting with the recipes, they were very difficult [and] don't describe how to create the dish like we do today. There are no measurements, no precise instructions, just boil or mix. "
“这些菜谱的试制过程相当艰难，因为与现代菜谱不同，古菜谱没有把烹制过程讲清楚。没有配料的分量，没有说明具体的做法，也没有说清是要煮还是凉拌。”

"We also had quite a challenge to make these dishes palatable to the 21st century taste."

“我们面临的另一个相当大的挑战就是，如何让这些中古世纪的菜肴符合21世纪人们的口味。”

The survey, of 2,000 investors world-wide with investible assets of more than 0,000, showed that 75% of respondents felt residential real estate looks attractive from an investment perspective. Of course, that doesn't mean they are buying: 60% said tight credit was preventing them from taking the plunge.

对可投资资产超过80万美元的全球2,000名投资者进行的调查显示，75%的受访者感觉住宅房地产从投资角度看具有吸引力。当然，这并不意味着他们正在买进：60%的受访者说，信贷紧缩让他们无法冒险入市。

About half of the respondents expect an increase in the value of their real-estate investments over the next two years. Almost 40% of those with assets of million or more have greater than 50% of their portfolio in real estate (so much for lessons learned).

约一半的受访者预计，他们的房地产投资的价值未来两年会升值。在资产超过5,000万美元的受访者中，投资组合中房地产所占比例超过一半的受访者约有40%（人也就长这么点记性）。

Perhaps the most interesting part of the survey relates to gender. Almost half (49%) of the women surveyed consider real estate to be a less risky investment than stocks, compared with 37% of men.

调查中最有趣的部分也许与性别有关。近一半（49％）的女性受访者认为房地产的投资风险小于股票，而持这个观点的男性比例为37%。

Women also are more likely to enjoy investing in real estate than men: 44% of women surveyed find buying property more enjoyable than investing in other asset classes. Only 28% of men feel the same way. While 34% of men are likely to invest in real estate indirectly through a fund, only 14% of women would prefer this approach.

女性也可能比男性更喜欢投资房地产：44%的受访女性认为投资房地产比投资其它资产更有乐趣。只有28%的男性有同样的感觉。尽管有34%的男性可能通过基金间接投资房地产，但有14%的女性愿意这样做。

I'm going to avoid stereotyping and put the question to readers: Why do you think that women like real estate more then men?
我要避免用老眼光看人的做法，问问读者这个问题：女性为什么比男性更青睐房地产？