4月6日午间英语新闻：圆形披萨为什么装在方形盒子里？

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Why do round pizzas come in square boxes?
圆形披萨为什么装在方形盒子里？

If you’re like most people, you’re too busy eating pizza to stop and consider the logistics of how it arrived on your kitchen counter. Ponder it long enough, though, and you may find it curious that pies usually come in square or other boxes that are a geometric departure from the round crust. So why don’t pizzas arrive in round cardboard boxes? 
如果你和多数人一样，你一般会只顾着吃披萨而非关心披萨是怎么来到你的餐桌上的。但如果你好好思量一下，你可能会好奇为什么披萨往往都装在和圆形披萨形状不同的方形或其他形状的盒子里。那么为什么披萨不装在圆形纸板盒里呢？

It’s mostly because the pizza industry doesn’t really care to disrupt the cardboard industry. Cardboard boxes are usually manufactured with edges (square or rectangular) because they can be made in one piece as well as neatly stacked. The advantage of making a round pizza box would mainly be aesthetic. It’s not going to save space over an edged box. In the case of frozen pizzas, stacking pies vertically runs the risk of them rolling out of place. It’s just bad pizza management.
这很大程度上是因为披萨产业无意给纸板盒产业找麻烦。纸板盒一般都是有棱角的（比如正方形或长方形），因为这样的盒子可以一次成型，而且也容易堆放整齐。制作圆形披萨盒的主要优点是好看，但是它并不比有棱角的盒子节省空间。在存放冷冻披萨时，竖着堆放披萨盒会让披萨滚走，从而变得不好收拾。

重点词汇
1、rectangular
英 [rekˈtæŋɡjələ(r)]  美 [rekˈtæŋɡjələr] 
adj. 长方形的，矩形的；（固体底、截面或侧面）呈长方形的；成直角的，有直角的

2、aesthetic
英 [iːsˈθetɪk]  美 [esˈθetɪk] 
adj. 审美的，美学的；美的，艺术的
n. 美感，审美观；美学（aesthetics）；美术理论

South China Sea level rose by 150 mm since 1900
研究：1900年以来南海海平面上升150毫米

Chinese researchers have reconstructed the history of the South China Sea's sea-level shift using local corals and found that the sea level has risen by 150 mm since 1900. The researchers analyzed the correlation mechanism between the oxygen stable isotopes of coral and sea level, sea surface salinity, sea surface temperature and rainfall of the South China Sea, and reconstructed the sea level record at an annual resolution. 
中国科学家通过对南海当地珊瑚进行研究，重建了海平面的精细变化过程，发现1900年以来南海海平面上升了150毫米。研究人员综合分析了南海珊瑚氧稳定同位素（δ18O）与器测的海平面、盐度、海温、降雨之间的关系，确定了南海海平面与滨珊瑚氧稳定同位素的统计关系以及控制机理，重建了年分辨率的海平面变化。

The study showed that the sea level fell by 0.73 mm per year from 1850 to 1900, and then rose by 1.31 mm per year from 1900 to 2015. The sea-level rise in the South China Sea has accelerated recently, rising by 3.75 mm per year since 1993.
研究结果显示，在1850–1900年时段，海平面的平均下降速率为0.73毫米/年；在1900–2015年时段的上升速率为1.31毫米/年，1993年以来的上升速率为3.75毫米/年，南海海平面呈现加速上升趋势。

重点词汇
1、correlation
英 [ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃ(ə)n]  美 [ˌkɔːrəˈleɪʃn] 
n. 相互关系，关联；相关量

2、isotope

英 [ˈaɪsətəʊp]  美 [ˈaɪsətoʊp] 
n. 同位素

Italians face fines for wasting water
意大利旱灾居民浪费用水将被罚

People living in some northern Italian towns face fines for wasting water as mayors ration supplies amid a severe drought. Italy has had one of its driest winters in the last 65 years, with rainfall 80% lower than the seasonal average. The situation has been more acute in northern regions, where some areas have been deprived of significant rainfall for three months or more. 
意大利几个北部小镇发生了严重旱灾，镇长们决定定量供应用水，居民浪费水将面临罚款。意大利刚经历了过去65年来最干旱的一个冬天，降雨量比季节平均水平低了80%。意大利北部地区的干旱更为严重，一些地区已经至少有三个月没怎么下雨了。

The Po, the country’s longest river, is at its lowest level recorded in winter since 1972. Mayors of towns in regions including Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy and Trentino have introduced water-rationing measures, ranging from fountains being switched off and nightly restrictions on tap water to bans on using water for gardens and allotments, for washing cars and filling swimming pools. Fines of up to €500 are in place for those deemed to be squandering supplies.
意大利最长河流波河的水位已经降至1972年以来的冬季最低水平。皮德蒙特、利古利亚、伦巴第和特伦蒂诺等地区的镇长都推出了一系列定量供水措施，包括关闭喷泉、限制夜间使用自来水、禁止将花园和土地用水用于洗车或给游泳池充水。浪费用水的居民将被处以最高500欧元（约合人民币3500元）的罚款。

重点词汇
1、deprive
英 [dɪˈpraɪv]  美 [dɪˈpraɪv]
v. 剥夺，使丧失；免去……的职务（尤指圣职）

2、allotment
英 [əˈlɒtmənt]  美 [əˈlɑːtmənt] 
n. 配额，份额，配给物；分配，指定；<英>（可租用的）小块菜园地；<美>（政府拨给美洲印第安人的）留地

3、squander
英 [ˈskwɒndə(r)]  美 [ˈskwɑːndər] 
v. 浪费，挥霍（金钱、时间等）；失去（机会）；（使）分散
n. 浪费

Spring lethargy could be a warning sign
春困可能是身体发出的求救信号

Spring fatigue, also known as spring lethargy, refers to a state of fatigue, lowered energy, or depression, associated with the onset of spring. Experts say that spring lethargy is a physiological phenomenon involving seasonal and temperature changes and the body’s own regulation. 
“春困”是指与春季来临有关的疲劳、精力下降或抑郁的状态。专家表示，春困是人体机能随季节和气温变化而自身调节的一种生理现象。

Besides not resting well, spring lethargy could be a warning sign of cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, or diabetes. In addition, not getting enough sleep, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, and other bad habits are also linked to cardiovascular diseases. If you engage in any of these habits and notice increased springtime lethargy, it may be a warning sign that you should seek medical help.
除未休息好之外，春困或是心血管类疾病的示警，如高血压、冠心病或糖尿病等。此外，长期熬夜、酗酒等不良生活习惯，也容易引发心血管类疾病，身体会通过“春困”来示警。如果你有以上任何一种不良生活习惯，且频繁春困，应引起重视、及时就医。

重点词汇

1、lethargy

英 [ˈleθədʒi]  美 [ˈleθərdʒi] 
n. 无精打采，死气沉沉；昏睡，嗜眠（症）

Spring fatigue / spring lethargy
春困

2、hypertension
英 [ˌhaɪpəˈtenʃn]  美 [ˌhaɪpərˈtenʃn] 
n. 高血压；过度紧张