8月30日午间英语新闻：韩国再次创下世界最低生育率纪录

> California to ban sales of petrol-only vehicles by 2035

美国加州将在2035年前禁止销售燃油动力汽车

California will ban the sale of new petrol-only vehicles by 2035. The new rules are aimed at forcing car makers to accelerate the introduction to the market of cleaner vehicles. Under the rules, issued by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), 35% of new vehicles sold in the state must be electric, hybrid or hydrogen-powered by 2026. 

美国加利福尼亚州将在2035年前禁止销售新的燃油动力汽车。新规则旨在迫使汽车制造商加快向市场推出更清洁的车辆。根据美国加州空气资源委员会（CARB）发布的规则，到2026年，在该州销售的35%的新车必须是电动、混合动力或氢动力的。

The regulations would apply to 68% of vehicle sales by 2030, and 100% by 2035. The new rules still have be approved by the US government before they can take effect. However, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers trade association called on President Biden and the Environmental Protection Agency to "reject California's request for a Clean Air Act waiver to proceed with this unlawful ban."

到2030年，该规定将适用于68%的汽车销售，到2035年将适用于100%的汽车销售。新规则在生效前仍需得到美国政府的批准。然而，美国燃料与石化制造商协会呼吁总统拜登和环境保护署"拒绝加州以《清洁空气法》豁免来继续实施这一非法禁令的请求"。

重点词汇：

hybrid

英/ˈhaɪbrɪd/ 美/ˈhaɪbrɪd/

n.混合物；杂种；混合动力车，油电混合车；混合词，混种词

adj.混合的；杂种的，杂交成的

hydrogen

英/ˈhaɪdrədʒən/ 美/ˈhaɪdrədʒən/

n.氢，氢气

>South Korea records world's lowest fertility rate – again

韩国再次创下世界最低生育率纪录

South Korea has broken its own record for the world's lowest fertility rate, according to official figures released Wednesday, as the country struggles to reverse its years-long trend of declining births. 

根据8月24日公布的韩国官方数据，该国已经打破了自己创下的世界最低生育率纪录，该国正在努力扭转其多年来出生率下降的趋势。

The country's fertility rate, which indicates the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime, sunk to 0.81 in 2021 -- 0.03% lower than the previous year, according to government-run Statistics Korea. South Korea's birth rate has been dropping since 2015, and in 2020 the country recorded more deaths than births for the first time -- meaning the number of inhabitants shrank, in what's called a "population death cross." 

根据韩国统计厅的数据，该国的生育率（妇女在其一生中平均生育的孩子数量）在2021年降至0.81--比上一年下降0.03%。自2015年以来，韩国的出生率一直在下降，在2020年该国的死亡人数首次超过出生人数，-- 这意味着居民人数减少，即所谓的 "人口死亡交叉"。而且随着生育率的下降，韩国女性的生育年龄也在变晚。

And as fertility rates drop, South Korean women are also having babies later in life. The average age of women who gave birth in 2021 was 33.4 -- 0.2 years older than the previous year. Meanwhile, South Korea's population is also getting older, indicating a demographic decline that experts fear will leave the country with too few people of working age to support its elderly population -- both by paying taxes and filling jobs in fields such as health care and home assistance. 

2021年女性平均生育年龄为33.4岁，比前一年增长0.2岁。同时，韩国的人口也在老龄化，这表明人口数量在下降，专家们担心这将使该国的工作年龄人口太少，无法支撑其不断增长的老年人口--既要纳税，又要填补医疗保健和家庭援助等领域的工作。

重点词汇：

inhabitant

英/ɪnˈhæbɪtənt/ 美/ɪnˈhæbɪtənt/

n.（某地的）居民，栖息动物

> British household energy bills to jump 80%

英国家庭能源账单上涨80%，年均将至 4000美元以上

British energy bills will jump 80% to an average of 3,549 pounds a year from October, regulators said, plunging millions of households into fuel poverty and businesses into jeopardy unless the government steps in. 

英国能源市场监管机构日前表示，今年10月起，英国家庭能源账单将上涨80%，升至平均一年3539英镑（约合人民币28539元）。如果政府不采取措施，数百万的家庭将面临能源危机，企业陷入危险之中。

Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley said the rise would have a massive impact on households across Britain. The surge has ballooned inflation to a 40-year high, and the Bank of England has warned of a lengthy recession. "This is a national emergency," finance spokesperson Rachel Reeves said.  

天然气和电力市场办公室（Ofgem）首席执行官乔纳森•布里尔利说，能源价格升高将对全英国的家庭产生广泛影响。英国近期通货膨胀水平飙升至40年新高。英国央行警告称，英国经济可能陷入长期衰退。财政部发言人瑞秋•里夫斯表示：“这是国家的紧急状态。”

重点词汇：

jeopardy

英/ˈdʒepədi/ 美/ˈdʒepərdi/

n.危险，风险；（刑事案件中被告的）危险处境

> Five foods for better sleep 

睡前刷手机，越刷越兴奋？不妨试试这5种助眠食物

Light, especially the blue light from phone screens, can affect melatonin levels, says Yo-El Ju, a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at Washington University in St. Louis. Melatonin supplements are a great way to help you sleep, but some of the foods in your fridge and pantry may already have the melatonin you need. 

圣路易斯华盛顿大学神经学家和睡眠医学专家尤尔•朱表示，光线，特别是手机屏幕上的蓝光，会影响褪黑素水平。服用褪黑素是一种助眠的好方法，但日常生活中的一些食物已经含有人体所需的褪黑素。

To combat melatonin deficiency in recent years, more people began using melatonin supplements as a sleep aid. According to a research letter published by JAMA in February, prevalence of melatonin use rose to 2.1% in 2017-2018, from 0.4% in 1999-2000. 

近年来，为了对抗褪黑素缺乏症，越来越多人开始口服褪黑素助眠。美国医学会（JAMA）今年2月公布的一项研究显示，褪黑素服用者的比例从1999年至2000年的0.4%上升至2017年至2018年的2.1%。

But in addition to the melatonin that is already produced in the brain, you can get natural doses of the hormone from your next snack. Some studies published between 2014 and 2022 suggest five foods that are naturally high in melatonin: nuts, fish, eggs, tart cherries and milk.

但除了大脑产生的褪黑素外，你还可以从食物中补充自然的褪黑素。2014年至2022年发表的一些研究表明，五种食物自然富含褪黑激素，它们是坚果、鱼、鸡蛋、酸樱桃和牛奶。

重点词汇：

melatonin

英/ˌmeləˈtəʊnɪn/美/ˌmeləˈtoʊnɪn/

n.褪黑激素；N-乙酰-5-甲氧基色胺

neurologist

英/njʊəˈrɒlədʒɪst/ 美/nʊˈrɑːlədʒɪst/

n.神经病学家；神经科专门医师

pantry

英/ˈpæntri/美/ˈpæntri/

n.餐具室；食品室；食品储藏室

prevalence

英/ˈprevələns/美/ˈprevələns/

n.流行，盛行