太空生活 – Living in Space



宇航员的工作是有趣的,但又是艰巨的。以下是他们在太空的日常。

睡觉

宇航员也是穿着睡衣刷好牙齿再睡觉的,但是他们不是睡在床上。由于失重,他们会在太空中漂浮,所以他们要进入一个小柜子里然后钻进睡袋里睡觉。

Being an astronaut is fun, but life in space can be difficult. Here are some everyday things that are different in space.

Sleeping

Astronauts wear pajamas and brush their teeth, but they don’t sleep in beds. In space you float around because there is no gravity. Astronauts go into a small cupboard and then get into a sleeping bag. They look like big sausages! Then they tie the bag to the wall and close the door.

做饭

没有厨房怎么做顿热饭?像意面,汤这种袋装食物,宇航员会把它放入机器中按下按钮,机器里的热水就会加热食物。如果是盒装食物,比如蔬菜,宇航员会把它们放入小烤箱中加热。一些像水果或面包这类的食物,宇航员就不需要加热了。

Cooking

How do you make a hot meal with no kitchen? If the food is in a bag, like spaghetti or soup, astronauts put it in a machine and press a button. This puts hot water into the bag. If the food is in a box, like fish or vegetables, astronauts heat it in a small oven. Some foods are dry or fresh, like fruit and bread. Astronauts don’t need to cook them.

进食

在地球上,我们用刀叉、勺子和筷子是吃饭。宇航员也是这样,同时他们也用剪刀和吸管。剪刀剪开食品包装袋,吸管用来喝水。因为失重,他们无法再太空中用杯子喝水!

他们也无法用桌子,所以通常把食物托盘系在他们的腿上,食物都放在托盘上。

Eating

On Earth we use knives, forks, spoons, and chopsticks. Astronauts use these as well, but they also use scissors and straws. They need scissors to cut open food bags and straws to drink – you can’t use a cup in space because the drink will float around the spaceship!

There aren’t any tables, either. Astronauts tie a tray to their legs. This tray holds all the food.

做运动

宇航员每天要做两小时的运动,他们在跑步机上跑步,用特殊的机器来锻炼手臂。当然,他们需要把腿系在机器上以防自己飘起来!

Doing Exercise

Astronauts do exercise for two hours every day. They run on a treadmill and use a special machine to exercise their arms. They have to tie their feet to the machines so they don’t float away!

洗澡

宇航员在一个大的管子里洗澡,顶部是封起来的。他们用管道来冲洗,用真空吸尘器来吹干。刷牙时,他们要喝了刷牙水,吃了牙膏。额。。。。。。

Washing

When astronauts want a shower, they go into a big tube and close the top. They use a pipe to spray water on themselves and then a vacuum cleaner to dry. When they brush their teeth, they drink the water and eat the toothpaste. Yuck!

你知道吗?

宇航员在太空中是不洗衣服的,因为没有足够的水。

Did you know?

Astronauts can’t wash clothes in space. There isn’t enough water.
继续阅读 »


宇航员的工作是有趣的,但又是艰巨的。以下是他们在太空的日常。

睡觉

宇航员也是穿着睡衣刷好牙齿再睡觉的,但是他们不是睡在床上。由于失重,他们会在太空中漂浮,所以他们要进入一个小柜子里然后钻进睡袋里睡觉。

Being an astronaut is fun, but life in space can be difficult. Here are some everyday things that are different in space.

Sleeping

Astronauts wear pajamas and brush their teeth, but they don’t sleep in beds. In space you float around because there is no gravity. Astronauts go into a small cupboard and then get into a sleeping bag. They look like big sausages! Then they tie the bag to the wall and close the door.

做饭

没有厨房怎么做顿热饭?像意面,汤这种袋装食物,宇航员会把它放入机器中按下按钮,机器里的热水就会加热食物。如果是盒装食物,比如蔬菜,宇航员会把它们放入小烤箱中加热。一些像水果或面包这类的食物,宇航员就不需要加热了。

Cooking

How do you make a hot meal with no kitchen? If the food is in a bag, like spaghetti or soup, astronauts put it in a machine and press a button. This puts hot water into the bag. If the food is in a box, like fish or vegetables, astronauts heat it in a small oven. Some foods are dry or fresh, like fruit and bread. Astronauts don’t need to cook them.

进食

在地球上,我们用刀叉、勺子和筷子是吃饭。宇航员也是这样,同时他们也用剪刀和吸管。剪刀剪开食品包装袋,吸管用来喝水。因为失重,他们无法再太空中用杯子喝水!

他们也无法用桌子,所以通常把食物托盘系在他们的腿上,食物都放在托盘上。

Eating

On Earth we use knives, forks, spoons, and chopsticks. Astronauts use these as well, but they also use scissors and straws. They need scissors to cut open food bags and straws to drink – you can’t use a cup in space because the drink will float around the spaceship!

There aren’t any tables, either. Astronauts tie a tray to their legs. This tray holds all the food.

做运动

宇航员每天要做两小时的运动,他们在跑步机上跑步,用特殊的机器来锻炼手臂。当然,他们需要把腿系在机器上以防自己飘起来!

Doing Exercise

Astronauts do exercise for two hours every day. They run on a treadmill and use a special machine to exercise their arms. They have to tie their feet to the machines so they don’t float away!

洗澡

宇航员在一个大的管子里洗澡,顶部是封起来的。他们用管道来冲洗,用真空吸尘器来吹干。刷牙时,他们要喝了刷牙水,吃了牙膏。额。。。。。。

Washing

When astronauts want a shower, they go into a big tube and close the top. They use a pipe to spray water on themselves and then a vacuum cleaner to dry. When they brush their teeth, they drink the water and eat the toothpaste. Yuck!

你知道吗?

宇航员在太空中是不洗衣服的,因为没有足够的水。

Did you know?

Astronauts can’t wash clothes in space. There isn’t enough water. 收起阅读 »

关于国际空间站,你所不知道的趣味事实 – Fun Facts About the International Space Station



“我长大后想成为一名宇航员!”

如果你也曾说过同样的话,那么以下内容你肯定感兴趣!

你知道吗?国际空间站是地球轨道上最大的人造物体,它由许多负责不同功能的组件所组成。

它的创造目的在于探索太空,更是配备了研究实验室,这样研究人员可以在太空研究天气,太空的日常情况,医学甚至教育项目。通过检查探测特定的系统和设备,国际空间站也支持探月和火星探索项目。

“When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut!”

If you have the same passion about space, you’ll find the following facts about the International Space Station very interesting. Did you know it is the largest artificial body in Earth’s orbit? It is made of several modules that can be changed for each mission. It was created with the purpose of exploring space, and it has a research laboratory. This gives scientists a platform to conduct research into how space affects our daily lives, the weather on Earth, medicine and even education. The International Space Station also supports missions to the Moon and Mars by checking the systems and equipment.

以下是关于国际空间站的一些有趣的事实:
1. 有2个轨道段:美国轨道段和俄罗斯轨道段
2. 2000年11月2号发射的探索者1号创造了国际空间站连续待在太空的最长时间记录。
3. 探索者1号的一位宇航员Sergei Krikalev 持有人类待在太空的最长时间记录:803天9小时39分钟。他也是探索者11号的总指挥。
4. 已有9个载人空间站成功进入太空。
5. 得益于国际空间站的探索和教育项目,超过430万人进一步认识了太空。
6. 一些用于国际空间站的技术如今被运用到医学领域和水净化工程。
7. 国际空间站所拍摄的太空照片非常美丽,也很有用。如今,这些照片已帮助了一些国家保护珊瑚礁。
8. 太空里生活是什么样的?和地球上生活一样。科学家能够营造和地球相同的大气,让宇航员更加舒适。
9. 国际空间站配备了巨大的太阳能板来收集能量。
即使不是宇航员,也能遨游太空!只要付上一定的太空旅行费,就能当一次“太空遨游者”!

Here are some fun facts about the International Space Station:

1. It has two sections: the United States Orbital Segment and the Russian Orbital Segment.
2. It represents the longest continuous human presence in space, starting on November 2nd, 2000 with the arrival of Expedition 1.
3. A member of Expedition 1, Sergei Krikalev, holds the record for the most time spent in space: 803 days, 9 hours and 39 minutes. He was also the Commander of Expedition 11.
4. It is the ninth space station to have crew members living on it.
5. Over 43 million students have learned about space thanks to the discoveries and the educational programs organized by the International Space Station program.
6. Some of the technology developed for the International Space Station is now used in medicine. An example of this is water purification.
7. The images taken from the International Space Station are very beautiful. They are also very useful; recent images have helped several countries understand how to protect coral reefs.
8. Have you ever wondered about what it’s like to live on the International Space Station? It’s not too different to Earth. Scientists have managed to create a familiar atmosphere to make the astronauts more comfortable.
9. The International Space Station uses large solar panels as an energy source.
10. Do you know you can travel to space, even if you’re not an astronaut? Travelers who pay for their own flights are called ‘spaceflight participants’.

多亏了国际空间站的探索成果,才让我们能更近一步接触神秘的星际!

Thanks to the discoveries made on the International Space Station, it will become much easier to reach the stars in the future!
继续阅读 »


“我长大后想成为一名宇航员!”

如果你也曾说过同样的话,那么以下内容你肯定感兴趣!

你知道吗?国际空间站是地球轨道上最大的人造物体,它由许多负责不同功能的组件所组成。

它的创造目的在于探索太空,更是配备了研究实验室,这样研究人员可以在太空研究天气,太空的日常情况,医学甚至教育项目。通过检查探测特定的系统和设备,国际空间站也支持探月和火星探索项目。

“When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut!”

If you have the same passion about space, you’ll find the following facts about the International Space Station very interesting. Did you know it is the largest artificial body in Earth’s orbit? It is made of several modules that can be changed for each mission. It was created with the purpose of exploring space, and it has a research laboratory. This gives scientists a platform to conduct research into how space affects our daily lives, the weather on Earth, medicine and even education. The International Space Station also supports missions to the Moon and Mars by checking the systems and equipment.

以下是关于国际空间站的一些有趣的事实:
1. 有2个轨道段:美国轨道段和俄罗斯轨道段
2. 2000年11月2号发射的探索者1号创造了国际空间站连续待在太空的最长时间记录。
3. 探索者1号的一位宇航员Sergei Krikalev 持有人类待在太空的最长时间记录:803天9小时39分钟。他也是探索者11号的总指挥。
4. 已有9个载人空间站成功进入太空。
5. 得益于国际空间站的探索和教育项目,超过430万人进一步认识了太空。
6. 一些用于国际空间站的技术如今被运用到医学领域和水净化工程。
7. 国际空间站所拍摄的太空照片非常美丽,也很有用。如今,这些照片已帮助了一些国家保护珊瑚礁。
8. 太空里生活是什么样的?和地球上生活一样。科学家能够营造和地球相同的大气,让宇航员更加舒适。
9. 国际空间站配备了巨大的太阳能板来收集能量。
即使不是宇航员,也能遨游太空!只要付上一定的太空旅行费,就能当一次“太空遨游者”!

Here are some fun facts about the International Space Station:

1. It has two sections: the United States Orbital Segment and the Russian Orbital Segment.
2. It represents the longest continuous human presence in space, starting on November 2nd, 2000 with the arrival of Expedition 1.
3. A member of Expedition 1, Sergei Krikalev, holds the record for the most time spent in space: 803 days, 9 hours and 39 minutes. He was also the Commander of Expedition 11.
4. It is the ninth space station to have crew members living on it.
5. Over 43 million students have learned about space thanks to the discoveries and the educational programs organized by the International Space Station program.
6. Some of the technology developed for the International Space Station is now used in medicine. An example of this is water purification.
7. The images taken from the International Space Station are very beautiful. They are also very useful; recent images have helped several countries understand how to protect coral reefs.
8. Have you ever wondered about what it’s like to live on the International Space Station? It’s not too different to Earth. Scientists have managed to create a familiar atmosphere to make the astronauts more comfortable.
9. The International Space Station uses large solar panels as an energy source.
10. Do you know you can travel to space, even if you’re not an astronaut? Travelers who pay for their own flights are called ‘spaceflight participants’.

多亏了国际空间站的探索成果,才让我们能更近一步接触神秘的星际!

Thanks to the discoveries made on the International Space Station, it will become much easier to reach the stars in the future! 收起阅读 »

宇航员是怎么吃饭、喝水和睡觉的?- How Do Astronauts Eat, Drink and Sleep?



想象一下,你和朋友约好去露营。你肯定会准备足够的食物和水,还有睡袋和毯子,这样才能睡个好觉。宇航员在去太空之前也做这些准备工作,不同的是他们进食和喝水的方式,因为太空没有重力。

Imagine going camping for over a week with your friends. You would make sure you have enough food and drink. Also, you would bring your sleeping bag and blanket to make sure you can sleep well at night. Astronauts do the same thing when they go to space. The difference is that the food and drink are not in the same form as the ones we eat on Earth because there is no gravity in space.

在一个失重空间里,比如航天飞机,如果不抓着食物和喝的东西,它们通常会漂浮在空中。为了攻克这一问题,食物就要小心储存,喝的也会被包装成脱水粉末。在喝之前,宇航员会用一个特殊管道往粉末里加水。

In a low-gravity environment, like inside a space shuttle, food and drinks would simply float away if they weren’t handled correctly. To combat this problem, food is carefully packed and drinks are packaged as dehydrated powders. Astronauts add water to beverages through a special tube before they drink.

如同在地球上一样,宇航员也是一日三餐(除去定时的点心)。一餐的食物是按顺序吃的,并且会被放置在一个网里的橱柜托盘中固定。进餐时间到了的时候,宇航员会进入航天飞机舱面甲板下中层甲板的厨房区,他们把水加入冻干的食物和脱水的饮品中,这些水来自于输送冷热水的注水站。他们用强对流烤箱加热食物,烤箱温度保持在华氏160度至170度之间,每顿餐的食物注水和加热时间是20至30分钟。

Astronauts eat three meals a day (plus periodic snacks), just as they do on Earth. Meals are organized by the order in which astronauts are going to eat them, and stored in locker trays held by a net so they won’t float away. When mealtime comes, astronauts go into the galley area in the shuttle’s middeck. There they add water to freeze-dried foods and dehydrated drinks from a rehydration station that dispenses both hot and cold water. They heat foods in a forced-air convection oven that’s kept between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to rehydrate and heat an average meal.

宇航员用一根固定带将盛有食物的食物托盘拉近自己,食物的托盘又与墙或者宇航员的膝盖系在一起。宇航员用剪刀打开食物的包装袋,再用小刀、叉子或者勺子进食。

Astronauts attach their individual food containers to a food tray with fabric fasteners. The tray itself connects either to the wall or to the astronauts’ laps. Astronauts open the food packages with scissors and eat with a knife, fork and spoon.

但是,盐和胡椒不是液体状态,因为这样宇航员就不能撒了,所以它们可能会到处飞,甚至堵住通风口,把设备弄脏或者飘到宇航员的眼睛、嘴巴或鼻子里。

Salt and pepper are available but only in a liquid form. This is because astronauts can’t sprinkle salt and pepper on their food in space – the salt and pepper would float away. Worse still, floating powder could clog air vents, contaminate equipment or get stuck in an astronaut’s eyes, mouth or nose.

在太空里睡觉也是一件有趣的事。由于失重,宇航员是没有重量的,所以他们可以在任何地方睡觉。所以为了防止宇航员飘来飘去撞到航天飞机里的东西,他们会把自己拴在墙,椅子上,或者拴在船员舱的床铺上。

Bedtime also becomes interesting in space. Because of the low gravity, astronauts are weightless. So in order not to float around and bump something inside the space shuttle, they have to attach themselves to a wall, a seat or a bunk bed inside the crew cabin.

航天飞机和国际空间站的宇航员通常都是谁在睡袋里。在航天飞机里,宇航员通常都是睡在指挥椅、飞行室的椅子或者床铺上。一家航天飞机只有4张床铺,这就意味着要是有5个或者更多的宇航员在的话,多出来的人就要睡在睡袋里,再拴在墙上或者椅子上。

Space shuttle and space station crews usually sleep in sleeping bags. On the space shuttle, astronauts can also sleep in the commander’s seat, the pilot’s seat or in bunk beds. There are only four bunk beds in the space shuttle. So that means on missions with five or more astronauts, the other crew members have to sleep in a sleeping bag attached to their seats or to a wall.

As you can see, living in space is certainly very different to Earth!
继续阅读 »


想象一下,你和朋友约好去露营。你肯定会准备足够的食物和水,还有睡袋和毯子,这样才能睡个好觉。宇航员在去太空之前也做这些准备工作,不同的是他们进食和喝水的方式,因为太空没有重力。

Imagine going camping for over a week with your friends. You would make sure you have enough food and drink. Also, you would bring your sleeping bag and blanket to make sure you can sleep well at night. Astronauts do the same thing when they go to space. The difference is that the food and drink are not in the same form as the ones we eat on Earth because there is no gravity in space.

在一个失重空间里,比如航天飞机,如果不抓着食物和喝的东西,它们通常会漂浮在空中。为了攻克这一问题,食物就要小心储存,喝的也会被包装成脱水粉末。在喝之前,宇航员会用一个特殊管道往粉末里加水。

In a low-gravity environment, like inside a space shuttle, food and drinks would simply float away if they weren’t handled correctly. To combat this problem, food is carefully packed and drinks are packaged as dehydrated powders. Astronauts add water to beverages through a special tube before they drink.

如同在地球上一样,宇航员也是一日三餐(除去定时的点心)。一餐的食物是按顺序吃的,并且会被放置在一个网里的橱柜托盘中固定。进餐时间到了的时候,宇航员会进入航天飞机舱面甲板下中层甲板的厨房区,他们把水加入冻干的食物和脱水的饮品中,这些水来自于输送冷热水的注水站。他们用强对流烤箱加热食物,烤箱温度保持在华氏160度至170度之间,每顿餐的食物注水和加热时间是20至30分钟。

Astronauts eat three meals a day (plus periodic snacks), just as they do on Earth. Meals are organized by the order in which astronauts are going to eat them, and stored in locker trays held by a net so they won’t float away. When mealtime comes, astronauts go into the galley area in the shuttle’s middeck. There they add water to freeze-dried foods and dehydrated drinks from a rehydration station that dispenses both hot and cold water. They heat foods in a forced-air convection oven that’s kept between 160 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to rehydrate and heat an average meal.

宇航员用一根固定带将盛有食物的食物托盘拉近自己,食物的托盘又与墙或者宇航员的膝盖系在一起。宇航员用剪刀打开食物的包装袋,再用小刀、叉子或者勺子进食。

Astronauts attach their individual food containers to a food tray with fabric fasteners. The tray itself connects either to the wall or to the astronauts’ laps. Astronauts open the food packages with scissors and eat with a knife, fork and spoon.

但是,盐和胡椒不是液体状态,因为这样宇航员就不能撒了,所以它们可能会到处飞,甚至堵住通风口,把设备弄脏或者飘到宇航员的眼睛、嘴巴或鼻子里。

Salt and pepper are available but only in a liquid form. This is because astronauts can’t sprinkle salt and pepper on their food in space – the salt and pepper would float away. Worse still, floating powder could clog air vents, contaminate equipment or get stuck in an astronaut’s eyes, mouth or nose.

在太空里睡觉也是一件有趣的事。由于失重,宇航员是没有重量的,所以他们可以在任何地方睡觉。所以为了防止宇航员飘来飘去撞到航天飞机里的东西,他们会把自己拴在墙,椅子上,或者拴在船员舱的床铺上。

Bedtime also becomes interesting in space. Because of the low gravity, astronauts are weightless. So in order not to float around and bump something inside the space shuttle, they have to attach themselves to a wall, a seat or a bunk bed inside the crew cabin.

航天飞机和国际空间站的宇航员通常都是谁在睡袋里。在航天飞机里,宇航员通常都是睡在指挥椅、飞行室的椅子或者床铺上。一家航天飞机只有4张床铺,这就意味着要是有5个或者更多的宇航员在的话,多出来的人就要睡在睡袋里,再拴在墙上或者椅子上。

Space shuttle and space station crews usually sleep in sleeping bags. On the space shuttle, astronauts can also sleep in the commander’s seat, the pilot’s seat or in bunk beds. There are only four bunk beds in the space shuttle. So that means on missions with five or more astronauts, the other crew members have to sleep in a sleeping bag attached to their seats or to a wall.

As you can see, living in space is certainly very different to Earth! 收起阅读 »

星系,银河系,太阳系 – Galaxies, the Milky Way and the Solar System



宇宙的奥秘总是令人向往,人们不断发现探索出新的信息。本短文将介绍宇宙中存在着的三种物质。首先是星系一个受引力束缚系统包括恒星,恒星残骸,星际气体和尘埃,暗物质。宇宙中可观测到的大约有1700亿个星系。想象宇宙是多么巨大!

The universe holds so many mysteries for us human beings. Its enormous size invites people to keep learning and finding out new information about it. Today, we will learn about three basic structures in the universe. Let’s start with number one: galaxies. A galaxy is a gravitationally bound system consisting of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas and dust, and dark matter. There are approximately 170 billion galaxies in the observable universe. Can you imagine how huge that is?

数以亿计的星系总称为银河系,其中就包括了我们的太阳系。银河系的英语是Milky Way ,因为它看上去就像打翻的牛奶(Milk)。银河系中有数以亿计的星球,比地球大的就至少有170亿。

Of those billions of galaxies, one is called the Milky Way. It is the galaxy that contains our solar system, where Earth is located. It is called the Milky Way because the disk of the galaxy runs across the sky as a band of glowing light, like spilled milk. Astronomers estimate that there are between 100 and 400 billion stars in the Milky Way, and think that each star has at least one planet. So there are likely hundreds of billions of planets in the Milky Way, and at least 17 billion of those are the size and mass of Earth.

我们的太阳位于银河系主要两条旋臂的其中一条:猎户臂。太阳系是以太阳为中心,和所有受到太阳的引力约束天体的集合体。太阳离银河系中心大约2.4万光年。因此,我们可以想象太阳绕着银河系转,我们的地球他、绕着太阳转。宇宙中的所有物质都是围绕的另一个物质转的。是不是很神奇?

The Sun is located in the Orion Arm, a region of space in between the two major arms of the Milky Way. The Sun and all the objects that orbit it, either directly or indirectly, form the solar system. It takes the Sun about 240 million years to orbit the Milky Way once.

So imagine this: the Sun orbits around the Milky Way, and Earth orbits around the Sun. Everything in the universe orbits around something, or is orbited around by something else … or both! It paints a huge, complex, beautiful picture, doesn’t it?
继续阅读 »


宇宙的奥秘总是令人向往,人们不断发现探索出新的信息。本短文将介绍宇宙中存在着的三种物质。首先是星系一个受引力束缚系统包括恒星,恒星残骸,星际气体和尘埃,暗物质。宇宙中可观测到的大约有1700亿个星系。想象宇宙是多么巨大!

The universe holds so many mysteries for us human beings. Its enormous size invites people to keep learning and finding out new information about it. Today, we will learn about three basic structures in the universe. Let’s start with number one: galaxies. A galaxy is a gravitationally bound system consisting of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas and dust, and dark matter. There are approximately 170 billion galaxies in the observable universe. Can you imagine how huge that is?

数以亿计的星系总称为银河系,其中就包括了我们的太阳系。银河系的英语是Milky Way ,因为它看上去就像打翻的牛奶(Milk)。银河系中有数以亿计的星球,比地球大的就至少有170亿。

Of those billions of galaxies, one is called the Milky Way. It is the galaxy that contains our solar system, where Earth is located. It is called the Milky Way because the disk of the galaxy runs across the sky as a band of glowing light, like spilled milk. Astronomers estimate that there are between 100 and 400 billion stars in the Milky Way, and think that each star has at least one planet. So there are likely hundreds of billions of planets in the Milky Way, and at least 17 billion of those are the size and mass of Earth.

我们的太阳位于银河系主要两条旋臂的其中一条:猎户臂。太阳系是以太阳为中心,和所有受到太阳的引力约束天体的集合体。太阳离银河系中心大约2.4万光年。因此,我们可以想象太阳绕着银河系转,我们的地球他、绕着太阳转。宇宙中的所有物质都是围绕的另一个物质转的。是不是很神奇?

The Sun is located in the Orion Arm, a region of space in between the two major arms of the Milky Way. The Sun and all the objects that orbit it, either directly or indirectly, form the solar system. It takes the Sun about 240 million years to orbit the Milky Way once.

So imagine this: the Sun orbits around the Milky Way, and Earth orbits around the Sun. Everything in the universe orbits around something, or is orbited around by something else … or both! It paints a huge, complex, beautiful picture, doesn’t it? 收起阅读 »

小心!这些英文名绝对不要给孩子取



曾经有人问过这样一个问题:

中国人起的奇怪英文名有哪些?

快来看看哦,以下这类英文名可千万别碰哟:

第一种 中文名谐音,但不是常规英文名

香港同胞有自己一套自己的命名体系,非常有地域文化特色。

他们经常创造根本不存在的单词,或者用奇怪的单词,比如有人叫Chlorophyll Wong(叶绿素·王),或者根据自己名字的粤语发音挑选英文单词,比如周润发叫Chow Yun-fat。相比之下,成龙叫Jacky Chan还真是业界良心啊。

第二种 误用英文单词

有些词的英文意思并不美好,比如Banana,除了香蕉还有神经病的意思。

除此以外,还有Apple、Phoenix、Dragon、Happy、Sunny等,这都给老外造成了很大的困扰,换位思考下就很好理解啦,如果一个老外给自己起中文名字叫苹果或凤凰,我们也会大眼瞪小眼。

第三种 神话人物也中枪

还有人喜欢用神话传说或者小说人物给自己命名,比如希腊神话里的蛇发女妖美杜莎Medusa,就和中国人听到一个老外叫“妲己”差不多。

同样,如果你不能接受一个叫“葫芦娃”的老外,那最好也别给自己起个英文名字叫Harry Potter。

第五种 不懂装懂

还有一类名字纯属赶时髦,比如有个杂志编辑本来叫Olivia Wang, 转投奢侈品行业后改名叫Olivia de la Wang了,就和我们听到老外叫自己“王翠花格格”一样。

还有干脆叫自己Chanel(香奈儿)、Tiffany(蒂芙尼)、Gucci(古驰)什么的,要是老外叫自己“五粮液”、“周大福”什么的,我们也是会内心默默竖个大拇指吧。

第六种 饱含父母的期望

给孩子取名叫Study也就算了,有些爸爸妈妈直接给孩子取名为Yale(耶鲁)、Stanford(斯坦福)或Harvard(哈佛),压力山大呀。

其实,中国人真没必要起英文名字。有件事让一位留学生记忆犹新:

刚到美国上学的时候,曾经问老师要不要起英文名,怕美国人念中文名不方便。

老师困惑又认真地说:你的名字是很重要的,应该是我们去学习怎么念,而不是你去改名字。后来,他就再也没有动过起英文名字的念头。

在美国接触到的绝大多数中国人,用的也都是自己的中文名。

如果真要给孩子起英文名,爸爸妈妈可以咨询靠谱的外教,让他们给宝贝儿起一个跟中文名读音相似的正确英文名,这样,别人一听就知道是谁,老外也不觉得突兀啦。
继续阅读 »


曾经有人问过这样一个问题:

中国人起的奇怪英文名有哪些?

快来看看哦,以下这类英文名可千万别碰哟:

第一种 中文名谐音,但不是常规英文名

香港同胞有自己一套自己的命名体系,非常有地域文化特色。

他们经常创造根本不存在的单词,或者用奇怪的单词,比如有人叫Chlorophyll Wong(叶绿素·王),或者根据自己名字的粤语发音挑选英文单词,比如周润发叫Chow Yun-fat。相比之下,成龙叫Jacky Chan还真是业界良心啊。

第二种 误用英文单词

有些词的英文意思并不美好,比如Banana,除了香蕉还有神经病的意思。

除此以外,还有Apple、Phoenix、Dragon、Happy、Sunny等,这都给老外造成了很大的困扰,换位思考下就很好理解啦,如果一个老外给自己起中文名字叫苹果或凤凰,我们也会大眼瞪小眼。

第三种 神话人物也中枪

还有人喜欢用神话传说或者小说人物给自己命名,比如希腊神话里的蛇发女妖美杜莎Medusa,就和中国人听到一个老外叫“妲己”差不多。

同样,如果你不能接受一个叫“葫芦娃”的老外,那最好也别给自己起个英文名字叫Harry Potter。

第五种 不懂装懂

还有一类名字纯属赶时髦,比如有个杂志编辑本来叫Olivia Wang, 转投奢侈品行业后改名叫Olivia de la Wang了,就和我们听到老外叫自己“王翠花格格”一样。

还有干脆叫自己Chanel(香奈儿)、Tiffany(蒂芙尼)、Gucci(古驰)什么的,要是老外叫自己“五粮液”、“周大福”什么的,我们也是会内心默默竖个大拇指吧。

第六种 饱含父母的期望

给孩子取名叫Study也就算了,有些爸爸妈妈直接给孩子取名为Yale(耶鲁)、Stanford(斯坦福)或Harvard(哈佛),压力山大呀。

其实,中国人真没必要起英文名字。有件事让一位留学生记忆犹新:

刚到美国上学的时候,曾经问老师要不要起英文名,怕美国人念中文名不方便。

老师困惑又认真地说:你的名字是很重要的,应该是我们去学习怎么念,而不是你去改名字。后来,他就再也没有动过起英文名字的念头。

在美国接触到的绝大多数中国人,用的也都是自己的中文名。

如果真要给孩子起英文名,爸爸妈妈可以咨询靠谱的外教,让他们给宝贝儿起一个跟中文名读音相似的正确英文名,这样,别人一听就知道是谁,老外也不觉得突兀啦。 收起阅读 »

注意!课本上教的这些英语表达,早就过时啦!



经常听到有人这样说:国内学英语时,感觉自己棒棒哒,但一出国,就发现跟没学似的。特别是口语,只要一说出口,老外就抖三抖。

而且,有些课本上教的英语口语,老外早就不说啦,今天就来盘点一下我们常用,其实已经“过时”的那些英语:

1. How do you do?

这句见面语早已被“What’s up?”/“How is it going?”所替代,不过把它用于寒暄北京交通时,也是极好的——How 堵 又 堵?

I am fine.

爸妈的少时偶像李雷和韩梅梅,曾经有过这么一段经典的对话:

-“How are you?”

-“I’m fine.Thank you,and you?”

-“I’m fine too.”

经常看美剧的爸妈可能早就知道,回答“I am fine.”的人已经很少了,取而代之的是“Good”或者“Not too bad”这种说法。

2. Thank you!

不要吃惊,就是这句中国人都会的英语!美国的使用率还算高的,但在英国,除了正式场合,就极少听到他们说“Thank you”了。他们说得比较多的是“Cheers!”或“Cheers mate!”。很多年前,在英国,人们见面打招呼就会说“Good cheer to you”,也是沿用至今啦!

例句

A:Two teas please!

B:Here you are!

A:Cheers!

Bye bye!

在英美国家,很少说“Good bye”或 “Bye bye”。太正式又太孩子气。

他们经常使用“See you/See you later!”,或者直接说一个“Bye!”;

如果对方出远门,他们会说 “Take care!”;

一般周五下班的时候,同事之间会说“Nice weekend!”。

3. What is your name?

询问别人名字时,用“What is your name?”其实是非常不礼貌的。这里要注意,在向对方提出一定要求时,尽量避免使用陈述句,应该使用疑问句或否定句,可能看起来会有点低三下四的,但在英国是一种基本的礼貌。

所以,在问别人名字时,可以说“May I know your name?”或者“Could you please tell me your name?”。

4. It is raining cats and dogs.

这句非常形象且看起来很高级的表达,其实早就过时啦,外国也可能只有部分老人才会用。今天的年轻人们经常说“It is pouring.”或者是“Rain hard.”

除了句子,还有这些单词,你平常都说对了吗?

可爱 cute(不说 lovely)

裤子 pants/jeans (不说trousers)

好吃 nice/tasty (不说delicious)

有名 well known (不说famous)

真遗憾 It’s a shame (不说 It’s a pity)

马马虎虎 That’s OK (不说 just so-so)

有爸爸妈妈们可能要问了,为什么我们如今还在学习这些过时的英语表达呢?

归根结底,还是因为目前在我国,学英语仍然是重学术轻应用。等真正要用英语时,会出现开不了口或者说得一口“写作式英语”的情况。而且语言发展太快,常用教材的更新频率又太慢。所以要能开口说,并用到最新颖的英语表达,单靠背单词和学语法可不行哦。
继续阅读 »


经常听到有人这样说:国内学英语时,感觉自己棒棒哒,但一出国,就发现跟没学似的。特别是口语,只要一说出口,老外就抖三抖。

而且,有些课本上教的英语口语,老外早就不说啦,今天就来盘点一下我们常用,其实已经“过时”的那些英语:

1. How do you do?

这句见面语早已被“What’s up?”/“How is it going?”所替代,不过把它用于寒暄北京交通时,也是极好的——How 堵 又 堵?

I am fine.

爸妈的少时偶像李雷和韩梅梅,曾经有过这么一段经典的对话:

-“How are you?”

-“I’m fine.Thank you,and you?”

-“I’m fine too.”

经常看美剧的爸妈可能早就知道,回答“I am fine.”的人已经很少了,取而代之的是“Good”或者“Not too bad”这种说法。

2. Thank you!

不要吃惊,就是这句中国人都会的英语!美国的使用率还算高的,但在英国,除了正式场合,就极少听到他们说“Thank you”了。他们说得比较多的是“Cheers!”或“Cheers mate!”。很多年前,在英国,人们见面打招呼就会说“Good cheer to you”,也是沿用至今啦!

例句

A:Two teas please!

B:Here you are!

A:Cheers!

Bye bye!

在英美国家,很少说“Good bye”或 “Bye bye”。太正式又太孩子气。

他们经常使用“See you/See you later!”,或者直接说一个“Bye!”;

如果对方出远门,他们会说 “Take care!”;

一般周五下班的时候,同事之间会说“Nice weekend!”。

3. What is your name?

询问别人名字时,用“What is your name?”其实是非常不礼貌的。这里要注意,在向对方提出一定要求时,尽量避免使用陈述句,应该使用疑问句或否定句,可能看起来会有点低三下四的,但在英国是一种基本的礼貌。

所以,在问别人名字时,可以说“May I know your name?”或者“Could you please tell me your name?”。

4. It is raining cats and dogs.

这句非常形象且看起来很高级的表达,其实早就过时啦,外国也可能只有部分老人才会用。今天的年轻人们经常说“It is pouring.”或者是“Rain hard.”

除了句子,还有这些单词,你平常都说对了吗?

可爱 cute(不说 lovely)

裤子 pants/jeans (不说trousers)

好吃 nice/tasty (不说delicious)

有名 well known (不说famous)

真遗憾 It’s a shame (不说 It’s a pity)

马马虎虎 That’s OK (不说 just so-so)

有爸爸妈妈们可能要问了,为什么我们如今还在学习这些过时的英语表达呢?

归根结底,还是因为目前在我国,学英语仍然是重学术轻应用。等真正要用英语时,会出现开不了口或者说得一口“写作式英语”的情况。而且语言发展太快,常用教材的更新频率又太慢。所以要能开口说,并用到最新颖的英语表达,单靠背单词和学语法可不行哦。 收起阅读 »

什么运动最受欢迎?


运动是我们生活中不可或缺的一部分,不仅是为了健康的身体,还因为运动非常有趣。每个国家都有自己特色或者国民偏爱的运动项目,但全球人民都喜爱的运动其实为数不多。

Sports are a very big part of our lives. Not only does playing sports make us healthier, but watching sports is also a very entertaining way to spend your time. Each country has their own national sports – or their preferences according to their region and culture – but there are a few sports that are popular right around the globe.
  • 足球(Football, 美国也叫 soccer ) 在全球200多个国家拥有超过30亿的爱好者还有2500万的足球运动员。足球赛事的观众在所有的体育赛事中是最多的。最近一次的足球世界杯吸引了全球数以亿计的人.
  • Football (also called soccer in the US) has over 3 billion fans around the world and is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries. Football events also attract the highest number of viewers. The last edition of the FIFA World Cup was watched by billions of people from all over the world.
 
  • 自行车(Cycling)也是一项受欢迎的运动。全世界有超过十亿辆自行车,最有名也最有影响力的世界级自行车赛事是环法自行车赛。2014的时候共有18支队伍,赛道有3600千米长。此外还有环意大利自行车赛,这是一个多赛段的自行车比赛,也很受欢迎。在2014年,它吸引了全球7750万的观众。
  • Cycling is also very popular. There are over a billion bicycles in the world. The most prestigious and famous cycling event in the world is the Tour de France. In 2014, there were 18 teams, and the course was 3600km long. The Giro d’Italia, also a multi-stage cycling race, is popular as well. It attracted 775 million viewers in 2014.
  • 板球(Cricket) 可能是这一列表里的一匹黑马,但它确实在亚洲国家,如印度,巴基斯坦,斯里兰卡,孟加拉国,还有英国,澳大利亚,北非,津巴布韦,新西兰和拉丁美洲拥有200-300万的爱好者。这项运动有不同的形式,其中最有名的是国际性二十20比赛。在2015年的板球世界杯中,印度与巴基斯坦的比赛吸引了全球超过10亿的观众。
 
  • Cricket may be the surprise of the list, but it has between 2 and 3 billion fans across India, the UK, Pakistan, Asia, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. This sport is played in three different formats, and the adoption of one of them, Twenty20, increased its popularity greatly. In the 2015 Cricket World Cup, a match between India and Pakistan attracted a global audience of more than 1 billion viewers.
  • 橄榄球(Rugby)在全球有数以百万计的爱好者,盛行于许多国家,特别是北非,澳大利亚和新西兰。
  • Rugby has millions of fans around the world. It is played in many countries, but it is particularly popular in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
 
  • 乒乓球(Table tennis, 也叫 ping-pong)在全球有大约9000万的爱好者,其中大多数在亚洲,欧洲,非洲和北美。在1988年,乒乓被列为奥运会项目。如今,中国,瑞典和韩国是世界闻名的乒乓强国。
  • Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, has around 900 million fans mostly in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. It became an Olympic Sport in 1988 and China, Sweden and South Korea have the best teams in the world right now.


 
这里有没有你最爱的运动呢?没有也没关系,请继续喜欢你爱的运动,每日保持运动吧!
继续阅读 »

运动是我们生活中不可或缺的一部分,不仅是为了健康的身体,还因为运动非常有趣。每个国家都有自己特色或者国民偏爱的运动项目,但全球人民都喜爱的运动其实为数不多。

Sports are a very big part of our lives. Not only does playing sports make us healthier, but watching sports is also a very entertaining way to spend your time. Each country has their own national sports – or their preferences according to their region and culture – but there are a few sports that are popular right around the globe.
  • 足球(Football, 美国也叫 soccer ) 在全球200多个国家拥有超过30亿的爱好者还有2500万的足球运动员。足球赛事的观众在所有的体育赛事中是最多的。最近一次的足球世界杯吸引了全球数以亿计的人.
  • Football (also called soccer in the US) has over 3 billion fans around the world and is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries. Football events also attract the highest number of viewers. The last edition of the FIFA World Cup was watched by billions of people from all over the world.
 
  • 自行车(Cycling)也是一项受欢迎的运动。全世界有超过十亿辆自行车,最有名也最有影响力的世界级自行车赛事是环法自行车赛。2014的时候共有18支队伍,赛道有3600千米长。此外还有环意大利自行车赛,这是一个多赛段的自行车比赛,也很受欢迎。在2014年,它吸引了全球7750万的观众。
  • Cycling is also very popular. There are over a billion bicycles in the world. The most prestigious and famous cycling event in the world is the Tour de France. In 2014, there were 18 teams, and the course was 3600km long. The Giro d’Italia, also a multi-stage cycling race, is popular as well. It attracted 775 million viewers in 2014.
  • 板球(Cricket) 可能是这一列表里的一匹黑马,但它确实在亚洲国家,如印度,巴基斯坦,斯里兰卡,孟加拉国,还有英国,澳大利亚,北非,津巴布韦,新西兰和拉丁美洲拥有200-300万的爱好者。这项运动有不同的形式,其中最有名的是国际性二十20比赛。在2015年的板球世界杯中,印度与巴基斯坦的比赛吸引了全球超过10亿的观众。
 
  • Cricket may be the surprise of the list, but it has between 2 and 3 billion fans across India, the UK, Pakistan, Asia, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. This sport is played in three different formats, and the adoption of one of them, Twenty20, increased its popularity greatly. In the 2015 Cricket World Cup, a match between India and Pakistan attracted a global audience of more than 1 billion viewers.
  • 橄榄球(Rugby)在全球有数以百万计的爱好者,盛行于许多国家,特别是北非,澳大利亚和新西兰。
  • Rugby has millions of fans around the world. It is played in many countries, but it is particularly popular in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
 
  • 乒乓球(Table tennis, 也叫 ping-pong)在全球有大约9000万的爱好者,其中大多数在亚洲,欧洲,非洲和北美。在1988年,乒乓被列为奥运会项目。如今,中国,瑞典和韩国是世界闻名的乒乓强国。
  • Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, has around 900 million fans mostly in Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. It became an Olympic Sport in 1988 and China, Sweden and South Korea have the best teams in the world right now.


 
这里有没有你最爱的运动呢?没有也没关系,请继续喜欢你爱的运动,每日保持运动吧! 收起阅读 »

新加坡正在进行的“优生学”试验

视频地址:weibo.com/tv/v/jEvNse81e?fid=1034:4291129403739629
 

 视频是亚洲新闻台昨天上传到油管的,我做了翻译,不妨先看视频,再看下文。

在上个月关于“遗传决定了学业成绩的70%”的讨论中,我已经通过网友提供的一篇文章注意到了信奉优生学的李光耀在新加坡推行的婚配和生育政策,向高学历人群提供各种优待。而我万万想不到的是,这样的歧视性政策竟然从其国民的小学阶段就开始施行!O咱说

首先,在小学四年级进行分流考试,按成绩把学生分成三个源流,采取不同的教育内容。——由于社会普遍不满,这项歧视性的考试政策已经被政府取消了。但有读者告诉我,事实上,学校现在会在三年级就进行智商测试并按成绩分班,只是不对外公布,家长不知道孩子的分班情况(除非是天才班)。——这样一来,逼得家长们从幼儿园就开始大逃杀。

然后,在小学六年级进行分流考试,按成绩把学生分成五大源流:成绩最好的进入“六年制直通车课程”,将来直接考大学;以下依次是特别源流、快捷源流、普通(学术)源流和普通(技术)源流,将来分别进入相应层次的院校或者选择就业。

当然,我要很“客观”地指出,不同源流之间是存在流动可能性的,如果最末流的学生下苦功后来居上,他也是有可能上大学的呢!(画外音:美国黑人在1960年代以前,只要能通过刁钻的文化考试,也是拥有选举权的呢!)关键问题在于,对于那些成绩后进者,分流之后所提供的教育体系、所学知识就不是奔着考大学去的。你按体格筛选出劣马和良马也就罢了,结果劣马吃的饲料还比良马差了许多,如何指望吃着劣质饲料的劣马将来还能杀出重围跟良马一决高下呢?难不成青春期发育、基因突变吗?关于这个实质问题的残酷性,可参考知乎一位新加坡过来人的文章:O(教育篇)新加坡残酷的分流

注意,我并不是反对“分流”。我们尊重人的智力存在先天差异这样一个基本事实,很多国家的教育体系也都有“分流”制度,比如中国是读完初中分流、美国是读完高中分流。让我震惊和愤怒的,是仅仅小学三年级,不到十岁的孩子就开始了分流!这是赤裸裸的智商歧视政策。基于教育学原理,我不怀疑这样的制度能够有效地筛选出优秀人才并为社会作出贡献,但是,我严重怀疑这样的制度能否有效地帮助学习后进者让他们有个合适的出路,我严重质疑这种通过牺牲一部分人利益来促进另一部分人利益的政策。

让我们来看两个数据。

第一,是众所周知的,新加坡中学生连续多年,在全球PISA测试中,平均分位列第一,这是一个反映教学质量的指标。新加坡人应该为此感到骄傲吗?我们往深了瞧。以其中的科学科目分数为例,2015年,新加坡成绩最差5%的学生的平均分是373,全球第六(前五依次是越南、澳门、爱沙尼亚、香港、日本)——也就是说,传说中的“因材施教”并没有把后进生也教得比其他国家的后进生成绩更好。而成绩最优5%与最差5%的平均分差值(反映教育不平等程度)高达340分,全球第四(前三是马耳他、以色列、新西兰),日本、澳门、香港分别排在第28、55、56——也就是说,经济水平相近、文化背景相似的这几个国家或地区,不采用早期分流制度,既可以保障后进生的成绩,又没有造成严重的教育不平等!

新加坡这样的中小学教育制度有什么可骄傲的呢?天下第一又如何呢?这样的歧视性制度,导致整个社会从幼儿园起就开始加码竞争,这其中又空耗和浪费了多少社会资源呢?退一步说,它挖掘出了千古一人的绝世天才、培养出了世界级的创造性人才吗?这样的制度,美其名曰“因材施教”,不如叫“看人下菜碟儿”好啦!

令我印象深刻的是视频中两位马来裔学生卑微的发言状态,我只记得在揭露当年美国种族隔离制度的纪录片里看到过类似的景象!而PISA的数据表明,新加坡中学生报告受到欺凌的程度,有俩指标高居全球第三和第四;好学校和差学校的学生受欺凌的程度差异则很小,全球倒数第三。——也就是说,欺凌现象在不同源流的学生、不同学校之间都无差别地普遍存在!坏制度所造就的畸形社会氛围,难道不令人唾弃吗?O网页链接

第二,看这种歧视性教育导致的结果,也就是反映经济不平等的基尼系数。李光耀的美好设想是,让高智商人才大展拳脚,再把他们多赚的钱重新分配给低智商人群。事实如何呢?在考虑了税收和财富重新分配之后,新加坡的基尼系数仍有0.458,高于除智利之外的经合组织全部成员国,大大高于各发达国家。O网页链接

至此,再结合一开始的微博链接讲到的婚配和生育政策,我们可以设想有这么两个新加坡公民,甲智商低,乙智商高,那么从小学起,他们就因歧视性的教育而分离,使得他们在能力上的差异继续扩大,到成年转变成了学历上的差距,接下来是经济上的差距,再接下来,政策鼓励乙和智商高的人结婚,而且他们生孩子还享受优待,甲则彻底沦为底层。等到甲和乙都有了孩子,新一轮的分离开始,如此循环……我真的无法想象,在21世纪的今天,地球上竟然有一个政府拿公民进行着“人工育种”试验,堂而皇之以智商筛选基因。

哪里是什么华人之光,简直是华人之耻。
继续阅读 »
视频地址:weibo.com/tv/v/jEvNse81e?fid=1034:4291129403739629
 

 视频是亚洲新闻台昨天上传到油管的,我做了翻译,不妨先看视频,再看下文。

在上个月关于“遗传决定了学业成绩的70%”的讨论中,我已经通过网友提供的一篇文章注意到了信奉优生学的李光耀在新加坡推行的婚配和生育政策,向高学历人群提供各种优待。而我万万想不到的是,这样的歧视性政策竟然从其国民的小学阶段就开始施行!O咱说

首先,在小学四年级进行分流考试,按成绩把学生分成三个源流,采取不同的教育内容。——由于社会普遍不满,这项歧视性的考试政策已经被政府取消了。但有读者告诉我,事实上,学校现在会在三年级就进行智商测试并按成绩分班,只是不对外公布,家长不知道孩子的分班情况(除非是天才班)。——这样一来,逼得家长们从幼儿园就开始大逃杀。

然后,在小学六年级进行分流考试,按成绩把学生分成五大源流:成绩最好的进入“六年制直通车课程”,将来直接考大学;以下依次是特别源流、快捷源流、普通(学术)源流和普通(技术)源流,将来分别进入相应层次的院校或者选择就业。

当然,我要很“客观”地指出,不同源流之间是存在流动可能性的,如果最末流的学生下苦功后来居上,他也是有可能上大学的呢!(画外音:美国黑人在1960年代以前,只要能通过刁钻的文化考试,也是拥有选举权的呢!)关键问题在于,对于那些成绩后进者,分流之后所提供的教育体系、所学知识就不是奔着考大学去的。你按体格筛选出劣马和良马也就罢了,结果劣马吃的饲料还比良马差了许多,如何指望吃着劣质饲料的劣马将来还能杀出重围跟良马一决高下呢?难不成青春期发育、基因突变吗?关于这个实质问题的残酷性,可参考知乎一位新加坡过来人的文章:O(教育篇)新加坡残酷的分流

注意,我并不是反对“分流”。我们尊重人的智力存在先天差异这样一个基本事实,很多国家的教育体系也都有“分流”制度,比如中国是读完初中分流、美国是读完高中分流。让我震惊和愤怒的,是仅仅小学三年级,不到十岁的孩子就开始了分流!这是赤裸裸的智商歧视政策。基于教育学原理,我不怀疑这样的制度能够有效地筛选出优秀人才并为社会作出贡献,但是,我严重怀疑这样的制度能否有效地帮助学习后进者让他们有个合适的出路,我严重质疑这种通过牺牲一部分人利益来促进另一部分人利益的政策。

让我们来看两个数据。

第一,是众所周知的,新加坡中学生连续多年,在全球PISA测试中,平均分位列第一,这是一个反映教学质量的指标。新加坡人应该为此感到骄傲吗?我们往深了瞧。以其中的科学科目分数为例,2015年,新加坡成绩最差5%的学生的平均分是373,全球第六(前五依次是越南、澳门、爱沙尼亚、香港、日本)——也就是说,传说中的“因材施教”并没有把后进生也教得比其他国家的后进生成绩更好。而成绩最优5%与最差5%的平均分差值(反映教育不平等程度)高达340分,全球第四(前三是马耳他、以色列、新西兰),日本、澳门、香港分别排在第28、55、56——也就是说,经济水平相近、文化背景相似的这几个国家或地区,不采用早期分流制度,既可以保障后进生的成绩,又没有造成严重的教育不平等!

新加坡这样的中小学教育制度有什么可骄傲的呢?天下第一又如何呢?这样的歧视性制度,导致整个社会从幼儿园起就开始加码竞争,这其中又空耗和浪费了多少社会资源呢?退一步说,它挖掘出了千古一人的绝世天才、培养出了世界级的创造性人才吗?这样的制度,美其名曰“因材施教”,不如叫“看人下菜碟儿”好啦!

令我印象深刻的是视频中两位马来裔学生卑微的发言状态,我只记得在揭露当年美国种族隔离制度的纪录片里看到过类似的景象!而PISA的数据表明,新加坡中学生报告受到欺凌的程度,有俩指标高居全球第三和第四;好学校和差学校的学生受欺凌的程度差异则很小,全球倒数第三。——也就是说,欺凌现象在不同源流的学生、不同学校之间都无差别地普遍存在!坏制度所造就的畸形社会氛围,难道不令人唾弃吗?O网页链接

第二,看这种歧视性教育导致的结果,也就是反映经济不平等的基尼系数。李光耀的美好设想是,让高智商人才大展拳脚,再把他们多赚的钱重新分配给低智商人群。事实如何呢?在考虑了税收和财富重新分配之后,新加坡的基尼系数仍有0.458,高于除智利之外的经合组织全部成员国,大大高于各发达国家。O网页链接

至此,再结合一开始的微博链接讲到的婚配和生育政策,我们可以设想有这么两个新加坡公民,甲智商低,乙智商高,那么从小学起,他们就因歧视性的教育而分离,使得他们在能力上的差异继续扩大,到成年转变成了学历上的差距,接下来是经济上的差距,再接下来,政策鼓励乙和智商高的人结婚,而且他们生孩子还享受优待,甲则彻底沦为底层。等到甲和乙都有了孩子,新一轮的分离开始,如此循环……我真的无法想象,在21世纪的今天,地球上竟然有一个政府拿公民进行着“人工育种”试验,堂而皇之以智商筛选基因。

哪里是什么华人之光,简直是华人之耻。 收起阅读 »

关于父亲节的冷知识 – 双语阅读



在父亲节这一天,全世界的父亲在孩子的生命中扮演惊人的角色:教他们,和他们玩,引导他们。

On Father’s Day, dads all over the world are celebrated for the amazing part they play in their children’s lives: teaching them, playing with them and guiding them.

父亲是一个榜样,一个教练和一个朋友。为了纪念父亲的不知疲倦的工作,一个国际性的节日成立了:父亲节,大多数的国家会在六月庆祝。这里有一些关于这个节日的有趣事实:

A father is a role model, a coach and a friend. In order to honor the tireless work of fathers, an international holiday was established: Father’s Day, which is celebrated in June in most countries. Here are some interesting facts about this holiday:

第一张父亲节卡片

The First Father’s Day Card


虽然正式的庆祝历史只有近100年左右,但一些历史学家认为,庆祝活动的最早记录是在古巴比伦的废墟中发现的。近4000年前,一条关于良好的健康和长寿的祝福信息被刻在了粘土做的卡片上。作者是一个名叫elmesu的男孩,祝福是给他父亲的。

Although the history of the formal celebration is about 100 years old, some historians believe that the earliest record of the celebration was found in the ruins of Babylon. Nearly 4000 years ago, a message of good health and long life was carved on a card made out of clay. The writer was a boy named Elmesu, and the well wishes were addressed to his father.

父亲节是如何成立的

How Father’s Day was Established


第一个父亲节的庆祝活动发生在1910年6月19日的美国华盛顿斯波坎。当在母亲节后听到布道后,索诺拉智能多德得到了灵感。她向牧师建议对于父亲也应该有类似的节日来庆祝。她非常崇拜她的父亲,威廉杰克逊智能。他是一名内战老兵,做为单亲家长在妻子死后抚养他的六个孩子。在1910日举行的此次活动是由斯波坎市场和华盛顿州州长所支持。几年后,父亲节成为一个法定假日,在世界各地被庆祝。

The first Father’s Day celebration took place in the US on June 19th, 1910 in Spokane, Washington. After hearing a sermon on Mother’s Day, Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired. She suggested to her pastor that fathers should have a similar holiday celebrating them. She admired her father, William Jackson Smart, very much. He was a Civil War veteran and a single parent who raised his six children after the death of his wife. The event held in 1910 was supported by the mayor of Spokane and the Governor of Washington State.  Years later, Father’s Day became an official holiday, celebrated throughout the world.

关于父亲节的礼物和卡片

Gifts and Cards for Father’s Day


超过1.1亿的贺卡在父亲节这天被送出,成为在世界上仅次于圣诞节,情人节,母亲节, 成为第四受欢迎的寄卡片日。大部分的贺卡包含幽默信息。50%的卡片买给父亲,20%给丈夫,其余30%给祖父外公。说到礼物,领带是最受欢迎的父亲节礼物。

More than 110 million greeting cards are sent on Father’s Day, making it the fourth most popular card-sending holiday in the world after Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Most of the greeting cards have humorous messages. 50% of the cards are purchased for fathers, 20% for husbands and the remaining 30% for grandfathers. When it comes to gifts, neckties are the most popular Father’s Day presents.
继续阅读 »


在父亲节这一天,全世界的父亲在孩子的生命中扮演惊人的角色:教他们,和他们玩,引导他们。

On Father’s Day, dads all over the world are celebrated for the amazing part they play in their children’s lives: teaching them, playing with them and guiding them.

父亲是一个榜样,一个教练和一个朋友。为了纪念父亲的不知疲倦的工作,一个国际性的节日成立了:父亲节,大多数的国家会在六月庆祝。这里有一些关于这个节日的有趣事实:

A father is a role model, a coach and a friend. In order to honor the tireless work of fathers, an international holiday was established: Father’s Day, which is celebrated in June in most countries. Here are some interesting facts about this holiday:

第一张父亲节卡片

The First Father’s Day Card


虽然正式的庆祝历史只有近100年左右,但一些历史学家认为,庆祝活动的最早记录是在古巴比伦的废墟中发现的。近4000年前,一条关于良好的健康和长寿的祝福信息被刻在了粘土做的卡片上。作者是一个名叫elmesu的男孩,祝福是给他父亲的。

Although the history of the formal celebration is about 100 years old, some historians believe that the earliest record of the celebration was found in the ruins of Babylon. Nearly 4000 years ago, a message of good health and long life was carved on a card made out of clay. The writer was a boy named Elmesu, and the well wishes were addressed to his father.

父亲节是如何成立的

How Father’s Day was Established


第一个父亲节的庆祝活动发生在1910年6月19日的美国华盛顿斯波坎。当在母亲节后听到布道后,索诺拉智能多德得到了灵感。她向牧师建议对于父亲也应该有类似的节日来庆祝。她非常崇拜她的父亲,威廉杰克逊智能。他是一名内战老兵,做为单亲家长在妻子死后抚养他的六个孩子。在1910日举行的此次活动是由斯波坎市场和华盛顿州州长所支持。几年后,父亲节成为一个法定假日,在世界各地被庆祝。

The first Father’s Day celebration took place in the US on June 19th, 1910 in Spokane, Washington. After hearing a sermon on Mother’s Day, Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired. She suggested to her pastor that fathers should have a similar holiday celebrating them. She admired her father, William Jackson Smart, very much. He was a Civil War veteran and a single parent who raised his six children after the death of his wife. The event held in 1910 was supported by the mayor of Spokane and the Governor of Washington State.  Years later, Father’s Day became an official holiday, celebrated throughout the world.

关于父亲节的礼物和卡片

Gifts and Cards for Father’s Day


超过1.1亿的贺卡在父亲节这天被送出,成为在世界上仅次于圣诞节,情人节,母亲节, 成为第四受欢迎的寄卡片日。大部分的贺卡包含幽默信息。50%的卡片买给父亲,20%给丈夫,其余30%给祖父外公。说到礼物,领带是最受欢迎的父亲节礼物。

More than 110 million greeting cards are sent on Father’s Day, making it the fourth most popular card-sending holiday in the world after Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Most of the greeting cards have humorous messages. 50% of the cards are purchased for fathers, 20% for husbands and the remaining 30% for grandfathers. When it comes to gifts, neckties are the most popular Father’s Day presents. 收起阅读 »

清凉一夏,你绝对不知道的动物冷知识 – 双语阅读



有时候, 人类真的无法理解动物的世界。那些看似很傻很天真的小动物世界里,也会存在着许多有趣的小知识。本文将图解你所不知道的关于动物的冷知识,看完肯定让你觉得夏天都不热了。

以下图片出自插画师Mr Whaite,他非常喜欢收集动物世界里的冷知识。看完这些,相信你一定也能学到不少。

如何判断狗狗的心情呢?在他们开心的时候尾巴会朝右摇摆,而难过的时候,朝左。

 
猪猪会玩电子游戏。(所以“你是猪吗!“这句话感觉是在夸人啦)

 
大象跳不起来。(根据地球的引力大小来算,大象的重量,即使腿是钢做的,只要跳5公分,就会骨折。)

 
雨燕边飞边睡觉。(会不会一睡就睡到南极哈)

 
家猫跑得比百米飞人博尔特还快!(所以不要想试图抓住它)


如果有人嘲笑奶牛,它们会很受伤。(奶牛这么萌,为什么要嘲笑它)

 
科学家们第一次见到鸭嘴兽时,想把它的”假“嘴巴给拔下来。

 
鸵鸟向后跑时,腿部动作和人类一模一样。(瞧瞧这销魂的跑姿)

 
雄狮一天能睡上二十个小时。(那醒着的雄狮岂不是饥肠辘辘,OMG!快逃)


河马的汗水是天然的防晒霜。(要是没这防晒霜,它要黑成啥样。。。。。。)

 
年轻的考拉闻起来就像止咳糖。(已醉)


 
继续阅读 »


有时候, 人类真的无法理解动物的世界。那些看似很傻很天真的小动物世界里,也会存在着许多有趣的小知识。本文将图解你所不知道的关于动物的冷知识,看完肯定让你觉得夏天都不热了。

以下图片出自插画师Mr Whaite,他非常喜欢收集动物世界里的冷知识。看完这些,相信你一定也能学到不少。

如何判断狗狗的心情呢?在他们开心的时候尾巴会朝右摇摆,而难过的时候,朝左。

 
猪猪会玩电子游戏。(所以“你是猪吗!“这句话感觉是在夸人啦)

 
大象跳不起来。(根据地球的引力大小来算,大象的重量,即使腿是钢做的,只要跳5公分,就会骨折。)

 
雨燕边飞边睡觉。(会不会一睡就睡到南极哈)

 
家猫跑得比百米飞人博尔特还快!(所以不要想试图抓住它)


如果有人嘲笑奶牛,它们会很受伤。(奶牛这么萌,为什么要嘲笑它)

 
科学家们第一次见到鸭嘴兽时,想把它的”假“嘴巴给拔下来。

 
鸵鸟向后跑时,腿部动作和人类一模一样。(瞧瞧这销魂的跑姿)

 
雄狮一天能睡上二十个小时。(那醒着的雄狮岂不是饥肠辘辘,OMG!快逃)


河马的汗水是天然的防晒霜。(要是没这防晒霜,它要黑成啥样。。。。。。)

 
年轻的考拉闻起来就像止咳糖。(已醉)


  收起阅读 »