Great Barrier Reef Faces Destruction 大堡礁珊瑚面临灭顶之灾
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest living reef formation stretching 2,000 km from north to south along Australia's northeast coast. A report released by Queensland University's Center for Marine Studies said Great Barrier Reef will lose most of its coral cover by 2050 and, at worst, the world's largest coral system could collapse by 2100 because of global warming.
大堡礁是世界上最大的活珊瑚礁，分布在澳大利亚东北海岸，由北向南绵延2000公里。澳大利亚昆士兰大学海洋研究中心发表的一项研究结果表明：到2050年，大堡礁的大部分珊瑚将不复存在。最坏的情况是：到2100年，这个世界上最大的珊瑚体系将由于全球变暖而彻底崩溃。
Search for a Thinking Computer
电脑如人脑？
A Northern Ireland team is leading the search for a thinking computer which can sense a user's mood.
Researchers at Queen's University in Belfast hope to complete the 10m Euro project—an emotion-sensitive computer within four years. The aim is to enable computers to think and behave like humans. “At the moment, our use of computers is limited by the fact that we need a keyboard and a screen to access them, ”a program coordinator said.
北爱尔兰的一个研究小组正在主持研究一种能够感知用户情绪的思维型电脑。贝尔法斯特女王大学的研究人员希望4年内能够研制出这款耗资1000万欧元、具有感知功能的电脑，让电脑像人一样思考和活动。“目前，我们对电脑的使用有一定的局限，只有通过键盘与显示屏才能使用。”一位项目协调员如是说。
The Future of English Language
英语的未来
English is fast becoming the language of science around the world, but what is its future among everyday speakers? One expert points out that the percentage of native English speakers is declining globally while the languages of other rapidly growing regions are being spoken by increasing numbers of people. But English will continue to remain widespread and important.
英语正在迅速演变为世界性的科技语言，但是作为日常用语，它的未来如何？有专家指出：从全球范围来看，以英语为母语的人数比例正在不断下降，而越来越多的人正在使用其他新兴地区的语言。但是，英语将会继续普及并保持其重要地位。
Britney to China？
布兰妮要来华演出？
It is reported that American pop star Britney Spears has agreed to perform five shows on the Chinese mainland this autumn. The 22-year-old will make her first mainland appearance in Guangzhou on Sept 24. She will also perform in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Changsha. With more than 54 million records sold worldwide, Spears would be one of the top performers ever to appear in China. Chinese promoters are talking with Britney's manager about her China tour later this year.
据报道，美国流行歌星布兰妮同意今年秋天来中国大陆举办5场演出。现年22岁的小甜甜将于9月24日在广州举办首场演出，随后转战北京、上海、沈阳和长沙。全球发行唱片达5400万张的布兰妮将成为来华演出的又一位巨星。中国主办方今年晚些时候将与布兰妮的经纪人洽谈其演出事宜。
Lord of the Games
好莱坞导演领衔游戏风潮
Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings, is expected to earn much more money from helping create video games than making movies. The computer game based on his movie The Return of the King, was among best-seller list. John Woo, the director of Mission Impossible 2 and Face Off, is also developing for Sega a video game.
《指环王》导演彼得·杰克逊有望从协助制作电子游戏中赚取比拍电影更多的钱。由他执导的电影《王者归来》改编的电脑游戏，荣登畅销排行榜。《碟中谍2》和《变脸》的导演吴宇森，也在为世嘉公司设计游戏。
Backham as a Gladiator
"角斗士"贝克汉姆
English soccer superstar David Beckham is appearing on TV screens as a gladiator around the world in the latest celebrity-packed Pepsi commercial. Real Madrid star Beckham, 28, dresses from head to toe in armour in the drinks promo, which also stars fellow soccer hunks Raul，Ronaldinho，Torres and Totti. The British star—who previously appeared alongside his former Manchester United teammates wearing cowboy clothes in Pepsi adverts in 2002—agreed to a new $17 million deal with the soft drink giants.
在最新一部群星云集的百事广告片中，英格兰超级足球明星贝克汉姆化身为角斗士出现在全球的电视屏幕上。这位28岁的皇马巨星在这部饮料促销片中身披盔甲、全副武装，与他一同出镜的还有劳尔、罗纳尔迪尼奥、托雷斯和托蒂。贝克汉姆2002年曾身着牛仔服与前曼联队友出演百事广告，而这次，他与饮料巨头签约的广告出场费是1700万美元。
Top Film Characters
最伟大的银幕形象
Mafia boss Vito Corleone, as played by Marlon Brando in The Godfather, has been named the greatest movie character of all time by US film critics. Sixteen film experts voted for the most memorable characters in cinema for US magazine Premiere. Fred C Dobbs from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre came second with Gone With the Wind's Scarlett O'Hara third.
马龙·白兰度在影片《教父》中饰演的黑手党首领维多·柯里昂被美国影评人士评为史上最伟大的电影人物形象。 16位电影专家为美国电影杂志《首映》评选出了最值得纪念的电影人物形象。电影《碧血金沙》中的人物佛瑞德·多布斯名列第二，《飘》中的郝思嘉名列第三。
Nicole Kidman Tops Australia Rich List
妮可·基德曼富甲澳洲
Actress Nicole Kidman more than doubled her annual income last year to become Australia's richest entertainer, a Business Review Weekly survey said. She earned an estimated A$25m (￡10.3m) in 2003—the year in which she won the best actress Oscar for The Hours.
根据一家商业评论周刊的调查，女演员妮可·基德曼去年的收入超过往年的两倍，成为澳洲最富有的艺人。据估计，她在2003年的收入为2500万澳元（合1030万英镑）——这一年她在电影《时时刻刻》中获得奥斯卡最佳女主角称号。
he Dumbest Criminals of the Year
俄年度最笨贼
Two thieves in a Russian town demonstrated the most ridiculous way of committing crime. They put on masks, broke in an office, bound the watchmen and started to pack computers and faxes. For one of the thieves it was too dark, and he tried to switch on the light. By mistake, the man pressed the alarm button instead of the switch, three minutes later the police arrived and arrested the thieves.
两名小偷在俄罗斯一小镇上演了一出行窃滑稽剧。他们戴上面具，闯入办公室，将看守绑住后，开始给电脑和传真机打包。其中一个贼认为天太黑，试图把灯打开。但阴差阳错的是，他错按了开关，触动了警报器按钮。3分钟后，警察赶到，将这两个笨贼擒获。
College Student Charged with False Alarm
为出名，女大学生自演绑架案
A U.S. college student, Audrey Seiler, 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Wisconsin, was charged with lying to police and disturbing officers because she made up her own kidnapping. The girl's desperate attempt was to get her boyfriend's attention. Each charge carries up to nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine.
一名芳龄20、就读于美国威斯康星大学的二年级学生奥德丽·塞拉，因自导自演一出绑架案而受到指控，罪名是编造谎言和妨碍公务。该生孤注一掷的行为旨在引起男友的注意。两项罪名分别判处她9个月监禁和1万美元的罚款。