The experiments suggest people who are angry perform better on a set of challenging tasks than those who are emotionally neutral. 一项实验表明，与平静的人相比，愤怒的人在一系列具有挑战性的任务中表现更好。 "These findings demonstrate that anger increases effort toward attaining a desired goal, frequently resulting in greater success," said Dr Heather Lench, the first author of the study. 该研究论文的第一作者希瑟·连奇博士说：“这些发现表明，愤怒让人更努力实现预期目标，从而获得更大成功。” The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, details how researchers at Texas A&M University conducted experiments involving more than 1,000 people, and analysed survey data from more than 1,400 people, to explore the possible impact of anger on people in various circumstances. 这项研究发表在《个性与社会心理学杂志》上。得克萨斯农工大学的研究人员对1000多人进行测试，并分析了1400多人的调查数据，以探索愤怒在各种情况下对人的潜在影响。 In one experiment, students were shown images previously found to elicit anger, desire, amusement, sadness or no particular emotion at all. Participants were subsequently asked to solve a series of anagrams. 实验中，研究人员向参与学生展示了会引发愤怒、欲望、愉快、悲伤或不会引起情绪波动的图像。随后参与者需要解字谜。 The results reveal that fora challenging set of anagrams, those who were angry did better than those inthe other possible emotional states – although no difference was seen for easy anagrams. 研究结果表明，愤怒的参与者在解答高难度字谜上的表现比处于其他情绪的人更好，但在解答简单字谜上没有差异。 The researchers say one explanation could be down to a link between anger and greater persistence, with the team finding those who were angry spent more time on the difficult set of anagrams. 研究人员表示，一种解释可能是愤怒和更持久的毅力有关，研究小组发现，那些愤怒的人花了更多的时间去解开高难度的字谜。 In another experiment, participants who were angry did better at dodging flags in a skiing video game than those who were neutral or sad, and were on a par with those who felt amusement or desire. 在另一项实验中，愤怒的参与者比平静或悲伤的参与者更善于在滑雪电子游戏中躲避旗帜，并且与快乐或兴奋的参与者不相上下。 "This pattern could indicate that general physical arousal had a benefit for game scores, as this would be greater in anger, amused, and desire conditions compared to the sad and neutral conditions," the researchers write. However, no such differences in performance was found when it came to an easier video game. 研究人员写道：“这种模式可能表明，身体进入兴奋状态可以帮助提高得分，而与悲伤和平静的情绪相比，在愤怒、快乐、渴望的情绪下身体更亢奋。”然而，在更简单的电子游戏中，并没有发现这种表现差异。 One experiment suggested being angry increased the degree to which participants cheated on tasks compared with the other emotions – except amusement – while another experiment found anger was associated with lower reaction times on a task. 一项实验表明，与除愉快之外的其他情绪相比，愤怒的参与者更容易作弊，而另一项实验发现，愤怒的参与者对任务反应时间更短。 In addition, responses to surveys around the 2016 and 2020 US general elections suggested people who were more angry about a hypothetical win for a presidential candidate they did not support were more likely to vote in the subsequent election. 此外，与2016年和2020年美国大选前后调查相呼应的是，那些会对自己支持的总统候选人败选感到更愤怒的选民，更有可能在随后的选举中投票。 "People often prefer to use positive emotions as tools more than negative and tend to see negative emotions as undesirable and maladaptive," Lench said. "Our research adds to the growing evidence that a mix of positive and negative emotions promotes wellbeing, and that using negative emotions as tools can be particularly effective in some situations." 连奇说：“人们往往更喜欢将积极情绪化作动力，并倾向于将消极情绪视为不受欢迎的不良情绪。但越来越多的证据表明，积极情绪和消极情绪共存会促进幸福感，在某些情况下，消极情绪可能发挥有效作用。”

Ever wonder why Americans always vote in federal elections (and many state, and local elections) on Tuesdays? There are a few reasons—including a little something to do with the horse and buggy. 你是否曾好奇过为什么美国的大选（还有很多州和地方的选举）总是在星期二举行？这里有几个原因，还有一个原因和马车有点关系。 Between 1788 and 1845,states decided their own voting dates. In 2012, Senate historian Don Ritchie told NPR that strategy resulted in chaos, a "crazy quilt of elections" held all across the country at different times to pick the electors—the white, male property owners who would cast their votes for president on the first Wednesday of December. 1788年至1845年间，美国各州自行决定自己的选举日。2012年，参议院历史学家唐纳德·里奇告诉美国国家公共电台，这一策略导致了混乱，美国各地选出选举人的时间不同，选举活动就像“用一条碎布缝成的被单一样”。那时的选举人都是拥有不动产的白人男性，他们将在12月的第一个星期三投票选举总统。 In 1792, a law was passed mandating that state elections be held within a 34-day period before that day, so most elections took place in November. (Society was mostly agrarian; in November, the harvest was finished but winter hadn’t yet hit, making it the perfect time to vote.) 1792年美国通过了一条法律，规定州选举必须在12月第一个星期三之前的34天内举行，因此大部分州选举都在11月举行。（当时美国社会以农耕为主，11月秋收已经结束但冬天还未到来，正好适合开展选举活动。） The glacial pace of presidential elections wasn't a huge issue in the late 18th and early 19th centuries—communication was slow, so results took weeks to announce anyway—but with the advent of the railroad and telegraph, Congress decided it was time to standardize a date. 在18世纪末和19世纪初，大选进展缓慢不是什么大问题，因为那时的通讯很慢，大选结果出来了也要过上几周才能通知到各方，但是在铁路和电报面世后，美国国会决定是时候统一选举日了。 Monday was out, because it would require people to travel to the polls by buggy on the Sunday Sabbath. Wednesday was also not an option, because it was market day, and farmers wouldn't be able to make it to the polls. So it was decided that Tuesday would be the day that Americans would vote in elections, and in 1845, Congress passed a law that presidential elections would be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 星期一被排除了，因为这样人们可能得在安息日乘坐马车赶往投票处。星期三也不行，因为星期三是赶集日，农民无法在这天去投票。因此就决定让美国民众在星期二这天进行大选投票。1845年，美国国会通过了一项法律，规定11月第一个星期一后的星期二为总统大选日。

More than a quarter of the respondents have to enlarge the font size on their mobile phones so they can read it clearly and half confess they're forced to zoom in on images to see them clearly. Meanwhile, 28% regularly squint at the screen – all of which are tell-tale signs of presbyopia. 超过四分之一的受访者表示，必须放大手机字体大小才能看清楚，一半受访者表示不得不放大图像才能看清楚。28%的受访者经常斜视屏幕——以上表现都是老花眼的明显特征。 "Our eyes are not designed to be fixed on a single object for a long period of time, especially smaller format laptops, tablets or smart devices. They may feel uncomfortable, sore, tired and even start to itch or burn. In rare cases, dry eyes syndrome can lead to more serious eye issues," says Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers. Specsavers临床服务总监吉尔斯·埃德蒙兹表示：“我们的眼睛并不适合长时间盯着某个物体，尤其是较小尺寸的笔记本电脑、平板电脑或智能设备。这可能引起眼睛不适、疼痛、疲劳，甚至发痒或灼痛。极端情况下，干眼症会导致更严重的眼部问题。” Dry eye syndrome is a condition where the eyes do not make enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly. If appropriate measures aren't taken, this may lead to conjunctivitis or inflammation of the cornea. 干眼症的表现为眼睛无法分泌足够的眼泪，或者眼泪蒸发得太快。如果不采取适当的措施，可能会导致结膜炎或角膜炎。 The good news is that there are some simple solutions to prevent eye strain and irritation, and preserve your eye health overall. 好消息是，一些做法可以预防眼睛疲劳和炎症，保护眼睛健康。 1. Rest your eyes: Follow the 20 ：20 ：20 rule, looking up from your screen every 20 minutes and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Looking into the distance helps relax the focusing muscles of your eyes, which in turn reduces eye fatigue. 让眼睛得到休息：遵循20 ： 20 ：20原则 ，每20分钟从屏幕上抬起头来，看着20英尺（约6米）外的东西至少20秒。眺望远方有助于放松眼睛的聚焦肌肉，从而缓解眼疲劳 2. Adjust your workstation: Change your screen settings to ensure that the brightness and contrast are balanced correctly, as well as making fonts larger. Also, be mindful of how your workstation is positioned. Adjust your screen so it is 15-20 degrees below eye level and around 50-70cmaway from the eyes and make sure your room is properly lit to avoid squinting. 改变工作环境：更改屏幕设置以确保亮度和对比度合适，并放大字体。此外，还要注意电脑的位置，调整屏幕，使其低于眼睛水平15-20度，距离眼睛50-70厘米左右，并确保房间光线充足，避免斜视 3. Reduce glare: Reflections on your computer screen can cause glare and lead to eye strain. Try reducing this by attaching an anti-glare screen to your monitor or laptop to avoid external light shining onto the screen. Glasses wearers can also have lenses treated with an anti-glare coating. 减少眩光：电脑屏幕上的反射会导致眩光并引起视觉疲劳。可以在显示器或笔记本电脑上安装防眩光屏幕来缓解这种情况，以免外部光线照射到屏幕上。佩戴眼镜的人也可以在镜片上涂上防眩光涂层

When the sunlight almost directly strikes the earth's equator, usually between September 22nd and September 24th each year, we usher in the Autumn Equinox, or Qiufen in Chinese, which is one of the 24 solar terms in China. 每年公历9月22至24日，太阳几乎直射地球赤道时，便是中国的二十四节气之一——秋分。 In traditional Chinese Solar Terms, autumn refers to the 90 days between Beginning of Autumn and Frost's Descent, and Qiufen is right in the middle of the 90days, making it the most autumn-like day of the year. 在中国的二十四节气中，从立秋到霜降的九十天，是传统意义上的秋天，而秋分正处在这九十天的中间，是一年中秋意最浓的时节。 In most parts of China, Autumn Equinox witnesses the days when the temperature drops, the rainy season ends, the cold breeze gently blows, and the sky becomes crystal clear. 秋分时节我国大部分地区，气温下降，雨季结束，凉风习习，天空常是万里无云。 Traditionally, Autumn Equinox marks the end of the autumn harvest and winter store and the start of spring plowing and summer weeding. 传统意义上，秋分既是秋收冬藏的终点，更是春耕夏种的起点。 After the end of the Autumn Equinox, the spot of the direct sunlight continues to move southward, and the northern hemisphere will have shorter daytime and longer nighttime. As a result, the temperature gets cooler, and the cold winter draws near. 秋分过后，太阳直射点继续由赤道向南半球推移，北半球白昼越来越短，黑夜越来越长。天气逐渐转凉，寒冬也慢慢降临。 In ancient China, which attached great importance to agriculture, Autumn Equinox had a high status in the 24 Solar Terms. Naturally, ancient Chinese also endowed it with many cultural meanings. 在重视农耕的古代中国，秋分被视为一个非常重要的节气。相应的，它也被赋予了很多文化内涵。 Autumn Equinox used to be the moon worshipping day. Ancient Chinese emperors had customs to worship the sun on Spring Equinox, the earth on Summer Solstice, the moon on Autumn Equinox, and the heaven on Winter Solstice. 秋分曾是传统的“祭月节”，古代帝王有春分祭日、夏至祭地、秋分祭月、冬至祭天的习俗。 The custom of worshipping the moon was later moved to the Mid-Autumn Festival when the moon was rounder. 祭月的习俗后来被挪到了月亮更圆的中秋节。 Since2018, China has celebrated the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival on Autumn Equinox. 从2018年起，中国将每年的秋分设立为“中国农民丰收节”。 For a country with thousands of years of agricultural civilization, the festival expresses the Chinese people’s philosophy of following natural laws and their respect for thousands of years of farming civilization. 对于有着数千年农业文明的中国而言，这一节日的设立极具仪式感，体现了中国人顺应自然规律的理念和对数千年农耕文明深深的敬意。

Some ultra-processed foods increase the risk of developing cancer, heart disease and diabetes – but others are good for you, new research into the demonised foodstuffs suggests. 对被妖魔化的超加工食品的新研究显示，有些超加工食品会增加患癌症、心脏病和糖尿病的风险，但另外一些超加工食品却对人体健康有益。 A major new internationalstudy has found that regular consumption of meat products – such as sausages – and sugary drinks make itmore likely that someone will get those diseases. 一项新的大型国际研究发现，定期摄入香肠等肉制品和含糖饮料会让人更容易患上这些疾病。 But bread and cereals actually reduce someone's risk of them – because they contain fibre – despite also being ultra-processed foods (UPF), the same researchers also concluded, in findings published in The Lancet. 但是在这项发表在《柳叶刀》上的研究报告中，研究人员也得出结论称，面包和麦片尽管也是超加工食品，但实际上却能降低人们患上这些疾病的风险，因为它们含有纤维。 Similarly, sauces, spreads and condiments are also bad for human health, but not as much as animal products and soft drinks. 同样，沙拉、蘸酱和调料也对人体健康有害，但不像肉制品和软饮料的危害那么大。 However, several other major types of UPF previously seen as harmful: sweets and desserts, ready meals, savoury snacks and plant-based alternatives to meat products also got the all-clear. They are "not associated with risk of multimorbidity", said the authors. 其他几大类先前被认为有害的超加工食品：糖果、甜点、即食餐、零食和植物性肉类替代品也被解除了警报。研究作者表示，这些食品“与多重病症的风险没有关联”。 Experts said the findings showed that regarding all UPF products as bad for health is unwise and unwarranted. 专家指出，这些研究结果显示，认为所有超加工食品都有害健康是不明智的，也是没有根据的。 Like several other recent research projects, the new study did conclude that UPF harms human health and makes it more likely that someone who consumes a lot of it would suffer a potentially fatal event, such as a heart attack or stroke. However, it also gives a more detailed picture of exactly which UPF products do and do not heighten that risk. 和其他几个最近的研究项目一样，新研究也得出结论称，超加工食品对人体健康有害，摄入大量超加工食品会增加猝死风险，比如心脏病发作或中风。然而，新研究也更详细地指出哪些超加工食品会加重风险，哪些超加工食品不会。 The latest study is based on an analysis of the dietary history of, and illnesses experienced by, 266,666 people in seven European countries, including the UK. 这项最新研究是基于对266666人的饮食史和患过的疾病资料的分析，这些研究对象来自包括英国在内的7个欧洲国家。 The authors said, "In this multinational European prospective cohort study, we found that higher consumption of UPF was associated with a higher risk of multimorbidity of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases." 研究作者称：“在这项欧洲跨国前瞻性队列研究中，我们发现摄入更多超加工食品会增加患癌症和心血管代谢疾病等多重病症的风险。” People keen to lower their risk should replace some but not all UPF in their diet with "similar but less processed foods … for the prevention of cancer and cardiometabolic multimorbidity" or follow the Mediterranean diet, they said. 他们表示，为了“预防癌症和心血管代谢多重病症”，想要降低患病风险的人应该用“加工较少的类似食品”换掉饮食中的一些超加工食品，但不是全部换掉，或是采用地中海饮食模式。 Multimorbidity is when someone has at least two life-shortening diseases at the same time, such as cancer and heart disease. 多重病症指的是某人同时患有至少两种缩短寿命的疾病，比如癌症和心脏病。 Heinz Freisling, a co-author of the paper and expert at the World Health Organization's cancer research agency IARC, which also collaborated on the study, said, "Our study emphasises that it is not necessary to completely avoid ultra-processed foods; rather, their consumption should be limited, and preference be given to fresh or minimally processed foods." 该研究报告的合著者、世界卫生组织国际癌症研究机构的专家海因茨·弗雷斯令表示：“我们的研究强调，没必要完全不吃超加工食品，而应该少吃超加工食品，多吃新鲜或加工少的食品。”国际癌症研究机构也参与了这项研究。

Loss of slow-wave sleep as you age may increase your risk of developing dementia, according to a new study. 新研究发现，随着年龄增长，慢波睡眠时间的减少可能会增加患痴呆症的风险。 "We found that aging was associated with a decline in the amount of the deepest stages of sleep, known as slow wave sleep,” said Matthew P. Pase, senior author of the study published Monday in the journal JAMA Neurology, via email. Pase is an associate professor of psychology and neurology at Monash University in Australia. 该研究的资深作者、澳大利亚莫纳什大学心理学与神经学副教授马修·P·帕赛在电子邮件中说：“我们发现，随着年龄增长，深睡眠（也就是所谓的慢波睡眠）时间会逐渐减少。”该研究10月30日发表在期刊《美国医学会杂志—神经病学》上。 "We then found that persons with greater declines in slow wave sleep over time had a higher risk of getting dementia over the next 17 years of follow-up,” said Pase via email. 帕赛在电邮中说：“我们还发现，慢波睡眠时间随年龄增长减少幅度更大的人群，未来17年患痴呆症的风险更高。” Slow-wave sleep is the third stage of sleep, which is important for brain health. During this stage, the body removes unwanted, or potentially harmful, materials from the brain — including beta-amyloid protein, a hallmark sign of Alzheimer's disease. 慢波睡眠是睡眠的第三个阶段，对大脑健康非常重要。在这一阶段的睡眠中，人体会从大脑中移除不想要的或可能有害的物质，包括β-淀粉样蛋白，这种物质是阿尔茨海默病的一个标志性特征。 For the brain, this deep sleep is thought to be the most restorative, said Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, via email. 美国佛罗里达州神经退行性疾病研究所的研究部主任理查德·艾萨克森博士在电邮中表示，深睡眠阶段是最有助于大脑恢复的。 The authors wanted to know whether chronic reductions in slow-wave sleep over time are linked with dementia risk in humans and vice versa — whether dementia-related processes in the brain may contribute to getting less of this type of sleep. 研究作者们想知道，慢波睡眠时间的长期减少长远来看是否会增加人们患痴呆症的风险，反之，大脑中与痴呆症相关的进行性退化是否会导致慢波睡眠时间减少。 "Results suggest that chronic declines in slow-wave sleep, rather than individual differences at any given time, are important for predicting dementia risk.” Pase said. 帕赛表示：“研究表明，相比在任何特定时间的个体差异，慢波睡眠时间长期减少对于预测痴呆风险很重要。” The researchers studied 346 people who were aged 69 on average and had participated in the Framingham Heart Study and completed two overnight sleep studies — one between 1995 to 1998 and the second between1998 to 2001 — during which their sleep was monitored. Launched by the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in1948, the Framingham Heart Study identifies common factors contributing to cardiovascular disease. 研究人员调查了参与过弗雷明汉心脏研究的平均年龄69岁的346个人，分别在1995年至1998年间以及1998年至2001年间完成了两项夜间睡眠研究，在这期间对他们的睡眠进行了监测。美国国家心肺和血液研究所1948年发起的弗雷明汉心脏研究查明了导致心血管疾病的常见因素。 The authors also investigated whether any changes in the amount of slow-wave sleep that participants got was associated with developing dementia up to 17 years after they completed the sleep studies. 研究作者还调查了参与者慢波睡眠时间的任何变化是否与完成睡眠研究17年后患痴呆症有关。 By that time, 52participants had been diagnosed with dementia. Each percentage decrease in slow-wave sleep per year was linked with a 27% increased risk of developing dementia and a 32% higher risk of Alzheimer's disease dementia. The rate of slow-wave sleep loss accelerated from age 60, peaked from age 75 to 80 and slowed afterward. 研究结束17年内，已有52名参与者确诊了痴呆症。慢波睡眠时间每年每减少1%，患痴呆症的风险就增加27%，患阿尔茨海默病的风险就增加32%。慢波睡眠时间减少速度从60岁起加快，在75岁至80岁期间达到顶峰，之后又逐渐变慢。 Those who experienced declines in this deep sleep were more likely to have cardiovascular disease, take medications that affect sleep and carry a gene that makes people more at risk for Alzheimer’s (the APOE ε4 allele). 深睡眠减少的人群更可能患上心血管疾病，以及服用影响睡眠的药物，携带阿尔茨海默病高风险基因APOE ε4 allele的人也更可能出现深睡眠减少。 "This is an important study yet again showing the impact of quality of sleep on a person's risk of cognitive decline and dementia,” Isaacson said. “It's important to not only pay attention to the total amount a person is sleeping each night, but also monitor sleep quality as best as possible.” 艾萨克森表示：“这项重要研究再次表明了睡眠质量对于一个人患上认知衰退和痴呆症风险的影响。我们不光要注意一个人每夜睡眠的总时长，也要尽可能监测睡眠质量。”

Chinese residents sleep less than 7 hours per night, according to the 2024 Chinese National Healthy Sleep White Paper, released on March 16th by the Chinese Sleep Research Society. 中国睡眠研究会3月16日发布的《2024中国国民健康睡眠白皮书》显示，中国居民每晚睡眠时间不足7小时。 The report said that Chinese residents go to bed on average after midnight, with an average sleep duration of 6.75 hours per night. 报告称，居民平均在零点后入睡，夜间睡眠平均时长为6.75小时。 The report was based on a survey of over 10,000 people, including students, office workers and retired employees. 该报告基于对10000多人的调查，其中包括学生、上班族和退休人员。 The report showed that 28 percent of respondents sleep less than 6 hours and 64 percent have poor sleep quality. 报告显示，28%的人群夜间睡眠时长不超过6小时，64%的人睡眠质量欠佳。 Most people have experienced sleep disturbances such as nocturnal awakenings, early awakenings, having trouble falling asleep and nocturnal urination, the report said. 大多数人都曾有过睡眠困扰，主要的睡眠困扰有：夜醒、早醒、入睡困难、夜间如厕。 The report also found that 59 percent of respondents suffer from insomnia while only 19 percent have no sleep disorders. 报告还发现，59%的人存在失眠症状，完全无睡眠障碍人群仅占19%。 Only 29 percent of respondents go to bed before 11 pm while 47 percent go to bed after midnight and 13 percent do so after 2 am. Among them, thepost-00s generation has an average bedtime of 00:33 am while the pre-1970s has an average bedtime of 23:02 pm. 仅有29%的被调查人群在23:00前入睡，47%的人群在零点后入睡，13%的人群在凌晨2:00后入睡。这其中，“00后”平均入睡时间为00:33，“70前”入睡时间为23:02。 Pre- and post-1970s retired people often suffer from nocturnal awakening, early awakening and nocturnal urination while the post-00s and post-90s generations have trouble falling asleep. “70前”及“70后”的已退休人员常被夜醒、早醒、夜间如厕困扰，“00后”和“90后”的年轻人则困扰于入睡困难。 In terms of university students, 56percent use their smartphones for more than 8 hours every day. 51 percent go to bed after 00:00 am and 19 percent do so after 2:00 am. 针对大学生群体，调查显示，56%的大学生每天使用手机超过8小时，且有51%的人在零点后入睡，更有19%的人入睡超过凌晨2:00。 The sleep duration of office workers on non-working days is 33 minutes longer than that of working days. 上班族群体在非工作日夜间睡眠比工作日平均多33分钟。 The report also showed a correlation between a person's lifestyle and the quality of their sleep. 本次发布的报告还揭示了睡眠与生活方式之间的关系。 People who exercise regularly (monthly exercise frequency ≥10 times) tend to go to bed and wake up early, with an average bedtime of 23:56pm and wake-up time of 7:26 am. Compared with those with monthly exercise frequency ≤ 3times, their sleep duration is nearly 14 minutes shorter. 数据显示，热爱运动的人群(月运动频次≥10次)偏向于早睡早起，平均23:56入睡，7:26起床，与月运动频次≤3次的人相比，他们的睡眠时间短了近14分钟。 In addition, the sleep duration of people who drink is 27 minutes shorter than that of non-drinkers. As the frequency of alcohol consumption increases, the sleep quality declines. 饮酒人群比不饮酒人群平均每晚少睡27分钟。饮酒频次越高，睡眠质量越低。

Worshiping the moon/祭月 Since ancient times, in some areas of Guangdong, people have followed the custom of worshiping the "moon god" on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. 自古以来，在广东部分地区，人们都有在中秋晚上拜祭月神的习俗。 As one of the important rituals of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the custom of worshiping the moon has continued from ancient times until today. It has gradually evolved into a folk activity to appreciate and praise the moon. These days, it has become an activity for modern people to show their desire for a family reunion and hope for a better life. 祭月作为中秋节重要的祭礼之一，从古代延续至今，逐渐演化为民间的赏月、颂月活动，同时也成为现代人渴望团聚、寄托对生活美好愿望的主要形态。 Eating mooncakes/吃月饼 Eating mooncakes is an important custom during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mooncakes were originally used as offerings to worship the "moon god". Later, people gradually regarded eating mooncakes with their family as a symbol of family unity. 吃月饼是中秋节的重要习俗。月饼最初是用来祭奉月神的供品，后来家人们一起品尝月饼成了团圆的一大象征。 Due to different diet customs in different places, there are various types of mooncakes, including traditional flavors of five kernels, egg yolk, jujube paste, sweet bean paste and so on. Today, people have created new types of ice cream, durian mooncakes and more unique delicacies. 因各地的饮食习俗不同，月饼的种类五花八门，包括传统的五仁、蛋黄、枣泥、豆沙等口味。如今，还演变出了冰激凌、榴莲月饼等等。 Although the flavors are changing, the meaning of a family reunion remains embodied in mooncakes. The Chinese customs of eating mooncakes and their expectation for are union during the Mid-Autumn Festival remain the same. 虽然月饼的口味在变，但团圆的寓意一直未曾改变。中国人吃月饼的习俗和对中秋团圆的期盼也从未改变。

The Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, is a grand traditional festival in China. 每年农历八月十五的中秋节是中国盛大的传统节日。 A full moon is a symbol that reflects people’s wishes for a family reunion. 圆圆的月亮寄托了人们对家庭圆满的愿望。 In ancient times, the moon was always viewed as the symbol of brightness, purity and goodness by scholars, and it made people happy. Moreover, people regarded the moon as a testimony of heaven to human affairs. This kind of harmony between man and nature is a unique emotion shared by Chinese people, and is also the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival. 在古代文人眼中，月亮是光明、纯洁和美好的象征，带给人们美好的感受。人们将月亮看作上天对人事的见证。这种人与自然的和谐是中国人特有的情感，也是中秋节的起源。 According to legend, in ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky at the same time. Being exposed to the scorching sunlight and the searing heat was unbearable for humans. Then a hero named Houyi emerged. He shot down nine suns, creating balance on Earth. 相传，在远古时代，天上同时出现了十个太阳。暴晒和高温使得民不聊生。有一名叫后羿的英雄出现，射下了九个太阳，拯救了世界。 Therefore, the Queen Mother gave him the Immortal Pill as a reward. Chang'e, the wife of Houyi, ate the elixir by mistake and became a fairy. She had to fly to the moon and cannot go back to the earth. 因此，王母娘娘赐予他不死神丹以示嘉奖。嫦娥，后羿的妻子，因误食神丹而羽化成仙。她只得飞向月亮，自此不能下凡。 Feeling immense sorrow and longing for his wife, Houyi set up an altar and offered sacrifices to the moon every year on the day of the full moon, hoping that Chang'e could see his devotion and eventually return to him. The villagers, moved by Houyi's story, also began to celebrate this day by gathering together, enjoying the bright moon, eating mooncakes, and sharing stories of reunion and love. 后羿因为思念妻子，每年在月圆之日都会设立祭坛，向月亮献祭，希望嫦娥能看到他的忠诚，最终回到他身边。村民们被后羿的故事所感动，也开始在这一天庆祝，他们聚在一起，欣赏明亮的月亮，品尝月饼，并分享团圆和爱的故事。 Over time, this custom evolved into the Mid-Autumn Festival we celebrate today. Families come together, breaking bread and mooncakes, under the glow of the full moon, to express their wishes for harmony, prosperity, and unity. Children delight in lanterns and playing games, while adults reminisce about the past and cherish the present moments with loved ones. 随着时间的推移，这一习俗逐渐演变成我们今天庆祝的中秋节。家人们聚在一起，在明亮的月光下共享美食和月饼，表达他们对和谐、繁荣和团结的祝愿。孩子们喜欢提着灯笼和玩游戏，而大人们则回忆过去，珍惜与亲人共度的时光。 The Mid-Autumn Festival is not just about the moon and mooncakes; it's a celebration of family bonds, cultural heritage, and the beauty of nature. It serves as a reminder that no matter how far apart we may be physically, our hearts and spirits can always be united by the shared memories and traditions that bind us together. 中秋节不仅仅关乎月亮和月饼；它是对家庭纽带、文化遗产和自然之美的庆祝。它提醒我们，无论我们在身体上相隔多远，我们都可以通过共同的记忆和传统将心灵联系在一起。

People may assume pirates wore eye patches just to look totally badass. But the eyewear most likely had nothing to do with a missing eye, and everything to do with being able to see—specifically, above decks and below them. 人们可能以为海盗戴眼罩只是为了看上去更像坏蛋。但是大多数海盗戴眼罩不是因为少了一只眼睛，而是为了让眼睛看得更清楚，确切地说，是在甲板上和船舱中都能看清。 Jim Sheedy, a doctor of vision science and director of the Vision Performance Institute at Oregon's Pacific University, told the Wall Street Journal that while the eyes adapt quickly when going from darkness to light, studies have shown that it can take up to 25 minutes for them to adapt when going from bright light to darkness. 美国俄勒冈州太平洋大学视力表现研究所主任、视觉科学医师吉姆·希迪告诉《华尔街日报》，从黑暗环境走入光亮环境中，眼睛会快速适应，但是研究显示，明暗切换时眼睛的适应时间最长可达25分钟。 Pirates frequently had to move above and below decks on their ships, from daylight to near darkness, and Sheedy says the smart ones "wore a patch over one eye to keep it dark-adapted outside." When the pirate went below decks, he could switch the patch to the outdoor eye and see in the darkness easily (potentially to fight while boarding and plundering another vessel). 从早到晚，海盗需要频繁地在轮船甲板上下穿梭，希迪指出，聪明的海盗会“在一只眼睛上蒙上眼罩，让其适应黑暗”。当海盗进入甲板时，他会将眼罩移到刚才在甲板上用来看东西的那只眼睛上，从而可以很容易地看清黑暗环境中的东西。（这意味着海盗在登上另一艘船只抢劫时可以随时进入战斗状态。） Though there are no first-person sources from history that state this as fact, there's no question that keeping one eye dark-adapted works. MythBusters tested this hypothesis in their pirate special in 2007 and determined that it was plausible. 尽管关于这个说法在历史上没有直接佐证，但是蒙上一只眼无疑是有效的。《流言终结者》曾经在2007年的海盗特别节目中测试了这一猜想，并确定这是可行的。 Even the FAA recommends that "a pilot should close one eye when using a light to preserve some degree of night vision." 就连美国联邦航空管理局也建议，“在开灯时，飞行员应该闭上一只眼来保持一定程度的夜视力”。

A dog can be a person's best friend, or so the theory goes. But that relationship can be tested when a dog begins barking at an empty corner of a room, at a door, or anywhere where there doesn't appear to be any activity at all taking place. Is the dog hallucinating? Is it communicating with interdimensional beings? Or does it simply want to drive its owner to the brink of sanity? 从常理上来讲，狗是人类最好的朋友。但是当一条狗对着房间里空荡荡的角落、对着门或对着任何一个没有动静的地方汪汪叫，人与狗的友情可能就要面临考验了。这是狗出现幻觉了吗？还是狗正在和跨维度空间的生命交谈？亦或是狗只是想把主人逼疯？ According to the American Kennel Club, the most common explanation for unprompted woofing is that it's not really unprompted at all. Instead, it's likely that humans are simply unable to perceive whatever visual, aural, or olfactory cues the dog is sensing. 美国养犬俱乐部称，对于毫无来由的汪汪叫最常见的解释是它可能并不是真的无缘无故，只不过人类无法察觉到狗能感知到的视觉、听觉和嗅觉线索。 Dogs are, obviously, equipped with superior hearing, including the ability to detect sounds that are higher in pitch. In theory, a dog could be reacting to a noise that a person nearby wouldn't be able to hear—possibly a far-off vehicle siren. 显然，狗具有超级敏锐的听力，能听到更高音调的声音。理论上，狗可能是在对某种声音作出反应，可能是远处车辆的鸣笛声，而狗身边的人听不到这个声音。 If a dog barks seemingly unprovoked at night, it might be because ambient noise is lessened and they're more attuned to the various howling nd barking of other dogs. Because dogs are territorial, one dog barking can turn into many. 如果一条狗在夜里似乎无缘无故地叫起来，这可能是因为四周的声音减弱了，让狗可以听到其他狗的叫声。因为狗是有地盘意识的，一只狗汪汪叫会引发很多只狗都开始汪汪叫。 Dogs are also able to see better in the dark than humans thanks to their ability to get more light into their retinas. If a dog is reacting to what looks to you like an empty backyard at night, it's possible that something has caught their attention, be it a wild animal, a leaf, or a serial killer. 狗在黑暗中比人看得更清楚，这是因为它们的视网膜能吸收更多光线。如果一条狗对着夜里在你看起来空荡荡的后院汪汪叫，那么可能是它们注意到了某样东西，也许是一只野生动物，一片叶子，或一个连环杀手。 That's not to say that dogs only bark when their canine senses are triggered. Some dogs might bark spontaneously out of boredom, in which case more exercise or playtime is probably needed. They might also be trying to get their owner's attention. 这并不是说狗汪汪叫都是因为它们的感官察觉到了什么。有些狗可能是因为无聊才自发地叫起来，这时候意味着它们需要更多运动或玩乐时间。它们也可能是在试图引起主人的注意。 The AKC recommends that owners avoid scolding their dogs for barking, since they're simply trying to remain vigilant. Instead, you can try reassuring the dog to let them know you're aware of their concern. If they tend to bark while gazing out a window, you can also try to manage their vantage point with curtains. If you suspect the source is an audio cue, some white noise, like a television or radio, can help. 美国养犬俱乐部建议，狗主人尽量不要在狗汪汪叫的时候训斥它们，因为它们只是保持警觉而已。你应该试着去安抚狗，让狗知道你已经了解它的担忧。如果狗总是一边望向窗外一边叫，你可以试着拉上窗帘，让它们看不到窗外的事物。如果你怀疑狗狗是因为听到了某种声音而叫，你可以播放一些白噪音（比如打开电视或收音机）来盖住这种声音。 Less often, chronic barking might be asign of cognitive issues. If barking is persistent and no fugitive is hidingout in your bushes, then you might consider a trip to the vet. 尽管不太常见，但长期汪汪叫也可能是狗出现认知问题的信号。如果狗不停地叫，而灌木丛里又一无所获，你可能要考虑带狗去看看兽医。

Today's young adults (aged 18-34) seem to be bypassing phone calls altogether, with a quarter admitting they've never even answered one, according to The Metro. 据英国《地铁报》报道，如今的年轻成年人（18-34岁）似乎已经完全摆脱了电话，四分之一的人表示他们甚至从未接过电话。 A recent survey reveals a clear shift in communication preferences. Texting reigns supreme, with over 70% of young adults favouring it. Voice notes are also gaining traction, being preferred by nearly 40%. This trend seems linked to a general dislike of unexpected calls; more than half associate them with bad news. 最近的一项调查显示，人们的通信偏好发生了明显的变化。70%以上的年轻人喜欢发信息。语音信息也越来越受青睐，有近40%的人喜欢发语音。这一趋势似乎与人们普遍不喜欢突如其来的电话有关；一半以上的人将电话与坏消息联系在一起。 Interestingly, this aversion to phone calls isn't shared by older demographics. Only 1% of those aged 35-54prioritise texts over calls. 有趣的是，这种对电话的讨厌并不为年长者所认同。在35-54岁的人群中，只有1%的人优先选择短信而不是电话。 The survey suggests a generational shift in communication styles. Phone calls, once a revolutionary tool for connection, are seemingly declining in favor of asynchronous methods like texting and voice notes. 这项调查表明，沟通方式出现了代际差异。电话曾经是一种突破性的沟通工具，但现在似乎正逐渐式微，而越来越多的人选择短信和语音信息等非实时沟通方式。 As reported by The Metro, the younger demographic has played a notable role in the accumulation of 1.3trillion online messages and 36 billion text messages exchanged in the UK from2012 to 2022. 据《地铁报》报道，从2012年到2022年，英国共积累了1.3万亿条线上信息和360亿条短信，年轻一代是主要贡献者。 A prevalent explanation for their reluctance to answer phone calls is the perceived pressure associated with them. More than half of them anticipate negative news when receiving unexpected calls. 年轻人不愿意接听电话的一个普遍原因是，他们认为接听电话会带来压力。一半以上的人在接到意外电话时会预感到负面消息。 Younger individuals generally prefer scheduled phone conversations as the primary means of communication. 年轻人通常更喜欢将提前约好的电话交谈作为主要的沟通方式。