英音听力｜BBC & 经济学人等

Why a crude, cheap animated Chinese film is a success at the box office Host: A crudely animated homemade film about a baby cow has become an unlikely success at the box office in China. Niu Lai was made on a low budget by a mother and son over five years. As of today, Thursday, it's grossed the equivalent of more than $4 million. This 25-year-old American musician working in Beijing summed up why he liked the film. Musician: It was like so bad and so good. And AI could definitely make this in like 10 seconds, maybe even faster. It's because it's not perfect, it's good. It shows how human it is. It's not serious, but I feel like life has become so serious. So to see some things like this that we can just laugh at, it's beautiful. Host: Mengchen Zhang from the BBC World Service's Global China Unit told us more about the film. Zhang: The film is something you would never expect to be seen on a big screen in a theatre. It's very cool. It's like a 2D animation almost you can make from a Flash. It's nothing like Spider-Man or any other fancy film I have seen. Host: And tell me about the mother and the son who teamed up to make this film. Meng: Yeah, that's one really interesting thing. People want to know who are the people behind the film. So the director, Xie Yu-Meng, he's someone in his 30s, and his mother, who was born in the 60s, they are the main crew and the cast behind the whole film. And the mother even sings the final song in the movie, and she's also dubbing a lot of the characters. And what's most interesting about this mother's sound dual is they are having zero background and professional training in animation or filmmaking. The sound from what we've seen in Chinese reporting that he studied garden design and architecture design. So that has nothing to do with actual filming and animation. And the mother, we haven't seen much reporting about her, but she's not from a professional background either. Host: I love the fact that they worked on this together and it took them five years to make it. How do you explain the popularity of this film? Is it a rejection of things looking too polished these days and AI being used too much, do you think? Meng: I think that's definitely a very important factor why people are getting this surprise, like you have seen a lot of AI animated film on your phone, that's even better than what we see on the big screen. So that's a very big surprise element there. And the other thing is, while AI is developing so fast, like Chinese AI software, Seedance, they can make almost like real people. And when you see such simple animation that's purely made by human, you can see there's a very different contrast there. You can actually feel the human story. 词汇表 crudely [ˈkruːdli] adv. 粗糙地，简陋地 animated [ˈænɪmeɪtɪd] adj. 动画的，有动画效果的 homemade [ˌhəʊmˈmeɪd] adj. 自制的，家庭制作的 box office 票房 low budget [ˈbʌdʒɪt] 低预算，低成本 gross [ɡrəʊs] vt. 总收入达到，总共赚得 big screen 大银幕，电影院 2D animation [ˌænɪˈmeɪʃn] n. 二维动画 fancy [ˈfænsi] adj. 花哨的，华丽的，精致的 crew [kruː] n. 剧组人员，工作人员 cast [kɑːst] n. 演员阵容，全体演员 dub [dʌb] vt. 为……配音 dual [ˈdjuːəl] n. 组合，搭档 filmmaking [ˈfɪlmˌmeɪkɪŋ] n. 电影制作，影片拍摄 polished [ˈpɒlɪʃt] adj. 精致的，完美的，打磨过的 Seedance [ˈsiːdɑːns] n. 可灵（中国AI视频生成软件） 🌟翻译，pdf及更多文本内容见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可加入【打卡交流群】

Which foods are best for burning fat? It's common knowledge that autumn often sees people put on weight. But if you're looking to shed a few pounds, there are some foods you can rely on to boost your metabolism and thereby improve calorie burning. That's because these foods increase thermogenesis, which is the production of heat in the body. That in turn stimulates our metabolism, forcing the body to use up energy from its fat reserves. Now there are three main types of fat-burning food. Firstly, those which see our bodies burn more calories digesting them than they actually contain. Then you've got those which are rich in fibre or protein and therefore make you feel full quickly. Finally, there are those which possess active ingredients which boost your metabolism, causing you to burn calories. What are some examples then? In the veggie category, you can definitely count on aubergines. They're without doubt the number one fat-burning food. That's because they have great absorption capacity, meaning they act like a sponge trapping fat. They're also rich in fiber and pectins, which are substances that make them extra filling. Peppers are also your friend when it comes to burning calories. They're a chili plant and that means they're low on calories. They also contain capsaicin, a molecule which gives the warm and burning effect of chili. It also helps raise metabolism to increase the body's energy consumption. What about other types of food apart from vegetables? Green tea is one example of a very effective fat-burning drink. It contains a high quantity of catechin, which is an example of a flavonoid. These plant pigments purify and protect the body. The tannins in green tea also reduce absorption of fat. Certain citrus fruits, like lemon, also have a fat-burning effect. That won't come as a surprise if you've ever tried a detox diet. Lemon is recommended in all of those because the citric acid it's made up of promotes the production of bile and digestive enzymes. The end result is better use and elimination of fat. Finally, don't forget apples, which are the ultimate healthy fruit. The pectins they contain keep the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and sugar stable in our body. That in turn has a real impact on fat storage. There you have it. 词汇表 shed [ʃed] vt. 摆脱，去除（体重、习惯等） metabolism [məˈtæbəlɪzəm] n. 新陈代谢 calorie burning [ˈkæləri] 热量消耗，卡路里燃烧，燃脂 thermogenesis [ˌθɜːməʊˈdʒenɪsɪs] n. 产热作用，生热作用 metabolism [məˈtæbəlɪzəm] n. 新陈代谢 fat reserves [rɪˈzɜːvz] 脂肪储备 fat-burning food 燃脂食物 active ingredients 活性成分，有效成分 veggie [ˈvedʒi] n. 蔬菜（口语） aubergine [ˈəʊbəʒiːn] n. 茄子（英式英语） absorption capacity [əbˈzɔːpʃn kəˈpæsəti] 吸附能力 sponge [spʌndʒ] n. 海绵 pectin [ˈpektɪn] n. 果胶 filling [ˈfɪlɪŋ] adj. 易饱腹的，充饥的 pepper [ˈpepə(r)] n. 辣椒；胡椒 chili [ˈtʃɪli] n. 辣椒（指辣椒植株或辣味） capsaicin [kæpˈseɪɪsɪn] n. 辣椒素 catechin [ˈkætɪtʃɪn] n. 儿茶素 flavonoid [ˈfleɪvənɔɪd] n. 类黄酮 pigment [ˈpɪɡmənt] n. 色素 purify [ˈpjʊərɪfaɪ] vt. 净化，使纯净 tannin [ˈtænɪn] n. 单宁酸，鞣质 citrus fruit [ˈsɪtrəs] 柑橘类水果 detox diet [ˈdiːtɒks] 排毒饮食 citric acid [ˈsɪtrɪk ˈæsɪd] 柠檬酸 bile [baɪl] n. 胆汁 digestive enzymes [daɪˈdʒestɪv ˈenzaɪmz] 消化酶 cholesterol [kəˈlestərɒl] n. 胆固醇 triglyceride [traɪˈɡlɪsəraɪd] n. 甘油三酯 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

How seasons affect our moods We have four seasons in the UK. I like to think that spring gets its name from the flowers springing up to bloom. Next is my personal favourite – summer. I love the long, balmy evenings. Autumn, as some call fall, comes after. It's characterised by the orange and red leaves. Winter rolls around, and most of the vegetation is either decomposing or already dead, and the days are short and gloomy. It's no wonder that, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, about three in every hundred people in the UK experience seasonal affective disorder, otherwise known as SAD. However, researchers at the Royal College of Psychiatrists have discovered that all seasons have an impact on our psychological functioning. It's also been found that hormones play an important role in seasonal mood changes as they fluctuate throughout the year. An article published on Springer Nature Link observes positive emotional and physical changes to volunteers who were exposed to UVA from the Sun. Serotonin, known as 'the happy hormone', and dopamine, which is linked to motivation and pleasure, increases in months where there is a boost of sunlight. Similarly, lovers of spring recalibrate their energy and mood. After the cold, dark seasons of autumn and winter, it can feel like a biological reset. Speaking of cold and dark, this is when those with naturally higher serotonin levels feel their mood regulating. They no longer feel overwhelmed by the high-level serotonin seasons of spring and summer. Reduced sunlight triggers higher melatonin, the sleepy hormone. There is the notion of preparing to slow down and get cosy, like that of animals in hibernation. It also rains more in autumn and winter. The Mind Company says that rain sounds reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, and helps you relax, focus and even sleep better. We might like one season more than others. Our experience of seasons differs depending on location and environment. But one thing is for sure – our feelings change from season to season, and recognising these changes can help us act in ways that are in line with our mental, emotional and physical capabilities. 📝词汇表 spring up to bloom [bluːm] 竞相绽放，蓬勃盛开 balmy [ˈbɑːmi] adj. （天气）温和适的，宜人的 roll around （时间）再次到来，周而复始 vegetation [ˌvedʒɪˈteɪʃn] n. 植被，植物 decompose [ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz] vt./vi. 分解，腐烂 gloomy [ˈɡluːmi] adj. 阴暗的，阴沉的；忧郁的 seasonal affective disorder(SAD) [ˈsiːzənl əˈfektɪv dɪsˈɔːdə(r)] 季节性情感障碍 hormone [ˈhɔːməʊn] n. 激素，荷尔蒙 fluctuate [ˈflʌktʃueɪt] vi. 波动，起伏 UVA 紫外线A（长波紫外线） serotonin [ˌserəˈtəʊnɪn] n. 血清素（与情绪、睡眠相关的神经递质） dopamine [ˈdəʊpəmiːn] n. 多巴胺（与动机、愉悦感相关的神经递质） recalibrate [ˌriːˈkælɪbreɪt] vt. 重新校准，重新调整 biological reset [ˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkl ˈriːset] 生物重置（身心状态的重新调整） melatonin [ˌmeləˈtəʊnɪn] n. 褪黑素（调节睡眠的激素） cosy [ˈkəʊzi] adj. 舒适的，温暖的，惬意的 hibernation [ˌhaɪbəˈneɪʃn] n. 冬眠，蛰伏 cortisol [ˈkɔːtɪsɒl] n. 皮质醇（压力激素） be in line with 与…一致，符合

Sharing the road with driverless cars Phil Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Phil. Pippa And I'm Pippa. Phil Here at 6 Minute English, we love discussing new tech. One of the most controversial technologies of recent years is driverless cars, also known as self-driving cars, autonomous cars or robotaxis. Pippa Many people say they wouldn't feel safe in a car without a human driver, but there are concerns from other road users too – pedestrians, runners and cyclists. How will driverless cars interact with them? It's a problem Professor Stephen Brewster, from Glasgow University, has been working on. He explained more to BBC World Service programme Tech Life. Stephen Brewster If you're outside a vehicle right now, you can see the driver inside the vehicle, you can wave to them, they can see you, you can make eye contact. But when you come to an autonomous vehicle, there's no person in the driving seat, so how do you negotiate whether they're going to go, whether they're going to let you go? Phil On my walk to work, I need to cross the road. Usually, a driver makes eye contact with me. They look directly into my eyes and then wave me across. To wave means to raise your hand and move it from side to side. It's a gesture for saying hello, or a way of telling a person to do something. Pippa Luckily, Phil, you usually arrive safely at work and as yet there are no driverless cars in London. But, Phil, how would you feel about crossing that road in front of a robotaxi? Phil Well, maybe a little bit nervous. I might wait for it to go and go behind it or something. Pippa Mmm... yeah, I get that. I think maybe as we get more used to these technologies, we'll get more used to how to deal with them and when to cross. But in this episode, we investigate the tech helping driverless cars communicate on the roads. We'll learn some useful new words and phrases, and as usual you'll find all the vocabulary on our website, bbclearningenglish.com. Phil But first, I have a question for you, Pippa. As you mentioned, we don't have self-driving cars here in London yet. So, which was the first city to have fully driverless robotaxis on the streets? Was it: a) Philadelphia, b) Phoenix, or c) San Francisco? Pippa I'm going to say b) Phoenix because I think it's quite a car-friendly city. Phil OK. Well, we will find out the answer, but at the end of the programme. Because accidents are often caused by not seeing the oncoming danger, Professor Brewster wants to make driverless cars more visible. He discussed his work with BBC Tech Life's presenter Chris Vallance. Chris Vallance What kind of signals worked in terms of alerting pedestrians and runners and cyclists to the intentions of the vehicle? Stephen Brewster We tested two things. We tested animations and fixed, coloured light rings. The animations – they work well for pedestrians, but when it came to runners and cyclists, they have much less time to make their decisions, so if you do a quick glance at a vehicle, you don't really see the animation. Pippa It's important to alert people to driverless cars. To alert somebody means to warn them about a potential danger. Some cars do this with animations – displays of moving images. For example, a green man walking to signal it's safe to cross. Phil Animations alert pedestrians but are not suitable for runners and cyclists, who are travelling too fast to react. They only have time for a glance. A glance at something means a quick look. So, instead Stephen's team used coloured light rings, similar to traffic lights, to warn cyclists and runners. Pippa Culture is another problem. The meaning of body language can change. For example, hand waving can mean 'please proceed' in one culture, but 'thank you' in another. Phil Ammar Al-Taie is a researcher at the Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea. Here, Ammar tells BBC World Service's Tech Life why Korean culture is especially suited to self-driving cars. Ammar Al-Taie In South Korea, for example, jaywalking is illegal, whereas in the UK, you know, we tend to jaywalk a lot. Pippa Jaywalking is an American English word. It means crossing the road at a place where crossing is not allowed or without taking care. Unlike Britain, jaywalking is rare in South Korea, making the country safer for autonomous cars. Phil We've heard a lot about making driverless cars safer, and with plans to introduce them to London later this year, we'll soon see how safe they really are. Pippa Now, isn't it time to reveal the answer to your question, Phil? Phil I asked you which city was the first to have self-driving cars on the road, and you said it was Phoenix... and that is the correct answer. Phoenix, Arizona, was the first city in the world to have self-driving cars operating on public roads without a human safety driver, and that was in 2017. Let's recap the vocabulary we've learned, starting with eye contact – looking directly into someone's eyes. Pippa To wave at someone is a way of saying hi, by raising your hand and waving it from side to side. Phil If you alert someone, you warn them of potential danger. Pippa An animation is a display made up of moving images. Phil A glance is a quick, brief look at something. Pippa And finally, the American English term jaywalking means crossing the road where you're not supposed to. 词汇表 make eye contact 进行眼神交流 wave at someone 向某人挥手（打招呼或示意） alert [əˈlɜːt] vt. 提醒，警告（注意危险） animation [ˌænɪˈmeɪʃn] n. 动画，动态图像 glance [ɡlɑːns] n./vi. 一瞥，快速看一眼 jaywalking [ˈdʒeɪwɔːkɪŋ] n. 乱穿马路（不遵守交通规则横穿街道） driverless car [ˈdraɪvələs] 无人驾驶汽车 self-driving car [ˌself ˈdraɪvɪŋ] 自动驾驶汽车 autonomous car [ɔːˈtɒnəməs] 自主驾驶汽车 robotaxi [ˈrəʊbəʊtæksi] n. 机器人出租车 pedestrian [pəˈdestriən] n. 行人，步行者 cyclist [ˈsaɪklɪst] n. 骑行者，骑自行车的人 visible [ˈvɪzəbl] adj. 可见的，显眼的 light rings 光环，光带，灯环 please proceed [prəˈsiːd] 请继续，请前行 📝 翻译及pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】