作者：Eco Team

Thailand’s lèse majesté law
泰国的冒犯君主罪法律

Treason in cyberspace
互联网上的叛国罪

Jul 2nd 2009 | BANGKOK
From The Economist print edition

The battle over the royal family between government and opposition goes online
政府与反对派之间关于王室的斗争蔓延到互联网

ON YOUTUBE, he was “thaiman 8”, a prolific poster of crude videos that mocked Thailand’s royal family. These days Suwicha Thakhor goes by another identity: inmate in Bangkok’s Khlong Prem prison. In April he was sentenced to ten years in jail after pleading guilty to lèse majesté, the crime of defaming or threatening the Thai crown. Since 2005 this century-old law has enjoyed a renaissance, netting politicians, scholars, activists and an Australian author. Recently, it seems to have got more coercive.

在Youtube上，他是“thaiman 8”，一个经常发布粗俗视频，嘲弄泰国王室的用户。这些日子，Suwicha Thakhor 获得了另一个身份——曼谷孔普雷监狱的住客。今年四月，他被指控冒犯君主——一项试图侮辱或威胁泰王的罪行，获刑十年。自2005年以来，这项有百年历史的法律“再发神威”，获罪者包括政客、学者、异议分子以及一位澳大利亚作家。最近，它似乎变得更加生猛。
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全国首届ECO翻译大赛
 
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Zap!
激光歼蚊
Jun 4th 2009
From The Economist print edition

Medical technology: Researchers are devising laser-defence systems to shoot down mosquitoes and prevent the spread of malaria. No, really
医学技术：研究者正在设计激光防御系统，用来歼灭蚊子，防止疟疾扩散。不会吧，这是真的吗？


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Smart tyres hug the road
智能轮胎助行驶

Keeping a grip
保持抓地力

Jun 30th 2009
From Economist.com

A new type of tyre can help to avoid a skid
新型轮胎可防止打滑

FEW sensations of helplessness match that of driving a car that unexpectedly skids. In a modern, well-equipped (and often expensive) car, electronic systems like stability and traction control, along with anti-lock braking, will kick in to help the driver avoid an accident. Now a new tyre could detect when a car is about to skid and switch on safety systems in time to prevent it. It could also improve the fuel-efficiency of cars to which it is fitted.

     开车过程中由于意外打滑而感到无能为力是很罕见的。在当代，装备精良（同样也很昂贵）的汽车，诸如稳定控制系统和牵引力控制系统之类的电子系统，与防抱死系统相结合，有助于防止事故的发生。如今，一种新的轮胎可以探测到汽车的打滑倾向，从而转换到安全模式来防止其发生。它还可以提高安装此种轮胎的车辆的燃料效率。
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Caveat creditor
诚告债权人

Jul 2nd 2009
From The Economist print edition

A new economic era is dawning
新经济时代正在临近

SOMETIMES you can have too much news. There was so much financial turmoil in the autumn that it was hard to keep up with events. In retrospect it is clear that a change in the economic backdrop akin to the demise of the Bretton Woods system in the early 1970s has taken place. Investors will be dealing with the aftermath for decades to come.

有时你可能觉得信息泛滥。秋日里发生的金融风暴事件实在太多，很难实时跟进事态的发展。现在回想起来，显而易见的是，与20世纪70年代初的布雷顿森林体系解体背景相似的经济巨变已然发生。而投资者将在未来十年中疲于善后。
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Politics this week 一周时政要闻
Jul 2nd 2009
From The Economist print edition

AFP

There was a military coup in Honduras after Manuel Zelaya, the leftist president, tried to organise an unconstitutional referendum to allow him to stand for a second term. He was arrested and deported by the army, which acted with the support of Congress and the Supreme Court. The head of Congress was sworn in as president, pending an election in November. The Organisation of American States, the United States and the European Union all condemned the coup and called for Mr Zelaya’s reinstatement. See article
左翼总统Manuel Zelaya试图组织一场违宪的公投来让他连任，其后洪都拉斯发生军事政变。在国会和最高法院的支持下，现任总统被逮捕并且驱逐。国会议长宣誓成为新任总统，而十一月份将举行大选。美洲国家组织，美国以及欧盟均谴责这场政变，并呼吁恢复Zelaya总统的职权。
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America’s thriving gossip magazines
美国繁荣的八卦杂志

Rags to riches 杂志致富

Jun 18th 2009 | NEW YORK
From The Economist print edition

One corner of the print-news industry is relatively healthy
新闻印刷业的一隅相对繁荣

FOR seven of the past eight weeks the front cover of Us Weekly magazine has featured salacious stories about Jon and Kate Gosselin. The Gosselins, who have eight children including sextuplets, are the stars of an obscure American reality-TV programme that briefly became the most watched show on cable. Sensing a surge of interest, other celebrity magazines have piled in with reports of marital disharmony. Even in a recession, tittle-tattle sells.

过去的八周有七周,《美国周刊》封面以Jon和Kate Gosselin的粗俗故事为特色专题。Gosselin一家，有包括6胞胎在内的8个孩子，成了美国现实-TV节目的明星，这个不出名的节目短时间也在有线电视上备受瞩目。其他名人杂志发觉公众兴趣激增，便在杂志中插入关于不和谐婚姻的报道。即使经济衰退，八卦还是有的卖。
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Business this week
Jun 25th 2009
From The Economist print edition

Xstrata’s all-share offer to Anglo American for a “merger of equals” was forcefully rebuffed by Anglo’s board. Big investors in Anglo urged it to keep the door open to a sweetened deal, which would create the world’s third-biggest mining company.
英美资源公司董事会不屑一顾的拒绝了斯特拉塔公司全股份平等合并的提议，而同时该公司的大股东们则力主就这一将造就全球第三大矿产公司的交易与英美资源公司进行谈判协商。
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Troubled Ireland and Europe
麻烦不断的爱尔兰和欧洲

Lisbon’s last hope
《里斯本条约》——最后的救命稻草

Jun 25th 2009 | DUBLIN
From The Economist print edition

The Irish government is unpopular—but may still win a Yes to the Lisbon treaty
虽然当前的爱尔兰政府不是那么招人待见，但仍有可能因为《里斯本条约》而赢得选举
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Buttonwood
梧桐树专栏

Tied to the mast
自缚桅杆

Jun 25th 2009
From The Economist print edition

Coping with the politics of austerity
面对节俭政策


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