死亦为鬼雄

　　Even in Death, Elvis Is Still the King

　　Elvis Presley, the King of Rock'n' Roll, was crowned top-earning dead celebrity of the past 12 months, according to a list compiled by Forbes.com, the Web site of the popular business magazine, Forbes. Presley earned million from June 2001 to June 2002, according to Forbes.com, which ranked the earnings of the dead and famous for the second year in a row. Coming in second behind Presley was "Peanuts" cartoonist Charles Schulz1, who raked in million for the year. Rounding out the top five were Beatle John Lennon, at million; race-car driver Dale Earnhardt2, also at million; and Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel3, at million. Forbes.com said it compiled the list through interviews with family members, lawyers and estate administrators. Elvis Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977 of heart attack at his home in Memphis. He was 42.

　　1. Charles Schulz(1922-2000)，美国著名漫画家。他于1950年首次发表的“花生”(Peanuts)系列漫画广受欢迎，至今风靡世界各地，其中最深入人心的形象是小狗史努比(Snoopy)。

　　2. Dale Earnhardt，美国著名赛车手，2001年2月在比赛中车祸身亡。

　　3.Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel，即Theodor Seuss Geisel(1904-1991)，美国著名儿童作家，Dr. Seuss为其笔名。

　　根据知名财经杂志《福布斯》的网站Forbes.com编制的排行榜，摇滚之王埃尔维斯-普雷斯利荣膺过去12个月中收入最高的已故名人称号。这是Forbes.com连续第二年对已故名人收入进行排位，据其统计，普雷斯利在2001年6月至2002年6月期间收入达3700万美元。在普雷斯利之后位居第二的是“花生漫画”的作者漫画家查尔斯-舒尔茨，他在这一年中挣了2800万美元。名列前5名的还有收入2000万美元的披头士乐队成员约翰-列侬，收入也是2000万美元的赛车手戴尔-埃恩哈特以及收入为1900万美元的“苏斯博士”西奥多-吉塞尔。Forbes.com称排行榜是依据从已故名人的家庭成员、律师及资产管理者那里了解来的情况编制的。埃尔维斯-普雷斯利于1977年8月16日在孟菲斯的家中因心脏病发作去世，时年42岁。

　　Remarks：死了都还有人来数你的钞票，盛名之累，一至于斯！

　　书中有梦

　　Readers Reveal Stuff of Dreams

　　Pychologists have confirmed what writers have always believed: that books are literally the stuff of dreams. A survey has confirmed that readers of Iris Murdoch1 or JK Rowling2 are more likely to have bizarre dreams than people deepsintosa history of the crusades. People with a taste for fiction experienced dreams that contained more improbable events, and their dreams were more emotionally intense. The survey also found that people who read thrillers were no more likely to have nightmares. But those with a weakness3 for science fiction were rather more likely to wake up suddenly with a cold sweat. The study, according to Mark Blagrove, of the University of Wales, is perhaps the first experiment to determine a link between the waking world and dreams. Dr Blagrove and colleagues distributed 100,000 questionnaires about sleep patterns and literary tastes, and got more than 10,000 replies. They found that 58% of all adults had experienced at least one dream in which they were aware they were dreaming"and that women could recall more dreams than men. Older people seemed to dream less and have fewer nightmares. Around 44% of children said their dreams were affected by the books they had been reading. "Children who report reading scary books have three times the number of nightmares as children who don't," said Dr Blagrove.

　　1.Iris Murdoch(1919-1999)，出生于都柏林的英国著名女作家，作品多涉及伦理道德，有时采取寓言的形式。

　　2.JK Rowling,英国女作家，《哈里-波特》系列小说的作者。

　　3.weakness：此处意为“偏爱、喜好”。

　　心理学家证实了作家们一直以来的信念：书籍的确是梦的素材。一项调查证明，读爱丽丝-默多克或是罗琳的作品的人比钻研十字军东征史的人更容易做怪梦，而小说爱好者的梦带有更强烈的感情色彩，其中包含的奇异事件也更多。调查还发现读恐怖小说的人并不一定会多做噩梦，而喜欢科幻小说的人却更容易带着一身冷汗惊醒。按照威尔士大学的马克-布拉格罗夫的说法，这项研究可能是考察梦与现实之间关系的第一次实验。布拉格罗夫博士和他的同事发出了10万份关于睡眠型态与阅读趣味的调查问卷并收到了超过1万份回复。他们发现成人中有58%做过至少一次这样的梦：在其中他们知道自己在做梦。他们还发现女性能比男性记起更多的梦境。老年人的梦似乎要少一些，也更少做噩梦。大约44%的孩子说他们正在阅读的书籍影响到了他们的梦境。布拉格罗夫博士说：“报称正在读吓人的书籍的孩子做噩梦的次数3倍于那些没读的孩子。”

　　Remarks：如果说人生如梦，书籍也仍然是梦的素材。要是书没选好或者读的方法不对，后果可能比做噩梦还要糟糕哦！

　　哈里-波特的力量

　　The Power of Harry Potter

　　As if by magic, virtually all British parents have suddenly picked up the habit of reading to their children. A poll commissioned by UK electricity utility Powergen found that Harry Potter, as well as older classics, had created a veritable bedtime reading revolution. Ninety percent of British parents now read to their children, up from only 40 percent in 2000. Powergen claimed the rise was due to the popularity of what it called "kid-ult" books, which appeal to children and adults alike. "With the current revival of children's classics like the Lord of the Rings at the cinema, parents are rediscovering books they read when they were younger or are feeling inspired to read them for the first time," a Powergen statement quoted psychologist Aric Sigman as saying. "Just as both parents and children can enjoy escapism and fantasy, these stories also raise important issues that they can talk about together. This sharing of ideas and opinions is critical to the emotional and creative development of children."

　　如同中了魔法一般，几乎所有的英国家长都突然捡起了念书给孩子听的习惯。英国电力公司Powergen委托组织的一次调查发现《哈里-波特》系列以及一些更早的经典著作已经掀起了一场真正的睡前阅读革命：现在有90%的英国家长念书给孩子听，而在2000年这一比例只有40%。Powergen认为这种增长是由于他们所称的“大小人”书的流行，这样的书对大人和孩子有同样的吸引力。“随着现时像《指环王》这样的儿童经典著作在电影院中的复兴，家长们对自己儿时读过的书籍产生了新的兴趣，要么就是第一次有了去读它们的愿望，”Powergen的一份声明中援引心理学家埃里克-西格曼的话说。“正如家长和孩子都可以从空想和幻想中得到乐趣一样，这些小说也为家长和孩子提出了可以一起讨论的重要问题。与家长分享意见和看法对孩子情感和创造力的发展是至关重要的。”

　　Remarks：《西厢记》拉近男女感情，《哈里-波特》改善亲子关系，文字的力量真不可小视。

　　卫生间的秘密

　　Secrets of the Office Restroom

　　The restroom may be the most private place in the cubicle-land of today's open-plan offices, but, unlike the characters of Ally McBeal*, few workers use it for emotional breakdowns or to escape a busy day. In fact, 92 percent of U.S. office workers say they use the bathroom only for the plumbing"and then they hightail it back to their desks. Still, a lot of office grunts wouldn't mind a back rub in the lav, or maybe some tunes. A warm seat wouldn't be so bad either, according to a survey conducted for U.S. paper giant Kimberly-Clark Corp. The survey found that just 2 percent of office workers go to the restroom to "hide or get away." Of the 257 adults surveyed, one-third said they think about work assignments while in the restroom. Nevertheless, office drones might be happy to spend more time in bathrooms if employers provided a few perks. More than a quarter of respondents said they'd like magazines and newspapers in their bathroom stalls. The true dreamers, a respectable 12 percent, requested masseuses and manicurists. Another 11 percent asked for stalls outfitted with music and headsets while a few practical folks"9 percent"said heated toilet seats would make bathrooms cozier. When presented with a list of ugly restroom situations, 15 percent said asking someone to share toilet paper was their worst lavatory nightmare, while 13 percent said running out of the stall to get paper and scurrying back was their biggest fear.

　　*Ally McBeal：《艾莉的异想世界》，1997年首播至今不衰的美国电视系列喜剧，描写一群律师的工作和生活，主角为女律师Ally McBeal。

　　在现今开放式办公环境下由一个个小隔间组成的天地里，卫生间也许是最具有私密性的场所了。但是，很少有员工像《艾莉的异想世界》里的角色那样把它用作调节紧张情绪和逃避繁忙工作的地方。实际上，92%的美国办公室职员说他们上卫生间只是为了方便--然后匆匆回到自己的办公桌。当然，根据调查结果，许多办公室职员觉得在厕所里放音乐或是来个背部按摩是不错的主意，温暖的马桶座也是受欢迎的点子。为美国纸业巨人金佰利公司进行的此次调查发现，只有2%的职员上厕所去“躲藏或逃避”。在257个接受调查的成年人中，1/3说他们上厕所时想的是自己的工作。不过，如果老板能在卫生间里搞点意外惊喜，那些偷懒的员工会很高兴在里面多呆一阵。超过1/4的受访者表示希望厕所隔间里能有报纸和杂志，而那些真正的梦想家--竟然占了12%！--要求在里面派驻女按摩师和美甲师。另有11%的人要求在厕所隔间里提供音乐和耳机，而占总数9%的讲求实际者说热的马桶座会使厕所更为舒适。调查人员向受访者们出示了一份厕所尴尬事清单，15%的人说向别人要厕纸是最糟糕的厕所梦魇，认为跑出隔间去拿纸再急步跑回去是最恐怖事件的则有13%。

　　Remarks：把厕所弄得太舒服不是什么好主意--以后上厕所不但可能要排队，搞不好还得像申请休假一样需要老板的书面批准。

　　憋出来的赔偿

　　Man Gets Relief for Lack of Relief

　　A German desperate to relieve himself for two hours on a packed but toiletless train won compensation for what a court called his torture. A Frankfurt court ordered Deutsche Bahn (Germany Railways) to pay the man, who walked uncomfortably through the modern high-speed train, stumbling over people sitting in the corridors, as he searched in vain for a working WC. All the toilets on the Frankfurt to Dresden train were locked because there was no water for flushing. "The plaintiff had to torture himself with his urgent need for two hours because he could not find a free toilet," the court said in a written ruling. The one working toilet was kept locked. A key witness in the case, a fellow passenger, gained access to it after pressuring a ticket inspector.

　　一个德国人在一列拥挤不堪且没有厕所的火车上憋了两个小时，他因这种被法院称为折磨的痛苦经历而获得了270美元赔偿金。法兰克福一家法院命令德国铁道公司向该男子支付赔偿金，后者磕磕绊绊地越过坐在走道中的人，艰难地穿过这列现代化的高速列车，却终于没能找到一个能用的厕所。因为没有冲厕用水，这列自法兰克福开往德累斯顿的火车上的所有厕所都上了锁。法院在书面的判决中说：“由于找不到能用的厕所，原告不得不忍受其紧急需要的折磨达两小时之久。”列车上惟一能用的厕所一直锁着门。本案关键证人之一、一位同车的旅客在向一个查票员施压后才用上了这个厕所。

　　Remarks：我们的铁路部门应引以为戒，要是我国民众都仿效德国人的做法就不得了了。

　　宠物权利法案

　　Pets May Get Own "Bill of Rights"

　　Less than two years after European Human Rights1 were incorporatedsintosBritish law, steps are underway to give pets their own "bill of rights" aimed at guaranteeing them a minimum quality of life. The Sunday Times newspaper reported that Elliot Morley, Member of Parliament, will outline proposals to update animal welfare legislation that dates back to 1911. The weekly broadsheet2 said that under the proposed rules, pet owners could be prosecuted if they failed to give dogs, cats and rabbits what they needed"including adequate food and water, enough space and companionship. "We have an obligation to treat animals in the way that a civilized society expects," Morley is quoted as saying. A cartoon accompanying the front-page article depicts a gerbil addressing its human master from inside a cage: "I demand to speak to my lawyer."

　　1.《欧洲人权公约》于2000年10月2日正式成为英国法律的一部分。

　　2.broadsheet：指版面大、风格严肃的“大报”，与tabloid(小报)相对。

　　《欧洲人权公约》编入英国法律还不到两年，宠物的“权利法案”就已被提上议事日程，目的在于保障它们的最低生活质量。据《星期日泰晤士报》报道，议员埃利奥特-莫利将草拟相关提案以更新早在1911年制定的动物福利法律。这家严肃的周报说，按照他提出的规则，未能满足狗、猫、兔子等宠物的需要--包括充足的食物和水、足够的空间和友谊--的宠物主人将被起诉。报纸援引莫利的话说：“我们有义务按照一个文明社会所期望的方式去对待动物。”这篇头版文章配发的一幅卡通描绘了一只笼子里的沙鼠，它正在对主人说：“我要跟我的律师谈谈。”

　　Remarks：此法不具可操作性，因为其实质是想使宠物永远成为宠物，而“pets”最终往往会变成“pests”--尽管人对动物的感情有时会比他/她对其他人的感情还要持久。

　　教你谈恋爱

　　Singapore Lovers Told to Do It by the Book

　　Singapore is handing out booklets to singles with tips on how to plan the perfect date, the Sunday Times said. The eight-page booklet offers practical tips such as: "If you have a dog, why not take a stroll with the pooch...Just make sure that your date is not afraid of dogs." "We aim to empower singles by helping them with basic courtship skills, showing them that it's really a natural process," Tan-Huang Shuo Mei*, director of the government's Social Development Unit (SDU), was quoted as saying. The SDU is one of two bodies the government has set up to encourage marriage in a tiny city state grappling with a low birth rate. "This is so typically Singaporean," the paper quoted one former SDU member as saying. "It seems as though we need people to tell us what to do and how to do it."

　　*新加坡华人姓名中的“Tan”并非普通话拼音，其对应的姓多为“陈”，故译为“陈”。

　　《星期日泰晤士报》报道，新加坡正在向单身公民们分发关于如何安排完美约会的小册子。这本8页的小册子提供了实用的约会技巧，例如：“如果你养了一只狗，干吗不带着它一起散步呢……不过你得确定你的约会对象不怕狗。”报纸援引新加坡政府社会发展署(SDU)主任陈黄淑梅(音)的话说：“我们向单身人士传授基本的求爱技巧，告诉他们恋爱是一件非常简单自然的事情，以此来鼓励他们。”这个小小的城市国家正在和低出生率作斗争，政府设立了两个机构来鼓励婚配，SDU是其中之一。“这是典型的新加坡特色，”报纸援引一位前SDU成员的话说。“好像我们需要别人来告诉我们该做什么以及怎么去做似的。”

　　Remarks：鼓励生育恐怕应该从社会福利政策着手。政府虽然是民之父母，也不必要表现得如急着抱孙子的老太太一般吧。

　　自杀无葬礼

　　No Funerals for Suicide Victims

　　The Greek Orthodox Church in Cyprus said it would not bury people taking their own lives, declaring suicides "the greatest sin." "The church condemns suicide and has banned church burials for those who take their lives," said a spokesman for the Holy Synod, the church ruling body. "It is the ultimate sin which shows disrespect to the will of God." Previously the church, a powerful institution with business interests ranging from real estate to industry and banking, had frowned on suicides but there was not an outright ban. The church said it would only make allowances for people who were mentally disturbed with a medical certificate to prove it. Most parish priests now turn a blind eye to the circumstances of a death to perform a funeral service. The church ruling changes that.

　　塞浦路斯的希腊正教会宣布自杀是“最大的罪过”，并说它将不为自寻了断的人举行葬礼。“教会谴责自杀行为，并禁止为自杀者举行宗教葬礼，”教会权力机构神圣宗教会议的一位发言人说。“这种行为违背神的意愿，是最极端的罪恶。”希腊正教会涉足从房地产、工业到银行业的多种行业，是一个颇有权势的机构。此前它就不赞成自杀行为，但并未公开宣布禁止。教会说只有那些精神不正常并有医学证明的自杀者才能得到它的宽恕。目前，大部分教区牧师在提供葬礼服务时都对死者的死因不闻不问，教会的决定改变了这种状况。

　　Remarks：这吓不倒一心寻死的人，因为他们连进不进天堂都不在乎(按教义自杀者不能升入天堂)。还是想法子让人间变得美好些吧。

　　多播点广告！

　　"More Ads, Please" Say Bored Viewers

　　Italian television could never be accused of being highbrow, but now it's apparently become so tacky that most Italians would rather watch commercials, according to a new survey. Almost two-thirds of Italians say ads "are among the most entertaining things on TV" and a third say they would be "sad" if there were no adverts, a survey of 980 viewers aged between 25 and 55 showed. The survey was conducted on behalf of mediasgroupsStarcom MediaVest at the annual Cannes festival of advertising. Respondents said adverts did much more than regular programming to create TV personalities and excitement, particularly those commercials that develop a story over time.

　　意大利的电视节目向来说不上是阳春白雪，但一项新的调查显示它现在显然是太俗了，俗到大部分意大利人宁愿看广告也不看它的地步。对980名年龄在25至55岁之间的电视观众的调查显示，将近2/3的意大利人认为广告“是电视里最有趣的节目之一”，1/3的人说如果没有广告他们会感到“悲伤”。这次调查是受媒体集团Starcom MediaVest委托，在年度戛纳广告节期间进行的。受访者说，广告在塑造荧屏个性和煽动观众等方面要比普通电视节目做得好得多，尤其是那些有故事情节的广告。

　　Remarks：广告的精彩从成本角度很容易理解：广告是单位时间平均制作成本最高的节目。