缤纷前沿 第1期

Chimps May Understand Language Too

黑猩猩或许也懂人言

Scientists have always thought that one of the basic differences between us and our closest evolutionary cousins, chimpanzees, has been the ability to perceive (理解) and process speech. But that might not be the case. Scientists now suspect that what separates us from the apes might just be practice. A 25-year-old chimp at Georgia University called Panzee can interpret symbols and understand more than 100 spoken and digitised (数字化的) words. New research has shown that Panzee can "interpret" highly distorted speech sounds―in a way similar to humans.

原来《猩球崛起》(Rise of the Planet of the Apes)中的黑猩猩首领凯撒开口说话并非纯属虚构，只要有足够的训练，黑猩猩也能掌握人类语言。真是Practice makes possible。

65-storey Earth-Scraper 300 Metres

Below Ground

深入地下300米的65层摩“地”大楼

Architects have designed an incredible 65-storey "Earth-scraper" which plunges 300 metres below ground. The stunning upside down pyramid in the middle of Mexico City is designed to get around height limits on new buildings in the capital. The building will have 10 storeys each for homes, shops and a museum, as well as 35 storeys for offices. The Earth-scraper preserves the iconic presence of the city square and the existing hierarchy of the buildings that surround it. It is an inverted (颠倒的) pyramid with a central void (空隙) to allow all habitable spaces to enjoy natural lighting and ventilation (通风).

上天入地，人类真是无所不能。继高耸入云的摩天大楼之后，直入地底的倒金字塔状摩“地”大楼也呼之欲出。这里一应俱全，或许将成为人类的另一个美丽新世界。

Canadian Man Completes 11-year Round-the-World Walk

加拿大六旬翁徒步环游世界

A 56-year-old Canadian man, Jean Beliveau, completed an 11-year walk around the world, and told a crowd of well-wishers his new goal was to lobby (游说) Canada and other governments to create "ministries of peace", which he said could lead to the creation of a team that would lecture students on peace issues, as well as a Canadian peace corps.

Beliveau left Montreal on the day of his 45th birthday―August 18th, 2000―after his business went bankrupt. He ran all the way to Atlanta, Georgia before slowing his stride (大踏步走) for what would become the longest uninterrupted walk around the world: 75,000 kilometers across 64 countries.

这位六旬老人就像是现代版的阿甘，怀揣“世界和平”的梦想不断前进。我们也和他有同样的梦想，共同祈愿这一梦想早日实现。