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1、1、a quick lesson in ways businesses are organized熟谙听力a quick lesson.mp3一个快速课的方式企业组织This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.这里是美国之音慢速英语经济报道。Businesses are structured in different ways to meet different needs.企业存在不同的构成形式以满足不同需求。The simplest form of business is called an individual or sole pro

2、prietorship. The proprietor owns all of the property of the business and is responsible for everything.最简单的一种企业构成形式就是独资企业，企业主拥有企业所有资产，也承担一切责任。For legal purposes, with this kind of business, the owner and the company are the same. This means the proprietor gets to keep all of the profits of the busin

3、ess, but must also pay any debts.从法律上来讲，独资企业主等同于企业，这意味着企业主获取企业所有收益，也承担所有债务。Another kind of business is the partnership. Two or more people go into business together. An agreement is usually needed to decide how much of the partnership each person controls.另外一种是合伙企业，由两个或两个以上的人合伙经营。合伙人之间通常必须拟定协议，以规定各自

4、所控制的企业份额。One kind of partnership is called a limited liability partnership. These have full partners and limited partners. Limited partners may not share as much in the profits, but they also have less responsibility for the business.其中一种合伙企业成为有限责任合伙企业。合伙人分为普通合伙人和有限责任合伙人。有限责任合伙人可能享受的收益不高，但他们相应承担的责任也

5、少。Doctors, lawyers and accountants often form partnerships to share their risks and profits. A husband and wife can form a business partnership together.医生、律师和会计们经常组建合伙企业，共同分担风险和收益。夫妻也可以共同组建合伙企业。Partnerships exist only for as long as the owners remain alive. The same is true of individual proprietor

6、ships.合伙企业仅在企业主在世的情况下存在，独营企业也是如此。But corporations are designed to have an unlimited lifetime. A corporation is the most complex kind of business organization.但公司没有生存时间限制，这是最复杂的一种企业形式。Corporations can sell stock as a way to raise money. Stock represents shares of ownership in a company. Investors who

7、 buy stock can trade their shares or keep them as long as the company is in business.公司可以通过出售股票的形式筹集资金。股票代表公司所有权，股票投资人可以进行股票交易，也可以长期持有，只要公司仍在运营。A company might use some of its earnings to pay dividends as a reward to shareholders. Or the company might reinvest the money back into the business.公司可能会拿

8、出一部分收益作为股息奖励给股东，也可能把钱再次投入公司运营。If shares lose value, investors can lose all of the money they paid for their stock. But shareholders are not responsible for the debts of the corporation.如果股份丧失价值，投资者就会损失掉所有投到股票里的钱。但是股东不用对公司的债务承担责任。A corporation is recognized as an entity - its own legal being, separat

9、e from its owners.公司被认为是一个合法存在的实体（即独立法人），与股东是分离的。A board of directors controls corporate policies. The directors appoint top company officers. The directors might or might not hold shares in the corporation.董事会控制公司决策。董事任命公司的上层员工，但董事不一定就是该公司股东。 Corporations can have a few major shareholders. Or owner

10、ship can be spread among the general public.公司可能只有几个主要的股东，也可能所有权为公众广泛持有。But not all corporations are traditional businesses that sell stock. Some nonprofit groups are also organized as corporations.但不是所有公司都是出售股票这种传统商业模式。一些非营利性组织也以公司形式存在。2、baboons熟谙听力baboons.mp3This is the VOA Special English Agricul

11、ture Report.这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。 When farmers and wild animals share land, conflicts can be hard to prevent. But the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is trying to help.当农民和野生动物在同一片土地上共存时，冲突在所难免。联合国粮农组织正试图就此提供帮助。The FAO and other groups are developing what they call the Human-Wildlife Con

12、flict Mitigation Toolkit. This toolkit is a collection of advice and information that farmers in southern Africa have been testing.粮农组织和其他组织正在开发他们所说的缓解“人类与野生动物冲突”工具包。工具包收集了经过南部非洲农民测试的建议和信息。 Wild animals are considered a top problem for the physical and economic security of rural populations in Afric

13、a.野生动物被认为是非洲农村居民人身安全和经济安全（动物造成经济损失）的首要问题。 FAO official Rene Czudek says the main aim is to provide low-cost methods to deal with wild animals without harming them.粮农组织官员Rene Czudek称其主要目的是在不伤害野生动物的前提下,提供一种低成本的应对方法。 For example, some farmers in Kenya use donkeys to guard against lions and cheetahs.例如，

14、在肯尼亚一些农民使用毛驴防范狮子和猎豹。 In Zambia and Mozambique, crocodiles are blamed for more deaths than any other animal. Nile crocodiles kill an estimated three hundred people each year in Mozambique alone.在赞比亚和莫桑比克，鳄鱼造成了比任何其他动物都更多的死亡事故。每年仅在莫桑比克，尼罗鳄就造成大约300人死亡。 Strong fencing at watering points can offer protect

15、ion. And people should always enter the water several at a time, in groups armed with weapons like sticks and stones, axes and spears.取水点的坚固栅栏可以提供保护。同时，人们下水时应该多人一组，并用棍棒、石头、斧头和长矛等武器武装自己。But the FAO also points out that crocodile attacks are less likely in places that have not been overfished.但粮农组织还指出

16、，鳄鱼在那些没有过度捕捞的地方较少袭击人类。 The toolkit also has ideas to control baboons. These large monkeys raid crops and they can kill sheep and other livestock.该工具包也包含防治狒狒的办法。这种大型猴类会破坏农作物，杀死羊和其他牲畜。 One suggestion is to remove the center from a loaf of bread and hide a snake inside - a live one if possible. Baboons

17、 have a fear of snakes. They also have good memories. Rene Czudek at the FAO says a baboon frightened by a snake sandwich will probably not come back.建议之一是掏空一块面包并将蛇藏到里面 - 如果有可能的话用活蛇。狒狒怕蛇，且他们记性很好。粮农组织的Rene Czudek称，被“蛇三明治”吓坏的狒狒可能将不敢再来。 Another animal with a good memory - the elephant - often raids fie

18、ld crops, especially maize and cassava. Mr. Czudek says the loss of a maize crop can mean the loss of a familys food supply for a year.另一种记性好的动物大象常常破坏农田作物，尤其是玉米和木薯。 Czudek先生说，玉米作物的损失可能意味着一个家庭一年口粮的损失。 Did you know elephants hate chili pepper?你知道大象讨厌辣椒吗？ Farmers can grind pepper, mix it with elephant

19、waste and form bricks. The idea is to burn these bricks around the edges of fields to keep elephants away. Farmers can also grow fields of chili peppers - and sell the surplus.农民可将辣椒磨成粉，将其与大象粪便混合制成砖。在农田四周燃烧这种辣椒砖，使大象远离农田。农民们也可以种植上辣椒并销售。 Another way to control elephants is with a plastic gun called th

20、e Mhiripiri Bomber. It fires balls that burst and release a chili solution when they hit the elephants skin.另一种防治大象的方法是使用一种名为Mhiripiri Bomber的塑料枪。它能发生出球弹，当球弹击中大象皮肤时会爆裂并释放出辣椒水。You might also be able to stop an elephant or a hippopotamus by shining lights in their eyes.你可能还可以使用强光照射它们眼睛阻止大象或河马。 The FAO

21、 toolkit is supposed to be available online soon.粮农组织的工具包有望尽快在网上提供。3、fighting cancer熟谙听力Fighting Cancer.mp3Health experts are calling for action to expand cancer care and control in the developing world. A paper published by the medical journal Lancet says cancer was once thought of mostly as a prob

22、lem in the developed world. But it says cancer is now a leading cause of death and disability in poor countries.健康专家呼吁采取行动，加强发展中国家的癌症治疗和控制。发表在医学杂志柳叶刀（Lancet）上的一篇论文表示，人们曾经认为癌症通常发生在发达国家，但是现在，癌症已经成为贫困国家造成死亡和残疾的元凶。Experts from Harvard University and other organizations urge the international community t

23、o fight cancer aggressively. They say it should be fought the way HIV/AIDS has been fought in Africa.来自哈佛大学和其他机构的专家号召国际社会积极对抗癌症。他们说，就应该像非洲对抗艾滋一样对抗癌症。Cancer kills more than seven and a half million people a year worldwide. The experts say almost two-thirds are in low-income and middle-income countrie

24、s.癌症每年造成全球超过750万人死亡。专家们表示，这其中接近2/3来自中低收入国家。They say cancer kills more people in developing countries than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. But they say the world spends only five percent of its cancer resources in those countries.他们表示，在发展中国家，癌症致死人数比艾滋病、结核病和疟疾三者加起来还多。但是，这些国家在癌症治疗上耗费的资源只占到全球的5

25、%。Felicia Knaul from the Harvard Medical School was one of the authors of the paper. She was in Mexico when she was found to have breast cancer. She received treatment there. She says the experience showed her the sharp divide between the rich and the poor in treating breast cancer.来自哈佛医学院的弗雷西亚科诺尔（F

26、elicia Knaul）是该论文的作者之一。她在墨西哥时被检查出患有乳腺癌，并在那里接受了治疗。她说，这次经历让她看到了贫富国家在治疗乳腺癌上的巨大差距。FELICIA KNAUL: And we are seeing more and more how this is attacking young women. Its the number two cause of death in Mexico for women thirty to fifty-four. All over the developing world, except the poorest-poorest, its t

27、he number one cancer-related death among young women. And, I think we have to again say that there is much more we could do about it than we are doing about it.科诺尔：“我们看到越来越多的年轻女性受到乳腺癌的冲击。这是墨西哥30到54岁女性的第二大死因。在所有发展中国家，除了那些极度贫穷的国家，乳腺癌在导致年轻女性死亡的癌症中排在首位。因此，我认为我们必须再次强调，与现在我们正在做的相比，我们能做的更多。”Professor Knaul

28、 met community health workers during her work in developing countries. She says they were an important part of efforts to reduce deaths from cervical cancer. They were able to persuade women to get tested and to get vaccinated against a virus that can cause it.科诺尔教授在发展中国家工作期间见到了社区卫生工作者。她说，他们是减少宫颈癌死亡

29、这项工作中的重要环节。他们能够说服妇女做检查并注射疫苗。The experts say cancer care does not have to be costly. For example, patients can be treated with lower-cost drugs that are off-patent. This means the drugs are no longer legally protected against being copied.专家表示，癌症治疗并不一定代价昂贵。例如，患者可以使用成本较低的专利已过期的药物进行治疗。专利已过期意味着复制这些药物不再被

30、法律禁止。In another new report, the American Cancer Society says cancer has the highest economic cost of any cause of death. It caused an estimated nine hundred billion dollars in economic losses worldwide in two thousand eight.在另一项新的报告中，美国癌症协会（American Cancer Society）指出，在所有死因中癌症付出的经济代价最高。2008年全球范围内，癌症造

31、成的经济损失约9000亿美元。That was one and a half percent of the world economy, and just losses from early death and disability. The study did not estimate direct medical costs. But it says the productivity losses are almost twenty percent higher than for the second leading cause of economic loss, heart diseas

32、e.这占了世界经济总额的1.5%，而这仅仅是早逝和残疾的损失。这项研究并没有评估直接医疗成本，但它表示，与排在经济损失第2位的心脏病相比，癌症造成的生产力损失高出了20%。4、Google熟谙听力Google.mp3Last week, Verizon and Google proposed a plan they say could keep the Internet open while supporting investment in high-speed Internet service.上周，Verizon和谷歌联手推出了一项提案，他们称，该方案既能保证互联网的开放性，又能保证对高速

33、互联网投资的支持。Verizon has the nations biggest wireless network while Google is the biggest Internet search engine. The proposal was a surprise because the two companies have been on opposite sides of the debate over net neutrality.Verizon拥有全国最大的无线网络，而谷歌则是最大的网络搜索引擎。该提案非常出人意料，因为在网络中立性的争议中，两家公司一直处于对立状态。That

34、 is the idea that all content on the Web should be treated equally.网络中立性是指互联网上所有内容都应该被公平对待。Internet service providers want to be able to charge more for heavy Internet traffic or users who want special services. The Federal Communications Commission regulates telephone, cable and satellite communica

35、tions. But its power to regulate Internet service has been questioned in the courts.网络服务供应商希望对大流量和需要特别服务的用户收取更多费用。联邦通信委员会(FCC)负责管理电话，电缆和卫星通信。但是该机构管理网络服务的权力在法庭上遭到了质疑。The new proposal calls for rules barring service providers from preventing users from sending and receiving legal information of any ki

36、nd. Users also could not be prevented from linking any application, service or device they choose to the Web.这项新的提案呼吁出台规则，禁止服务供应商阻止用户发送和接收任何形式的合法信息。也不能阻止用户连接网络上任何应用程序、服务或设备。And broadband Internet providers would be barred from discriminating against content and would have to be open about their poli

37、cies.还将要求互联网宽带供应商禁止歧视任何内容，同时必须公开他们的政策。Supporters of net neutrality criticized the proposal for not including wireless providers. Wireless broadband is among the fastest growing parts of the Internet.网络中立性的支持者批评该提案没有包括无线网络供应商。而无线宽带是互联网发展最快的部分。Others oppose the creation of a two-tiered system on the I

38、nternet in which some content gets a fast lane and other content goes slowly.But Daniel Brenner says such a system already exists.其他人则反对创建互联网“双轨制”，一些内容进入宽带快车道，另外一些则只能缓慢传输。但是Daniel Brenner表示，这种制度已经存在。DANIEL BRENNER: In some ways there are two tiers today. In other words, theres the public Internet wh

39、ich we all use for Web surfing, e-mail and sometimes for voice. And then there are managed networks.DANIEL BRENNER：“在某种程度上讲，现在已经存在两级制度。也就是说，有一些公共网络，我们所有人都可以在上面进行网上冲浪，电子邮件，有时还可以语音聊天。还有一些受到限制的网络。”Daniel Brenner is a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells in Washington. He says service providers want to

40、 be able to charge more because they build networks out to their customers across the country. Such companies are the so-called last mile providers.Daniel Brenner是华盛顿Hogan Lovells律师事务所的合伙人。他表示，服务供应商希望收取更多的费用是因为他们为全国的客户建立了网络。这样的公司就是所谓的“最后一公里连接”供应商。But, the Internet is really a network of networks whi

41、ch exchange traffic all the time and compete with each other. And not all networks reach the last mile to a customers door.但是，互联网实际上是一系列网络的组合，相互之间一直在交换流量同时也互相竞争。并不是所有网络都完成“最后一公里”实现网络入户。Paul Kouroupas of Global Crossing says his company wants to make sure agreements between service providers are hono

42、red on all networks. That way, a service promised by Global Crossing on its fiber optic network will be extended all the way to a customers door even if another company carries the service that last mile.Global Crossing公司的Paul Kouroupas表示，他们公司希望确保与服务供应商之间的协议得到所有网络的认可。那样的话，Global Crossing承诺的光纤网络服务可以扩

43、展到所有用户即使是由另外一个公司提供“最后一公里”服务。注：最后一公里（Last kilometer），在英美也常被称为Last Mile（最后一英里/最后一公里），原意指完成长途跋涉的最后一段里程，被引申为完成一件事情的时候最后的而且是关键性的步骤（通常还说明此步骤充满困难）。通信行业经常使用“最后一公里”来指代从通信服务提供商的机房交换机到用户计算机等终端设备之间的连接。5、happier熟谙听力happier.mp3This is the VOA Special English Health Report.这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道节目。Old age may not sound e

44、xciting. But recent findings offer good news for older people and for people worried about getting older.年老听起来可能不太令人振奋。但最近的一项调查结果给老年人，以及担心变老的人带来了一个好消息。Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty. In fact, they say by the age of eighty-five

45、, people are happier with their life than they were when they were eighteen years old.研究人员发现，当人们50岁时，他们变得更快乐，也少了一份担心。实际上，研究人员表示，人们在85岁时的生活幸福度比18岁时还高。The findings came from a survey of more than three hundred forty thousand adults in the United States. The Gallup Organization questioned them by telep

46、hone in two thousand eight. At that time, the people were between the ages of eighteen and eighty-five.这项调查结果源自盖洛普（Gallup，民意调查机构）2008年对美国超过34万成年人的电话调查，调查人群年龄在18岁到85岁之间。The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry. They also asked about mental or emotional stress.研

47、究人员询问了一些情感方面的问题，例如幸福、悲伤、忧虑。他们还问到了关于精神或情绪紧张的问题。Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-five.纽约州立大学石溪分校精神病学和行为科学系的亚瑟

48、斯通（Arthur Stone）领导这项研究。该研究小组发现在成年人中，22到25岁年龄段人群压力最高。The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties.Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. The people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties.研究结果表明，50岁后人们的压力大幅下降，他们在18到70岁年龄段人群中幸福度最高，当他们到70到80岁时反应出负面情绪也最少。The study also showed that men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.该研究同时表明，随着年龄增长，男性和女性存在相近的情绪模