环球英语 — 263：Nobel and Ig Nobel Awards

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Joshua Leo.
Voice 2
And I’m Ruby² Jones. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
‘The Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 goes to Martti Ahtisaari. The prize is for his important efforts to bring peace to international conflicts. He has done this on several continents for more than thirty years. His efforts have helped to create a more peaceful world. He has demonstrated peaceful ways to reduce conflict between nations.’
Voice 1
This was the announcement for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008. The prize is named after Alfred Nobel. You may remember a Spotlight programme about Nobel. When he died, he wanted all his money to be used for special prizes. The prizes honour people who have served humanity in different ways. Peacemakers, scientists, writers and economists³ receive prizes for great achievements in their work.
Voice 2
The Nobel Prize ceremonies take place each year on December the 10th. In 2008, each Nobel prize is worth 1.3 million [1,300,000] dollars. The Nobel judges said why they chose Martti Ahtisaari for the Peace Prize. It was because of his work as a mediator⁴. Being a mediator meant that Martti Ahtisaari would go to conflict areas in the world. There, he would help the opposing sides to reach peaceful agreements.
Voice 1
Martti Ahtisaari was once the President of Finland. He had also worked for the United Nations. The UN sent Ahtisaari to Namibia. There he helped to negotiate the African country’s independence. He has also helped prevent conflicts in Indonesia and worked very hard to find a solution to the conflict in Kosovo. But Martti Ahtisaari says he is not the only person who deserves the Nobel Prize. He says,
Voice 4
‘I am not the only person who can do what I have done. But very often people do not get the chance to do what I have been given to do. Also, I work with people who are very good at what they do. It is not a job for only one man.’
Voice 2
Marrti Ahtisaari now hopes that the prize will encourage support for his work. In the year 2000, he set up an organisation⁵ called the Crisis Management Initiative, or CMI. CMI helps in managing areas suffering from conflict. It works to bring opposing groups together. They can then negotiate - to try and prevent more conflict. Marrti Ahtisaari says,
Voice 4
‘There are a number of people in conflict areas who have turned to us. But much depends on money. We must do studies before we decide to help. We ask "Are we the right organisation to do the work?" We should never jump to every request that we receive. I think we have to say no to more requests than we accept.’
Voice 1
Judges award Nobel Prizes in six subjects. These are Peace, Chemistry, Physics, Medicine, Economics and Literature.
Voice 2
This year’s prize for medicine was divided between three winners. Two of these scientists were the first people to discover the virus that causes AIDS - HIV. They are Fran?oise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier. They discovered the cause of AIDS in 1983.
Voice 1
Both scientists are from France. Jean-Fran?ois Delfraissy is the president of the group in charge of AIDS research in that country. He said,
Voice 3
‘This award comes at just the right time. It will encourage young people to attempt to solve many of the remaining problems. These include developing a vaccine⁶ to protect against the disease... and developing new treatments.’
Voice 2
The Nobel prizes honour people who have served humanity in their work. But there is also another prize that honours a different kind of achievement. The winners are people who do not deserve a Nobel. Instead, they receive an Ig Nobel. The Ig Nobels are given for achievements that “make people laugh, and then make them think”. They are a fun look at some of the work done in the past year. The name 'Ig Nobel' is a language joke, a pun. 'Nobel' sounds like the English word 'noble' - meaning 'very honoured'. And Ig Nobel sounds like 'ignoble⁷ ' meaning the opposite of noble - that is, 'not honoured'.
Voice 1
People receive Ig Nobels for similar subjects to the Nobel Prizes. So, this year’s Ig Nobel Peace Prize went to a group from Switzerland. They decided⁸ that plants have dignity - they deserve our honour and respect.
Voice 2
The Ig Nobels also awarded a prize for biology. The judges gave it to a group from France. Their research concerned fleas⁹ - very small insects that live on the skin of animals. They showed that the fleas that live on a dog can jump higher than the fleas that live on a cat.
Voice 1
The Ig Nobel judges gave the award for physics to a group from the United States. They proved that rope or hair always becomes tangled¹⁰ - it always becomes tied in knots.
Voice 2
Knowing how things become tied in knots may seem like a useless thing to research. But one of the men who did the research does not think so. Douglas Smith said,
Voice 5
‘The way knots form is important in many subjects. For example, knots often form in DNA¹¹ - the molecule¹² that carries genetic¹³ information. DNA is long and shaped like rope. Human cells contain chemicals that undo¹⁴ any knots in the DNA. Some anti-cancer drugs stop cancer cells increasing. They do this by letting its DNA form knots.’
Voice 1
So, something that sounded useless, could be very useful. Scientist never know exactly how useful scientific research will be. But Douglas Smith thinks his project could encourage other people to get involved in science.
Voice 5
‘Even today, there are still interesting scientific problems that can be studied at home. You can use low-cost objects bought in a store. The most important thing is to be interested in learning about people or things around you. And you must ask good questions.’
Voice 1
The Nobels and Ig Nobels seem like very different prizes. But this year’s winners do have something in common. They were all interested in the world around them. Then they asked why. Why are these two countries at war? Why do people get AIDS? Why does hair always become knotted - and why does it matter? Thanks to the Nobel and Ig Nobel winners, we come closer to solving some of life's difficult problems.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

5 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

6 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

7 ignoble   

adj.不光彩的，卑鄙的；可耻的

参考例句：

• There's something cowardly and ignoble about such an attitude.这种态度有点怯懦可鄙。
• Some very great men have come from ignoble families.有些伟人出身低微。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 fleas   

n.跳蚤( flea的名词复数 )；爱财如命；没好气地（拒绝某人的要求）

参考例句：

• The dog has fleas. 这条狗有跳蚤。
• Nothing must be done hastily but killing of fleas. 除非要捉跳蚤，做事不可匆忙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 tangled   

adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了，我梳不动。
• A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。

11 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

12 molecule   

n.分子，克分子

参考例句：

• A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
• This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。

13 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

14 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。