>India bans heavy schoolbags
印度書包'減負(fù)'預(yù)防駝背
Concerned about producing a generation of children with hunched backs and other spine problems, India has denounced schools for making students carry heavy school bags and giving young children homework. One survey done by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India found that 68% of pre-teen children might suffer from mild back pain, which can develop into chronic back pain, and later into a hunchback. The study, which covered more than 2,500 children and 1,000 parents in major cities, found that more than 88% of children from seven to 13 carry more than 45% of their body weight on their backs. The state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located, mandates that the weight on the bag should not exceed 10% of the child's body weight. The federal circular also suggests that no homework be assigned to kids in grades 1 and 2, which also will ensure they don't need to carry books home.
由于擔(dān)心培養(yǎng)出一代有駝背和其他脊椎問題的兒童，印度譴責(zé)那些讓學(xué)生背著沉重書包、給低齡兒童布置家庭作業(yè)的學(xué)校。印度工商協(xié)會進(jìn)行的一項調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，68%的青春期前兒童可能患有輕度背痛，輕度背痛有可能發(fā)展成慢性背痛，進(jìn)而發(fā)展成駝背。這項覆蓋來自多個大城市的2500名兒童和1000名家長的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，逾88%的7-13歲兒童背負(fù)的書包重量超過自身體重的45%。孟買所在的馬哈拉施特拉邦規(guī)定，書包重量不應(yīng)超過兒童體重的10%。聯(lián)邦政府的通知還建議，不要給一年級和二年級的兒童布置家庭作業(yè)，這也能確保他們不必帶書回家。

>Plastic garbage engulf sea
塑料垃圾'活埋'加勒比海
A photographer has captured the damage being done to the planet's oceans with a shocking "sea of plastic and styrofoam" image taken near a tranquil Caribbean island. Caroline Power, the photographer, said witnessing the plastic blanket of forks, bottles and rubbish between the islands Roatan and Cayos Cochinos, off the coast of Honduras, was "devastating". "Once the trash is in the ocean, it is incredibly difficult and costly to remove. The key is to stop the trash before it enters the ocean," she said. The worst of the rubbish the dive team found was about 2,400 meters off the coast of Roatan heading towards the Cayos Cochinos Marine Reserve. Power said they passed through floating garbage for "nearly 8 km". She hopes her photos will encourage others to "make changes to their habits and daily lives to help protect and conserve this planet".
一名攝影師在寧靜的加勒比海島附近拍下了"被塑料和泡沫聚苯乙烯覆蓋的海洋"的照片，這張令人震驚的照片揭露了地球上的海洋所遭受的破壞。攝影師卡洛琳?鮑爾表示，目睹成片的塑料叉子、瓶瓶罐罐和垃圾漂浮在洪都拉斯海岸附近的羅阿坦島和科奇諾斯群島之間，讓人"崩潰"。她說："一旦垃圾進(jìn)入到了海洋中，要移除它們異常困難和費錢。解決問題的關(guān)鍵就是阻止垃圾進(jìn)入海洋。"潛水團(tuán)隊發(fā)現(xiàn)的垃圾最多的地方在科奇諾斯群島海洋保護(hù)區(qū)方向，距離羅阿坦島海灘約2400米處。鮑爾說他們穿過的漂浮垃圾帶長"近8000米"。她希望她的照片能鼓勵他人"改變習(xí)慣和日常生活，以幫助保護(hù)這個星球。"

>Abandoned homes available
日本千萬套房產(chǎn)免費送
Japan is giving away homes or selling them at heavily discounted prices amid a growing number of abandoned properties. The country has an estimated 10 million empty homes, and its "Akiya" scheme is designed to address this problem while helping young families to get into the property market. "Akiya" means "vacant" or "abandoned" in Japanese. Properties up for grabs tend to be in rural areas, which have seen an exodus of young people heading for the city. Many find their rural locations and spacious layouts desirable, but there are a number of risks to consider when taking on an "Akiya" property. First is the cost of renovation, which, in some cases, could amount to the same price as purchasing a property elsewhere. Another hazard is the ambiguity surrounding the property's abandonment, and what might stop an original owner turning up one day and demanding ownership. According to some, purchasing an "Akiya" home is deemed "absolute social failure", but with house prices in Tokyo creeping up (around $790,000 for a new build property in January 2018), it may be an option worth considering for many young families.
由于遭到廢棄的房產(chǎn)越來越多，日本正將這些房產(chǎn)免費贈送，或以極其低廉的價格出售。據(jù)估計，日本目前大約有1000萬套空置房產(chǎn)，因此發(fā)起名為Akiya的項目，以解決這一問題，同時幫助年輕家庭購置房產(chǎn)。在日語中，Akiya的意思是"空置的"或"廢棄的"。這些廢棄房產(chǎn)大多位于農(nóng)村地區(qū)，大批年輕人已經(jīng)離開這些地區(qū)，到城市生活。很多人對房屋位于鄉(xiāng)下以及寬敞的布局感到滿意，但在購置Akiya房產(chǎn)之前，還需要考慮一些風(fēng)險。首先是翻修的費用，有時這部分花費可能與在其他地方購買一套房產(chǎn)的價格一樣高。另一個潛在風(fēng)險是無法確定房屋是否真的被廢棄，前業(yè)主可能某天會突然出現(xiàn)，并要求歸還所有權(quán)。一些人認(rèn)為，購買一套Akiya房產(chǎn)會被視為"完全的社會失敗者"，但鑒于東京房價不斷上漲(2018年1月一套新房的價格約為79萬美元，約合548萬元人民幣)，因此許多年輕家庭也不妨考慮一下這個選擇。

>920K sit civil servant exam
92萬人國考錄取比63:1
A total of 920,000 people took the National Public Servant Exam on Sunday to compete for 14,500 positions, the State Administration of Civil Service said. The exam is considered one of the most competitive tests in China, as only one out of every 63 candidates is expected to get a government job this year. The number of job vacancies this year saw a sharp decline, nearly half that of 2017, when more than 28,000 vacancies were on offer. In addition to the national written exam on Sunday, those applying for certain positions related to finance, public security, foreign affairs and other fields will need to take an additional professional skill test.
國家公務(wù)員局稱，國家公務(wù)員考試2日舉行，共92萬人參考，競爭1.45萬個招錄崗位。今年國考的錄取比例僅為63:1，被認(rèn)為是我國競爭最激烈的考試之一。今年國考的招錄規(guī)模驟減，較去年的2.8萬余人壓縮了近一半。報考金融、公安、外事等領(lǐng)域特定崗位的考生除了2日的國考筆試外，還需另外參加專業(yè)技能考試。

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