Life on Mars? Four per cent think we will be roaming the Red Planet in 2025. Researchers are hoping this prediction is correct - they tested spacesuits on a simulated Mars surface mission earlier this year in Moscow. |
Imagine waking up to a world where China is the world's leading superpower, astronauts are busy walking on Mars and a brand new political party is ruling the UK. Well this could be the reality in 15 years if some of the predictions of 100,000 Britons are correct. The massive survey asked the men and women of the UK how they pictured the world in 2025. Nearly half believe Prince William will bypass Prince Charles to be crowned King of England although one in six think the monarchy will have been abolished. On the world stage 60 per cent think China is set to become the world's leading superpower, while a third of us think Great Britain will be made up of four self-governed countries. A quarter of those polled believe a new party will form the Government in 2025 although the same proportion think that Labour will be back in power. Further afield four per cent are optimistic there will be a permanent human base on Mars while one in ten expect a colony of humans to be living in space. Meanwhile technology will have come on in leaps and bounds. More than half questioned in the MSN study predict people will watch all their favourite shows via TV sets hooked up to the internet. Two-thirds believe cosmetic surgery will have become common place and one in six think we will look after our own health using apps and gadgets rather than relying on the doctor. But at least we can distract ourselves with the daily comings and goings of pop singers and reality stars, as more than half think that 'celebrity' will be a registered profession. The Pulse of the Nation survey was carried out to mark MSN's 15 year anniversary. Matt Ball, editor-in-chief at MSN UK, said: 'When MSN launched Toy Story came out and was the first completely computer generated film, John Major was Prime Minister and Barings bank collapsed. 'British life has changed remarkably since then. The depth and breadth of insight from our research demonstrates how passionate and opinionated people are about life in the UK.' (Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
想象一下,有一天當(dāng)你醒來時,發(fā)現(xiàn)中國成了世界領(lǐng)先的超級大國,宇航員們在火星上行走,而統(tǒng)治英國的是一個嶄新的政黨。 15年后這些情景可能都會成真——如果接受調(diào)查的那些英國人預(yù)測得準(zhǔn)的話。該調(diào)查涵蓋了10萬名英國人。 這項(xiàng)大型調(diào)查問他們想象中的2025年的世界是什么樣的。 有近一半的被調(diào)查者認(rèn)為威廉王子會越過其父查爾斯王子提前登基,成為英國國王。但也有六分之一的人認(rèn)為到那時君主制已經(jīng)被廢除了。 對于將來的世界格局,60%的人認(rèn)為中國定會成為世界超級大國,而三分之一的人認(rèn)為英國會分解成四個自治的國家。 四分之一的被調(diào)查者相信2025年將會有一個新政黨來成立政府,但也有同樣比例的人認(rèn)為工黨會重新掌權(quán)。 有4%的人想得有點(diǎn)遠(yuǎn),他們樂觀地相信到時候火星上會有一個永久性人類基地,而十分之一的人認(rèn)為2025年會有人移民太空。同時,人們預(yù)計科技將會飛速發(fā)展。 這項(xiàng)MSN發(fā)起的調(diào)查顯示,過半的被調(diào)查者預(yù)測說到2025年人們可以在連著網(wǎng)絡(luò)的電視機(jī)上收看他們喜愛的節(jié)目。 三分之二的人認(rèn)為到時候整形手術(shù)會很普遍。六分之一的人認(rèn)為在2025年我們可以通過應(yīng)用軟件和一些小設(shè)備來檢測健康狀況,而不用事事麻煩醫(yī)生。 但至少來來往往的流行歌手和真人秀明星能讓我們解悶,因?yàn)檫^半的人認(rèn)為“明星”將會成為一個注冊職業(yè)。這項(xiàng)“國家動向調(diào)查”是為了紀(jì)念MSN的15周年生日而進(jìn)行的。 MSN英國的主編麥特?保爾說:“15年前MSN剛推出的時候,第一部完全由電腦制作的電影《玩具總動員》剛剛上映,巴林銀行剛剛倒閉,當(dāng)時任首相的還是約翰?梅杰。 “自那時起,英國人民的生活發(fā)生了翻天覆地的變化。調(diào)查所得見解的深度和廣度表現(xiàn)了人們對英國生活充滿熱情,并且對生活有自己的看法?!?/p> 相關(guān)閱讀 美宇航局發(fā)現(xiàn)火星細(xì)菌 成生命新證據(jù) (中國日報網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 崔旭燕 編輯:陳丹妮) |
Vocabulary: in/by leaps and bounds: 飛躍地;突飛猛進(jìn) distract: to amuse or entertain 提供消遣;(使)娛樂 |