科学家将“世界末日时钟”拨慢一分钟

位于芝加哥大学的世界末日钟60多年来一直在试图表达科学家们的观点。美国东部时间本月14日早上10点，世界末日钟两年来首次被拨动，而这一次给人们带来的是一个好消息，科学家们经过讨论，将世界末日钟往回拨了一分钟，到23点54分的位置，这意味着科学家对人类的前景感到乐观。

Doomsday Clock to be moved for first time in two years

The timepiece in New York is supposed to represent how close humanity is to catastrophic destruction – represented by midnight.

Created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in 1947 - two years after the US dropped the first atomic bombs on Japan in World War II - it was first set at seven minutes to midnight.

Since then the Bulletin's scientific board, which includes Professor Stephen Hawking and 18 other Nobel laureates, has been changed 18 times.

The latest recorded time was two minutes to midnight in 1953 as the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union escalated. In 2007 it was wound on to five minutes to midnight, to reflect the failure to solve problems posed by nuclear weapons.

The clock's earliest setting was in 1991 when it was wound back to 17 minutes to midnight after the US and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

On Friday the public will be able to watch the change for the first time via a live web feed.

It has not yet been revealed whether the clock is being moved closer to midnight or further away.

A spokesman for the BAS said: “Factors influencing the latest Doomsday Clock change include international negotiations on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, expansion of civilian nuclear power, the possibilities of nuclear terrorism, and climate change.” (Agencies)

考考你

1.数十万人冲进唐宁街10号，要求首相解除消息封锁。

2.心急如焚的群众聚集在各地的公共场所。

3.你想告诉每一个人，他们只能认命了？

4.我们的任务是确保人类的延续。

《2012》精讲之三参考答案

1.Christians call it The Rapture, but the Mayans knew about it.

2.You'd have to keep a thing like this under wraps.

3.Somebody would blow the whistle.

4.He was one of my most avid listeners.

精彩对白：Repent. There is still time. Kind of gaulling when you realize the nutbags with the cardboard signs had it right the whole time.

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（中国日报网英语点津　编辑：Julie）