Paris 2024 Olympic, Paralympic mascots unveiled
Revealed by Paris 2024 on Monday, the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic mascots are Phrygian① caps, which represent freedom in France. “Rather than an animal, our mascots represent an ideal,” Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said. “Since it is familiar to us and appears on our stamps and the pediments② of our town halls, it also represents French identity and spirit.” In a symbol of inclusion, one of the two mascots, called Phryges, wears a prosthetic③ running blade to highlight Paralympic athletes. Most Olympic and Paralympic mascots have been animals. The Phryges were compared to Minions or The Smurfs by Paris 2024 organizers. Each Phryge was given a personality. The Olympic Phryge is “the smart one” with a “methodical mind and alluring charm.” The Phryges will be present at major sports and cultural events in France in the run up to the Games, which open July 26, 2024. (NBC & NPR)
11月14日，巴黎奥组委公布2024年巴黎奥运会和残奥会吉祥物弗里吉亚帽，在法国，弗里吉亚帽代表自由。“我们的吉祥物不是动物，而是代表一种理想。”2024巴黎奥组委主席托尼·埃斯唐盖表示：“我们熟悉弗里吉亚帽，它出现在我们的邮票和市政厅的山墙浮雕上，代表着法国的身份和精神。”这两个被称为弗里吉（又称“弗里热”）的吉祥物中，有一个戴着残疾人短跑运动员的假肢“刀锋”，是残奥会的吉祥物，象征着包容。历届奥运会和残奥会的吉祥物大多是动物。弗里吉被巴黎2024奥组委比作小黄人或蓝精灵，每一个弗里吉都被赋予一种个性。奥运会弗里吉“头脑聪明”，“思维有条理”，有着“迷人的魅力”。巴黎奥运会将于2024年7月26日开幕，此前的筹备阶段，弗里吉会出现在法国各项重大体育赛事和文化活动中。
① Phrygian: [ˈfridʒiən] adj. relating to Phrygia 弗里吉亚的
② pediment: [ˈpedɪmənt] n. the part in the shape of a triangle above the entrance of a building in the ancient Greek style （尤指古希腊建筑门顶上的）山形墙,三角顶饰
③ prosthetic: [prɒsˈθetɪk] adj. used as an artificial part of the body 假体的
百科｜“弗里热”来了：看看2024巴黎奥运吉祥物长啥样
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(Credit: Olympics)
Global population hits 8 billion
The world’s population reached 8 billion on Tuesday, growing by 1 billion in the last dozen years and reflecting the rapid population spike① of the past few decades, with India projected to become the world’s most populous country by next year, surpassing China. The world’s population milestone of 8 billion people has long-term significance for both rich and poor countries. While it took hundreds of thousands of years for the world’s population to reach 1 billion, the world grew from 7 billion to 8 billion just since 2010, a reflection of advancements in health. As the world is expected to grow even more to over 10 billion during the next 60 years as the U.N.’s population division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) reported, population growth is slowing relative to the past, and the U.N. warns that the challenges of feeding, housing and keeping that level of people from polluting the climate will be significant. (CBS)
11月15日，世界人口达到80亿，其中10亿人口的增长发生在近12年，反映了过去几十年人口增长迅猛；预计印度将在2023年超过中国，成为世界上人口最多的国家。80亿这一世界人口发展里程碑对发达国家和欠发达国家都有着深远意义。世界人口总数经历了数百万年才达到10亿，但从2010年到现在，世界人口就从70亿增长到了80亿，是医疗健康进步的体现。联合国经济和社会事务部人口司报告指出，预计未来60年内世界人口总数将进一步增长到100亿以上，相比于过去，人口增长速度将会放缓。同时，联合国警示，粮食和住房将面临巨大挑战，防止如此规模的人口对气候环境造成污染也将面临巨大挑战。① spike: [spaɪk] n. a sudden large increase in something 激增
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A market in Kolkata, India. The UN projects India will surpass China to become the world's most populous nation in 2023.
(Credit: CNN)
G20 leaders reaffirm commitment to cooperation to tackle global economic challenges
The leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) reaffirmed on Wednesday their commitment to cooperation to address serious global economic challenges. In a declaration adopted at the end of the 17th G20 Summit, the G20 leaders said that collectively they carry responsibilities, and their cooperation is necessary for global economic recovery, tackling global challenges and laying the foundation for strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth. It is essential to uphold international law and the multilateral① system that safeguards peace and stability, they said, stressing that peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises as well as diplomacy and dialogue are vital. The G20 leaders said they are committed to supporting developing countries, particularly the least developed and small island developing states, in responding to the global challenges and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. (CGTN)11月16日，二十国集团领导人重申致力于合作应对严重的全球经济挑战。在二十国集团领导人第十七次峰会闭幕通过的宣言中，二十国集团领导人表示他们共同承担责任，有必要通过合作以促进世界经济复苏，应对全球挑战，为强劲、可持续、平衡和包容增长奠定基础。他们指出，必须坚持国际法，维护和平与稳定的多边体系，并强调和平解决冲突、一切有利于解决危机的努力以及外交和对话都很重要。二十国集团领导人表示，他们致力于支持发展中国家，特别是最不发达国家和小岛屿发展中国家，帮助他们应对全球挑战和实现联合国“可持续发展目标”。① multilateral: [ˌmʌltiˈlætərəl] adj. in which three or more groups, nations, etc. take part 多国的, 多边的
特稿｜习近平在二十国集团领导人第十七次峰会第一阶段会议上的讲话（双语全文+金句）
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(Credit: CGTN)
Lonely Planet reveals its top destinations for 2023
Global travel authority Lonely Planet has unveiled its top destinations to visit next year with the release of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023 on Wednesday. The 2023 edition is in a slightly different format than it has been in years past. Rather than a simple list, the destinations are split up into five categories — eat, learn, journey, unwind① and connect. “This year, we really wanted to try something new and we wanted to reflect the way that we saw travellers looking for travel, which was about the destination, but also about the experience,” explains Nitya Chambers, executive editor and senior vice president of content at Lonely Planet. In the Eat category, foodie recommendations include Peru’s capital Lima, affordable world class dining in South Africa and the rich gastronomy② scene around Umbria, Italy. Meanwhile, the Learn category spotlights destinations from Manchester, the historic region of southern Scotland and the laid-back③ surf culture of El Salvador. (CNN & PR Newswire)11月16日，全球旅游权威机构《孤独星球》发布了“孤独星球2023年最佳旅行目的地”，揭晓了明年最值得一去的旅游目的地。2023年的榜单格式与过去几年略有不同。这次的榜单不是简单的列单，而是将所有目的地分为最佳美食、最佳充电学习、最佳旅途、最佳休闲度假和最佳在地体验等五大类。《孤独星球》执行主编兼内容高级副总裁尼蒂娅·钱伯斯解释说：“今年，我们真正想尝试一些新的东西。我们想要反映游客是如何寻找目的地的，这关乎目的地，也关乎体验。”最佳美食类的推荐对象包括秘鲁首都利马、南非世界一流的平价餐厅和意大利翁布里亚大区丰富的饮食文化。与此同时，最佳充电学习类聚焦于曼彻斯特的几处目的地、苏格兰南部具有历史意义的地区，以及有着悠闲冲浪文化的萨尔瓦多。① unwind: [ˌʌnˈwaɪnd] v. to stop worrying or thinking about problems and start to relax 放松，松弛
② gastronomy: [ɡæˈstrɒnəmi] n. the art and practice of cooking and eating good food烹饪法，美食法，享乐主义
③ laid-back: [ˌleɪd ˈbæk] adj. calm and relaxed; seeming not to worry about anything 懒散的，悠闲的，闲散的
曾泰元语｜亚洲街头美食榜，猜猜中国占几席
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(Credit: Getty Images)
Beyonce leads 2023 Grammy nominationsPop superstar Beyonce led the field of musicians nominated for Grammy awards on Tuesday, setting up a showdown① with Adele, Harry Styles and others for the top prize of album of the year. Beyonce landed nine nominations for the highest honors in music. That brought her career total to 88, tying her with husband Jay-Z as the most nominated artist in Grammy history. Her dance-heavy album “Renaissance” will compete for album of the year with Adele’s “30,” “Harry’s House” from Harry Styles, “Special” from Lizzo, and entries from ABBA, Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile and Coldplay. Rapper Kendrick Lamar, also in the running for album of the year for “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” received eight nominations overall, followed by British singer Adele and singer-songwriter Carlile with seven each. The nominations again put Beyonce in competition with Adele, who won album of the year in 2017. The 2023 Grammy Awards will be held at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 5. (Reuters & Variety)
11月15日，2023年格莱美奖提名公布，流行巨星碧昂丝领跑提名，将与阿黛尔、哈里·斯泰尔斯等人展开角逐，争夺年度最佳专辑奖。这一次，碧昂丝获得了“音乐界最高荣誉”格莱美奖的9项提名，这使碧昂丝和丈夫Jay-Z并列成为格莱美史上获得提名数最多的艺人，在职业生涯中共获88项提名。她的舞曲唱片《文艺复兴》将与阿黛尔的《30》、哈里·斯泰尔斯的《哈利的房子》、莉佐的《特别》以及阿巴乐队、坏癖兔、玛丽·布莱姬、布兰迪·卡莉和酷玩乐队的作品角逐年度最佳专辑。说唱歌手肯德里克·拉马尔也凭借《道德高尚先生和“大狠人”》入围年度最佳专辑提名，共获8项提名。英国歌手阿黛尔和创作型歌手卡莉紧随其后，分获7项提名。此次提名使碧昂丝与阿黛尔再度同场竞技，后者曾在2017年获年度最佳专辑奖。2023年格莱美颁奖礼将于当地时间2023年2月5日在洛杉矶加密竞技场（原斯台普斯中心）举行。① showdown: [ ˈʃəʊdaʊn] n. an argument, a fight or a test that will settle a disagreement that has lasted for a long time 对决，最后一决胜负
美文选刊｜为什么喜欢阿黛尔？
视听｜2021年第63届格莱美颁奖典礼及红毯全程（完整视频）
第62届格莱美提名揭晓，2019年最好听的英文歌单来了！
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(Credit: Getty Images)
Nadal eliminated from ATP Finals, Alcaraz to finish year at No. 1
Rafa Nadal was eliminated from the ATP Finals as Casper Ruud beat American Taylor Fritz in their round-robin① match in Turin on Tuesday, which also guaranteed that teenager Carlos Alcaraz would end the year as world number one. Spaniard Nadal needed to win the tournament② to take the rankings top spot from compatriot③ Alcaraz, but straight-set losses to Fritz on Sunday and Felix Auger-Aliassime earlier on Tuesday left him needing Ruud to lose in straight sets to keep his hopes alive. Ruud, who had already beaten Auger-Aliassime, edged out④ Fritz 6-3 4-6 7-6 in a tight encounter. The 19-year-old Alcaraz, who is not competing at the tournament due to an abdominal⑤ injury, will be confirmed as the youngest year-end number one since the ATP rankings began in 1973. With his 6-3 6-4 loss to Canada’s Auger-Aliassime, the record 22-times Grand Slam champion Nadal has now lost four successive ATP Tour matches for the first time since 2009. (Reuters & CNN)11月15日，在意大利都灵举行的ATP年终总决赛小组赛中，继卡斯珀·鲁德战胜美国小将泰勒·弗里茨，拉菲尔·纳达尔惨遭淘汰，这也确保了西班牙天才少年卡洛斯·阿尔卡拉斯成为单打年终世界第一。西班牙选手纳达尔需要赢得比赛才能从同胞阿尔卡拉斯手中夺回世界第一的位置，但13日与15日先后对阵弗里茨和菲利克斯·奥格·阿利亚西姆都连续两盘脆败让纳达尔将希望寄托在鲁德的连败上。然而，已经击败奥格·阿利亚西姆的鲁德在激烈的交锋中以6比3、4比6、7比6的比分险胜弗里茨。年仅19岁的阿尔卡拉斯因腹肌受伤缺席了本次总决赛，他将成为自1973年ATP排名以来最年轻的年终世界第一。曾创下22次大满贯冠军纪录的纳达尔又以3比6和4比6输给了加拿大选手奥格·阿利亚西姆，这是他自2009年以来首次在ATP赛事中四连败。① round-robin: [raʊnd ˈrɒbɪn] n. a competition in which every player or team plays every other player or team 循环，计时赛
② tournament: [ˈtʊənəmənt] n. a sports competition involving a number of teams or players who take part in different games and must leave the competition if they lose. The competition continues until there is only the winner left. 锦标赛，联赛
③ compatriot: [kəmˈpætriət] n. a person who was born in, or is a citizen of, the same country as somebody else 同胞，同国人
④ edge out: to move somebody from their position or job gradually, especially when they are not fully aware of what is happening 挤掉，险胜
⑤ abdominal: [æbˈdɒmɪn(ə)l] adj. relating to or connected with the abdomen 腹部的
美文选刊｜网球是什么颜色：你注意了吗
一周热闻｜世卫组织称新冠疫情结束“在望”、西班牙抓捕欧洲洗钱大鳄、瑞士网球名将费德勒宣布退役……
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(Credit: Getty Images)
张菊 审订
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