weekly news: 比薩斜塔讓位 德國尖塔成「世界最斜塔」

weekly news: 比薩斜塔讓位 德國尖塔成「世界最斜塔」

　　German steeple beats Leaning Tower of Pisa into Guinness book
　　
  j( S2 ?& W, k6 o. w" l  p6 y0 i　　A 15th century church steeple in Germany has snatched the accolade ofthe most tilted tower in the world from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, theGuinness Book of World Records confirmed on Thursday.
　　
　　The27-metre-high (86-feet-high) steeple in the northern village ofSuurhusen tilts at an angle of 5.19 degrees compared to just 3.97degrees for the Pisa tower.
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　　In a ceremony to mark GuinnessWorld Records Day on Thursday, the book』s editor-in-chief handed over acertificate to mark the accomplishment to church officials.
　　
　　"We have always known it, but now it』s official," said the pastor of the church, Frank Wessels.
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; I2 I6 A) `7 K6 g! U　　According to local historian Tjabbo van Lessen, the church was builtin marshy land in 1450 on foundations of oak tree trunks which werepreserved by the water in the ground.
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+ K9 m+ h8 }" A  j. ?( o. R5 e　　When the land was drained in the 19th century, the wood rotted, causing the tower to tilt.
　　
- i3 P- E/ Y8 \& p　　The steeple was closed to the public in 1975 for safety reasons, but re-opened 10 years later after being made safe.
　　
　　Suurhusen is a village of 1,200 residents near Germany』s border with the Netherlands.
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' X, k% ]4 d+ U# w4 H6 n　　《吉尼斯世界紀錄大全》於上週四確認，德國一座建於15世紀的教堂尖塔「擊敗」意大利比薩斜塔，贏得「世界最斜塔」的稱號。
　　
　　這座位於德國北部蘇烏爾胡森村的教堂尖塔高27米，傾斜5.19度，而比薩斜塔的傾斜度僅為3.97度。
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3 |* P6 [2 ~* b& e2 x　　在本週四「吉尼斯世界紀錄大全日」的慶祝儀式上，《吉尼斯世界紀錄大全》的主編向教堂的神職人員頒發了證書。
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8 q4 V' h! u8 k7 I. i( z8 y　　教堂的弗蘭克‧威瑟爾斯牧師說：「其實，我們早知道這個事實，但現在我們得到了官方的認證。」
　　
　　據當地歷史學家蒂加博‧范‧萊森介紹，這座教堂於1450年在爛泥地裡建成，它以橡樹樹幹為地基，幾個世紀以來，教堂的木質地基一直浸泡在地下水中。
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! {* G# \, _& t" ^1 c　　19世紀，這塊地裡的水被排干，木質地基也隨之腐爛，導致整個建築逐漸傾斜。
　　
/ T3 \2 ^; p2 _, `1 p. K9 p& z　　由於安全原因，尖塔於1975年停止向公眾開放，但十年後，經過安全加固的尖塔又重新對外開放。
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　　蘇烏爾胡森村地處德國與荷蘭交界處，共有1200個居民。
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: V% A: m2 ?6 P- H  q# B) R　　想永葆青春？去曬太陽吧！
0 i* e/ j, F& a# L　　Sunshine 『helps to keep you young』
　　
　　A healthy dose of sunshine may be the secret to staying young, British scientists have revealed.
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" U3 @" i! }- P2 ?) w; ~  f　　A healthy dose of sunshine may be the secret to staying young, British scientists have revealed.
　　
" a+ X9 ]$ ]# D" X　　Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin in response to sunlightand may help to slow the ageing process and protect against heartdisease, according to the study.
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　　Researchers from King』sCollege London studied 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79, looking attheir telomeres - a biological marker of ageing found in DNA. As peopleget older their telomeres get shorter and they become more susceptibleto certain illnesses.
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　　But the study found women with highlevels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres - a sign ofbeing biologically younger and healthier.
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　　The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole.
　　
　　Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said: "These results are excitingbecause they demonstrate for the first time that people who have higherlevels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levelsof vitamin D.
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　　"This could help to explain how vitamin D hasa protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heartdisease and cancer."
　　
　　He said further studies are required to confirm the findings.
　　
　　Professor Tim Spector, head of KCL』s twin research unit, and aco-author of the report, added: "Although it might sound absurd, it』spossible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skincancer may also have a healthy effect on the general ageing process."
　　
2 q, A/ B, d5 v( K: y0 s6 u+ y' T$ s　　Vitamin D made by the action of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90per cent of the body』s supply, but lower levels can also be obtainedthrough food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals.
　　
　　Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease.
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　　 英國科學家日前公佈，長期堅持曬太陽可能是永葆青春的秘訣。
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. k& m1 r- {# F: `9 ~+ c　　該研究稱，皮膚受到陽光照射後而自然產生的維他命D有助於延緩衰老，預防心臟疾病。
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6 |9 ~& I. S! ^) M　　由倫敦國王學院開展的該研究共有2160名女性參加，她們的年齡在18歲至79歲之間。研究人員們主要對研究對象的端粒（端粒是位於染色體末端的DNA微粒，與人的衰老有關）進行了探究。研究發現，隨著年齡的增長，人的端粒日趨變短，人體對於某些疾病的抵抗力也不斷下降。
　　
　　但研究發現，體內維他命D含量較高的女性的端粒相對較長，這是人更加年輕與健康的一種生物學表現。
　　
8 ?- J, Z0 R/ Q　　研究表明，維他命D有助於延緩DNA的衰老，從而延緩整個人體的衰老。
　　
% P* `; E7 h' y& p/ f/ n% P　　研究負責人布蘭特‧理查德茲說：「研究結果令人振奮。研究首次表明，體內維他命D含量較高的人比體內維他命D含量較低的人衰老得慢。」
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. V8 P( e% S9 A$ ^' W9 B# O. V1 r　　「這也許可以解釋維他命D是如何預防如心臟病和癌症等很多與衰老有關的疾病這一問題。」
　　
　　布蘭特稱，研究結果需要經過進一步研究加以確認。
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- H2 p1 M( d( `2 ^$ ^. }　　研究報告撰寫人之一、倫敦國王學院雙胞胎研究小組的蒂姆‧斯派克特教授說：「儘管這聽起來可能有些荒謬，但有一點完全有可能：曬太陽在增加患皮膚癌風險的同時，對於延緩整個衰老進程是有一定積極作用的。」
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0 u- c- D3 p+ n& P9 F1 d, }　　皮膚受到陽光照射後所產生的維他命D占體內總含量的90%，此外，攝入魚類、蛋類及早餐麥片等食物也能為人體提供少量的維他命D。
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　　另有研究表明，維他命對預防癌症和心臟病具有重要作用。