VOA慢速英语2014 今年最热门的搜索内容是什么?

 

What’s the Top 'Trending' Search This Year? 今年最热门的搜索内容是什么?

The American-based company Google has just released its list of the top trending online searches of 2014. Google keeps records of everything Internet users enter on its search engine. The new list gives the names or expressions that appeared in ever-increasing numbers over a set, limited period. Trending is not to be mixed up with the most popular searches on the website.

At the top of Google’s top-trending searches list is Robin¹ Williams, the American comedian² and actor who died four months ago. The list also includes the World Cup, Ebola, Malaysia Airlines, ISIS and Flappy³ Bird.

Chances are that more people have heard of the game Angry Birds than Flappy Bird. But there it is.

Flappy Bird was the fifth most trending search term in the United States and the sixth most trending term around the world.

In the U.S., Flappy Bird even beat out major news stories like Ferguson, Ukraine and ISIS, the militant⁴ group also known as ISIL or the Islamic State.

Flappy Bird started as a mobile app game in the Apple Store and on Google Play. The man who developed the program is Dong Nguyen of Vietnam, also known as @dongatory. He said it only took him a few days to create the game.

Earlier this year, people downloaded the Flappy Bird app 50 million times. The online magazine Verge⁵ said it was the most popular game on mobile devices and earned about $50,000 a day from advertising⁶.

The game was simple enough. A player is required to touch the computer screen to keep the bird alive and to fly through small spaces between pipes. In the words of @Beansprites, another game developer, Flappy Bird “reminds me of simple old school games from the 80’s! Simple & Addictive⁷!”

By early February, the game earned more than 47,000 reviews on the App Store. Some players even produced a video called “How to Beat Flappy Bird.”

As popular as the game was, on February 8, Dong Nguyen tweeted “I can call ‘Flappy Bird’ is a success of mine. But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it.”

He followed with another tweet: “I am sorry ‘Flappy Bird’ users, 22 hours from now, I will take ‘Flappy Bird’ down. I cannot take this anymore.” The message was resent⁸ nearly 140,000 times and he removed the game as he had promised.

The reaction was quick. Some of the unhappy “Flappy Bird” fans went on social media to send death threats and even suicide⁹ notes to Mr. Nguyen.

Luckily, no one was killed and he is still busy creating new games.

1 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

2 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

3 flappy   

飞扬的

参考例句：

• Flappy flying suit! Thank you, Mr. Big Hat. Isn't he wearing his big hat? 飞行服，谢谢你，大帽子先生不是戴着帽子吗？

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

5 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

6 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

7 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

8 resent   

v.对...表示忿恨，对...怨恨

参考例句：

• I resent his dictatorial manner.我痛恨他的独断作风。
• I resent comments on the impracticality of small cars.我反对说小骄车不实用的说法。

9 suicide   

n.自杀，自毁，自杀性行为

参考例句：

• The number of suicide has increased.自杀案件的数量增加了。
• The death was adjudged a suicide by sleeping pills.该死亡事件被判定为服用安眠药自杀。