People are seen standing in the lobby of the Amazon offices in New York on Feb 14, 2019. [Photo/IC]
>Tech verifies users by hands亞馬遜無人店'刷手'付款
Amazon filed a patent for technology that could identify you by scanning the wrinkles in the palm of your hand and by using a light to see beneath your skin to your blood vessels. 亞馬遜近日申請一項技術專利：通過掃描手掌上的皺紋，以及利用一種光線照射皮膚下的血管可識別人們的身份。
This new patent could have particular relevance for Amazon's cashierless brick-and-mortar Amazon Go stores. The resulting images could be used to identify you as a shopper at the stores. 這項新專利可能與亞馬遜不設收銀員的實體店Amazon Go關係尤為密切，其結果圖可用於鑑別人們在Amazon Go商店的顧客身份。
Once implemented, the system will allow customers with Amazon Prime accounts to scan their hands at the store and link them to their credit or debit card. 一旦得以應用，該系統將允許擁有亞馬遜Prime帳戶的客戶在店裡"刷手"，並將此關聯到他們的信用卡或借記卡上。
Shoppers can simply take the items they want and walk out, and sensors installed around the store will automatically bill their Amazon account.顧客僅需拿走想要的商品然後走出商店，安裝在商店周圍的傳感器將自動從他們的亞馬遜帳戶上扣款。
File photo of David Stern. [Photo/Agencies]
>Ex-NBA commissioner diesNBA前總裁斯特恩病逝
Former National Basketball Association (NBA) commissioner David Stern, who oversaw the explosive growth in the popularity of the game during his tenure, died at the age of 77 on Wednesday. 1月1日，全美籃球協會(NBA)前任總裁大衛·斯特恩逝世，享年77歲。
Stern, who served 30 years as the NBA's longest-tenured commissioner before Adam Silver replaced him on Feb 1, 2014, had been in serious condition after undergoing emergency surgery on Dec 12 in New York following a sudden brain hemorrhage. 斯特恩在任期間，NBA人氣爆炸式增長。他為NBA效力30年，是任期最長的總裁。2014年2月1日，亞當·肖華接替斯特恩成為新總裁。12月12日，斯特恩在紐約突發腦溢血，接受緊急手術治療後病情仍然十分危重。
Stern's greatest accomplishment as commissioner is widely considered to be the way he transformed the NBA, which at one time was largely an unknown commodity outside the US, into a globally-televised powerhouse. 外界普遍認為，斯特恩執掌NBA的最大成是他對NBA的"改造"，使NBA成為全球電視轉播的頂級聯賽，此前，NBA在美國以外的地區只是一個毫無知名度的商業產品。
Stern was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016.2014年，斯特恩入選奈史密斯籃球名人堂，2016年他入選國際籃聯名人堂。
Headquarters of the People's Bank of China, the central bank, is pictured in Beijing, Oct 8, 2018. [Photo/IC]
>PBOC cuts reserve ratios新年伊始央行全面降準
The Chinese central bank decided to inject more than 800 billion yuan through a broad cut of the cash amount that financial institutions must hold as reserves, or the reserve requirement ratio (RRR), to keep liquidity ample and provide cheaper financing for the real economy. The RRR cut, 0.5 percentage point for most financial institutions, will take effect on Monday, the People's Bank of China, the central bank, announced on Wednesday. 為保持市場流動性合理充裕，為實體經濟提供更低的融資成本，中國人民銀行1月1日宣布，決定於6日起下調金融機構存款準備金率0.5個百分點。此次全面降準將釋放資金8000多億元。
The cut will increase fund resources for financial institutions, and the PBOC asked commercial banks to use the released funds to strengthen support on small, micro and private companies, a statement on the PBOC website said. 央行官網的一份聲明稱，此次降準增加了金融機構的資金來源，商業銀行要積極運用降準資金加大對小微、民營企業的支持力度。
The central bank has cut the reserve ratio eight times since early 2018 to spur economic growth. 2018年初以來，央行為刺激經濟共進行了8次降準操作。
The latest move should not be seen as a change in prudent monetary policy, and it is not a "flood irrigation type of easing", according to the central bank.央行表示，此次降準並非"大水漫灌"，穩健貨幣政策取向沒有改變。
[Photo/VCG]
>Divorce rates remain high全國離婚人數15年上漲
For the 15th consecutive year, divorces are on the rise in China, with over 3.1 million couples filing for divorce in the first nine months of 2019, according to recently released figures by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. 民政部近期公布的數據顯示，我國離婚率連續15年上漲，2019年前三個季度，全國登記離婚夫妻數量超過310萬對。
Nearly 80% of marriages dissolved due to "discord or an incohesive relationship." 近八成婚姻因"不和諧或毫無凝聚力的夫妻關係"而破裂。
The average divorce came between two to seven years after marriage. Years of rapid development has transformed Chinese society. 離婚大多發生在婚後2-7年。中國社科院政治學研究所所長房寧表示，多年的快速發展使我國社會發生了改變。
Better socio-economic status and more open social concepts can lead to higher tolerance for divorces, according to director of the Institute of Political Science of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Fang Ning. 更好的社會經濟狀況以及更開放的社會觀念使得人們對離婚的容忍度更高。
Increased income also means that people have more options and are less dependent on the marriage to support the family. 增長的收入也意味著人們有了更多的選擇，不那麼依賴婚姻來支撐家庭。
Now "couples have fewer extra worries and it is easier for them to leave each other once they find mutually incompatible," said Fang.如今夫妻的後顧之憂更少，一旦雙方發現彼此合不來，會更容易分道揚鑣。
Find more audio news on the China Daily app.
來源：chinadaily.com.cn