World in Pictures
Photo source: ImagineChina

	Largest blooming flower 世界上最大的花盛开 The bloom of the Corpse Flower occurred at Quail Botanical Gardens in California near San Diego. The enormous, rare and very smelly flower is considered by some to be the superstar of the plant kingdom. Native to Indonesia, the plant rarely blooms in its 40-year life span, and not often in cultivation. The plant begins as a large tuber. It then sends up a solitary pointed shoot that can grow at the rate of six inches a day, sometimes reaching 12 feet in height. Not a lot is known about the plant as it is difficult to find in the wild, especially flowering. The Corpse Flower plant has only been seen in bloom about 20 times since it was first displayed in New York in 1937 and is thought to be the largest flowering plant structure in the world.
	Sea lion "calligrapher" 海狮"书法大师"献艺 Seven-year-old male sea lion "Jonao" holds a calligraphy brush in his mouth as he writes "rooster" in Chinese characters in connection with the Year of the Rooster 2005, at the Sea Paradise aquarium in Yokohama, suburban Tokyo, December 31, 2004. The sea lion will display his calligraphy skills to audiences from January 1 to 10, 2005 as a main attraction at the aquarium during the New Year holidays. The official Year of the Roster begins on February 9 this year.
	Little cat returns to life 小猫"死而复生" This photo released December 10, 2004, by Genetic Savings & Clone, Inc., shows Julie of Dallas, Texas, holding her cloned cat Little Nicky in San Francisco. The cat is the first commercially cloned feline delivered to a customer, according to the company. The 17-year-old cat, died in 2003 and its DNA was saved at the California based company. The Texas cat owner Julia paid $50,000 for the recreation of Little Nicky.
	Slimming World Man of the Year 2004 超级肥佬18月体重狂减154磅 Slimming World Man of the Year 2004, Phil Hayes, a plumber from Watford in Hertfordshire, England, lost 11 stones (154 lbs) over the last eighteen months, taking his weight from 364 lbs to a healthy 210 lbs. Phil used to suffer from severe back pain and gout before his new lifestyle which now includes regular cycling and squash.
	Turkeys fighting 传统斗鸡迎新年 Two turkeys, nicknamed Bin Laden and Bush, fight during a contest in Mustafakoc village, some 35 kilometers from Tirana, Albania, as part of the new year festivities, December 26, 2004. The Mustafakoc village organizes a fight festival every year in which each turkey is given a politician's or VIP's name.
	Rooster formed with pansies 花卉拼图迎新年 With 2005 being the Year of the Rooster in the Chinese zodiac, a rooster and two chicks, formed with some 8,000 pansies, have been completed at Abemonjuin Temple in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture, Japan.
	Glass cello unveiled 顶级琉璃小提琴揭开面纱 Combo picture shows violinists, Natsuko Haga (L, top) and Kyoka Horie (L, middle) play glass violins while Akiko Kimura (L, lower) plays a glass viola and cellist Tamami Shimoyamada (R) with a glass cello during their glass string quartet concert by Japanese glass maker Hario in Tokyo, December 26, 2004. Japan's top heat-resistant glass maker Hario unveiled its world's first ever glass violin in 2003 and glass cello in December 2004.

World in Words
Collected & translated by Beverly

The world's most powerful earthquake in more than 40 years hit Asia on December 26, 2004, unleashing a tsunami which devastated coastal areas of almost a dozen countries.
2004年12月26日, 亚洲遭遇了40年罕见的大地震. 地震引发的海啸更是摧毁了十多个国家的沿海地区.

Recall of disastrous scenes

"I just couldn't believe what was happening before my eyes. As I was standing there, a car actually floated into the lobby and overturned because the current was so strong."
"我真不敢相信眼前发生的一切. 我就站在那里, 看见一辆车竟然被冲进大堂, 掀了个底朝天, 水流实在太强了. "

"I joined masses of people in escaping to high land. Some carried their dead and injured loved ones. Some of the dead were eventually placed at the roadside, and covered with sarongs. Others walked past dazed, asking if anyone had seen their family members."
"人们纷纷逃往高处, 我也是. 有些人背着他们死去或受伤的爱人, 有些遇难者被搁置在路边, 用布裙盖着, 还有的茫然地四处探询亲人的下落. "

Voice of a survivor

"There is no food here whatsoever. We need rice. We need petrol. We need medicine. I haven't eaten in two days."
"这里什么东西都没有. 我们需要食物, 需要汽油, 需要药品. 我已经两天没吃东西了. "

International aid

"We are committed to helping the affected countries in the difficult weeks and months that lie ahead." (U.S.A.)
"接下来的几个星期, 甚至是几个月会很困难, 但我们会全力援助受灾国家. " (美国)

"This is one of the biggest relief operations we have ever had, and we see clearly that in addition to our traditional donors, we now have a very generous outpouring from new donors, Asian societies, gulf Arab countries."
"这是我们所组织的最大的援助行动. 除了原有的援助国, 许多国家, 如亚洲和阿拉伯的一些国家, 也纷纷慷慨相助. "(联合国)

Afterthought

"I want to see that every coastal country around South Asia and Southeast Asia has at least a basic but effective tsunami warning system in place by this time next year." (United Nations disaster reduction office)
"我希望明年的这个时候, 南亚、东南亚地区所有的沿海国家都至少能建立起一个基本而有效的海啸预警机制. "(联合国减灾办公室)