Nearly 15 percent of people worldwide believe the world will end during their lifetime and 10 percent think the Mayan calendar could signify it will happen in 2012, according to a new poll.
根据一项新调查，全世界有近15%的人相信世界末日将在自己有生之年到来，10%的人认为玛雅日历预示着世界将在2012年终结。
The end of the Mayan calendar, which spans about 5,125 years, on December 21, 2012 has sparked interpretations and suggestions that it marks the end of the world.
跨越5125年的玛雅日历终止于2012年12月21日，这引发了各种关于世界末日的解读和联想。
"Whether they think it will come to an end through the hands of God, or a natural disaster or a political event, whatever the reason, one in seven thinks the end of the world is coming," said Keren Gottfried, research manager at Ipsos Global Public Affairs which conducted the poll for Reuters.
益普索全球公共事务部为路透社开展了这一调查。该部门的调研主管凯伦•戈特弗里德说：“或是认为世界会在上帝手里终结，或是认为世界将因自然灾害或政治事件毁灭，不论是何种原因，全球有七分之一的人认为世界末日即将来临。”
"Perhaps it is because of the media attention coming from one interpretation of the Mayanprophecy that states the world ’ends’ in our calendar year 2012," Gottfried said, adding that some Mayan scholars have disputed the interpretation.
戈特弗里德说：“也许是因为媒体高度关注对玛雅预言的一种解读，认为世界将在公历2012年‘终结’。”她补充说，一些玛雅学者对这种解读提出了质疑。
Responses to the international poll of 16,262 people in more than 20 countries varied widely with only six percent of French residents believing in an impending Armageddon in their lifetime, compared to 22 percent in Turkey and the United States and slightly less in South Africa and Argentina.
这一跨国调查涵盖了20多个国家的16262个人，各国受访者的应答有很大差别。只有6%的法国人认为有生之年将会见到世界末日，与此同时，有22%的土耳其人和美国人，以及比例略低的南非人和阿根廷人相信末日将至。
