Exchange Rate Lessens Value of Nobels

 This year's Nobel Prizes will be worth the
equivalent of $1.3 million each - a drop of $200,000 from last year because
of currency fluctuations, the Nobel Foundation said Thursday.

    Although the prize amount is the same
in Swedish currency - 10 million kronor - it works out to less in
dollars and euros because both currencies have risen against the krona. The 2004
prizes were the equivalent of $1.5 million.

    The first prize to be awarded this year
will be in physiology or medicine on Oct. 3, with physics on Oct. 4 and
chemistry on Oct. 5. The economics prize will be announced Oct. 10 and the peace
prize Oct. 14.

    In keeping with tradition, the date for
the literature prize will be announced later.

    All the prizes are awarded in Stockholm
except for the peace prize, which is given in Oslo, Norway.

瑞典诺贝尔基金会18日宣布，本年度每项诺贝尔奖的奖金金额为130万美元，由于汇率的波动，比去年的150万美元少了20万美元。

    据美联社8月18日报道，尽管以瑞典本国货币来看，该奖项的奖金额度仍为1000万克朗，但由于近期美元和欧元对克朗的汇率均告升值，所以同样数量的克朗兑换成那两种货币后其数值也会相应减少。

    今年宣布获奖者的首个奖项是将于10月3日揭晓的医学及生理学奖，接下来分别是10月4日的物理学奖及10月5日的化学奖。经济学奖结果将于10月10日公布而和平奖则还要等到10月14日。依据传统，文学奖获奖者名单的公布日期将在晚些时候确定。除了和平奖在挪威首都奥斯陆颁发外，其它奖项的颁奖地点均在瑞典首都斯德哥尔摩。

    （ 张咏）