圣马可钟楼，威尼斯，意大利 St. Mark's Clock Tower, Venice, Italy (© scaliger/Getty Images)

圣马可钟楼，威尼斯，意大利 St. Mark's Clock Tower, Venice, Italy (© scaliger/Getty Images)

时间的步伐 The March of time

夏令时开始

又到了一年中的这个时刻，时钟拨快一小时，虽然少睡了一小时，但换来了更长的傍晚时光。今年的夏令时从今天凌晨2点正式开始，亚利桑那州和夏威夷州除外，这再次提醒我们，时间从不会等待任何人。夏令时的理念很简单：最大化利用自然光，减少能源消耗。这一概念最早在 18 世纪由本杰明·富兰克林提出，尽管他当时 “节省蜡烛”的建议更像是一种讽刺，而非严肃提议。时间快进到 20 世纪初，许多国家在战争期间采用夏令时以节省燃料。美国于 1966 年颁布了《统一时间法案》，正式将夏时令标准化。如今，全球约70个国家实行夏令时，通常从3月持续到11月，让人们享受长达八个月的漫长夜晚。

今日图片中的圣马可钟楼位于意大利威尼斯，已有500 多年的历史。这座文艺复兴时期的杰作不仅显示时间，还追踪月亮、太阳和黄道十二宫的运行。钟楼顶部矗立着威尼斯的标志，一只带翼的圣马可飞狮，以及两个青铜摩尔人，他们以精准的节奏敲响钟声，仿佛在演绎一场精心编排的戏剧。

Daylight saving time begins

It's the time of year again when clocks spring forward, stealing an hour of sleep but giving us longer evenings to enjoy. Daylight saving time (DST) starts today at 2 AM, except in Arizona and Hawaii, reminding us that time, quite literally, waits for no one. The idea is simple: maximizing daylight and reducing energy consumption by syncing our activities with the natural light cycle. This concept was popularized by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, though his suggestion to 'save candles' was more satirical than a serious proposal. Fast-forward to the early 20th century, when many countries adopted DST to conserve fuel during wartime. The US officially standardized it in 1966 with the Uniform Time Act. Today, DST runs from March to November in around 70 countries, giving eight months of extended evening light.

The clock in today's image—St. Mark's Clock Tower—is in Venice, Italy, where it has been keeping time for over 500 years. This Renaissance masterpiece tracks the moon, the sun, and the zodiac. Towering above is the city's iconic winged lion and two bronze Moors who strike the bell with theatrical precision.