2010年4月30日 星期五

Fanny, Sherry, pretty Penny

譯林擷趣/翻譯懸賞

翻譯有時要用「譯註」才能解決問題。現在我懸賞不用註解就可以翻譯好以下笑話中Sherry、Penny和Fanny三個英文字的人。

有三個美國男人去參加就業口試,主考官看了第一個男人的履歷表,就說他愛喝酒,不能錄取,因為他娶了一個太太名叫Sherry。然後主考官又看看第二個男 人的履歷表,搖頭說他愛錢,因為他娶了一個太太叫Penny。此時第三個男人笑著對另外兩個男人說:「那我也沒有希望了,因為我太太叫Fanny。」

這邊的Sherry除了是女人的名字之外,也有「雪利酒」的意思,Penny除了是女人的名字,也是錢的單位「便士」,而Fanny除了是女人的名字,也 作「屁股」。如有人能一次到位把這三個字譯成既是女人名字,又有上述三種意義的中文,不用任何譯註,那真是譯林高手了!




Fanny
n. Slang, pl., -nies.
The buttocks.

[Perhaps from Fanny, a nickname for Frances.]


sherry
n., pl., -ries.
  1. A fortified Spanish wine ranging from very dry to sweet and from amber to brown.
  2. A similar wine made elsewhere.

[Alteration of sherris (taken as pl.), after Xeres (Jerez), Spain.]


penny
n., pl., -nies.
  1. In the United States and Canada, the coin that is worth one cent.
  2. pl., pence (pĕns).
    1. (Abbr. p.) A coin used in Great Britain since 1971, worth 1/100 of a pound. Also called new penny.
    2. (Abbr. d.) A coin formerly used in Great Britain, worth 1/12 of a shilling or 1/240 of a pound.
    3. A coin formerly used in the Republic of Ireland, worth 1/100 of a pound.
    4. A coin used in various dependent territories of the United Kingdom.
  3. Any of various coins of small denomination.
  4. A sum of money.
  5. One of a set of colored, usually sleeveless shirts worn as a temporary team uniform, as when scrimmaging.
idiom:

pretty penny

  1. A considerable sum of money: I paid a pretty penny for that ring.

[Middle English, an English coin, from Old English penig.]

2010年4月29日 星期四

come up, coming up

Steve Jobs defended Apple's decision to exclude Adobe's Flash player from many of its mobile devices.

COMING UP: An interview with Adobe CEO Narayen. Live blog at 2 p.m. and video at 4 p.m.

come up
1. Arise, present itself, as in This question never came up. [Mid-1800s]
2. Rise (from a lower place to a higher one) as in We'll leave as soon as the sun comes up. [9th century]
3. Also, come up to. Approach, come near, as in He came up and said hello, or The dog came right up to Nora. [Early 1700s]
4. Also, come up to. Rise in status or value, be equal to, as in His paintings will never come up to his teacher's, or This officer came up through the ranks. [c. 1600] A variant is come up or rise in the world, used for someone who has risen in rank, wealth, or status; for example, He has really come up in the world--he now owns a yacht, or I could see at once that she was a woman who would rise in the world. Also see the subsequent idioms beginning with come up.

2010年4月28日 星期三

hard liquor.mead, soft drink, soda pop

soft drink
n. In both senses also called soda pop, ; also called regionally cold drink, drink, Also called pop, soda, Also called soda water, tonic.
  1. A nonalcoholic, flavored, carbonated beverage, usually commercially prepared and sold in bottles or cans.
  2. A serving of this beverage. See Regional Note at tonic.


hard liquor

Distilled alcoholic beverages, such as gin or whiskey. For example, We're serving wine and beer but no hard liquor. The hard here refers to their high alcoholic content, which is also true for hard cider, although the latter is not distilled but has simply fermented.



mead1 (mēd) pronunciation

n.
An alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey and water.

[Middle English, from Old English meodu.]


mead2 (mēd) pronunciation
n. Archaic
A meadow.

[Middle English mede, from Old English mǣd.]

2010年4月27日 星期二

annotated editions , University Professor


Google adds business information to Street View
Los Angeles Times (blog)
Google has added a new annotation feature to Street View to make it easier for users to find basic information about a particular establishment. ...


Political and Economic History of the People's Republic of China: An Annotated Timeline

 

 

 University Professor at Columbia University

University Professor 校座教授 is the highest academic rank at Columbia University.

Contents

[hide]


University Professors


University Professors Emeriti


John Mitchell Mason Professor of the University


John Mitchell Mason Professor Emeritus of the University


Former University Professors


See also


annotate
verb [T] FORMAL
to add a brief explanation or opinion to a text or drawing:
Annotated editions of Shakespeare's plays help readers to understand old words.

annotation
noun [C or U]
The annotation of literary texts makes them more accessible.
The revised edition of the book includes many useful annotations.

true seals or earless seals

The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal suborder, Pinnipedia. All true seals are members of the family Phocidae (pronounced /ˈfoʊsədiː/). They are sometimes called crawling seals to distinguish them from the fur seals and sea lions of the family Otariidae. Seals live in the oceans of both hemispheres and are mostly confined to polar, sub-polar, and temperate climates, with the exception of the more tropical monk seals.

ぜひタイガースに… - サッカーの醍醐味
By admin
イルカ漁然り、トヨタ自動車のリコール問題然り…。イルカ自体は食べた事もないし、食べたいとも思わないが、それ自体はその地域の食文化として残っていた訳なのだが…。中国や韓国で犬を食べる文化は?アラスカでアザラシを食べる文化は? ...

Spotted Seal mombestu2.jpg
分類
: 動物界 Animalia
: 脊索動物門 Chordata
亜門 : 脊椎動物亜門 Vertebrata
: 哺乳綱 Mammalia
: ネコ目(食肉目) Carnivora
亜目 : イヌ亜目 Caniformia
下目 : 鰭脚下目 Pinnipedia
: アザラシ科 Phocidae

ill-conceived refreshments

Top 10 Bad Beverage Ideas

Coca-Cola thinks that Vio, its new carbonated milk drink, is a winner. We're a little more dubious. Here's a look as some of the more ill-conceived refreshments in beverage history

keep it all kin, castrato,Tubular, bring to bay

Brown-Forman tries to keep it all kin
In an effort to ensure that it remains independent and under family control, Jack Daniel's maker Brown-Forman is pushing to get family shareholders more involved in the company.

閹人

 如今藝術中的""———只看不做———已經不是批評家,而是藝術 史家了,他們已經不能夠識別他們要看的是什麼,德 里達也無法告訴他們。

又譬如說,以前介紹過趙琴的《歌 手 (Castrato)的 興盛與衰亡》,可以在《老實 12 老婦遭 遇的下文》讀到:「我生在那不勒斯,那兒每年割二三千名兒童,….. 有 的因此得到一副比女還美麗的嗓子,還有的將統治國家。」
《绝世阉 伶》(Farinelli, il Castrato)

Tubular
Fluorescent lamps first appeared on market shelves in 1938, and by the 1950s they were lighting up most of America. More efficient and cheaper than their incandescent predecessors, fluorescents have slowly become a global lighting standard, nudging Edison's filament bulb close to extinction


almost in resentment, as if brought to bay.


BAY
To bring to bay: "too big for the dogs which tried to bay it" (William Faulkner).

kin
n.
  1. (used with a pl. verb) One's relatives; family; kinfolk.
  2. A kinsman or kinswoman.
adj.
Related; akin.

[Middle English, from Old English cyn.]

pronunciation kin

IN BRIEF: Relatives.

pronunciation So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. — zaadz.com.

2010年4月25日 星期日

fleet-footed start-up

The Rise of the Fleet-Footed Start-Up

THE rise of smaller, fleet-footed companies in the lean start-up mold is also bringing changes in venture financing. These companies are typically funded with $500,000 or so from professional angel investors instead of traditional venture capital firms, which are geared toward investing millions at a time. The venture capital investment may well come later, when the companies need money for expansion.



fleet
[形]
1 ((文))〈動物・人が〉速い, 俊足の, 急速に動く, 速やかな
a fleet horse
駿馬(しゅんめ)
fleet of foot
俊足の.
2 ((詩))つかの間の, はかない.
━━[動](自)
1 すばやく動く, 飛んで行く((away));((古))〈時が〉流れ[過ぎ]去る((by)).
2 ((古))薄れる, 消える.
3 《海事》〈乗組員・船が〉位置を変える.
━━(他)〈時を〉いつの間にか過ごす.
[古英語flēotan(浮く). △FLOAT, FLIT
fleet・ly
[副]
fleet・ness
[名]

serious money, ‘Serious’ Profit

Goldman E-Mails Cited ‘Serious’ Profit on Mortgages

By LOUISE STORY and SEWELL CHAN
A Senate panel released messages Goldman Sachs executives sent in 2007 that appear to contradict its suggestion that it lost money on the housing market.


YouTube Videos Are Pulling in Serious Money



serious
  1. Informal. Of considerable size or scope; substantial: a cleanup that cost serious money.

2010年4月23日 星期五

imputed word, gigantic, a gem or a dog

imputed word 寓言


So with that many choices, how on earth do you find your way? It’s a gigantic problem.
Customer reviews are one of the main tools. People who’ve downloaded a certain app write a little paragraph about it and give it a star rating, 1 through 5. At a glance, you can find out whether a certain program is a gem or a dog.


In 1930, Baba-e-Urdu began the gigantic task of compiling 'Lughat-i-kabeer,' the most comprehensive Urdu-Urdu dictionary that was to have each and every ...


28.09. - Sierra Leone Faces Gigantic Challenges

One year after the election of a new president, the infrastructure is still
hardly existent, there are few jobs, and young people struggle to find a
vision for their future in Sierra Leone.

The DW-WORLD Article
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=evzcfmI44va89pI1


gigantic

(jī-găn'tĭkpronunciation
adj.
  1. Relating to or suggestive of a giant.
    1. Exceedingly large of its kind: a gigantic toadstool.
    2. Very large or extensive: a gigantic corporation. See synonyms at enormous.
[From Latin gigās, gigant-, giant. See giant, or from Greek gigantikos (from gigās, gigant-, giant).]
gigantically gi·gan'ti·cal·ly adv.


gi・gan・tic



 
━━ a. 巨人のような; 巨大な.
 gi・gan・ti・cal・ly ━━ ad. 巨大に; 並外れて.

grammar, The White Goddess

The White Goddess: a Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth is a book-length essay upon the nature of poetic myth-making by author and poet Robert Graves. First published in 1948, based on earlier articles published in Wales, corrected, revised and enlarged editions appeared in 1948, 1952 and 1961. The White Goddess represents an approach to the study of mythology from a decidedly creative and idiosyncratic perspective. Graves proposes the existence of a European deity, the "White Goddess of Birth, Love and Death," inspired and represented by the phases of the moon, who lies behind the faces of the diverse goddesses of various European mythologies.

Graves argues that "true" or "pure" poetry is inextricably linked with the ancient cult-ritual of his proposed White Goddess and of her son. His conclusions come from his own conjectures about how early religions developed, as there is no historical evidence that the "White Goddess" as he describes her ever figured in any actual belief system.


The White Goddess
White goddess.JPG
The White Goddess cover (Farrar Straus Giroux, 1997).
Author Robert Graves
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre(s) Mythology, Poetry
Publication date 1948


2010年4月18日 星期日

fit (sb) like a glove, hand in glove, 'taking the gloves off'

SEC TAKES OFF THE GLOVES ON GOLDMAN
Editorial 2010-04-19FT社评:美国证交会与高盛决斗
美国证交会对高盛提起民事诉讼,称高盛在金融衍生品交易中欺诈投资者。高盛近期在年报中表示,公共关系是一项关键风险。这话说得有先见之明,美国证交会的起诉让高盛声誉面临风险。



The term 'taking the gloves off' stems from the sport of boxing whereby you put on gloves to fight someone else for the glory of overcoming your opponent. Taking the gloves off therefore shows the willingness of a person or persons to work out a difficult situation by communicating in a way that is far less confronting. It has been used in a non-physical form mainly to describe two combatants in a political situation that agree to communicate formally to find an amicable solution. The official origin of the term is unknown.

idioms:

  • fit like a glove 完全相合, 恰好
  • glove compartment 汽車儀錶板的小櫃
  • glove puppet 手套式布偶
  • hand in glove 親密地, 勾結著
  • kid glove 羔皮手套
  • take the gloves off 強硬或厲害起來


日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 手袋, グローブ, グラブ

idioms:

  • glove compartment グローブボックス
  • glove puppet 指人形
  • take the gloves off 本気で戦う

Such hand-in-glove approach with suppliers...


A year later, Kastor got a first-hand look at the precision of Mimura’s work. She met him for a fitting during the 2001 world track championships in Edmonton, Alberta. Using a tape measure, Mimura spent 20 minutes measuring her feet, Kastor said, including the length and circumference of each toe, the width of her heel, the length of her Achilles’ tendon and the width of her foot at six or seven spots.

“I didn’t know you could get that many measurements for a foot,” Kastor said. “But the shoes he made fit like a glove.”





fit (sb) like a glove

if a piece of clothing fits someone like a glove, it fits their body perfectly

My new jeans contain Lycra so they fit like a glove.

hand in glove


On intimate terms, in close association, as in The internist is hand in glove with the surgeon, so you'd better get a second opinion. This metaphoric expression for a close fit was already included in John Ray's 1678 collection of proverbs, when it was put hand and glove.





2010年4月13日 星期二

ego, alter, alter ego, alteration, ego-free, existential

Researchers are reporting preliminary success in using psilocybin to ease the anxiety of patients with terminal illnesses. Dr. Charles S. Grob, a psychiatrist who is involved in an experiment at U.C.L.A., describes it as “existential medicine” that helps dying people overcome fear, panic and depression.

“Under the influences of hallucinogens,” Dr. Grob writes, “individuals transcend their primary identification with their bodies and experience ego-free states before the time of their actual physical demise, and return with a new perspective and profound acceptance of the life constant: change.”


Lehman Channeled Risks Through ‘Alter Ego’ Firm

By LOUISE STORY and ERIC DASH
In the years before its collapse, Lehman Brothers shifted investments off its books by using a small company that appeared to be independent but whose board it controlled.


Crisis Altering Wall Street as Big Banks Lose Top Talent
By GRAHAM BOWLEY and LOUISE STORY
With financial institutions facing federal limits brought on after the bailouts, veteran bankers are leaving to join start-ups and foreign companies.


No alteration or adjustment is then necessary in the estimates that you form, nor in the formulas for the variance.


Cisco says in the complaint the language used in both applications was nearly identical, and it is the company's belief that Ocean Telecom is Apple's "alter ego." (Cisco Suit May Snag Apple's iPhone Plans)


A brilliant jewel on the failings of scholastics:

In other words, the scholar could be distinguished from the critic by his unwillingness, and soon by his inability, to interest anybody but his alter ego at another university. [p. 89])


ego
n., pl., e·gos.
  1. The self, especially as distinct from the world and other selves.
  2. In psychoanalysis, the division of the psyche that is conscious, most immediately controls thought and behavior, and is most in touch with external reality.
    1. An exaggerated sense of self-importance; conceit.
    2. Appropriate pride in oneself; self-esteem.

[New Latin, from Latin, I. Sense 2, translation of German Ich, a special use of ich, I, as a psychoanalytic term.]




alter

v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters.
v.tr.
To change or make different; modify: altered my will.
To adjust (a garment) for a better fit.
To castrate or spay (an animal, such as a cat or a dog).

v.intr.
To change or become different.
[Middle English alteren, from Old French alterer, from Medieval Latin alterāre, from Latin alter, other.]


━━ v. 変える[わる]; 手直しする; 〔米〕 去勢する.
al・ter・a・ble ━━ a.
al・ter・a・tion ━━ n. 変更.
alteration of share capital 資本の変更.
altered check 受取人・金額などが変更された小切手 ((偽造などによる損害は支払った銀行の責任となる)).




alter ego 他我; 親友.

alter ego
noun [C] plural alter egos 自我之分身
the side of someone's personality which is not usually seen by other people:
Clark Kent is Superman's alter ego.




ex·is·ten·tial (ĕg'zĭ-stĕn'shəl, ĕk'sĭ-) pronunciation
adj.
  1. Of, relating to, or dealing with existence.
  2. Based on experience; empirical.
  3. Of or as conceived by existentialism or existentialists: an existential moment of choice.
  4. Linguistics. Of or relating to a construction or part of a construction that indicates existence, as the words there is in the sentence There is a cat on the mat.
n. Linguistics
An existential word or construction.

existentially ex'is·ten'tial·ly adv.

2010年4月12日 星期一

pre-wedding photo shoots, rocky outcrops, dusk, disgorge, slow day,stakes out

台湾“出口”婚纱摄影
Taiwan exports its wedding photographers

The sand at Shalun beach is rough, the waves are too small for surfing and the beach is bounded by rocky outcrops that restrict swimming.沙仑海滩上的沙子粗糙硌脚,海浪小得无法冲浪,海滩边上有许多露出地表的岩石,也不适合游泳。


But at dusk each day, minivans converge outside the beach in northern Taiwan, disgorging photographers, assistants and soon-to-be married couples dressed in tuxedos and bridal gowns.

但在每天的黄昏时分,小型载客车就会从四面八方汇聚到这个台湾北部的海滩外。车上下来的有摄影师、助理、以及穿着无尾礼服与婚纱的准新人。


Even on a slow day, there are usually about 20 couples at Shalun. Each couple stakes out their own patch of sand, making their photos look as if they had the beach to themselves.
即使是在生意清淡的一天,通常也会有大约20对新人来到沙仑。每对新人会划出属于他们的一块沙地,这样在照片上看起来就仿佛他们自己拥有整个沙滩。

Thanks to its diverse landscape and competitive pricing, Taiwan has over the past two decades developed into a destination for couples from Hong Kong, Singapore and other Asian cities for these pre-wedding photo shoots.
由于多种多样的风景与具有竞争力的定价,台湾在过去二十年,已发展成为了香港、新加坡及其它亚洲城市准新人在婚礼前拍摄婚纱照的目的地。

Like many other industries, however, wedding photographers were hit hard by the global economic downturn, with most businesses losing as much as half their trade last year.

Michelle Chi is the director of Western Design, a wedding services company now based in Taipei but originally founded by her family in Brighton, England, as a bridal gown design shop.

She says sales of the shop's top-of-the-line T$320,000 (US$10,088) package, which includes use of a Vera Wang dress and a hand-made, leather-bound, wooden 18-inch photo frame to keep, fell from 10 customers in 2008 to just three last year.

“It started to stabilise about three to four months ago but business is not yet back to [pre-crisis] levels for most companies,” Ms Chi says.

The practice of separating the photo shoot from the wedding itself was born during Taiwan's economic boom in the 1970s and 1980s and spread to Hong Kong and mainland China, and later to the Chinese diaspora further afield.

During the industry's heyday in the mid-1990s, before digital cameras caught on, Taiwan was the world's biggest importer of Kodak film, according to Lee Yu-ying, an associate professor at Fengchia University.

“Chinese tradition dictated that couples had to be married not only on an auspicious day, but also at an auspicious hour. So photo-taking used to be squeezed into a very rushed ceremony,” says Prof Lee. “Eventually, photographers convinced their clients that they could have better and more comfortable service if photo-taking and the wedding could be separated.” Having the photos taken first also means that the couple can show them off to guests at the wedding.

She estimates annual industry revenue at about T$5.8bn. Most couples pay at least T$40,000 for a full day's shoot in different locations to produce a large-sized book with 30 or more full pages printed with the photos.

However, Ms Chi says photographers have had to look beyond Taiwan for growth because fewer people on the island are getting married and the population is ageing.

Many have looked to mainland China as their biggest potential market. Travel restrictions across the strait mean few mainlanders come to the island for their wedding photos but Taiwanese studios have opened branches in mainland cities and stationed their own photographers there.

“Much of the industry in China – the photography techniques, the services, and all that – were originally introduced by Taiwanese companies,” says Ms Chi.

Mai Tsan-wen, an industry veteran who runs a company called Julia, regularly rotates his photographers between Taiwan and his branch in Beijing.

However, he says Taiwanese businesses have struggled against cheaper local competitors, says Mr Mai.

“Twenty years ago Taiwan's wedding photographers were on top of the world. But now [mainland Chinese companies] have learnt the tricks of the trade,” he says. There are between 1,000-2,000 wedding photography companies in Beijing and Shanghai running on very slim profit margins, Mr Mai adds.

So Taiwanese companies such as Julia and Western Design, which has about 30 staff in Taipei, are now looking further afield. Julia is stationing photographers on the shores of the Aegean Sea, not to attract Greek couples but to lure wealthy Taiwanese and Asian newlyweds to take up a T$98,000 four-day package.

Western Design's Ms Chi also hopes to start offering the service at her family's Brighton store this year and perhaps expand to London.

“I've always felt that it is possible to bring pre-wedding photography to the west, even though people there are not very used to this concept,” she says.

不过,与许多其它行业一样,婚纱摄影受到了全球经济衰退的沉重打击——去年,大部分公司失去了多达一半的业务。

纪懿倢(Michelle Chi)是西敏艺术婚礼策划有限公司(Western Design)负责人。这家婚礼服务公司的总部现在设在台北,但它刚开始是一家婚纱设计公司,由纪懿倢的家族在英国布赖顿(Brighton)创建。

纪懿倢表示,公司最顶级服务套餐的销售,从2008年的10套下降到了去年的仅仅3套。这套服务售价32万新台币(合10088美元),其中包括一套王薇薇(Vera Wang)婚纱,和一个皮革包边的18英寸手工木制相框。

纪懿倢表示:“大约三四个月前业务开始稳定,但大部分公司的业务尚未恢复到(危机前)水平。”

将婚纱照与婚礼分离的做法,诞生于上世纪七八十年代台湾经济繁荣时期,随后流传到了香港、大陆,再后来又传播给了散居在更遥远地区的华侨。

据逢甲大学(Fengchia University)副教授李玉瑛(Lee Yu-ying)表示,在上世纪90年代该行业鼎盛时期,数码相机尚未开始流行时,台湾是世界上最大的柯达(Kodak)胶卷进口地区。

李 玉瑛表示:“中国的传统要求新人不仅必须要在吉日,而且还要在吉时结成夫妻。所以,拍照过去常常被压缩成一个非常匆忙的仪式。后来,摄影师终于说服他们的 客户相信,如果把拍照与婚礼分开,他们能享受到更好、更舒适的服务。”先拍结婚照,新婚夫妇还可以在婚礼上向他们的客人展示照片。

她估计,该行业的全年收入总额大约为58亿新台币。大部分新人至少要花费4万新台币,在不同的地点拍上一整天,然后制作一本30页或更厚的大号相册,整页都印有照片。

不过,纪懿倢表示,由于台湾结婚人数逐渐减少、人口日益老龄化,婚纱摄影店不得不走出台湾寻求增长。

许多摄影店已经将大陆作为它们最大的潜在市场。海峡两岸的旅游限制意味着,能来台湾岛拍摄婚纱照的大陆人很少,但台湾婚纱摄影店已在大陆城市开设了分支机构,并且在那里安置了自己的摄影师。

纪懿倢表示:“大陆婚纱摄影业的大部分东西——摄影技巧、服务等等——起初都是由台湾公司引进的。”

麦灿文(Mai Tsan-wen)是婚纱摄影业资深人士,经营有一家名为茱丽亚(Julia)的公司。他的摄影师在台湾与北京分公司之间定期进行轮换。

不过,麦灿文表示,台湾公司很难与当地报价更低廉的竞争对手进行竞争。

他说:“20年前,台湾婚纱摄影店世界第一。但如今,(大陆公司)已经掌握了这门生意的诀窍。”他补充表示,京沪在营业的婚纱摄影公司约有一两千家,利润率非常低。

所以,茱丽亚与西敏艺术这样的台湾公司如今将目光投向了更遥远的地方。西敏在台北拥有大约30名员工。茱丽亚已开始在爱琴海海岸派驻摄影师,但不是为了吸引希腊的新婚夫妇,而是为了吸引台湾与亚洲其它地区富有的新人购买9.8万新台币的四日服务套餐。

西敏的纪懿倢还希望今年在其家族的布赖顿店提供婚纱摄影服务,或许还会扩张至伦敦。

她表示:“我总是觉得,将婚礼前拍摄婚纱照的做法引入西方是有可能的,尽管那里的人不是非常习惯这一观念。”

译者/何黎






outcrop
n.
A portion of bedrock or other stratum protruding through the soil level.

intr.v., -cropped, -crop·ping, -crops. (out-krŏp')
To protrude above the soil, as rock formations.

[OUT + CROP, to appear on the surface.]



dis·gorge (dĭs-gôrj') pronunciation

v., -gorged, -gorg·ing, -gorg·es. v.tr.
  1. To bring up and expel from the throat or stomach; vomit.
  2. To discharge violently; spew.
  3. To surrender (stolen goods or money, for example) unwillingly.
v.intr.
To discharge or pour forth contents.

[Middle English disgorgen, from Old French desgorger : des-, dis- + gorger, to pack (from gorge, throat; see gorge).]

disgorgement dis·gorge'ment n.


stake out

Keep an area or person under police surveillance; also, assign someone to conduct such a surveillance. For example, They staked out the house, or He was staked out in the alley, watching for drug dealers. [c. 1940]



rescue line, Line of Aid

Europe Unifies to Assist Greece With Line of Aid
By STEPHEN CASTLE and JACK EWING
European leaders provided a long-awaited financial rescue line, offering the country up to $40 billion to meet its debt obligations.

2010年4月11日 星期日

bring to a head, abscess, suds

Brewery workers' tradition of drinking on job comes to a head at Carlsberg
Workday drinking used to be commonplace at breweries around the world. But the practice has faded amid concerns about safety. Now workers at Denmark's Carlsberg are fighting to retain the right to sip suds while they work.


bring to a head
Cause to reach a turning point or crisis. For example, Management's newest policy has brought matters to a head. The related phrase come to a head means "to reach a crisis," as in With the last break-in, the question of security came to a head. These phrases allude to the medical sense of head, the tip of an abscess that is about to burst. [Mid-1500s]

abscess
[名]《病理学》膿瘍(のうよう)(boil).
áb・scessed
[形](う)んだ.

suds
pl.n.
  1. Soapy water.
  2. Foam; lather.
  3. Slang. Beer.

v., sudsed, suds·ing, suds·es. v.tr.
To wash in suds.

v.intr.
To form or make suds.

[Perhaps from obsolete Dutch zudse, marsh, from Middle Dutch sudse.]






non-profit and for-profit businesses

This simple, pragmatic, and powerful approach will ensure the successful development and implementation of a well-designed strategy. It works for small and large organizations, for both non-profit and for-profit businesses, and for all types of industries.

fly-fishing, angling, fly rod and reel

fly-fishing
(flī'fĭsh')
intr.v., -fished, -fish·ing, -fish·es.
To fish using artificial flies for bait and usually a fly rod for casting.

fly-fisherman fly'-fish'er·man or fly'-fish'er n.


Meaning #1: angling with an artificial fly as a lure



Fly rod and reel with a brown trout from a chalk stream in England

Running in Circles, cycle of revolutions i

Name That Revolution
Kyrgyzstan needs to break the cycle of revolutions in former Soviet republics. And the United States needs to help encourage the change.


Running in Circles in Kyrgyzstan
By ERIC McGLINCHEY
Kyrgyzstan is a failed state in which the government may change, but the faces stay the same. It needs a couple of steady outside hands to help it succeed.




circle
n.
  1. A plane curve everywhere equidistant from a given fixed point, the center.
  2. A planar region bounded by a circle.
  3. Something, such as a ring, shaped like such a plane curve.
  4. A circular course, circuit, or orbit: a satellite's circle around the earth.
  5. A traffic circle.
  6. A curved section or tier of seats in a theater.
  7. A series or process that finishes at its starting point or continuously repeats itself; a cycle.
  8. A group of people sharing an interest, activity, or achievement: well-known in artistic circles.
  9. A territorial or administrative division, especially of a province, in some European countries.
  10. A sphere of influence or interest; domain.
  11. Logic. A vicious circle.

v., -cled, -cling, -cles. v.tr.
  1. To make or form a circle around; enclose. See synonyms at surround.
  2. To move in a circle around.
v.intr.
To move in a circle. See synonyms at turn.

idiom:

circle the wagons

  1. To take a defensive position; become defensive.

[Middle English cercle, from Old French, from Latin circulus, diminutive of circus, circle, from Greek kirkos, krikos.]

circler cir'cler (-klər) n.

2010年4月10日 星期六

dual, dédoublement



dual
Français (French)

adj. - double, binaire, à deux, à double, (Psych) dédoublement
n. - (Ling) duel
v. tr. - constituer/former deux objets, avoir un double (caractère, nature)

2010年4月7日 星期三

Ilha Formosa

「大航海時代 Online ~El Oriente~」Chapter2「Ilha Formosa」に、台湾登場
ITmedia
今回のアップデートでは、Chapter1で発見された伝説の国“ジパング”に続き、美しき島“台湾”が登場する。Chapter2のタイトル「Ilha Formosa」はポルトガル語で“美しい島”という意味で、まさにその島が台湾となる。16世紀半ば、西欧諸国の中で初めて台湾に到達したポルトガル ...



台灣歷史受到一連串的殖民事件影響,殖民者當中首先是驚嘆「美麗之島」的葡萄牙人,接著是西班牙人、荷蘭人,1895到1945年,則是日本殖民時期。第 二次世界大戰後,中國政權由共產黨取得,蔣介石將軍帶領數百萬中國人來台,台灣再一次受外來政權統治。這樣的歷史經驗造成次族群間的緊張情勢,並反映在二 十世紀台灣詩作中。


Ilha Formosa 是葡萄牙語


啊!福爾摩沙--為殉難者的鎮魂曲
mozart01271756 在天空部落發表於18:36:01 | 未分類
感動0 窩心0 開心0 啟發0 鼓勵0
啊!福爾摩沙--為殉難者的鎮魂曲

蕭泰然作曲李敏勇作詞
蕭泰然為紀念陳文成殉難20週年所作

序曲

第一樂章
一、你若問起
你若問起島嶼台灣的父親 我欲講天是台灣的父親
你若問起島嶼台灣的母親 我欲講海是台灣的母親
你若問起島嶼台灣的過去 我欲講血佮目屎滴是台灣的過去
你若問起島嶼台灣的未來 我欲講新的世界是台灣的未來
對著天對著海 對著過去對著未來
你我做伙來開採
Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa
美麗的記號印佇你我的心內
Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa
美麗的記號印佇你我的心內
你若問起島嶼台灣的父親 我欲講天是台灣的父親
你若問起島嶼台灣的母親 我欲講海是台灣的母親
你若問起島嶼台灣的過去 我欲講血佮目屎滴是台灣的過去
你若問起島嶼台灣的未來 我欲講新的世界是台灣的未來
對著天對著海 對著過去對著未來
你我做伙來開採
Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa
美麗的記號印佇你我的心內
Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa
美麗的記號印佇你我的心內

第二樂章
二、記憶佮感念
每一位受難者 每一位受難者 記憶感念
咱欲為每一位受難者雕刻一座紀念碑
咱欲為每一位受難者起造一座花園
咱欲為每一位受難者雕刻一座紀念碑
咱欲為每一位受難者起造一座花園
咱欲為每一位受難者唸一首詩
咱欲為每一位受難者唱一條歌
佇咱的島嶼咱的樹林咱的田園
佇咱的國度咱的河流咱的山嶺
佇咱的腦海佇咱的內心
咱的腦海咱的內心
每一位受難者 每一位受難者 記憶感念
咱欲為每一位受難者雕刻一座紀念碑
咱欲為每一位受難者起造一座花園
咱欲為每一位受難者雕刻一座紀念碑
咱欲為每一位受難者起造一座花園
咱欲為每一位受難者唸一首詩
咱欲為每一位受難者唱一條歌
佇咱的島嶼咱的樹林咱的田園
佇咱的國度咱的河流咱的山嶺
佇咱的腦海佇咱的內心
咱欲永遠記憶您的名
咱欲永遠感念您的痛

第三樂章
三、走找光明路
莫閣自卑自嘆 哭調仔舉不起晴朗的天
莫閣自卑自嘆 哭調仔舉不起晴朗的天
若欲作番薯互人煎互人炸唱悲歌
咱甘願島嶼台灣是一塊大石頭
莫閣自怨自艾 哭調仔行不出光明的路
若欲作水牛互人埋互人割唱哀歌
咱甘願島嶼台灣是一隻大海翁
舉頭看藍天舉頭看藍天
找尋光明路找尋光明路
舉頭看藍天舉頭看藍天
找尋光明路找尋光明路

第四樂章
四、美麗的國度
美麗的國度是咱永遠的愛 美麗的國度藏佇咱心內
樹葉編織新國旗 花蕊畫出新國徽 鳥聲唱出新國歌鳥聲唱出新國歌
Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa
樹葉編織新國旗 花蕊畫出新國徽 鳥聲唱出新國歌鳥聲唱出新國歌
Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa

佇島嶼的海邊 台灣的囝仔佇彼在歡唱 視野無限寬闊
佇島嶼的山頂 台灣的囝仔佇彼在跳躍 伸手挽天頂的星
台灣的囝仔在山頂
佇島嶼的鄉村 台灣的囝仔佇彼在成長 對自然學習生命的律動
台灣的囝仔在勇壯
佇島嶼的鄉村 台灣的囝仔佇彼在勇壯 新的秩序
佇島嶼的鄉村 台灣的囝仔佇彼在勇壯 新的秩序佇恁手中開創
Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa

島嶼的航程佮方向是為著這款的夢想
咱流過的血佮汗是為著這款的希望
編織夢想描繪希望
為著綠色和平的美麗國度
Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa
為著綠色和平的美麗國度臺灣
Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa




**
《星期專論》邁向國家重建的新時代

⊙李敏勇

 油桐花開的四月,我想起自己多年前一篇隨筆〈漫步油桐花的山林間〉。那時候,客家油桐花祭尚未形成,我在隨筆裡引述一首以色列詩人帕吉思(Dan Pagis, 1930-1986)的五行詩〈交談〉:「四個人談論到松樹。一個以樹種╱分類和多樣性為它下定義;一個評估╱它在木材加工的不便之處;一個提到╱不同語 言有關松樹的詩歌;有一個談到╱樹根,樹枝的伸展和沙沙聲。」即使在以色列,在這個和巴勒斯坦之間有重重紛爭未決的國家,詩人的心裡仍想到實用與美之間的 課題。欣賞油桐花的美,在我們這個從威權轉型民主,從殖民體制轉型主體國家,在過程中仍出現紛擾的國家,仍然是必要的。

  看到油桐花,讓人想到撫慰和洗滌心靈的自然景致,那無疑是一種相異於世俗權力的美。在美的自然景致裡,如果想像我們這個國家,想到從威權轉型,想到從殖民 體制轉型,我會想到重建的課題。被污名化的「台灣獨立」,如果只反映了台灣原住民與先期移入住民的願景,那麼戰後移入者,是否可以在「國家重建」的視野 裡,共同參與新國家的建構呢?

  從二○○○年開始,繼之二○○四年,兩次總統大選,在台灣展開了不是中國國民黨統治的國家行程。被黨國化的「中華民國」,在憲法的意理上是中國式的,在歷 史積累則是中國國民黨式的,因而具有殖民體制和國民黨威權殘餘。從前,以台灣為主體的抵抗力量,已經承受了抵抗對象。這樣的國家,如何轉化?如何從殖民體 制的殘餘中國轉化為新興國家?既非原來在抵抗運動的台灣獨立視野,也非殖民體制,而是新的國家共同體,由原住民及先來和後到的二千三百萬人組成。

  大和解的條件,現在才形成。阿扁總統和民進黨新政府,應該召喚生活在台灣的二千三百萬人,共同描繪新的國家視野,以大和解的精神建構族群共和共榮的新社會。阿扁總統向人民承諾的新憲法運動,應該在大和解精神的引領下,成為國家重建的政治工程。

  首先,台灣應該是個人權國家。

  這不但是阿扁總統自二○○○年執政即標榜的,更是台灣的政治改革運動長久以來追尋的目標,也是普世的價值。讓自由權、參政權、社會權與環境權等人權內涵, 成為我們這個國家共同追尋的價值。這樣的國家的人民,將不再有暗夜的哭聲,也沒有黑暗角落的啼泣。讓每一個國民都能在尊嚴與光榮裡生活著。

  其次,台灣應該是個民權國家。

  民主改革的歷程,已逐步實現台灣的民權國家條件,人民才是這個國家的主人。經由選舉,產生這個國家各種政治職務的領導人,並且在行政、立法和司法的權力分 立制衡形式和儀式裡,進行我們這個國家的運作,不分族群、性別、階級、地域的公民權,都應受到公平對待,不應該有任何公民的政治權利受到歧視。

  再之,台灣應該是個主權國家。

  台灣應該是個主權國家,但這樣的理論和實際之間,都存在著差距。在台灣的中國論和在中國大陸的中國論,都對台灣這個國家的主權地位形成威脅。中華民國體制 既侵犯中華人民共和國,又形成了以中國而危害到台灣的意理;而中華人民共和國以承續中華民國而承續侵犯台灣主權的意圖,如何面對?考驗了包括聲稱台灣是個 主權獨立國家其名稱叫做「中華民國」的認識論。而國際法理上的台灣國家地位,如何從主張只有一個中國的無視台灣地位論走出來,是嚴肅考驗台灣的課題。若要 確立台灣是一個主權國家,必須內部形成共同體共識,進行必要的法理程序,正確面對中國威脅論。

  新憲法運動必須在人權國家、民權國家和主權國家的條件和視野進行建構,才有真正的意義。這既是政治工程,也是文化工程。能夠進行這樣的工程,從新世紀開展之際執政的新政權,才真正有開創性的意義。

  油桐花開的四月,在油桐花紛紛飄落的美麗自然景致裡,我回想二○○四年三二○阿扁的勝選,感受那天佑台灣的福份;我也想像二○○四年五二○阿扁新任期展開之路,期盼著新願景的開拓。

  我的腦海裡,出現自己和作曲家蕭泰然合作的〈啊!福爾摩沙〉,從序曲的原住民韻律和節奏,展開的四個大合唱樂章,依序從〈如果你問起〉的台灣身世的追尋, 到〈記憶佮(ㄍㄚ)感念〉對殉難者的緬懷紀念,以至〈走尋光明路〉的覺醒運動,到終章的〈美麗的國度〉的願景追尋。我心目中的國家,在詩與音樂裡顯現:

  美麗的國度是咱永遠的愛

  美麗的國度藏佇咱心內

  樹葉編織新國旗

  花蕊畫出新國徽

  鳥聲唱出新國家

  Ilha Formosa Ilha Formosa

  這才是我的台灣國家想像,以一位詩人之名的國家想像,這是我邁向國家重建的新時代追尋的願景。

  (本文作者李敏勇為詩人)

end of life, stipulate

ELV豁免清單更新,含鉛焊錫禁用期限被推遲1~5年   歐盟委員會和歐洲議會2010年2月23日頒布了對ELV(End-of-Life Vehicle,歐盟報廢車輛指令)附件二的更新,特別對鉛在焊錫中的使用,進行了細化並延長了豁免時間。對此,等待多時的汽車廠及上游供應商終於得到了更多的緩沖時間……

end of life
Refers to hardware and software that is no longer manufactured or supported. An end of life announcement by a vendor stipulates when the manufacturing will end, or if already ended, how far into the future support for the product will be provided.

safety, preventable

Deaths at West Virginia Mine Raise Issues About Safety
By IAN URBINA and MICHAEL COOPER
The mine owner’s dismal safety record, along with several recent evacuations of the mine, left officials and miners suggesting that Monday’s explosion might have been preventable.

2010年4月6日 星期二


Elections | 06.04.2010

British election on May 6 could lead to a hung parliament

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that the UK will hold a general election on May 6, signalling the official start of a general election campaign which may lead to a hung parliament.

Tuesday started with the formalities. Prime Minister Gordon Brown went to Buckingham Palace to seek the approval of Queen Elizabeth II for his election plans. He could then announce that "the queen has kindly agreed to the dissolution of parliament, and a general election will take place on May 6th."

But after the formalities it was straight into campaigning mode. As Britain recovers from the worst economic storm in decades, it's economic issues that will dominate the run-up to polling day. And Brown hopes to position his Labour government as a steady hand on the tiller in waters which are still choppy.

Britain needs stability, says Labour

Brown speaking in BrusselsBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Brown wants the electorate to see him as a good man in a crisis

"Britain is on the road to recovery," he said, "and nothing we do should put that recovery at risk. There will be many big challenges and many big decisions to make over the next few months, upon which our future success depends."

The opposition Conservatives may lead in the opinion polls, but they're ahead by only a few points. The close race could mean that Britain could see a hung Parliament and the rare sight of British parties attempting to form a coalition government.

Britain needs change, say the Conservatives

David and Samantha Cameron at a Conservative party conferenceBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: David and Samantha Cameron are trying to represent a new, more relaxed Conservatism

Conservative leader David Cameron hopes to avoid that scenario by gaining voters' trust and launching what may become a personal campaign against the weaknesses of the Prime Minister.

"It's the most important general election for a generation," he said after the date was announced, "and it comes down to this: you don't have to put up with another five years of Gordon Brown."

Labour are prepared to hit back on a personal level too. They hope to portray David Cameron as a privately educated, upper-class, establishment figure who doesn't understand ordinary people. Over the next few weeks, Gordon Brown will be repeating that he comes from an ordinary middle-class family from an ordinary town.

Either way, Britain needs us, say the Liberal Democrats

Clegg speaks to party workersBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Nick Clegg is telling his supporters that they could just make it this time

But with a hung Parliament a real possibility, a lot of attention is being focused on Britain's third party, the Liberal Democrats. They may hold the balance of power if either Labour or the Conservatives has to try to form a coalition government.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg is therefore hoping his party can pick up more votes than might normally be expected.

"It's not a two horse race between the two old parties," he said. "People have got a real choice this time, and that's why this election is wide open: all bets are off."

The Labour party has been in power for 13 years - so the main opposition parties are focussing on "change" in their campaigns. But Labour's strategy is to persuade Britain that now, in the midst of an economic recovery, what is needed most is stability and it's exactly the wrong time for change.

Author: Olly Barratt, London (mll)
Editor: Rob Turner



hung

adj. - 吊的, 挂的

idioms:

  • hung jury 未能作出裁定的陪審團
  • hung parliament 未能作出裁定的議會

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - いらいらする, 疲れた, 巨根の

idioms:

  • hung jury 不一致陪審
  • hung parliament 不一致議会

2010年4月5日 星期一

story-telling, wiki, Wikileaks


A screen grab from a video obtained by Wikileaks.
YouTube

Video Shows U.S. Attack on Journalist

Wikileaks.org released a video of a U.S. helicopter killing a Reuters photographer and driver in 2007 in Baghdad.



Spotlight:


Wiki-this, wiki-that; what is a wiki and when did the wiki-mania start? A wiki is a collaborative website that can be edited by anyone. Ward Cunningham, an Oregon native, developed the technology, naming it "wiki" after the word for "quick" in Hawaiian. Wiki was first released as WikiWikiWeb on this date in 1994. Fourteen years later, the internet community can do a lot with wikis, including sharing information in article form on Wikipedia and collaborating on Q&A with Answers.com's WikiAnswers.

Quote:

"I think there's a compelling nature about talking. People like to talk. In creating wiki, I wanted to stroke that story-telling nature in all of us."Ward Cunningham

2010年4月1日 星期四

nibble, neophyte, macramé, fortify

Many artists, notably Rembrandt Van Rijn and Hieronymus Bosch, painted scenes of early surgery and none of those paintings shows patients biting into anything. Whether or not they might have been offered anything to nibble on, there's little doubt that they would have been fortified with strong drink.




This spring a young man’s — and woman’s — fancy should turn to vegetables. Judging by the new batch of garden books, we’re creeping into a back-to-the-land movement, rather like what happened in the 1970s but without the macramé. Yet — we’ll soon be making plant holders. Again. This being America, we’ve also found a way to cultivate that competitive edge. What the wine cellar was to the ’90s, the root cellar will be to this decade. Same concept, come to think of it: Climate control. Rotation. Status. Expense. By the time you read this, of course, serious gardeners will have sown their oats and tomatoes, but determined neophytes can still catch up.


mac·ra·mé (măk'rə-mā') pronunciation
n.

Coarse lace work made by weaving and knotting cords into a pattern.

[French, from Italian macramè, from Turkish makrama, towel, from Arabic miqrama, embroidered veil, from qarama, to gnaw, nibble.]


neophyte,

━━ n. 新改宗者; 【カトリック】新修道士[僧]; 初心者.



nib·ble (nĭb'əl) pronunciation
v., -bled, -bling, -bles. v.tr.
  1. To bite at gently and repeatedly.
  2. To eat with small, quick bites or in small morsels: nibble a cracker.
  3. To wear away or diminish bit by bit: "If you start compromising too early . . . they nibble you to death" (People).
v.intr.
To take small or hesitant bites: fish nibbling at the bait.

n.
  1. A very small quantity, especially of food; a morsel.
  2. The act or an instance of nibbling.

[Middle English nebyllen, akin to Low German nibbelen.]

nibbler nib'bler n.



for·ti·fy (fôr'tə-fī') pronunciation
v., -fied, -fy·ing, -fies. v.tr.
To make strong, as:
  1. To strengthen and secure (a position) with fortifications.
  2. To reinforce by adding material.
  3. To impart physical strength or endurance to; invigorate.
  4. To give emotional, moral, or mental strength to; encourage: Prayer fortified us during our crisis.
  5. To strengthen or enrich (food, for example), as by adding vitamins.


v.intr.
To build fortifications.

[Middle English fortifien, from Old French fortifier, from Late Latin fortificāre, from Latin fortis, strong.]

fortifiable for'ti·fi'a·ble adj.
fortifier for'ti·fi'er n.
fortifyingly for'ti·fy'ing·ly adv.