2012年4月29日 星期日

call to arms, still- ,stand fast.hold one's ground, A stand-your-ground law

 

 

 Also, hold one's ground; stand fast. Be firm or unyielding, as in You've got to respect him for standing his ground when all the others disagree, or I'm going to hold my ground on this issue, or No matter how he votes, I'm standing fast. This idiom, dating from the early 1600s, originally was applied to an army holding its territory against the enemy, but was being used figuratively as well by the end of the 1600s.

 

 A stand-your-ground law states that a person may use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of a threat, without an obligation to retreat first. In some cases, a person may use deadly force in public areas without a duty to retreat. Under these legal concepts, a person is justified in using deadly force in certain situations and the "stand your ground" law would be a defense or immunity to criminal charges and civil suit. The difference between immunity and a defense is that an immunity bars suit, charges, detention and arrest. A defense, such as an affirmative defense, permits a plaintiff or the state to seek civil damages or a criminal conviction but may offer mitigating circumstances that justifies the accused's conduct.


 

Drilling in Fast-Growing Areas Ushers in New Era of Tension

By KIRK JOHNSON
The still-emerging boom is bringing energy exploration to communities with no experience dealing with it and areas that were once, in rosier times, earmarked for other uses.


With Call to Arms, Obama Seeks to Shift Arc of Oil Crisis

In a national address Tuesday night, President Obama hoped to pivot from defense to offense, using the still-unresolved crisis in the Gulf to press for sweeping change in energy policy.

CALL TO ARMS
noun
    A rallying term used by proponents of a cause: battle cry, call to battle, cry, motto, rallying cry, war cry. Seewords.
still
adv.
  1. Without movement; motionlessly: stand still.
    1. At the present time; for the present: We are still waiting.
    2. Up to or at a specified time; yet: still had not made up her mind.
    3. At a future time; eventually: may still see the error of his ways.
  2. In increasing amount or degree; even: and still further complaints.
  3. In addition; besides: had still another helping.
  4. All the same; nevertheless.
━━[副]
1 ((現在・未来・過去の時制に用いて))今[その時]までのところまだ, やはり, 今もなお, これから先[その後]もなお, 依然として
He is [was] still there.
彼はまだそこにいる[いた]
I'm still living in Tokyo.
まだ東京に住んでいます
He's still a child.
まだ子供だ
She loves him still.
彼のことをいまだに愛している(▼stillを文末に置くときは「いまだに」の意味が強まる)
The new wine still tasted of the grapes.
その新しいワインにはまだブドウの味が残っていた
I have still [yet] to find out the truth.
まだ真相がよくわからない(⇒[語法](2)).
[語法]
(1) stillはふつう肯定文で用い, 否定文はno longer, yetを用いる:He is still here. 彼はまだここにいる(まだ帰らない)/He is no longer here. 彼はもうここにはいない(もう帰ってしまった)/He is not here yet. 彼はまだここにはいない(まだ来ていない).
(2) stillを否定文で用いる場合は否定語の前に置き, 否定的な状況の継続を表す:I still can't tell the difference. 依然としてその差異がわからない/I still haven't bought a new car. 新車はまだ買っていない.
2 ((しばしば接続詞的))それにもかかわらず, なおかつ, それでも, やはり(but yet)
He hadn't studied;still, he took the examination.
勉強しなかったが, それでも試験を受けた
Still, it must be wonderful to have a child.
そうはいっても, 子供をもつってきっとすばらしいことなんでしょうね.
3 ((比較級を強めて))もっと, いっそう, さらに
a still better idea
さらによい考え
They demanded still more land.
さらに多くの土地を要求した
I was surprised then, but now I'm more surprised still.
そのときも驚いたが, 今ではますます驚いている
The street was hot at three and hotter still at four.
街路は3時には暑かったが4時にはさらに暑くなった
We haven't any money. Worse still, we haven't any time.
金がない. さらに悪いことに時間もない.
4 音をたてないで, 静かに.
5 〈距離・程度が〉さらに, いっそう.
6 ((古))絶えず, 常に.

2012年4月28日 星期六

garter, Garter, stocking, bluestocking





bluestocking (noun) A woman having literary or intellectual interests.
Synonyms:bas bleu
Usage:Calling me names like bluestocking or nerd will only strengthen my resolve to learn.



blúestòcking[blúe・stòcking]

[名][C]((英古風))学問好きの女, 文学かぶれの女.
[1750年ごろ, Mrs. Montagu家でのLondonの文芸愛好家の集りで, その女子会員が正装でない青の毛編み靴下をはいていたので, その会合が嘲笑(ちょうしょう)的にBlue Stocking Society(青鞜(せいとう)会)と呼ばれたことより]
 bluestocking, derisive term originally applied to certain 18th-century women with pronounced literary interests. During the 1750s, Elizabeth Vesey held evening parties, at which the entertainment consisted of conversation on literary subjects. Eminent men of the day were invited to contribute to these conversations. Hannah More, Elizabeth Montagu, and Elizabeth Carter, among others, continued this tradition. Boswell, in his Life of Dr. Johnson, states that these "bluestocking clubs" were so named because of Benjamin Stillingfleet, who attended in unconventional blue worsted stockings rather than the customary black silk stockings. In time the name bluestocking was applied solely to women of pedantic literary tastes.



維基大典:維基爾雅/

往: ,
  • (漢語拼音)tà
  • (倉頡碼)TJEA

  • 【玉篇】鞮也。
  • 【廣韻】革履。
  • 【揚雄·長楊賦】革鞜不穿。
  • 【註】師古曰:鞜,革履也。 又【集韻】達合切,音沓。本作鞈。詳前鞈字註。



皮鞋。文選˙揚雄˙長楊賦:「躬服節儉,綈衣不弊,革不穿。」
  鼓声:“鼓钟鞺~。”

garter

(gär'tər) pronunciation
n.
    1. An elasticized band worn around the leg to hold up a stocking or sock.
    2. A suspender strap with a fastener attached to a girdle or belt to hold up a stocking or sock.
    3. An elasticized band worn around the arm to keep the sleeve pushed up.
  1. Garter
    1. The badge of the Order of the Garter.
    2. The order itself.
    3. Membership in the order.
tr.v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters.
  1. To fasten and hold with a garter.
  2. To put a garter on.
[Middle English, band to support socks, from Old North French gartier, from garet, bend of the knee, probably of Celtic origin.]



n. - 襪帶
v. tr. - 用襪帶系緊, 授嘉德勳位(騎士級最高階)
idioms:
  • garter belt 吊襪腰帶

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 靴下留め, ガーター勲位, ガーター勲章


2012年4月27日 星期五

bloviating, rewire, Mind-body approaches to chronic pai





 Did you know that Chicago is called "The Windy City" because of the bloviating habits of its politicians, and not the breeze off the lake?


According to some polls, the bloviating Newt Gingrich is the new GOP front-runner. It won't last(37)

Rewiring the Brain to Ease Pain
Mind-body approaches to chronic pain, such as meditation and tai chi, are proving surprisingly effective in clinical trials, showing that people can change how their brains respond to pain.


bloviate
(blō'vē-āt') pronunciation
intr.v. Slang, -at·ed, -at·ing, -ates.
To discourse at length in a pompous or boastful manner: "the rural Babbitt who bloviates about 'progress' and 'growth'" (George Rebeck).
[動](自)一席ぶつ.
[Mock-Latinate formation, from BLOW1.]
bloviation blo'vi·a'tion n.

coverup, misled, raised as many questions as it answered


 Murdoch Contends He Was Misled
News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch said he should have been quicker to address allegations of unlawful reporting practices at the News of World tabloid, but he told a media-ethics inquiry that he blamed others for misleading him as part of a coverup.



Olympus Coverup Spooks Investors
Olympus's admission that it spent decades covering up investment losses raised as many questions as it answered.

cover-up
or cov·er·up (kŭv'ər-ŭp')
n.
  1. An effort or strategy of concealment, especially a planned effort to prevent something potentially scandalous from becoming public.
  2. A loose garment for wear over other clothing, such as a swimsuit or an evening dress.

potlatch, Festa, public hanging, getting check-marked

錢鍾書譯 potlatch為"不得落節" (管錐篇 頁100)
 薛稷(649-713)…..因爲薛稷的書法能夠很好地繼承褚遂良的筆法和風格,可謂河南公(褚遂良)之高足,甚爲時所珍尚。所以,當時就有買褚得薛,不失其節的說法。
薛稷書語(買褚得薛不落節)



 
Welch said: “This isn’t about Greg Smith. It’s about Greg Smith’s manager and that manager’s manager. You go in and you look at how Greg Smith was appraised. Was Greg Smith told of his shortcomings? Or was he getting check-marked, ‘Fully satisfactory’? And then you get on with the business of making them accountable.”
In other words, find one or two managers to blame and hold a public hanging.




創業100周年を迎えた吉本興業の企画によるファッションイベント「第1回SUPER GIRLS FESTA 最強美少女盛典」が15日、台湾の台北で行われ、モデルの山田優、佐々木希らが出演した。

Festa may refer to any of the following: The Italian word for a Christian Saint's feast day.



potlatch (POT-lach)

noun:
1. A party or get-together.
2. A ceremonial festival among American Indians of the Pacific Northwest involving feasts, lavish gift giving, dances, etc. 誇富宴

Etymology
From Chinook Jargon, from Nootka patshatl (to give, gift).

Usage
"'[The youth ambassadors] were coming to the biggest potlatch in the world, sharing and developing a sense of pride in who they are,' Diane Strand says." — Shelley Fralic; World's Biggest Potlatch Changing Attitudes; Vancouver Sun (Canada); Feb 24, 2010.

〔pάtlætʃ〕
━━ n. ポットラッチ ((北米先住民の習俗としての贈り物合戦)).




hanging[hang・ing]

  • 発音記号[hǽŋiŋ]
[名]
1 [U][C]絞首刑
put a person to death by hanging
人を絞首刑にする.
2 [U]つるす[掛ける]こと;((しばしば〜s))(部屋の壁などを)おおう物, 掛ける物, 壁掛け.
3 [C][U]下り傾斜, 下り坂
the hanging of a roof
屋根の傾斜.
━━[形]
1 〈物が〉掛かった, ぶら下がった
a hanging lantern
つりランプ.
2 〈建物などが〉急斜面にある, 高みにある
a hanging garden
つり庭(がけの中腹などに造って中空に掛かったように見せた庭園).
3 うなだれた.
4 〈棚などが〉掛け物用の.
5 絞首刑に値する;絞首刑用の;〈人が〉絞首刑を科したがる
a hanging tree
((米))(リンチで)絞首刑用に使う[使った]木.
6 ((英))〈契約・問題が〉未決定の;差し迫った.




chéck màrk[chéck màrk]

チェックの印(または×).

2012年4月26日 星期四

display ad, turn on, wiretapping, non sequitur, bugging

 Until now, the downfall of Mr. Bo has been cast largely as a tale of a populist who pursued his own agenda too aggressively for some top leaders in Beijing and was brought down by accusations that his wife had arranged the murder of Neil Heywood, a British consultant, after a business dispute. But the hidden wiretapping, previously alluded to only in internal Communist Party accounts of the scandal, appears to have provided another compelling reason for party leaders to turn on Mr. Bo.


Nearly a dozen people with party ties, speaking anonymously for fear of retribution, confirmed the wiretapping, as well as a widespread program of bugging across Chongqing. But the party’s public version of Mr. Bo’s fall omits it.
 The architect was Mr. Wang, a nationally decorated crime fighter who had worked under Mr. Bo in the northeast province of Liaoning. Together they installed “a comprehensive package bugging system covering telecommunications to the Internet,” according to the government media official.





I often wondered if Craig and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, the other former Clinton official who helped undermine Hillary’s foreign policy record, would have done so if they had known that after turning on Hillary they would once more end up working beside her; if they had known that Obama can often be more interested in wooing opponents than tending to those who put themselves on the line for him.



eMarketer週三公佈的數據顯示﹐谷歌(Google Inc.)展示廣告業務的增長速度快於預期﹐並有望於明年超過Facebook Inc.。

數據顯示﹐Facebook美國展示廣告業務今年的收入應能達到25.8億美元﹐並有望於明年達到32.9億美元。

谷歌美國展示廣告業務今年的收入應在25.4億美元﹐明年可能會達到36.8億美元。

雅虎公司(Yahoo! Inc.)美國展示廣告業務明年的收入預計將從今年的14億美元增長至15億美元。雅虎此前曾經是這類業務的領頭羊﹐但在去年被Facebook趕超。

Facebook發言人對此不予置評。谷歌和雅虎方面的代表也未立即就記者的置評要求作出回復。



turn on
1. Cause to begin the operation, flow, or activity of, as in Turn on the lights, please, or Don't turn on the sprinkler yet. [First half of 1800s]
2. Begin to display, employ, or exude, as in He turned on the charm. [Late 1800s]
3. Also, get high or on. Take or cause to take a mind-altering drug, as in The boys were excited about turning on, or They tried to get her high, or I told them I wouldn't get on tonight. [Slang; mid-1900s]
4. Be or cause to become excited or interested, as in His mother was the first to turn him on to classical music. [c. 1900]
5. Be or become sexually aroused, as in He blushed when she asked him what turned him on. [Second half of 1900s]
6. Also, turn upon. Depend on, relate to, as in The entire plot turns on mistaken identity. This usage, first recorded in 1661, uses turn in the sense of "revolve on an axis or hinge."
7. Also, turn upon. Attack, become hostile toward, as in Although normally friendly, the dog suddenly turned on everyone who came to the door. Also see turn against.

turn on[turn on]

(自)
(1) 〈電灯が〉つく.
(2) 〈考え・話題が〉…に向く[なる].
(3) ((米俗))麻薬を吸う[飲む];性的に興奮する.
(4)
[turn on [upon] ...]
⇒(自)2, 13


Display advertising is a type of advertising that typically contains text (i.e., copy), logos, photographs or other images, location maps, and similar items. In periodicals, display advertising can appear on the same page as, or on the page adjacent to, general editorial content. In contrast, classified advertising generally appears in a distinct section, was traditionally text-only, and was available in a limited selection of typefaces.

Advertisement from early 20th century
Display advertisements are not required to contain images, audio, or video: Textual advertisements are also used where text may be more appropriate or more effective. An example of textual advertisements is commercial messages sent to mobile device users, or email.
One common form of display advertising involves billboards. Posters, fliers, transit cards, tents, scale models are examples of display advertising.

On the Internet

Display advertising also appears on the Internet, as a form of online advertising. Display advertising appears on web pages in many forms, including web banners. Banner ad standards continue to evolve.


Dan Blumenthal, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told the Taipei Times: “Abandoning Taiwan for the purposes of economic recovery is a China will not ‘write off our debt,’ it will keep wanting to buy our debt as long as we have debt to buy because of its distorted economy.”


Syria

The Arab League is at last turning on Bashar Assad's regime in Damascus





non sequitur

  • 発音記号[nɑ'n sékwitər | nɔ'n]

不合理な推論[結論](略:non seq.).
[ラテン語=it does not follow]

(nŏn sĕk'wĭ-tər, -tʊr') pronunciation
n.
  1. An inference or conclusion that does not follow from the premises or evidence.
  2. A statement that does not follow logically from what preceded it.
[Latin nōn sequitur, it does not follow : nōn, not + sequitur, third person sing. present tense of sequī, to follow.]

 bug
 (bŭg) pronunciation
n.
  1. A true bug.
  2. An insect or similar organism, such as a centipede or an earwig. See Regional Note at lightning bug.
    1. A disease-producing microorganism: a flu bug.
    2. The illness or disease so produced: "stomach flu, a cold, or just some bug going around" (David Smollar).
    1. A defect or difficulty, as in a system or design.
    2. Computer Science. A defect in the code or routine of a program.
  3. An enthusiasm or obsession: got bitten by the writing bug.
  4. An enthusiast or devotee; a buff: a model train bug.
  5. An electronic listening device, such as a hidden microphone or wiretap, used in surveillance: planted a bug in the suspect's room.

v., bugged, bug·ging, bugs. v.intr.
To grow large; bulge: My eyes bugged when I saw the mess.

v.tr.
    1. To annoy; pester.
    2. To prey on; worry: a memory that bugged me for years.
  1. To equip (a room or telephone circuit, for example) with a concealed electronic listening device.
  2. To make (the eyes) bulge or grow large.
phrasal verbs:bug off Slang.
  1. To leave someone alone; go away.
bug out Slang.
  1. To leave or quit, usually in a hurry.
  2. To avoid a responsibility or duty. Often used with on or of: bugged out on his partners at the first sign of trouble.
idiom:put a bug in (someone's) ear Informal.
  1. To impart useful information to (another) in a subtle, discreet way.
[Origin unknown.]
bugger bug'ger n.

shogun, awestruck, dislodge, raccoon, predecessors

 The analogue version
FAT, raccoon-faced, and with the severed head of one of his enemies at his feet, Ieyasu Tokugawa, Japan’s mightiest shogun, hardly looks like a heartthrob. Yet this is the image of him that confronts awestruck young women when they travel to the village of Sekigahara in central Japan.



A parliamentary government would have the virtue of not only dislodging Robert Mugabe, but assuring a more democratic Zimbabwe in the future.


SINCE 2001, when the Taliban were dislodged from power in Afghanistan, the international community has spent many billions of dollars toward the nation’s reconstruction. Yet not much progress can be seen. Poor management and lack of coordination among aid agencies are the major reasons for this dismal record, but another very simple problem has been a failure to make sure that the Afghan people have access to books and other printed materials with the information they need to move forward.

The public face of the world’s emerging superpower gazed at the hill above him, its forests reduced to gashes of earth and rock by landslides dislodged in the massive earthquake.
Ashen-faced, he appeared genuinely awestruck by the power of nature and the extent of the tragedy surrounding him as he stood in the town nearest to the epicentre.

 Japan's 'Shadow Shogun' Acquitted in Fund-Raising Scandal
Voice of America (blog)
Influential Japanese political figure Ichiro Ozawa was acquitted Thursday on charges of violating fund-raising laws, setting up a possible showdown in the country's ruling party. The Tokyo District Court said there was no evidence that Ozawa knowingly ...




  "great lord, shogun" ; dà "great" + jūn "prince"]
最後的中文像是大君的意思,然而其發音我覺得像台語的大(將)軍
,日文指的是幕府時代的大將軍。

shogun[sho・gun]

  • 発音記号[ʃóugən]
[名]将軍.
[日本語]raccoon
also n., pl., rac·coons, or raccoon, also ra·coons or racoon.
  1. A carnivorous North American mammal (Procyon lotor) having grayish-brown fur, black masklike facial markings, and a black-ringed bushy tail.
  2. The fur of this mammal.
  3. Any of various similar or related animals.
[Of Virginia Algonquian origin.]


North American raccoon (Procyon lotor).
(click to enlarge)
North American raccoon (Procyon lotor). (credit: Leonard Lee Rue III)




Prominent Republican Sen. John McCain said the U.S. should launch airstrikes on Syria to help rebels dislodge the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad.
dislodge
verb [T]
to remove something or someone, especially by force, from a fixed position:
The earthquake dislodged stones from the walls and the roof.
We need two wins to dislodge the French team from first place.

Greece and Italy Seek a Solution From Technocrats

By RACHEL DONADIO
The question in both countries is whether the new leaders can succeed where their predecessors failed and dislodge the entrenched cultures of political patronage.


awestruckPhoneticadjective (ALSO awestricken)
filled with feelings of admiration or respect:
an awestruck admirer/fan/visitor/tourist
I could tell she was impressed from the awestruck expression on her face.

discontent , tie oneself in a knot, malcontent

Why Washington Is Tied Up in Knots

By Peter Beinart
Discontent with government is at its highest level in more than a decade -- making it harder to solve the country's biggest problems

tie oneself in a knot 對某事困惑, 使自己緊張




France Votes Its Discontents

President Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande will now face each other in a presidential runoff on May 6 that is likely to be important for all of Europe.
malcontent (adjective) Discontented as toward authority.
Synonyms:disaffected, ill-affected, rebellious
Usage:The film follows three malcontent teenagers as they gather a following of like-minded peers and wreak havoc with their attempts to buck the system.

 discontent,
 (dĭs'kən-tĕnt') pronunciation
n.
    1. Absence of contentment; dissatisfaction.
    2. A restless longing for better circumstances.
  1. One who is discontented.
adj.
Discontented.

tr.v., -tent·ed, -tent·ing, -tents.
To make discontented.

discontentment dis'con·tent'ment n.

2012年4月25日 星期三

rule out, additions and corrections, followed by silence

'The Bridge'

By DAVID REMNICK
Reviewed by GARRY WILLS
This study of Obama, by the editor of The New Yorker, has many additions and corrections to make to our reading of "Dreams From My Father."

TV Corrects Itself, Just Not on the Air


By DAVID CARR


Newspapers run corrections all the time, but a mistake on television news, like NBC's misleading editing of an audio clip by George Zimmerman, is often followed by silence.
Thailand red shirts rule out talks
By Tim Johnston in Bangkok 2010-04-12



1. Eliminate from consideration, exclude, as in The option of starting over again has been ruled out. [Second half of 1800s]
2. Prevent, make impossible, as in The snowstorm ruled out our weekly rehearsal. [First half of 1900s]

'n, 'n', Load 'n Go Wagons, Sweet'n Low, contraction

1. Fisher-Price Recalls to Repair Little People Builders' Load 'n Go Wagons due to Laceration Hazard http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11287.html

Sweet'n Low (trademarked as Sweet'N Low) is a brand of artificial sweetener from granulated Saccharin, dextrose and cream of tartar.


'n'
or 'n
conj. Informal
Contraction of and: scratch 'n' sniff.

 isn't
 IN BRIEF: Short for is not.

pronunciation Tomorrow isn't promised to any of us. — Kirby Puckett

 
I Hunt, but the N.R.A. Isn't for Me
By LILY RAFF McCAULOU

The overwhelming majority of gun owners do not belong to the National Rifle Association.


contraction[con・trac・tion]

  • レベル:社会人必須
  • 発音記号[kəntrǽkʃən]
[名]
1 [U](筋肉の)収縮, 攣縮(れんしゅく);[C]((しばしば 〜s))陣痛
A contraction of pain passed over his face.
苦痛に彼の顔は一瞬引きつった.
2 [U](一般に)収縮, 短縮, 縮小;[C]収縮[短縮]した物.
3 [U](通貨・資金などの)収縮, 縮小, 制限;(経済活動の)低下, 減退, 景気後退, 不況.
4 [U][C]《文法》(語の)縮約(形), 短縮(形):is notをisn'tとするなど. ⇒ABBREVIATION
5 [U](癖などが)身につくこと, 習癖;(負債を)負うこと;(病気に)かかること;(契約・協定などを)結ぶこと
the contraction of a disease
(り)病.
6 [U]《数学》縮約.
con・trác・tion・à・ry
[形]経済縮小の, 消費支出低下の.

servility, rueful, The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, obstinate



Chih Lo Lou Collection, Hong Kong
“Pines and Rock” (1634), a hanging scroll by Huang Daozhou, has a rueful, inscription: “Even if I turned into rock, I wouldn't be obstinate.”



The spirit is willing, but the snow is deep

Record storms test worshipers' resourcefulness and resolve -- and churches' finances
(By Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

One would like to undertake something but hasn't the energy or strength to do so. For example, Another set of tennis? The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Today often used as a rueful admission of weariness or other physical weakness, this idiom was first recorded in the New Testament (Matthew 26:41), where Jesus tells his disciples: "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." A modern equivalent is I would if I could but I can't.
醒寤祈禱吧! 免陷於誘惑;心神固然切願,但肉體卻軟弱。」




Brutality of Servility
By MAUREEN DOWD

A man who seemed headed for the Oval Office may be headed to jail, raising the eternal question: Why is the flesh always weak?

servile[ser・vile]

  • 発音記号[sə'ːrvil | -vail]
[形]
1 奴隷の, 奴隷状態の.
2 奴隷特有の, 奴隷根性の, 卑しい, 卑屈な
a servile bow
こびへつらったおじぎ
servile flattery
卑屈なおべっか.
3 (…に)盲従する((to ...));(特に芸術・文体において)独創性のない.
4 召使(特有)の.
ser・vile・ly
[副]
ser・vile・ness, ser・víl・i・ty
[名][U]奴隷状態;奴隷根性, 卑屈, 追従;盲従.
rueful,

('fəl) pronunciation
adj.
  1. Inspiring pity or compassion.
  2. Causing, feeling, or expressing sorrow or regret.
ruefully rue'ful·ly adv.
ruefulness rue'ful·ness n.



obstinate
  • [ɑ'bstənət | ɔ'b-]
[形]
1 がんこな, いこじな, 譲らない. ⇒STUBBORN[類語]
Don't be obstinate.
そう我をはるな.
2 〈抵抗などが〉執拗(しつよう)な, がん強な, ねばり強い
with an obstinate toss of one's head
かたくなに首をふって.
3 ((限定))〈病気・習癖などが〉執拗な, 難治の
an obstinate headache

2012年4月23日 星期一

euphoric, feel-good, Christmas, Childermas, Nativity Scene, ferret out, advent




 《中英對照讀新聞》Researchers ferret out reasons for runner’s high 研究人員找出跑者愉悅感的原因


◎管淑平
You’ve probably had the feeling. Your running shoes are pounding the pavement--then suddenly your pain fades away, and you’re feeling euphoric. The runner’s high.
你大概有過這樣的感覺。你的跑鞋沉重地踩在路上─然後,突然間痛苦消散,你感覺愉快。跑者的愉悅感。

But that biological perk may be limited to mammals that evolved for endurance exercise--like us. So says a study in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
但是,那種生物性振奮狀態或許只限於經演化成適合耐力運動的哺乳動物─像我們人類。「實驗性生物學」期刊上的一份研究這麼說。

Researchers had humans and dogs--both natural-born runners--jog a half hour on a treadmill. Then they sampled their blood for endocannabinoids, some of the compounds thought to trigger the runner’s high.
研究人員讓人和狗在跑步機上跑30分鐘─這兩種動物都是天生的跑者。接著,採集他們的血液樣本,檢驗內生性大麻鹼,這種化學物質據信會引發跑者愉悅感。

As expected, humans and dogs had much higher levels after the run. But when sedentary ferrets took the same 30-minute trot, they had no spike in those feel-good molecules.
一如預期地,人和狗跑步後,血液中內生性大麻鹼都高得多。但是,定棲性貂鼠同樣跑30分鐘後,血液中這種產生愉悅感的分子數量卻沒有提高。

The authors say that’s because long-distance running could have helped our hunter-gatherer ancestors find more food--thus increasing their reproductive success. And they speculate that natural selection may have linked up a feel-good reward to that beneficial behavior.
報告作者說,這是因為長距離跑步可能幫助我們以打獵採集為生的祖先找到更多食物,從而促進他們繁殖成功。作者推測,物競天擇或許讓愉悅回饋機制與這種有利於生存的行為產生關連。

These days of course, this ancient trait won’t help us find extra calories--but it may encourage us to run ’em off.
當然,這種祖先留下來的天性,在今日不會幫助我們取得更多熱量,而是或許鼓勵我們擺脫卡路里。



新聞辭典:
ferret out:動詞片語,(經過仔細、持續調查後)查出、揭露。例句:It will take years to ferret out the truth.(要查出真相將花上數年時間。)
fade away:動詞片語,漸漸消失、凋零、衰弱。例句:Our parents are fading away as they get older.(我們的父母日漸年邁,身體正逐漸衰弱。)
perk: 動詞,振作、活躍、恢復精神,打扮。名詞(俚語,常用複數形),小費、額外津貼或福利。例句:Try to perk yourself up with some exercise when you feel tired during the day.(白天覺得疲倦時,試著做些運動提振精神。)



Welcoming the Advent season with song

Roasted chestnuts or a mug of hot spicy wine warm keep hands warm, and
carols fill the air. Celebrate the Christmas season with a selection of
carols and traditional songs sung by the DW Choir.



Black nativity angers Italy’s "White Xmas" party 黑色耶穌誕生圖激怒義大利的「白色耶誕」政黨
◎俞智敏
A nativity scene featuring a dark-skinned Jesus, Mary and Joseph that has gone on display in a Verona courthouse has created heated debate in a city with strong links to Italy’s anti-immigration Northern League party.
由黑皮膚的耶穌、馬利亞與約瑟為主角的耶穌誕生圖最近在維羅那的一所法院展示,但卻在這座與義大利反移民的北方聯盟黨有緊密關聯的城市引發激烈辯論。
The nativity’s appearance coincides with the League’s controversial operation "White Christmas," a two-month sweep ending on Christmas Day to ferret out foreigners without proper permits in Coccaglio, a small League-led town east of Milan.
這幅耶穌誕生圖的出現時機,正好碰上北方聯盟推動一項極具爭議性的「白色耶誕」行動,這項為時兩個月、於耶誕節當天結束的行動,目的是要找出住在由北方聯盟執政、位於米蘭東方的小城科卡里歐,卻沒有合法居留證件的外國人。
The Christmas scene -- featuring a dark-skinned baby Jesus dressed in a red shirt and lying in a manger -- was the idea of Mario Giulio Schinaia, the chief Public Prosecutor in Verona.
這幅耶誕場景──穿著紅上衣的黑膚嬰孩耶穌躺在馬槽中──是維羅那市檢察長史奇納亞想出的主意。
"History teaches us that baby Jesus and his parents were very probably dark-skinned," Schinaia said. "There shouldn’t be a white or black Christmas, only a merry Christmas for everyone, of every skin color, ethnic background and nationality."
「歷史告訴我們,嬰孩耶穌和他的父母很可能擁有深色皮膚,」史奇納亞表示。「耶誕節根本不該分白色或黑色,而是屬於所有人、所有膚色、種族背景與國籍的快樂耶誕。」
The nativity has caused heated reactions in the rich northern town, where resentment toward foreigners has spread as the number of immigrants, particularly from north Africa and eastern Europe, continues to rise.
但這幅耶穌誕生圖卻在這座富裕的北方城市引發激烈反應,當地人對外國人的憎惡,隨著移民的人數,尤其是來自北非與東歐的移民持續增加而不斷擴散。
The Northern League, an ally of conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with key cabinet posts including the interior ministry, has used its growing political clout to secure tough new laws including making illegal immigration a crime.
北方聯盟為保守派總理貝魯斯孔尼的盟黨,掌有包括內政部長在內的重要內閣職務,該黨已利用其日益增長的政治影響力通過多項嚴苛的新法令,其中包括把非法移民列為罪行。

新聞辭典
nativity:名詞,指出生、誕生,大寫時尤指耶穌的誕生或耶穌誕生圖,亦可泛指耶誕節。如nativity play,耶誕劇(通常由兒童在耶誕節演出、關於耶穌降生的戲劇)。
ferret:名詞原指雪貂、白鼬,作動詞時指仔細搜索、找出,如Officials say they will ferret out abuses in the welfare program.(官員們表示會仔細找出社福計畫中的弊病。)

fer·ret1 (fĕr'ĭt) pronunciation
n.
  1. A weasellike, usually albino mammal (Mustela putorius furo) related to the polecat and often trained to hunt rats or rabbits.
  2. A black-footed ferret.

v., -ret·ed, -ret·ing, -rets. v.tr.
    1. To hunt (rabbits, for example) with ferrets.
    2. To drive out, as from a hiding place; expel.
  1. To uncover and bring to light by searching. Often used with out: "Their work merely points the way for others to ferret out the core components of all proteins" (Natalie Angier).
  2. To hound or harry persistently; worry.
v.intr.
  1. To engage in hunting with ferrets.
  2. To search intensively.
[Middle English furet, ferret, from Old French furet, from Vulgar Latin *fūrittus, diminutive of Latin fūr, thief.]
ferreter fer'ret·er n.
ferrety fer'ret·y adj.

clout:名詞,指對其他人或事物的影響力,如The Queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.(女王或許擁有特權,但她沒有實質的政治影響力。)


Christmas:聖誕節;耶穌聖誕節;耶誕節:耶穌誕生之確切日期聖經並未詳細記載(路二1-20),公元354年教會始規定每年 12月25日為耶穌聖誕節。詳見 Nativity of Christ。

  1. A Christian feast commemorating the birth of Jesus.
  2. December 25, the day on which this feast is celebrated.
  3. Christmastide.
[Middle English Cristemas, from Old English Crīstes mæsse, Christ's festival : Crīst, Christ; see Christ + mæsse, festival; see Mass.]
Christmassy Christ'mas·sy or Christ'mas·y adj.
(Childermas Day:諸聖嬰孩殉道慶日;諸聖嬰孩致命瞻禮:於十二月廿八日舉行,以紀念耶穌時代,被黑落德殺死的無辜嬰孩(瑪二16-18)。)


cycle, liturgical:禮儀週期:分聖誕節和復活節兩大週期,此兩週期外則為常年期。聖誕節週期包括將臨期、聖誕期;復活節週期包括四旬期、復活期。
Christmas carol:(1) 聖誕歌。(2) 報佳音:耶穌誕生時,天使向牧羊人報告救世主誕生的大喜訊-佳音(路一8-11),因此而演變為聖誕節沿門獻唱聖誕歌曲報佳音的習俗。
Christmas crib:聖誕馬槽:由聖方濟(St. Francis of Assisi)開始,於聖誕節期間在聖堂、家中或廣場陳設聖誕馬槽:包括耶穌聖嬰、瑪利亞、若瑟、天使、三賢士、牛、羊等,以描繪聖誕情景。或簡稱 crib。
nativity scene may be used to describe any depiction of the Nativity of Jesus in art, but in the sense covered here, also called a crib or manger in the UK and crèche in France (meaning "crib" or "manger" in French), it means a three-dimensional commercial or folk art depiction of the birth or birthplace of Jesus, either sculpted or using two-dimensional (cut-out) figures arranged in a three-dimensional setting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_scene
Christmas cycle:聖誕期:教會禮儀週期之一,由「將臨期」開始,至「主受洗日」止。其中包括:(1) 將臨期 Advent
(ăd'vĕnt') pronunciation
n.
  1. The coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important: the advent of the computer.
  2. Advent
    1. The liturgical period preceding Christmas, beginning in Western churches on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and in Eastern churches in mid-November, and observed by many Christians as a season of prayer, fasting, and penitence.
    2. Christianity. The coming of Jesus at the Incarnation.
    3. Christianity. See Second Coming.
[Middle English, the Advent season, from Old French, from Latin adventus, arrival, from past participle of advenīre, to come to : ad-, ad- + venīre, to come.]



(2) 聖誕節期 Christmas。(3) 主顯節 Epiphany,昔日的「主顯節期」今已取消。
Christmas Eve:聖誕前夕;聖誕夜:耶穌聖誕前一日(望日)。
Christmas tree:聖誕樹:聖誕裝飾之一,開始於德國;1840年已在英國流行;現已風行全球。
Christmas wreath:聖誕花圈;聖誕花環。
Christmastide:聖誕期。詳見 Christmas cycle。
將臨
advent (1) 將臨期:耶穌聖誕前四周的準備期,以便迎接耶穌的來臨。將臨期第一主日為教會禮儀年的開始。 (2) 再臨:基督第二次來臨。拉丁文作 adventus
Advent of Christ :耶穌來臨:一般指世界末日時,耶穌第二次來臨審判世人。而耶穌第一次來臨是指祂(兩千年前)在巴勒斯坦降生成人、傳佈福音、救贖世人。
advent wreath :將臨期花環;將臨圈:是由冬青樹或其他樹葉所作的花環,附有四支蠟燭;將臨期在聖堂彌撒中或家中(晚餐時)點燃;將臨期第一主日點一支,第二主日點兩支,以此類推。到耶誕節時,將此花環置於聖誕像前。此風始自民間預備迎接耶誕節之用。
Adventism :再臨派;複臨派;安息日教派:基督新教派之一,主張基督即將再臨。十九世紀米勒( William Miller 1782-1849 )倡行於美國,其中以基督複臨安息日會 Seventh Day Adventists 教徒最多。

Many Takes on a Traveler’s Tale

2012年4月21日 星期六

like a shot, tee shot, three-stroke

KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) – Japan's Ai Miyazato shot a 2-under 70 on Friday in difficult wind conditions to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA LOTTE Championship. By Jeff Gross, Getty Images Ai Miyazato hits a tee shot on the 16th ..


  KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) – Japan's Ai Miyazato shot a 2-under 70 on Friday in difficult wind conditions to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA LOTTE Championship. By Jeff Gross, Getty Images Ai Miyazato hits a tee shot on the 16th ..


I'd marry like a shot.

like a shot

Very rapidly, as in When they asked for volunteers, he raised his hand like a shot. This expression alludes to the rapidity of gunfire. [Colloquial; late 1800s]



 tee
 () pronunciation
n.
  1. The letter t.
  2. Something shaped like a T.
  3. Sports & Games. A mark aimed at in certain games, such as curling or quoits.
idiom:to a tee
  1. Perfectly; exactly: a plan that suits me to a tee.

tee2 () pronunciation
n.
  1. A small peg with a concave top for holding a golf ball for an initial drive.
  2. The designated area of each golf hole from which a player makes his or her first stroke.
  3. A device used to stand a football on end for a kickoff.
  4. A shaft with a concave top attached to a flat base, used to hold the ball in T-ball.
tr.v., teed, tee·ing, tees.
To place (a ball) on a tee. Often used with up.

phrasal verb:tee off
  1. To drive a golf ball from the tee.
  2. Slang. To start or begin: They teed off the fundraising campaign with a dinner.
  3. Slang. To make angry or disgusted: The impertinent remarks teed the speaker off.
[Back-formation from obsolete Scots teaz (taken as a pl.).]

tee[tee2]

  • レベル:社会人必須
  • 発音記号[tíː]
[名]《ゴルフ》ティー.
1 各ホールの出発点.
2 球をのせる台.
━━[動](〜d, 〜・ing)(他)
1 《ゴルフ》〈球を〉ティーにのせる((up)).
2 …を準備する, 手配する((up)).
tee off
(自)
(1) 《ゴルフ》ティーから球を打つ.
(2) ((俗))(…を)きびしく責める[しかる]((on ...)).
(3) 《野球》(ボールを)痛打する((on ...)).
━━(他)
[tee ...off/tee off ...]
(1) ((俗))…を始める.
(2) ((通例受身))〈人を〉怒らせる, うんざりさせる.

insanity, foremost legal mind, counterweight



 Verizon, fed up with the high costs of offering the iPhone, plans to push smartphones powered by Microsoft's Windows software, as a counterweight to the popular Apple device.

Lin+sanity=Linsanity,



insanity

(ĭn-săn'ĭ-tē) pronunciation
n., pl., -ties.
  1. Mental illness or derangement. No longer in scientific use.
  2. Law.
    1. Unsoundness of mind sufficient in the judgment of a civil court to render a person unfit to maintain a contractual or other legal relationship or to warrant commitment to a mental health facility.
    2. In most criminal jurisdictions, a degree of mental malfunctioning sufficient to relieve the accused of legal responsibility for the act committed.
    1. Extreme foolishness; folly.
    2. Something that is extremely foolish.
SYNONYMS insanity, lunacy, madness, mania, dementia. These nouns denote conditions of serious mental disability. Insanity is a grave, often prolonged condition that prevents a person from being held legally responsible for his or her actions: was judged not guilty for reasons of insanity. Lunacy often denotes derangement relieved intermittently by periods of clear-mindedness: yelled wildly in a moment of utter lunacy. Madness often stresses the violent aspect of mental illness: a story about obsession and madness. Mania refers principally to the excited, or manic, phase of bipolar disorder: prescribed drugs to control the patient's periods of mania. Dementia implies mental deterioration brought on by an organic brain disorder: underwent progressive stages of dementia.

  • [insǽnəti]
[名][U]
1 精神障害[錯乱], 狂気.
2 愚かさ;むてっぽう
the insanity of war
戦争という狂気の沙汰(さた).




THE foremost legal mind in USA
Nomination of Kagan Leaves Some Longing on the Left
By PETER BAKER
Like other Democratic nominees since the 1960s, Elena Kagan does not fit the profile sought by the left, which hungers for a liberal counterweight to Justice Antonin Scalia.



mind

n.
  1. The human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory, and imagination.
  2. The collective conscious and unconscious processes in a sentient organism that direct and influence mental and physical behavior.
  3. The principle of intelligence; the spirit of consciousness regarded as an aspect of reality.
  4. The faculty of thinking, reasoning, and applying knowledge: Follow your mind, not your heart.
  5. A person of great mental ability: the great minds of the century.
    1. Individual consciousness, memory, or recollection: I'll bear the problem in mind.
    2. A person or group that embodies certain mental qualities: the medical mind; the public mind.
    3. The thought processes characteristic of a person or group; psychological makeup: the criminal mind.
  6. Opinion or sentiment: He changed his mind when he heard all the facts.
  7. Desire or inclination: She had a mind to spend her vacation in the desert.
  8. Focus of thought; attention: I can't keep my mind on work.
  9. A healthy mental state; sanity: losing one's mind.

fore·most (fôr'mōst', fōr'-) pronunciation
adj.
  1. First in time or place.
  2. Ahead of all others, especially in position or rank; paramount. See synonyms at chief.
adv.
  1. In the front or first position.
  2. So as to be most important.
[Alteration of Middle English formest, first, from Old English.]







cóunterwèight[cóunter・wèight]

[名]平衡錘, 釣り合いおもり.


preposterous dog-and-pony show. misstep



Media Decoder

After Flops, Disney Studio Chief Resigns

By BROOKS BARNES
Rich Ross's exit after two and a half years marks a rare misstep by Robert A. Iger, Disney's chief executive.



dog-and-pony show (dog and POH-nee shoh)

noun: An elaborately staged presentation or briefing that lacks substance, arranged for public relations, selling, etc. Also, a presentation that is overly contrived.

Etymology
After small traveling circuses that featured tricks involving dogs and ponies. Earliest documented use: 1885.

Usage
"Rather than be honest about the tragic missteps of the past and confront the lingering issues over detainee treatment, the Pentagon puts on a preposterous dog-and-pony show when reporters come calling." — Pentagon's Offensive Guantanamo Show; St. Petersburg Times (Florida); Jul 7, 2009.


preposterous
(prĭ-pŏs'tər-əs) pronunciation
adj.
Contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; absurd. See synonyms at foolish.

[From Latin praeposterus, inverted, unseasonable : prae-, pre- + posterus, coming behind (from post, behind).]
preposterously pre·pos'ter·ous·ly adv.
preposterousness pre·pos'ter·ous·ness n.

misstép[mis・stép]

[名]
1 ((米))踏みそこない.
2 (行動・判断などの)誤り, 過失, 失策, 私生児を産むこと, 異性とのあやまち.

2012年4月20日 星期五

crumple, Don't wash your dirty linen in public.

The earthquake that hit Kobe, a city of 1.4m in central Japan, struck at 5.46am while most people were still asleep. About 5,000 people died in the first few seconds of the quake, crushed by buildings that Japanese engineers were amazed – and ashamed – to see crumple like cards. It is thought that most of the thousands of buildings that collapsed were built before 1981, when building standards were tightened.
神户位于日本中部,有140万人口。地震来袭时是凌晨5:46,大多数人都还在梦中。约有5000人在地震发生后的几秒钟内就被建筑物砸死——见到建筑物像纸片一样坍塌时,日本工程师既惊且愧。据信,数以千计的倒塌建筑物中,有许多是1981年建筑标准提高之前建造的。




The dollar’s crumpling, the recession’s thundering, the Dow’s bungee-jumping and the world’s disapproving, yet George Bush has turned into Gene Kelly, tap dancing and singing in a one-man review called “The Most Happy Fella.”


crumple
verb
1 [I or T] to become, or cause something to become, full of irregular folds:
This shirt crumples easily

2 [I] If someone's face crumples, it becomes full of lines because of a strong emotion:
Her face crumpled with laughter.

3 [I] If someone crumples, they fall to the ground suddenly:
The bullet hit him and he crumpled into a heap on the floor.

crumpled
adjective
crumpled clothes
the crumpled charm of linen





Don't wash your dirty linen in public.



2012年4月19日 星期四

hinney, honey, honeysuckle, anthemion, fragrant




an·the·mi·on (ăn-thē'mē-ən) pronunciation
anthemion, honeysuckle ornament
A common Greek ornament based upon the honeysuckle or palmette. Used singly on stelae or antefixes, or as a running ornament on friezes, etc.






anthemion





hin·ney

\ˈhini\ 驢

Definition of HINNEY

dialectal British variant of honey

Variants of HINNEY

hin·ney or hin·ny or hin·nie

hon·ey·suck·le
(hŭn'ē-sŭk'əl) pronunciation
n.
  1. Any of various shrubs or vines of the genus Lonicera, having opposite leaves, fragrant, usually paired tubular flowers, and small berries.
  2. Any of various similar or related plants.
[Middle English honysoukel, alteration of honisouke, from Old English hunīsūce : hunig, honey + sūcan, to suck; see suck.]

n. - 忍冬, 金銀花


Honeysuckles (Lonicera, pronounced /lɒˈnɪsərə/;[1] syn. Caprifolium Mill.) are arching shrubs or twining vines in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 180 species of honeysuckle, 100 of which occur in China; Europe and North America have only about 20 native species each. Widely known species include Lonicera periclymenum (European Honeysuckle or Woodbine), Lonicera japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle, White Honeysuckle, or Chinese Honeysuckle) and Lonicera sempervirens (Coral Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle, or Woodbine Honeysuckle). Hummingbirds are attracted to these plants.





Lonicera ciliosa
Lonicera ciliosa - Orange




Honeysuckle in popular culture