2015年9月30日 星期三

cystic fibrosis, polycystic ovaries, pathogens, defect, foolproof, filibuster-proof majority, Child-Proof Toy Fair, obstructionism

 Senate's Leader Sets Showdown Over Changes to Filibuster

By JONATHAN WEISMAN and ASHLEY PARKER

Senators emerged from a closed-door meeting saying they were confident an agreement could be reached Tuesday to end the standoff over a change to filibuster rules, though no deal had been struck.


 On June 19, 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was approved after surviving an 83-day filibuster in the United States Senate.


Reid Promises To Take on the Filibuster
After months of GOP obstructionism, the Senate majority leader has vowed to hold hearings about dismantling the filibuster, although reform will probably to be delayed until "next Congress."
However, DFL boss Christian Seifert cautioned that no early-warning system could be fool-proof.
"While the early-warning system is in place, no federation in the world is 100 percent safe against organised crime gangs who want to manipulate matches," Seifert said.


Obama Tactic Shields Health Care Bill From a Filibuster

By CARL HULSE
The president’s new stance suggests he may be much less willing to compromise on health care, his top legislative priority, even if it means a partisan fight.


German Inspectors Try to Child-Proof Toy Fair

Lethal Legos. Death-inducing dolls. Nasty Nintendos. Gruesome games and
action figures made to kill and maim -- not necessarily in that order.
Good thing there are officials to keep the Nuremberg Toy Fair safe.

The DW-WORLD Article
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=ew0607I44va89pI0

Is Your Kid's School Lunch Safe?
An investigation into why the government failed to include ground beef destined for schools in a wide recall last summer raises questions about whether enough is being done to ensure the food children eat is free of pathogens.


Sprint Slows Defections, but Loses $478 Million
By JENNA WORTHAM
Sprint’s cellphone service lost 801,000 of its most profitable customers in the third quarter, compared with 991,000 in the second quarter.



Bank of America
plans to offer bonuses to Merrill Lynch brokers that could amount to as much as 100 percent of the annual revenue they generate, in an effort to keep them from defecting after it completes its takeover of the investment firm, Bloomberg News reported.


Senator Arlen Specter's surprise defection from the Republican Party to join the Democrats was the lead story in all the papers. Assuming that Al Franken is eventually seated as senator from Minnesota, that gives the Democrats a 60-person, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and will ease passage of key Obama administration priorities like health care reform and capping carbon emissions. Political considerations motivated Specter's switch; he said internal polling showed that his chances of surviving a Republican primary challenge in 2010 were "bleak."

"We estimate that one in every five women in the UK have polycystic ovaries and therefore research such as this is critical to help us to better tackle the disease."
"我們估計在英國每五個婦女中的一個人有多囊卵巢,因此研究這是説明我們更好地應對這種疾病的關鍵。

A new genetic study of over 200,000 women reveals the underlying…
CAM.AC.UK


defect (LEAVE) Show phonetics
verb [I]
to leave a country, political party, etc., especially in order to join an opposing one:
When the national hockey team visited America, half the players defected.
The British spy, Kim Philby, defected to the Soviet Union/defected from Britain in 1963.

defection

━━ n. 亡命; 変節, 脱党[会].
defect

defection
Show phonetics
noun [C or U]
Over the years there were hundreds of defections to the West/defections from the East.
Recent changes in policy have resulted in large-scale defection from the party.

defector Show phonetics
noun [C]
She was one of many Communist Party defectors.

defect (FAULT) Show phonetics
noun [C]
1 a fault, problem or lack in something or someone that spoils them or causes them not to work correctly:
All R45 aircraft have been grounded, after a defect in the engine cooling system was discovered.
There are so many defects in our education system.
It's a character defect in her that she can't ever accept that she's in the wrong.

2 a physical condition in which something is wrong with a part of someone's body:
She suffers from a heart/sight/speech defect.
The drug has been shown to cause birth defects.
Cystic fibrosis is caused by a genetic defect.


  1. cystic fibrosis,《病理(学)》嚢胞(のうほう)性線維症.

defective Show phonetics
adjective
describes something that has a fault in it and does not work correctly:
defective brakes
defective hearing/eyesight
a defective gene
I think that argument/theory is defective.

path・o・gen


━━ n. 【医】病原菌, 病原体.
path・o・gen・ic ━━ a. 発病させる, 病原となる.
pa・thog・e・ny ━━ n. 発病, 病因.



Institute admits lax handling of pathogens

10/18/2007
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
A state laboratory handled hundreds of hazardous pathogens beyond its capabilities, ordered workers to keep the dangers secret, and did not tell part-timers about the potentially lethal risks, The Asahi Shimbun has learned.
photoShingo Ichimura, right, a vice president at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, apologizes with other officials Wednesday for lax management of pathogens. (THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)
The violations of inhouse rules and the clandestine practices continued for years at the International Patent Organism Depositary (IPOD) in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture.
As of 2001, IPOD kept about 300 types of pathogens that could damage human health, including some considered as potentially lethal as the anthrax bacteria, according to internal documents obtained by the newspaper and other sources.
Part-time workers at the facility were assigned to test and cultivate the pathogens in facilities not well equipped for infection prevention.
A senior IPOD official who pointed out the risks to management was repeatedly told not to tell others. And the government's supervisory entities took no steps even after learning of the fact as early as 2001.
Officials of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), to which IPOD belongs, apologized at a news conference Wednesday.
"There were defects in our management, and we are in deep remorse," one executive said.
AIST Vice President Shingo Ichimura said the organization would apologize to former workers even though "it has turned out that there were no health problems."
AIST falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
IPOD is commissioned to receive and preserve cells and microorganisms relevant to patent applications.
Until 2004, IPOD's internal rules said the lab could accept only pathogens classified on the lowest biohazard level of the World Health Organization's standards.
IPOD facilities were not sufficiently equipped for infection prevention required under WHO standards for pathogens of hazard level 2 or higher.
But according to the documents obtained by The Asahi Shimbun, IPOD kept 296 strains of pathogens banned by the inhouse rules as of 2001.
Three strains--two Brucella strains and one glanders (Burkholderia mallei) strain--that the lab received after 1984 belonged to the potentially lethal level 3.
Up until 1999, eight workers, including female part-timers, were assigned to test or cultivate those level-3 pathogens in ordinary labs.
They were not informed of the strains' potentially lethal risks, according to sources.
In addition, anyone could enter the IPOD facilities.
AIST executives said the inhouse rules were not well known among IPOD workers in those days. The executives also ruled out any infection from the three level-3 strains.
A senior IPOD official learned of the problems in 2001 and asked AIST, the industry ministry and the Patent Office to take measures.
Around that time, fears of bioterrorism using anthrax bacteria, a level-3 pathogen, were raging in the United States. The official also called for steps to confirm the health of former workers.
But Ichimura, then at the AIST's planning headquarters, repeatedly told the official not to act without further instructions from him nor to discuss the matter with others, the sources said.
Ichimura gave similar instructions to other IPOD officials in an e-mail message. The Asahi Shimbun obtained a copy of a message apparently sent by Ichimura.
Ichimura admitted to the newspaper that IPOD did accept pathogens in violation of its rules and had (part-time) workers test them.
"But we concluded that telling the truth would have given psychological damage to those who tested them without knowing anything," he said. "So we didn't tell them."
In 2004, IPOD isolated the level-3 strains in a fire-resistant, sealed cool box. It also improved its equipment so that it could deal with level-2 pathogens.
In June this year, the revised infectious diseases prevention law took effect, making the three level-3 strains at IPOD subject to anti-terrorism regulations.
The regulations only allow facilities with sufficient infection prevention systems to keep level-3 strains.
IPOD disposed of its strains on May 31, one day before the revised law went into force.
Meanwhile, the whistle-blower, who has since retired, repeatedly called the Patent Office and others for steps to rectify the situation, apparently using lists of pathogens in IPOD's care.
The official was then criticized for taking out "(confidential) information" and was urged to sign a written pledge to never again violate the law on public servants, the sources said.
At Wednesday's news conference, Ichimura said AIST will try to locate former workers and apologize for "not telling the truth."
AIST would also apologize to Tsukuba city, officials said.(IHT/Asahi: October 18,2007)
這foolproof 是1902年在美國針對汽車開始使用的: The car...is comparatively "fool-proof".

foolproof
adjective
(of a plan or machine) so simple and easy to understand that it is unable to go wrong or be used wrongly:
I don't believe there's any such thing as a foolproof scheme for making money.
This new video-recorder is supposed to be foolproof.


"...However, the group raised fears that the new service could invite bogus comments from people posing as others. While it promised to "work with each author to confirm their identity individually" - by the traditional methods of contacting the organisation affiliated with the author, contacting local officials, or collaborating with journalists - it did admit "no method is foolproof". In which case, anyone wrongly attributed should contact news-comments@google.com..."

Misquoted? Hit back with Google



THE Democratic Party may yet scrape a 60-seat filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. A run-off race takes place in Georgia on Tuesday December 2nd where Saxby Chambliss, the sitting Republican, failed to win the 50% of the vote required to retain his seat under state rules. A prolonged recount is expected to end in Minnesota where Norm Coleman, the sitting Republican senator, may possibly be unseated by Al Franken, a comedian. The race may yet be decided in the courts. Another prolonged recount in Alaska recently handed a victory to the Democratic candidate, Mark Begich, over Ted Stevens, the long serving Republican who was convicted on corruption charges shortly before the election.

fil・i・bus・ter


-->
━━ n. (外国に侵入する)略奪兵; 海賊; 議事妨害(者).
━━ v. 略奪[侵攻]する; 海賊行為をする; 議事を妨害する.
fil・i・bus・ter・er ━━ n.


-proof (PROTECTED)
suffix
protecting against, or not damaged by, a particular thing:
a bullet-proof vest
a waterproof/wind-proof jacket
proof 
adjective FORMAL
No household security devices are proof against (= protect completely against) the determined burglar.
Her virtue would be proof against his charms.

proof 
verb [T]
to treat a surface with a substance which will protect it against something, especially water

facial, facilitate or countenance, Craniofacial, facial angle/hair

William Frederick Poole, Class of 1849, is best known for his accomplishments as a librarian. But if his bust in the Linonia and Brothers Reading Room at Sterling Memorial Library is a fair likeness, he also had truly epic facial hair.


He did not want his executors" to facilitate or countenance the writing of any biography of me." p.242





1976 羅慧夫離開馬偕醫院,十二月六日轉任長庚醫院擔任創院院長兼整形外科,成立第一個顯微中心、美容中心。
1989十二月繼續其醫療理念,捐款三百萬成立羅慧夫顱顏基金NCF, Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation)以幫助顱顏患者。


Craniofacial - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craniofacial - Cached
Craniofacial (cranio- combining form meaning head or skull + -facial combining form referring to the facial structures grossly) is a term typically used to describe ...

coun·te·nance  (koun'tə-nəns) pronunciation
n.
  1. Appearance, especially the expression of the face: The question left him with a puzzled countenance.
  2. The face or facial features.
    1. A look or expression indicative of encouragement or of moral support.
    2. Support or approval.
  3. Obsolete. Bearing; demeanor.
tr.v., -nanced, -nanc·ing, -nanc·es.
To give sanction or support to; tolerate or approve: The college administration will not countenance cheating.


[Middle English contenaunce, from Old French, from contenir, to behave. See contain.]





countenance

Translate countenance | into German | into Italian
Definition of countenance


noun

  • 1a person’s face or facial expression:his impenetrable eyes and inscrutable countenance give little away
  • 2 [mass noun] support or approval:she was giving her specific countenance to the occasion

verb

[with object]
  • admit as acceptable or possible:he was reluctant to countenance the use of force


Phrases


keep one's countenance

maintain one’s composure, especially by refraining from laughter.

keep someone in countenance

help someone to remain calm and confident: to keep herself in countenance she opened her notebook

out of countenance

disconcerted or unpleasantly surprised: I put him clean out of countenance just by looking at him

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French contenance 'bearing, behaviour', from contenir (see contain). The early sense was 'bearing, demeanour', also 'facial expression', hence 'the face'




Search Results

facial angle
n
1. (Anatomy) the angle formed between a line from the base of the nose to the opening of the ear and a line from the base of the nose to the most prominent part of the forehead: often used in comparative anthropology
2. (Anthropology & Ethnology) the angle formed between a line from the base of the nose to the opening of the ear and a line from the base of the nose to the most prominent part of the forehead: often used in comparative anthropology

2015年9月28日 星期一

tone down, summery, autumnal

China to EU: Tone Down Yuan Criticism
Chinese premier Wen Jiabao asked European Union leaders to tone down their attacks on Beijing in an escalating battle over the value of the world's key currencies, amid a meeting of Asian and European leaders in Brussels.

Merkel papers over coalition cracks with summery words Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a cheerful performance at her traditional pre-holiday press conference on Wednesday, despite facing questions about awful opinîon polls, fleeing state premiers and her fractious coalition.



“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face."
― from Elegy IX, "The Autumnal," The Complete English Poems ByJohn Donne
summery
[sum・mer・y]
The adjective summery has one meaning:Meaning #1: belonging to or characteristic of or occurring in summer
Antonyms: autumnal (meaning #1), wintry (meaning #1), vernal (meaning #2)


  • 発音記号[sʌ'məri]

[形](-i・er, -i・est)夏の, 夏らしい;夏向きの.
tone down
Make less vivid, harsh, or violent; moderate. For example, That's a little too much rouge; I'd tone it down a bit, or Do you think I should tone down this letter of complaint? This idiom uses tone in the sense of "adjust the tone or quality of something," as does the antonym, tone up, meaning "brighten or strengthen." For example, These curtains will tone up the whole room, or This exercise is said to tone up the triceps. [Mid-1800s]



2015年9月25日 星期五

one-off, defriend, befriend, acquaint, reacquaint, getting-acquainted

 
Bottoms Up: Beer-Flavored Ice Cream
Two of summer’s signature indulgences are getting better acquainted.
 
White House Shooting Suspect’s Path to Extremism
The suspect in the White House shooting comes from Idaho, a state with a history of right-wing extremism, but he was not part of those movements, acquaintances said.




"O my friends, there is no friend. "

But for a small band of lobbyists and industry organisations lucky enough to have become acquainted with a member of the House of Lords, life is much easier. After a one-off background check, passholders can enter Parliament through one of several private entrances, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, can show guests and clients around and use the canteen and the gym.




Drafting a Future
During his getting-acquainted tour of the Smithsonian, G. Wayne Clough, the institution's new secretary, was stopped in his tracks by a group of researchers poring over pages of "endangered" languages.
(By Jacqueline Trescott, The Washington Post)


EuroVox | 04.08.2008 | 05:30 
Garden Project, Week 10 – Garden Project Highlights 


It's midway through the Garden Project and time to be reacquainted with all those involved at the International Garden in Bonn.

We’ve met some interesting people along the way and learned that having a small plot of land isn’t as easy as you might think. From strawberries to snails, from Rwanda to Russia, we bring you the highlights of the International Garden to date.





acquainted 
adjective [after verb] FORMAL
knowing or being familiar with a person:
"Do you know Daphne?" "No, I'm afraid we're not acquainted."
I am not personally acquainted with the gentleman in question.

acquainted 
adjective FORMAL
be acquainted with sth to know or be familiar with something, because you have studied it or have experienced it before:
Police said the thieves were obviously well acquainted with the alarm system at the department store.

reacquaint

IN BRIEF: v. - Get to know again.

acquaint sb with sth phrasal verb FORMAL
to make someone or yourself aware of something:
[R] Take time to acquaint yourself with the rules.
The Broadcasting Museum also offers Saturday workshops to acquaint children with the world of radio.


(one-off (wŭn'ôf', -ŏf') Chiefly British.
adj. Happening, done, or made only once.

adj. - 只做一次的, 單人用的
n. - 一次, 單人用

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 一回限りの, 一人用の

one-off

(1) One at a time. CD-ROM recorders (CD-R drives) are commonly called one-off machines because they write one CD-ROM at a time.

(2) Only once. Software that is written to solve a specific problem only one time is sometimes called a one-off.)

 Definition of acquaint
Pronunciation: /əˈkwānt/
verb


[with object] (acquaint someone with)
  • make someone aware of or familiar with:new staff should be acquainted with fire exit routes you need to acquaint yourself with the house style
  • (be acquainted) be an acquaintance:I am not acquainted with any young lady of that name I’ll leave you two to get acquainted

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French acointier 'make known', from late Latin accognitare, from Latin accognoscere, from ad- 'to' + cognoscere 'come to know'
Remember that acquaint and the related word acquaintance are part of a set of words that begin with acqu-. Other words that are spelled acqu- include acquiesce, acquire, and acquit.

friend
n.
  1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
  2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
  3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
  4. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement: friends of the clean air movement.
  5. Friend A member of the Society of Friends; a Quaker.
tr.v., friend·ed, friend·ing, friends.
  1. To add (someone) as a friend on a social networking website.
  2. Archaic. To befriend.
[Middle English, from Old English frēond.]
friendless friend'less adj.
friendlessness friend'less·ness n.
WORD HISTORY A friend is a lover, literally. The relationship between Latin amīcus "friend" and amō "I love" is clear, as is the relationship between Greek philos "friend" and phileō "I love." In English, though, we have to go back a millennium before we see the verb related to friend. At that time, frēond, the Old English word for "friend," was simply the present participle of the verb frēon, "to love." The Germanic root behind this verb is *frī-, which meant "to like, love, be friendly to." Closely linked to these concepts is that of "peace," and in fact Germanic made a noun from this root, *frithu-, meaning exactly that. Ultimately descended from this noun are the personal names Frederick, "peaceful ruler," and Siegfried, "victory peace." The root also shows up in the name of the Germanic deity Frigg, the goddess of love, who lives on today in the word Friday, "day of Frigg," from an ancient translation of Latin Veneris diēs, "day of Venus."

學習英文的入門要求標準。對寫作說幾句話(by J. Michael Cole)



學習英文的入門要求標準
今天看到報導,Obama 要求美國在2020年前有百萬人學中文。_
我比較關心國人的英文學習。現在,光是東海大學的大一英文就有3500人修。假設一班20人,就必須開近175班......這是多大的教學負荷?
大學畢業的英文程度之要求,現在流行"檢定考試"......
其實我希望的是,學生能去訂閱他們喜歡的博物館、美術館、科學館.....的新聞 (Newsletter等等),持續學習。底下是今晨聽到的美國大都會博物館的節目,或許可當參考。


In this episode of the ‪#‎MetArtistProject‬, ceramic artist Ann Agee visits the Villeroy “Harlequin Family.” She describes a set of mannequins as, “who you want to be, but maybe you can’t be because you’re too stuffy.”http://met.org/1NPpjOz
------

https://www.facebook.com/notes/10153643214441499/

對寫作說幾句話(by J. Michael Cole)

對寫作說幾句話

台灣年輕人經常不惜花費幾萬塊錢學習怎麼寫作。但這完全是在浪費你的時間和金錢。

by J. Michael Cole
9/14/2015
The Far-Eastern Sweet Potato

中譯:William Tsai

http://fareasternpotato.blogspot.tw/2015/09/a-few-words-on-writing.html



自從十年前定居台灣到現在,我已經再也數不清究竟有多少個台灣人問過我能不能教他/她寫作了。台灣人對於莎士比亞的語言似乎有一種愛恨交織的情感,但有不少人還是真的想學好英文,這當然是為了實用所需。在台灣的補習班文化裡,人們看來都相信只要你(或你的父母)花的錢夠多,就可以自動習得一種語言技能。

潑大家冷水真是不好意思,但語言不是這樣學的,寫作更不能靠這樣學會。許多台灣人都情願付出800元甚至1000元的時薪,每周一兩次請一個不知道夠不夠格教別人甚麼的外國人來上課。對於大多數人來說,他們挑選「老師」的最重要標準是一個人的膚色,而不是他的學歷和成長背景。這種習性帶來的後果則完全不出所料:台灣人的英文讀寫能力一塌糊塗。

會話是一回事,要是一個人能夠藉由反覆練習而更有信心說一種外語,這樣的投資或許是值得的。可是當有人告訴我寫作的藝術可以教給別人,我卻不得不強烈存疑。因為這麼做就是行不通。

我剛到台灣幾個星期,一位有志於出國留學的朋友的朋友就要求我教他寫作。於是我教了他一陣子,直到他入伍服役,課程也隨之結束。我不喜歡這樣。但這段短暫的教學經驗也讓我明白寫作是教不來的。這也讓如今成為寫作者的我,開始回想自己當初是怎麼學習英文寫作的(法文才是我的母語)。

在我的經驗裡,寫作是主動學會的,而不是被別人給教會的。我開始學英文是因為我小時候想玩「龍與地下城」(Dungeons & Dragons),卻不想花大錢跟遊戲店買法文版的說明書。隨後不久我就對文學有了興趣,那時多半是看恐怖小說;洛夫克拉夫特(H.P. Lovecraft)是我最愛的作者,而我很快就感覺到,讀法文譯本是件愚蠢的事,要是能從原文讀他的超自然恐怖短篇或中篇,必定會感到更加痛快。

差不多在這個時候,我開始有了寫作的志向。那時還只是小朋友的我,是用我爸媽的Olivetti打字機寫短篇故事的(通常是冒險或科幻),但我那時還太小,不明白總有一天這會為我將來想做的事情定性。上了高中之後我開始用英文寫短篇,多半是彆腳的愛情故事,其實不過是在模仿洛夫克拉夫特、穆爾柯克(Michael Moorcock)等作家的風格。我明白了如果我想要好好寫作的話,首先就必須熟練英文的文法原理,像母語一樣。所以我報考了魁北克市唯一一所英語教學的預科學校聖羅倫斯學院(St. Lawrence College),主修文學藝術課程。

我一開始表現得不好,一部分是由於語言障礙,我永遠記得教授對我說,要是我的英文無法在短期間內突飛猛進,他不太相信我有辦法讀完學期。這當然讓我提高警覺,採取了一切必要措施確保這種結果不會發生。失敗絕對不是選項。我一直都是個貪婪的讀者,但現在我是有所為而讀,自覺地決定讀經典。我想,還有甚麼方法比閱讀大師們的文章更有益於學習語言呢?葉慈(W.B. Yeats)、康拉德(Joseph Conrad)、史坦貝克(John Steinbeck)、格林(Graham Greene)、吳爾芙(Virginia Woolf)、狄更斯(Charles Dickens),當然還有我一開始完全摸不著頭緒的莎士比亞,他們都成了我的老師。經由我的閱讀課程,我學會了欣賞風格、語氣、音調、論點、架構,以及好的敘事方式。每讀一本書我就把看不懂的字抄下來查字典,再把字義記下來,讓自己牢牢記住。沒有人教我這麼做,是我自己學會的。

上了大學搬到蒙特婁,主修英語文學之後,我對英語文學的愛好變得更強烈。那時我第一次和那些後來一直影響著我的語言藝術家結緣,像是歐威爾(George Orwell)、納博可夫(Vladimir Nabokov)、奈波爾(J.S. Naipaul)、魯西迪(Salman Rushdie)、石黑一雄、渥伍(Evelyn Waugh) 、艾利森(Ralph Ellison)、勒卡雷(John Le Carre)等人。我也經由閱讀世界文學開拓了自己的眼界(通常讀英文或法文譯本),也因此認識了杜斯妥也夫斯基(Fyodor Dostoevsky)、契訶夫(Anton Chekhov)、索忍尼辛(Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn)、馬哈福茲(Nagib Mahfouz)、巴爾加斯‧略薩(Mario Vargas Llosa)、馬奎斯(Gabriel Garcia Marquez)、米蘭‧昆德拉(Milan Kundera)、克里瑪(Ivan Klima)、湯瑪斯‧曼(Thomas Mann)、卡達萊(Ismael Kadare)、卡繆(Albert Camus)、法拉赫(Nuruddin Farah),還有三島由紀夫、谷崎潤一郎、村上春樹等作家。也是從那時開始,我飢渴地閱讀報紙和雜誌,從《紐約時報》到《科學人》,從《經濟學人》到《自然》。我也閱讀威爾遜(Edward O. Wilson)、薩根(Carl Sagan),以及最近不幸過世的薩克斯(Oliver Sacks)等等大師寫下的探討人類進化、流行病學、天文學及生命科學的科普著作。後來,當我對政治有了興趣,我也開始閱讀傳記、歷史研究,以及一些政治學著作(那時,麥基爾大學(McGill University)書店的政治學部門還有著十分豐富的選書)。我讀希欽斯(Christopher Hitchens)、伊格納蒂夫(Michael Ignatieff)、薩依德(Edward Said)、哈伯斯坦(David Halberstam)、卡普欽斯基(Ryszard Kapuscinski)、卡普蘭(Robert Kaplan)等人的著作,而且絕不錯過任何一期《外交政策》和《外交》雜誌。到了1996年大學畢業時,我已經讀過幾百本,沒錯,好幾百本書了。

進了研究所之後,我對書寫文字的熱情還是繼續保持,即使我後來進了加拿大政府部門工作,每天都得寫威脅評估、情報目標檔案之類枯燥無味的報告,我還是繼續讀小說和紀實文學。2005年搬來台灣的時候,我帶了2000本書來,十年下來,數目差不多增加了一倍。我倒不是認為任何有志寫作的人都應該拿這麼多書壓在自己身上(何況現在還有了Kindle電子書,雖然我這個保守派對這種媒介深惡痛絕),可是無庸置疑,我所認識的,並且啟發我走上寫作之路的每一位偉大作家都是熱愛閱讀的人,希欽斯、歐威爾、略薩、納博可夫,他們每一個人都盡可能的閱讀,而且絕不自限於舒適的母國文學傳統。

所以,與其付出大筆金錢被那些多半只想輕鬆獲利的外國人「教」寫作,我更建議這麼做:

第一課:閱讀、閱讀、閱讀,然後繼續讀更多。選你喜歡的主題,但不要侷限於單一類型。把小說和紀實文學搭配著讀,閱讀外國著作,讓自己向不同的文化敞開,就算讀翻譯書也不要緊。除了本地暢銷書榜上常見的(何其悲哀!)商場生存教戰書籍之外,還有一整個宇宙等著你去發掘。去探索不同的敘事傳統,很快你就會明白《哈利波特》和《卡拉馬助夫兄弟們》差別在哪、又為何不同,以及兩者何以各自有所成就。感受觀點切換與非線性敘事是怎麼影響我們理解一個故事的。閱讀你喜愛的作家傳記,看看他們是怎麼學會寫作的(我跟你保證,他們沒有一個寫作老師)。認識紀實作品之中同樣具備的敘事方法,以及薩根、古爾德(Stephen Gould)、霍金(Stephen Hawking)和薩克斯等等廣受大眾喜愛的科普作家,是怎麼把故事說得動聽的。寫作者要能夠分辨行得通和行不通的方式,才能真正長進,最好的學習方法則是親身體驗。不要忘記寫作是心智的映射,若是心智漫無章法、缺乏訓練,就不可能產生有價值的成果。必須先充實心智,然後才能將心智貢獻於宇宙。把你付給寫作老師的錢省下來,拿去多買幾本書。最後要知道,閱讀可以很有趣,而且獲益極大(我早就嗜讀成癮了)。

第二課:寫作、寫作、寫作。起先,你的寫作必定會去模仿你喜歡的作家。我自己的書寫一開始是近似於洛夫克拉夫特那種神經緊繃,堆砌形容詞的文體,但終究捨棄了這種寫法,如今覺得這種文字難以卒讀;接著我開始模仿康拉德,再來是格林、歐威爾,直到在好幾輪探索之後找到了自己的「聲調」和風格。毫無疑問,我的寫作風格來自於這一切影響,將來也會繼續隨著我現在和以後的閱讀所得而轉變,即使只是微調(比方說,我讀魯西迪獲法國文學的時候,寫下的句型往往更長更繁複;要是這個發展太過火,重讀海明威或歐威爾是有益的修正)。你寫得越多,就會越進步。從2006年進入《台北時報》當文字編輯直到今天,我寫過2000多篇新聞報導、社評或書評,還寫了五本書。進步是隨著時間慢慢累積的,十分幽微,但在你多年之後重讀舊作時就清楚可見了(因此作家幾乎不重讀舊作,以免因此畏縮不敢創作)。說真的,寫作就像舉重,因此也就能夠說明為什麼就連像我這樣多產的寫作者,要是有很長一段時間沒寫,也會很難再寫出值得出版的作品(兩個星期沒寫就足夠讓寫作的肌肉萎縮了)。每天空出一兩個小時寫作,寫甚麼都好:短篇故事、每日例行公事的自傳式改寫、對頁評論、書評,不然就寫信給真實存在或虛擬的朋友。要知道,寫作可以很有趣,而且獲益極大(我也早就嗜寫成癮了)。

就是這麼簡單(卻也可以很複雜)。沒有靈丹妙藥。寫作是要透過模仿和練習,以及向文字的世界敞開心胸並且盡可能融會貫通,才能進步的,這是永無休止的過程,之所以迷人也正因永無止盡。閱讀文學經典(也可以讀些現代文學,但這種機會越來越難得了)是最保險的方法。不要被略薩、杜斯妥也夫斯基這些鼎鼎大名給嚇到,跳下去,盡可能吸收就是了。這是一個在智識上增重的過程:你必須不斷挑戰你的腦袋,就像在長跑或舉重不斷精益求精那樣。我對於年輕人告訴我他們想要學寫作,一年卻讀不完一兩本書這件事,總是感到瞠目結舌。我平均每個月讀完五、六本書和幾十篇文章,而且在小說和紀實、英文和法文之間交替切換,盡可能讓自己的閱讀選擇多樣化。你不一定非得讀這麼多不可,但有件事是肯定的:就算你花了幾萬塊新台幣請外國老師,光是在智慧型手機上玩遊戲絕對不會讓你增廣見聞,更不可能讓你學會寫作的。

lime or linden, basswood 椴樹

案外案: 舒伯特的 Der Lindenbaum 根本不是菩提樹,而是另一種樹,叫做椴樹。不少人猜是早期中譯者弄不清楚兩種樹的區別而誤譯,其實是日文譯者近藤朔風先翻譯成菩提樹的。http://tysharon.blogspot.tw/2014/09/blog-post.html


 The genus is generally called lime or linden in Britain[1] and linden, lime, or basswood in North America.[2]
"Lime" is an altered form of Middle English lind, in the 16th century also line, from Old English feminine lind or lindeProto-Germanic*lendā, cognate to Latin lentus "flexible" and Sanskrit latā "liana". Within Germanic languages, English "lithe", German lind "lenient, yielding" are from the same root.
"Linden" was originally the adjective, "made from lime-wood" (equivalent to "wooden"); from the late 16th century, "linden" was also used as a noun, probably influenced by translations of German romance, as an adoption of Linden, the plural of German Linde.[3]Neither the name nor the tree is related to the citrus fruit called "lime" (Citrus aurantifolia, family Rutaceae). Another common name used in North America is basswood, derived from bast, the name for the inner bark (see Uses, below). Teil is an old name for the lime tree.
Latin tilia is cognate to Greek πτελέᾱ, ptelea, "elm tree", τιλίαι, tiliai, "black poplar" (Hes.), ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European word*ptel-ei̯ā with a meaning of "broad" (feminine); perhaps "broad-leaved" or similar.[4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilia

cold shoulder, steadfastly, inner circle


Xi’s Inner Circle Offers Cold Shoulder to Western Officials 


1. on Page 56:
"... In my own practice, 1 steadfastly refuse to compute or to discuss the interpretation of the standard error when large operational nonsampling errors are obviously present ..."
2. on Page 76:
"... * In my own practice, I have steadfastly refused to engage in such tests. A simultaneous test, for the sake of comparison, to see if sampling will work, ..."
Return to book



Merkel Faces Cold Shoulder in Brussels as EU Leaders Gather

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel faces a chilly reception at this week's
European Union summit in Brussels after steadfastly resisting calls to
drastically boost government spending as an antidote to recession.


steadfast Show phonetics
adjective APPROVING
staying the same for a long time and not changing quickly or unexpectedly:
a steadfast friend/ally
steadfast loyalty
The group remained steadfast in its support for the new system, even when it was criticized in the newspapers.

steadfastly Show phonetics
adverb
strongly and without stopping:
She was steadfastly in support of women's rights.

steadfastness Show phonetics
noun [U]


cold shoulder
n.
Informal.
Deliberate coldness or disregard; a slight or a snub: received the cold shoulder from several members of the club.

Urban Dictionary: cold shoulder

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cold+shoulder
cold shoulder. A form of body language what occurs when a person is ignoring you completely. It is usually an action represented by turning your black/shoulder ...

attest, suitability, warrant, resilience, uncalled-for, unwarranted


Over 170 objects attest to the enduring majesty of artistic traditions that flourished in the face of displacement, civil war, and the devastating effects of the slave trade.





Today's #Dailychart shows how entrepreneurship differs wildly among countries. America is an engine of innovation, as attested by the upcoming public listing of Twitter, which aims to fetch a cool $1 billion. How do other countries rank in terms of entrepreneurship? Sadly, not so well http://econ.st/1bwElYI




Today's #Dailychart shows how entrepreneurship differs wildly among countries. America is an engine of innovation, as attested by the upcoming public listing of Twitter, which aims to fetch a cool $1 billion. How do other countries rank in terms of entrepreneurship? Sadly, not so well http://econ.st/1bwElYI


Coronation Festival sponsored by the Royal Warrant...
Analysis
Lin Does a Lot by Not Doing Too Much
Jeremy Lin has been a solid if unexceptional contributor for the Rockets, as his 12.8 points a game through Friday attest.

Court Issues Gadhafi Warrant
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, his son and his intelligence chief for alleged crimes against humanity.




Dubious Afghan Vote Drove U.S. to Revisit Strategy
Allegations of Afghan vote fraud have revived skepticism within Obama's national-security team about Karzai's role, convincing the White House that a complete rethink was warranted.


BRIEF-Microsoft partners with Cisco on unified computing system
Forbes - NY,USA
Neither the Subscriber nor Thomson Reuters warrants the completeness or accuracy of the Service or the suitability of the Service as a trading aid and ...

But Paul McKeever, the federation's chairman, will tell her: "This is a bad deal for the police service.
"We have less resilience, fewer warranted officers, a weakened front line and a radically altered model of British policing.




Barack Obama will meet Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, during his two-day visit to Washington, DC, that starts on Wednesday February 17th. Mr Obama cancelled a meeting in October ahead of his first official trip to China to avoid annoying his hosts. China routinely condemns any meeting between the Dalai Lama and foreign leaders as an unwarranted interference in its affairs. How China reacts to this meeting may be instructive. China’s president, Hu Jintao, may possibly rethink a planned visit to Washington in April. ...

unwarranted
adj.
Having no justification; groundless: unwarranted interference. See synonyms at baseless.

uncalled-for

(ŭn-kôld'fôr')
adj.
  1. Not required or requested; unwanted: uncalled-for suggestions.
  2. Not justified or deserved; unwarranted: uncalled-for rudeness.

warrant

Syllabification: (war·rant)
Pronunciation: /ˈwôrənt, ˈwä-/


noun

  • 1a document issued by a legal or government official authorizing the police or some other body to make an arrest, search premises, or carry out some other action relating to the administration of justice:magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest an extradition warrant
  • a document that entitles the holder to receive goods, money, or services:we’ll issue you with a travel warrant
  • Finance a negotiable security allowing the holder to buy shares at a specified price at or before some future date.
  • [usually with negative] justification or authority for an action, belief, or feeling:there is no warrant for this assumption
  • 2an official certificate of appointment issued to an officer of lower rank than a commissioned officer.

verb

[with object]
  • justify or necessitate (a certain course of action):that offense is serious enough to warrant a court marshal
  • officially affirm or guarantee:the vendor warrants the accuracy of the report


Phrases




I (or I'll) warrant (you)

dated used to express the speaker’s certainty about a fact or situation:I’ll warrant you’ll thank me for it in years to come

Derivatives




warranter

noun

Origin:

Middle English (in the senses 'protector' and 'safeguard', also, as a verb, 'keep safe from danger'): from variants of Old French guarant (noun), guarantir (verb), of Germanic origin; compare with guarantee
warrant

━━ vt. 権限を与える; 正当化する; 保証する; 〔話〕 断言する.

tr.v., -rant·ed, -rant·ing, -rants.
  1. To guarantee or attest to the quality, accuracy, or condition of.
  2. To guarantee or attest to the character or reliability of; vouch for.
    1. To guarantee (a product).
    2. To guarantee (a purchaser) indemnification against damage or loss.
  3. To guarantee the immunity or security of.
  4. To provide adequate grounds for; justify. See synonims at justify.
  5. To grant authorization or sanction to (someone); authorize or empower.
  6. Law. To guarantee clear title to (real property).

━━ n. 正当な理由, 根拠, 権限 ((for; to do)); 保証; 【法】令状; 委任状; 支払い命令書; 許可証; 【軍】准士官(任命)辞令; 権限証書[証券,保証書], 倉庫証券; 金銭支払証券; 新株引受権証書, ワラント; 短期公債証書.


war・rant・a・ble ━━ a. 保証できる; 正当の.
war・rant・a・bly ad.
war・rant・ed ━━ a.
war・ran・tee

 ━━ n. 【法】被保証人. war・rant・er, war・ran・tor
 ━━ n. 【法】保証人.
warrant of attachment 差押令状.
warrant of attorney 委任状.
warrant officer 【軍】准士官, 准尉.
war・ran・ty ━━ n. 保証, 担保; (しっかりした)理由, 根拠 ((for)). (製品の)保証書; 保証責任; 瑕疵(かし)担保責任; 令状; (英国の契約における)付随的条項.
warrant deed 【法】権原担保捺印証書, (土地譲渡の)瑕疵担保証書.
suit (BE RIGHT) Show phonetics
verb [T]
to be right for a particular person, situation or occasion:
Corn is grown a lot in this area - the soil seems to suit it very well.
The city lifestyle seems to suit her - she's certainly looking very well.

warrant

音節war・rant 発音記号/wˈɔːrəntwˈɔr‐/音声を聞く
【名詞】
1
a
【不可算名詞】 正当な理由根拠 〔for〕.
用例
b
【不可算名詞】 〔+to do〕〈…する〉(正当な)権利.
用例
You have no warrant to do that. はそんなことをする権利はない (cf. warrant 1a).
c
【可算名詞】 保証となるもの[].
用例
I will be your warrant. 私が君の保証とう.
2
【可算名詞】
b
【法律, 法学】 (逮捕拘引などの)令状; (民事の)召喚状.
用例
【動詞】 【他動詞】
1
用例
2
a
用例
I warrant the genuineness of the article. その本物であること保証する (cf. warrant 2c).
用例
c
〔(+目的語)+(that)〕〈に〉〈…だと〉保証する請け合う.
用例
I warrant (that) the article is genuine. その品物本物であること保証する (cf. warrant 2a).
用例
It's all true, I warrant. 絶対にそれは本当だ.
e
〔+目的語+(to be)補語〕〈…が〉〈…であると〉保証する請け合う.
用例
【語源】


suited Show phonetics
adjective
1 right for someone or something:
With her qualifications and experience, she would seem to be ideally suited to/for the job.

2 If two people who have a relationship are suited, they have a good relationship which will probably last, often because they share a lot of interests:
They were never suited (to each other) from the start - they've got nothing in common.

suitable Show phonetics
adjective
acceptable or right for someone or something:
The film is suitable for children.
My mother doesn't like me wearing short skirts to church - she doesn't think they're suitable.
NOTE: The opposite is unsuitable.

suitably Show phonetics
adverb

suitability Show phonetics
noun [U]
n.The quality or state of being suitable; suitableness.



attest


 verb
  • 1 [with object] provide or serve as clear evidence of:his status is attested by his becoming an alderman [no object]:his numerous drawings of babies attest to his fascination with them
  • [no object] declare that something exists or is the case:I can attest to his tremendous energy [with clause]:the deceased’s solicitor attested that he had been about to institute divorce proceedings
  • witness or certify formally: the witnesses must attest and sign the will in the testator’s presence
  • 2 [no object] historical enrol as ready for military service: unfortunately for him, he attested
  • [with object] recruit (someone) for military service by putting them on oath to serve if called upon: 2,000,000 men were attested under this system

Derivatives



attestable

adjective


attestation

noun


attestor

noun

Origin:

early 16th century: from French attester, from Latin attestari, from ad- 'to' + testari 'to witness' (from testis 'a witness')
音節
at • test
発音
ətést
レベル
社会人必須
attestの変化形
attested (過去形) • attested (過去分詞) • attesting (現在分詞) • attests (三人称単数現在)
[動](他)
1 …を証明する, 証言する;認証する;[III that節/wh-節]〈…ということが〉真実だと証言する;[III doing]〈…したと〉確言する
an officially attested copy of the record
公認記録の写し
attested milk
((英))保証牛乳(((米))certified milk
get one's scorecard attested by one's partner
(ゴルフで)スコアカードの点数をパートナーに証明してもらう
He attested having [that he hadseen her in June.
彼は6月に彼女に会ったと証言した.
2 〈物・事が〉…の証拠となる, を証拠立てる;〈事・物の〉存在[使用]を立証する
The great seal attests the veracity of the presidential signature.
押されている国璽(こくじ)が大統領の署名が真正のものであることを証明している
Railroad' is attested earlier thanrailway'. 
railroad という言葉のほうがrailwayより古いことがわかっている.
━━(自)[attest to A]〈A(事)が〉(真実であることなどを)証明する, 証言する, 立証する
The city has many famous buildings to attest to its past grandeur.
その都市には過去の壮大さを物語る数多くの有名な建物がある.
[ラテン語attestāri (at-へ+testis証拠+-āri不定詞語尾=証拠によって証明する). △CONTEST, PROTEST
at・test・a・ble
[形]