opt, Opt Out, triad

BlackBerry Maker Pares Forecast

RIM projected earnings at the low end of its prior forecast despite strong subscriber growth, suggesting customers may be opting for older, cheaper devices.

Google opts out of $4.7M grant from North Carolina
Bizjournals.com - Charlotte,NC,USA
Internet giant Google has opted not to take a $4.7 million state grant to build a data center in the Caldwell County town of Lenoir – a sign that the ...

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【一件造型的傑作】

幾個月前，我在雅典的國家考古博物館參觀的時候，有一件不甚顯眼卻很特別的象牙雕件，忽然吸引住了我的目光，就是這件被稱為「象牙三人組」(Ivory Triad)的文物。理由是它立刻就讓我聯想到「犍陀羅藝術」中一種頗為流行的造型，「半支迦、訶黎帝（鬼子母）坐像」，它通常是：兩個大人並肩坐著，有一個小孩靠在大人腿上。連我自己都有一件這種類似造型的犍陀羅風格泥塑作品。

在文物的說明牌裡介紹它是在邁錫尼宮殿遺址處發掘的，推估時代西元前14-15世紀。這也就是說這個作品的造型出現到西元前4世紀，亞歷山大締造的希臘化時代，促使希臘風格的藝術技法向東方傳播而與佛教信仰相結合，又透過鬼子母的新題材和犍陀羅藝術表現，這都已經經過一千年了。而再從這類犍陀羅藝術造型，進一步傳播和衍生至今，則又過去兩千年了。

要能創造出一個歷久不衰的造相型式，往往不是一蹴而就的，特別是在傳播落後和緩慢的古代。從另一張古希臘藝術人物五官造型演變圖就可以觀察出：在雕塑人物身上，即使是最顯眼的臉型五官，都還要經過數百年，由眾多不同時代的藝術家們去打磨，才能逐漸精準和精彩。但這件「象牙三人組」幾乎可以說是一步到位的。只是不知製作這件作品的主人是否就是這個造型的設計者，或者是它另有原型？無論如何，它似乎已成了這個造型的孤品。

無怪乎介紹牌中直稱它是：一件邁錫尼藝術中的傑作（masterpiece）。說不定寫這說明的人和我有相似的第一反應：「這東西不會是被放錯地方了吧？」

Opt
verb [I]
to make a choice, especially for one thing or possibility in preference to any others:
Mike opted for early retirement.
[+ to infinitive] Most people opt to have the operation.

opt out phrasal verb
to choose not to be part of an activity or to stop being involved in it:
Within any society, there will usually be people who decide to opt out (= choose to not live the way most people do).
The government has been encouraging individuals to opt out of the state pension scheme.

opt-out Show phonetics
noun [C]
Since the opt-out, the hospital has been responsible for its own budgeting.