2010年12月31日 星期五

lose out, win through/win the day

Japanese businesses lose out in hiring of top Chinese talent
Asahi Shimbun
A Chinese MBA student, who used to work for Chinese affiliates of Mitsui & Co. and Toyota Motor Corp., says she will never again work at a Japanese company. ...



Germany's chancellor wins the day at a European summit(33)

win through


Also, win the day. End successfully, be victorious, as in We didn't know until the very end if they would win through, or It seems that hard work won the day. The first term dates from the late 1800s and today is more often put as come through (def. 1). The variant originally alluded to the outcome of a battle and dates from the late


lose out
1. Fail to succeed, be defeated, as in The election's over, and you've lost out. [Mid-1800s]
2. Also, lose out on or in. Miss an opportunity to participate, as in We came so late that we lost out on our chance to see her dance, or The Republicans lost out in last fall's elections. [Colloquial; mid-1900s] Also see miss out on.


2010年12月29日 星期三

Mind-wandering, daydreaming

中英對照讀新聞/People spend half their waking hours daydreaming 白日夢耗去人一半清醒時間

◎國際新聞中心

People spend nearly half of their waking hours not thinking about what they are actually doing, according to a US study conducted via the iPhone. More than 2,200 volunteers downloaded an app which then surveyed them about their thoughts and mood at random times of day and night.

根據美國一份透過iPhone進行的研究,人每天清醒的時候,有將近一半時間沒想過他們真正在做甚麼。2200多名志願者下載一個應用程式,這個程式會隨時調查他們在日夜時的想法與心情。

The Science study suggested minds wander, even from demanding tasks, at least 30% of the time.

科學期刊的這份研究顯示,即使是工作很困難時,人的心思也有至少3成的時間會飄走。

Participants agreed to be contacted, at which point they selected what they were doing from a menu, whether they were actually thinking about it, and how happy or sad they felt. Remarkably, some participants were prepared to answer the survey even when making love.

參與者同意在被聯繫時,從選單中點選他們正在做甚麼、是否真的在思考這件事情、覺得多開心或多難過。讓人驚訝的是,一些參加者即便是在做愛時,也可以回答這份調查。

After gathering 250,000 survey results, the Harvard team concluded that this group of people spent 46.9% of their time awake with their minds wandering. Dr Matthew Killingsworth, one of the researchers, said: "Mind-wandering appears ubiquitous across all activities."

蒐集25萬份研究結果之後,哈佛團隊總結,這個組別的人,每天有46.9%的清醒時間是在神遊。其中一名研究人員齊林斯渥表示:「心不在焉的現象似乎出現在所有活動。」

新聞辭典

wander:動詞,失神、開小差。例句:My attention wandered. (我失了神。)

remarkably:副詞,特別到讓人驚訝或值得一提地,形容詞為remarkable。例句:The 20th century was remarkable for its inventions.(20世紀引人注目的是發明。)

ubiquitous: 形容詞,到處存在的。例句:Leather is very much in fashion this season, as of course is the ubiquitous denim.(本季皮料用得非常多,當然到處都可以看見的丹寧布也是。)

this time around, connectomics

Dr. Lichtman and his team of researchers at Harvard have built some unusual contraptions that carve off slivers of mouse brains as part of a quest to understand how the mind works. Their goal is to run slice after minuscule slice under a powerful electron microscope, develop detailed pictures of the brain’s complex wiring and then stitch the images back together. In short, they want to build a full map of the mind.

The field, at a very nascent stage, is called connectomics, and the neuroscientists pursuing it compare their work to early efforts in genetics. What they are doing, these scientists say, is akin to trying to crack the human genome — only this time around, they want to find how memories, personality traits and skills are stored.

2010年12月28日 星期二

bare-bone, submitting to the elements,

Residents of Mexico City braved the cold this month at a market. Nearly every building here has no central heat.
Jennifer Szymaszek for The New York Times
Mexico City Journal

A City’s Bare-Bones Embrace of Winter

Deep in Mexico’s Aztec roots, there is admiration for submitting to the elements, and it seems to re-emerge every winter with force.



bare-bone
pl.n. Informal
窮人
The basic elements or essentials: outlined the bare bones of the proposal.

bare-bones bare'-bones' (bâr'bōnz') adj.



2010年12月27日 星期一

postgraduate

鑑於國內醫界過於專科化,眼科醫師只看眼睛,肝膽腸胃科醫師只了解病人消化系統疾病,衛生署決議明年七月實施「一年期醫師畢業後一般醫學訓練計畫」(PGY),也就是醫學系學生需要多實習一年,「內外兼修、通盤了解」。 對於學生反彈,衛生署醫事處處長石崇良堅持,多一 ...

PGY
是醫學教育的萬靈丹嗎? 醫學教育改革之我見謝豐舟近來醫學教育界為了所謂PGY(Post Graduate Year)的問題鬧得沸沸揚揚。為了知道PGY到底是怎麼一

postgraduate
(pōst-grăj'ū-ĭt, -āt') pronunciation
adj.
Of, relating to, or pursuing advanced study after graduation from high school or college.

n.
One who is engaged in postgraduate study.



2010年12月25日 星期六

unafraid and incautious, fearless, Amygdala

Humans, Like Animals, Behave Fearlessly Without the Amygdala

A patient with rare brain damage is unafraid and incautious.

municipality, science, run chickens, chicken run

Taiwan sees birth of four special municipalities
Taipei Times
The nation's five special municipalities, home to 60 percent of the population, began operations yesterday, starting a new phase in Taiwan's administrative ...





“My theory about politics is that if they will just leave me alone, we’ll do just fine,” he said in 1993. “We pretty much stay home and run chickens.”
Donald J. Tyson, Food Tycoon, Is Dead at 80


science
[名][U][C]1 科学, 学問(の一分野), …学 an exact science [exact sciences]精密科学 the applied sciences応用科学 cultur... 音譯:サイエンス


science fiction
[U]空想科学小説(略:S.F.).
science park
((英))先端科学産業団地.



run
7 (家畜の)飼育場, 放牧場;(動物の)通り道.


municipality
[名](市・町などの)地方自治体;市[町]当局, 自治体当局.
(myū-nĭs'ə-păl'ĭ-tē) pronunciation
n., pl., -ties.
  1. A political unit, such as a city, town, or village, incorporated for local self-government.
  2. A body of officials appointed to manage the affairs of a local political unit.






2010年12月24日 星期五

play musical chairs

Obama Staff Plays Musical Chairs
The president is restructuring the White House to adapt to the new political climate, but advisers won't know where they're sitting until January.


play musical chairs
Move around from position to position, such as the jobs in an organization. For example, Bob took over for Tom, who took over for Mary, who got Bob's title--the boss loves to play musical chairs with the staff. This expression alludes to the children's game in which children walk around a number of seats while music plays, and there is one less chair than players. When the music stops the players must sit down, and the player who is left standing is eliminated. Then another chair is removed, and the game goes on until only one player is left sitting.類似大風吹遊戲 [c. 1900]


meridian, acupuncture

Map of Acupuncture Meridians

Traditional map of 经络, the acupuncture meridians



meridian
  • [mərídiən]
[名]
1
(1) 子午線;経線
the prime meridian
本初子午線.
(2) (天球の)子午線
the celestial meridian
天体子午線.
2 ((the 〜))((文))(繁栄・発展などの)絶頂, 頂点;最高潮, 全盛期
We have passed the meridian (of life).
(人生の)最盛期を過ぎてしまった.
━━[形]
1 子午線の, 経線の.
2 正午の, 真昼の
the meridian hour
正午.
3 最盛期の, 頂点の.
[ラテン語merīdiānus (medius真中の+dies日+-AN=日の真中の). mediusの-d-はdの繰り返しを避けて-r-に変わった. ⇒BELFRY

photoA drugstore in Osaka's Chuo Ward with signs in Chinese to help Chinese visitors (Kenta Sujino)


在水中行動。如:「泳」。詩經˙邶風˙谷風:「就其淺矣,泳之之。」淮南子˙墬形:「食水者善能寒,食士者無心而慧。」

遨遊。通「遊」。墨子˙貴義:「子墨子南於楚,見楚獻惠王。」

交往。通「遊」。左傳˙隱公三年:「其子厚與州吁,禁之不可。」


飄蕩不定。如:「民」﹑「資」﹑「氣若絲」。新唐書˙卷九十五˙竇威傳:「周洛間,因隋亂,人不土著,軌下令諸縣,有手末作者按之,由是威信大行,民皆趨本。」

河流﹑江河的段落。如:「上」﹑「中」﹑「下」。詩經˙秦風˙蒹葭:「溯洄從之,道阻且長,之宛在水中央。」史記˙卷七˙項羽本紀:「古之帝者地方千里,必居上。」

2010年12月23日 星期四

Chinese train driver manual –in English?

中国高铁偏爱英文操作手册?
Chinese train driver manual –in English?




China’s railway ministry boasts that the country’s rapidly multiplying, state-of-the-art high speed trains are now completely homegrown, having been created by armies of Chinese engineers. But, it now seems the engineers who have come up with all this authentic intellectual property are even smarter than the ministry would have us believe. After designing and building the new high-speed trains proliferating across the country they apparently decided to write the instruction manuals for train drivers in English, instead of their native Chinese.

中国铁道部夸口说,中国各地迅速涌现的、工艺一流的高铁列车,如今完全是国产的,由大批中国工程师设计建造。

This little fact was revealed in a glowing piece of propaganda published by the Chinese Communist Party that profiled “China’s Number 1 high speed train driver” – a man called Li Dongxiao. In the interview with state media, Li brags about making a bet with a German engineer who said there was no way Li could learn to drive the new “home-grown” Chinese high-speed trains in time for the first pre-Olympics trial of the Beijing to Tianjin express line in 2008. But Li said through tireless work and indomitable persistence he and his team were able to translate the English instruction manual into Chinese on their own and learnt to drive the new trains within just nine days. Li won the bet with the German engineer, whose involvement in the “home-grown” high speed train project is not explained. However, Li’s account does make one wonder why the Chinese engineers who came up with such advanced high-speed rail technology decided to write instruction manuals in perfect technical English for Chinese drivers, who only speak Chinese. Another possible explanation is that in the rush to adapt and “digest” foreign rail technology from companies like Siemens, Alstom, Bombardier and Kawasaki somebody forgot to translate the instruction manuals before they re-branded the trains “Chinese”. The railway ministry has said in a statement long ago that there is absolutely no doubt about the origins of its technology: “China Railways has already grasped the core technology for trains that operate at speeds over 200kmh…and China Railways has the autonomous intellectual property rights for such trains.” Now that the Chinese market is dominated by state-controlled domestic companies, the big international train producers are trying to catch a ride with them as the Chinese manufacturers start to peddle their technology overseas, with the help of cheap credit from Chinese banks. We’ll have to wait and see what language the training manual will be in for American, Australian, Brazilian, Thai and Saudi Arabian drivers when those countries start to buy “home-grown” Chinese trains.

然而,目前看来,创造出这项正版知识产权的工程师们的聪颖程度,甚至超出了铁道部试图让我们相信的水平。在设计并建造了眼下正覆盖全国各地的新型高铁列车之后,他们似乎决定用英语——而非中文——编写供列车司机使用的操作手册。


这件小事是从中共发表的一篇热情讴歌“中国高铁一号司机”李东晓事迹的宣传材料中发现的。


在接受国有媒体采访时,李东晓大谈自己和一位德国工程师打赌的事情。那位德国工程师说,李东晓绝对不可能按时学会驾驶新型“国产”高速列车,完成2008年奥运会前京津城际高速铁路的首次试运行。


但李东晓表示,经过昼夜奋战和不懈努力,他和他的团队在短短9天内,硬是把英文的操作手册翻译成了中文,并且学会了驾驶这种新型列车。


李东晓打赌赢了那位德国工程师,而至于“国产”高速列车项目为什么会有德国工程师参与,相关报道中没有进行解释。


然而,李东晓的叙述让人不由生出这样的疑问:发明了如此先进的高速铁路技术的中国工程师,为什么要用纯技术英语编写操作手册,给只讲中文的中国司机看呢?


另一个可能的解释是,由于急于吸收和“消化”西门子(Siemens)、阿尔斯通 (Alstom)、庞巴迪(Bombardier)和日本川崎重工(Kawasaki Heavy Industries)等外国公司的铁路技术,有些人忘了在将列车冠以“中国品牌”之前,应该事先翻译好操作手册。


中国铁道部很早以前就在一份声明中表示,中国高铁技术的来源是毋庸置疑的。“中国铁路已经掌握了时速200公里及以上动车组核心技术……中国铁路拥有这类动车组的自主知识产权。”


中国市场被本国国有控股公司主导,中国制造商在本国银行廉价信贷的协助下,正开始把技 术卖到海外,而大型跨国列车生产商则试图跟着它们搭个便车。当其它国家开始购买中国“国产”列车时,这些企业将为美国、澳大利亚、巴西、泰国和沙特等国的 列车司机提供什么语言的培训材料呢?我们将拭目以待。


译者/何黎

2010年12月18日 星期六

Bixi

bicycle+taxi

Bixi (or BIXI in some marketing pieces) is a public bicycle sharing system launched in May 2009 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

In Montreal, the system provided 3,000 bicycles and 300 stations located around Montreal's central core by June 2009,[2] expanding to 5,000 bicycles and 400 stations later that summer.[3] Bixi marked its one-millionth ride on October 26, 2009.[4]

lemur, baguette

Pirates have left the island of Ste. Marie, but the spectacular beaches remain.
Robin Hammond for The New York Times

Only in Madagascar

Where else can one find dancing lemurs, perfect beaches like the above on Ste. Marie and Paris-grade baguettes?


Baguette.png

A baguette (pronounced /bæˈɡɛt/) is "a long thin loaf of French bread"[1] that is commonly made from basic lean dough (the dough, though not the shape, is defined by French law). It is distinguishable by its length, crisp crust, and slits that enable the proper expansion of gases.

A standard baguette has a diameter of about 5 or 6 cm (2 or 2⅓") and a usual length of about 65 cm (24"), although a baguette can be up to a meter (39") long.

lemur
n. - 狐猴
('mər) pronunciation
n.
Any of several small arboreal, mostly nocturnal primates chiefly of the family Lemuridae of Madagascar and adjacent islands, having large eyes, a long slim muzzle, and a long tail.

[New Latin Lemur, genus name, back-formation from Latin Lemurēs, lemures (from their ghostly appearance and their nocturnal habits).]

2010年12月15日 星期三

Oxford English Dictionary,OED

English

OED第一版出齊後 清華大學的 葉公超 (牛津字典的貢獻《新月》一卷七號)和浦江清 (牛津英文大字典《國聞周報》1928/5/13)兩老師都撰文介紹過



牛津英語詞典》(英語Oxford English Dictionary,OED)是由牛津大學出版社出版的詞典,被視為最全面和權威的英語詞 典。截至2005年11月30日,該詞典收錄了301,100主詞彙,字母數目達3億5千萬個。詞典亦收錄了157,000個以粗體印刷的組合和變形,以 及169,000個以粗斜體印刷的短語和組合,令詞典收錄的詞彙達到616,500個。另外,詞典共列出137,000條讀音、249,300個詞源、577,000個互相參照和2,412,400句例子。

牛津詞典旨在收錄所有已知詞彙的用法,以及詞彙在不同地區之英語的變化(請參看1933版詞典的前言)。第一版前後花了71年編寫,其中22年是準備工作(1857年1879年)。在實際編輯的49年間(1879年1928年),共用了四個主編,每名主編約有六個助手,還有在英美登報招募的約1,300個義工提供引句。

不少對英語詞彙的學術研究都以牛津詞典作為切入點。而詞典對詞彙拼法的要求,影響了不同地區的書面英語。


Publication dates
1888 A A New ED Vol. 1
1893 C NED Vol. 2
1897 D NED Vol. 3
1900 F NED Vol. 4
1901 H NED Vol. 5
1908 L NED Vol. 6
1909 O NED Vol. 7
1914 Q NED Vol. 8
1919 Si NED Vol. 9/1
1919 Su NED Vol. 9/2
1926 Ti NED Vol. 10/1
1928 V NED Vol. 10/2
1928 all NED 12 vols.
1933 & sup. Oxford ED 13 vols.
1972 A OED Sup. Vol. 1
1976 H OED Sup. Vol. 2
1982 O OED Sup. Vol. 3
1986 Sea OED Sup. Vol. 4
1989 all OED 2nd Ed. 20 vols.
1993 all OED Add. Ser. Vols. 1–2
1997 all OED Add. Ser. Vol. 3

2010年12月14日 星期二

6歳の園児、英検準2級合格 授業は週1時間だけだけど

日本英語検定協会が実施する英検準2級に、岡山県備前市吉永町福満の幼稚園児、林桜子さん(6)が合格した。高校中級程度とされる試験だけに、幼稚園児の合格は珍しい。

 桜子さんに英語圏での生活経験はなく、3年ほど前から少人数制の英語教室に通うだけ。それも授業は週1回、約1時間ほどだ。ただ、母・祥子さんが必ず教室で学習を見守り、家でのレッスンを欠かさないという。

 父親の会社経営、徹浩さんも祥子さんも「英語は学校で習っただけ」で、わが子には海外で通用する職業についてほしいと教室通いを勧めた。楽しみながらス ムーズに「英語耳」が身についたといい、祥子さんは「大人は耳から入った英語を日本語に訳して理解する。桜子は聞いた英語が直接、会話につながっているよ うです」と驚いている。

 1月に4級、6月に中学卒業程度の3級に合格。「日常生活に必要な英語を理解して使うことができる」レベルの準2級には10、11月、岡山市でマークシート式試験や面接を受けた。

 日本英語検定協会によると、2006年以降の県内の準2級合格の最年少は、06年7歳、07年7歳、08年5歳、09年6歳。全国では4歳が合格した例もある。(平尾清)

flames did not distinguish , novelty

Ed Sernoff, whose home in Ein Hod, an artists’ colony, was spared in the worst fire in Israel’s history, at the ruins of his son’s home next door.
Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times

Israel’s Arabs and Jews, United by Flames

For Ein Hod, an artist’s colony in northern Israel, and Ayn Hawd, the neighboring Israeli Arab village, the flames did not distinguish between Arab and Jew.



Years of Wrangling Lie Ahead for Health Law

A federal court ruling against the Obama health care law highlighted both the novelty of the constitutional issues and the difficulty of forging consensus among judges.


2010年12月12日 星期日

Variety Performance

當晚查爾斯(Prince Charles)伉儷盛裝乘勞斯萊斯禮車出行,準備出席一年一度王室綜藝表演(Royal Variety Performance),不料車隊卻駛入倫敦西區示威現場,遭近300名示威者包圍。 群眾搖晃座車、又踢又打、還丟漆彈攻擊,高喊「拿下他們的頭」。

variety
A variety show.

2010年12月11日 星期六

and vs with

a and b 合著
a with b --b協助

The Right to Win
by Cesare Mainardi with Art Kleiner

2010年12月10日 星期五

A is from Mars, B is from Venus

Google is from Mars, Apple is from Venus
Digitaltrends.com
The emergence of ChromeOS highlights some of the fundamental differences between Google and Apple, and how each fundamentally appeals to a different ...


Mars/Venus 截然不同氣質的"行星"








2010年12月7日 星期二

congeries, spur-of-the moment, Briefing Room

The Portable Nabokov (originally published as Nabokov's Congeries) Selected with the author's collaboration and with a critical introduction ...




Drew Angerer/The New York Times
Clinton Holds Court in Briefing Room
Former President Bill Clinton held a remarkable, spur-of-the-moment news conference to announce his backing for the tax compromise President Obama reached this week.


spur-of-the moment
(spûr'əv-THə-mō'mənt)
adj.
Occurring or made hastily on impulse: a spur-of-the moment choice.


congeries

(kən-jîr'ēz', kŏn'jə-rēz') pronunciation
n. (used with a sing. verb)
A collection; an aggregation: "Our city, it should be explained, is two cities, or more-an urban mass or congeries divided by the river" (John Updike).

[Latin congeriēs, from congerere, to heap up. See congest.]

2010年12月6日 星期一

Communal Digital Newsstand/dailies and weeklies

French Publishers Fight Back With a Communal Digital Newsstand

By ERIC PFANNER

Eight leading dailies and weeklies in France are trying to create a single online portal.

2010年12月4日 星期六

Point-and-Shoots Stay Home

In Smartphone Era, Point-and-Shoots Stay Home

By SAM GROBART

The point-and-shoot camera is being shoved aside for the smartphone camera that improves with each new model.

Cold War/missile shield/Prime Minister/ President

Putin warns West over missile shield

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow will build up
its nuclear forces if it is left out of Western missile defense plans. His
remarks echo earlier comments by Prime Minister (錯誤 應該是President ) Dmitry Medvedev.



冷戰= cold war

n.
  1. often Cold War A state of political tension and military rivalry between nations that stops short of full-scale war, especially that which existed between the United States and Soviet Union following World War II.
  2. A state of rivalry and tension between two factions, groups, or individuals that stops short of open, violent confrontation.
楊聯陞說應該是"冷和"

Cold War/missile shield

Putin warns West over missile shield

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow will build up
its nuclear forces if it is left out of Western missile defense plans. His
remarks echo earlier comments by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

冷戰= cold war

n.
  1. often Cold War A state of political tension and military rivalry between nations that stops short of full-scale war, especially that which existed between the United States and Soviet Union following World War II.
  2. A state of rivalry and tension between two factions, groups, or individuals that stops short of open, violent confrontation.
楊聯陞說應該是"冷和"

2010年12月3日 星期五

belligerent by the week, cynical diplomacy-as-usual.

China, the Enabler

North Korea is becoming more belligerent by the week, but China is still playing cynical diplomacy-as-usual.


by the day

Also, by the hour or week or month or year. According to a specific time period, as in I'm renting this car by the day, or He's being paid by the hour. This usage generally describes some kind of rate. [1400s]


2010年11月29日 星期一

naval exercise, artillery barrage

U.S., South Korea kick off naval exercises

SEOUL--A joint U.S.-South Korean naval exercise involving a U.S. aircraft carrier group kicked off Sunday in the Yellow Sea as diplomatic efforts to ease tensions continued following North Korea's deadly artillery barrage last week. (November 29) [more]

2010年11月27日 星期六

preface, postface , afterword/epilogue

ep·i·logue ep·i·log (ĕp'ə-lôg', -lŏg') pronunciation
also
n.
    1. A short poem or speech spoken directly to the audience following the conclusion of a play.
    2. The performer who delivers such a short poem or speech.
  1. A short addition or concluding section at the end of a literary work, often dealing with the future of its characters. Also called afterword.

[Middle English epiloge, from Old French epilogue, from Latin epilogus, from Greek epilogos, conclusion of a speech : epi-, epi- + logos, word, speech.]





pref·ace (prĕf'ĭs) pronunciation
n.
    1. A preliminary statement or essay introducing a book that explains its scope, intention, or background and is usually written by the author.
    2. An introductory section, as of a speech.
  1. Something introductory; a preliminary: An informal brunch served as a preface to the three-day conference.
  2. often Preface The words introducing the central part of the Eucharist in several Christian churches.
tr.v., -aced, -ac·ing, -ac·es.
  1. To introduce by or provide with a preliminary statement or essay.
  2. To serve as an introduction to.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praefātiō, praefātiōn-, from praefātus, past participle of praefārī, to say before : prae-, pre- + fārī, to speak.]

prefacer pref'ac·er n.



----

A postface is the opposite of a preface, a brief article or explanatory information placed at the end of a book. Sometimes general information about a book and the people for whom it was written is at the back of the book in a postface. In ancient Chinese works, the postface is called 序/叙言. Afterwords are quite often used in books so that the non-pertinent information will appear at the end of the literary work, and not confuse the reader.

Some may regard this entry as a joke based on Caroll Fisher Saller's comment in her book "The Subversive Copy Editor" that you can't put the preface at the end of the book. After all, it's not called a "postface."

However, one authentic example of a postface can be found in the 1954 book, "Dali's Mustache: A Photographic Interview," by Salvador Dali and Philippe Halsman. While the main body of the work is a collaboration, each author gets a few words to himself, Dali in the preface and Halsman in the postface.

catch on, black magic, push bottom

Amazon Alone in U.K. Black Friday Sales
Amazon.com's attempts to export Black Friday—one of the busiest and most discounted pre-Christmas shopping days in the U.S—into the U.K. hasn't caught on with the wider retail sector.

 

 

BlackBerry Rivals Push RIM's Buttons
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion may hint this week at strategy changes to meet the dual challenges of a $99 iPhone from Apple and Palm's Pre.


push bottom
(′pu̇sh ′bət·ən) (computer science) A small rectangle on a graphical user interface whose selection initiates immediate action.

black magic

悪魔術, 妖術.
black

下降頭

catch on

1. Understand, as in Aunt Mary doesn't catch on to any jokes. The verb to catch alone was used with this meaning from Shakespeare's time, on being added in the late 1800s. Also see get it, def. 2.
2. Become popular, as in This new dance is really beginning to catch on. [Late 1800s]

2010年11月24日 星期三

The domino effect

.多米諾效應恐慌籠罩歐洲


The domino effect is a chain reaction that occurs when a small change causes a similar change nearby, which then will cause another similar change, and so on in linear sequence. The term is best known as a mechanical effect, and is used as an analogy to a falling row of dominoes. It typically refers to a linked sequence of events where the time between successive events is relatively small. It can be used literally (an observed series of actual collisions) or metaphorically (complex systems such as global finance, or in politics, where linkage is only a hypothesis).

Ponzi scheme / participating in the fraud

Madoff Trustee Sues UBS for $2 Billion
The trustee recovering money for victims of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme is seeking $2 billion from UBS through a lawsuit that accuses the Swiss banking giant of participating in the fraud.



par·tic·i·pate (pär-tĭs'ə-pāt') pronunciation

v., -pat·ed, -pat·ing, -pates. v.intr.
  1. To take part in something: participated in the festivities.
  2. To share in something: If only I could participate in your good fortune.
v.tr. Archaic
To partake of.

[Latin participāre, participāt-, from particeps, particip-, partaker : pars, part-, part; see part + capere, to take.]

participative par·tic'i·pa'tive adj.
participator par·tic'i·pa'tor n.

call Apple home, call one's own

Some RIM Sales Staff Now Call Apple Home
Apple isn't only poaching corporate customers from BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, it's hiring RIM's sales people. In the past 18 months, at least five members of RIM's enterprise-sales team have left the company to join Apple.


call one's own
Claim or regard something as one's possession or under one's control, as in Victorian wives had almost nothing to call their own. This expression, dating from about 1600, today is often used in a negative context, as in the example. It also appears in can't call one's time one's own,常恨此身非所有 which dates from the 18th century and means one spends much of one's time in someone else's service, as in The hours in this job are terrible; I can't call my time my own.

Lancet Oncology, acupuncturist

衛生署日前核准抑制腫瘤新生血管的標靶藥物,用於治療非鱗狀非小細胞肺癌。今年度「刺針腫瘤醫學期刊」(Lancet Oncology)發表研究成果,首度證實,此抗血管新生標靶藥物合併化療,可提升中位存活期達14.6個月。 台北榮民總醫院胸腔部胸腔腫瘤科主任蔡俊明表示,他所參與 ...
Acupuncturist Treats 40 Players in 4 Cities
Acupuncturist Treats 40 Players in 4 Cities
針灸師acupuncturist


lan·cet (lăn'sĭt) pronunciation
n.
  1. Medicine. A surgical knife with a short, wide, pointed double-edged blade, used especially for making punctures and small incisions. Also called lance.
  2. Architecture.
    1. A lancet arch.
    2. A lancet window.
[Middle English, from Old French, diminutive of lance, lance. See lance.]
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: A sharp two-edged surgical instrument.

pronunciation The nurse used a lancet to extract just a drop of blood from the patient's finger.

read-made, ready meal, TV dinner

ready meal1979
=TV dinner
n.
A frozen prepared meal, usually packaged in a disposable serving tray, that needs only to be heated before serving.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/tv-dinner#ixzz16Br1hxhu





1915
read-made
or read·y·made (rĕd'ē-mād')
adj.
  1. Already made, prepared, or available: ready-made clothes.
  2. Handy or expedient, especially because of familiarity, frequent use, or preplanning: a raft of ready-made excuses.


Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/ready-made#ixzz16BqcVYrU

2010年11月23日 星期二

代某光通信部品與次系統台商徵高階品管主管

代某光通信部品與次系統台商徵高階品管主管

本刊版主剛從中國回來 一周來未更新

代某光通信部品與次系統台商徵高階品管主管
請將履歷等資訊寄
hcsimonl@gmail.com



鍾 漢清
Hanching Chung (or HC/ hc)
網址:http://www.deming.com.tw
台灣戴明圈: A Taiwanese Deming Circle
http://demingcircle.blogspot.com/
地址:台北市新生南路三段88號2樓
電話:(02) 23650127

2010年11月14日 星期日

full-year

Siemens gave a bullish outlook and said it will gain market share and grow faster than its competitors in 2011, as it posted a record full-year result.

vocal music 歌樂

The noun vocal music has one meaning:

Meaning #1: music that is vocalized (as contrasted with instrumental music)

1. 歌樂
注音一式 ㄍㄜ ㄩㄝˋ
漢語拼音   yu 注音二式 g  yu
相似詞 笙歌 相反詞 
凡由人聲所表現的音樂,統稱為「歌樂」。

2010年11月11日 星期四

a raise, a hit

Google is giving its 23,000 employees a 10% raise, as the competition for talent in Silicon Valley heats up.

Nintendo took a hit to its results from the strong yen. But unlike at other Japanese companies, reduced exports weren't the main villain. The bigger problem was the company's unusually large pile of cash in foreign currencies.



raise

n.
  1. The act of raising or increasing.
  2. An increase in salary.



pronunciation

IN BRIEF: To increase the amount of.

pronunciation If you really do put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price. — Unknown from www.zaadz.com

2010年11月8日 星期一

Hasta la vista, decry, disparage, depreciate, derogate, belittle, minimize, downgrade.

Hasta la Vista, Arnold: What Is Schwarzenegger's Legacy?

By Kevin O'Leary / Los Angeles

As both candidates to succeed him decry his record, the former Hollywood superstar may have left them a road map on what they shouldn't try to save the state



http://www.answers.com/topic/hasta-la-vista-performed-by-various-artists
Hasta la vista => see you next time!


decry

tr.v., -cried, -cry·ing, -cries.
  1. To condemn openly.
  2. To depreciate (currency, for example) by official proclamation or by rumor.

[French décrier, from Old French descrier : des-, de- + crier, to cry; see cry.]

decrier de·cri'er n.

SYNONYMS decry, disparage, depreciate, derogate, belittle, minimize, downgrade. These verbs mean to think, write, or speak of as being of little value or importance. Decry implies open denunciation or condemnation: A staunch materialist, he decries economy. Disparage often implies the communication of a low opinion by indirection: Many critics disparage psychoanalysis as being a pseudoscience. To depreciate is to assign a lower than customary value to someone or something: Some musicologists depreciate Liszt's compositions. Derogate implies a detraction that impairs: People often derogate what they don't understand. Belittle and minimize mean to make less important, but minimize strongly implies the minimum level: He belittled the child's attempts to draw. She tried to minimize my accomplishment. To downgrade is to minimize in importance or estimation: Her rival downgraded the painting, calling it decorative but superficial.

2010年11月7日 星期日

use spending bills to block some of its provisions

G.O.P. Plans to Use Purse Strings to Fight Health Law

By ROBERT PEAR

Republicans acknowledge that they do not have the votes to repeal President Obama's health care overhaul, but they plan to use spending bills to block some of its provisions.



1 [U][C](食糧などの)供給, (…への)支給, 提供, 人員配置, 定員((for ...))
public provision for the poor
貧民に対する公の食糧支給.
2 [U](予測される危険などに対する)準備, 用意((for, against ...))
make provision for the future
将来に備える
He made financial provisions for his family.
彼は家族の経済的な備えをした.
3 支給量;用意[準備]された物;設備;貯蔵品, たくわえ, ストック.
4 ((〜s))食糧, 糧食.
5 (法律などの)条項;(…という)規定, 条款, ただし書き((that節)).
6 [U]《キリスト教》叙任, 叙階;聖職直任.
━━[動](他)(…のために)…に食糧を供給準備する.
pro・vi・sion・ment
[名][U]食糧供給.
《英語で準備、供給、提供の意》コンピューターネットワークや通信事業などの分野において、利用者の要求に迅速に対応できるよう、あらかじめ設備やインフラを用意し、必要な分を必要な時にサービス提供すること。インターネットの接続サービス、サーバーや大規模な記憶装置の利用などがある。重要な技術要素として、ハードウエアの物理的構成によらず、統合したり分割したりして利用する仮想化が挙げられる。

heaped praise on, duel of definitions

Obama sets Japan, S.Korea on duel of definitions
ABS CBN News
WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama is certain to heap praise on South Korea and Japan as he attends back-to-back summits but some experts see a subtle ...




heap
n.
  1. A group of things placed or thrown, one on top of the other: a heap of dirty rags lying in the corner.
  2. Informal. A great deal; a lot. Often used in the plural: We have heaps of homework tonight.
  3. Slang. An old or run-down car.
tr.v., heaped, heap·ing, heaps.
  1. To put or throw in a pile.
  2. To fill completely or to overflowing: heap a plate with vegetables.
  3. To bestow in abundance or lavishly: heaped praise on the rescuers.

[Middle English, from Old English hēap.]

SYNONYMS heap, bank, mound, pile, stack. These nouns denote a group or collection of things lying one on top of the other: a heap of old newspapers; a bank of thunderclouds; a mound of boulders; a pile of boxes; a stack of firewood.

culture wars/culture shock

n School Efforts to End Bullying, Some See Agenda

Lessons to teach acceptance of homosexuality, which have gained urgency after suicides, are causing culture wars.


The China Boom on U.S. Campuses

A wave of Chinese undergraduates is choosing American colleges, and coping with culture shock. Li Wanrong from southern China is a Drew University freshman.

2010年11月6日 星期六

Assyrian, Christian traditions, Aramaic

Blending wine and Christian traditions in Turkey

Southeast Turkey is home to one of the oldest Christian civilizations in the world. The Assyrians, whose Aramaic language was spoken by Christ, lived in this region and converted to Christianity. But their descendants have found themselves caught up in the decades old conflict between the Turkish government and Kurdish separatists.

As a result, many have fled the region. That's had a disastrous effect on their ancient Christian traditions – for example, winemaking. But as Dorian Jones reports from the town of Midyat, a few families are still producing wine and there's hope that the fortunes of the Assyrian Christians are changing.

2010年11月5日 星期五

unfettered availability of sophisticated hacking tools

《中英對照讀新聞 》China Called a Hacker’s Marketplace 中國被稱為駭客的市集

◎陳成良

China’s rapid emergence as a hotspot for criminal hacking activities is enabled by the open and unfettered availability of sophisticated hacking tools, according to security researchers attending the Black Hat conference this week.

精密駭侵工具公開且唾手可得,使得中國快速崛起,成為犯罪駭侵活動的熱點,據本週參加「黑帽」大會的安全研究人員指出。

Many of the hacking tools are inexpensive, highly customizable, and easy to use. Most of the early users of the malware products have sought to steal online gaming accounts inside China. But now experts are seeing much broader use of such tools.

許多這些駭侵工具價格不貴、高度客製化,且容易使用。惡意軟體的多數初期使用者,曾設法竊取中國境內的線上電玩帳號。不過,如今專家發現這類工具運用範圍更廣泛。

Hackers in China are developing malicious software "almost like a commercial product", said Val Smith, founder of Attack Research, a Los Alamos, N.M.-based security firm. The products come complete with version numbers, product advertising, end-user license agreements and 24-hour support services, he said.

中國駭客正把惡意軟體當成「幾乎有如商業產品」般地開發,總部設於新墨西哥州洛薩拉摩斯的資安公司「Attack Research」創辦人瓦爾‧史密斯說。這些產品完整附帶版本號碼、產品廣告、末端用戶授權聲明以及24小時支援服務,他說。

They are "rapidly deploying very easy to use tools for cutting edge exploits," Smith said . "Their community is huge because [the malware] is easy to use," while at the same time many of the exploits are very advanced, he added.

他們正在「迅速布建極易使用的尖端破壞工具」,史密斯說。「他們的社群規模龐大,因為『惡意軟體』容易使用」,而在此同時,許多破壞的手法非常先進,他補充說。

新聞辭典

unfettered:形容詞,自由的;不受限制或拘禁的;未戴鐐銬的。例句:I want to fly, I want to be an unfettered bird.(我想飛,想成為一隻無拘無束的小鳥。)

malware:指的是「malicious software」,又稱為惡意程式、流氓軟體或黑心軟體。

cutting edge:最前線、尖端,例句:California is on the cutting edge of trends that spread nationwide.(加州走在全美流行的尖端。)

2010年11月1日 星期一

usurer, loan shark, moneylender, shylock

usurer Pronunciation (noun) Someone who lends money at excessive rates of interest.
Synonyms:loan shark, moneylender, shylock
Usage:She could not get a loan from a bank and resorted to borrowing the money from a usurer at an exorbitant rate.



[名]高利貸し.

look good, feel-good

按下看大圖
漫畫來源: Ted Goff


They can look good in a variety of
different styles! Both but look at your face shape.



feel-good
(fēl'gʊd')
adj.
Characterized by or designed to encourage a feeling of often superficial happiness or satisfaction: "Everything about Fassbinder ran contrary to Hollywood notions of feel-good entertainment" (Edward Guthmann).

afterword/epilog, foreword/preface

Can Obama Change the Game Again?

By John Heilemann and Mark Halperin

To win a second term, Barack Obama will need a new strategy. A new paperback afterword from John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, the authors of 'Game Change,' discusses the President's re-election campaign




pref·ace (prĕf'ĭs) pronunciation
n.
    1. A preliminary statement or essay introducing a book that explains its scope, intention, or background and is usually written by the author.
    2. An introductory section, as of a speech.
  1. Something introductory; a preliminary: An informal brunch served as a preface to the three-day conference.
  2. often Preface The words introducing the central part of the Eucharist in several Christian churches.
tr.v., -aced, -ac·ing, -ac·es.
  1. To introduce by or provide with a preliminary statement or essay.
  2. To serve as an introduction to.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praefātiō, praefātiōn-, from praefātus, past participle of praefārī, to say before : prae-, pre- + fārī, to speak.]

prefacer pref'ac·er n.


foreword
A preface or an introductory note, as for a book, especially by a person other than the author.
[名](本などの)はしがき, 序言, 序文((to ...)).


ep·i·logue ep·i·log (ĕp'ə-lôg', -lŏg') pronunciation
also
n.
    1. A short poem or speech spoken directly to the audience following the conclusion of a play.
    2. The performer who delivers such a short poem or speech.
  1. A short addition or concluding section at the end of a literary work, often dealing with the future of its characters. Also called afterword.

[Middle English epiloge, from Old French epilogue, from Latin epilogus, from Greek epilogos, conclusion of a speech : epi-, epi- + logos, word, speech.]



afterword
[名](本・論文などの)後記, 後書き, 跋(ばつ). ⇒FOREWORD

2010年10月31日 星期日

jet pack, go off aboard

Yemen released its only suspect in the failed plot to send explosive-laden packages from Yemen to the U.S., as it emerged that the devices could have gone off aboard passenger planes.

jet pack




A Visual History of the Jet Pack


TAKE A LOOK »


go off
(of a gun, bomb, or similar device) explode or fire.

embark, serving time for insider trading, serve (someone) right

idiom:

serve (someone) right

  1. To be deserved under the circumstances: Punish him; it will serve him right for what he has done to you.
ImClone Ex-Chief Embarks on New Biotech Venture

Not yet two years after serving time for insider trading, Samuel Waksal is again making deals.

verbatim and in toto, copyrighted in my name

My  replies  represent  unpublished  material,  should  be
printed verbatim and in toto, and copyrighted in my name.

lepidopterist, lepidopterist's ditty

Lep・i・dop・ter・a


  • 〔lèpdptr | -dp-〕

[名]《昆虫》鱗翅(りんし)目.
lèp・i・dóp・ter・an
[形][名]鱗翅目の(昆虫).
lèp・i・dóp・ter・ous
[形]
lèp・i・dóp・ter・ist
[名]鱗翅学者.

What are your working methods?

Quite banal. Thirty years ago I used to write in bed,
dipping my pen into a bedside inkwell, or else I would compose
mentally at any time of the day or night. I would fall asleep
when the sparrows woke up. Nowadays I write my stuff on index
cards, in pencil, at a lectern, in the forenoon; but I still
tend to do a lot of work in my head during long walks in the
country on dull days when butterflies do not interfere. Here is
a disappointed lepidopterist's ditty:


It's a long climb
Up the rock face
At the wrong time
To the right place.




ditty
n., pl., -ties.
A simple song.

[Middle English dite, a literary composition, from Old French dite, from Latin dictātum, thing dictated, from neuter past participle of dictāre, to dictate.]