"In Victorian times it was our love for home fires that politicians were reluctant to upset; today it is our love for cars and other private means of transport. It took many decades to act on the knowledge that pea-soupers cost lives. How many decades will it take in our own time?"
2017年1月31日 星期二
2017年1月30日 星期一
staging a walkout over Trump’s immigration ban
2,000 Google employees just went out to protest the immigration ban.
walkout
noun [C]
the act of leaving an official meeting as a group in order to show disapproval, or of leaving a place of work to start a strike:
Senior union workers staged (= had) a walkout this afternoon at the annual conference over the proposed changes in funding.
See also walk out.2012年4月5日 星期四
edible, Face OWS-Like Walkout
AT&T Faces Possible Walkout
AT&T could see 40,000 wireline employees walk off the job Sunday morning if the union can't reach an agreement with the telecommunications giant for a new contract.
Harvard Students Stage Walkout in OWS-Like Protest Intro econ class walks out, criticizes professor as favoring the rich.
wálkòut[wálk・òut][名]
1 ストライキ(strike)
2 ((主に米略式))（抗議のための）退場, 欠場.
stage a walkout
ストライキをする. |
in the flesh, investigative journalist/ reporting
"This effort is not a response to the administration in Washington, but it's certainly well-timed," said CNN Vice President Andrew Morse.
China’s greatest fear is that Trump will encourage, if not support, moves toward Taiwan’s independence. This potentially threatens the geopolitical integrity of the country, as it could strengthen similar movements in other separatist regions, such as Hong Kong and Xinjiang. Already on alert after Trump’s unprecedented phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Beijing warned against allowing Tsai to stop over in the United States this month during an international trip. More threateningly, the government has stated that any attempt by Trump to change the status quo over Taiwan would cross a “red line” and incur “revenge.” A meeting in the flesh between Trump and Tsai would cause the most serious crisis in U.S.-China relations since normalization in 1979.
in the flesh
phrase of flesh
- 1.in person or (of a thing) in its actual state.
"they decided that they should meet Alexander in the flesh"
vet, positive vetting, Veterinary, diktat, Maginot line, word-vetting, NOT VETTED BY CNN
NOT VETTED BY CNN
Ilegal Lawfulness: Taiwanese Citizen Occupying Parliament
A Founder of the Revolution Is Barred From Office, Shocking Iranians
By THOMAS ERDBRINK
A vetting panel rejected former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and an ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's.
The group, called Google Ventures, is expected to invest up to $100 million over the next 12 months. It will be overseen by David Drummond, who will continue in his role as senior vice president of corporate developing and chief legal officer at Google. Investments will be vetted by William Maris, who joined Google about a year ago, and Rich Miner, a co-founder of Android, a mobile software startup that Google acquired in 2005.
Aides Say Obama Chose a Partner in Leadership By JEFF ZELENY and JIM RUTENBERG
As world events shifted, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s stock rose through one of the most rigorous vice presidential vetting processes Democrats could recall.
States Join Feds In Vetting Google, Yahoo Deal
WebProNews - Lexington,KY,USA
Search advertising by Google, search results by Yahoo, and a lot of scrutiny at the federal level received another layer of interest, this time from state ...
"Andy Burnham, the chief secretary to the Treasury, is coordinating a move to end one of the defining characteristics of the Blair years by scrapping all but 30 top-down targets used to vet performance."
More from TofBrownCoat
Near A Quarter Million Taiwanese Gathered to Protest for Human Rights Violation in Its Military
Near a quarter
million Taiwanese marched and gathered in front of the Presidential
Office Building on the night of August 3rd (local time) demanding
justice for the tragic death of young Corporal Hung Chung-Chu (洪仲丘) and the improvement of human rights issues in the country’s military, Republic of China Army (RCA).
The
mysterious death of Corporal Hung has been the center of this island’s
attention for a month since its reporting in early July. Though the
government and its military police have vowed to investigate thoroughly,
many have not yet been satisfied with the results. Corrupted key
evidences and many statements with either incomplete or suspicious
information released by the military police investigation unit only
fueled people’s anger and frustration toward the government.
The
protest on August 3rd was aimed to pressure the government for more
detailed and open investigation into Hung’s tragedy and improvements for
soldiers’ rights in RCA. A Facebook group named "Citizen 1985" organized and called for the protest.
Over hundreds of
thousands of users showed their support online by sharing the
information of this event via Facebook, YouTube, and other social media
channels. The majority of the event participants are believed to be
young men and women in their 20s. Many perceived this event as a new
milestone of social movement activity for young Taiwanese.
The government sopekeman and the President of the Executive Yua, Chiang Yi-Huah (江宜樺), held
a press conference later at night responding to the protest. Chiang
reassured the public that the government will devote its effort to
provide a practical and swift improvement plan for the human rights
issues in the military and the military court justice system. However,
Chiang also stated that the government will respect the investigation
results done by the military police and the will not interfere nor
involve with the case further.
Many
are skeptical about such announcement due to the lack of government
action to face these issues in the past. It is fair to say that more
protest events are to be expected in the following weeks if there is no
sign of change or progress on Hung's case.
Photo Courtesy of local Internet user jake0000
vet當動詞至少有兩義:
v.tr.
1. To subject to veterinary evaluation, examination, medication, or surgery.獸醫相關的檢驗等或
2. 仔細檢驗或評估 To subject to thorough examination or evaluation: vet a manuscript.
Vetting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vetting
Vetting
is the process of performing a background check on someone before
offering them employment, conferring an award, etc. A prospective person
or ...Veterinary 本港缺乏動物護理的課程，理大與英國倫敦大學皇家獸醫學院合辦動物護理學士課程，課程主任高文宇有信心課程可吸引逾千人報讀。 高文宇表示，課程由理大與英國倫敦大學皇家獸醫學院（RVC）教員任教，RVC將派出4名教員長駐本港。參與實習的機構包括香港賽馬會、海洋公園、漁 ...The Royal Veterinary College is a veterinary school in London, UK which provides undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, research and scholarship, ...
vet (EXAMINE)
verb [T] -tt-
to examine something or someone carefully to make certain that they are acceptable or suitable:
During the war, the government vetted all news reports before they were published.
The bank carefully vets everyone who applies for an account.
外交上有positive vetting-pv 積極調查 相對於消極調查(只包括調查既有的資料是否不利於"安全")
Definition of vet
nounverb (vets, vetting, vetted)
[with object]Origin:
mid 19th cent: abbreviation of veterinary or veterinarianMaginot line (MAZH-uh-no lyn)
noun
An ineffective line of defense that is relied upon with undue confidence.
マジノ線：第二次世界大戦前に仏独国境に築かれたフランスの要塞(ようさい)線.
Etymology
After Andr? Maginot (1877-1932), French Minister of War, who proposed a line of defense along France's border with Germany. Believed to be impregnable, the barrier proved to be of little use when Germans attacked through Belgium in 1940.
Usage
"France has no shortage of linguistic generals who seek to regiment French and see an enemy lurking behind every new word or phrase. Yet what security do they bring? Franglais continues to infiltrate French ranks, despite a Maginot line of laws, word-vetting committees and diktats from the Academie Francaise." — Ado Cherche Appart, The Economist (London), May 11, 1996.
"Absent some sober rethinking, forward engagement is likely to produce an American Maginot Line around Asia's rim, as myopic demands to stay there automatically lead to costly missile defenses." — Paul Bracken, America's Maginot Line, The Atlantic Monthly (Boston), Dec 1998.
diktat
(dĭk-tät')
n.
- A harsh, unilaterally imposed settlement with a defeated party.
- An authoritative or dogmatic statement or decree.
[German, from Latin dictātum, from neuter past participle of dictāre, to dictate. See dictate.]
2017年1月29日 星期日
Chart shows 'what the British say, what they really mean, and what others understand'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/chart-shows-
Chart shows 'what the British say, what they really mean, and what others understand'
The table claims that when British people say it's 'quite good' - it's really 'a bit disappointing'
A chart that claims to show the differences between what British people say, what they really mean - and what non-British people understand by it - is being shared widely on social media.
But what is behind its success?
The three-part table was first reported in 2011, and is split into three columns. It details examples such as, "I hear what you say", a phrase commonly used by British people in a range of social and business situations.
Contrary to what Britons think they are saying, however, what they really mean when they use the expression is, "I disagree and do not want to discuss it further" - according to the chart.
And as for what people from outside of Britain understand, it's another translation entirely.
The chart claims that rather than picking up on a lack of enthusiasm, non-native English speakers or those from other parts of the EU or beyond are actually likely to take Britons at face value and assume they are saying, "I accept your point of view".
And rather than realising that when British people murmur, "That's not bad" - and really mean "That's good" - non-Brits think they've done a terrible job.
What's more, the chart claims the phrase "very interesting", when spoken by a British person, really means "This is clearly nonsense" - while a fellow European would read it as, "they are impressed".
The chart discusses veiled language and cultural stereotypes
The nuances of such loaded conversations, which have also been analysed by Business Insider, may seem rather baffling.
Dr Matthew Melia, a senior lecturer in Performance and Screen Studies at Kingston University, who teaches about cultural linguistics and stereotypes, told The Independent the truth behind what we say and what we really mean may depend a little on individual - and regional - characteristics.
"I’m from Liverpool and we just say what we mean," he said. "I teach television and in our first year classes we talk about how meaning is constructed and how an image can show you one thing and say something else.
"The thing that really pops into my mind is the kind of phrase you hear a lot, such, ‘I’m not racist, but…’. When people say that, it’s a subsconscious recognition that what you’re about to say is, actually, incredibly racist. And it shows that very often, people don't say what they're really thinking or what they mean because they're scared of being judged."
Dr Melia also said that the kind of language we use may depend on our career or the kind of business we're involved in.
"When I’m with my students and giving them feedback I tend to be direct," he said. "If it’s bad, it’s bad – if it’s good then it’s good. As a lecturer and tutor I have a duty to be direct with students, whereas in business there’s likely to be a whole lexicon of sayings and language, such as the phrase, ‘blue sky thinking’.
"As someone who works within academia, I don’t think it’s good to be indirect. Students need to be able to be on the same page and you can’t give them mixed messages. For me, the same rules apply with friends and family, which is probably why my mouth gets me into trouble sometimes!"
Dr Melia criticised the chart, however, for propagating an "us vs them" mentality.
"By labelling these columns, 'what the British say' and making it appear differently to those from other parts of the EU, very much marks it out as an 'us vs them' mentality," he said.
"Whereas what we say depends very much on the situation, and I would question how applicable this chart is to a wider set of social interactions.
"The first column of the chart appears to me to be a very antiquated, softened, white middle-class, polite and decorous way of making a point. It's a very loose version of what we say, and disregards all nuance."
Dr Melia said he did recognise some of the phrases that the chart claims British people use often, but that he felt more familiar with the second column.
He said: "I recognise the first column, certainly - but these kind of phrases are often ways of disguising someone making a bad point. From my own experience, I recognise the second column, 'What the British mean', much more.
"I think it is always better to be direct and to let people know where you stand. It kind of annoys me when people sugar the pill. There are occasions when it needs to be done – when you're trying to be sensitive or delicate. But if you’re down the pub with your mates and someone says something clearly ridiculous then you should make your case and challenge it directly. If you do that by going around the houses then it lacks impact.
"Language doesn’t have a fixed point, it changes, it’s culturally coded."
But as for the chart's popularity, Dr Melia says that while we may think we're comfortable with stereotypes, the reality is a little different.
"Are we comfortable with stereotypes?" he says.
"Or is it actually cliche? The reason we are comfortable with cliché is because the words we say, or hear, have a recognised meaning to them."
slip, slip up (MISTAKE), beat it, mulled wine
在過去的一年中，我們經歷了茲卡病毒的肆虐、巴拿馬文件的曝光、英國脫歐、川普就任美國總統……時報漫畫作者用畫筆刻畫了這讓人困惑、混亂無序的一年。
John Roberts, Fallible: Who's responsible for the oath of office slip-up--Roberts or Obama? Slate deconstructs the mangled oath of office, instructing readers on how it was supposed to go down, complete with video.
Most presidents traditionally add the words So help me God at the end, as did Obama.
Here's how it went down today:
ROBERTS: (working without a text, and also without an overcoat): Are you prepared to take the oath, Senator?
OBAMA: I am.
ROBERTS: I Barack Hussein Obama ...
OBAMA: (interrupting) I Barack ...
ROBERTS: Do solemnly swear ...
OBAMA: I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear ...
ROBERTS: That I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully...
OBAMA: That I will execute ... (pauses, smiles, waits for Roberts to put "faithfully" in correct spot)
ROBERTS: ... The off ... faithfully the pres ... the office of president of the United States...
OBAMA: The office of president of the United States, faithfully ... (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em)
ROBERTS: And will to the best of my ability ...
OBAMA: And will to [the] best of my ability ...
ROBERTS: Preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
OBAMA: Preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
ROBERTS: So help you God?
OBAMA: So help me God.
ROBERTS: Congratulations, Mr. President.
Hairdresser Highlights Security Slip-Up at Bundesbank
German tabloid Bild reported Thursday that a Berlin hairdresser rifling
through his garbage cans has come across top secret plans for the
Bundesbank's new maximum security safe.
The DW-WORLD Article
http://newsletter.dw-world.de
Google Inverts Australian Exchange Rate, Pays AdSense Publishers ...
Search Engine Roundtable - USA
A WebmasterWorld thread has confirmed reports that Google has slipped up majority with payment to their Australian and New Zealand publishers. ...
Texas Prosecutor Apologizes for Messages to His Secretary
By RALPH BLUMENTHAL
A day after a slip-up exposed intimate e-mail exchanges with his executive secretary, Texas’ most powerful prosecutor issued a public apology to his family and others.
mulled wine
Red or white wine that is heated with various citrus fruits and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice or nutmeg. Mulled wine is generally sweetened with sugar and often fortified with a spirit, usually brandy. Some recipes call for stirring the hot wine mixture into beaten eggs, which adds flavor and body to the beverage.
(Tell a person to leave)
If you don't like somebody just tell them beat it
mull4
━━ vt. 酒に香料・砂糖・卵を入れ温める.
slip up phrasal verb
to make a mistake:
These figures don't make sense - have we slipped up somewhere?
slip up phrasal verb
to make a mistake:
These figures don't make sense - have we slipped up somewhere?
slip-up
noun [C]
a mistake or something which goes wrong
slip (MISTAKE)
noun [C]
a small mistake:
She's made one or two slips - mainly spelling errors - but it's basically well written.
slip of the tongue
when someone says something that they did not intend to say:
I called her new boyfriend by her previous boyfriend's name - it was just a slip of the tongue.
slip of the pen, mistake in writing, misspelling.
●機密をもらしたことを責められて 「口が滑っちゃったんです」→ It was a slip of the tongue. 【解説】 slip は「滑ること、スリップ」の意ですから、 It was a slip of the tongue.（それは舌の滑りだった）は日本語の 「口が滑った」に対応する言い回しになります。 なお、a slip of the pen（書き損じ）、a slip of the press（誤植）、 a slip of memory（記憶違い）などの言い方もありますよ。 【会話例】 A: I told you not to tell anyone. It was a secret. (他言無用だって言っただろう。あれは機密事項だったんだぞ) B: I'm sorry. It was a slip of the tongue. (すみません。口が滑っちゃったんです) A: Well, just try to be more careful. (まあ、とにかく、もっと気をつけるようにしろよ)
carriage, grande, grande dame, clientele,
What a grande gesture.
Time Warner Cable said it reached a deal with Viacom on carriage fees, avoiding a blackout of 19 cable channels including MTV and Comedy Central.
Once a Hostess, Now a Bar’s Grande Dame
By SUSAN DOMINUSShow up at the storied Café des Artistes anytime after 6:30 most evenings, and you might notice an elderly woman nursing a glass of red wine at the bar, her carriage erect, her suit jacket immaculate, her gaze resting nowhere in particular. Her small smile suggests that she’s not waiting for anyone, and that she’s comfortable with that. She’s old enough that even among the restaurant’s graying clientele, she stands out. Maybe you’d even avoid an empty seat next to her, for fear it might open the door to a rambling tirade about some government conspiracy involving vitamins or aluminum foil.
Grande means "large" or "great" in many of the Romance languages
grande dame
(grănd' dăm', gränd' däm')
n., pl. grandes dames also grand dames (grănd' dăm', gränd' däm').
- A highly respected elderly or middle-aged woman.
- A respected woman having extensive experience in her field: the grande dame of women's professional tennis.
[French : grande, great + dame, lady.]
carriage (BODY MOVEMENT)noun [U] FORMAL
the way in which a person moves or keeps their body when they are standing, sitting or walking
carriage
n.
- A wheeled vehicle, especially a four-wheeled horse-drawn passenger vehicle, often of an elegant design.
- Chiefly British. A railroad passenger car.
- A baby carriage.
- A wheeled support or frame for carrying a heavy object, such as a cannon.
- A moving part of a machine for holding or shifting another part: the carriage of a typewriter.
- The act or process of transporting or carrying.
- (kăr'ē-ĭj) The cost of or the charge for transporting.
- The manner of holding and moving one's head and body; bearing. See synonyms at posture.
- Archaic. Management; administration.
car・riage
immaculate
adjective APPROVING
1 perfectly clean or tidy:
dressed in an immaculate white suit
an immaculate garden
2 perfect and without any mistakes:
He gave an immaculate performance as the aging hero.
immaculately
adverb
immaculately dressed
cli・en・tele
━━ n. ((集合的に；単複両扱い)) 訴訟依頼人; 顧客, 常連.
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