activate, deactivate, rule out, rule something out (or in), backup, inactivate, to soldier on

"Human error" caused Pres. Donald J. Trump's Twitter account to be briefly deactivated, according to statement from the social network. "We are continuing to investigate" http://abcn.ws/2irvY7t

UPDATE: Twitter says Pres. Trump's account was briefly deactivated by a worker "who did this on the employee’s last day"

Apple's Siri Struggles To Understand the Scots

The iPhone's voice-activated virtual assistant is baffled by users with a heavy brogue.

Just as the first Explorer Editions of Glass come off the production line, Google is making it clear that users selling or giving them away is not part of the plan.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin dons the company's Glass digital eyewear. (Photo: Andrew Kelly/Reuters )

The company's terms of sale forbid Google's Explorers, who are the first to try out the futuristic-looking wearable computers, to sell, loan or give away the glasses. If an Explorer goes against these terms, the company retains the right to deactivate the glasses.


Germany rules out nuclear for backup power

The agency that oversees Germany's power plants has rejected calls to put a deactivated nuclear plant back online to deal with possible shortages over the winter. Instead, fossil fuel-burning plants will be on standby.

On November 12, Google will turn off its free, voice-activated directory-assistance service forever. There are several options for those intending to soldier on in the post-GOOG-411 world.

inactivate	(verb) Release from military service or remove from the active list of military service.
Synonyms:	demobilize
Usage:	My leg injury was so severe that my superior officer was forced to inactivate me.

soldier

intr.v., -diered, -dier·ing, -diers.

1. To be or serve as a soldier.
2. To make a show of working in order to escape punishment.

Definition of activate

verb

[with object]

• make (something) active or operative:fumes from cooking are enough to activate the alarm
• convert (a substance, molecule, etc.) into a reactive form: a DNA-repair enzyme that is activated by visible light (as adjective activated)activated chlorine

Derivatives

activation

Pronunciation: /-ˈveɪʃ(ə)n/

noun
activator

noun

activate

 音節

ac • ti • vate

発音

ǽktəvèit

activateの変化形

activated (過去形) • activated (過去分詞) • activating (現在分詞) • activates (三人称単数現在)

[動](他)

1 …を活動的［活発］にする；((通例受身))〈機械などを〉稼動［始動, 起動］させる.

2 《物理学》〈分子などを〉励起させる；…に放射能を与える；《化学》…を活性化する, 〈反応を〉促進する

activated carbon ［charcoal］
活性炭.

3 〈下水などに〉通気する, （通気でバクテリアの活動を活性化させ）浄化する.

4 《米国軍》〈部隊を〉（戦時）編成する；〈部隊を〉（戦地に）配置する；〈核兵器の核分裂装置を〉始動させる.

àc・ti・vá・tion

[名]


deactivate
verb

[with object]

• make (something) inactive by disconnecting or destroying it:the switch deactivates the alarm
• Military remove from active duty.

Derivatives

deactivation

Pronunciation: /-ˈveɪʃ(ə)n/

noun

deactivator

noun

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

rule something out (or in)

Definition of rule something out or in in English:

Exclude (or include) something as a possibility:the prime minister ruled out a November election不無.....可能

許瑞宋 譯者

同意王教授本篇所言。「不會排除有此可能」這種源自翻譯體的說法，有時確實是必要的。（當然，這種說法也常遭人濫用。「翻譯體」還是可免則免吧。）

王偉雄：據報章報道，香港一名醫護人員在接種流感疫苗後，出現重肌無力症（myasthenia gravis）的病徵；食物及衞生局局長高永文在接受訪問時表示，沒有醫學研究證明流感疫苗會引致有關症狀，不過，他「不會排除有此可能性」。

高永文這樣回應，合理之至，任何接受過科學訓練的人都應該這樣回應。「不會排除有此可能性」是英文 "wouldn't rule out/exclude the possibility" 的直譯，也許有人會認為這不是好中文，說「有可能」便夠清楚，而且簡潔得多。然而，「有可能」是否真的可以完全表達「不會排除有此可能性」的意思？在很多語境裏都可以，但在高永文接受訪問的這個脈絡裏，答案是「不可以」。

這裏有兩個事實：

(a) 沒有醫學研究證明流感疫苗會引致重肌無力症。
(b) 沒有醫學研究證明流感疫苗不會引致重肌無力症。

雖然高永文沒有明確指出(b), 但他說的「不會排除有此可能性」，正是基於這個事實。科學研究（當然包括醫學研究）講究的是證據，不會止於指出可能性。簡言之，如果有證據支持 p，這些證據同時可以減低 ~p 的可能性；如果證據強到足以證明 p，這些證據便可以排除 ~p 的可能性。高永文說不會排除「流感疫苗會引致重肌無力症」的可能性，表達的正是「沒有證據證明流感疫苗不會引致重肌無力症」。這個證據與可能性的關係，用「有可能」三字是不足以表達的。

魚之樂: 「不會排除有此可能性」

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