DADT ("don't ask, don't tell" ) repeal

"don't ask, don't tell" -- 最近在NPR常聽到的一個名詞

根據wikipedia的解釋:
"
... is the term commonly used for the policy restricting the United States military from efforts to discover or reveal closeted homosexual or bisexual servicemembers or applicants,
while barring those who are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual from military service.

The restrictions are mandated by federal law Pub.L. 103-160 (10 U.S.C. § 654). ...
"
大意是說美國聯邦法律 明文限定了美國軍方不可以設法發覺或洩漏
服役與應徵人員的私密同性戀或雙性戀 性向;
也限定公開的同性戀或雙性戀者不得進入軍方工作.


這幾天新聞一直報導的原因是 美國國會眾議院與參議院都已通過廢止該項規定
(The House and the Senate both approve the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" policy.)

//=== repeal and appeal

• An urgent appeal from Wikipedia founder ...
• The repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" had stalled because of Senate Republicans' block
  but passed finally on 2010.12.18.

//=== 最近台灣新聞非常熱門的話題 校園霸凌(campus bully)
桃園某國中校長 就因為處理不當 遭到許多老師連署要求卸除校長職務 ...

The principal adopts a "don't ask, don't tell" policy to ignore the campus bullying events,
which accumulate so overwhelmingly that the furious teachers who are frightened by unleashed students finally stand up together to "repeal" him.

[ref]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/21/us-senate-republicans-block-bill

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/dont-ask-dont-tell-senate-advances-repeal-ban-gays-military/story?id=12429640&tqkw=&tqshow=WN

sticky IED

最近聽NPR新聞 反覆聽到一個縮寫詞 IED ,

G一下的結果 :

IED: improvised explosive device (不是 improved 喔)
IED: Institute of Economic Development
IED: international design educational network
IED: Institution of Engineering Designers
...

跟中東有關的 應該是 improvised explosive device

IED 勉強可以翻作土製炸彈
improvise 有就地取材的意思
最早知道這個字 是因為"馬蓋先"


sticky IEDs :
"homemade bombs attached to powerful magnets and stuck to the bottom of cars."

透過強力磁鐵將土製炸彈吸附在車子上. (通常為了要刺殺政要/軍警 ...)

[ref]
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/03/131774133/Iraqi-Insurgents-Use-IEDs-To-Target-Iraqis

不宜用完成/進行式的動詞?

//=== 她從小就喜歡音樂.
[a] She loved music since childhood(she was a kid).
or
[b] She has loved music since childhood(she was a kid).

翻成[a]或[b] 何者較合適呢?


//=== 當警方發現該名嫌犯時 他已死亡多日.

[a] The suspect had (already) died for many days when the police found him.

[b] The suspect had (already) been dead for many days when the police found him.

[c] The suspect (already) died many days before the police found him.

翻成[a]或[b]或[c] 何者較合適呢?

QE2 and Currency debasement

最近 QE2 這個名詞 滿火的
財經新聞 週刊 ...

* QE2: the second quantitative easing
quantitative easing
wikipedia 的解釋 ："a monetary policy used by some central banks to increase the supply of money ... generally through buying of the central government's own bonds to stabilize or raise their prices and thereby lower long-term interest rates."

翻成中文 ：央行透過買入中央政府公債來壓低長期利率 達到貨幣量化寬鬆的效果.

* currency debasement/debasing:
wikipedia 的解釋 ： "Debasement is the practice of lowering the value of currency. "
翻成中文 ： 讓貨幣貶值的措施
是相對什麼東西貶值呢？ 國內的生活用品 食衣住行 -> commodity
(commodity 變貴 有啥好處呢?)

若是相對其他國家的貨幣貶值(匯率貶值) 英文用 depreciate


[ref]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_easing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debasement

從 "美國影集都在說啥" 學到的俚語

same old, same old : 老樣子 -> so so 普普
比較完整的說法: I've been doing the same old thing.

shit me: 唬弄我
shit not: 不是在唬爛

Are you shitting me?
No, i shit you not.


[ref]
"美國影集都在說啥" , Paul Sherrard, Beta Multimedia Publishing

2010.10.16 在快樂英語協會學到以及聯想的幾個單字

//=== [Emily]
bungalow -> 半閣樓 -> 平房

//===
biped : bi -ped

tripod: tri-pod

• ipod: from Walkman to ipod

//===
strap: a loop of leather suspended from the ceiling of a bus or train for passengers to hold onto it.

• strap -> MRT/Train/Bus
• strap -> strip
• grip -> grasp
  
• Grip the strap when you stand on/in a bus.

//=== [Linda]
tooth bracket == tooth brace == 牙套
(not "tooth mask")

//===
spot == speckle == 斑點
pimple == acne == zit == 青春痘 / 毛囊炎/ 皮脂炎?
nevus== mole == 痣
(照字典上的說法 nevus 是天生的? mole 則常含有毛囊 會發出毛髮來?)

皮脂腺痣(Nevus Sebaceous):
皮脂腺(sebaceous gland)構成的一種 錯構瘤(Hamartoma)/器官樣痣(organoid nevus)

ransom, Ransome

ransom
(n) 贖金
(v) 付贖金以贖回人質; 要脅贖金

The pirates hold the hostage to ransom(v)/to demand a ransom(n) of 1 million dollars.
The hostages' family pay money to ransom the kidnapped persons.


ransom的意義是贖金 讓我聯想到電影/電視劇中兄弟的跑路費
ran -> run
som -> some money
跑路需要的"所費" 常常來自贖金
The gangster threaten the victim to pay some money as his "ransom".


G 一下
"... Ransom. 片長：121分 由梅爾吉勃遜主演，朗霍華執導的精彩動作片，根據1956年的同名電影所改編 ..."


//===
Ransome 人名
handsome 英俊的

It is hard to keep yourself handsome if you are demanded a ransom for your kids.

翹課與槍手

今天的新聞報導了大學生翹課 怕點名
於是上網徵求工讀生當槍手
代替點名 抄筆記  甚至代考 ...

網路上還有 "今天我應否翹課" 的試算程式  http://www.skipclasscalculator.com/
來幫助學生們決定是否要翹課

G一下 "skip class"  會出現以下的關鍵句 :
"Should I Skip Class Today" Calculator
How to Skip Class - wikiHow
How to Skip Classes in College
How to skip class without getting caught?
Learn when it's Ok to skip class ...



//===
翹課: to skip class
缺課: to be absent from class

那 leap class 是甚麼?

比翹課更嚴重一點的 就是逃學了(整天都沒去學校上課)  -- to play hooky
to play hooky 也可以當翹班 == 曠職 ?

intern, internal, internship

C# 中的字串(String) 有個蠻特別的靜態函數/方法(static function/method)
public static string    String.Intern(string s) ;
intern 的本意是拘留 限制活動範圍, 此一方法取名Intern 的用意 ...

intern /int '3rn/
(v) detain, confine, 拘禁, 圈禁, 拘留, 限制活動範圍
(n) 實習生, 初入職場的在職實習人員

[Example]
0. 說到圈禁 就想到十三爺, 康熙的十三皇子 允祥, 在康熙晚年時 受圈禁十年,
直到胤禎(雍正)登基 才得釋放 並予重任 ...

The thirteenth prince had been interned for ten years ...

1. The president had an affair with a white house intern ...
Do you remember who's that president?






[derived]
internal (a)

internship (n)
Some companies, e.g. Google/Microsoft/Intel/IBM ...
offer positions of summer internship for graduate/undergraduate students.

又發現一個練習英文聽力的好網站

http://www.eetimes.com/  首頁右下方的EETimesVideo

或者直接連結
http://www.eetimes.com/brightcove_video/

Tiny monster and Scottish Highlands

經過網友推薦發現了BBC的六分鐘學英文
已將其Podcast置頂

在 Tiny monsters of the Highlands 這篇文章中
有個關鍵字 Highlands -> the Highlands -> the Scottish Highlands
在網路上搜尋之後 發現還滿複雜的
Roughly speaking, the Scottish Highlands is the north-west region of the Scotland.
To say it another way,
the Scotland is divided into Highlands and Lowlands geographically and historically.



[ref]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2010/06/100624_6min_highlands.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Highlands

Region, Legion, religion, pigeon,

//===
region:
legion: large number of people, large military force, ...

religion:
pigeon: dove


//===
pigeon pair : 龍鳳胎
pigeon hole:
pigeon hole principle: 一山得容二虎 如果全世界只有一山的話
--> drawer principle/shelf principle

[ref]
http://www.nciku.com/search/all/pigeon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeonhole_principle

in my favor

in my favor
in my personal favor


in my opinion
in my personal opinion

in our favor
in your favor

in favor of somebody

my favorite
my favorites

benign

benign 這個字一直記不太起來
發音/b.n 'ai n/
benign == kind
benignity == kindness ?
beneficial , benevolent , ... -> ben 開頭有正面的意思?


//=== benign neglect
"... This "benign neglect" policy[1] was designed to ease tensions following the American Civil Rights Movement of the late 1960s ..." [ref] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benign_neglect



//===
a benign tumor : 良性腫瘤
a malign tumor : 惡性腫瘤 

malign -> malignant

censor, census, consensus, consent

That Google stopped censoring the search results  meets the consensus of the humanitarian.

consent
(v) == agree
(n) == agreement


census: 普查 統計
traffic census: 交通流量普查
population census: 人口普查
domicile census:戶口普查

clamber, climb and cripple

The crippled president clambers to meet the demand of the Congress.

The mental cripple suffer clambering in the mind while the physical cripple does climbing the mountain.

dude and duke

dude, duke /- ju -/, /- u: -/

The grand duke from the medieval castle and
the young dude from the modern city come across
during the one-piece tour.

consulate and embassy

consulate: 領事館
embassy: 大使館 (正式邦交?)

辦事處?

turmoil, tumult, tumultuous, tumor

turmoil /'t3r m >i l/
tumult /'tju m^l t/
tumultuous /tju 'm^l tch u.s/

tumour
tumor

tomb and grave

今天聽Studio Classroom 說到關於tomb 與 grave的差異,
以前沒學過
用google 找一下

[說法一]
tomb 比較正式 , grave 比較常用

[說法二]
tomb 指的是墓穴 或 下葬後墓地上方的建築
grave 則指所挖的洞 或泛指墓地
--> grave == 墳, tomb== 墓 /墓碑 /墓園 ???


[說法三]
其實兩者常被混著用



"...
A tomb is something that is built over a place where a body has been laid, or perhaps a room carved into rock in order to receive a body.

A grave is the hole in the ground into which the body is placed.
...
"

"... not everybody makes that distinction..."

[ref]
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1347941

1,2,3,4

one of a kind: unique === one of the kind???

two of a kind: two birds of a feather

three of a kind: 三條 , trips,

four of a kind: 四枝 鐵枝?, quads

one pair, two pair, flush(同花), straight(順),

同花順 : straight flush
同花大順 : royal flush == ace-high straight flush

ace-high straight === Broadway




[ref]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poker_hands

sue, suit, suite, xuite

sue: 控告

suit /sut/: 整套西裝
suit jacket 西裝的外套(上半身)
card suit : there are four suits in Poker cards



suite /swit/: 套房 整組的器具
A suite of toolkits to do sth...

xuite: Hinet 的 blog

font , fountain, and spring

font:

• 字型
• 泉源

fountain:

• 噴泉

spring:

• 噴泉
• 彈簧
• 春天

The ranking minority member

The ranking minority member(sometimes the vice chairperson of a committee)

The ranking majority member(usually the chairman of a committee)

bipartisan: 兩黨政治?
the majority : 多數黨
the minority: 少數黨
the ranking member: 大老

pray and prey

You become a prey when you pray.

透天厝

在網路上搜尋透天厝的英文 發現"丁丁飆英文"部落格 有篇文章
介紹關於房屋的一些英文詞彙 頗值得參考

透天厝:

• townhouse ?
• to-tein house !?

[ref]

http://tingtingenglish.blogspot.com/2008/07/our-castles.html

http://etds.ncl.edu.tw/theabs/site/sh/detail_result.jsp?id=082CYCU0222005

重視

重視: attach importance to , put emphasis on, set much value on

Parents in china attach importance to their kids' examinations.

The company puts emphasis on its new product.

[ref] http://www.nciku.com.tw/search/zh/detail/%E9%87%8D%E8%A6%96/88006#zh

chai == 茶

drinking cups of chai and chatting with friends ...

crack, crack up, crack up to be

crack :

• crack a book as snacks
• The glass cracked. (broken partially but still connected?)
• The cracked cake is crispy and tasty.
• The poor programmer tried hard to crack a code to gain success, but failed.

crack up:

• break down
• burst out (laughing)

crack up to be:
The out-of-date actress is not the beauty she was cracked up to be anymore.


[ref]
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/crack

beat around the bush and the other way around

• beat around/round the bush: 說話拐彎抹角 繞圈圈
  "HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH" : a famous song
  
  
• the other way around/round

neutral

neutral
castrate
sterilized

What's on your mind?

What's on your mind?
on your mind or in your mind?

on your soul or in your soul?

furor, furious, furore

furor == fever
furor == rage == strong anger
furor == passion

又學到兩個重音在第一音節的字

Another two words having accent in the first syllable learned in the Taipei101 EnglishStudyGroup:

• caricature
• ignorance

zest

從 "廚房裡的人類學家" 學到這個字
原意是辛辣的香料 或把柑橘類的果皮刨絲 讓香味散發出來
引申為鮮活強烈的滋味

love is a zest for life, so is the loss of love?

zest: vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment[WordNet]

acrophobia and Arachnephobia

從空中英語教室學到的

acrophobia : 懼高症

Arachnephobia == Arachnophobia? : spider phobia

dub and a million air-heart

從空中英語教室學到的

The press dubbed her "Queen of the air". == The press called her "Queen of the air". ==
She was dubbed "Queen of the air" by the press.

Who's she?
A million air-heart?

oh, no, she is Amelia Earhart.


//===
dub 還可以指電影後製的音效工作或配音

purchase 的重音

purchase /p3r tch.s/的重音在第一音節

research , pedicure 也是

purchase = purse chase = 追逐著錢包

oral care , pedicare, and medicare

oral care: 口腔保健
pedicare?: 足部保健
pedicure : 足部治療/護理 , 足部美容 修剪腳趾甲

medicare: 醫療保險 老人健康保險?

口頭上的關心: oral care?

Law school and law institute

一位網友想到美國進修關於智慧財產權的法律課程
拿個 Bachelor degree in Law
The Bachelor of Laws ( LLB?) is a bachelor degree in law.
"LL.B." stands for Legum Baccalaureus in Latin?
-> J.D.

Yale Law School
Cornell Law School
Harvard Law School
...

//=== After googling "Law Institute" , i found that
Law Institute is not meant to be the graduate school of Law.

[ref]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_school_rankings_in_the_United_States#Schools_that_consistently_rank_in_the_top_14
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Lawshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juris_Doctor

Izzie and Elizabeth

從一位網友的代號得知

Izzie/Lizzie is a nickname derived from Elizabeth.

[ref]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_(given_name)