Friday, June 30, 2006

ENG Joke- King of the Open Seas

One foggy night, as the admiral was walking along the deck of his battleship, he saw the light of another ship approaching in the distance. Quickly he went down to the radio room and had a message sent: "Ajust your course 10 degrees starbord."
  • admiral n. 海軍上將、艦隊司令
  • battleship n. 戰艦、主力艦
But the message came back "Adjust your course 10 degrees port"

This began to anger the admiral, so he thought he needed to make himself clear. He sent the message "This is an order from an Admiral. Ajust your course 10 degrees starbord."

But the message came back "I am a petty officer, second class. Adjust your course 10 degrees port"
  • petty officer n. 海軍下士
If the admiral was angry before, he was furious now. No way did he take orders from a petty officer! He ordered a message sent which would make his position clear: "This is a nuclear battleship. Ajust your course 10 degrees starbord."

And again the message came back "This is a lighthouse. Adjust your course 10 degrees port"

ENG Joke- Why Specs Live Forever

The US Standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and the US railroads were built by English expatriates.
  • gauge n. 標準規格、標準尺寸
  • exceedingly adv. 極度地=extremely
  • expatriate n. 移民國外者、被流放(國外)者
    • v. 1.流放 2.使放棄原國籍、使移居國外
    • adj. 被流放(國外)的、移居國外的
Why did the English people build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.
  • tramway n. 電車軌道
Why did "they" use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.
  • jig n. 裝配架
Okay! Why did the wagons use that odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing the wagons would break on some of the old, long distance roads, because that's the spacing of the old wheel ruts.
  • rut
    • n.
      • 車槽、凹痕
      • 老規矩、慣例、常規
    • v. 在...挖槽、在...形成車轍
    • n. (雄鹿、雄羊等的)發情、發情期 be in the rut
    • v. 發情
So who built these old rutted roads? The first long distance roads in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been used ever since. And the ruts? The initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagons, were first made by Roman war chariots. Since the chariots were made for or by Imperial Rome they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.
  • legion
    • n.
      • 古羅馬軍團
      • 軍隊、部隊
      • 眾多、大量 a legion of admirers
    • adj. 眾多的、大量的
  • chariot n. 雙輪戰車
Thus, we have the answer to the original questions. The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specification for an Imperial Roman army war chariot. Specs and Bureaucracies live forever.

So, the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's rear came up with it, you may be exactly right. Because the Imperial Roman chariots were made to be just wide enough to accommodate the back-ends of two war horses.

Notable Events June 30

In 1908, a spectacular explosion occurred over central Siberia, probably caused by a meteorite. The fireball reportedly could be seen hundreds of miles away.
西伯利亞中部發生強烈爆炸,可能是由隕石撞擊地球引發,據報百英哩外都看得到火球
  • Siberia n. 西伯利亞
  • meteorite n. 隕石、流星
In 1923, jazz pioneer Sidney Bechet made his first recording. It included "Wild Cat Blues": and "Kansas City Blues."
爵士樂先驅Sidney Bechet錄下第一張唱片

In 1934, German leader Adolf Hitler ordered a bloody purge of his own political party, assassinating hundreds of Nazis whom he feared might become political enemies some day.
希特勒血腥清黨,暗殺數百位他怕未來會成為政敵的納粹份子
  • purge n. 清洗、淨化,這裡是指"清黨"
In 1936, Margaret Mitchell's Civil War novel "Gone With the Wind" was published.
Margaret Mitchell著作的南北戰爭小說"飄"出版

In 1950, U.S. troops were moved from Japan to help defend South Korea against the invading North Koreans.
美軍從日本推進南韓,協助抵禦北韓南進

In 1971, three Soviet Cosmonauts, crewmembers of the world's first space station, were killed when their spacecraft depressurized during re-entry.
史上第一個太空站的三位蘇聯太空人在重返地球時因太空艙失壓而被殺
  • cosmonaut n. (尤其指前蘇聯)太空人
  • depressurize v. 失壓
In 1992, Fidel Ramos was inaugurated as the eighth Philippine president in the first peaceful transfer of power in a generation.
Fidel Ramos就任第八任菲律賓總統,是該世代第一個和平轉移政權的例子
  • inaugurate v.
    • 使...正式就任 He was inaugurated as President.
    • 開展 inaugurate a campaign
    • 為...舉行開幕式 The mayor inaugurated a bridge.
In 1994, the U.S. Figure Skating Association stripped Tonya Harding of her 1994 national championship title.
美國花式溜冰協會取消Tonya Harding 1994年的全國冠軍頭銜
  • figure skating n. 花式溜冰
  • strip
    • v.
      • 剝奪 strip him of the right
      • 剝去、剝光 strip off (clothes)/strip of/strip from
      • 拆卸、分解(機械) strip down
      • 從...刪去不需要的內容
      • 擠乾(牛的)奶
      • 去(菸葉等的)莖
      • 脫去衣服、脫光衣服
      • 表演脫衣舞
    • n.
      • 條、帶、細長片
      • 連環漫畫
      • 一行(或一列)郵票
      • 【口】足球選手的制服
      • 脫衣舞
In 1997, Mike Tyson apologized publicly for biting Evander Holyfield's ears during a heavyweight championship boxing match in Las Vegas two days earlier, saying he'd become angered after Holyfield butted him.
拳王Mike Tyson為了在拉斯維加斯比賽重量級拳擊時咬對手耳朵致歉
  • butt v. 用頭(或角)猛撞
In 2000, the Presbyterian Church ordered its ministers not to conduct same-sex unions.
長老會命令神職人員們不准帶領同性的小組聚會
  • Presbyterian n. 長老會教會
  • conduct v. 帶領
In 2002, Israel announced it had killed a top Hamas bomb-maker, responsible for the deaths of more than 100 Israelis in suicide attacks, and had begun work on an electronic fence designed to block off three sides of Jerusalem from the West Bank.
以色列聲稱處決了一名哈瑪斯組織的頭號自殺炸彈客,他發動的攻擊造成上百名以色列人傷亡。以色列政府同時聲稱他們設計了可以防衛耶路撒冷三側以防範攻擊的電子柵欄設施。

And in 2002 sports, Brazil won its fifth World Cup soccer championship with a 2-0 victory over Germany.

In 2003, after agreeing on a cease-fire with the Palestinians, Israel pulled out of most of the Gaza strip, ending for the time being a blockade on the main highway that began in 2000.

Also in 2004, the Cassini spacecraft, after nearly years in space on a U.S.-European mission, became the first to orbit the planet Saturn.
在一項美歐合作的任務中,Cassini太空船成為第一個環繞土星的太空船
  • Saturn n. 土星
In 2005, Israel declared the Gaza Strip a closed military zone. All Israelis, except for residents, service providers and reporters, were barred from entering.
以色列宣布加薩走廊為封閉的軍事區,除了居民、服務提供者、記者以外都禁止進入。
  • Gaza Strip 加薩走廊
  • bar v. 封鎖、阻隔
And, Spain became the third country to legalize same-sex marriage.
西班牙同性婚姻正式合法

ENG Joke- Chemists Last Words

1. And now, the taste test.

2. Are we supposed to heat that?

3. And now a little bit from this...

4. ... and please keep that test tube alone!

5. And now shake it a bit.

6. Why is there no label on this bottle?

7. In which glass was my mineral water?

8. The bunsen burner *is* out!
  • bunsen burner n. 【化】本生燈
9. Why does that stuff burn with a green flame?!?

10. *H* stands for Nitrogen - and that does *not* burn...
  • Nitrogen n. 氮
11. Oh, now I have spilt something...

12. First the acid, then the water...

13. And now the detonating gas problem.
  • detonate v. 使爆炸、使觸發
14. This is a completely safe experimental setup.

15. Where did I put my gloves?

16. O no, wrong beaker...
  • beaker n. 【化】燒杯
17. The fire alarm is just being tested.

18. Now you can take the protection window away...

19. And now, keep it constant at 24 degrees celsius, 25... 26... 27...

20. Peter can you please help me. Peter!?! Peeeeeteeeeer?!?!?!?

21. I feel how long 15 seconds are!

22. Something is wrong here...

23. Where did all those holes in my kettle come from?
  • kettle n. 水壺
24. Trust me - I know what I am doing.

25. And now a cigarette...

ENG Joke- Rednecks Go Fishing

Two rednecks go on a fishing trip. They rent all the equipment - the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car, and even a cabin in the woods. I mean they spend a fortune!
  • redneck n. 美國南部貧苦農民
  • reel n. 釣竿上的繞線輪
  • rod n. 釣竿
  • wading suit n. 釣魚穿著的涉水服
The first day they go fishing, but they don't catch anything. The same thing happens on the second day, and on the third day. It goes on like this until finally, on the last day of their vacation, one of the men catches a fish.

As they're driving home they're really depressed. One guy turns to the other and says, "Do you realize that this one lousy fish we caught cost us fifteen hundred bucks?"

The other guy says, "Wow! Then it's a good thing we didn't catch any more!"

Thursday, June 29, 2006

ENG Joke- Clarification of Hiring Lingo

  • lingo n. 行話、隱語
Competitive Salary - We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.

Join Our Fast-Paced Company - We have no time to train you.

Casual Work Atmosphere - We don't pay you enough to expect that you will dress up.

Must Be Deadline Oriented - You will be six months behind schedule on your first day.

Some Overtime Required - Some time each night and some time each weekend.

Duties Will Vary - Anyone in the office can boss you around.

Must Have An Eye For Detail - We have no quality control.

Career-Minded - Female applicants must be childless (and stay that way).

Apply In Person - If you're fat, old, or ugly, you will be told the position has been filled.

No Phone Calls Please - We already have someone for the job, our call for resumes is just a legal formality.

Seeking Candidates With A Wide Variety of Experience - You will need it to replace three people who have just left.

Problem Solving Skills A Must - You are walking into a company in perpetual chaos.
  • perpetual a. 連續不斷的
Requires Team Leadership Skills - You will have the responsibilities of a manager; without the pay or respect.

Good Communication Skills - Management communicates; you listen, figure out what they want, and do it.

ENG Joke- Yesterday for IT People

Yesterday,
All those backups seemed a waste of pay.
Now my database has gone away.
Oh I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly,
There's not half the files there used to be,
And there's a milestone hanging over me
The system crashed so suddenly.

I pushed something wrong
What it was I could not say.

Now all my data's gone
and I long for yesterday-ay-ay-ay.

Yesterday,
The need for back-ups seemed so far away.
I knew my data was all here to stay,
Now I believe in yesterday.

ENG Joke- You Get What You Pay For

A woman went out to her yard one morning and found her dog just laying there, not moving at all. She thought it might be dead, but since it was a basset hound and never moved much anyway, she wanted to be sure... after all, she didn't want to bury it and then find out it wasn't. So she took it to the vet.
  • basset hound n. 矮腿獵犬
  • vet n. 獸醫
    • n. a. 老兵(的)、退伍軍人(的)
    • v. 診療、調查、檢查
The vet agreed to take a look. He shook the dog gently. He checked for a doggy pulse, but couldn't find one. He held a mirror up to the dog's nose but it stayed clear. He said, "Well, the dog does look dead; but I'd like to run one more test."

He goes into the other room and brings back an animal carrier. He opens the door and a cat comes out, walks around the dog two or three times, and finally lifts it's head and tail and goes back into the carrier.

Vet says, "Well, ma'am, I'm sorry to say but your dog is dead."

"Well, that's what I came here to find out," she says, "How much do I owe you?"

"That'll be $520."

"What?" she screams, "$520 to tell me my dog's dead?? Why so much?"

"Well," said the vet, "it's $20 for the office visit, and $500 for the cat scan."

ENG words

yegg \YEG\ noun
盜賊(尤其指偷保險箱的賊)
: safecracker; also : robber
  • safecracker n. 保險箱竊賊
Example sentence:
"[Her] attorney does admit that his client had developed 'platonic' relationships with two cons, a couple of yeggs named Ollie and Marvin, but only to gather information." (Fort Collins Coloradoan, December 6, 2002)
  • platonic a. 理想的、不切實際的
  • con n. 騙子、詐欺者
------------------------------------------------
undertaker \UN-der-tay-ker\ noun
承擔(風險)者、承辦人
承辦喪葬者=funeral director(<-比較常用) 1 : one that undertakes : one that takes the risk and management of business : entrepreneur *2 : one whose business is to prepare the dead for burial and to arrange and manage funerals 3 : an Englishman taking over forfeited lands in Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries
  • forfeited adj. 被沒收的
    • forfeit v. (因失職、違約、犯罪等而)喪失(權利、名譽、生命等)
    • forfeit n. 喪失的東西、沒收物、罰金
Example sentence:
The undertaker offered the family several choices of coffin for the burial service.
-----------------------------------------
teleological \tel-ee-uh-LAH-jih-kul\ adjective
目的論的
: exhibiting or relating to design or purpose especially in nature

Example sentence:
"What is the true purpose of life's voyage?" wrote John R. Illingworth in 1907, posing what he termed "the great teleological question."

關聯字
  • teleology n. 目的論= the study of ends and purposes
  • teleologist n. 目的論者
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kinetic \kuh-NET-ik\ adjective
【物理】運動的、運動引起的
活躍的、有力的
1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith
*2 a : active, lively b : dynamic, energizing
3 : of or relating to art (as sculpture or assemblage) having mechanical parts which can be set in motion : of or relating to kinetic art
  • therewith ad. 與此(有關的)
  • assemblage n.
    • 裝置藝術
    • 集合在一起的人或物 He is one of the assemblage.
    • 聚會、集會
    • 裝配、裝置 the assemblage of parts of a machine
Example sentence:
The dancers infected the audience with their fierce kinetic energy.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

ENG words

noisome \NOY-sum\ adjective
1.有害的,有害健康的
2.有惡臭的
*1 : noxious, harmful
2 a : offensive to the senses and especially to the sense of smell b : highly obnoxious or objectionable
  • obnoxious a. 可憎的、令人非常不愉快的
  • objectionable
    • a. 令人討厭的
    • a. 會引起反對的
Example sentence:
"The streets were narrow and very dirty, the air smoky and noisome, the people mostly wretched." ( Ken Follett, The Man from St. Petersburg)
  • wretched a. 不幸的、可憐的、悲慘的
注意!! noisome 跟 noise 沒有關係~字義中並沒有任何:吵鬧 的意思存在
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jinni \JEE-nee\ noun
回教神話中的神靈
*1 : one of a class of spirits that according to Muslim demonology inhabit the earth, assume various forms, and exercise supernatural power
2 : a magic spirit believed to take human form and serve the person who calls it : genie
  • genie n. 神怪、神魔
Example sentence:
It's always best to stay on the good side of a jinni, and there are ways to placate a troublesome one.
  • placate vt. 撫慰、和解
------------------------------------------------------
deflagrate \DEF-luh-grayt\ verb
使突然燃燒
*1 : to burn rapidly with intense heat and sparks being given off
2 : to cause to burn in such a manner

Example sentence:
Certain materials, such as black powder, will deflagrate rather than cause a violent explosion when they are ignited.

ENG Joke- Three Doors

A rather bad man dies and meets Satan in a room with three doors.

Satan explains, "I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that you have to spend eternity behind one of these doors. But, the good news is that you can take a peek behind each and take your choice."

So, the man opened the first door and saw a room full of people, standing on their heads on a concrete floor. Not very nice, he thought.

Opening the second door, he saw a room full of people standing on their heads on a wooden floor. Better, he thought, but best to check the last door.

Upon opening the last door, he saw a room full of people, standing waist-deep in excrement and sipping coffee.
  • excrement n. 排泄物
"Of the three, this one looks best," he said and waded in to get something to drink while Satan closed the door.
  • wade v. 艱難的涉過、越過
A few minutes later the door opened, Satan stuck his head in and said, "Ok, coffee break`s over, back on your heads!"

ENG Joke- Unlucky Parachutist

A man is skydiving, enjoying his free-fall, when he realizes that he has reached the altitude where he must open his parachute. So he pulls on the rip cord, but nothing happens.
  • skydive v. 特技跳傘
  • parachute n. 降落傘
  • rip cord n. 開傘索
"No problem," he says to himself, "I still have my emergency chute." So he pulls the rip cord on his emergency parachute, and once again, nothing happens.
  • chute n. 【口】降落傘
Now the man begins to panic. "What am I going to do?" he thinks, "I'm a goner!"
  • goner n. 無可救藥的人(或事)
Just then he sees a man flying up from the earth toward him. He can't figure out where this man is coming from, or what he's doing, but he thinks to himself, "Maybe he can help me. If he can't, then I'm done for."

When the man gets close enough to him, the skydiver cups his hands and shouts down, "Hey, do you know anything about parachutes?"
  • cup v. 把手圍成杯狀
The other man replies, "No! Do you know anything about gas stoves?"

ENG Joke- Big Ad Account

During a Papal audience, a businessman approached the Pope and made this offer: Change the last line of the Lord's prayer from "give us this day our daily bread" to "give us this day our daily chicken" and KFC will donate 10 million dollars to Catholic charities.
  • Papal a. 羅馬教皇的
The Pope shook his head and said no to the offer.

Two weeks later the businessman approached the Pope again, this time with a 50 million dollar offer.

Again the Pope declined.

A month later the man offers 100 million, and this time the Pope accepts.

At a meeting of the Cardinals, the Pope announces his decision.
  • Cardinals n. 樞機主教、紅衣主教
"I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have 100 million dollars for charities. The bad news is, we lost the Wonder Bread account."

ENG Joke- Ponderings

- "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
說明: "I do" 是婚禮時新郎新娘所說的「我願意」,寫笑話的人影射說出「我願意」是一件很難很難的事...

- If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, and drycleaners depressed?
  • disbar v. 取消律師資格
  • clergymen n. 牧師教士一類的神職人員
  • defrock v. 除去神職
  • denote v. 表示、預示
  • derange v. 瘋狂的
  • depose v. 罷免
說明:寫笑話的人運用【de+與該身分的人看似相關的辭彙】組成了看似相關的「去除...」字串,完全是胡說八道,可是從字型組合上來說還滿有胡說八道的道理的:P

- Why is it that if someone tells you that there are one billion stars in the universe you will believe them, but if they tell you a wall has wet paint you will have to touch it to be sure?

- If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?

- If people from Poland are called "Poles," why aren't people from Holland called "Holes?"

- If a person with multiple personalities threatens suicide, is that considered a hostage situation?

- Just think how much deeper the ocean would be if sponges didn't live there.

- If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?

ENG Joke- Hedging His Bets

Father Sullivan was ministering to a man on his deathbed.
  • minister v. 執行牧師的職務
"Renounce Satan!" yelled Father Sullivan.
  • renounce v. 與..斷絕關係
"No," said the dying man.

"I say, renounce the devil and his works!"

"No," the man repeats.

"And why, in the name of all that is holy, not?" asks Father Sullivan.

"Because," said the dying man, "I want to wait until I see where I'm heading before I start annoying anybody."

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

ENG words

revenant \REV-uh-nahng (the final "ng" is not pronounced, but the vowel is nasalized)\ noun
歸來的人、亡魂
: one that returns after death or a long absence

Example sentence:
The play is about a family of revenants who come back to their ancestral home after years of political exile.
  • ancestral adj. 祖傳的
----------------------------------------
obloquy \AH-bluh-kwee\ noun
1.破口大罵
2.恥辱、污名
*1 : a strongly condemnatory utterance : abusive language
2 : the condition of one that is discredited : bad repute
  • utterance n. 發聲、表達
Example sentence:
The manager walked quickly back to the dugout as insults and obloquy rained down from the stands.
  • dugout 【棒球】選手休息區
----------------------------------------------
kludge \KLOOJ\ noun
七拼八湊而成的電腦/系統
: a system and especially a computer system made up of poorly matched components

Example sentence:
"The original satellite contrivance was the asynchronous satellite downlink with a phone connection uplink. This was doomed to fail because it was a kludge." (John C. Dvorak, Boardwatch Magazine, February 2002)
  • contrivance n. 裝置
  • asynchronous adj. 非同期的
  • downlink n. 下行線路
  • uplink n. 上行線路
  • doom to 註定要...

Monday, June 12, 2006

ENG words

omnipotent \ahm-NIP-uh-tunt\ adjective
全能的
: having virtually unlimited authority or influence

Example sentence:
Small children often believe their parents to be omnipotent, capable of commanding any situation or resolving any problem they find before them.

*omni- 全、總、泛 (=all)
關聯字:
  • omniscient adj. 全知的
  • omnivorous adj. 無所不吃的(形容動物);無所不讀的
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warp speed \WORP-SPEED\ noun
迅雷不及掩耳的速度(比光速還要快的速度)
: the highest possible speed

Example sentence:
When Mario saw Helen enter the elevator, he grabbed his laptop and vaulted down the stairs at warp speed to get to the meeting room ahead of her.
  • vault v. 跳躍
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mala fide \mal-uh-FYE-dee\ adverb or adjective
不誠實的、不守信用的
: with or in bad faith

Example sentence:
The judge concluded that the company had acted mala fide in concealing the information.

Sunday, June 11, 2006

ENG Jokes- Holmes and Watson

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were camping in the forest. They had gone to bed and were lying beneath the night sky. Holmes said, "Watson, look up. What do you see?"

"I see thousands of stars."

"And what does that mean to you?" Holmes asked.

"I suppose it means that of all the planets in the universe, we are truly fortunate to be here on Earth. We are small in God's eyes, but should struggle every day to be worthy of our blessings. In a meteorological sense, it means we'll have a sunny day tomorrow. What does it mean to you, Holmes?"
  • meteorological a. 氣象的
"To me, it means someone has stolen our tent."

ENG Jokes- If Only You Had Looked

Two men waiting at the Pearly Gates strike up a conversation.
  • Pearly Gates 天國之門
"How'd you die?" the first man asks the second.

"I froze to death," says the second.

"That's awful," says the first man. "How does it feel to freeze to death?"

"It's very uncomfortable at first," says the second man. "You get the shakes, and you get pains in all your fingers and toes. But eventually, it's a very calm way to go. You get numb and you kind of drift off, as if you're sleeping. How about you, how did you die?"
  • drift off 逐漸的睡著
"I had a heart attack," says the first man. "You see, I knew my wife was cheating on me, so one day I showed up at home unexpectedly. I ran up to the bedroom, and found her alone, knitting. I rushed down to the basement, but no one was hiding there. I ran up to the second floor, but found no one there either. I went as fast as I could to the attic, and just as I got there, I had a massive heart attack and died."
  • attic n. 頂樓、閣樓
The second man shakes his head. "That's so ironic," he says.

"What do you mean?" asks the first man.

"If you had only stopped to look in the freezer, we'd both be still alive."

ENG Joke- Signs and Notices

On a ski lift in Taos, NM: 'No jumping from the lift. Survivors will be prosecuted.'
  • NM. abbr.=New Mexico 美國新墨西哥州
Road sign seen on the island of Cyprus. (translation of the Greek): 'Caution: Road Slippery from Grapejuice'

A sign advertising a Company wide skiing race: Let's see who can go downhill the fastest.

A billboard seen next to the highway, travelling from Johannesburg International Airport into town. An Ad for BMW showing a photo of a BMW 328i convertible with the roof and all the windows down. The caption reads:' Our hardware runs better without WINDOWS!!!'
  • convertible n. 活動敞篷車
  • caption n. 標題
Two signs found on top of one another in a country kitchen several years ago: Restrooms to the left. Please wait for the hostess to seat you.

Seen in a health food store. "Shoplifters will be beaten over the head with an organic carrot"

I went to a little hole in the wall restaurant. The sign read: Women are not served here. You have to bring your own.

50 Spots that You Must Visit in Your Lifetime

美國『國家地理旅行家雜誌』於1999年10月,發表了『一生之中不可錯過的50個旅遊勝地』的遴選結果,依其特性予以分類於下:
*I've been there before*
  • 不朽的城市Urban Spaces
    • 西班牙-巴塞隆納Barcelona
    • 中國-香港Hong Kong
    • 土耳其-伊斯坦堡Istanbul
    • 以色列-耶路撒冷Jerusalem
    • 英國-倫敦London
    • 美國-紐約New York
    • 法國-巴黎Paris
    • 巴西-里約熱內盧Rio de Janeiro
    • 美國-舊金山San Francisco
    • 義大利-威尼斯Venic
  • 原野大地Wild Places
    • 南極Antarctica
    • 巴西-亞馬遜森林Amazon
    • 加拿大-洛磯山脈Canadian Rockies
    • 厄瓜多爾-加拉巴哥群島Galapagos
    • 美國-大峽谷Grand Canyon
    • 澳洲內陸Outback
    • 巴布亞新幾內亞-珊瑚礁Papua New Guinea Reefs
    • 非洲-撒哈拉沙漠Sahara
    • 坦尚尼亞-肯亞-色倫吉提草原Serengeti
    • 委內瑞拉-德布伊斯高地Venezuela's Tepuis
  • 人間樂土Paradise Found
    • 義大利-阿瑪菲海岸Amalfi Coast
    • 美國明尼蘇達州-邊界水域Boundary Waters
    • 英屬維京群島British Virgin Islands
    • 希臘群島Greek Islands
    • 夏威夷群島Hawaii Islands
    • 日本民宿Japanese Ryokan
    • 印度-喀拉拉Kerala
    • 太平洋群島Pacific Islands
    • 塞昔爾群島Seychelles
    • 智利Torres Del Plane National Park
  • 自然大地Country Unbound
    • 歐洲-阿爾卑斯山Alps
    • 美國-加州大索爾海岸Big Sur
    • 加拿大-濱海諸省Candian Maritimes
    • 挪威-海岸峽灣Coastal Norway
    • 越南峴港到順化Danang To Hue
    • 英國-英格蘭湖區England's Lake District
    • 法國-羅亞爾河谷Loire Valley
    • 紐西蘭-北島NZ North Island
    • 義大利-扥斯卡尼Tuscany
    • 美國-佛蒙特州Vermont
  • 世界奇觀World Wonders
    • 希臘-雅典衛城Acropolis
    • 柬埔寨-吳哥窟Angkor
    • 埃及-金字塔Giza Pyramids
    • 中國-長城Great Wall
    • 祕魯-馬丘比丘古城Machu Picchu
    • 美國-科羅拉多州維德台地印地安人古居Mesa Verde
    • 約旦-佩特拉古城Petra
    • 印度-泰姬瑪哈陵Taj Mahal
    • 梵蒂岡Vantican City
    • 電腦領域Cyberspace
  • 未來必訪Final Frontier
    • 太空Space

Saturday, June 10, 2006

ENG words

spiel \SPEEL\ noun
流利誇張的講話、生意的言詞
: a voluble line of often extravagant talk : pitch
  • voluble a. 健談的、口若懸河的
  • pitch n. 叫賣、推銷
Example sentence:
We let the time-share salesman give us his opening spiel, but when he got to the high-pressure sales tactics, we cut him short and made it clear that we were not interested.
-------------------------------------------------
caesura \sih-ZYUR-uh\ noun
【詩行中的】休止
1 : a break in the flow of sound usually in the middle of a line of verse
*2 : break, interruption
3 : a pause marking a rhythmic point of division in a melody

Example sentence:
"Without so much as the caesura of a drawn breath I was first shouting in joy, then screaming in shock." (E.L. Doctorow, World's Fair)
  • drawn breath 喘口氣

Thursday, June 08, 2006

ENG Joke- More Differences Between Work and Prison

In prison you get your own bathroom.
At work you have to share.

In prison they allow your family and friends to visit.
At work you cannot even speak to your family and friends.

In prison all expenses are paid by taxpayers, with no work required.
At work you get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for the prisoners.
  • deduct v. 扣除、減除
In prison you spend most of your life looking through bars from the inside wanting to get out.
At work you spend most of your time wanting to get out and inside bars.

In prison you can join many programs which you can leave at any time.
At work there are some programs you can never get out of.

In prison there are wardens who are often sadistic.
At work we have Managers.
  • warden n. 典獄長
  • sadistic adj. 殘酷成性的

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

ENG words

bedizen \bih-DYE-zen\ verb
過分地打扮
: to dress or adorn gaudily
  • adorn v. 裝飾
  • gaudily adv. 華麗而俗氣地
Example sentence:
"Adorned by minarets and spires and bedizened by more than a million lights, Coney Island embodied what has been called the 'architecture of exhilaration.'" (Blaine Harden, New York Times, August 28, 1999)
  • minaret n. 清真寺的尖塔
  • spire n. 尖頂
  • embody v. 體現
  • exhilaration n. 愉快的心情、高興
---------------------------------------------------
foodie \FOO-dee\ noun
美食家、美食主義者
: a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads
  • avid adj. 渴望的、貪心的
  • fad n. 一時的流行、一時的風尚
Example sentence:
A serious foodie, Beryl reads cookbooks like novels and scours specialty shops in search of exotic ingredients.
  • scour v. 走遍(某地)搜索(+ for)
  • ingredient n. 烹調的原料
---------------------------------------------------------
sabot \sa-BOH\ noun
1.木鞋 2.砲彈軟殼 3.置牌盒
1 *a : a wooden shoe worn in various European countries b (1) : a strap across the instep in a shoe especially of the sandal type (2) : a shoe having a sabot strap
  • strap n. (鞋)帶子
  • instep n. 腳背
2 : a thrust-transmitting carrier that positions a missile in a gun barrel or launching tube and that prevents the escape of gas ahead of the missile
3 : a dealing box designed to hold several decks of playing cards

Example sentence:
"All her kind, at least in the countryside, wore... sabots, well past the century's end." (Eugen Weber, France, Fin de Siècle)
--------------------------------------
expiate \EK-spee-ayt\ verb
贖罪、補償
transitive
1 : to extinguish the guilt incurred by
*2 : to make amends for
intransitive : to make expiation
  • expiation n. 補償
Example sentence:
"It seemed to me that I was hurried on by an inevitable and unseen fate to this day of misery, and that now I was to expiate all my offences at the gallows...." (Daniel Defoe, Moll Flanders)

Monday, June 05, 2006

ENG Joke- Ponderings for Idle Moments

- How come abbreviated is such a long word?

- If it's zero degrees outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?

- Since Americans throw rice at weddings, do Asians throw hamburgers?

- Why are they called apartments, when they're all stuck together?

- When two airplanes almost collide why do they call it a near miss?? It sounds like a near hit to me!!
  • collide v. 碰撞(+with)

Six Kinds of Souvenirs That Cannot Buy

It's not been confirmed, but we should still be careful on these~
出走旅遊都會習慣買當地的土產紀念品要注意了, 即便沒有認真證實是不是正確會這樣, 還是小心為妙

1.夏威夷沙石

其中最危險者,莫過於夏威夷的沙石。當遊客到臨,夏威夷的旅遊局已有告示板寫上「切勿取走夏威夷境內任何沙石」,許多遊客都只會以為是環保原因,不要破壞大自然而已,但其實是因為夏威夷族人的一個毒咒!

2.蘇格蘭的石頭

除了夏威夷,另一個亦有石頭詛咒的地方是蘇格蘭,但這並非很多人知道。古代的蘇格蘭勇士在死時都落下詛咒,不許外人取走那凗裡的土地,尤其是昔日蘇格蘭人常常入侵,令怨氣加強,故詛咒一直延續至今天。

3.西藏死人骨產品

到西藏或尼泊爾旅遊的人,總喜歡在街上的小販檔購買小精品,但有些卻不簡單,是昔日西藏巫師或貴族用奴隸人骨所做的東西,碗可能是人頭骨;小號角可能是人腿骨;小盒可能是盆骨,買了你也不知道。有人說這些東西若非法擁有,容易招魂,而且可以招來尼泊爾或西藏的魂。萬一手信送給朋友,就真的不得了!

4.日本神社傳統娃娃

在日本許多寺廟及神社的殿內殿外,都不時會有善信送來公仔,尤其是日本常規公仔,但千萬不要取,因為這些放了多年公仔,日本人深信已有靈性,要給寺廟火燒掉或供奉在廟內否則會害了家人。所以日本人都不愛在跳蚤地攤買舊的洋娃娃或公仔,以免惹靈。

5.土耳其邪眼

邪眼Evil Eye,又稱藍眼Blue Eye,是土耳其最出名的手信,亦是最邪的東西。這是 源於中東吉卜賽的巫術,掛一個邪眼在家或在身上,便可吸走外來者的邪氣及妒忌心。所以戴者經常要更換邪眼,因邪氣滿了不但開始有魔力,而且會害人。我有個土耳其朋友就親眼看到邪眼爆開,傷害別人。

6.埃及的黑色貓神像

傳統古文明埃及,流傳最廣的邪惡詛咒自然是法老王詛咒, 只要是破壞了法老沉睡的人都會受詛咒。 但原來連從法老王墓中盜取的物品都會帶來不幸,當中以被塗成黑色的貓神像最為靈驗。在古埃及被奉為神明的貓,特別是受法老寵愛的貓

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Notable Events June 2

In 1862, Gen. Robert E. Lee took command of the Confederate armies of eastern Virginia and North Carolina in the Civil War.
南北戰爭時Robert E. Lee將軍開始統帥南部聯盟東維吉尼亞州與北可羅萊納州的軍隊。
  • Confederate 【南北戰爭時期的】南部聯盟
In 1865, the Civil War came to an end when Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of Confederate forces west of the Mississippi, signed the surrender terms offered by Union negotiators.
南北戰爭結束簽署停戰協議。

In 1924, Congress granted U.S. citizenship to all American Indians.
美國國會正式認可美洲印地安人的國籍。

In 1946, in a national referendum, voters in Italy decided the country should become a republic rather than return to a monarchy.
義大利公民投票決定國家應走向共和制,而非君主政體。
  • monarchy 君主政體、君主政治
In 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in London's Westminster Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
英國女王伊莉莎白二世在倫敦西敏寺受冕,加冕儀式由坎特伯里大主教主持。
In 1979, Pope John Paul II returned home to Poland in the first visit by a pope to a communist nation.
第一個前往共產國家探視的教宗若望保羅二世結束在波蘭的行程返國。

In 1992, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton clinched the Democratic presidential nomination as six states had the final primaries of the 1992 political season.
阿肯色州州長柯林頓終於贏得民主黨黨內初選,被提名為總統候選人
  • clinch v. 終於贏得
In 1997, a federal jury in Denver convicted Timothy McVeigh in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people. He was sentenced to death and subsequently executed.
陪審團判定奧克拉荷馬市爆炸案的主嫌死刑。
  • jury n. 陪審團
In 1999, in parliamentary elections, South African voters kept the African National Congress in power, assuring that its leader, Thabo Mbeki, would succeed the retiring Nelson Mandela as president.
南非選民透過大選維持非洲國民大會(南非執政黨)的執政權,並確保其領袖將繼曼德拉後成為下一任總統。

In 2003, U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix said in a report that inspectors before the war had been unable to prove or disprove the presence in Iraq of weapons of mass destruction.
聯合國武檢官發表報告指出,在戰前根本無法證實或否認伊拉克是否擁有大規模毀滅型武器。

In 2005, reports say a federal court has ordered the Pentagon to release photographs depicting abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.
報導指出一聯邦法院命令五角大廈釋出在巴格達虐囚案的證據相片。
  • depict v. 描寫
  • detainee n. 被拘留者

ENG Joke- Settled the McKinney Suit

A young attorney who had taken over his father's practice rushed home elated one night.
  • attorney 律師
  • elated a. 興高采烈的
"Dad, listen," he shouted, "I've finally settled that old McKinney suit."
  • settle v. 支付(I have several bills to settle)
"Settled it!" cried his astonished father. "Why, you idiot! We have been living off of that money for five years!"

Saturday, June 03, 2006

ENG Joke- An Inscription Problem

According to the Knight-Ridder News Service, the inscription on the metal bands used by the U.S. Department of the Interior to tag migratory birds has been changed. The bands used to bear the address of the Washington Biological Survey, abbreviated, "Wash. Biol. Surv." until the agency received the following letter from an Arkansas camper:
  • inscription 刻印文字、題詞
  • Department of the Interior 內政部
"Dear Sirs: While camping last week I shot one of your birds. I think it was a crow. I followed the cooking instructions on the leg tag and I want to tell you it was horrible."
  • crow 烏鴉
--
解釋:
"Wash. Biol. Surv."應該被那位camper解讀為: "Wash"洗淨==>"Boil"水煮==>"Serve"上桌享用了。天啊....吃烏鴉本身就是一絕,用這種方式烹煮烏鴉更是...不知道他怎麼想的XD