Archive for August, 2009

Lesson 30 The death of a ghost

}  For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was hunted. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story.

}  Every time I thought about what you said, I cried.
每一次想到你说的话我就会哭。every time 后面跟句子。
you can‘t caII him
every time any IittIe thing comes up.
你不能每一次因为那么小的事情都打电话给他。
You can just caII
every time you get IoneIy.

   每一次你觉得孤单都可以打电话。

 

}  Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned. A farm worker, who stayed up all night, claimed to have seen a figure cutting corn in the moonlight.

}  stayed up:

   熬夜
I’m going to be up all night studying for my exam.
I
stayed up all night studying for the test.

   stay up be up可以互换;一个是系动词,一个是be 动词,这两个在这的意思一样,只是词性不一样

 

}  In time, it became an accepted fact the Cox brothers employed a conscientious ghost that did most of their work for them. No one suspected that there might be someone else on the farm who had never been seen. This was indeed the case. A short time ago, villagers were astonished to learn that the ghost of Endley had died.

}  That’s the case

   意思等同于——
that’s true/right/correct.

}  case sensitive login
Username and password.

case sensitive 意思是辨认大小写,对大小写敏感。尤其是在登录的时候,用户名密码本来是大写,你写成小写就无法登录。这就是case sensitive

 

}  Everyone went to the funeral, for the ‘ghost’ was none other than Eric Cox, a third brother who was supposed to have died as a young man. After the funeral, Joe and Bob revealed a secret which they had kept for over fifty years. Eric had been the eldest son of the family, very much older than his two brothers. He had been obliged to join the army during the Second World War. As he hated army life, he decided to desert his regiment. When he learnt that he would be sent abroad, he returned to the farm and his father hid him until the end of the war.

}  Reveal/unveil

   reveal 揭示;如果说一个秘密以前是被掩盖着,现在被揭示了,就是revealedunveil 是揭开面纱的感觉,比如,索尼推出一个产品,提前做宣传,让人看到宣传的这一过程就是unveil
Sony to unveil 4 new blu-ray DVD-Burners
 
索尼让大家看到4个新款的 blu-ray DVD-Burners

 

}  Fearing the authorities, Eric remained in hiding after the war as well. His father told everybody that Eric had been killed in action. The only other people who knew the secret were Joe and Bob. They did not even tell their wives. When their father died, they thought it their duty to keep Eric in hiding. All these years, Eric had lived as a recluse. He used to sleep during the day and work at night, quite unaware of the fact that he had become the ghost of Endley. When he died, however, his brothers found it impossible to keep the secret any longer.

}  We are aware of the probIem you‘re referring to.
你提到的问题我们知道。aware of 知道

}  Suddenly, I’m very aware that I’m naked.

   忽然间我意识到,我什么都没有穿。

Lesson 29 Funny or not?

}  Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up. The sense of humor is mysteriously bound up with national characteristics. A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke. In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.Most funny stories are based on comic situations. In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal. No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin’s early films.

}  National differences/Culture shock
national differences 不是指国家的区别,种族的区别。比如大街上你一看就知道这是一个中国人,或者看出这是一个日本人。一看就知道,因为在不同的文化背景,不同的国别里边,表现出来的气质是不同的。这种就叫做 national differencesCulture shock 你刚出国的时候可能会听到这个词,它是指当你去到一个新国家,你会觉得跟你想像的不一样,跟传说中的更不一样,你可能会有一种震惊的感觉 shock;这种文化的差别就是 culture shock

}  universal language/rule
universal
统一的。大家都能听懂的语言 universal language, 大家都知道的规则 universal rule

}  Say
you can pick it up tonight.Say, 8:30.

    这里的 say 在口语里边相当like,在这没什么意思,只是说话时的一个停顿,可能说话者在想,是820分,还是30分。你今天玩上可以来拿,嗯…八点半吧。就这样翻译的。
Let’s
say, I don’t know, you met someone in the pediatrician’s office.

     这里的 lets say for example 的意思。翻译成:比如说,我也不太清楚啦,你在儿科医生办公室碰到一个人

 

}  However, a new type of humour, which stems largely from the U.S., has recently come into fashion. It is called ’sick humour’. Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent death or serious accidents. Many people find this sort of joke distasteful. The following example of ’sick humour’ will enable you to judge for yourself.

}  Judge:

   这个词作名词时是法官的意思;动词是指武断地判断别人,不是很褒义的一个词,但是是很微妙的一个词
Take a moment before you
judge a person.
当你给一个人下结论的时候,最好不要那么快
we‘ll need you to testify before a
judge.
我们需要你在法官面前作证。
Testify/testimonial

   这里作证用的是testify,它的名词是testimonial,有时候看国外的网站,有一个小方框,客户在上面写着这个网站怎么好,这个就是testimonial

 

}  A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas. From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home. He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. Though the doctors did his best, the patient’s recovery was slow.

}  from the moment I met you, I knew I Ioved you.
遇见你的那一刻我就知道我爱上了你

}  I was lost from the moment I saw you.

}  On Christmas Day, the man still had his right leg in plaster. He spent a miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing. The following day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good.

}  If we have sex again, it‘ll doubIe our chances of getting pregnant.
如果我们再做一次爱的话,我们怀小孩的几率会加倍。这是电视剧的台词。chances  几率,机会

}  Have sex/make love

   中国人说起做爱都会想起make love , 其实在口语里面,have sex 用得比较多。Make love 老外也说,但是挺少的,没有have sex 用得多。
You just make her think you wanna
have sex with her! It’ll totally freak her out!

    你让她觉得你会跟她上床做爱,这样就会吓跑她的

 

}  The man took heart and, sure enough, on New Years’ Eve he was able to hobble along to a party. To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital, the man drank a little more than was good for him. In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals. He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.

}  Compensate/make up

   补偿;在口语里面用得是 make up
I‘m sorry about last night and I really want to make it up to you.
昨天晚上的事对不起,我真的想补偿你
I feeI so bad. Is there anything I can do to
make it up to you?

   我觉得挺愧疚的,有什么能补偿你吗?

Lesson 28 Five pounds too dear

}  Small boats loaded with wares sped to the great liner as she was entering the harbour. Before she had anchored, the men from the boats had climbed on board and the decks were soon covered with colourful rugs from Persia, silks from India, copper coffee pots, and beautiful handmade silverware.

}  Coffee:
How would you like your
coffee?
这句话你在外国买咖啡的时候一定会听到。意思是你希望你的咖啡里边放什么。你可以说——
One cream and one sugar/regular
Black.

   什么都不放

 

}  It was difficult not to be tempted. Many of the tourists on board had begun bargaining with the tradesmen, but I decide not to buy anything until I had disembarked.

}  Bargaining:

   bargain 单独做名词的时候,是指你买一样东西买得比较值
Bargain Hunter
一本杂志的名称,是关于交易信息
Can you come down a little?
能便宜点吗?(讨价还价)

You can’t haggle here.
这里不能讲价
We go strictly by the price tag.
我们价钱标签是多少就在怎么卖

}  disembark (to board a ship)

    embark 有上船的意思;disembark 从船上下来

 

}  I had no sooner got off the ship than I was assailed by a man who wanted to sell me a diamond ring. I had no intention of buying one, but I could not conceal the fact that I was impressed by the size of the diamonds. Some of them were as big as marbles.

}  No sooner had I started to type my paper than the telephone rang.
我刚刚开始写paper,这时电话响了
No sooner had the storm started than all the lights went out.

   刚刚开始storm,这时所有的灯都灭了

 

}  The man went to great lengths to prove that the diamonds were real. As we were walking past a shop, he held a diamond firmly against the window and made a deep impression in the glass. It took me over half an hour to get rid of him. The next man to approach me was selling expensive pens and watches. I examined one of the pens closely. It certainly looked genuine. At the base of the gold cap, the words ‘made in the U.S.A’ had been neatly inscribed.

}  genuine :

   真的,和real同一个意思
I can’t tell fake from real.
真假我分不清
I can’t distinguish between fake and real.
这两句话的 tell distinguish 是同一个意思
You are old enough now to distinguish between right and wrong.

    你年龄不小了,应该能分清对和错

 

}  The man said that the pen was worth $50, but as a special favour, he would let me have it for $30. I shook my head and held up five fingers indicating that I was willing to pay $5. Gesticulating wildly, the man acted as if he found my offer outrageous, but he eventually reduced the price to $10.

}  outrageous :
A: These watches are outrageously/prohibitively
expensive.
B: You think they are bad? You should see the ones in the jewelry store.

   A: 这些手表太贵了,贵得离谱。

   B:你觉得贵吗?应该去看看珠宝店卖的,那里更贵。

  在表示价格很贵,用得更多的不是outrageously,而是  prohibitively expensive

 

}  Shrugging my shoulders, I began to walk away when, a moment later, he ran after me and thrust the pen into my hands. Though he kept throwing up his arms in despair, he readily accepted the $5 I gave him. I felt especially pleased with my wonderful bargain — until I got back to the ship. No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to fill this beautiful pen with ink and to this day it has never written a single word!

}  throw up :

    在口语里,表达更多是呕吐的意思
On the way over here, I saw this drunk guy throw up.

    我来的时候,看到有一个人在那吐

}  No matter how much we want it,

    不管我多想要
No matter how much you liked her,

    不管你多喜欢她
No matter how badly she hates me,

    不管她有多恨我
No matter how stupid their parents are,

    不管他们的父母多愚蠢


that is what it is.

Lesson 27 Nothing to sell and nothing to buy

}  It has been said that everyone lives by selling something. In the light of this statement, teachers live by selling knowledge, philosophers by selling wisdom and priests by selling spiritual comfort.

}  Statement
programming syntaxif语句
plain English中 一种说法、一种说词
programming syntax
编程的语言规则;plain English 平常用的英语。

}  Knowledgeknowledgeable
knowledgeable
知道很多的,知识渊博的

}  Spiritual Spiritual Leader

   精神领袖

 

}  Though it may be possible to measure the value of material goods in terms of money, it is extremely difficult to estimate the true value of the services which people perform for us.

}  Value:

   这里的几个词是商科上比较专业的几个词——
Marginal value

   边界价值
Information asymmetry

   信息不对称。简单的解释是,这个信息我知道,而你不知道,我利用这个差别,就叫做信息不对称。
Nash equilibrium
Prisoner dilemma

   这两个是纳什均衡和囚徒困境,这两个是属于博弈论的范畴;博弈论又是经济学的范畴。博弈论在西方很早就比较热,很多人研究;有很多诺贝尔奖的得主都是研究博弈论的。
Game theory:

   A new approach to analyzing social situations.

   Game theory 博弈论。它的定义有几个版本,这里是我的老师给的一个解释:博弈论是新的研究社会的科学分支。

 

}  There are times when we would willingly give everything we possess to save our lives, yet we might grudge paying a surgeon a high fee for offering us precisely this service.

}  Surgeon
surgery→lung surgery

             肺部手术
 

}  Precisely
Exactly
That’s
exactly what I am talking about.
这句话大家都比较熟悉了。exactly precisely 用得比较多。
That is
exactly why I do not lend you staff.

   这就是我不借给你东西的原因。言外之意就是说你老把东西弄丢,弄坏或又借给别人了。

 

}  The conditions of society are such that skills have to be paid for in the same way that goods are paid for at a shop. Everyone has something to sell.

}  Society
Social  sociable/outgoing
sociable
指一个人比较善于交往,喜欢交往;outgoing 意思差不多。一个人经常交往,人缘很不错,大家都喜欢和他交往,那么这个人就可以称作是 outgoing

}  Skill:/labor

   技术,技能/劳动力
Skill-intensive products → software

   指产品更需要的是技术,像 software 这样的东西
Labor-intensive industry → construction

   指产业,它更需要的是劳动力,像 construction

 

}  Tramps seem to be the only exception to this general rule. Beggars almost sell themselves as human being to arouse the pity of passers-by. But real tramps are not beggars. They have nothing to sell and require nothing from others.

}  Exception
No Exceptions!
没有例外;谁都不能搞特殊

}  General:→specific

   比较笼统      比较具体; 当别人讲的东西,你不太清楚时可以要求他——
Can you be more specific?
Don’t give generalities.

}  css conflicting  Specificity
层叠样式表,它是整体控制网页外观的技术。它的难点是冲突。当不同的规则应用在同一个的地方就容易产生冲突;要解决冲突就是这个词 specificity,哪个规则写得更具体,css 就听谁的。

}  Arouse
Arousing / turn me on 

   arouse 撩起人的情绪,撩起人的感情。本课是指撩起路人的可怜之心,恻隐之心。这里让我想起 turn someone on,口语里边这个词是指撩起人的性欲,让人觉得刺激。

 

}  Requireneed

   require 的意思是 need,很多时候是不能互换的     
Requirements:
Graduation Requirements

   毕业要求。如:你在这个学科要修够多少学分,另一个学科要修够多少分;什么是必修,什么是选修;平均多少才能毕业,  缺一不可;这样的列出来的一系列要求就是 graduation requirements 。不能说成——
Graduation Qualifications
X

    没有这样说的;但你可以说成——
Qualified being graduated 
  

   Skill requirements/Experience an assets
老外的招聘启事上会这样写,就是说你要做这份工作需要什么样的技能,技术;还会看到 experience an assets ,就是说,如果你有工作经验的话,会增加你的到这份工作的筹码;有工作经验是件好事。

   

}  Assets :
商科指资产
Flash assets
中文翻译为“库”其实指有用的东西CSS pseudo-classes 中文翻译成“伪素”完全可以翻译成“化素” → Pseudonym

}  In seeking independence, they do not sacrifice their human dignity. A tramp may ask you for money, but he will never ask you to feel sorry for him. He has deliberately chosen to lead the life he leads and is fully aware of the consequences. He may never be sure where the next meal is coming from, but his is free from the thousands of anxieties which afflict other people.

}  Be aware of
Beware of / beware!  Ebay feedbacks
Ebay feedbacks 信誉度里,有时可以看到 beware! 就是指小心,这人的信誉度不好。

}  Consequences :
Consequently/Subsequently

 (副词)结果……/ 随后……

 

}  His few material possessions make it possible for him to move from place to place with ease. By having to sleep in the open, he gets far closer to the world of nature than most of us ever do. He may hunt, beg, or steal occasionally to keep himself alive; he may even, in times of real need, do a little work; but he will never sacrifice his freedom.

}  Occasion:
What’s the occasion?

   咱们在庆祝什么呢?或者问是什么日子;也可以表达成——
What are we celebrating?

}  We often speak of tramps with contempt and put them in the same class as beggars, but how many of us can honestly say that we have not felt a little envious of their simple way of life and their freedom from care?

}  speak of
谈到……,提到……
Speaking of hot, watching you do that really makes me want to have sex with you.

Speaking of crazy, do you have a history of mental illness in the family?
 hot
可以表示女人身材火辣,性感。这两句话都是电视里的对白

}  class:
class A/working class/world-class

   A级的 /   工薪阶层  /   世界级的

 

}  enviousjealous

   嫉妒。口语里边用得较多的是 jealous
Are you jealous?

   你嫉妒吗?如果有人这样问你,你可以反问他“ of what?”我嫉妒什么?
Why are you so jealous of me

}  from
from
表远离
off 
表脱落

}  Five yards away from her.
You stay away from her.
第一句话在第一课出现过。下面的这句话,away from 远离,away 是指远离的意思,这里加上from 还是同样的含义;若把away 去掉,from 也可以在这单独使用。这俩是最常见的结构。Protect you away from being hurt. 保护你远离受伤害。

}  Get your hands off me.
Just off the top of my head.

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