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I have been working with students in Hsinchu since 2004. I help students who are eager to cultivate their language skills and expand their horizons with a wealth of hands-on experience and professional knowledge.

Sunday, January 31, 2021

讀書會筆記 9. Infant Formula of 50 Inventions that Shaped the Modern Economy

伺親假

在上週讀書會時,我們提到育嬰假,當然大多數都是母親,不過也有越來越多的爸爸也願意照顧出生的小孩

育嬰假(女生) maternity leave  (mater=mother) 
育嬰假 (男生)  paternity leave (pater= father) 

因應時代進展,不想用傳統性別區分可以說parental leave。
parental leave 還可以包括 adoption leave 為了領養小孩請的假 

因為人口老化,也有越來越多關於伺親假的討論。請假來照顧年邁的父母,應該比較是eldercare leave 或是 parent-care leave,可以跟childcare leave 作對照。 

有給薪和無給薪的假

paid leave 有給薪的假
unpaid leave  沒有給薪的假 

沒有給薪的假,也可以用furlough。
furlough 是較正式的的字,可當名詞也可以當動詞。
當名詞用時介係詞一樣用on ,例子Many workers are on furlough。
當成動詞用時就像公司強迫你放無薪假 ,例子The company furloughed 1,000 workers. 

附註:拿半薪的話,卻是half-pay leave 或是 leave on/at half pay,而不是 *half-paid leave 

初乳竟然有個專用的詞

讀書會學到最多的有時不是從書上,反而是從大家的討論中。因為談奶粉的發明,也請會員分享親餵母乳(breastfeeding)的辛苦經驗。我後來才知道原來母乳分的那麼細。
當然first milk 就可以來形容初乳了,不過上網做功課才知道還有一個好專業的詞較colostrum,另外根據營養和脂肪含量,前段奶水跟後段奶水分別稱為foremilk 和 hindmilk。

雜七雜八

1. 口角炎 angular cheilitis (cracked lip corners) cheilitis 的chi-,有人念成k-也有人唸成ch-,以自然發音應該是ch吧
2. 加盟金 franchise fee 
3. 已經裝潢好店 a furnished store with a full-equipped kitchen
4. 頂讓應該就是直接買賣 I bought a store with fixtures and fittings at NT 2 million dollars. 

Monday, January 18, 2021

讀書會筆記 7. Robots of 50 Things that Made the Modern Economy

句子

It's not the only robot that can pick a bottle off a shelf, but it's as close as robots have yet come to performing this seemingly simply task as speedily and dexterously as a good old-fashioned human. 

句型分析 

有兩個比較句型 as...as 

第一個是比較:能拿瓶子的機器人和理想中的機器人

robot that can pick a bottle off a shelf .....is as close as robots have yet come to .. 

第二個比較:理想中機器人和一般靈活的人類

意思:那並非唯一能夠從架子上拿取瓶子的機器人,但是目前還沒有任何機器人能夠跟人類媲美迅速靈巧地執行這個看似簡單的任務,這個機器人已經是最接近人類的了。

片語與單字

1. have yet to do something= have not done something 。

have yet to 是非常正式的用法,常見在官方文件,可以參考這個網路文章https://englishforuniversity.com/grammar/have-yet-to/

2. 有趣字源

dexterous 是靈活的意思,在拉丁文dextar 指的是右邊,sinister 指的是左邊。

但是因為在打仗或搏鬥時,若是對手是左撇子,常常又讓大部分的右撇子錯估情勢,所以sinister 發展出邪惡的意思。這讓我想到台語的右手是正手,而左手是反手。

3. 左撇子說法

右撇子常見的說法是 right-handed ,而左撇子是leaf-handed。

那可以兩手互用是 ambidextrous 。ambidextrous 可以根據字元拆解為

ambi=> both, around , dextrous skillful 靈活 

最後慣用手是dominant hand  直譯支配的手



Sunday, January 10, 2021

讀書會筆記 6. Passports of 50 Things that Made the Modern Economy

 句子和句型

原文:

Depend upon it, we are not half enough grateful to God for our national privileges, 

1. (You can) depend upon it : you can be certain 很肯定的

2. not half : 

從各方面來看 not half: not in any way, not at all 

He is not half clever enough. 他不管怎麼說都不夠聰明

翻譯:

Certainly, we are not in any way grateful enough to God for our national privileges.

可以肯定的是,我們對國籍所賦予的特權感激不盡。

not half 另一個意思是 非常極度

1. It wasn't half crowded last night. (=It was very crowded)
2. "You enjoyed yourself last night, didn't you?" "Not half !" (= Very much!)

討論單字中翻英

  1. 羅宋麵包 Russian bread
  2. 自動演奏鋼琴 Player piano: self-playing piano
  3. 冰櫃 refrigerated container 

文化相關補充

庫爾德族的歷史
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZB9HqoHaaU


Monday, September 18, 2017

yet 的用法

學生下課問的問題

yet 出現在不同的句子中有不同意思。整理一下約有六種

(1).1 have+ p.p 表示尚未做 (相對於already)
He hasn’t finished his homework yet.
He has finished his homework already.

(1).2  最高級+ yet This is the best yet..
The is the most beautiful scenery (I have seen in this country) yet.

(2) 片語have yet to V = haven’t Vpp 強調讓人吃驚/很糟的事情
He has yet to start his project.

(3) will + V + yet+ for 一段時間 (還會持續一陣子)
He will be angry for some time yet.

(4) may/could/can+ V yet  (還有….可能性)
You may win yet (even though you lost many points).
You may have a child yet (even though you are 50).  

另外,yet 也可當成but 或是however 來使用
(5) He is a rich man, [and] yet he walks to work.


(6) 強調跟more (better, worse), again, another 竟然/居然又

work, work and yet more work
He bought yet another car.
He quit yet again.

Sunday, June 11, 2017

English for Monday Blues: may的用法之一:表示心願和希望


(May your coffee be strong and your Monday be short)
生活有起有落,謝謝那些在我低落的時候拉我一把的朋友。


助動詞都是多義詞,所以學習時應該要注意語境(context)。
may 這個助動詞有兩種常見的情態語意(modality)。

I. 表示可能性(possibility) It may/might rain tomorrow.  明天可能會下雨 (我猜測)。這裡的might 可以出現在未來時間,因為是指可能性較低。

II. 表示義務性(obligation) You may leave now.  妳可以走了(我允許妳走了)

最後一個是表示
III.表示心願祝福 (wish/hope)。現在英文很少這樣用了,可是在固定片語中很常見。電影或小說中也很會使用這個特殊的意義來傳達正式古老的氛圍。

此時使用句型是 (1) may 一定要放在最前面 (2)  後面是動詞原型
May+ subject + V 原形動詞

最有名的應該就是星際大戰的台詞,以及禱告詞中。
May (=It is my hope/wish that) the force be with you.  願原力與你同在
May God be with you. 願上帝與你同在
May he rest in peace. 願他安息


Sunday, May 14, 2017

羅密歐與茱麗葉的一段台詞




(上面的gif是主角的對手,非主角)

上週本來很想分享一段茱麗葉的台詞,這出現在通靈少女中的第二集,主角要去甄選茱麗葉的角色的台詞。
但是太忙就擱下了。

班上學生叫我看通靈少女(The Teenage Psycho [sic.])。
因為他把psychic 說成 psycho,我還以為是驚悚片。
 psychic 是通靈者 psycho 是心理不正常的瘋子


文言文
Tis but thy name that is my enemy. 
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. 
What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, 
nor any other part Belonging to a man. 
O, be some other name! 
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet.

讀來應該不會完全看不懂,唯一很不同的是。莎士比亞時代英文的第二人稱代名詞you, 當主詞受詞和所有格時要變化。

thy=> your 所有格形容詞 
thyself=> yourself 反身代名詞 
thou=> you 主詞
thee => you 受詞 

thou 應該大家滿熟悉的。摩西十誡中,每個開頭都可以看到
thou shalt not kill/steal 汝等不可殺人偷竊

白話英文 Oh, Romeo, Romeo, why do you have to be Romeo?

Forget about your father and change your name. Or else, if you won’t change your name, just swear you love me and I’ll stop being a Capulet. JULIET (still not knowing ROMEO hears her) It’s only your name that’s my enemy. You’d still be yourself even if you stopped being a Montague. What’s a Montague anyway? It isn’t a hand, a foot, an arm, a face, or any other part of a man. Oh, be some other name! What does a name mean? The thing we call a rose would smell just as sweet if we called it by any other name. Romeo would be just as perfect even if he wasn’t called Romeo. Romeo, lose your name. Trade in your name—which really has nothing to do with you—and take all of me in exchange.


中文  羅密歐...羅密歐...
為何你偏偏是羅密歐 別認你的父親,放棄你的姓氏 你如果不依,只要發誓愛我,我就不姓茱 我只仇視你的姓氏,你不姓羅也無妨 "羅"算什麼,又不是手或腳,不是手臂或臉龐,也不是身體其他部分 就改姓別的吧,名字有什麼關係呢 玫瑰就算不叫玫瑰,還是一樣的香


文言文白話文:http://nfs.sparknotes.com/romeojuliet/page_78.html

中文:http://www.csie.ntnu.edu.tw/~swanky/data/RJ.htm

Sunday, May 7, 2017

English for Monday Blues: It's only four days till Friday. until 的用













(英文藝術字by Ingrid Hsiao 我美麗又有才華的好友)

It’s only four days till Friday. 還剩四天就星期五了
till=until 但是較口語親切

簡易版
(1) He did not go out (until/by) 10:00 this morning.
(2) He stayed (until/by) 10:00 this morning.
(3) He went out (until/by) 10: 00 this morning.

答案 (1) until (2) until (3) by  

解釋
not until 直到某個時刻才開始/結束動作,所以要接瞬間動詞
until 一直持續到某一個才停止,所以要接持續性動詞/或是一段時間。
by 在某個時間點前。通常和截止deadline日期息息相關

中級 改錯
(X) He walked until the school.
(O)He walked as far as the school.
解釋
因為until 只能用在時間,不能用在空間。

中高
We’ll stay until it ______ (stop) raining.  答案是
(A) is going to stop (B) has stopped (C)  will

解釋
(B)因為until 是時間副詞的一種,只能放現在式。
 現在完成式強調會持續到那一刻