About Me
- 派翠克
- 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
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
2. "You enjoyed yourself last night, didn't you?" "Not half !" (= Very much!)
討論單字中翻英
- 羅宋麵包 Russian bread
- 自動演奏鋼琴 Player piano: self-playing piano
- 冰櫃 refrigerated container