(单词翻译:单击)
term
The founders of the USA left important precedents.
美国的建立者留下了很多重要的先例(复习:precedent, 取决于pre=before)。
George Washington, in particular, refused to act as president for a third term.
具体来说,作为总统,乔治华盛顿拒绝连任第三届(the third term)。
George真的就解甲归田,也为后世确立了一个precedent: 总统只能连任一次。
但这只是一个惯例(custom),而非联邦法律(federal law)。于是,
Roosevelt broke the custom at the special time of the Great Depression and World War Two, acting as American president through four terms.
牛人罗斯福在大萧条及二战(注意!此两件大事,经常谈及)的特殊时刻,打破了这一惯例,在总统宝座上一干就是四任。
But later the precedent became law, requiring any president, however able he is, no matter what the situation is, to leave after the second term.
但后来这一先例成为法律,要求每位总统在两任后必须离任,不管他多有能力,也不管形势如何。
term: 任期。
现在让我们从the White House回到学校,“任期”自然就变成了____?
It is quite unimaginable to many Chinese that Bill Gates abandoned Harvard in the third or fourth term.
牛人比尔-盖茨在第三还是第四学期抛弃了哈佛,这对于很多中国人来说委实难以想像。
term: 学期。
It should be admitted that both George and Bill are the greatest names, only in terms of different things.
应该承认,乔治和比尔都是最伟大的人物,只是标准不同。
George is greatest in terms of his contribution to the independence of the American people, while Bill is greatest in terms of his devotion to the development of the Information
Society.
就对美国人民独立的贡献而言,乔治是最伟大的,而就投身于信息社会的发展而言,比尔是最伟大的。
in terms of; 就……而言。
Information Society is the term frequently used to refer to the current world community.
“信息社会”是一个术语/说法,被频繁地用于指称现在的世界。
It may not be a formal technical term, but it is really popular.
它可能不是一个正式的技术术语,但实在应用广泛。
term: 术语/说法。
measure
有meter, 就不怕measure。
YOS is more than one meter tall.
黄老鞋有一米多高。(这可一点都不是吹)
To be specific, I am more than one meter and twenty centimeters tall.
具体点来说,要高于一米二。(centimeter, 厘米也)
怎么知道有几meters几个centimeters?要measure。
It is no use measuring yourself severals times a day.
一天抓住自己去量几遍是没有用的。
oppose
有人为我们照相(take photo)时,我们不免搔首弄姿一番,民间也叫“摆pose”,说起来非常洋气。如果不习惯not used to or not accustomed to)将身体扭曲成各种不同的形状,比较平常的是用手指凑成一个V,据说是代表victory(胜利)。
老外怎么说“摆pose”呢?应该不是bai pose吧?
Now pose for the photo!
不错,pose本身是个动作,就相当于我们所说的“摆pose”。
刨根问底,我们拉来pose(摆放/放置)的一个relative(亲戚),就是position(位置):the latter(后者)是the former的名词形式,直系亲属。
比如为照相而pose,不就是将身体的相关部件摆放于合适的位置吗(put them in proper position)?
看一句比较变态的话:
The journalist composed an article to expose a scandal concerning the disposal of rubbish, imposing great pressure on the government and pose threat to the position of some .
记者创作了(compose)一篇文章以曝光(expose)一起与垃圾处理(dispose)有关的丑闻,给政府造成巨大压力(impose pressure on)。
明眼人可看出里面有个六口之家:compose, expose, compose, impose, pose, position。
pose是一个动作,前面的词头往往表示一下方向或者特征:com=together(写文章就是将字码在一起,又称“码字”;写乐曲是将豆芽菜堆在一起,又称“创作”);ex=out(好理解吧);dis=否定/分开/不同,与com相反,如处理垃圾是将垃圾拿到外面去);impose与pose都不要单独记忆,因为impose pressure on主要取决于这个结构,既然是“压力”,自然是施加压力、造成压力等,正如pose threat to也就是“造成威胁、带来威胁”
回到主题词oppose,是置于反面,故为“反对”。
Those who oppose are referred to as opponents.
反对的人,被称为反对者。
Those who support are called supporters.
支持的人被称为支持者。
Those who advocate are referred to as advocates.
倡导的人被称为倡导者。(注意advocate名动同形。)
由此可见op应该有“反对”之意,确实如此:op=ob=against。
b与p长得本来也有点像,要说有什么不同,就像一把扫帚,你是倒挂于墙上,还是正立于屋角。再看其它evidence/proof(证据)。
I object to his the project, fearing potential ecological disasters.
我反对这一工程,害怕潜在的生态灾难。
I am opposed to the project, considering not so desirable precedents.
我反对这一工程,是考虑到一些不那么美好的先例。
I oppose the project, afraid of possible obstacles in the process of mass migration.
我反对这一工程,担心在大规模移民过程中可能出现的种种障碍。
关注一下obstacle也是亲戚;障碍也就是对抗我们的东西。
harm
关于arm, arms, army, harm的邪说八道:
Soldiers have arms. 当兵的都有胳臂。
Previously, the soldiers have their arms on their arms. 过去,当兵的将武器扛在胳臂上。
Soldiers with arms on their arms compose the army. 扛武器的士兵组成了军队。
The arms damage the soldiers' arms; the army harms (or "does harm to") the world. 武器伤害了士兵的胳臂,而军队损害了整个世界。
说到the arms(武器),不能不提海明威的《永别了,武器》(Farewell, Arms)。
提到the army, 也不能不提到the US Navy, 以及the air force。早期的军队,应该是只有陆军一种,用一个the army就可以了。后来海陆空分开来。美国就有the US Navy指海军,the air force自然指空军,而the army有可能指的是陆军,也可能指整个“军队”。而如要准确无误地指“陆军”,估计要主the land force吧。