Sunday, January 24, 2016

In the Know


Snapchat 最近在全国公路用广告牌做的广告上,除了自己的标识以外,什么都没放,令不了解内情的人好奇或困惑。
People have encountered Snapchat's billboards with no text, just its logo along roads nationwide, leaving those not in the know curious or confused.



People in the know: people who have more information or knowledge about something than most other people.  对某事比大部分其他人了解内情或有知识的人。

Saturday, January 23, 2016

all-or-nothing

今天看到洛杉矶时报是这样描述国内的高考的 -
gaokao - China's all-or-nothing college entrance exam

在琢磨怎么译比较贴切,“全有或全无”吗?
高考,考好了,什么都全有;考砸了,什么都没有。

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Shout-Out

最近,学校首次利用上课时间给学生考完SAT后,校长感谢所有参与的教工 -

This is a big shout-out to each and every staff member who was flexible in their participation and support of us giving this on campus exam. 

每次表扬或感谢教工时,校长都喜欢用 shout-out 这个词语。

Shout-out: an expression of gratitude or praise that is given to someone in the presence of many people.  在众人前公开感谢或表扬某人的俚语。

Monday, November 2, 2015

剩女

今天在网上新闻看到"剩女"被译为 leftover woman, 让人看了很不舒服。新闻介绍一本书,讲述国内受过高等教育的剩女所承受的压力不仅来自家庭和社会,还有政府。政府给这些剩女施压,因为需要她们早婚以便产出优质婴儿,确保中国人口的质量。曾经出过这样的话题在官网上供大家讨论 -剩女真的值得我们同情吗?  "Do leftover women really deserve our sympathy?"

Sunday, September 27, 2015

salty

salty - 咸
最近发现学生们喜欢说salty,却全没“咸”的意思。
有天有个男生说话很不委婉,同学们说:“Oh, he is salty!”  哦,他不高兴。
我刚听完一本有声书,ABC 节目主持人 Dan Harris 写的 《10% Happier 》里面,讲到一次他的感受时,他说 “I was salty!” 我懊恼。
salty: upset, annoyed, bitter.  不高兴,懊恼,愤愤不平。
You feel salty either because of something you did or something that was done to you.
因为做了某事或别人对你做了某事,你感到懊恼。

Friday, August 7, 2015

Cheesed

每次看到很简单的字词有自己以前不知道的用意,总觉得英文挺有趣的。
人们常常说在美国做医生不容易,被告医疗失误时就不得了啦。作为病人,不幸成为受害者时,能告到多少钱呢?  今天我才知道,在加州有法律规定,最多只会赔25万。
知名的消费者权益人士、曾多次参选美国总统的Ralph Nader最近写信给我们的州长 Jerry Brown,恳请他修改有关法律,不料州长跟他说 "你没别的事好做了吗?”
Nader is cheesed (off) at Brown!   Nader 对 Brown 很恼火。
cheesed - angry, upset, annoyed.  生气, 恼火。网上说源自军方俚语。

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Otherworldly

夏热炎炎,又无法到别处避暑怎么办? 建议你看看超凡脱俗的阿拉斯加的照片,马上倍感凉快。-:)
Otherworldly photos of Alaska will help you escape the heat.
这是我女儿造的句子:  The cookies that I baked are otherworldly! 我做的甜饼干超凡美味!
otherworldly: 超凡, 非此世界的。