輕鬆學英語
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英文原來這樣說(EnglishisAPieceofCake)
有位老先生不辭千里扛著一堆補品到美國要給兒子補身體,便風塵僕僕地隻身從故鄉抵達大蘋果(NEW YORK),見識到五光十色的生活型態和都市人匆忙的步伐(rapid-paced),突然置身充滿英語的環境讓他充滿不安。懷抱著要見到親人的心情,便馬不停蹄地用肢體語言和兒子給的地址尋到住處,在一番盥洗(get fresh up)後,跑到了著名TIME SQUARE時代廣場晃晃,看到BUSKER(街頭藝人)表演差點忘了時間,想到天色不早要回去時,卻身體不適,就這樣暈倒在人行道上,後來有好心的路人聽到他念念有詞,幫他叫了救護車,後來醫院人員連繫上了兒子。他臉色驚恐地衝到醫院急診室裡,兒子看到父親便說:「好險你沒事,真讓我差點嚇破膽,但你怎麼知道『救護車』的英文呢?」「我?……喔!」好像領悟什麼,頑童般的笑容在父親臉上泛開「我只是跟那個路人講『俺不能死俺不能死』要死也要回家鄉死」。原來操著濃濃山東腔的父親竟巧合地說出Ambulance(救護車)的英文。Am(俺)-Bu(不)-Lan(能)-Ce(死)。同學看完這篇小故事,或許也能會心一笑,但學習英文不僅僅是為了考證或職場升遷,更重要的就是在外出遊可以自救救人,解決眼前很多棘手的問題,只要你願意學習,不是嗎? 當然學習英文的時機點也是相當重要,同學也不時提供自己學習英文上的困擾,認為寫作能力好像相當難以提升和進步。其實老師在之前有特別提醒各位同學可以利用「英文日記」、「電影台詞」、「閒聊必用句」、「廣播金句」這幾點超實用方法下手。首先「英文日記」Keeping a diary in English doesn't refer to squeezing one's brain to create a formal composition seriously formatted based on English grammar and wording. On the opposite, English learners are expected to pen down their feelings or any trivialities on a daily basis, randomly and habitually.沒錯,其實書寫日記只是要把每日的心情變化寫下或是閱讀中看到的好句都可以寫下來做紀錄,一方面可以慢慢學習用英文思考和寫作邏輯,可以當作一種心情的舒壓方式。Brian老師建議大家一天不用超過五句話 ,少量但是可以準確的寫出生活軼事或學習記錄的回顧,這樣才能持續而長期的變成生活中的好習慣。而「電影台詞」部分老師也有介紹過穿著PRADA的惡魔(Devil Wears Prada)和救救菜英文(Vinglish English)的感人台詞,這些同學不論在跟外國友人或有機會對相關話題發表感想,都是很好的基礎和想法;最重要的部分是學習看完電影或影集可以上網去查詢SUMMARY(劇情大意)和REVIEW(評論),可以得到更多資訊和如何在短時間內分享或推薦剛剛才看過的內容,是相當快速可以加深自己對題材印象和即刻將寫作用字相當道地化的方法。「閒聊必用句」不僅僅是每個學習英文的同學可以練習,更是許多國際同步或即席口譯專業人員固定的練習技巧,不管是跟著錄音帶朗讀進而調整自己的口音腔調,也可以加快自己的語速,對於聽力和口說都有相當明顯的進步效果;因此,把自己平常跟朋友、家人、同事、同學師長的對話在腦海中試著翻譯成英文,遇到有比較不熟悉的單詞可以寫在便條紙或隨身的筆記本上,有時間可以上網查詢,千萬不要用快速翻譯器,這樣反而會誤導自己,要以網路字典或簡單的上GOOGLD網頁,打入:「 新年團圓」「英文」,這兩組單詞進入系統就會開始搜尋類似的表達語,你就可以抓到最通用的說話:New Year's Reunion,而不用自己瞎猜半天或是積非成是了。學習任何事情都不能一蹴可幾,就像大家學習中文的過程也是非常紮實從發音、單詞、句子、文章,到深入的詞彙解釋和詩詞等等進階的內容,所以需要大家的Passion(熱情),Patience(耐心),and Ambition(野心)。「廣播金句」想必大家對「別走開,馬上回來」這句電視口號再熟悉不過,但其實這是引用廣播文化中的Stay in tune, we'll be right back的說法,而其實目前光是美澳英電台廣播就超過三千種選擇,大家可以利用網路隨時收聽,也可以下載相關新聞英文稿,可以不出門便知天下事;甚至大家可以下載YOUTUBE影音中的脫口秀或BBC Six-Minute English六分鐘英語,好好利用零碎的時間可是效果驚人。有位學生是國內的業務員,所以非常想外派到國外拓展見識,非常積極地準備國際多益測驗考試,但工作時間太長導致無法下班後在家有充分的體力和時間收聽。於是他利用了上下班通勤和午餐後的片段休息時間和晚上到公園慢跑的一小時中,專心地收聽廣播內容和多益相關的聽力內容,讓她從本身根本聽力300分根本難如登天的程度,到後來考到將近滿分的480(滿分495),語言確實是可以自己製造環境,而不是靠著上補習班或是買下昂貴的教材才行。但該名學生閱讀測驗的部分很明顯就是落差很大,因為還是需要相當的文法基礎和商用單詞運用,以及相當技巧性的閱讀速度應試法和勤快練習。所以英文中的聽說讀寫四個面向都是需要同學們兼顧和從以上提到的學習方法去加強和交換使用,這樣學習英文才能更有趣味更加有變化性。 大家或多或少都有在學校生活中,體驗到早起搭校車或要上學趕早自習的經驗,但偏偏前一天就是熬夜看書也沒睡幾小時,就立刻被鬧鐘叫醒,趕著去學校準備考試,這種文化在歐美人士的眼裡真的非常不可思議,甚至從國小就開始拖著行李箱裝著滿滿的教科書和學習教材到學校,甚至還有私立學校有特別設立電梯讓同學可以順利「拖行」書包到教室裡。近五年,許多國內外的教育學者都在檢討是否要廢除早自習而讓學子可以多睡幾小時,這樣不僅可以增加學習效益,在健康的部分也可以少了許多堪憂。每逢大學入學測驗,許多家長無不求神問卜,多捐點香油錢希望神明可以眷顧孩子考上理想的學校;更誇張地,怕孩子讀書太久腦袋暈眩,甚至跑到急診室要求純氧來讓孩子醒腦。其實中西醫師都相當認同:適當運動和飲食之外,充足的睡眠才能讓白天吸收的資訊存入記憶區內,讓學習和反應力增強,而長期缺乏睡眠會導致記憶力衰退,身體也會不堪負荷而出現免疫力下降的問題。是否高中應該要晚睡晚起呢?因為以過來人的經驗,光是從放學到補習班下課,其實真的很難辦到所謂的「早睡早起」,課業的壓力在台灣社會很明顯只是越來越重,而缺少對孩子的興趣科目和才能上的肯定和發展,這都是很值得我們一起來省思。閱讀文章的時候請大家要忍著不看中文翻譯和查字典的衝動,好好利用上下文猜猜看不熟悉的單詞意思,這樣才能夠慢慢習慣大量的閱讀和藉由推敲慢慢熟悉英文語言的思路方向。 Let The Teens Sleep In(讓青少年多睡點吧!)重點段落欣賞Reference: ALL+ Interactive English Is it painful to get out of bed every morning? If you feel like you can't catch up on your sleep, you aren't alone. One sleep-deprived (睡眠不足)high school student in Missouri named Jill dos Santos had this problem, and she took action. Armed with research supporting her online petition(請願書),Jill successfully pushed her school's start time to 9a.m. 每天早上起床是不是很痛苦呢?如果覺得無法多睡一會,你並不孤單。在密蘇里州,一為睡眠不足的高中生吉兒多斯桑多斯就有這樣的困擾,於是她採取了行動。有了研究資料來支持她的網路請願書,她成功讓學校開始上課的時間延到早上九點。 It turns out that teens aren't night owls by choice and may have a serious excuse for sleeping in. Around bedtime, the brain releases melatonin, a chemical which makes you sleepy. Before adolescence, children's internal clocks naturally direct them to fall asleep between 8 and 9 p.m. Puberty changes this internal clock and start delaying this release of melatonin. The result is that teenager usually don't wind down until 11p.m. or later 原來青少年並非出於選擇而成為夜貓族,他們是很有理由晚睡些。接近就寢時,大腦會釋放出褪黑激素,這是一種會讓你想睡的化學物質。在青少年時期以前,孩童的生理時鐘會自然而然地引導他們在晚上上八、九點間入睡。青春期會改變生理時鐘,並開始延緩退黑激素的釋放。結果就是青少年通常要到晚上十一點或更晚的時候才能放鬆下來。 After being unable to fall asleep until midnight and then getting up at 6a.m. for school, teens may find it hard not to want to sleep during class. Lack of sleep impairs memory, creativity and the ability to concentrate. Our brains store and organize new facts during deep sleep. Without enough sleep, teen lose the ability to take in new information, and stress, depression, bad eating habits, and mood swings become worse. 在午夜才能入睡,然後早上六點起床上學後,青少年可能會覺得要不在課堂上昏昏欲睡是很難的。睡眠不足會損害記憶力、創造力和專注力。我們的大腦在熟˙睡時會儲存和組織新資訊,沒有足夠的睡眠,青少年會喪失吸收新知的能力,而壓力、憂鬱、不良的飲食習慣和情緒波動也會更加惡化。
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英文原來這樣說(English is A Piece of Cake)
今天你ENGLISH了嗎?走過街頭許多商店招牌(signage),通常都有小小的英文字標註,大家有仔細看過嗎?經過路上不難看到房地產公司的門口,都會有清楚字樣「REALTOR(=REAL ESTATE AGENT房仲業務員)」映入眼簾,這可是多益的熱門職業考點之一(另外許多銀行和法人企業也會聘用私人遞送員courier,說是任重而道遠也不誇張,不管颳風下雨都背負著巨額的匯票和支票呢!);充滿粉紅泡泡氛圍裏頭的甜蜜精緻法式甜點櫃,征服了許多人們寂寞的心,鏡面玻璃窗上就寫著"Patisserie"就曾出現在多益廣告信件中的商業合作建議書中(memorandum),提到調度原料和資源分配(resource allocation);交通部份,人來人往的車站月台上就清楚地貼著Please refrain from smoking,剛好這是最婉轉(sugarcoat)的勸告句,而在國際商用英文檢定長篇閱讀中也是重點詞語。 Question:Due to the students with nut allergies,when bringing shared food to school, please _______ from bringing food that contains nuts of any kind. (A)benefit (B)refrain (C) succeed (D) result (當帶食物到學校分享時,因為有些學生對堅果類過敏,要避免帶類似內容的食物。)(A) benefit from +N/V-ing=derive(get)...from..從......獲得(益). EX.:Most participants in the management crisis training session seemed to benefit significantly from this informative lecture. (B)refrain from +N/V-ing =keep from.....避免去做...... EX.:Most employees are advised to refrain from leaving this position without legal excuses. (C)succeed in +N/V-ing= accomplish +N desired and =attain certain goal成功於...... EX.:I anticipate that you will succeed in this new position and get the hang of it soon. (D)result from+N/V-ing= originate from...源起於......(恆主動) EX.:This car accident resulted from carelessness of the drunk driver. 通常碰到鎮日埋首於英文學習的同學,老師就會不免例行式問個幾句:從書局暢銷榜上買的英檢閱讀測驗本寫到第幾章了?文法假設句和各種時態表現的完成式都弄懂了嗎?怎樣抓到準確的時間詞,而"over the past few years"、" the other day"所使用的時間點也清楚了嗎?能夠區分affect與 effect在句中的意思嗎?下定決心買的哈利波特原文小說看得如何呢?有想過片語dream about 和dream of使用的時機差別在哪嗎?面對這些看似簡單,但其實觀念部分都沒有釐清,所以遇到類似的問題都會很糢糊。大家多半都是scratch heads or shrug shoulders(丈二金剛摸不著頭緒)的表現來回應老師的問題。要以「生活句」而不是「生活單字」來背誦,這樣才能完整地說出一句話,而不是片面陳述想法,以免造成誤會的尷尬情況喔! 另外Brian也很常聽到要準備英教所的同學反映:He sent me a letter. V.S. He sent a letter to me.這兩個句子看似是簡化語意,但其實是句意的重點不同;前者強調所寄送的是「信件」而不是其他內容物,而後者是強調送信要給的是「我」而不是別的對象。所以不能把以前學過的內容用一樣的準則去理解,有時候也要考慮到使用的時機點和語調的輕重,表現的意思也是天差地別喔! 其實「挑選適合自己的教材才能夠讓學習語言更事半功倍」,這句話肯定各位親愛的讀者都不陌生,可是往往都無法準確地找到適合自己程度的英文學習資料,反而過於好高騖遠(aim high without considering one' ability)往艱澀國際論壇。 (international forum)或社論(editorial)來下手,這樣對於<缺乏專業背景知識>、<進階單字量不足>、<鮮少閱讀英文題材>或<本身文法程度受限>困擾的學習者來說,這樣將會花費很多時間而無法徹底吸收。避免沒有效率的學習,或是才過一段時日,成就感不高,很快動力又減退,把好不容易查好的筆記本又束之高閣,請各位一定要從生活實用句和自己生活職場最常使用的表達為主,就算只是一天五句也是會有大效果的。而且熟悉各種場合和緊急情況的實用句,才是同學要擺對的努力方向和重點,也一直是Brian老師推出本專欄的重要使命。 與其一天背40個單字,倒不如精讀10句好用又朗朗上口的實用句。就好像妳愛的英文歌曲可以朗朗上口,甚至連還沒全盤了解,就可以把連音自然而然內化,不把學習當壓力而是興趣。畢竟能夠隨時從記憶庫提取出來的訊息才是快速增進口說完整度和閱讀寫作的不二法門喔!在旅館工作的同學就會詢問如何表達「房價因旺季調漲」,這時候就把以前學過的accommodation rate (房間費用)+peak season(旺季)關鍵字抓到後,就可以組成完成的說法" The accommodation rates has been raised in peak seasons .(=The room rates will go up during the time of high season.)"那到底要怎學習好英文呢?首先同學要把握住:聽力以生活化而且簡易的內容下手,像是STUDIO.CLASSROOM的大家說英語雜誌以多樣實用話題特色,讓英文學習者可以在一篇對話中了解「相關單字片語」和「應對特定狀況的正確表達,要記得,越簡單的英文才是越難說得好!」。 老師在開頭就提到所謂的聯想法和畫面學習法,那到底是什麼呢?讓老師在此替大家舉例,比如提到節慶festival擺在眼前,就會有相關的表達語浮在眼前和腦中展出一個樹狀圖:celebration(慶祝)、take places、every four months(每四個月舉辦)、 the crowd of tourists(觀光客人潮) 、swarm in(湧入....) ,cheers spread the people(眾人歡呼)這些相關表達語出現,跟同學是否用邏輯學習很有關係,而且還要溫故知新,把從前筆記本上或是課堂上學習的內容進行比較差異,可別通通弄在一起變大雜燴了!用對方法後,還需要有更深的文化認知,進而產生出靈活運用的成效。所以不要再盲目(sheepish)買許許多多的暢銷書(bestsellers)和囫圇吞棗(cram for something)到手的資料了,把過往學習的內容拿出來同學的口說運用和閱讀速度都有相當的助益,因為語言中的連結性是相當重要的。很多同學喜歡今天學了幾樣海鮮的說法,明天再去看幾樣衣服說法,這樣的學習效果很打折,更缺乏系統化和主題性的整理。 聯想法和場景相關用字是很重要的,就好像想到餐廳裡的環境,就會想到餐桌(dining table)上的餐具說法和菜單(menu)裡的各種菜色,這樣才能夠輸入長期記憶而且不會將來需要使用而陌生。A la carte是指單點,而就式套餐居多;而從法文借來的entree就是指主菜,appetizer就是開胃菜,有時候同學想大吃一頓卻點到sidedish(配菜),這可是要哭沒眼淚了。而當你很想吃某份主菜卻又怕份量太多時,就可以跟服務人員說:I would like to have a smaller portion of pork ribs.確實,學習沒有捷徑,真的很需要功夫來好好磨利自己的語言能力。It requires constant practice to prevent your English proficiency from getting rusty.(時常練習才不會對英文生疏了。)而且要常常問自己:A這種說法和B說法有何不同呢?使用的時機又為何呢?社群網絡(Social Network)無遠弗屆,題材也相當五花八門,但是你真的有看進心裡嗎?口說的時候都能流利地使用出來嗎?APP應用程式讓許多學習英文的同學都可以在手機上看到許多有趣的影音學習或是英檢(如TOEIC)學習複習單字和考題實戰練習。市面上有許多利用圖片或諧音聯想法來增加對學習的興趣,對於初學者或是想要學習較多生活單字的朋友不失為一個好方法,但也要記得利用手邊的紙本字典或官方認可線上字典來進行發音判讀,這樣在進行英語溝通會話才不至於產生誤會喔! 在老師的教學生涯中也有碰到很多不錯的方法可以幫助學生背誦單字,以下就幫同學舉上個有趣的例子: A Strange Encounter in America "Ambulance":救護車孩子在國外唸書的老王,打算到親自去美國見見孩子,順便希望自己可以開開眼界了解一下,這人人嚮往的世界大國到底是長什麼模樣! 好不容易遠渡重洋見到自己日夜牽掛的孩子,內心也是興奮無比。孩子就帶著他逛逛時代廣場(Time Square),到處都是拿著自拍神器(Selfie Stick)的觀光客(tourist)和奇裝異服的街頭藝人(busker)們,看著像雕像紋風不動的先生,老王暗自想著:「這樣也能賺錢喔?」後來搭著TOUR BUS看到了旅遊指南(Travel Guide)中必看的自由女神(Liberty Statue)矗立在眼前,好像能夠感受到當年法國大革命後所贈與美國的賀禮,那份肯定可貴民主的激情;帝國大廈(Empire State Building),象徵美東區相當繁榮的商業區活動和政治經濟永保繁榮的精神,這讓突然跑到水泥叢林(Concrete Jungle)的老王也放空(zone out)了好久,活像個小白兔誤闖了非洲大草原;在這些既震撼又充滿紀念性的觀光景點後,老王提議自己想逛逛這「六人行」(Friends)主角間打鬧約會和充滿理想基因的吉他手Phoebe高歌的地方,通通都在 Central Park(中央公園)裡留下難忘的回憶和足跡。突然不知道為啥老王感覺到一陣頭暈目眩(his head is spinning),後來就被路人緊急送到醫院(be rushed to the hospital)去,接到電話的兒子冷汗直流(break out in cold sweat)。到了醫院後,發現老爹只是逛得太盡興中暑(heat stroke)了,但當時只是脫口而自己的山東方言俺不能死,卻成了錯誤的美麗,讓路人剛好聽成"Ambulance",這樣救了自己一條老命!
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英文原來這樣說(English is A Piece of Cake)
歐美大學的寫作課中經常提到:Be precise, correct, and concise,其實就是要達到「精確選字」、「正確語法」和「縝密組織」等重要的基本條件。其中最為困難的部分就是在精確的選字上,因為這包含了文化意義、場合禮儀,以及說話者所面對的群眾都要納入考量其中,才能有得體的表達。有時同學都會抱怨英文的文法太繁複,但在接觸日語或韓語的用法規則後,一山還有一山高,這兩種語系中很明顯的劃分出:長輩或職場長官要用敬語;平輩間也要注意基本禮貌謙詞;對於年幼或下屬傳達訊息,轉化成另一種語氣和字詞。比起前述狀況,英文的彈性和活潑性讓學習者可以在更多元的表達中,可以利用所學的單字片語,來表達自己的想法而不會輕易地踩到地雷。但因為受到華人文化教育影響,同學還是很常問:「這句話是否合乎語法和禮貌呢?怕沒符合social etiquette會留下壞印象。」連目前在亞利桑納州攻讀博士的學生都有這類問題,連寫信問教授OFFICE HOURS都要戰戰兢兢,卻忘了語言始終還是要貼近人性,以免落入了「掉書袋」窠臼。最後Brian老師告訴他,只要在信中寫"I'd like to meet you on April 4th at 4p.m.. Could you make it or let me know when you are available?"這樣就可以了,不用加上" Please inform me of your schedule at your earliest convenience."聽起來真的很像在寫給沙士比亞的公文呢! 加拿大的課堂上講師都會很注重同學的格式書寫(writing format)和邏輯思辨(logical and critical thinking),並且希望可以展現個人思維(individual perspectives)和呼應社會價值觀(Echo the sense of value within one community)。若只是單純的做轉譯(rephrase)的工作,那只是簡單的翻譯出來所看的文章段落和重述所看到的內容,雖沒有剽竊(plagiarism)之虞但仍舊是了無新意。講到Plagiarism這個單字,當時在校園裡這是相當大的禁忌,輕則論文已無效論,會強制退學處分;重則是要吃上官司,終身不得出刊論文。這樣嚴謹的學術圈生態,可的確是如履薄冰(walk on the eggshells)。 在台灣有一次擔任英語兒童演講比賽評審,開場是某分校主任打算用英文好好介紹這場賽事的重要性,才開場不到一分鐘,所有老師和評審臉綠成一片(appear astonished)。這位來自美國加州畢業的大學生,到底說了什麼讓大家錯愕連連(raise the eyebrows)?因為一開頭他就說"The speech contest is to help student speak English with confidence and learn English from plagiarism……."沒錯,這位天兵竟告訴全體師生家長,我們孩子來這場比賽是要「抄襲別人的想法來學英文」。當時我就眼光飄到旁邊(glimpse sideway)主辦單位,英國老師完全不敢置信自己聽到的句子,一個箭步地衝上台請那位主任結束發言,讓我著實冷汗直流(break out in cold sweats),不敢回憶那驚心動魄的發言。後來私底下問那位主任,究竟他想表達是什麼,結果竟然是IMITATE(模仿)母語人士的腔調,啼笑皆非。語言是小處細心,大處更要用心,才會有完滿的呈現和效果! 從歐美電視劇中時尚男女身上看到不僅是巴黎時尚伸展台上的新款配件和提包,更是手上那印有鮮明的帶有深綠飄逸長髮的美人魚商標:星巴克咖啡飲品。這樣的印象從好萊塢電影中放送全球,變成人類共通語言,甚至產生共鳴和走到異鄉有著歸屬感的品牌,至今全世界已有九千多家門市。或許您從未想過這波咖啡潮為何只有星巴克獨享市場大餅,難道是單純外國品牌催化下的虛榮心,還是咖啡豆的特殊風味呢?以下就有國外心理學家和行銷團隊為您揭密,這巨大商機背後的消費心理學和消費者為何會一而再地上門消費而不會動搖的品牌忠誠度表現。 Hint:it is probably not because of the quality of the coffee. 提示:並不是因為咖啡本身讓星巴克大行其道。星巴克咖啡是否優於他牌咖啡或是讓人們上癮的原因相當複雜但仍可一一解答。我發現這個問題有趣的地方是:咖啡本身的品質並不扮演關鍵的角色。這裡有提供給您分別為心理和情緒的理由讓星巴克可以在全世界能名利雙收。 Is Starbucks Coffee of Better Quality?星巴克咖啡較為優質? When Starbucks launched, there were not very many places in the US where you could get espresso-based coffee like Lattes or Cappuccinos. this was a big part of Starbucks' novelty.當星巴克咖啡推出時,在全美提供以濃縮咖啡基底的飲品(像是拿鐵或卡布奇諾)的商店其實並不多,這也是星巴克出奇制勝的一步。 Starbucks takes pride in their own roast, which is darker than most coffee shops - in between normal roast and French (espresso) roast which results of more of the oils coming out of the bean and caramelizing but also slightly more bitter taste. Just recently Starbucks started selling its blond roast, which offers a more traditional flavor. 星巴克以自身的烘焙風格為榮,比市面上販售的咖啡更濃郁,介於一般烘焙和法式烘焙(濃縮咖啡),可以逼出更多的油脂和呈現焦糖化狀態,帶有略微苦口感。就在近期販售了黃金烘焙,可以在飲用時享受純粹香氣。 BLONDE ROAST黃金烘焙系列咖啡豆!共有兩種新口味-星巴克閑庭綜合(Veranda)和輕柳綜合(Willow)咖啡豆。 Coffee Experience is more Important than Actual Coffee Quality. 購買咖啡的經驗比咖啡品質重要許多 1.Coffee Buying Experience. Howard Shultz (Starbucks Founder) spent a lot of effort not only in the beverage itself but in the entire coffee buying experience. This is why Starbucks locations around the world consistently have a good atmosphere, indirect lighting, relaxing music in the background, great aromas, and friendly 'baristas'. 1.購買咖啡的經驗:星巴克的創始人霍華‧蕭茲花了許多力氣在飲料部分外,也很注重購買咖啡的過程感受。這就是全世界的星巴克可以持續提供良好的環境,舒適的照明,和放鬆的背景音樂,美好的香氣,和友善的「咖啡師傅」。 This is also why their coffee has unique names. At Starbucks you don't order a simple black coffee, you order a Pike Place blend venti. Rites, names and processes are important part of customer experience.這也是他們提供的咖啡都有個特殊的名稱。在星巴克你不會用「黑咖啡」來點,而是用大杯派克調和。這樣儀式般的過程、點出咖啡名稱和整體過程都是消費經驗的重要環節。註明:星巴克位於西雅圖的創始店就在Pike Place Market ( 派克市場 ) 內,連圖騰商標都不同於目前所見的! 2. Personal Reward . Psychologists believe a big part of Starbucks' success comes from the desire to reward yourself. Before a long day of work, you deserve to treat yourself to a nice Grande Cappucino. It's a little daily splurge that most people can afford. 2.獎勵自我:心理學者相信星巴克的成功源自於獎勵自我的慾望。一天辛勞工作前,你是該好好招待自己一份大杯卡布奇諾。這點每日振奮劑算是普羅大眾還能買得起的。 Behavioral psychologist Dan Ariely has proven how our brain tricks us into enjoying things more if we believe they are better. This means that even if the coffee at Starbucks is not actually scientifically better than the average coffee, the combination of the brand, the experience and your belief that it is probably better makes your brain actually taste it as better coffee and enjoy it more than an average coffee. This is why blind tests are important, because your taste buds will go with your brain bias. In other words, perception is reality.行為心理學者丹已經證實我們的大腦會欺騙自己去更享受某些事物,只因為我們相信那是較好的抉擇。這也意味著即使從實質檢驗來看星巴克的咖啡並不超越其他品牌咖啡,但因為品牌、飲用感受,和你認為星巴克就是比較好喝的信念的種種原因結合後,你的大腦就會感受到嚐起來的味道就是比其他咖啡品牌更加美好。這也是盲飲很重要的原因,因為你的味蕾會跟著你的大腦偏見而有所改變。(此份報告指出在盲飲測試感受各牌咖啡飲品後,測試員表示麥當勞和多那滋的咖啡飲品部分評價高出他牌許多。) 3.Familiarity - When you are running to work, and you need your morning Joe, it is hard to think about multiple coffee shops, evaluate them and decide on one. The default answer to 'morning coffee' is 'Starbucks'. This is the power of branding and positioning. 3.熟悉度:當你匆忙趕去上班時,你早晨需要來一杯咖啡。這時候很難去回想好幾家咖啡商店,再一一評估比較選擇最後要去哪裡購買。通常說到「每日咖啡」就會立刻想到「星巴克」。這就是品牌和產品定位的魅力。 When you are in a different city, going to Starbucks is lower risk: you know the coffee is OK (at least, or at least you think that), you know what to expect, you know they probably also have pastries and other items you may be looking for. It is a decision with lower risk than going to an unknown place that may or may not have good coffee.當你在不同城市,走進星巴克可以承擔比較小的風險:因為你知道那裡提供的咖啡是有一定水準的(至少是,或至少你是這麼認為的),你也可以預料買到的產品狀況,也不難想像那邊有著哪些餐點或其他選擇項目你可以先行決定。這樣一來,這個低風險的決定就會比去不知名的地方點咖啡來得安全,也不會去輕易踩到地雷。 So no, Starbucks does not have better coffee, but it will taste better for you if you believe it. I drive an extra 5 minutes to get to the best coffee I can find, but I am as susceptible to my brain driving and my emotions driving my buying decisions as anyone else.所以,星巴克的咖啡並非優於其他品牌,這是不用懷疑的。但如果它喝起來比較美味也是因為你如此深信著!當然我也可以多花個五分鐘開去我所知道較好的地方買咖啡,但我的大腦驅使著我的心情,進而也影響了我的購買意願,最後就像其他人一樣又走進了星巴克。
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英文原來這樣說 (English is A Piece of Cake)
「可以幫我去銀行跑跑腿嗎?」、「借錢?我都泥菩薩過江-自身難保了。」、「你拋棄式眼鏡不要戴太久!」、「老是熬夜,難怪妳老是眼睛紅通通喔!」、「這杯咖啡也太燙了,我可是貓舌頭耶!」、「我真不敢相信那個歌手在演唱會對嘴。」、「千萬不要跟黃牛買票,這樣會助長歪風!」、「我超受不了小女生撒嬌,很做作耶!」,這些標註字彙和片語都是同學已經學會的了嗎?只要有一點點不確定,代表你在學習語言上常有片段記憶而已,活用上會有相當的困難,更遑論本能性地(spontaneous)應對各種情景對話了! (A)跑跑腿:run an errand for sth→She ran some errands in the bank during lunch break. (她趁午休時間到銀行處理點事情。) (B)泥菩薩過江;be caught up in sb's dramas→After getting married, I found it really hard to talk to friends about my concerns because they were all caught up on their own dramas. (結婚後,要找到可以傾吐困擾的朋友少之又少,因為他們自己都有一堆事情要處理,根本自身難保。) (C)拋棄式眼鏡: disposable contact lenses→There're a wide variety of disposable contact lenses available in the shops but it's a different story in American, for all consumers need to receive a formal eye-examination before an optometrist hands you the prescribed contacts.(在商店裡都有各式各樣的拋棄式眼鏡可選購,可是在美國你必須接受正式的驗光步驟,才可以拿到有度數的拋棄式隱形眼鏡。)也可以直接問朋友:Are you wearing contacts today?(妳今天帶隱形眼鏡嗎?) (D)眼睛紅通通:blood-shot eyes→This year drew near to an end and most workers might either take work home or work overtime in their own cubicles till midnight. (今年要進入尾聲,許多上班族不是把工作帶回家繼續忙,不然就是在辦公室隔間裡奮鬥到半夜才回去。)另外提到:Red-Eye Flight半夜起飛的班機。 (E)黃牛:scalper→Taiwanese tend to wait in the long line for some tickets, especially for concert tickets. Unfortunately, some scalpers attempted to purchase tickets in bulk and resell them on the internet with exorbitant prices. That's really vicious!(台灣人很常大排長龍買票,特別是演唱會的票;不幸地,這些黃牛都會大量搶購票券,然後拿去網路上高價轉賣。真的很可惡。) (F)做作:pretentious→People in Belgium consider French accent in Paris relatively pretentious. (比利時人認為法國人的法文腔調相當做作。)還記得老師在「薯條」的由來提到:比利時其實才是薯條的故鄉,而且也因為以法語為官方語言,才會有後來誤傳的現象呢!老師曾教授華語文化的比利時女孩也因此跟班上來自法國的同學爭吵不休呢!但實際聽起來,兩國口音確實差異相當大呢! 自從韓劇「藍色生死戀」在亞洲爆紅後,男男女女都萌發愛戀的情愫,也渴望有「來自星星的你」的都敏俊教授來搭救,可以擺脫一成不變的生活;同時,也可以擁有「屋塔房上的世子」穿梭時光的永恆承諾,暖男風潮再現,總是想終結單身卻又天人交戰(war with oneself)是否該這麼快把自己交給另一半,「沒關係這是愛情啊!」。從青澀校園時期,許多人都憧憬(fantasize)著浪漫的戀情和甜蜜時光,印象中大家會選擇到山上欣賞夜空星光滿佈(The sky is scattered with stars.);到電影院感動主角的深情不悔;到夕陽絕美的海邊踏著細沙,雙雙緊靠的足跡,好像就會這樣一直走下去。以上的微美場景彷彿撥放著無限回憶,當初的山盟海誓猶然在耳。 但每當情人節(Valentine's Day)到來,花價突然供不應求(Demand is higher than supply)又水漲船高時,就會讓單身的朋友默默竊喜(smirk),但同時又發現許多餐廳在這特別的節日不提供「單身用餐」,於是在人類世界裡就發明出的「太閃了」相關表達,甚至朋友在社群網路貼上情侶照,大家會直接說「給我墨鏡,閃到看不到路了。」在歐洲國家,情侶在街上公然擁抱(cuddle)、親吻,都不用太大驚小怪(make a fuss),因為這種「閃給大家看」的態度是從小父母就相當地開明,而且認為「天天說愛」是很重要的事情,如果老公上班出門前沒跟太太說聲「I love you, babe.」回家可能就要跪「漢堡」了(Just kidding!)所以我們到底要怎麼用英文表達這種「公開示愛」的狀況呢?那就來一起學習吧! 1.天啊!你快看,他們也太「閃」了吧! Hey, Take a look at them! They are displaying affection to each other publicly. (沒錯就是用「公開表情感來說」,算挺客觀的評論。各位忠實的讀者也知道老師介紹過display有:1.展示物件:The jewelry is on display on the shelves. (珠寶在架上展示中) ;2. 展示能力:This athlete has displayed incredible strength in freestyle stroke. (這位運動員在自由式項目展現驚人表現。而同學天天盯著3C的螢幕就是display screen!) ※同學在信中提到:老師之前提過看電影要用go " SEE" the movie,可是在自修國外影集的時候,外國人會跟其他用手機的觀眾說"Excuse me, could you turn off the phone, we are trying to WATCH the film here."所以到底要用SEE還是WATCH? <解答>同學說的都是對的,看電影是「前往的動作」,故使用"go see the movie",在只要進去電影院觀賞「大銀幕」就等於是「在家裡」觀看的同樣行為,我們就會用"watch the film/movie"。所以如果你要表達:「我這週五去了電影院看電影。」可以這麼說:「I went to see the movie this Friday./ I watched a film at the cinema(=movie theater)。」如果第二句沒有特別說明地點,外國朋友也可能會錯意?是在家裡觀看?的喔!請同學多多注意用法和表達的時機點。 2.我真不敢相信,那對情侶公然「喇舌」,這也太「閃了」吧! To my disbelief, that couple was French-kissing there. Please, GET A ROOM! (這邊用到belief的異義字disbelief,甚至妳可以用"Over My Dead Body"『太扯了啦!』要是我沒親眼看到我絕對不信) 。而如果你用到了"Get A Room"那可就是只對方在大庭廣眾之下實在親暱到有點有礙觀瞻,讓你非常地不舒服,只好低吼一聲:「可以去旅館開房間嗎?」,這很明顯帶有負面( negative)和挑釁( provocative)的語氣喔!所以,如果你膽敢當著別人前面說這句話,接著就是「腳底抹油」,瘋狂揮起手刀逃命吧! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! 』 記得以前國中老師特地問班上同學:「要怎麼問孕婦肚中的孩子性別呢?」大家七嘴八舌的想出各種答案「Is the baby a boy?」、「Do you know the sex of the baby?」、「Man or Woman?」讓大家都笑成一團,其實只要問" Do you have a boy or girl baby?"就可以清楚明瞭地提問;而提到「混血兒」又是另一樁笑話了,大家對於「混血兒」都會直接說mixed blood?直接聯想到米克斯"MIX"的用法,但這是相當沒有禮貌的說法,甚至在暗示是「雜種」,所以到底要怎麼問題?其實簡單的說"Where do your parents come from?"(妳父母來自哪國呢?)、" I am wondering which country your ancestors live."(我想知道你祖先定居於哪國?)。而問到寵物的混血可以簡單用cross-bred(a.)交叉繁殖的用法,顯得有文化水平也非常得體。 在教學的過程當中也常發現不管是"HE OR SHE"常弄得啼笑皆非,用"HE"說自己母親的生活經驗,或是用"SHE"說父親早上出門運動,更有同學很喜歡把"S"加在每個單字後面,也會把弱化子音念出來。比如" Definitely"(弱化T)、" And"(D不發音)、"Mountain Climbing"(弱化T和B音),音近mou-n, k-lai-ming)、" Didn't"(T省略而用鼻音共鳴N收尾)、"Student"(讀音為s-t-u-n而已)、" Her";單複數不分或動詞過去式使用轉換有困難,這也顯示課後同學缺乏練習口語和寫作的訓練,導致對於語言的掌控度不穩定,接觸的題材範疇也過小,不應該只是侷限在教科書上內容,而要"泛讀"(extensive reading),不管是時事、科學、健康、人文軼事、娛樂,都可以多多接觸和學習專業用字,和換句話說的能力,才能靈活運用語言和所學。 <時事英文:國際媒體聚焦台灣>請仔細閱讀靠上下文推敲。 The pilots of TransAsia Airways Flight GE235 grappled with problems with both engines before the plane clipped a bridge and crashed into a river, killing dozens of people, Taiwan's Aviation Safety Council said Friday. The two engines on the ATR 72 turboprop aircraft stopped producing power one after the other, leaving the plane flying without thrust for more than a minute, according to the agency. During the crisis in the cockpit, the pilots received a series of alerts, starting with an alarm related to one of the engines and followed by five stall warnings. The pilots issued a mayday alert to air traffic control, announcing an engine flameout, or power failure. They eventually managed to restart the engine, but it was too late to prevent a crash. The Aviation Safety Council said Friday it was still collecting information on the disaster, with a full analysis of Flight GE235's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder still months away, and wasn't yet able to say why the engines shut down. Thomas Wang, the council's managing director, said investigators will look into the crew's role, including the possibility they shut off the left engine in response to a warning about the right engine. He said the left engine could have stopped working for multiple reasons. "Either someone reduced it or something else happened, a mechanical failure," Wang said. "We don't know." Eight people still missing Flight GE235 crashed into the Keelung River in Taiwan's capital, Taipei, shortly after taking off Wednesday with 58 people on board. Authorities say that so far, 35 people have been confirmed dead, 15 survived and 8 are still missing, according to Taiwan's official news agency CNA. Two people on the ground were also hurt. The reported engine problems dovetail with the account of Huang Chin-shun, a 72-year-old survivor of the crash."I thought something's wrong with the engine because I always take this flight." Stephen Fredrick, a pilot who once flew ATRs for American Airlines, told CNN this week that it looked like Flight GE235 was gliding when dashboard cameras on the ground captured the moments before it crashed into the river. TransAsia was involved in another deadly disaster in July. Forty-eight people died after an ATR 72 aircraft operated by the airline crashed as it was attempting to land in the Taiwanese Penghu Islands during bad weather. And on Friday, TransAsia ordered its 71 pilots who helm ATR aircraft to take and pass written and oral exams within the next four days in order to fly again, said an airline representative, who was not named per custom. Those pilots will have to undergo flight simulator tests sometime in the future as well.
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英文原來這樣說(English is A Piece of Cake)
許多讀者都了解英文是國際語言也是將來商業、旅遊、餐飲、科技、法律和無數的領域都需要交流和調解的關鍵工具,但誠如老師提過的「深入文化」所習得的語言才能成為「骨骼」,而學過的詞彙、文法、慣用語才有機會長成「肌肉」,而利用英文去思考生活的大小事情才賦予「靈魂」在各種表達的字句中。同學應該還記得前陣子英國交通部長Susan Barmer為表示國際外交形式上的友好,贈送了「懷錶」(Pocket Watch)卻誤觸了中華文化中「送鐘(終)」的諧音禁忌,這在國際上可是不能犯的gaffe (無心錯誤),也更突顯各國對於「禮品」的概念有所不同;另一方面,台北市長在第一時間表示可以"regift"(轉送)給其他人或是賣給收破銅爛鐵的商人(scrap metal dealer)換取現金比較實際,也引起了大眾譁然(the heated debate),認為雖然看似隨性作風但給英國政府洗臉(give a lesson)一番,也算是失言(misspeak)和成了社交失禮(social faux pas)的示範。或許這次事件也有助外國人了解華人文化不適宜送鐘錶的禁忌。就像AFP形容這是"double diplomatic gaffe",雙方都有失禮之處:外國人的報導主要聚焦於這位外賓送禮觸犯華人禁忌(外賓並已對此做出聲明表示歉意),台灣的報導則主要環繞在新市長的失言(off-the-cuff remark gaffe)今天一開場就要讓同學用國際媒體看台灣外交躍上世界時事焦點的用語和介紹囉! ★ British Minister Breaks Taboo With Watch Gift for Taipei Mayor 英國(交通)部長誤觸禁忌,贈送台北市長懷錶事件 A British transport minister on a trade visit to Taipei got a lesson in the perils of diplomatic gift giving Monday when she presented a pocket watch to the city's mayor -- a taboo act in Chinese culture.(本周一時,英國交通部長在這趟台灣的商務參訪中,確實在外交贈禮危機中學了寶貴的一課,當她正式贈與台北市長一只懷錶:恰好為中華文化中的禁忌。) Baroness Susan Kramer apologized for the inadvertently inauspicious gift -- the word for a watch or clock in Chinese sounds like "the end" and many associate it with death.(蘇珊卡門爾為這無心贈與且附有不祥意涵的禮品致上歉意,由於「手錶」或是「鐘」在中文裡都意指"終了",而且許多人都會立刻聯想到死亡。) "We learn something new each day. I had no idea a gift like this could be seen as anything other than positive: In the UK a watch is precious - because nothing is more important than time," she later said in a statement.(蘇珊表示:「我們每天都學習新事物。我並不知道這種禮物會被視為如此負面,在英國手錶是相當珍貴的,因為每寸光陰是最寶貴的。」) But the recipient, Mayor Ko Wen-je, also came under fire for his "rude" response. Ko, who was recently elected and isn't a career politician, told reporters that he had "no use" for the pocket watch.(台北市長柯文哲身為贈禮對象,卻因為自己的"魯莽"言論而遭受多方抨擊。新上任的柯市長並不是資深政客,也告知記者自己不知道怎處理這只懷錶。) "I can just regift it to someone or take it to a scrap metal dealer and sell it for cash," he was quoted as saying. On Tuesday, he apologized and said he would undertake some "diplomatic etiquette" training.(在市長的發言中提到:我大概會轉送給別人或是拿到收破銅爛鐵的商家換現金。在週二時也親自道歉並表示他會正式參加外交禮儀訓練課程。) Kramer and Ko can take comfort that it's not the first time an exchange of official gifts has stirred controversy.( 卡門爾和柯文哲都可以放輕鬆些,因為這並不是第一回官方贈禮惹出禍端了。) ※歐巴馬總統在2009年就被英國媒體大力撻伐,因為給予當時英國首相布朗一份影音光碟,竟然是完全無法在英國撥放系統上觀看。但反觀英國所贈送的筆筒就相當有水準,這可是在維多利亞時期反奴役船隻所用的木材而製,可說是意義非凡的贈禮心思。 <名人英文開講時間>:一向爭取人權和種族平等權力文明的美國社會,對於同性婚姻和相關法案仍存在相當大的爭議。目前為科技龍頭蘋果公司首席執行長公開出櫃,認為自己身為公眾人有其必要來為真正的平等和正義發聲,也在許多人心中投下了震撼彈!Apple的CEO庫克(Cook)公開表示他的性向並寫了封公開信給大眾,用字遣詞及內容十分精湛。 Throughout my professional life, I've tried to maintain a basic level of privacy. I come from humble (卑微的) roots, and I don't seek to draw attention to(吸引目光) myself. Apple is already one of the most closely watched companies in the world, and I like keeping the focus on our products and the incredible things our customers achieve with them.(回顧我的專業生涯中,我總對基本隱私相當重視。出身清寒,我也並不尋求太多關注,而蘋果電腦公司早已是世界上前景看好的公司之一,我也很喜歡專注於公司產品和客戶使用後能獲得的絕妙效果。) At the same time, I believe deeply in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, who said: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" I often challenge myself with that question, and I've come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important. That's what has led me to today.(在同時我也深信馬丁路德‧金恩博士曾說過:「在人生最需持續和努力關注的問題就是『你曾為別人做過些什麼嗎?』」) 我常這麼自省且問著自己這件事情,也同時意識到在渴望更多個人隱私,讓我竟退怯而不去做更有意義的事情。這也是今天讓我站在這裡的原因。 For years, I've been open with many people about my sexual orientation (性取向). Plenty of colleagues at Apple know I'm gay, and it doesn't seem to make a difference in the way they treat me. Of course, I've had the good fortune to work at a company that loves creativity and innovation (創新) and knows it can only flourish (繁盛) when you embrace (擁抱) people's differences. Not everyone is so lucky. While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged (承認) it either, until now. So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.(多年來我都和許多人公開我的性向,許多在蘋果公司的同事也知道我是同性戀者,但這並不改變她們對我的態度。當然,我也是非常幸運可以在這個熱愛創意和創新的公司上班,而且在包容彼此間的差異下更加壯大。但並不是每個人都像我這樣幸運。我從不否認我的性向,但我也從未公開承認,直到說話的這個當下。我想說的是:身為同性戀者我相當的驕傲,而且我認為身為同性戀者是上帝給我最棒的禮物之一。) Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority (少數) and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It's made me more empathetic (有同理心的), which has led to a richer life. It's been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity (困境) and bigotry (偏執). It's also given me the skin of a rhinoceros (犀牛), which comes in handy when you're the CEO of Apple.(這讓我體察到少數族群的身分也可以讓我多了份挑戰去感受其他少數族群每日所經歷過的掙扎。這讓我變得更有同理心,也導向我更豐富的人生。每每感到人生的艱苦和難過,我也從中拾獲自信,去走出自己的道路,從困挫中學會堅強和些頑固。我常戲稱在擔任蘋果首席執行長時,這一切一切的過去讓我可以像有著犀牛皮般百毒不侵。) The world has changed so much since I was a kid. America is moving toward marriage equality, and the public figures who have bravely come out (出櫃) have helped change perceptions (觀感) and made our culture more tolerant. (從孩提時期開始,這世界變了很多。美國社會也提倡平等婚姻權和許多公眾人物勇敢出櫃改變社會觀點,也讓我們的文化更兼容並蓄。)Still, there are laws on the books in a majority of states that allow employers to fire people based solely on their sexual orientation. There are many places where landlords can evict (驅逐) tenants (房客) for being gay, or where we can be barred from visiting sick partners and sharing in their legacies. Countless people, particularly kids, face fear and abuse every day because of their sexual orientation(性向).(現行律法中有許多州,讓雇主可以僅因性向開除員工;甚至有些房東可以「依法」驅離同性戀房客,甚至也不能探視生病的伴侶或得到任何遺產。無數的人們,尤其是孩子每天都因為自己的性向而活在恐懼和暴力中。)I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice (犧牲) of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with (接受) who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy.The company I am so fortunate to lead has long advocated (倡導) for human rights (人權) and equality for all. We stood for marriage equality in our home state of California. We'll continue to fight for our values, and I believe that any CEO of this incredible company, regardless of (不顧) race, gender, or sexual orientation, would do the same. And I will personally continue to advocate for equality for all people until my toes point up.(公司可貴地倡導平等,而加州國會也如同我們支持同性婚禮立法及通過任何不受歧視的平等法案。在我們公司中任何的高級主管都會做一樣的事情,不管種族、性別、或性向,全力支持人權和提倡平等,直到盡了最後一份力氣。)When I arrive in my office each morning, I'm greeted by framed photos of Dr. King and Robert F. Kennedy. I don't pretend that writing this puts me in their league. All it does is allow me to look at those pictures and know that I'm doing my part(盡本分), however small, to help others. We pave (舖路) the sunlit path toward justice (公平正義) together, brick by brick. This is my brick.(每早到辦公室,馬丁路德博士和甘迺迪總統的照片總招呼著我的到來,這麼說並不代表我有如此偉大,但這讓我感受到即使能力有限,但我正在盡自己的本份幫助他人。這灑滿陽光通往正義的道路,一磚一瓦,亦步亦趨,可貴的一步。)
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英文原來這樣說(English is A Piece of Cake)
每次同學收到老師的專欄都會非常地興奮,也很好奇老師怎麼在華語圈文化中自行保持對英文的接觸和學習?你有天天問自己「這句話英文要怎麼說」的習慣嗎?來到十字路口旁,看到「紅綠燈」,是否會立刻閃出Traffic Light;到了百貨公司除了映入眼簾的華麗專櫃,都會看到「手扶梯」上下行的運載乘客,此時Escalator也脫口而出;突然購物到一半,發現自己很想上洗手間,看到"Breastfeeding Room"就知道是「哺乳室」,而不會誤闖進去;晃到餐廳旁邊時,本來看到特價餐點裡面寫著"Fresh Prawn with Oyster"字樣,也想到「明蝦和生蠔」剛好自己會過敏,而安全地避開;準備回家的路上,天色漸漸暗下來,看著路邊的日本餐廳「排著人龍」,也可以大聲讚嘆"What a long queue / line";進門前,會在「玄關」脫下鞋子,也會說聲"Take off shoes at the foyer"的習慣;最後喊出"還是家裡最棒","There's no better place than a sweet home"。是不是感受到,生活俯拾皆是英文題材和學習內容呢? 本年度也有許多的國定連假活動,除了舟車勞頓和處處人擠人,駕駛最怕的應該就是"Backseat Driver"告訴你剛剛哪裡應該要先轉彎才可以避開車潮,不然就是剛剛速度太快差點撞到旁邊的貨車,甚至語帶威脅地說「我還是頭一次坐到這種技術欠佳的車子」,好似自己就是駕訓班的考照測驗員。這種老是喜歡在後方跋扈又碎念地指揮駕駛的人,就叫做「後座駕駛」(Backseat Driver)。可怕地是,大家通常都會不自覺地開始"車內指揮交通了!這可會大大影響駕駛的心情和安全,不可不慎喔!Brian老師也在教學環境中,常看到所謂的「直升機父母」(Helicopter Parents)會帶著興趣缺缺的孩子來上課或是一週七天都報滿許多才藝班(Talent class)深怕孩子輸在起跑點上擠不進名校的窄門,卻沒想到孩子已經身心俱疲(exhausted),更不用提是否能找到人生的"熱情"(Passion也可引申為一個人想從事的"職業")。其實不難想像父母的壓力,來自社會給予的期望和許多親朋好友的比較批評等等因素所導致的行為,但這樣「盤旋」(Hover)在孩子身邊的緊迫盯人模式,是否有真正關心到孩子的「心靈狀態」和「學習吸收效果」呢?其實讓孩子多參與各主題的短期營隊(Theme Camps)或是服務活動(Volunteer Activities),可以去觀察孩子的反應和學習狀況,這樣既可以又省時又省錢,還可以讓孩子在沒有壓力的環境下學習和自我成長(self-growth)。身為師長的角色是諮詢者(advisor)和推進器(facilitator),不應該是一味地指責(scold)和打壓(suppress),「鼓勵和肯定」(Encouragement and Recognition)是人在一生中能夠勇於追求卓越的重要能源喔!這也讓Brian老師想到閱讀過的近期國際週刊發表的一篇親子文章裡頭提到「捉迷藏」是極度危險的活動,也是提高很多孩子遇害的機會,所以甚至在不少國家紛紛提起禁止「捉迷藏 Hide And Seek」之際,引起許多的迴響和反對的聲浪,讓我們一起來看看這篇文章,關心你我的教育環境和正視生活中的大小事也歡迎大家跟老師分享你的看法喔! Recently it was banned from a playground in England, the topic of a sex convict's confession in New Zealand, the subject of a child's funeral here in the United States and the reason for a 911 call in my own back yard. Can you guess what it is? Hide and Seek. Yes, hide and seek. 近期內在英國已經明令禁止在玩樂區(學校或社區)進行這項活動,這個活動不但和紐西蘭的性侵犯自白內容有關,更是美國社會眼中使兒童可能喪命的遊戲,甚至讓屋主忍不住報警通知在自家後院發生的事情。你猜到了嗎?就是「捉迷藏」。是的,就是「藏起來」(「綁票」)和「找尋」(失蹤人口)。 In our era of parenting, there are two philosophies regarding children's interactions with the world that have seemingly emerged. Philosophy one views the world as a mostly safe place that we need to allow our children to freely experience and explore, and philosophy two views the world as a mostly dangerous place that we need to protect and shelter our children from. Then there are those who fall somewhere in the middle, parents who are aware of the dangers of the world but not fearful, and are concerned about their child's safety but not obsessed. I think those are the type of parents we should strive to be.在我們世代的教育觀,對於孩子如何和這個世界互動關係中的觀念慢慢的有了些雛型。有一派的看法認為:這是個安全的世界,我們應當讓孩子去自由體驗和探索其中奧妙;而另一派卻堅信:這世界處處充滿危機,我們要極力保護孩子和隨時提供避風港;持中立的人們懷著:身為家長應該是要注意到身處的危險但不需要草木皆兵,可以關心孩子的安全但不必過度煩憂。我認為以上的這三種想法都有可能是我們成為家長會面臨的選擇。 So whether you subscribe to philosophy one or two, whether your agree or disagree that games like hide and seek should be banned from school yard, or whether you see bad things as happening to children all the time or as a rarity, it's important to try to reach middle ground and address serious dangers around seemingly harmless things.或許你會想投票給第一種或第二種想法,無論你同意與否,捉迷藏是否應該在校園裡消失匿跡,或是你曾在聽聞關於一些發生在孩子身上的憾事,或認為這些只是個案罷了!最重要的是,可以慢慢的調整心態,朝比較重要但也不失關心這些看似無傷大雅卻有隱藏危機的活動。(小檔案:西方社會發現有許多孩童在大人可能沒注意的情況下,性侵犯或綁架犯就擄走了孩童,捉迷藏從孩提時期的美麗回憶瞬間變色成黑暗夢魘。) Like hide and seek. Whether you advocate for playing hide and seek or not, there are principles of the game worth considering: 像躲藏和尋找般的,社會的價值觀也在摸索中!姑且不論是否你認為捉迷藏這個遊戲是否該被提倡,或許下面幾點的相關原則可以讓你參考。(屬各派想法) 1.Hide and seek promotes secretive play. The nature of the game is to not tell anyone where you are and what you are doing. 捉迷藏在鼓吹秘密遊戲扮演。這遊戲的本質就是:別告訴任何人你在哪或是你正在從事怎樣的活動。 2.Hide and seek asks children to hide and not come out. The nature of the game is to ask children to hide so they can't be found. 這種你躲我找的遊戲就是讓孩子去隱藏內心想法而變得不坦白。這個遊戲就是叫他們去躲起來所以不要被找到(很容易在這個時間點遭遇不測,也有延伸意涵:不願意面對或透露自己的想法)。 3. Hide and seek sends mixed messages. The nature of the game asks children to do what we've always told them not to. 捉迷藏也傳遞很多不同的訊息。遊戲本身就是告訴孩子去做平常被告誡不能去做的事情。(變得很容易反叛或表現脫序行為的導因) 4.Hide and seek requires mind skills young children may not have. The nature of the game requires you to differentiate between hiding for real and hiding for pretend play. 捉迷藏在同時也需要運用許多年幼孩童所欠缺的運用腦力的相關技巧。這個遊戲也是需要你去辨別兩者中的差別:現實中的逃避和在遊戲中的暫時藏匿。 或許會有很多同學認為這篇國外文章只是杯弓蛇影,太過於小題大作。但其實對於很注重兒童福利的西方世界卻是件大事,這也顯示文化觀念的差異和我們關懷孩子的生活作息和人身安全是否可以更用心更謹慎呢?這篇文章也提供給各位朋友更多不同面向的分享和討論,希望對於教育上可以在每個環節上都可以做到更完善,但不需要為孩子處處設限,可以在安全的環境給予更多的創意發揮的空間和許多更有自信的表現,這是家長和教育者可以一起努力的! ●Pronunciation Correction: Meanings(長短音) 1. A. The shop is red. B. The shop is raided. 2. A. Please lend me some cash! B. Taiwan is a picturesque land. 3. A. My daughters are now married! B. There are only two doctors in the clinic. 4. A. You can't just walk a dog without a leash. B. You should sign the lease contract. 5. A. After losing a few pounds, my pants get quite loose. B.Lisa's husband is a total loser who never earned a penny home. ●Phrases: Worth Memorizing 1.G.P.S. always misguides the inexperienced drivers to the unknown places miles away from the destinations. 導航系統常誤導菜鳥駕駛開到離目的地十萬八千裡的地方去喔! 2.Please keep your volume down and refrain from talking on the phone so loudly that it really inconveniences others.請把你的音量降低,也盡量不要在電話中大聲交談,這樣影響到很多人。 3.It's easy to get a cramp without adequate amount of warm-ups before swimming. 游泳前沒有做好足夠的暖身運動很容易抽筋的! 4.Hey! This is an Indian gift from Joe who always expects others to return the favor when he fails to meet the deadline. 啊!這可是從哪位很愛討人情的喬先生送的禮物,每次只要他來不及期限前完成任務,就會開始要別人還人情了! 5.Most teenagers are exposed to thrilling video games so as to cause them to have short attention span when it comes to the schoolwork. 很多青少年都大量接觸許多刺激的電玩遊戲,如此一來讓她們對學校工作都非常興趣缺缺無法集中精神。 6.Sometimes we should learn to pamper ourselves by getting what we really want and hang out with people we haven't met for long.有時候我們要學著寵愛自己,藉由得到想要的東西和許久沒碰面的友人相聚。 7.Shanny has a hard time concentrating on Brian's lectures considering that she got the whole world to worry about.珊妮很難集中注意力在布萊恩的課堂上,因為她老是杞人憂天到不行。 8.Don't badmouth others behind them because it's undoubtedly shady and disgusting!不要背後說人壞話,這可是很陰險也很令人不齒的! ●Questions for Brainstorming: A dumb man walked into the pharmacy and pointed his stomach for medicine and he got it. Question, now what should a blind man do to get the painkiller for a headache?
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英文原來這樣說(English Is A Piece of Cake)
學習英文的同學常有「風蕭蕭兮易水寒,單字一背兮不復返」的感慨。明明花了大把時間和金錢背著必考單字可卻看不到成績。其實,大家都忘記學習語言最初的重點:用耳朵習慣語言,並創造出學習的環境。妳的臉書在語言設定為英文了嗎?你知道按讚其實在英文就是CLICK" LIKE"嗎?而手機響了半天後,只發現你得了一通MISSED CALL(未接來電)?不僅僅是把英文帶入生活習慣,你甚至可以在冰箱上貼上refrigerator,或是在止痛藥上寫著pain-killer提醒自己許多的生活用語而潛移默化到自己的英文表達中。ICRT廣播人王大衛台北ICRT也是一例,就聽他悠遊於英語、台語、國語三聲帶之間,誰都佩服,但是有多少人知曉他從沒在國外居住過?常春藤學習機構賴世雄老師也是藉由大聲朗讀和不斷重複句子,來加強自己的語調變化和提升用字,把家中飼養的豬隻當作是自己的聽眾,勇敢地進行英文演講,慢慢地也可以發現自己的錯誤,進而快速提升自己的英文實力。曾經在全國中、英文演講迭獲佳績的經驗告訴我,大量背誦佳文以及注意自己的語速是否夠自然是很重要的,除了要注意自己的儀態表情,更是要讓自己的表達「有自己的呼吸節奏」,只要長期有閱讀英文刊物習慣的同學就知道,在怎樣場合使用怎樣的表達是最為適切的,就像唱歌節目中的評審常提到:不要匠氣般地使用技巧,要發自內心的感動才會是好的表演。比如說:I usually go to school by train and take the bus home. (我經常坐火車上學,搭公車回家。)這樣如此親近的句子其實在口說中是可以拿到相當的分數,但是除了習慣的句子和流利度,難道同學不想再更進一級的表達了嗎?特別是道地的表達。所以這句話我們可以使用鑽石級的單字commute(v.)通勤,EX: I tend to commute to school by train and take the bus home on a daily basis. 同學應該不難看出來Brian老師在句中使用了很高級的幾種大考頂標寫法:1. Tend to習慣於….(做某事)取代常見的頻率副詞usually/often/ frequently/occasionally/seldom/barely等等2. Commute to通勤到(某方向)3.on a daily basis以每天為基礎的(= every day)。小小的修正慢慢就會感受到自己的長足進步和充滿自信的用英文表達想法了喔!很多同學看到這裡都會raise their eyebrows發問類似問題:「我自己練習大聲說英文錯了怎辦?」、「跟朋友練習口說好幾小時也不知道是否有效果?」、「為什麼單字量老是不夠呢?」。這就是今天老師要討論的兩大重點了: (A)生活化英文與(B)如何快速記憶且活用單字。千萬要記得準備、觀察、提問、學習和你我「息息相關」的英文表達,就會是好的學習方向,不管是新聞中提到的EBOLA VIRUS(伊波拉病毒)或食安風暴中的餿水油(TAINTED OIL),甚至日幣貶值現象(DEPRECIATION OF YEN)都應該是要在同學的單字記憶範圍中。可以用外語談論自己的文化和國際的各種新聞事件,才算得是正確的學習方法;更重要地,很多同學到了國外告訴我,每次到了餐廳只知道sandwich(三明治),其他都不敢點,很怕說錯被笑。天天吃冷食,好不容易有一天看到店家寫著:Hot Sandwich Available,開心的買來大口咬下,竟然發現是「超辣三明治」,這真的是比扯鈴還扯的理解錯誤了!這讓老師想到跳上國際芭雷舞台的首席舞者:許芳宜,她在經過許多磨難、內心崩潰、自我懷疑、不眠不休練習,終於通過紐約舞蹈學校認可入學,但老天爺並沒有這樣讓她日子輕鬆點,『英文』這個噩夢讓她天天都要帶著翻譯機,在這國際大都市中感覺自己又聾又啞,快被人潮壓縮到窒息。但她知道:丟臉,是因為自己不願意面對現況、不願意學習,這才是丟臉。人如果連學習都沒有意願,那誰又能幫你?。因為在美國她最愛吃的早餐就是Cinnamon-Raisin Bagel(肉桂葡萄乾貝果),於是她就在家裡天天練習,隔天她鼓起勇氣要去路邊的店家點餐,那段路走得她雙腳發軟和冷汗直流,跟電影「救救菜英文」女主角在美國咖啡廳點餐的情況一模一樣,最後許芳宜在櫃台前準備要說的那一刻,右手卻不聽使喚地指向Cinnamon-Raisin Bagel,說This, I want this.好險,對方知道她英文不好,不然這樣的命令口吻是很沒禮貌的。最後,她花了兩天走到哪都在念著:I want a cinnamon-raisin bagel。隔天,她竟然脫口說出來了,後來幾天,她還加料了:I want a cinnamon-raisin bagel with top cream(加奶油) with a cup of coffee, please. 從此以後,她不管是試演或是專業表演中,多了更大的信心去執行自己的想法。Dare to be different, 就算跟別人不一樣的外表或國籍,我想我們更需要的更多的勇氣來證明自己也可以表現出更多更好的作品,有時候假裝勇敢,也是學習勇敢的一個過程。身為土生土長的台灣人,Brian老師更是可以感受到同學在英文學習的挫折和困惑,在國外生活求學這些時間也讓老師了解到很多生活需要的用語和校園內為了升學考試迥然不同的用語表達。 那麼我們就讓同學練習一下,判斷以下這些句子有什麼差別吧!請試著翻譯出來。 1. How did your trip to the bank go? 2. How did your project go? 3. I am not getting along with history. 4. I am not getting along well with my crew. 5. It takes you forever to figure that out. 6. He earned the six-figure salary. 不知道各位同學順利的翻譯出來了嗎?接著,我們就要好好的討論這幾個句子囉!眼尖的讀者一定發現裡頭有相似的單字或表達語,那麼希望待會你跟老師解答的內容相同喔! * 「Go」除了最常見的「前往」和「進行某動作+V-ing」=>Go ahead也是常用在討論事件中,突然有電話打來後,提醒對方:「你可以繼續說下去」或是對方必須立刻離開卻有些顧忌妳的感受,這時候你就可以體貼的說「 Go ahead」(去忙吧!沒關係的!)在(1)(2)句中要表達的還有另一層涵義: 1. How did your trip to the bank go?=你去銀行辦事路上(過程)都還順利嗎? 首先同學要了解這裡的Trip不是名詞旅遊或是動詞絆倒的意思,而是指』跑這趟』的意思。當時在加拿大的時候,住宿管理辦公室還特地問老師是否願意寒假留下來當巡邏員和處理新生事宜(當時我才大二),對於這種挑戰當然既期待又怕受傷害,於是跟宿舍主管繞了一圈自己天天穿梭的各宿舍大樓,有了不同的責任感和壓力。當前提是要去申請臨時社會安全證,透過學校發出的公文再到當地戶政事務所確認就可以了,但因為中文拼音和護照不同,導致我跑了好多趟。最後,辦事員還用憐憫地眼神看著我說「 Sir, I feel sorry for you to make several trips.」(先生,我真的很不好意思讓你跑這麼多趟。)因為從老師的學校到辦事處要經過18條大街,然後步行在小腿高度的積雪中,真的是永生難忘記的經驗啊!所以同學了解了TRIP的道地表達了嗎? 2. How did your project go?=你目前計畫案進展如何? * 「Along」:常解釋成為「沿著」某路線前往的意思,或是順著路徑而移動。所以如果要幫忙外國友人指路,就可以派上用場了:Please go along the street and turn right at the second intersection. Then, the train station will be seen on your right hand (side). Should I draw a map for you? (請沿著這條街走,接著在第二個十字路口右轉,然後車站就會在你的右手邊了。) 3. I am not getting along with history. 我歷史部分念得很少。 = I am not making any progress in history. = I am not pulling it out in comprehending history. 4. I am not getting along well with my crew.同事與我相處不是很愉快。 5. It takes you forever to figure that out. 你花超久才理解這件事情。 6. He earned the six-figure salary.他月入六位數的薪水。 <文法Even if V.S. Even though用法比一比> 「就算現在天氣很糟糕,你還是必須要上班。」 Even the weather is terrible, you still have to go to work.(×) 錢少事多離家遠,天氣又濕又冷,這是我們必須面對的事實,不過痛苦還沒結束,因為還有英文錯誤要解決。上面這個句子,我們漏掉了 even後面的though。這個句型很簡單,就是:【Even though +句子A,句子B】 這是英文常用句型,「即使A…,還是B」。所以開頭那個句子應該這麼說:Even though the weather is terrible, I still have to go to work. 「等等,老師!我記得英文裡頭還有 even if,它和even though有什麼差別呢?」這是個非常好的問題。一般來說,even though 用於實際發生的狀況;even if 用於假設和建議。比方說,你今天真的很累,可是還是要拜訪親戚:Even though I'm tired, I still have to visit my grandma today.這是真正的情況,所以你就要用 even though。再來看另一種情況。你的一個女性朋友要去一間酒吧,你得提醒她:就算一個男生很帥,妳還是不應該把電話號碼給他。這是還沒發生的事,算是假設建議的情況:Even if he is handsome, you still shouldn't give him your phone number.
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Differences : All around you
In Kinmen, what could possibly be different about going to see big Hollywood blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy, Maze Runner, and Gone Girl? The answer is quite a lot. I never expected something as simple as seeing a movie to be such an effective cure for homesickness, while simultaneously delivering subtle waves of culture shock. At first glance everything about going to the movies appears the same:the movie posters, the trailers playing overhead, and the concession counters. However, the small differences begin with a mixture of Hollywood and Taiwanese trailers. They continue when the employees aren't grumpy teenagers, but the smiling faces of adults that look genuinely happy to see you. When you walk up to the counter, major differences appear. First, you are asked where you would like to sit in the theater. This idea is innovative and I hope it appears in American theaters. Even with preordered tickets in United States, you can still end up with unpopular seats. In Taiwan, you can guarantee that if you arrive early you can pick better seats. Another benefit of the movie theaters in Kinmen is that if you add 10NTD to your ticket,you receive a small popcorn and soda. This brings your total to 290 NTD, less than 10 USD. Due to the monopolization of movie theaters in America, a single ticket costs 10-14 USD. Buying popcorn, a drink or candy is usually another 10 USD. Altogether, that's a total of 20 USD, or around 900-1030 NTD per person. At the concession countera ticket doubles as a coupon for a drink and food. There are popcorn choices of Cajun, salty, sweet, or a mixture. In America, you can only order salty popcorn, sometimes with a choice of extra butter. After making the unexpected choice of popcorn and drink,movie-goers can proceed to their seats. This can occasionally be confusing for foreigners because odd number seating is on the left and even number seating is on the right.However, this system makes sense, because it clarifies which side of the theatre people should use when they enter. From there, movie-goers can sit back and relaxand enjoy the movie, whether it is a foreign or Taiwanese film. As a foreigner in Kinmen, it was helpful to stray from the American Blockbusters. I saw movies like Coffee Waiting Love (等一個人咖啡), Accomplices(共犯), and Dream Flight (想飛) to practice my Mandarin.Seeing a Taiwanese film can be a fantastic avenue for foreigners to practice language, to learn about the culture in which they are living, and to provide them with conversation starters. With time, they may come to appreciate and enjoy the differences all around them, in and out of the theater.
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英文原來這樣說(English is A Piece of Cake)
每年國考都有許多考生悶著頭投入準備,卻屢屢都在閱讀測驗或是單字準備上沒有準備方向,買了很多厚重的閱讀大全卻發現內容編排非常零散而且只是重複練習題目,而永遠沒有學到閱讀的樂趣。如果投機點來說,其實重大的英文檢定考試多半會參考托福或雅思程度的出題為範本,因為不管學術性的豐富背景或是單字要求程度都有相當的水準。但老師在廣播節目上或是大型研討會中所接觸的優秀語言學家們,大多都是利用廣泛閱讀和接觸真正母語人士的英文閱讀內容來著手。所以今天Brian老師特定精選出美國熱門獨立女性精神文章中,談論到非常偉大的「單親媽媽」。或許社會給予很多異樣的眼神或標籤,但這些勇敢的母親不因為家裡沒有丈夫或是少了一筆收入就自暴自棄,反而開始努力經營出自己的事業和鼓勵很多婦女一起靠自己來撐起孩子的未來和生活。常會聽到很多新婚父母抱怨照顧孩子根本是剝奪睡眠的苦差事,隔天還要繼續上班努力掙錢給家裡,但妳有想過獨自撫養小孩的單親媽媽要扛起雙重壓力和責任嗎?這篇文章是國外原文文章由Brian老師親自編譯中文和延伸介紹給各位幸運的同學們,一起來從筆者的親身經驗感受到單親媽媽的辛勞和由衷地感佩如此不凡的精神。好好學習這篇短文的表達和相關詞彙,讓大家對於美國文化深度和社會議題都有很直接的感受和感動。 There Is Nothing Single About a Single Mom 「單親媽媽」:妳不是「單打獨鬥」 Recently I took my two nieces to a movie by myself. The closest I've come to being a mom is being a babysitter, so I thought it would be a walk in the park. As it turns out, a three-hour adventure with two bouncy, sugar-infused, excitable, curly-haired little girls is anything but a walk in the park. More like a walk in the dark of "I don't know what I'm doing!" From wiping noses, to wiping bottoms, to making sure no one ate an entire box of gummy bears while I wasn't looking, to managing to hold two sticky and squirmy little hands while balancing water bottles, backpacks, stuffed animals, and giant bags of popcorn--flying solo with two little baby birds in the nest is no small feat. I walked away from that experience with a renewed respect for moms everywhere, especially single moms. 最近我帶兩個姪女去看電影。說到最貼近當媽的經驗就是保母工作,我起初認為應該就是在公園散散步,結果卻是和兩個糖吃太多而異常興奮蹦蹦碰跳的捲髮女孩的三個小時奮戰,根本和散步天差地別。 倒很像「我壓根不知道自己在做什麼」之公園摸黑亂走中,從幫忙擤鼻涕、擦屁股到確定女孩們別在我沒注意的時候吃了整盒的熊熊軟糖,同時牽著兩隻黏呼呼的手外且需穩著身上掛著的水瓶和包包,以及超大包爆米花─好像隻身飛出巢穴照顧兩隻雛鳥,這還真是不小的壯舉。經歷這些讓我重新用更尊敬的心情看著身邊的母親們,尤其是單親媽媽。 ●The closet thing I've come to +V-ing對於我接觸….最類似的事情…. EX.:The closest thing I've come to being a teacher was tutoring my younger brother with math questions. ●Sugar-infused(a.)由糖分攝取所引起的,也有稱這種因為吃太多糖果而有的興奮反應為Sugar High。Infuse有注入的意思。 ●anything but= exclude 不包含VS. nothing but=include包含 EX.:I want anything but money.(我什麼都要就是不要錢。) EX.:I want nothing but money.(我什麼都不要就是要錢。) ●There is no small feat. 不小的壯舉, feat(n.)功勞或戰功。 ●Renew(v.)更新; renewal of the driving license駕照更新 VS. revoke吊銷 My sister is not a single mom, and neither was my mom. They've been blessed to have husbands around to help carry the load. Still, after a long day of working, cleaning, cooking, defusing arguments, brushing hair, brushing teeth, bathing, and disciplining, and somehow finding five minutes a day to tend to their own needs, they are often physically and mentally drained. So I can't imagine how much more of a burden single moms must carry around on a daily basis, with the well-being and needs of one or more impressionable, innocent, trusting little people riding squarely on their shoulders. So to the single moms, I salute you. 我姊不是單親媽媽,我母親也不是。她們都很幸運有著丈夫可以幫忙分擔工作。再者,一天工作辛勞後,你還得打掃、煮菜、化解爭吵、梳頭髮、幫忙刷牙、幫小孩洗澡和管教生活禮節,而最後只能勉強擠出五分鐘給自己,那時候早就筋疲力盡了!所以我根本無法想像一個單親媽媽要怎麼獨自處理這每天日復一日的負荷,還要一邊兼顧著的甜蜜包袱─那令人疼愛、天真又全心仰賴著妳的孩子的健康和需求。 因此所有的單親媽媽,我非常尊敬妳們! But you put on quite a show, really had me going/But now its time to go, curtains finally closing/ That was quite a show, very entertaining/But its over now/Go on and take a bow/Oh, and the award for the best liar goes to you/For making me believe that you could be faithful to me/Let's hear your speech out/How about a round of applause?/A standing ovation? You have likely never received a standing ovation, but you deserve one. You are the silent heroes. You are on the front lines of a long and hard-fought battle to raise strong, intelligent, healthy, moral, productive children. You put your own needs second without even pausing to think about it, and you take the small piece of cake (both literally and figuratively) so your little ones can have the bigger one every time without fail. You don't date anyone who can't handle a package deal because it's no longer just about you--you're thinking and living for two (or more). You face a million different challenges every single day, and you don't back down. You never even waver. You cry, but only when no one else can see. You hold the hardest and least-paid job there will ever be, and you do so without complaining. And when push comes to shove, you become a dad out of love. You are a doctor, a teacher, a nurse, a maid, a cook, a referee, a heroine, a provider, a defender, a protector, a true Superwoman. Wear your cape proudly. 妳的努力可能從未被讚揚,但絕對功不可沒。 妳是無名英雄,總是站在前線去拚命扶養出強壯、聰慧、能辨是非和充滿創意的孩子們。把自己的需求放一邊,甚至拋諸腦後,而且總給自己最小份的蛋糕(實質或比喻都是)來讓小孩們分到比較大塊的享用。妳絕不跟無法接受妳有孩子的人約會,因為這已經並不是妳而已而是關係到一個或更多的孩子們。面對每天接踵而至的挑戰一點也不退卻,「動搖」這兩個字不在妳的字典裡。妳不願別人看到妳的眼淚。妳的工作是全世界最困難和超低報酬,但妳只是吞下一切的苦楚。出於愛護孩子的心態,在關鍵時刻妳總是化身為父親挺身而出。 妳身兼醫生、老師、護士、傭人、廚師、裁判、女英雄、養家活口的人、捍衛者、保護者,也是個名副其實的「女超人」。 驕傲地穿著妳的披風吧! ●Standing ovation指表演讓全場觀眾感動到起身鼓掌的畫面 ●On the front line站在最前線(通常是拿來比喻戰場中的士兵)→bear the brunt首當其衝;You are crossing the line你太過分了! ●Out of 出於…sympathy憐憫心/rage盛怒 ●Productive(a.)多產的(作家/孕婦皆可) ●without fail可以達成(母親希望孩子可以開心吃到蛋糕而不會失望) ●package(n.)通常都是指套裝內容,這邊是指有孩子的單親媽媽,若將來結婚新的配偶也是要照顧自己的孩子。Deal原來也可以指「生意或協議」的概念,在這裡點綴的非常有意思,希望對方可以盡責任不只是口頭承諾。 今天我們要講的習慣用語有一個共同的詞:push. 這個詞的意思是「推」。我們要學的第一個習慣用語是:push around. Push somebody around這個短語從字面解釋就是把一個人推得團團轉。你在學校的操場上有時會看到大男孩把小個子男孩當胸一推。他是在尋釁打架。我們也可以說: He's pushing him around. 不知有沒有人也在把你push around?你可能會說沒這回事,因為你已經不小了,但是push around並不光是指肢體行動或者動武,有時辦公室的上級不必動手也會把下級push around. 他的手段可能是高聲喝令,或者為了雞毛蒜皮的小事動不動就發脾氣等等。我們接下來要看的就是這樣一個例子: 例句1:I'm sick of Mr. Jones pushing us around. I'm going to find another job, and when I do, I'll go in and tell him what I think of him and then slam the door on my way out.他說:我實在討厭Jones先生這樣擺佈欺負我們。我要去找新工作,找到後,我會到他辦公室去告訴他我對他的為人有什麼看法,然後走出來的時候把他的房門重重地關上。聽了這段話裡,你可以體會push around有仗勢欺人的意思。我們要學的第二個帶有push這個詞的習慣說法是:pushover, Pushover是復合詞。Pushover是指容易接受他人影響或者聽從勸告的人。有時pushover也可能是個軟心腸又富有同情心的人。例如我們下面要說的Peter就是這樣一個人: 例句2:My friend Peter is a pushover for anybody in trouble. Yesterday on our way back from lunch he saw an old man begging. And he immediately handed him a ten-dollar bill.他說:我的朋友Peter對受苦的人心腸很軟,昨天我們吃了中飯回來的路上看到一個老人在乞討, 他馬上給了那老人十美元。從這段話可以看出pushover也可以解釋軟心腸的人。 我們要學的第三個習慣用語是:when push comes to shove. Shove, 它的意思是使勁猛推,舉動往往還帶點粗暴。我們剛才說過push意思只是「推」,顯然shove動作的強度要大得多,情況也來得嚴重。when push comes to shove意思就是面臨最後緊要關頭、沒有任何迴旋餘地的時刻。 例句3:Mr. Blank is getting a lot of letters and phone calls from people on this bill and he won't say how he'll vote. But when Congress votes Tuesday and push comes to shove, I think he'll vote in favor of it.他說:Blank先生收到了好多有關這個議案的信和電話,只是目前他還不願意表態,然而到星期二國會表決的時候他可就沒有絲毫迴旋餘地了。我認為他將投贊成票。
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The Power of Traditions
A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to go to the "Caterpillar Dance" for students at National Quemoy University, with a friend who told me about it. The "Caterpillar Dance" is an annual tradition where the college's freshmen from each department partake in an intense dance competition against the other departments. Each performance has to be nine minutes long, and involves a lot of costumes, coordinated dance moves, and musical mash-ups. Seeing an important university tradition in a non-American university setting was interesting. Going to this event reminded me about the traditions at my own college, Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. I remember very vividly, my first night as a freshman. We were ushered into the campus chapel where upper classmen filled the other seats, screaming and yelling with excitement. The way the freshmen at NQU were cheered on by their departments brought a fond memory. At Wheaton after the yelling subsided, the upperclassmen told us about stories and traditions that were important. One tradition involves the very doors to the chapel. The tradition says that you are not allowed to walk through the front doors until you become a senior. If you break this tradition, something terrible will happen to you to keep you from graduating. A similar tradition says that you cannot sit on the steps of the library before you are a senior. If you sit on the steps before your final year of college, senior students have the right to throw you into the campus pond. I never saw this happen, but I would not be surprised if it had. Another tradition involving the pond that says you must swim across it before you graduate, otherwise, you will have bad luck after graduation. I never did this, for many reasons, including the dirty appearance of the pond. So far, I haven't encountered too much bad luck since graduation, and I'm hoping it stays that way. Many seniors decide to fulfill the requirement of swimming across the pond during our Candle Lighting Ceremony. On one of the first nights of freshman year, each freshman receives a candle to light as they stand around the pond. The ceremony is beautiful, watching the little lights twinkle across the campus. Less beautiful is the fact that sometimes the older students push the younger ones into the pond. During the last week of school for senior students, each senior takes the candles they received as freshmen and lights it one last time before sending it floating across the pond. The night I lit my candle it began to rain. Unceremoniously, I threw my candle into the pond, barely lit, and ran to find shelter from the rain. Though the event was not as beautiful as I had hoped, it was my last chance to fulfill a Wheaton tradition and I am so glad I did. Some of these traditions may seem silly, and in reality, they are fairly ridiculous. But there is something about traditions that help make a community out of strangers. As freshmen, we were all strangers. By the end of the night, after lighting our candles and trying not to get pushed in the pond, we all shared an important experience as a community. I think the dance competition for NQU did the same thing. It brought the new freshman together through a silly, strange tradition, and that in itself is incredibly powerful. 『本專刊由<金門日報>編輯部與學術交流基金會(傅爾布萊特交換計畫/Fulbright Taiwan)共同策畫製作』
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Adventuresin Crab Fishing
I was in disbelief when my friend, Matt, invited me to go crab fishing. Me, of all people, fishing for crabs? Yes, I had some fishing experience as a young girl, holding a dirty worm as bait between my fingers, careful not to crush the poor thing. But in Minnesota, a state with no immediate access to the ocean, plain old fish is the closest thing to seafood that we have. In the end, crab fishing sounded fun, and I was up for a challenge. Once it got dark, Matt picked me up and brought me to Shangqi Elementary school in Little Kinmen, where his LETs (local English teachers) were waiting. They were ready to fish, and already had buckets and fishing nets attached to long and short bamboo sticks. They also had flashlights because, after all, this adventure was late-night fishing. We drove our scooters into the darkness towards Qing Yuan Lake and felt the wind against our skin. The air was humid, but had a light coolness. It feltlike a great night for fishing. After we arrived, the LETs immediately started to flash their lights onto the surface of the lake, near the shore. Matt and I were unsure of how to act, so we followed them with our flashlights. Within a minute, one of the LET's husbands yelled out to us. He had already found a crab! At first, it was difficult for me to see the crab - I wasn't sure what I was supposed to look for. But then I saw a nice round crab, sitting on a rock near the bridge. I couldn't believe it. Was the crabyelling to us, "Catch me, catch me!"? We were high above, so the LET's husband climbed over the bridge railing and steadily moved himself closer to the crab. He took the long fishing nets and with one swoop, captured the crab. We cheered and whooped at his swift and expert-like technique. This first crab ended up being our biggest catch of the night. For the next hour we scavenged under bridges, in streams, and under rocks looking for crabs. The longer we hunted, the better we became at finding crabs. The ones under rocks were sometimes hard to catch because they would dig themselves intothe sand. When we tried to capture them in our nets, they would try to claw themselves out, causing Matt and me to squirm. As we made our way towards the beach that overlooked the metropolitan lights of Xiamen, we also saw shrimp jumping in the streams, and little white crabs skittering away into the moonlight. We caught around nine crabs and took them back to Shangqi to share with the other teachers. One of the LETs cleaned them and snipped their clippers off, allowing Matt and me to safely hold them as we posed for a picture. To cook them, she simply steamed them in a rice cooker, adding a splash of rice wine. Crab had never tasted as satisfying, having put so much work into catching them ourselves. Crab fishing is one of many unique cultural experiences that I have been fortunate enough to experience here on Kinmen. I doubt I would have such an incredible experience anywhere else. These experiences not only push me to be more adventurous but also leave me wanting more. Who knows what I'll be able to try next? Octopus fishing, anyone?
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Learning Ukulele Without Language
When I moved to Kinmen in August, I had never taken a class in Mandarin. Knowledge of Chinese was not a requirement of my teaching grant, but I expected to encounter language barriers during my stay here. What I had not anticipated was the magnitude of these barriers. I quickly found that knowing Chinese was a very important tool for ordering food, getting directions, buying movie tickets, and most other interpersonal interactions. The simplest every day tasks required me to know some Chinese. As such,language--and the awareness that I did not share a common one with most of the people around me--has become a topic that is important for most of my day-to-day interactions. When I consider dinner, I not only have to think about what I want to eat, but also which restaurant may have an English menu or meals that I am already familiar with and can easily identify. My job as an English teacher has also put language at the forefront of my mind. I love working with students and trying to find ways for English to make sense. Explaining English grammar, however, is harder when the teacher does not share a language with the students. One of the reasons why I love teaching is because of this challenge of trying to help students understand a concept in an unfamiliar language. This is difficult work, but once they do understand, it is very rewarding. Understandably, language occupies my mind during school whether I am planning English lessons, trying to convey those lessons to my Chinese-speaking students, or attempting to learn Chinese words on breaks. On breaks between classes, the teacher-student roles are sometimes reversed. Students, try to teach me useful Chinese words such as "water," "eraser," or "pen." There is never a moment during my workday where language does not occupy my thoughts, whether it is Chinese or English. I started taking ukulele classes at the community college a few weeks ago. I am not good at the instrument, but the classes have become one of my favorite parts of living on Kinmen. I love learning the ukulele. Unlike learning Chinese, if I do not master it, it will not affect my ability to talk to people, order food, or get a taxi. There is no pressure behind learning. Additionally, it does not matter that I do not speak Chinese when I learn ukulele. Music is the same in every language, and learning ukulele is the first thing I have done in Kinmen that is not affected by English or Chinese. In a way, the ukulele makes me feel even more connected to the community. I think there is something very relaxing about being immersed in the Kinmen community with no pressure to converse in Chinese or teach English. Instead,we all get to struggle learning something as simple as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", in the shared language of music.
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英文原來這樣說 (English is A Piece of Cake)
租屋啟示錄 不管在國際劍橋博思(BULATS)或國際職場語言能力檢測(TOEIC)對於租屋部份的考題都佔有相當比重,因為牽涉到公司運作和空間佈局,以及各市場的營收狀況,都是年年必考的題目。而其實最常見到的單字就是Lease(v.)租賃/租出: "Lease," contracts. A lease is a written agreement under which a property owner allows a tenant to use the property for a specified period of time and rent. (租賃關係就是以雙方同意下的合約關係,在財產持有人同意房客在約定期限內使用合約內所規範之財產的租借關係。) 那我們就一起來看看相關表達用語→ terms /conditions/ provisions (n.)條約;premise(n.)經營場地(所有地區);regulation(n.)法規;stipulation(n.)約定規範;Party (n.)(甲乙)方;infringement of +N (n.)違反…./damage(n.)損害;compensation(n.)賠償;tenant(n.)房客;utility fee(n.)水電費;leaking(n.)漏水狀況;the crack of the tiles磁磚的裂縫 想必靠近年底都會有些生活上的安排和變化吧!說到人生第一個脫離舒適圈的機會就是搬去外頭租房子,開始獨立生活享受屬於自己的小空間,幻想著自己悠閒起床、優雅喝咖啡還可以悠哉地煎著法式吐司展開有活力的一天,下班後還可以和三五好友一起聚聚。進入大學生活最期待就是擁有自己的獨立空間,可以在牆壁放上自己喜歡的裝飾品和精心佈置的動線,但其實租房子本身需要很多「眉角」,要是沒有謹慎挑選和觀察可是後患無窮,甚至會讓你血本無歸。上班族也常因為工作機會都要遠赴他鄉上班或是被調派(transfer)到其他部門支援,這樣在外頭租屋的機會大增,但確實有很多陷阱(trap)要注意。 【白紙黑字才站得住腳:行銷術語別上鉤!】 當初和父親到了台北郊區大學附近想尋個好住處,這樣可以不用舟車勞頓。看到地址位於巷弄裡其實內心有點猶豫,認為空氣對流可能是個問題,但爬上二樓就立刻聞到舊房子的霉味(moldy),我往內一看是非常昏暗的走廊(hallway)。迎面而來是看起來很誠懇的房東(landlord)向我們告知:「這裡有很多朋友都很喜歡要一起入住喔!今天不確定應該會被訂走了喔!」、「同學,只要你今天確定要入住而且先繳押金和租金,我就不算你水費。」聽到房東如此貼心的優惠,當下我興奮地點頭如搗蒜(keep nodding),好像省到了不少錢(a great bargain),卻再入住第二個月的月初就收到了水費帳單,我非常困惑地致電房東了解情形,沒想到電話那頭冷冷地回應:「合約上寫得清清楚楚的,有哪條說不用水費?」讓我啞口無言,如果合約上若沒有清楚紀錄或是錄音存證,單純口頭承諾在法庭上爭議性極大。而且承租期間,房東不得以開放參觀環境或確認房況而擅自進入,這都是侵害隱私(infringement of privacy)等觸法的行為,千萬不能姑息。 【公電=公開來用電?】 大學畢業後,發現之前租屋的地點都是網咖或來往複雜的人潮,臉上也多了黑眼圈和過敏加重,於是決定搬到住宅區改善生活品質。挑選的房間中規中矩,也注意到別「大門對廁所」或「床腳別向門口」等基本風水,照明極佳價錢也合理,最後開心的入住。但我卻發現到對房的住戶都會佔用洗、烘衣機長達半天,而且還把住校男友的衣物也一併拿來清洗;最扯的是,房東的母親還拖著家裡被單到我這層樓(一樓)來進行清洗,導致「公共用水用電」部份大增,這點我非常積極反映應而且也有拍照存證,並告知如果沒有降低費用會聯合其他住戶告消基會,後來可能是房東自知理虧確實有改善,不然還不知道要吃虧多久呢! 【租屋必備小常識】 ●詳閱租賃契約後,並提出你認為有疑問的部份進行修改,減少可能爭議。 ●請房東提供身分證資料(戶籍地、居住地、姓名、手機與家電)並確認是否為房屋持有人(需提供房契),避免有二房東跟你收租金。 ●打聽好附近房價殺價空間才清楚,並且要詢問是否可以養寵物。 ●鑰匙可以自行多打一副,以免半夜找不到房東。 ●家裡有任何修繕都要通知房東親自處理和評估狀況。 ●寒假(年假)期間若有需要住宿,提早通知房東以免住宿大門上鎖。 ●不管房價多少都要詢問之前房客背景和狀況,以免仇家敲錯門。 ●注意大門有任何可疑份子或包裹,都要立即通知房東以免意外發生。 ●利用匯款繳房租的朋友,請保留明細並和房東確認,也多一份通聯記錄。 ●若擔心門屋本身有傾斜問題,可以帶彈珠或寶特瓶至於屋中測試。 最後小提醒,在租賃契約中都會提及「若租屋期間有任何損壞則沒收押金以利修繕維護,皆由房客負擔處理。」若是房間第一時間有發現「壁癌」、「燈泡未亮」、「牆壁龜裂」、「地板有不明凹陷dent或撞擊損壞」、「磁磚發霉發黃m」,都應該由房東來進行完整處理後才能進行合約,而房客也要先行拍照存證以免後續追討賠償費用,可別以為自己重塗油漆或當起水泥工是做善事,一旦擅自更改屋內設計裝潢都是違反租賃法的,所以第一時間都要跟房東做聯繫確認,保障自身利益。 < The Newcomer> Fiona was new to New Zealand. She came to New Zealand speaking only her native languages. (母語=mother tongue)She brought her 10-year-old daughter with her. She was all she cares most in the world. They found an apartment (租借公寓v.s.condominium自有住宅)in Brisbane and only stayed there for three months when a neighbor's golden retriever (黃金獵犬)jumped over the balcony. It ran toward her daughter and upon seeing this scary scene Fiona jumped to hold her daughter with arms and to get in the way (阻擋)of that ferocious dog. She was about to punch(重力撞擊) it in the nose and the dog turned around after sensing Fiona's anger. Terrified, Fiona took her daughter back to her room and stayed in the apartment for the whole weekend. Fortunately,(不幸地) they found a new place for them near the school which her daughter was going to attend. Unexpectedly, one day her daughter, Mina, kept coughing(咳嗽) and making some screeching sounds(尖銳聲音) from the trachea.(氣管) She has an asthma attack(氣喘病發)! Fiona knew that she has to buy a car, so she called up the Toyota dealer.(業務員) After deliberating(謹慎考慮) on the deal for nearly two hours, she made the lump-sum payment and drove home the new car. <生活小品:情緒篇> 人的心是我們喜、怒、哀、樂各種感情的源泉,因此「心」這個字出現在美國不少的成語和俗語當中也就不足為奇了.在大多數情況下,人心顯示出來的是人類感情善良的一面,例如慷慨.要是有一個人對你說:"Aw, come on -- have a heart!" to have a heart 要是從字面上來解釋那就會毫無意義了,因為每個人生下來都是有一顆心的.To have a heart 是一個俗語,它的意思就是「要求別人對說話的人表示同情,或者是要求別人幫助他」。下面我們要舉的例子是一個十六歲的男孩,在請求他的爸爸讓他用家裡的新汽車.根據美國法律,一個孩子到了十六歲,就可以通過考試拿到駕駛執照,也就是說可以開汽車了.在美國,凡是一個家庭裡有這種年齡的孩子,那你就會經常聽到這樣的請求.這個男孩子對他爸爸說: ●Hey, Dad, have a heart and let me use the new car; I have this big date with Jennie tonight. 這個孩子說:「爸爸,請你發發善心吧,讓我用那輛新汽車吧.我今天晚上請我的女朋友傑尼出去玩,這個約會可是很重要的呢!」一般來說,家長都不太願意讓孩子開自己的汽車,因為許多年輕人往往喜歡開車開得很快,這樣容易出車禍.即便事故不嚴重,修理汽車的價格也很貴.何況,十幾歲孩子由於事故而死亡的例子也不少。我們要舉的第二個例子是一個問朋友借了錢的人,在請他的朋友寬容一些時間: ●Charlie, I know I've owed you the hundred bucks for a long time. But, have a heart: give me a little more time because I really don't have it right now. 這個人說:「查理,我知道我借你 (向你借了) 一百塊錢已經好久了.但是,請你做做好事兒吧,再寬容我一點兒時間,因為我現在確實沒有這筆錢。」 下面我們要講解的一個俗語是美國人日常生活中經常用的:"cross my heart",Cross my heart 在中文裡的意思就是「保證」,「發誓」等.一個小孩兒會說:cross my heart 來讓你相信他說的話是真的.例如: ●Billy, cross my heart, it wasn't me who broke your bicycle. 這個孩子說:「比利,不是我把你的自行車弄壞的,我發誓。」 Cross my heart 這個俗語用的面是很廣的,不僅小孩兒常用,大人也經常用這個俗語.例如,有的談戀愛的人就用 cross my heart 來向對方表白自己的真情: ●Honey, cross my heart, I've never looked at another woman since the first day I set eyes on you! Believe me, that's the truth! 這個人對他的女朋友說:「親愛的,我向妳發誓,自從我見到妳以來,我從來也沒有對別的女人看過一眼,這可是千真萬確的。」 今天的內容也是非常豐富而且包羅萬象,也要記住用英文好好表現國民外交,幫助台灣走出國外讓更多人認識!大家最近有沒有好好認真的複習呢?。希望大家都可以快樂而且收穫滿滿喔! 『本專刊內容由王軒老師提供,並與本社編輯部共同策畫製作』
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Chinese yo-yo bridges gap between two languages
When I learned that my school's specialty was the Chinese yo-yo, I did not think much of it. As a new English teacher at Jin Ding Elementary, my main focus was getting to know my schooland planning for my classes. I never imagined that within the first week of school I would get a Chinese yo-yo of my own, northat this instrument would serve a key role in my first few months. During the first few days of school I spent most of my Chinese yo-yo time watching. Their yo-yos seemed to spin so fast. The girls spun so gracefully as they tossed their yo-yos up and down, back and forth. Even the youngest students made it look so effortless. As I stood in the corner of the gym mesmerized, a group of younger students approached me and attempted to show me how to begin using my own yo-yo. The students giggled along with me each time the yo-yo fell off the string and rolled across the gymfloor. After patient guidance and instruction from our professional teacher I became steadier with my Chinese yo-yo. As my comfort level rose, so did my connections with the students. Chinese yo-yo became an unexpected way for me to bond with my students. Each day I look forward to break times when I can go to the gym and amgreeted by excited faces, amidst a background of colorful, flying yo-yos. It is a part of the day when my students and I can spend time together without the pressures and requirements of the classroom. The students see their teacher working hard to acquire a skill that is often difficult but also frequently rewarding. My own learning process with the Chinese yo-yo can be compared in many ways to my students' English education. Learning new things takes time, dedication, and most importantly failure. By witnessing their teacher go through the learning process, I believe my students feel more comfortable with me. They see that just like them, I too struggle with new things. They are there to show me new moves to try, laugh with me when I mess up, and cheer when I am successful. Inonly a couple of months the students have seen my own confidence grow, just as have I seen their confidence, skill, and comfort levels grow as well. Although most of our communication is limited to simple cheers, laughter, and smiles, my students take the lead as my teachers, and this has opened up a whole new world of communication for us. Now, the students feel more comfortable with me, and are willing to take more risks both inside the language-learning classroom and beyond. Without being able to speak each other's languages with proficiency, my students and I have found a way to communicate, and we have the Chinese yo-yo to thank for that.
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Halloween in America
While many people in Taiwan are familiar with the American holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is one holiday that is often overlooked: Halloween. On October 31st, Americans dress in costumes and covertheir houses with Jack-O-Lanterns (pumpkins with faces) and spooky decorations. This is a time for laughing at things that usually scare us, such as ghosts, monsters, goblins, and skeletons. On the evening of October 31st, everyone, mainly children, puts on costumes, lights Jack-O-Lanterns, and prepares for an evening of Trick-or-Treating. Kids especially love this holiday because it gives them the chance to dress as their favorite monsters, super heroes, sports players, and characters from movies. A lot of work can go into planning for Halloween. First, you have to decide what you want to be for Halloween. You can be absolutely anything. There are stores that sell Halloween costumes, or you can make one yourself. If you make your own costume, it doesn't have to be too much work. Creating a Halloween costume is supposed to be fun, and it's a great opportunity to go shopping with friends at both Halloween stores and thrift stores. In weeks prior to Halloween, people get together to carve faces and other designs on pumpkins. But first, you have to choose a pumpkin. In America, there are a lot of pumpkin farms and in the fall, people can go to these farms and pick their own pumpkin. Some of them are very small, but some of them can be as heavy as nine kilograms. After you buy your pumpkin, it's time to take it home and carve it. Some places have pumpkin carving contests, where awards are given to people with the best pumpkin-carving skills. After buying or making a costume, Halloween night finally arrives! Kids of all ages walk around their neighborhood getting candy. Dressed in their costumes, they knock on their neighbors' doors and say "trick-or-treat!" and then receive a piece of candy. Although some people consider Halloween to be for kids, adults can also enjoy dressing up in scary, funny, or cute costumes. Many adults have Halloween parties. At these parties, hot apple cider, hot cocoa, apples dipped in caramel, popcorn and other treats are served. Some people gather around a campfire and tell scary ghost stories. People also enjoy watching scary movies that have ghosts, zombies, monsters, witches, and skeletons in them. Two not-so-scary favorite Halloween movies are "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown." Although Taiwan doesn't celebrate Halloween as much as we do in the West, Halloween is still here, even in Kinmen. Every 7-Eleven store has Halloween decorations; cats, bats, owls, witches, and spider webs. Witches greet customers as they enter the store. And for anyone who really wants Halloween decorations and costumes, there are streets in Taipei that have stores full of all the Halloween essentials.
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Breakfast in Taiwan and American
One of the first things I happily adapted to in Kinmen was the widely-available variety of breakfasts. When I arrived to the rural, isolated area of Ding Bao, the first place I found open besides the 7-11 was a breakfast store. In general, Taiwan is filled with convenient, ready-to-go breakfast providers that far exceed those in America. In the U.S., besides driving to a McDonalds or Starbucks to grab a breakfast sandwich and coffee, there are not many convenient breakfast options. However, here in Kinmen, I can count five or more open breakfast places when I walk down one block. One of the more surprising features of all these eateries is that they open early in the morning and close before lunch. In America, most breakfast providers stay open all day, offering different meals as the day goes on. The classic server of American breakfasts is the diner, which is usually is open 24 hours or very late into the night. These diners usually offer breakfast all day long in addition to typical items like burgers, sandwiches and pies. Also, breakfast is generally a sit-down meal. Although there are usually ways of eating on the go, breakfast, whether it is a bowl of cereal or eggs, is traditionally eaten at a table, probably because most standard American breakfast foods require a plate and utensils. In both Taiwan and the U.S. eggs are a common breakfast item, but Taiwanese eateries usually wrap their eggs in a savory green onion "pancake" or "danbing" so it can be eaten by hand. American egg dishes, whether scrambled or fried or in an omelet, are served on a plate with cured meats like bacon or ham, and with some potatoes like shredded hash browns or roasted home fries. All of these foods require utensils and a longer amount of time to eat. Additionally, I found that Taiwanese breakfasts rarely contain sweet items except in buns or in drinks like soymilk or black tea, and both can be consumed on the move. A significant portion of American breakfasts are devoted to sweet tasting foods. While there are several coffee shops in Kinmen offering waffles, I find they are treated more like a dessert item than as a morning meal. Other sweet breakfast dishes in America include French toast and pancakes, all of which require forks and knives. Despite all of these differences, Taiwanese breakfasts have become one of my favorite meals of the day. Theve's always something different to order, and the best of all, they're convenient and always delicious! Recipe: Overnight Oatmeal A recent trend in healthy American cooking, overnight oats are prepared the night before and don't require any cooking. This makes it an easy and almost ready-to-go breakfast! Be careful not to use instant oatmeal, since this will cause a mushy texture. 1 serving: 1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant) 1/2 cup of milk (cow's milk or soy milk) 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (optional, but they absorb any excess liquid to prevent a mushy texture. Plus, they're very health, full of Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber). 1 pinch of salt I stir everything together in a plastic container, put the lid on, and place in the fridge overnight. You can also put it in a bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap. The next morning, I top the oatmeal with raisins, maple syrup or honey, and some more milk, and begin eating! The great thing about this recipe is how easy it is to customize. You can stir in yogurt for a thicker texture. For different flavors, you can add peanut butter, cocoa powder, jam, etc…
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Interview with Xikou Soldier
I started my teaching assistantship in Little Kinmen two months ago, and have become comfortable with Xikou Elementary School. However if it wasn't for Thomas Yang (陽宗道), one of Xikou's soldiers, I would not have transitioned as smoothly. On my first day at Xikou, I found myself in a difficult situation. As an English teacher, I was nervous about only receiving responses such as "uhh" and "I don't know" from my students. Moreover, I was worried that any use of Chinese would be against the wishes of my school. But when Thomas entered my office and began to excitedly speak to me in fluent English, I immediately felt at ease. Since meeting Thomas, I have advised him about education in the US, discussed international politics, and tutored him in prep for his TOEFL exam. As I learned about Thomas's plans, I became curious about the process Taiwanese/Kinmenese citizens must undergo when planning for academia abroad. Thomas' journey inspired me to interview him in hopes that the community of Kinmen might benefit from his experiences: When did you decide that you wanted English to be an integral part of your career? Yang: When I was in university. Because I found out that I can use English to communicate with the whole world so I came to understand that English is very important. What has been your most impactful experience that brought you to this path? Yang: I guess it was when I was in my third year in college. I was a junior taking a course in international politics. The professor was very interesting and every time he would talk about foreign affairs it was like he was telling a story. This made it fun and easy to understand. While studying with him I grew to understand more about international relations. You just took the TOEFL in Sept 12. How was it? Was it harder or easier than you thought? Yang: It was about the same. TOEFL is a test in which you need to analyze broadly and deeply. The questions are not hard but you need to be careful because there are various ways they try to trap you. However, because of the exam's four different sections, it also allows you to get a good idea of your language level. The topics they use are very broad so you will gain an even broader understanding of English while studying for it. When learning English, what would you say was your greatest help? Yang: I think that I am very lucky because my parents were able to help put me in English environment. They sent me to cram schools and I once went abroad to study English in New Zealand for three weeks. I think the most important thing is to find an English environment outside of class. If you could suggest anything to other people looking to take a similar path, what would it be? The first thing would be to never allow your fear to keep you from trying something new. The second is to have a dream. I had many classmates that lacked a dream to motivate them and all they wanted to do was get a job after college. But if you stay motivated in school then you can surely achieve your goals. Thomas Yang(陽宗道), age 26, graduated from Soochow University in Taipei with a bachelor's degree in English language and literature and a master's degree in Political Science. He plans to work towards a PhD in Political Science at a university in the United States.
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921─MotivationforEmergencyPreparedness
Author: Cassie Gross On Tuesday and Thursday, September 16 and 18, at 9:21 a.m., I followed my fellow co-teachers and students out to the field for a regular earthquake drill. While in Florida and Massachusetts we have mandatory drills, I never experienced an earthquake drill. In Florida, we only have fire drills and tornado drills. In a fire drill, each class has a designated location to meet outside of the building and away from the road. The locations are determined based on the closest exit door from the classroom. Students line up and are counted once they are outside to make sure everyone is out of the buildings. In the case of a tornado, students line up in an indoor hallway or take cover under their desks. They sit down on their knees and put their head down while covering their ears and head as best they can. We only practice the drills once a year and we rarely get feedback on how to make the process more efficient. In Kinmen, I watched as the kids hurried from their room towards open spaces carrying their backpacks over their heads. They lined up on the field, and gave their class role call to the head administrator. Later, I realized how different Taiwanese schools approach their emergency drills. I noticed and liked that the students in Taiwan practice the emergency drill several times and try to improve their performance based on comments from the previous drill. Coincidentally, I recently visited the 921 Earthquake Museum in Taichung. I was in shock roaming around the collapsed junior high school buildings. As I wandered through the school grounds, I was amazed by the power and severity of the disaster. The track was ripped apart, the buildings collapsed on each other, and the metal framework was bent at horrifying angles. I was on the other side of the world when the earthquake occurred on September 21, 1999, but when I was at the museum I felt like I was living through a small part of the earthquake. The museum provides vivid reminders about the consequences of large magnitude earthquakes and insightfully urges visitors to be more knowledgeable about evacuation and protection techniques. After returning to Kinmen, I couldn't help picturing the effects a terrible earthquake could have at my own school. I now appreciate the precautions Taiwan has taken to protect students in case of an earthquake. When the schools practice their earthquake drills at exactly 9:21 am, the earthquake warning system goes off not only to remind us of an earlier disaster, but also to call us to preventative action against future disasters.
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CulturalExchangeisGiveandTake
Author: Matt Klinkel Part of our purpose as Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) is to help Taiwanese teachers and students learn English and better understand American Culture during our year here. However, another purpose is to help us better understand Guoyu and Taiwan's place in the world. At its best, this exchange allows both parties to cooperate, despite our differences, toward the realization of our mutual interests. Fulbright's co-teaching model, where English teachers and local Taiwanese teachers work together in one classroom, exemplifies this cooperation. American and Taiwanese teaching styles are different, which leads to many roadblocks and difficulties. These must be overcome, but co-teaching also unites us through our mutual desire to educate the children in our schools and to give them more opportunities in an increasingly globalized world. There are many ways for me to give and take during my exchange program in Taiwan. For example, I give by spending sixteen hours a week teaching first through sixth grade English courses at Shangqi Elementary in Little Kinmen, in addition to six hours spent at Kinhu Elementary's immersive English Village. Several other foreign teachers and I will be holding English conversation tables for the local teachers in Little Kinmen as well. This will help the teachers with a more nuanced understanding of American English intonation and pronunciation, which will benefit their English students now and in the future. One common difficulty in learning English as a foreign language is that learners tend to study formal English and do not have the opportunity to engage in casual conversation with native English speakers. These conversation tables will help teachers learn to speak more casually and informally. This is a valuable skill for making friends and carrying on day-to-day conversations with English speakers. There are also myriad ways for me to learn, or "take" here in Taiwan. Many teachers at Shangqi do not speak English, but my Chinese allows me to interact with them. We can go out to dinner and even go to their houses to play Mahjong. I am slowly making my first Taiwanese friends. Navigating this experience helps me feel more welcomed in Taiwan and teaches me more about modern Taiwanese culture. On Thursdays, I will volunteer at the Shanwai Hospital emergency room. This experience will give me insight into healthcare and related issues in Taiwan. Finally, I learn through auditing my students' non-English classes. When I have time, I sit in on math, social studies, and science classes. I even participate in sixth grade Chinese literature and try to complete the readings. Experiencing non-English classes provides me a more holistic understanding of education in Taiwan, both systematically and culturally. More importantly, I think it shows my students that I have a genuine interest in better understanding their lives, culture, and language. I have as much to learn about language and culture as I have to teach.
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英文原來這樣說(English IsA Piece of Cake)
歡迎大家再次鎖定英文學習專欄English is A Piece of Cake,老師今年特別推出多益考證相關的專欄也獲得很多同學的支持和鼓勵喔!還記得我們利用找出『短篇文章找主旨』、『精采換句話說單元』和『飯店旅館英文上下篇』,讓同學可以比較真正的國際專業英檢考照用字和平常教科書或時常閱讀的英文讀物之間的差別用法囉!今天,老師要介紹一篇非常感人的文章,是由英國小學的校長所寫給同學的鼓勵信,認為大家不應該只是針對學期成績而衡量自我的價值而是用多方面肯定學子在藝術上、人際相處上、時間投資上,用更體貼細心的口吻來讓孩子快樂成長而不被制式的成績限制出自己的喜好和熱情,那我們就來一起看看這非常有意義的感人書信吧! Dear Charlie Owen: Please find enclosed your end of KS2 test results. We are very proud of you as you demonstrate huge amounts of commitment and tried your very best during this tricky week. However, we are concerned that these tests do not always assess all of what it is that make each of you special and unique. The people who create these tests and score them do not know each of you-the way your teachers do, the way I hope do, and certainly not the way your families do. 親愛的歐文查爾斯: 在此附上你學期成績單,我們非常驕傲你在充滿挑戰的本週中,投注許多熱忱和盡力表現自己。然而,我們確實很關心這些測驗其實無法測量出令你們如此特別和珍貴的特質。出題和評分者不像你的老師們如此認識你們,能以我所期望的看待你們或是像你們的家人般熟識你們。 They do not know that many of you speak two languages. They do not know that you can play a musical instrument or that you can dance or paint a picture. They do not know that your friends count on you to be there for them or that your laughter can brighten the dreariest day. The do not know that you write poetry or songs, play or participate in sports, wonder about the future, or that sometimes you take care of your little brother or sister after school. 他們不知道大部份的學生可以說兩種語言;他們不知道你可以演奏樂器;不知道你會跳舞或畫圖;不知道你受到朋友高度的信賴,因為需要幫忙時你義不容辭;不知道你的笑容總讓糟糕的一天充滿喜悅;更無法得知你會寫詩詞或歌曲、參與許多運動、對未來有無限憧憬、下課後有時也照顧著你的弟妹們。 They do not know that you have traveled to a really neat place or that you know how to tell a great story or that you really love spending time with special family members and friends. They do not know that you can be trustworthy, kind or thoughtful and that you try. Every day, to be your very best…the scores you get will tell you something, but they will not tell you everything. So enjoy your results and be very proud of these but remember there are many ways of being smart. 他們也不知道你已經去過很酷的地方旅遊;不知道你說出的故事超精采;不知道你很喜歡和親密的家人朋友一起共度時光;更不了解你嘗試要個相當可靠、仁慈和相當貼心的人。每天你都盡力表現最好,你收到的成績或許可以告訴你課業哪些還可以補強,但這並不代表一切! 所以好好享受你的成果而且要對自己非常驕傲,但也要記得這世上有很多方式可以表現你的聰慧! →從小就強調自身的特質發展教育,很值得我們學習喔! 現代人不只害怕當『窮忙族work overtime, get under-paid』也還怕天天醒來就是要錢,三餐餐費、交通燃料、保險醫療、聚餐娛樂、衣物行頭添購和如雪片般飛來的帳單鋪天蓋地而來,比哈利波特收到的入學通知單還多呀!學習語言最怕就是相似字,表面意思好像可以互通但其實使用的時機根本不同。所以今天Brian老師要細心整理有關中文解釋上「費用」的系列單字,看似很簡單但學問可大了。或許從小你都知道bill帳單但是指紙鈔或法案,而你有看過常在各大展覽會中的concession fee?還是你知道中文的「水電費」該怎麼用英文表達嗎?以下老師替大家整理的字組:Charge vs. Cost vs. Fare vs. Fee vs. Price vs. Rate。它們的用法依不同的場合、情況會有使用上不同的,而且通常不可互換! charge (v.)(n.):殺價常說: You are overcharging me.你在敲我竹槓嗎?=That's a rip-off. 充電/審判/衝刺/索費/費用 通常泛指某項服務或產品必須收取的費用。 例句:There is a 5% additional charge if you pay by credit card.(=plastic) 中譯:刷卡的話,要多收百分之五的費用喔。 常見字組搭配 (collocation): free of charge(=complimentary)→旅館篇特別介紹的complimentary breakfast免費早餐 補充:有時可與 fee 互換使用,例:legal charge/fee法律訴訟費, admission charge/fee入園/入場/入學費用, bank charge/fee cost (n.): 較籠統的花費總稱,而昂貴的可以用costly/pricy來介紹 Costco常見的好事多購物中心,注意其發音之外,也有個有趣的背法,進去這個商場就會Cost你很多coco(小孩子很愛說的「錢錢」);而同學知道咖啡龍頭星巴克的英文由來嗎?Star(星星)+Buck(塊=dollar)s →希望企業賺的錢可以像星星般的無限多啊,可說是非常有企圖心的企業呢! 通常指購買某物品、做某件事或使用某服務的總花費。 例句:I've calculated the cost of the trip to Europe, and it's over NT$300,000. 中譯:我算出這次去歐洲旅遊的費用了,總共超過台幣三萬塊錢。 TOEIC熱愛考法:at the cost of…………=at the expense of以......為代價或犧牲 EX.: Dexter finally got the chance to work in the Swedish office at the cost of years of efforts without socializing with friends/family or taking a short break. (德克斯特犧牲了多年所有和親友聚會和短期旅遊的時間,德克斯特終於爭取到去瑞典分公司工作的機會。)→想想也是挺可悲的pathetic!! 常見字組搭配 (collocation): high/low/full/total/extra cost, rising cost, at no extra cost, Fare (n.):What's the fare from Lyon to Marseille by train?(請問從里昂到馬賽的火車票費用是多少呢?)上計程車前一定要告訴對方:By Meter(照錶跳)省得有糾紛喔! 搭乘交通工具的費用, 如車、船、飛機票。 例句:Brian didn't have enough changes for the bus fare, so he walked all the way home.中譯:大可愛布萊恩不夠零錢付公車車票,因此他就一路走回家。 →這個時候你就會非常想跟公車司機說"Have a heart!"or"God, Mercy me."請你發揮點良心,可憐可憐我吧!大概比較適合有靴貓眼的朋友來用。 常見字組搭配 (collocation): bus/air/rail/train/cab/taxi fare, reduced fare, standard fare補充:Fare 與 Fair 的發音相同,在英聽上要特別注意! →老師用個句子讓大家好好背誦: The cab fare is not fair so that I would refuse to pay.(計程車費用太不合乎道理了,所以我拒絕支付。) Fee (n.): 規定費用(跟百貨公司的不二價"Fixed Price"很像),ex.: parking fee 入場費、註冊費或某項專業服務, 如醫療、法律收取的費用。 每到一個國家我都會習慣去當地的博物館或文史館系列了解背景文化,這樣到各處都會有非常有連結感。記得到歐洲荷蘭英文童書展,只要是學校老師都能夠「專業人士」特惠價,但因為準備行程太匆促來不及申請相關文件,於是我就用非常動人的英文告訴對方"I traveled all the way here from Taiwan, an island full of hospitable residents and diverse cultures and I am on the mission of bringing the latest information and knowledge back to my hometown and school as the English teacher. Please bend the rule(打破慣例) for me once, and I will appreciate your help so much!"就這樣說之以理、動之以情,老師破例拿到了Concession Fee for Teachers=就是教職人員的特惠入場價格喔,法律之外也不外乎人情呢!例句:Sarah will definitely sue her previous company for not covering her health insurance fee and benefit package regardless of how high those legal fees will be. 中譯:不管訴訟費用有多貴,莎拉一定會告前公司沒有合法付給健保費和履行基本福利方案。常見字組搭配 (collocation): registration fee, membership fee Price (n.): 也有付出「代價」的解釋喔!The price is really high.這代價是非常高的! 商家本身定下的價錢(通常比成本價高很多)。 例句:To celebrate the grand opening, all items are half price for the opening week. 中譯:為了慶祝本店盛大開幕,開幕週全商品半價。 常見字組搭配 (collocation): high/low price, prices go up/rise/increase/soar, prices go down/fall/drop, prices fluctuate, a price rise/increase Rate (n.): 會隨市場情勢波動(fluctuation)或淡旺季(low season/ peak season)有調整的費用。所以去到飯店網站上都有" Accommodation Rate"而不是Fee,老師有在飯店篇很詳細介紹囉!記得要好好複習內容,才能舉一反三。 通常依照使用的「時間」或「量」來計算某項服務收取的費用。 例句:What's the rate for a double room on weekends? 中譯:你們週末一間雙人房是多少錢? 常見字組搭配 (collocation): the going rate (一般市價), special/reduced rate, hourly/weekly rate Fine (n.): 法律的罰金(或罰單),如果是判決下來的罰責可以說penalty。而如果是保釋金可以說:bail(n.)(v.)把某人保釋出去可以說:bail someone out 依法律定奪下的罰鍰,基本上繳交給政府。 例句:George had to pay £100 in parking fines first before his car could be released from the car compound. 中譯:在 George 可以從拖車場取車前,他必須先繳清100英鎊違規停車的罰鍰。 Rent (v.)=lease (n.): 房屋的租金。【美】也可當其他租賃費用。 例句1:Brian pays his rent at the beginning of every month. 中譯1:Brian 每個月月初繳他的房租。 例句2:The boat is very popular, and the rent is only $20 an hour. 中譯2:這船很受大家的歡迎,而且租一小時只要20元美金。 例句3:The total cost includes accommodation and car rental.(British English) 中譯3:這總價包括了住宿及租汽車的費用。 想必同學非常喜歡今天豐富的內容吧,把感人的書信好好唸過幾遍也可以提升自己的口說能力喔,當然也要把老師用心整理的內容讀熟,學習英文非難事只怕有心人(Where there is a will, there is a way.)!那我們下次再見囉!