(明報)2009年12月30日 星期三 05:10
【明報專訊】後天便是2010年，到底「2010年」的英文該怎樣念才對呢？有人認為應念作twenty-ten，但有人則念成two thousand and ten，甚至有人念two-o-one-o。英國 廣播公司（BBC）的電台節目，近日亦討論這個問題，他們最後傾向念作「twenty-ten」。
如何念2010年這個令人困擾的問題，日前成了BBC電台節目的話題。這個節目由英國科幻劇集《Doctor Who》演員坦南特（David Tennant）與林泰特（Catherine Tate）主持。
老一輩念two thousand and ten
坦南特在節目中將2010年念成twenty-ten，並祝聽眾新年如意。泰特接著說﹕「twenty-ten……原來如此！看來你很遵守BBC的發音守則。」然後，坦南特向節目嘉賓克里賓斯（Bernard Cribbins）說：「我們認為應念twenty-ten。」
不過，克里賓斯認為，老一輩的人大多傾向念成two thousand and ten。泰特說：「你不能念成two thousand and ten……BBC發音部門的人會氣炸的。」
BBC設部門 決定統一念法
BBC設有一個部門，決定各節目應採用的統一發音。BBC表示，該部門尚未決定2010年的念法。BBC發言人說：「節目錄製之前，大家一致認為twenty-ten是最容易發音的念法，但用其他方式來念也不算違規。」
中央社/每日電訊報
今日跟同事都討論過呢個問題，其實例如1990我地都會讀作 nineteen-ninety，所以twenty-ten 又好似變得順理成章.....不過我地由2001 到2009年都叫左9年 two thousand and X ，一下子變作 twenty-something 又好似有d唔慣....
所以大家既結論就係想點講就點講，到時邊個多人用就用邊個。(^^)
By Kay
2009年12月21日 星期一
2009年12月17日 星期四
Celebrating the Sun's Return 冬至團圓夜
下星期就係冬至喇~唔知大家係咪都會返屋企團圓呢?大家又知唔知冬至點解要食湯圓呢?
Celebrating the Sun's Return 冬至團圓夜
The time of long, cold nights is almost over. Winter solstice*, which falls between December 20 and 23, is here. After the solstice, the days grow longer, so this day is considered a time of length.
One bitter winter, a homeless couple and their daughter wandered* into town. The mother became sick and died. To pay for the burials*, the father reluctantly* sold his daughter to a rich family. As he was leaving, he gave a glutinous rice ball* to the girl. “You eat it, Father,” she insisted.
(extracted from Live 互動英語12月號 - Celebrating the Sun's Return)Vocab
ulary
Vocabulary
1. Winter solstice (n.)
Solstice 指節氣中的「至」，即一年中白天最長或最短的一天。Winter solstice 指「冬至」，為白天最短的一天。
2. rituals (n.)a set of fixed actions and sometimes words performed regularly, especially as part of a ceremony 慣例;儀式
e.g. Coffee and the newspaper are part of my morning ritual.
3. tangyuan (n.)
為「湯圓」的英語拼音，也可說成"glutinous rice ball"，指「糯米球」。
4. charm (n.)
an object or saying which is thought to have magical powers, such as the ability to bring good luck 護身符
e.g. He keeps a rabbit's paw as a lucky/good luck charm.
5. wander (v.)to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction 徘徊
e.g. We spent the morning wandering around the old part of the city.
6. burial (n.)the act of putting a dead body into the ground, or the ceremony connected with this 葬禮
7. reluctantly (adv.) 勉強地; 不情願地
reluctant [+ to infinitive]= not willing to do something and therefore slow to do it 勉強
e.g. I was having such a good time I was reluctant to leave.
8. glutinous rice ball
= tangyuan
9. signifyto be a sign of something; to mean 象徵; 代表
e.g. Nobody really knows what the marks on the ancient stones signify.
10. reunionV[C] a social event for a group of people who have not seen each other for a long time 團圓
e.g. We're having a family reunion next week.oc
By Kay
References:
Live 互動英語12月號
Photo from www.flickr.com/photos/yufang920/3125182818/
Explanation from http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
Celebrating the Sun's Return 冬至團圓夜
The time of long, cold nights is almost over. Winter solstice*, which falls between December 20 and 23, is here. After the solstice, the days grow longer, so this day is considered a time of length.
One bitter winter, a homeless couple and their daughter wandered* into town. The mother became sick and died. To pay for the burials*, the father reluctantly* sold his daughter to a rich family. As he was leaving, he gave a glutinous rice ball* to the girl. “You eat it, Father,” she insisted.
(extracted from Live 互動英語12月號 - Celebrating the Sun's Return)Vocab
ulary
Vocabulary
1. Winter solstice (n.)
Solstice 指節氣中的「至」，即一年中白天最長或最短的一天。Winter solstice 指「冬至」，為白天最短的一天。
2. rituals (n.)a set of fixed actions and sometimes words performed regularly, especially as part of a ceremony 慣例;儀式
e.g. Coffee and the newspaper are part of my morning ritual.
3. tangyuan (n.)
為「湯圓」的英語拼音，也可說成"glutinous rice ball"，指「糯米球」。
4. charm (n.)
an object or saying which is thought to have magical powers, such as the ability to bring good luck 護身符
e.g. He keeps a rabbit's paw as a lucky/good luck charm.
5. wander (v.)to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction 徘徊
e.g. We spent the morning wandering around the old part of the city.
6. burial (n.)the act of putting a dead body into the ground, or the ceremony connected with this 葬禮
7. reluctantly (adv.) 勉強地; 不情願地
reluctant [+ to infinitive]= not willing to do something and therefore slow to do it 勉強
e.g. I was having such a good time I was reluctant to leave.
8. glutinous rice ball
= tangyuan
9. signifyto be a sign of something; to mean 象徵; 代表
e.g. Nobody really knows what the marks on the ancient stones signify.
10. reunionV[C] a social event for a group of people who have not seen each other for a long time 團圓
e.g. We're having a family reunion next week.oc
By Kay
References:
Live 互動英語12月號
Photo from www.flickr.com/photos/yufang920/3125182818/
Explanation from http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
I am looking forward to........
o係yahoo知識睇到一條幾有用既問題，我諗好多人都會問既:
Question - leekwanhoangel
"想請問 look foward to 同 looking foward to 後面係咪都可以 +ing?
如果可以, 有咩分別呀 ?
e.g.
I look forward to +ing .
I am looking forward to +ing .
Looking foward to +ing .
thanks"
Answer - hahatse:
"首先要明白look forward to, looking forward to後面是否用動名詞，不是取決於句子的時態。然後讓我們談談，to其實有兩種用法，一是用來組成不定詞的to，如：I want to go的to go的to就是用來組成to go這不定詞。
to第二個用途是用作介詞（preposition），如：The road leads to Paris.
當然to還可以用作副詞（但在此不談）
當用作介詞時，to後面就如其它介詞後面一樣，必須是名詞，動名詞，或名詞相等如
因為look forward to, looking forward to的to是介詞，所以它後面就必須用名詞，動名詞了，所以，你會當見後面多出現-ing形式，如：I am looking forward to seeing you.
希望幫到你！"
By Kay
P.S.
1. I look forward to seeing you.
2. I am looking forward to seeing you.
兩句既分別其實就等於present tense 同present continuous tense 既分別一樣
第一句就係講緊一向既事實，比較geneal，指既係經常期待見你; 而第二句就著重係而家呢個moment 好期待見你。基本上平時既書信黎講用邊句都無咩問題既~
Reference:http://hk.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/question?qid=7009040700316
Question - leekwanhoangel
"想請問 look foward to 同 looking foward to 後面係咪都可以 +ing?
如果可以, 有咩分別呀 ?
e.g.
I look forward to +ing .
I am looking forward to +ing .
Looking foward to +ing .
thanks"
Answer - hahatse:
"首先要明白look forward to, looking forward to後面是否用動名詞，不是取決於句子的時態。然後讓我們談談，to其實有兩種用法，一是用來組成不定詞的to，如：I want to go的to go的to就是用來組成to go這不定詞。
to第二個用途是用作介詞（preposition），如：The road leads to Paris.
當然to還可以用作副詞（但在此不談）
當用作介詞時，to後面就如其它介詞後面一樣，必須是名詞，動名詞，或名詞相等如
因為look forward to, looking forward to的to是介詞，所以它後面就必須用名詞，動名詞了，所以，你會當見後面多出現-ing形式，如：I am looking forward to seeing you.
希望幫到你！"
By Kay
P.S.
1. I look forward to seeing you.
2. I am looking forward to seeing you.
兩句既分別其實就等於present tense 同present continuous tense 既分別一樣
第一句就係講緊一向既事實，比較geneal，指既係經常期待見你; 而第二句就著重係而家呢個moment 好期待見你。基本上平時既書信黎講用邊句都無咩問題既~
Reference:http://hk.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/question?qid=7009040700316
2009年12月14日 星期一
Cotton Castle 「棉花城堡」
今個星期天文台話又會轉涼喇，呢d咁既天氣如果可以浸下溫泉你話幾好呢~
所以今日就介紹一下下面呢個溫泉~
Pamukkale
Pamukkale (pah-MOOK-kah-leh), meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish*, is a natural site in south-western Turkey in the Denizli Province. The city contains hot springs and travertines*, terraces* of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley*, which has a temperate* climate for most of the year.
The ancient* city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) long and 160 metres (520 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.
Tourism* is and has been a major industry*. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. As recently as the mid 20th century, hotels were built over the ruins* of Heropolis, causing considerable* damage. An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes*. When the area was declared* a world heritage* site, the hotels were demolished* and the road removed and replaced with artificial* pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited* to protect the deposits*.
Vocabulary
1. Turkish (n.)
The language of Turkey (土耳其語)
2. travertines (n.)
Travertine is a terrestrial (陸地的) sedimentary (由沈殿物所生成的) rock, formed by the precipitation (沈澱) of carbonate (碳酸鹽) minerals (礦物) from geothermally heated (地熱的) hot-springs (溫泉).
3. terrace (n.)a flat raised area (臺地)
4. valley (n.)
an area of low land between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it (山谷)
5. temperate (adj.)
neither very hot nor very cold (溫和的)
6. ancient (adj.)
of or from a long time ago, having lasted for a very long time (古代的)
7. tourism (n.)
the business of providing services such as transport, places to stay or entertainment for people who are on holiday (旅遊業)
8. ruin (n.)
the broken parts that are left from an old building or town (廢墟)
9. considerable (adj.)
large or of noticeable importance (相當大的)
10. slope (n.)(part of) the side of a hill or mountain (坡)
11. declare (v.)
to announce something clearly, firmly, publicly or officially (宣佈)
12. heritage (n.) (遺產)
features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions(傳統), languages or buildings, which still exist from the past and which have a historical (歷史的) importance
e.g. world heritage site (世界遺產)
13. demolish (v.) to completely destroy a building, especially in order to use the land for something else (拆除)
14. artificial (adj.)
made by people, often as a copy of something natural (人造的)
15. prohibit (v.)
to officially forbid (= refuse to allow) something (禁止)
16. deposit (n.)
a substance or layer that is left, usually after a liquid is removed (沈澱物)
By Kay
References:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamukkale
http://wikitravel.org/en/Pamukkale
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Aegean/Pamukkale/index.html
所以今日就介紹一下下面呢個溫泉~
Pamukkale
Pamukkale (pah-MOOK-kah-leh), meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish*, is a natural site in south-western Turkey in the Denizli Province. The city contains hot springs and travertines*, terraces* of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley*, which has a temperate* climate for most of the year.
The ancient* city of Hierapolis was built on top of the white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) long and 160 metres (520 ft) high. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli, 20 km away.
Tourism* is and has been a major industry*. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. As recently as the mid 20th century, hotels were built over the ruins* of Heropolis, causing considerable* damage. An approach road was built from the valley over the terraces, and motor bikes were allowed to go up and down the slopes*. When the area was declared* a world heritage* site, the hotels were demolished* and the road removed and replaced with artificial* pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited* to protect the deposits*.
Vocabulary
1. Turkish (n.)
The language of Turkey (土耳其語)
2. travertines (n.)
Travertine is a terrestrial (陸地的) sedimentary (由沈殿物所生成的) rock, formed by the precipitation (沈澱) of carbonate (碳酸鹽) minerals (礦物) from geothermally heated (地熱的) hot-springs (溫泉).
3. terrace (n.)a flat raised area (臺地)
4. valley (n.)
an area of low land between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it (山谷)
5. temperate (adj.)
neither very hot nor very cold (溫和的)
6. ancient (adj.)
of or from a long time ago, having lasted for a very long time (古代的)
7. tourism (n.)
the business of providing services such as transport, places to stay or entertainment for people who are on holiday (旅遊業)
8. ruin (n.)
the broken parts that are left from an old building or town (廢墟)
9. considerable (adj.)
large or of noticeable importance (相當大的)
10. slope (n.)(part of) the side of a hill or mountain (坡)
11. declare (v.)
to announce something clearly, firmly, publicly or officially (宣佈)
12. heritage (n.) (遺產)
features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions(傳統), languages or buildings, which still exist from the past and which have a historical (歷史的) importance
e.g. world heritage site (世界遺產)
13. demolish (v.) to completely destroy a building, especially in order to use the land for something else (拆除)
14. artificial (adj.)
made by people, often as a copy of something natural (人造的)
15. prohibit (v.)
to officially forbid (= refuse to allow) something (禁止)
16. deposit (n.)
a substance or layer that is left, usually after a liquid is removed (沈澱物)
By Kay
References:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamukkale
http://wikitravel.org/en/Pamukkale
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Aegean/Pamukkale/index.html
2009年12月3日 星期四
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