Verb Master 動詞達人

#活用單字 空中英語教室

2016 Sep 16, 17 Bakeys

閱讀最大的問題在於對單字或詞彙了解不夠

今天起針對空英幾個比較容易被翻譯誤解的詞彙，進行分析

深入了解一個字，就會知道如何運用，就能夠立即聽懂

走馬看花讀空英，20年後，仍然是霧裡看花

《詞彙分析》

《Sept 16th》

Diet

這個字常常被on a diet誤解，以為是減肥餐，事實上，只要是人吃的一種食物或一餐，都稱為Diet，比方a diet of fish(一餐魚肉)，但是Diet的一餐，是正常的食量，或者更少，例如a salt-free diet(無鹽餐)。但是，如果Diet講的不是食物，意思反過來，比方The cable TV brought up a diet of stupid shows. (第四台播出一拖拉庫無聊的節目)，a diet of something變成「一拖拉庫性質類似的活動」

Gluten

麩質，看美國影集，常常見到很多人對Gluten過敏，Gluten到底是什麼東西？Gluten其實就是小麥或稻米裡面的穀蛋白，遇水膨脹，讓麵團產生彈性，比方餃子皮；所以，只要是Gluten-free的東西，吃起來硬梆梆，不像給人吃的

《Sept 16th》

Degrade

本意是「貶低或降級」，用在化學上，是物質的分解，從大分子分解為小分子的過程，Degrading，術語稱為「降解」，普通英文是Break down

Prove

「證明」，但是在很多情況下，並沒有證明或證實任何事情，因為Prove的另一個意思是「Be(是)」，也就是「被動的證實」，比方”iPhone 6se proved to be a failure” 和 “iPhone 6se was a failure.”差不多一個意思，沒有人會主動去證實iPhone 6se市場成功或失敗，而是數據說話

Crowdfunding

這是一個近幾年相當火紅的新字，大陸叫「眾籌」，台灣比較少聽人講，可能是因為大陸拿一項創意到網路上集資誆錢的人比較多，Crowdfunding是網路集資，由一群小投資客利用網路對新興公司或產品創意進行投資，最知名的一家是Kickstarter，如果有好的創意，可以來這家網站騙錢喔

Campaign

如果只是「活動或戰役」，那這個字和Activity和Battle有何不同？Campaign是為了達到一項目的，不論是政治、商業目的，舉行的一連串活動，所以選舉活動是一個Campaign，戰役也是一個Campaign，比方諾曼地登陸，這個戰役是搶下灘頭堡，所以有一連串的戰鬥

Pledge

「公開的承諾」，也就是「誓言、保證」，但是這個字常常涉及到金錢，金錢的Pledge有兩種：1) 給銀行貸款的抵押物，也就是房契，2) 投資人答應給你的現金，而且是還沒有兌現的現金，而且是可數名詞，因為可能來自不同的金主。另外，接受Pledge的動詞用Receive，如本文。提供Pledge用哪一個動詞呢？用Make，The Kickstarter has made $2,000,000 pledges to me for a stupid idea. (Kickstarer提供兩百萬美金給我的餿主意)

In the pipeline

埋在地下的輸油管稱為Pipeline，當一個計畫在Pipeline裡面，表示這個計畫已經付諸實行，正在進行中，很快會完成；所以，如果你僅僅是有一個創意，開過幾次會，還沒有實際開始，不能用In the pipeline，因為In the pipeline給人的感覺是「大巨蛋快完工了」

【Round 1 關鍵字閱讀】

《Sept 16th》

Bakeys

Leave room for your spoon!

Narayana Peesapaty was sitting on a flight(飛機) when he noticed a passenger(旅客) trying to scoop(舀) food with a cracker(餅乾) after snapping(折斷) his spoon.

At that moment, the researcher’s mind(研究人員心中) gave birth to(產出、創出) a simple yet revolutionary(革命性的) concept(概念) – edible(可食用的) spoons.

How do you like your spoon?

Peesapaty’s company, Bakeys, makes edible spoons primarily(主要地) out of sorghum(高粱) though rice, wheat and water are also ingredients(成分).

They combine(結合) to form a dry eating utensil(器皿) that remains(仍然) hard even when used in moist(潮濕的) or hot foods.

Bakeys also makes ginger(薑), garlic(蒜) and cinnamon(肉桂) flavored(口味的) spoons to meet(迎合) specific(特定的) requests.

All spoons are completely natural and acceptable for nearly all diets(飲食) with a gluten-free(不含麩質的) version still in development(開發中).

A rice replacement

An environmentally-minded(具環保意識的) water researcher, Peesapaty designed his spoons to be eco-friendly(生態無害的) in several ways.

Sorghum was chosen as the main component of the spoons instead of rice, which requires 60 times as much(同等的) water.

Sorghum was also chosen for strength(強度) it would lend eating utensils, and the grain(穀物) requires little water, low energy and no chemicals(化學物質) to grow.

《Sept 17th》

In place of plastic

The goal that Peesapaty hopes to attain(達成) through Bakeys is to eliminate(消除) plastic from any contact with(與…接觸) food.

Plastic products can contain cancer-causing toxins(致癌毒素) that seep into(滲入) food, and average plastic bottles take 450 years to break down(分解).

In contrast, a Bakey’s spoon is nutritious(營養的) and degrades(降解) in 10 years or less if thrown away(丟棄).

Peesapaty admits(承認) that using plastic is cheaper, but he also says that his spoons will be equally inexpensive(便宜) when made in bulk(大量生產) with raw materials(原物料).

Just what the people ordered

Bakey’s, an Indian company, employs(雇用) a 90 percent female staff from low-income families(低收入戶) to give women more employment opportunities.

But the number of employees had proved(顯示) too few for public demand(大眾需求) after extremely successful Indian and American crowdfunding(眾籌) campaigns(系列活動).

Seeking(尋求) only to raise $20,000, Bakey’s Kickstarter account received well over $270,000 in American pledges(承諾款項).

Plans for a larger facility(設施) in India and the development of more edible utensils are all in the pipeline(進行中).

In a short time, part of a meal just might consist of(包含) utensils.

【Round 2 關鍵字閱讀】

《Sept 16th》

Bakeys

Leave room for your spoon!

Narayana Peesapaty was sitting on a flight when he noticed a passenger trying to scoop food with a cracker after snapping his spoon.

At that moment, the researcher’s mind gave birth to a simple yet revolutionary concept – edible spoons.

How do you like your spoon?

Peesapaty’s company, Bakeys, makes edible spoons primarily out of sorghum though rice, wheat and water are also ingredients.

They combine to form a dry eating utensil that remains hard even when used in moist or hot foods.

Bakeys also makes ginger, garlic and cinnamon flavored spoons to meet specific requests.

All spoons are completely natural and acceptable for nearly all diets with a gluten-free version still in development.

A rice replacement

An environmentally-minded water researcher, Peesapaty designed his spoons to be eco-friendly in several ways.

Sorghum was chosen as the main component of the spoons instead of rice, which requires 60 times as much water.

Sorghum was also chosen for strength it would lend eating utensils, and the grain requires little water, low energy and no chemicals to grow.

《Sept 17th》

In place of plastic

The goal that Peesapaty hopes to attain through Bakeys is to eliminate plastic from any contact with food.

Plastic products can contain cancer-causing toxins that seep into food, and average plastic bottles take 450 years to break down.

In contrast, a Bakey’s spoon is nutritious and degrades in 10 years or less if thrown away.

Peesapaty admits that using plastic is cheaper, but he also says that his spoons will be equally inexpensive when made in bulk with raw materials.

Just what the people ordered

Bakey’s, an Indian company, employs a 90 percent female staff from low-income families to give women more employment opportunities.

But the number of employees had proved too few for public demand after extremely successful Indian and American crowdfunding campaigns.

Seeking only to raise $20,000, Bakey’s Kickstarter account received well over $270,000 in American pledges.

Plans for a larger facility in India and the development of more edible utensils are all in the pipeline.

In a short time, part of a meal just might consist of utensils.

【Round 3 聽力閱讀】

《Sept 16th》

《Sept 17th》

【Round 4圖像記憶】