例句：
(英) How many tramps are there in the world?
(美) There were many hobos (or hoboes) during the economic downturn.

解釋：
(英) tramp：遊民，流浪漢。
(美) hobo：遊民，流浪漢。

本文亦刊載在下列網址：
http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/confusables/confusables4.htm

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(名詞) 神經電影學：研究看電影如何影響人類智力的學問。這個字是由字首 “neuro-” (神經；神經系統) 和 cinematics (電影製作法) 組合而成。

引句：
Given the gargantuan cost of blockbusters like Avatar, it wouldn’t be surprising if Hollywood’s next step is to use brain scanners to get inside the heads of movie-goers. It’s impossible to translate brain activity into ‘Oscar buzz’, though, so the potential of ‘neurocinematics’ is unproven. (New Scientist, February 20, 2010)

本文亦刊載在下列網址：
http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/edu.htm

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sign * in +
登記
We signed in and went straight to bed.

sign in
簽入、登入 (需要帳號和密碼的網站、電腦程式等)
I signed in and started chatting online.

sign * in +
簽到
You have to sign in before you can enter the club.

sign into +
簽入、登入 (需要帳號和密碼的網站、電腦程式等)
I sign into MSN Messenger automatically when I boot up.

sign off
寫到此為止；停筆
I’ll sign off now, but will write again next week.

sign off
(電視或電台) 停止播出
It’s time to sign off for the day; listen again tomorrow.

sign off
辭職
After ten years, I at last decided to sign off and go into business by myself.

sign off
停止請領失業給付 (或救濟金)
I signed off when I got my new job.

sign off
停止做某事並離開
I’m signing off now and going home- I’m shattered.

sign on
請領失業給付 (或救濟金)
I had to sign on when I lost my job.

sign on
同意；參加
I’ve signed on to help at the village fete.

sign on
開始播出
Let’s use a nice cheerful tune to sign on in the morning.

sign * on +
雇用
We’ve signed on two new teachers.

sign on with +
簽約加入；簽約受雇於
He’s signed on with Washington Nationals for the next three years.

sign out
簽出、登出 (需要帳號和密碼的網站、電腦程式等)
I signed out and then shut the computer down.

sign * out +
簽名登記後領走或借走 (某物)
Could you sign those books out, please?

sign out of +
簽出、登出 (需要帳號和密碼的網站、電腦程式等)
I signed out of MSN Messenger and shut the computer down.

sign up
報名參加 (組織、團體、課程等)
I’ve signed up as a volunteer.
She’s decided to sign up for the music school.

sign up
訂閱
I signed up for their newsletter.

sign with +
與…簽約
She’s signed with EMI (百代唱片) for the next few years.

本文亦刊載在下列網址：
http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/phrasalverbs/phrasalverbs-s.htm

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(名詞) 走在前面擋住去路的人。這個字是由 meander (漫步) 和 Neanderthal (尼安德塔人 — 生活在距今 12 萬至 13 萬年前冰河時期的原始人) 拼綴而成。

說也奇怪，走在前面的那個人不但走得很慢，而且好像跟你作對似地，當你想從左邊超越他，他也跟著往左邊走，而當你想從右邊超越他，他又跟著偏右走，讓趕時間的你眼看就要遲到，心急如焚，心中不幹譙也難，罵他是白癡、笨蛋、像未開化的尼安德塔原始人 (不是現代人)…。

引句：
To meander means to walk slowly, without any clear direction and a Neanderthal, spelt with N for November, was a kind of primitive person who lived in Europe a hundred thousand years ago – something like a caveman perhaps. So when we call someone a meanderthal, we’re combining these two words, meander and Neanderthal. And we’re actually being very rude. We’re saying that the person in front who is slowing us down is stupid, they haven’t evolved, that they don’t know what they’re doing or where they’re going.
—Mark Shea, “Meanderthal,” BBC, December 1, 2009

本文亦刊載在下列網址：
http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/misc_cont2.htm

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(名詞) 內疚禮物。

這是指某人因某事感到內疚而買來道歉、賠不是或讓心裡感到好過一些的禮物，如男女朋友吵架後男方買來送給女方的禮物，丈夫在外偷吃後深感愧疚而買來送給妻子的禮物，或大把花錢的先生感到內疚而買來送給省吃儉用的太太的禮物。

引句：
Because guilt over spending is playing a big role in the sales downturn, he teaches salespeople to suggest a “sorry gift”—of another timepiece—for a wife who might be disappointed that her husband just dropped a sizable sum on his own wrist.
—Christina Binkley, ” How to Sell a $35,000 Watch in a Recession,” Wall Street Journal, August 4, 2009

本文亦刊載在下列網址：
http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/comeco_cont3.htm

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A Beagle cross named Lulu is the world’s oldest dog after reaching the age of 147 – in dog years.

Her owner, Travis Buckly, 60, has credited the dog’s longevity to it’s diet of freshly cooked fillet steak, veal and sausages.

Lulu, from Coventry, is now believed to be the world’s oldest canine after the previous record-holder died last summer and Britain’s most senior dog Otto, 20, passed away in January.

Mr Buckly said: “If there’s a steak and a sausage in the fridge you can guarantee she’ll be having steak and sausage for tea. That’s her favourite meal.”

“Lulu always has the finest meats in the house. Sometimes it’s gammon or on the rare occasion it’s been veal. I’m sure that’s why she’s lived this long – a really strong diet.”

Dog years are calculated as one human year being equivalent to seven canine years.

The world’s previous oldest dog, Chanel, from New York, died last summer aged 21.

The title was then inherited by Britain’s oldest dog Otto, a Dachshund terrier cross, who passed away in January aged 20.

Mr Buckly has now applied to Guinness World Records and is awaiting their response.

A Guinness World Records spokesman said: “The world’s oldest dog category is currently vacant following Otto’s death earlier this year.

“We’re looking for a new oldest dog so what we need now is for the owners to make an application.”

“But 21 years is certainly very old. We would have to investigate. The application takes around six weeks to verify.” (Telegraph)

《字詞解析》

Beagle cross — (n.) 雜種的米格魯。

dog years — (n.) 狗年齡。根據第 6 段的敘述，狗年齡的計算方式是，人類 1 歲相當於狗 7 歲。

credit …to — (v.) 把…歸因於。

longevity — (n.) 長壽。

freshly cooked — (adj.) 現煮的。

fillet steak — (n.) 菲力牛排。

veal — (n.) 小牛肉。

canine — (n.) 犬，狗，犬科動物。

pass away — (phr.) 過世。這個片語動詞是 die 的委婉語。

have — (v.) 吃。在「have + 食物」中，have = eat。

for — (prep.) 代替。

gammon — (n.) 燻火腿。

inherit — (v.) 繼承。

Dachshund terrier cross — (n.) 雜種的達克斯獵犬。

apply — (v.) 申請。apply + for (後接工作、職位、獎學金、簽證等)，如 He has applied for a post in England. (他已申請在英國任職)；apply + to (後接機關、部門、單位等) (+ for + 工作、職位、獎學金、簽證等)，如 You have to apply to the passport office for a visa. (你須向護照局申請簽證)。

Guinness World Records — (n.) 金氏世界紀錄 (機構)。

vacant — (adj.) 空缺的。

延伸閱讀：新聞英語的語法結構

狗的名稱中英對照

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(名詞) 誹謗官司遊客：到外國 (尤其是誹謗法律對原告有利的國家) 提出誹謗告訴的人；告洋狀的人。
—libel tourism (名詞)：誹謗官司旅遊；告洋狀。

引句：
The committee also wants it to be made more difficult for foreign “libel tourists” and big companies to bring British libel actions.
—David Leigh, “In the line of fire: ‘toothless’ PCC and the cost of libel,” The Guardian, February 24, 2010

本文亦刊載在下列網址：
http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/misc_cont2.htm

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(名詞) 愚笨的人；遲鈍的人。

這個原意為「木板」的字是從 “as thick as two short planks” (非常遲鈍的，愚笨的，愚鈍的) 這一片語簡化而來。事實上，長久以來，英文一直使用與木頭 (wood) 有關的語詞來表示負面的意思，如 wooden 除「木製的」意思外，亦意為「呆板的；僵硬的；木然的；呆滯的」。例如：His performances have become wooden and dull. (他的演出變得呆板乏味)；a wooden actor (呆板的演員)。所以，若有人做了一件愚蠢得令人難以置信的事情時，你就可以偷偷地說 “What a plank!” (真是笨蛋!)。

本文亦刊載在下列網址：
http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/misc_cont3.htm

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pony * up +
還 (帳)，付 (錢)
I had to pony fifty dollars up for the meal.

poop out
疲憊不堪；(因精疲力竭而) 決定停止做 (某事)
I was going to write my essay, but I pooped out and went to bed instead.

poop out on +
(對某人) 爽約
We were supposed to meet yesterday, but she pooped out on me at the last minute.

pop in
作短暫訪問；短暫停留
He popped in for a coffee on his way home.

pop off
大聲地說；大聲地抱怨
He’s always popping off when things don’t suit him.

pop off
短暫外出；出去一下
He’s just popped off for a break but should be back in a few minutes.

pop out
短暫外出；出去一下
I’m just popping out to the shops. Do you need anything while I’m out?

pop up
(電腦視窗或對話方塊) 彈出
The dialogue box popped up when I pressed Enter.

pop up
突然出現；突然發生；突然來到
I’m going to have to work late tonight because something has popped up.

potter about/around (+)
慢條斯理地做事；悠哉悠哉地做事
On Saturday mornings, I potter about the garden if the weather’s fine.
I pottered around, sorting out my CDs and a few other things.

pour down
下大雨
It poured down all day so we had to remain indoors.

pour forth
大量出現；大量湧出
Useless statistics pour forth from him.

本文亦刊載在下列網址：
http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/phrasalverbs/phrasalverbs-p.htm

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英譯：
sink or swim

例句：
He has refused to give us any more help, and has left us to sink or swim by our own efforts. (他拒絕再給我們任何幫助，讓我們自找生路)

He was left by his family to sink or swim by himself. (他遭家人遺棄，生死存亡一切得靠自己)

本文亦刊載在下列網址：
http://www.cybertranslator.idv.tw/idioms/idioms_chinese-1.htm

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