发信人: roy_young()
整理人: roy_young(2001-06-04 14:22:25), 站内信件
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美語裡的獨特字詞，多在日常生活上閱讀報章雜誌、公文來往，或填寫各種表格時出現，為瞭解其意義與用法，此處以舉例的方式列出一些特殊字詞，供大家參考。
1. soft money：這是指捐款給一個政黨或政治團體。不是把錢直接捐給候選人，而是為政黨的各種活動或宣傳而捐獻 (given to a political party)。這種捐款數字，目前沒有法律限制，所以產生許多問題，現在美國政府正在考慮立法，加以限制。例如：
Soft money goes directly to the political party. (「軟錢」是直接捐給政黨的)
The government is trying to limit the amount of soft money in political campaign. (政府正在設法限制選舉時「軟錢」捐獻的金額)
至於 hard money 是指捐款直接給候選人(given directly to the candidate)，俾能幫助當選。不過捐款倒有法律控制。例如：
Hard money for elections is regulated by federal law.（選舉的「硬錢」是由聯邦法律管制的）
Some politicians have been accused of using illegal hard money.（有些政客因違法使用「硬錢」而遭檢舉）
註：有人把 soft money 譯成「軟錢」；把 hard money 叫為「硬錢」，懷中在此採用。讀者有更好的名稱嗎？
2. State of the Union：這裡的 State，是指「情況」(condition)，而 Union 是指美國。也就是指美國的國情。例如：
Mr. Clinton made a State of the Union address (speech) last year. (去年柯林頓先生發表美國國情演說) (也就是美國總統每年元月底向國會發表的國情演說); 或
The President gave his speech on the State of the Union. (State 和 Union 兩個字，一般是大寫)
不過也可以用在州政府：例如：
This is the text of governor's state (= condition) of the state speech. (這是州長對州情演說的全文)(句後的 state，是指州政府，不必大寫。）
3. red-letter day：這是指重要的日子，或值得紀念的特別節日。(未必只是日曆上印的紅字節日，任何顏色均可。) (a happy and significant day to remember or special, important day for someone； national holiday); 例如：
August 29 is always a red-letter day for my wife and me. (八月廿九日是內人和我的特別節日)
The day that my son was born is a red-letter day for me ＆ my wife. (兒子的生日是我和內人的紀念日)
He has an up-coming red-letter day. (他有一個即將來臨的重要日子)
The wedding is a red-letter day for Jim and Nancy.(結婚大典是 Jim 和 Nancy 值得紀念的日子)
4. Black Friday：這是指感恩節 (Thanksgiving Day) (星期四) 過後第二天就是星期五，大家開始採購聖誕禮物。因為「赤字」表示「Lose Money」，「黑字」表示「Make Money」，因為商人都喜歡賺錢，故稱 Black Friday。例如：
Many merchants are looking forward to black Friday。（許多商人盼望著「黑色星期五」的來臨)
Most American women go shopping on black Friday.（許多美國婦女在「黑色星期五」採購物品)
Black Friday is approaching us. (「黑色星期五」即將來臨)
5. Pandora's Box：意思是災禍之源，或是製造很多的麻煩。(這是希臘神話，有人譯成「潘朵多拉的盒子」，因為盒子內裝有許多的災難和禍患，一旦打開，就會引起多種災禍。) (a box with recret；when it is opened, troubles will be compounded); 例如：
When you reveal her secret, you are opening a Pandora's box.（當你抖出她的秘密時，你就製造更多的麻煩。）
To Change the entire regulations for a few rare cases would open a Pandora's box.（為了幾個罕見的情況而改變全部的法規，也許造出更多的問題。）
To the public a further discussion of his sex scandal will cause a Pandora's box to open.（對大眾而言，進一步談論他的緋聞，就會產生更多的麻煩。）
6. cum laude：這是拉丁文，意思是榮譽(= honor或with praise)，多半用在學位方面。例如：
He (was) graduated (with) cum laude from Stanford University last year. (他去年從史丹福大學榮譽畢業)
Mr. Wang hopes to graduate (with) cum laude in May next year. (王先生希望明年五月榮譽畢業)
不過依照學業成績優秀的等級，又分為：
cum laude = with honor (praise) (榮譽)
Magna cum laude = with high honor (praise) (高榮譽)
summa cum laude = with highest honor (praise) (最高榮譽); 例如：
She (was) graduated (with) summa cum laude from University of Maryland. (她以最高榮譽從馬大畢業)
7. Public domain：意思是公用或公有 (open for public); 例如：
The local free library is a public domain. (當地圖書館是屬公用的)
(public library 有時也叫 free library)
After 30 years of sealed document, the material has become a public domain. (經過卅年密封的文件，現在已經成為公用了。)
Since the computer was developed with government funds, it is in the public domain. (由於這個電腦是用政府的經費發展的，所以屬於公用。)
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I
left
my
heart
in
San
Francisco
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