Contents：

各位老師

感謝參與電子報的撰寫

英文問與答
詹景雯老師

自從2000年政黨輪替之後，政黨之間惡鬥紛爭不斷；政治人物的官司訴訟案件也與日俱增。身為老百姓的我們早已厭倦了這種吵鬧不休的生活，再加上最近物價直直向上飆漲，讓我
們的荷包大大縮水，不禁感嘆生活真是越來越苦了。80年代股市衝破萬點的那種經濟蓬勃發展的美好景象似乎已離我們遠去。請問「美好時光」的英文如何說? Ans. halcyon days / golden times / prosperous years 美好時光、太平盛世Halcyon 一字源自於希臘文，原意是指一種叫翠鳥的小水鳥。根據希臘人傳說，海爾欣 (Halcyone) 是天上神祇之一，她和丈夫恩愛異常。後來丈夫不幸發生船難遇害，海爾欣哀痛逾恆，也投海自盡。諸神有感於兩人真情，決定讓他倆復活，並投胎為翠鳥。根據傳說，翠鳥的習性是在海
面上築巢孵殖下一代，眾神為了幫助轉世的海爾欣和她的丈夫順利築巢，運用神力使海面風平
浪靜。後人就把這些特別風和日麗，水波不興的好日子，叫做 halcyon days。  e.g. Grandpa and Grandma are looking at the photo album and talking about the halcyon days of their youth. 祖父和祖母看著相片本，談到以往年輕時的美好歲月。 e.g. Most adults like to look back on their school days as golden times. 大多數的成人喜歡回顧過往求學時期的那段黃金歲月。 除此之外，「口角，爭吵，意見不合」的英文可用下列幾種說法來表達: quarrel / dispute / bicker / altercation / squabble / spat / strife / feud / brawl / row / fall out e.g. Most cowboy movies include a scene with a barroom brawl. 大部分西部牛仔電影都會有一幕發生在酒吧爭吵的場景。 e.g. She was unhappy because of the family strife. 她因家庭失和而悲傷。 e.g. Helen had a row with her boyfriend about a mere trifle. 海倫為一點小事與男友爭吵。 e.g. The couple were always sparring. 這對夫妻老是拌嘴。 e.g. What are you children squabbling about now? 你們這些孩子在吵什麼? e.g. The two political parties were long at feud with each other. 這兩個政黨長期不合。 e.g. She has fallen out with her roommate. 她跟她的室友吵翻了。

Q2.

隨著總統大選腳步的逼近，政黨之間不免又要開打，大打口水戰 oral cheap shot；候選人間互揭瘡疤，無所不用其極地抹黑中傷對手。這種惡質的選舉文化令人厭惡至極卻又百般無奈。
請問「毀謗、中傷、破壞…的名譽」的英文如何說? Ans. blacken / smear / stain / tarnish / slander / slur / vilify / disparage / sling mud at someone / malign e.g. Don’t blacken my name by spreading rumors. 不要散播流言，破壞我的名譽。 e.g. His opponent tried to cast a slur on his good name. 他的對手想盡辦法要玷汙他的好名譽。 e.g. When he accused me of stealing his watch, I decided to sue him for slander.    當他控告我偷他的錶時，我決定要告他毀謗。 e.g. The sex scandal tarnished his reputation. 性醜聞敗壞了他的名譽。 e.g. His crimes stained the family honor. 他的罪行玷汙了家庭的名譽。 e.g. We expect politicians to defame each other in an election year. 我們預期政治人物將會在選舉期間互相毀謗。 e.g. A fair politician should debate the issues and not just malign his opponent. 一位公正的政治人物應該要辯論議題而不只是一味地中傷他的對手

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傅心儀老師提供

Hot News
楊純暖老師提供

Let Us Give Thanks, in Writing by Henry Fountain

Television programs, books, radio shows and Web sites point to research that shows that keeping a list of things you’re thankful for can make you happier.

Could this mild exercise, jotting down a few grateful thoughts, really be the key to contentment? It seems a little too easy, like those infomercials that promise a stomach to die for with just five minutes a day on the Abdomenizer or a full head of hair by spraying a can of gunk on your bald spot.

I found it hard to believe, so I decided to see for myself. I started a gratitude journal.Now, mind you, in the words of a colleague, I am not one of the grumpier people around. I like to think that my innate level of happiness — my “set point,” as psychologists call it, which I can go a bit above or below, depending on circumstances — is fairly high. But according to proponents of what is known as positive psychology, by keeping a journal I should become happier still.

Robert Emmons, a psychologist at the University of California, Davis, and a leading expert in positive psychology, whetted my appetite for what could come.“There are really tangible, concrete benefits to being grateful,” said Dr. Emmons, the author of “Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier” (Houghton Mifflin).

Health improves, relationships get better, people are more active and enthusiastic. There are benefits for others, too, as happier people are more creative, productive and easier to be around.

Dr. Emmons said that even people who are lonely and isolated can become less so. “If you can combat those feelings by the simple practice of keeping a gratitude journal, that’s a pretty significant finding,” he said.(For the record, not only am I not all that grumpy, I am also not particularly lonely and isolated. In case you were wondering.)

But early on in my writing exercises I learned one thing: Keeping a journal may be simple, as Dr. Emmons says, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Adapted from CNN Fashion & Style

Vocabulary

1.    grateful 感謝的
2. psychologist 心理學家
3.     gratitude 感恩
4. jot down 記載
5.     contentment 滿足
6. proponent 支持者
7.     whet 引起
8. active 主動的
9. enthusiastic 熱心的
10.   grumpy 脾氣暴躁的

Questions

1.  According to this article, people should be ____ to what they have got.
A) grumpy
B) grateful
C) unconscious

2. What is not true according to this article?
A) By keeping a gratitude journal, people can be more grateful for what they have got.
B) Keeping journal makes people more lonely and isolated
C) Happier people are more creative and productive.

情境對話
李明生老師提供

“Going Abroad” 出國去囉

VOCABULARY & idiom