English Collection 英語は単語から

con artist

Reader'sDigest9月号の記事"AllinaDay'sWORK"からの引用です。Onthefirstdayofschool,Iaskedeachofthekidsinmyfirstgradeclasstosaywhattheywantedtobewhentheygrewup.Oneboysaid"artist.""Oh,that'swonderful!"Igushed."Whatkind?"Hereplied,"Con.""con"にペテン師/詐欺の意味があることは知っていましたが、"conartist"の表現があることは知りませんでした。・CollinsDictionary:Aconartistissomeonewhotricksotherpeopleintogivingthemtheirmo...conartist

2023/10/31 06:52

alpha male

Reader'sDigest9月号の記事"HumorinUNIFORM"からの引用です。複数の犬がそれぞれの姿で描かれている漫画についていた台詞です。"It'salwayseasytospotthealphamale."・OxfordEnglishDictionary:themanormaleanimalinaparticulargroupwhohasthemostpower:Thealphamalewasalargeblackwolf.・CollinsDictionary:thedominantmaleanimalorpersoninagroup:Suchindividualsarealphamales,competitivebynature,whowanttoshowofftheirprowessto...alphamale

2023/10/30 06:19

without missing a beat

Reader'sDigest9月号の記事"LifeintheseUnitedStates"からの引用です。BacktoSchoolInhighschool,aclassmaterespondedtoateacher'squestionwitha"yomama"joke.Withoutmissingabeat,theteachersaid,"Leavemymotheroutofthis.Idon'tmakethefunofyourparentandlookwhattheyproduced."慣用句の様な"Withoutmissingabeat"を調べます。・FarlexDictionaryofIdioms:Withoutslowingdown,pausing,orbeingdistracted,especi...withoutmissingabeat

2023/10/26 07:07

booby trap

Reader'sDigest9月号の記事"NextStoptheAfterLife"からの引用です。AncientEgyptWeknowmoreabouthowtheancientEgygtiansdiedthanabouthowtheylived.Duat,theirunderworld,wasfullofobstacles,whichcouldbenavigatedsuccessfullyonlywiththeprotectivespellsfoundintheEgyptioans'famousBookoftheDead.ThoseobstaclescompriseafullIndianaJonestempleofdoom:There'salakeoffiretorturechambersandeve...boobytrap

2023/10/25 07:10

adipose issues

NessaCareyの'JunkDNA'を読んでいます。Whentheresearchersknockedoutexpressionofthesecondgeneinmicetheyfoundthat,comparedwithcontrolanimals,themicewerelean,hadlowadiposetissuesandincreasedbaselinemetabolicrate."adiposetissues"の"adipose"の意味を調べます。・CollinsDictionary:of,resembling,orcontainingfat;fatty:Nosignificantchangesinintermuscularadiposetissuevolumeorattenuationwe...adiposeissues

2023/10/24 06:52

firmament

NessaCareyの'JunkDNA'を読んでいます。But--ifyouhaveaccesstoatelescope,yourealisethatthereissomuchmoreinthefirmamentthanyoucandetectwiththenakedeye.TherearedetailsliketheringsofSaturn,andtherearevastlymorestarsthanwecouldeverimagine."firmament"の意味を調べます。・CollinsDictionary:Thefirmamentistheskyorheaven.:Therearenostarsinthefirmament.・Wiktionary:(usuallyuncountable,lit...firmament

2023/10/23 08:29

senescence

NessaCareyの'JunkDNA'を読んでいます。It'srelativelyeasytotakeabiopsy,forexamplefromskin,andisolatethefibroblasts.Thesewillgrowanddivideinculture.Whattheresearchersdiscoveredallthoseyearsagowasthatthecellswouldn'tkeepdividingforever.Therecameapointwhentheystoppeddividing,evenwhensuppliedwithallthenutrientsandoxygentheyneeded.Thecellsdidn'tdie,theyjuststoppedprolife...senescence

2023/10/21 08:23

loft insulation

Alargeroomcontaining50rollsofloftinsulation,eachrollbeing5minlengthand20cmdeep,andyoucanhidethewatchdeepinanyoneofthe50rolls.勤めている会社は電気計測器器を扱っているので、"insulation"を見ると直ぐに電気的な絶縁を連想するのですが、引用文では電気の絶縁体の意味ではなさそうです。深く考えずに辞書を見ました。・OxfordEnglishDictionary:theactofprotectingsomethingwithamaterialthatpreventsheat,sound,electricity,etc.frompassingthrough;thematerialsus...loftinsulation

2023/10/19 08:17

interloper

NessaCareyの'JunkDNA'（副題'AJourneyThroughtheDarkMatteroftheGenome'）を読み始めました。OtherregionsofjunkDNAaregeneticinterlopers,derivedfromthegenomesofvirusesandothermicroorganismsthathaveintegratedintohumanchromosomes,likegeneticsleeperagents.Theseremnantsoflong-deadorganismscarrypotentialdangerstothecell,theindividualandsometimeseventowiderpopulations."interloper"...interloper

2023/10/16 08:35

lentor

今日もChatGPTで調べた単語"lentor"を紹介します。この単語はthenovelLolitabyVladimirNabokovに次の様にでてきました。Shesteppeduptoit,liftingherratherhigh-heeledfeetratherhigh,andbendingherbeautifulboy-kneeswhileshewalkedthroughdilatingspacewiththelentorofonewalkingunderwaterorinaflightdream.ChatGPTの回答です。InthecontextofthesentencefromthenovelLolitabyVladimirNabokov,"lentor"referstothequalityor...lentor

2023/10/13 08:19

fruithead

7月に読み終えて図書館に返したLolitabyVladimirNabokovには難しい表現が満載でした。分からないままの単語等の幾つかはメモしておいたので、暇な時にChatGPTで調べようと思っていましたがその内の幾つかをチェックしました。Thecop(whatshadowofuswasheafter?)gavethelittlecolleenhisbestsmileandwentintoaU-turn.Wedroveon.“Thefruithead!”remarkedLo.“Heshouldhavenabbedyou.”上記引用文の"fruithead"をChatGPTに訊いたところ次の回答がありました。InthecontextofthesentencefromthenovelLolitabyVladi...fruithead

2023/10/12 09:39

recapitulate

MuhammadYunusの"CreatingaWorldWithoutPoverty"を読んでいます。Anothermisconceptionisthatdevelopingnationsmustrecapitulatethepathofdevelopmentfollowedbydevelopedcountriesdecadesorevencenturiesago.Newtechnologiesholdoutthepotentialforleapfroggingstepsintheprocess.ItisnotnecessaryforadevelopingcountryinAsia,Africa,orLatinAmericatobuildanetworkoflandlinestoprovidetelep...recapitulate

2023/10/11 06:55

jerry-rigged

MuhammadYunusの"CreatingaWorldWithoutPoverty"を読んでいます。Butthissameaspectofgovernmentsometimesmeansthatprogressisthwartedinfavoroftheinterestsofoneormorepowerfulgroups.Forexample,lookattheillogical,jerry-rigged,andinefficienthealth-caresystemintheUnitedStates,whichleavestensofmillionsofpeoplewithnohealthinsurance.Reformofthissystemhassofarbeenimpossiblebecaus...jerry-rigged

2023/10/10 06:53

Gini coefficient

MuhammadYunus氏著の本、題名"CreatingaWorldWithoutPoverty"が気になり、読むことにしました。Prologueの冒頭に"BecausethemicrocreditorganizationIfounded,GrameenBank,hassuccessfullybroughtfinancialservicestopoorwomeninBangladesh,iamofteninvitedtospeakwithgroupsthatareinterestedinimprovingthelotofwomen."とあり、その中に出て来た"microcredit"は以前ニュースで聞いたことを思い出しました。著者のMuhammadYunus氏はノーベル平和賞を受賞した経済学者とWiki...Ginicoefficient

2023/10/07 10:34

five times removed

HarperLeeの"ToKillaMockingbird"を読んでいます。ThebassdrumwentboomwitheverysentenceMrs.Merriweatheruttered.ShechantedmournfullyaboutMaycombCountybeingolderthanthestate,thatitwasapartoftheMississippiandAlabamaTerritories,thatthefirstwhitemantosetfootinthevirginforestwastheProbateJedge'sgreat-grandfatherfivetimesremoved,whowasneverheardofagain.この"fivetimesremoved"は前...fivetimesremoved

2023/10/05 08:36

hipped on

HarperLeeの"ToKillaMockingbird"を読んでいます。"No,lemmefinish--itdoes,butwe'restilldifferentsomehow.AttcussaidonetimethereasonAunty'ssohippedonthefamilyisbecauseallwe'vegot'sbackgroundandnotadimetoournames.""hipped"を辞書で調べます。・CollinsDictionary:US,Informalhavingagreat,oftenexcessive,interest;obsessed:(withon)hippedonmovies・RandomHouseUnabridgedDictionary:greatlyint...hippedon

2023/10/04 06:51

commute

HarperLeeの"ToKillaMockingbird"を読んでいます。"Ifheloseshisappeal,"Iaskedoneevening,"what'llhappentohim?""He'llgotothecarir,"saidAtticus,"unlesstheGovernorcommuteshissentence.Nottimetowarryyet,Scout.We'vegotagoodchance."以前（8/28/2012）にも取り上げましたが、この"commute"は通勤ではないですね。commute

2023/10/02 07:28

casually

HarperLeeの"ToKillaMockingbird"を読んでいます。Hewasamanlearnedinthelaw,andalthoughheseemedtotakehisjobcasually,inrealityhekeptafirmgriponanyproceedingsthatcamebeforehim.OnlyoncewasJudgeTayloreverseenatadeadstandstillinopencourt,andtheCunninghamsstoppedhim.形容詞の"casual"なら辞書に項目がありますが、"casually"は副詞なので普通は項目はありませんが、次の辞書には"casually"の項目もありました。・Dictionary.com:inawaythatsh...casually

2023/10/02 07:07