英文詞匯(四) Sedentary, Trivial, Arduous, Derisive, LGBTQ, Jostle
(2019/07/09)
今天要跟各位分享的詞匯,也是我認為使用度非常高的詞匯。如果能記下來,不僅能夠增進新聞閱讀能力,寫作時呈現的文章也會更專業。
SEDENTARY /ˈsed.ən.tər.i/ adjective
在認識新的詞匯時,我有一個很不好的習慣,就是喜歡亂連連字,而且很懶地查字典。像這個字SEDENTARY,我那時覺得好像是一個星球(Saturn)的名字,但其實完全跟星球沒有關係。我就是這樣不求甚解,才會學了英文這麼多年,還停滯不前。希望大家不要跟我一樣。
Sedentary 是缺乏運動的、少活動的、久坐的、坐慣的意思 (involving little exercise or physical activity.
Sentence Examples:
- A sedentary job / occupation 久坐的工作/職業
- My doctor says I should start playing sport because my lifestyle is too sedentary.
- 醫生說,我應該做些運動,因為我的生活方式太缺乏運動。
TRIVIAL /ˈtrɪv.i.əl/ adjective
Trivial 意指微不足道的,瑣碎的事 (having little value or importance),也意指容易解決的,不費吹灰之力的問題( a trivial problem is easy to solve. )
Sentence Examples:
- Sexual harassment in the workplace is not a trivial matter.
- 工作場所的性騷擾可不是件小事。
- Getting computers to understand human language is not a trivial problem.
- 讓電腦懂得人類的語言可不是一件容易解決的問題。
ARDUOUS /ˈɑː.dʒu.əs/ adjective
Arduous 是艱難的、艱巨的及費力的意思 (hard to accomplish or achieve, needing a lot of labor or effort)。
Sentence Examples:
- An arduous climb/task/journey
- 舉步維艱的攀登/艱巨的任務/艱難的旅程
- Coimbatore businessmen do the arduous trek to EBC (Everest base camp)
- 印度哥印拜陀的兩個商人到EBC(珠穆朗瑪峰大本營)的艱苦跋涉之旅。
DERISIVE /dɪˈraɪ.sɪv/ adjective
Derisive 是嘲笑的,譏笑嘲諷的意思( showing derision),如Derisive laughter (嘲諷的笑聲),a derisive comment/remark (嘲諷的評價/話語)。
Sentence example:
- Will outrage over FL(Florida) lawmaker’s derisive action toward LGBTQ people spur long-sought legal protections?
- 佛羅里達州議員對LGBTQ人的嘲弄行為會引發長期尋求的法律保護嗎?
LGBTQ /ˌel.dʒiː.biː.tiːˈkjuː/ adjective
LGBTQ是女同性戀者(Lesbian)、男同性戀者(Gay)、雙性戀者(Bisexual)、與跨性別者(Transgender)與代表酷兒(Queer)和/或對其性別認同感到疑惑的人(Questioning)的英文首字母縮略字 (abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (or questioning)。
1990年代,由於「同性戀社群」一詞無法完整體現相關群體,「LGBT」一詞便應運而生、並逐漸普及使用。在現代用語中,「LGBT」一詞、除了狹義的指同性戀、雙性戀或跨性別族群,也可廣泛代表所有非異性戀者。後來加上字母「Q」,代表酷兒(Queer)和/或對其性別認同感到疑惑的人(Questioning),即是「LGBTQ」- the LGBTQ community (LGBTQ群體)。(https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT)
Sample Sentence:
- Some young people who identify as LGBTQ can experience a lack of support, awareness, and acceptance.
- 一些認定為LGBTQ的年輕人可能會缺乏支持、意識以及接受度。
JOSTLE /ˈdʒɒs.əl/ verb
這個字的發音要注意是ja-sol,不是ja-stol。Jostle 是在人群中推擠,撞的意思 (to knock or push roughly against someone in order to move past them or get more space when you are in a crowd of people),我個人還蠻喜歡這個字的pronunciation (發音)。Jostle, jostle, jostle,光聽就很有畫面。
Sentence Example:
- As we came into the arena, we were jostled by fans pushing their way towards the stage.
- 在我們進場時,我們被湧向舞臺的歌迷左推右撞。
- Photographers jostled and shoved to get a better view of the royal couple.
- 一群攝影師互相推撞,以便更清楚地拍到這對王室夫婦。
今天學到的詞匯中,LGBTQ是近年來才出現的字,其實剛開始算是還蠻敏感的字,漸漸後來認同的人多了,困惑也漸漸少了。畢竟人跟人本來就不同,喜愛的對象也不一樣。即使彼此的喜愛不同,彼此要互相尊重,世界才能和平。
WORLD PEACE