air raid siren
イスラエルが大変なことになっているようです。イスラエルの中心都市でもあるテル・アビブも攻撃を受けているそうです。
air sirenはここでは「空襲警報」のことを言っているのでしょうか。air raidには" an attack in which bombs are dropped on a place by planes"というLDOCEの定義があり、「空襲」といった意味でしょう。口をついてなかなか出ない表現です。覚えても使うことがない世の中になるといいのですが。(Minnesota)
Gaza City (CNN) -- Rockets and shells crisscrossed the skies over southern Israel and Gaza on Thursday as Palestinian militants continued rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and Israel pounded what it called terror sites.
Israel reported three people killed. Hamas said 13 Palestinians were killed, but gave conflicting information as to how many of them were Hamas militants.
At least 245 rockets from Gaza have been fired into Israel since "Operation Pillar of Defense" began Wednesday, the Israeli military said. Israel's Iron Dome defense system has intercepted more than 80, the Israel Defense Forces said.
One rocket struck an open area near Rishon LeZion, an Israeli city with more than 200,000 residents, the IDF said. It is just south of Tel Aviv.
Also, air sirens went off inside and outside the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv. The building was evacuated briefly, and employees were allowed back in when the sirens stopped. An explosion was heard far off in the distance.
Israel has targeted more than 200 "terror sites" in Gaza, "severely damaging the capabilities of Palestinian terrorist organizations," the IDF said. The military said it targeted scores of "medium and long range rocket launch and infrastructure sites across the Gaza Strip."
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/15/world/meast/gaza-israel-strike/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
pollute
polluteというと、汚染するという意味が真っ先に浮かびますが、ここのpolluteはどういう意味なんでしょうか。Othelloくん、どうぞ。なお、この記事、結構面白いですよ。Koyamamotoくんも読むべきです。（UG）
Adultery, an Ancient Crime That Remains on Many Books
When David H. Petraeus resigned as director of the C.I.A. because of adultery he was widely understood to be acknowledging a misdeed, not a crime. Yet in his state of residence, Virginia, as in 22 others, adultery remains a criminal act, a vestige of the way American law has anchored legitimate sexual activity within marriage.
In most of those states, including New York, adultery is a misdemeanor. But in others — Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma and Wisconsin — it is a felony, though rarely prosecuted. In the armed forces, it can be punished severely although usually in combination with a greater wrongdoing.
This is yet another example of American exceptionalism: in nearly the entire rest of the industrialized world, adultery is not covered by the criminal code.
Like other state laws related to sex — sodomy, fornication, rape — adultery laws extend back to the Old Testament, onetime capital offenses stemming at least partly from a concern about male property.
Peter Nicolas of the University of Washington Law School says the term stemmed from the notion of “adulterating” or polluting the bloodline of a family when a married woman had sex with someone other than her husband and ran the risk of having another man’s child.
mud-flinging
mud-flingingは文字通り、「泥（mud）を投げる（fling）」ですが（cf. sling）、politicalが付いて比喩的に用いられるときには「中傷合戦、誹謗中傷する選挙活動」となります。大統領選挙でおなじみになったnegative campaignやsmear campaignなどもほぼ同じ意味です。（UG）
Voters fed up with 'gutter politics'
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is set to dissolve the House of Representatives on Nov. 16 for a snap election and lower house lawmakers are scrambling to prepare for campaigning, but many voters are getting tired of political mud-flinging and are at a loss as to which candidate and political party they should cast their ballots for.
Sachiko Saito, a 48-year-old part-time worker, who lives in a rented housing unit in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, said, she turned off her TV while Noda was having a one-on-one debate in the Diet with political party leaders over a snap election because she thought it was "ridiculous." "After all, politicians are thinking only about themselves," she complained.
The woman, who had run a funeral home in Minamisoma's Odaka district in Fukushima Prefecture before the crisis broke out at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, said, "I want them to live here even for a short while and experience the hardship we have here. All politicians say 'it is for the sake of disaster victims' but I wonder if they understand the real situation here." Twenty months have passed since the outbreak of the nuclear crisis, but it remains unclear when she will be able to resume her business in the Odaka district for which an evacuation order was lifted last April.
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20121115p2a00m0na009000c.html
Oh Christmas Tree
本日のJTから拝借。ここのOh Christmas Treeの解題をしてください。Minnesotaくん、どうぞ。（UG）
be poised to
be poised toはよく見かける表現で、be prepared toと同義です。しかしながら、この表現が選択されるのはどのような文脈なのでしょうか。EnDoughくん、どうぞ。（UG）
Japan PM Yoshihiko Noda set to call general election
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is poised to dissolve parliament and call a general election.
Mr Noda, in power since August 2011, will face newly-elected opposition leader Shinzo Abe in the polls.
Mr Abe's party is expected to win the most seats but the election is seen as unlikely to deliver a clear winner.
Mr Noda has lost support over his sales tax rise and handling of the Fukushima aftermath, while Mr Abe is an ex-PM who struggled to connect with the public.
Support ratings for both the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are low.
A number of other smaller parties draw some support - controversial Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara has formed one, so too former DPJ stalwart Ichiro Ozawa. Toru Hashimoto, the Osaka governor, is also forming a political party.
Polls show almost half of all voters are undecided, indicating that the next government will likely be a coalition.
Media reports say the polls will be on 16 December. Parliament will be dissolved this afternoon, then the cabinet will set the election schedule and Mr Noda will hold a news conference later today, NHK reported.
Chinese leaders' names
外国語の発音、とくに人名や地名などはその言語を学ぶ人にはheadacheです。中国共産党の新しいPolitburo Standing Committeeの名前もまた、われわれにheadacheを与えてくれました。面白い記事です。（UG）
How to Say: Chinese leaders' names
An occasional guide to the words and names in the news from Jo Kim of the BBC Pronunciation Unit. The 18th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China has drawn to a close and China has appointed a new generation of leaders.
The new Politburo Standing Committee, which is made up of the top leadership of the Communist Party, was led to the stage by newly appointed CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping as the final showpiece. Here are our recommendations for pronouncing the names of the Standing Committee members.
Unlike English names, Chinese names do not appear in the Western order, i.e. given name first. Chinese names, like Korean, Vietnamese and Hungarian names, appear family-name first in the original language. Stressed syllables are shown in upper case, -uh as 'a' in sofa.
Xi Jinping: SHEE jin PING (-sh as in ship, -j as in Jack, -i as in sit, -ng as in sing) Li Keqiang: LEE kuh chee-AANG (-ee as in street, -aa as in father, -ch as in church, -ng as in sing) Zhang Dejiang: JAANG duh jee-AANG (-j as in Jack, -aa as in father, -ng as in sing) Zhang Gaoli: JAANG gow LEE (-j as in Jack, -aa as in father, -ng as in sing, -ow as in now) Wang Qishan: WAANG chee SHAN (-aa as in father, -ng as in sing -ch as in church) Liu Yunshan: LYOH yuen SHAN (-ly as in million, -oh as in no, -ue as in French vu) Yu Zhengsheng: YUE jung SHUNG (-ue as in French vu, -j as in Jack, -u as in bun, -ng as in sing)
The Pronunciation Unit's advice is anglicised so that any word, name or phrase, in any language, is pronounceable by broadcasters and intelligible to audiences. Some of our previous blog posts have discussed why Mandarin Chinese presents challenges in the process of anglicisation. Not only does Mandarin Chinese have a number of vowels and consonants that do not exist in English and have no obvious equivalent but it is also a tone language. Mandarin Chinese has four tones - high level, high rising, fall-rise, falling (and a fifth null-tone) - which are vital, just like vowels and consonants, to differentiating meaning.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2012/11/how_to_say_chinese_leaders.shtml
Oh Christmas Tree （解題）
ご指名解題にお答えしたいと思います。
Oh Christmas Tree - 田邉祐司ゼミ 常時英心：言葉の森から
スカイツリーが「世界一高いクリスマスツリー」として展示されています。
発音すると、O Christmas treeと同じであること分かります。私はまずドイツ民謡を思い浮かべます。O Tannenbaumはおそらく誰もが耳にしたことがあるでしょう。
ここでのOh Christmas treeもこの歌が背景にあるのではないでしょうか。
一つ気になったのは" O "と" Oh "の表記の差です。古くからある曲には" O "を使っている気がします（例：O Holy Night(1847年)）。ここで、Ohを使っているのはスカイツリーという建物やその電灯などの装飾がより近代的であることを表しているように捉えました。(Minnesota)
sit on a fortune
ここのsit onは面白い比喩表現ですね。あやかりたいけど...。用法の解説をEnDoughくん、お願いします。（UG）
China's richest man Zong Qing Hou: Wealth gap is huge problem
China has seen a remarkable economic transformation over the last 30 years, with hundreds of millions of people lifted out of poverty. But with the global economic slowdown, there are real fears that this miracle may not last.
China's richest man, Zong Qing Hou, who grew up in poverty and now sits on a fortune of up to $20billion, told the BBC's George Alagiah that the gap between rich and poor had become a "huge problem" and was something that would have to be tackled by the country's new leader.
rescript
午後４時前に始まった衆院本会議で、横路孝弘議長が解散詔書の内容を読み上げて正式に衆院が解散しました。国会の解散は天皇の国事行為です。
dissolution rescriptのrescriptは「布告，勅令、（ローマ皇帝の）答書」という意味ですが、日本ではこのように天皇からの「詔書」という意味で用いられます。（UG）
Lower House Dissolved For Snap Election
TOKYO (Nikkei)--The lower house of the Diet was officially dissolved Friday after Speaker Takahiro Yokomichi read out the Emperor's dissolution rescript.
The lower house of the Diet was officially dissolved Friday.
The dissolution sets up the first general election since the Democratic Party of Japan came to power in 2009. The election will test the DPJ's hold on power against the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and other small parties.
unboxing party
ニューヨークのジョン・Ｆ・ケネディ国際空港（JFK）で、アップルが今月初旬に発売したタブレット型多機能端末「ｉＰａｄ ｍｉｎｉ（アイパッドミニ）」３６００台、約１５０万ドル（約１億２０００万円）相当が盗まれる事件が起きました。
unboxing partyは通常、新製品を箱から出して、お祝いをしあうパーティーを意味するそうです。この犯人たちはそうしたふつうのお祝いはできはしないだろうと皮肉っています。（UG）
$1.5 million worth of iPad Mini tabs stolen from JFK
The iPad Mini has been boosted in New York, but not in a good way.
The New York Post is reporting that thieves have stolen $1.5 million worth of iPad Minis from a building at JFK airport. Police told the paper the crooks somehow gained access to the cargo storage area late Monday night and used an airport forklift to load two pallets containing about 3,600 tablets in total into a large truck.
According to the report, the criminals left three more pallets of tablets on the tarmac after rushing off when an airport worker returned from a break.
Apparently the iPads had just arrived from China for distribution around the U.S. For the time being, while the suspects are still at large, they appear destined instead for one huge -- and illegitimate -- unboxing party.
Steve Jobs really was way off when he said no one would ever want a smaller tablet; turns out they're worth risking jail time for.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57550353-1/$1.5-million-worth-of-ipad-mini-tabs-stolen-from-jfk/
sit out #2
宮市選手がケガから回復したようです。はやくその勇姿をピッチ上で観たいものです。
sit outは以前も取り上げましたが、「戦列を離れる、ベンチ入りしない」という意味でしたね。（GP）
Miyaichi set to return to Premier League action
Japan’s hottest Premier League prospect could make his return for Wigan after a monthlong injury layoff when the team visits Liverpool on Saturday.
Winger Ryo Miyaichi, who is on loan from Arsenal, has returned to full training after sitting out the last month with a groin injury.
“We’ll need to see how he responds to the work this week as the intensity of his preparations go up a level before we decide whether he can make the trip to Liverpool or not,” Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said. “The injury was a big blow to him after a bright start to the season, but he remained positive throughout his recovery and is very close to 100 percent again, which is great news for the team.”
http://www.japantoday.com/category/sports/view/miyaichi-set-to-return-to-premier-league-action
ご指名質問：dent its reputation
大変遅くなりましたが、UG先生のご指名質問に挑戦致します。内容はここでなぜdentという動詞が使われているのかという事です。dent its reputation - 田邉祐司ゼミ 常時英心：言葉の森から
Toyota Rolls Out New Global Recall
TOKYO—Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will recall 2.77 million vehicles world-wide to fix shaft and water-pump defects, just a month after the company's biggest recall for a single part, in a move that may once again dent its reputation for quality after the massive recalls two years ago.
dentは名詞で使われ、「(ものが当たってできる)へこみ」であるので、動詞では「〜をへこませる」という意味が一般的ですが、「〜に不利な影響を与える」という意味(『ジーニアス英和辞典』第４版、大修館書店)もあります。ですのでここでは「トヨタの評判(車の質が良いという事)が傷つく」と解釈できます。
そしてなぜdentという動詞が使われているかですが、まず第一の理由がdentが車の文脈で使われる事が多いという事です。私が調べた辞書ではdent in car from an accident.⇒事故による車のへこみ(『ジーニアス英和辞典』第４版、大修館書店)
Mr.Suzuki’s car has a big dent on the door.⇒鈴木先生の車のドアには大きなへこみがある。(『スーパーアンカー和英辞典』第２版、学習研究社)とあり、どちらも車が例文として使われていました。
さらに「へこみ」を『スーパーアンカー和英辞典』(第２版、学習研究社)で引くとa hollowとdentがあったのですが、「dent(外からの強い力によってできた)とありました。今回はトヨタにとって2回目の大量のリコール、つまり強大な数のリコールです。この強大な力により「トヨタの自動車は安全」という評判が大きく損なわれる事は容易に想像できます。よってここでは車に関する記事であること、そして筆者がお客様からのリコールの影響力の大きさ、そして事の重大さを表現するためにdentが使われたのではないでしょうか。(EnDough)
be poised to~(回答)
UG先生のご指名質問に挑戦致します。内容は以下のbe poised toというが表現が選択される文脈についてです。
Japan PM Yoshihiko Noda set to call general election
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is poised to dissolve parliament and call a general election.
Mr Noda, in power since August 2011, will face newly-elected opposition leader Shinzo Abe in the polls.
Mr Abe's party is expected to win the most seats but the election is seen as unlikely to deliver a clear winner.
Mr Noda has lost support over his sales tax rise and handling of the Fukushima aftermath, while Mr Abe is an ex-PM who struggled to connect with the public.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20352448
まずは『ジーニアス英和辞典』(第4版、大修館書店)を引いてみました。するとbe prepare to~は「〜する準備ができている」 be poised to~には「〜する[用意]覚悟ができている、いつでも〜できる」とあり、まったく同じ意味であるように思えます。次にLDOCEでそれぞれ引いてみると、be poised to は”completely ready to do something or for something to happen, when it is likely to happen soon”とあり、be prepare toは”ready to do something or deal with”と定義されていました。これだけみるとbe poised to〜の方が「完全に前もって用意されている」というニュアンスが強いようです。よってbe poised to〜の方がより用意周到に用意されたというニュアンスが含まれている事がわかります。(EnDough)
