第四讲

    Text Study
    Para. 6 However, Webster was triumphant in other words. His “reformed spelling” of English in “-our” words has won the day, “favor”, “labor”, “honor”, replacing the English “favour”, “labour”, “honour”. Similarly, American English spells words like “centre”, “theatre”, “calibre” as “center”, “theater”, and “caliber”.

    Triumphant
    adj. 胜利的,成功的；（因成功而）欢欣鼓舞的, 洋洋得意的
    e.g.
    a. The victorious general made a triumphant return.
    战胜的将军凯旋而归。
    b. In the summer of 1958 the pianist had a sensationally triumphant return.
    1958年夏天这位钢琴家非常成功地复出了。

    Woin the day （在竞赛或争论中）获胜，占上风
    e.g.
    a. Despite strong opposition, the ruling party won the day.
    尽管对手实力很强，执政党还是获胜了。
    b. New products grab headlines, but useful products that give good value often
win the day.
    虽然新产品抢占了媒体的重要新闻，但物有所值的实用产品通常获胜。

    calibre n. [ 英]（枪、炮等的）口径
    e.g.
    A small bore rifle means that the weapon is in the 0.22 to 0.38 calibre range.
    小口径步枪是指枪的口径为0.22~0.38。
    n. 才干，水准
    e.g. There are few workers left of her calibre.
    像她那种工作人员剩下的不多了。

    Para. 6 然而，韦伯斯特却成功地改革了其他的一些词汇。 他在“-our”的拼写改革上就取得了成功。“favor”，“labor”，“honor”替代了（以前）英式英语中的“favour”“labour”，“honour”。同样, 美式英语把诸如“centre”，“theatre”，“calibre”拼写成“center”，“theater”，“caliber”。

    Text Study
    Para. 7 One of the other ways in which American spelling differs from the British is in the treatment of the letter “I” in the middle of a word. The difference is clearly visible in American Express checks. If they are issued in UK pounds they bear the title “Traveller’s Cheque”; if in US dollars “Traveler’s Check”. Fortunately a trader will accept either! If the money is good why worry about spelling?

    differ vi.（from, in）与……不同，相异
    e.g.
    a. Birds differ from mammals.
    鸟类与哺乳动物不同。
    b. The testimony of the two witnesses differed from each other.
    两个目击者的证词不一致。
    vi. (with, from) 与······意见不同

    vi. (with, from) 与······意见不同
    e.g.
    I’m sorry to differ with you on that.
    对不起，在那件事上我们看法不同。

    Para. 7 美式拼写与英式拼写的另一个不同之处，是在处理一个单词中间的字母“l”的问题上。这种不同在美国捷运公司的支票上显而易见。 如果它们是以英国英镑发行，那么它们就叫“Traveller’s Cheque”, 如果是以美国美元发行，那就是“Traveler’s Check”。幸运的是，商人会接受两者中的任何一种! 如果钱没错，为什么要在乎它的拼写呢？

    Text Study
    Para. 8a In vocabulary there are also numerous differences. The British take a “lift” to the upper floors of a building, the Americans an “elevator”; British motor cars have a “bonnet” and a “boot” and are protected by “bumpers”, American cars have a “hood” and a “trunk” and are protected by “fenders”; British passengers travel in railway “carriages”, Americans in railway “cars”.
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    Para. 8a ( 美式英语和英式英语) 在词汇方面也有很多不同之处。英国人乘“lift（电梯）”到 一栋建筑的高层，而美国人则乘“elevator（电梯）”；英国的机动车有一个“bonnet（引擎罩）”及一个“boot（行李箱）”并且受“bumpers（保险杠）”的保护；而美国汽车则有一个“hood（引擎罩）”及一个“trunk（行李箱）”，并受“fenders（保险杠）”的保护；英国乘客在铁路上的“carriages（车厢）”中旅行，而美国人则乘坐在铁路上的“cars（车厢）”里。

    Text Study
    Para. 8b Dead Britons get buried in a “coffin” by means of an “undertaker”, dead Americans in a “casket” by means of a “mortician”; British children progress in school from “form” to “form”, American children from “grade” to “grade”; the British walk on a “pavement”, Americans on a “sidewalk”. There are hundreds of such variants.

    n. [ 英] 棺材
    a. The coffin was placed in the grave.
    那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。
    b. Every time he drinks wine, he drives a nail inhis coffin. 他每喝一次酒，就等于加速死亡一步。
    c. Coffin Nail, a slang term used to describe a cigarette. Something that might hasten or contribute to one's death, as in Every cigarette you smoke is another nail in your coffin.

    Para. 8b 去世了的英国人通过一个“undertaker（丧葬承办人）”将其埋葬在一个“coffin（棺材）”里，而在美国则由一个“mortician（丧葬承办人）”将死者埋葬在一个“casket（棺材）”里；英国小孩在学校里从一个“form（年级）”升到高一个年级，而美国小孩则从学校的一个“grade（年级）”升到高一个年级；英国人走在“pavement（人行道）”上，而美国人却步行在“sidewalk（人行道）”上。诸如此类的差异还有数百种。