《英语选修课》PPT课件.ppt

A Dictionary For These Times,Pico Lyer(TIME,Jun 14,1993),Company Logo,Dear Mr.Martian,I understand you may be somewhat confused by the topsy-turvy,science-fictive ways you encounter here on our alien planet.Im hoping this may help you find your way around them.Affirmation means denial.(Thus,for example,Magic Johnson approaches his life-threatening disease with optimism and good-nature.This means he is“in denial”.An optimist is only a pessimist who hasnt yet come out.,in a sate of complete disorder or confusion,a possible method of solving a problemEg.Theres no way around it.,to state publicly that something is true,sbs characterEg.Shes got a lovely nature.,come out/come out of the closet=to admit one is gay or lesbian,Company Logo,Yes,in short,means no.This is different however,from the fact that no means yes.That is when men say when women dont say yes to them.)Challenge means loss.(A“Physically challenged”person is one who used to be called“disabled or“handicapped”to wit,one who has been dealt a bad blow by circumstance.To give him this more friendly sounding title is an attempt to affirm possibility on his behalf in other words,to be in denial.,遭受严重打击,political correctness,the combination of facts,events etc that influence ones life,and that one cant control,Company Logo,Cool means hot.(This,of course,youve known for a while.Almost anything that people say is“cool”is sure to be“hot”.“If somethings“bad”,that means its“good”.If its“in,”though,that means its on the way out.After all,“give in”and“give out”mean the same thing.),Really?You are so bad!真的吗？你真棒！,屈服,筋疲力尽，无以为继,Company Logo,East means west.(The“Far East”is naturally to the west of the“Far West,”and the East Coast is one of the western-most parts of the Western world.Dont worry,though:according to a U.S.President,yes means no in the East anyway,while in the more logical West,“a fat chance”means a very thin one.,completely impossible,Company Logo,Father means son.(Thus,for example,Bill Wymans son is marrying the mother of Bill Wymans wife.Bill Wyman will soon be his sons son-in-law,as well as father of his father-in-law.Its easy to tell a girl from a boy,however.Boys are the ones with earrings and long hair;girls are the ones with trousers and short hair.“Mother,”of course,is the worst name you can call someone.That is because mothers are,in many contexts,objects of worship.),call sbs name骂人,Mother fer,Company Logo,Friends means enemies.(If someone says,“Cant we just be friends?,”that usually means youve got a potential enemy for life.But dont lose hope:in many parts of the world,your enemys enemy is your friend.That is a result of the law whereby two rights make a wrong.)Inner city means outer space.(The people who live in“inner city”are nearly always outsiders,and“insiders”live as far as possible from the heart of things.Likewise,the“inner child,”for most adults,is even more far out.,Two wrongs dont make a right,slum,full of fantasies,光怪陆离的，充满幻想的,前卫的,童心,Company Logo,9.Interests mean boredom.(As in the“interests”people list in“personal ads”“Schoenberg,late Heidegger and Hustler”or in the bodies known as“interest groups.”Of course,you will already have found that“personal”in any case means“impersonal”;thus a“personal ad”is,in fact,a highly impersonal solicitation for companionship.10.Left means right.(In places like the former Soviet Union the“rightists”are the conservatives,who are most attached to communism in other words,the people furthest on the left.,an Austrian composer,German philosopher,征求,Company Logo,11.New means old.(Thus a“new idea”in Hollywood,for example means an old idea that is not under copyright.Something that happened yesterday,though,is“old news.”)12.Pleasure means business.(The giving of pleasure is one of the most lucrative business around,and not only in the red light district.Thus people who“play games”for a living sign contracts for$43 million much more than people who merely work.Those who can sing may get up to$100 million.),Company Logo,13.Ruler means subject.(Anyone who is a member of a royal family is,by law,subject to the nation.Thus the princesses of Britain,say,are employees of the people,used as tourist attractions and given free board and lodging in return for affording the rest of us some entertainment.You may remember how the old kings like Henry V used to spy on their subjects;now its the subjects who spy on their rulers.Dieu et mon droit.),Company Logo,14.Small means mid-size.(If you are renting a car,you need to remember that“small is several sizes larger than the smallest size.And in McDonalds,a“small”order of fries is now a regular-size order,which is different from the situation in most places where the“regular”size is very small.15.War means peace.(Thus the“cold war”was a way of maintaining a tenuous peace between two belligerent superpowers.The“war against drugs”means saying“Just say no”several times and hoping that people under the influence wont take a no for a yes.,Company Logo,16.Oh,and one more thing.Alien means resident.(As in“I live here because Im a resident alien.“Youll see lots of“aliens”in the U.S.they are the people who come from other countries as opposed to“real Americans,”who are people came from other countries a little while ago.)17.I hope that all makes sense.Im sure you will find our world as clear as anything on your planet.An Earthman,Company Logo,Use of Euphemism,the old,the aging,the senior citizen,the well-preserved men,the veterans,the poor,the disadvantaged,the havenots,the needy,the poor nations,the developing nations,the Third/Fourth World,the underdeveloped nations,dismiss/sack/fire,lay off,select out,slim,short:_ challenged;insane:_ challenged,Company Logo,Use of Euphemism,invasion:incursionbombing:air supportheavy defeat:strategic withdrawalsuicidal attack:one-way missiontax increase:revenue enhancementjobless mother:welfare motherprostitute:call girl,street walkermilitary prostitute:comfort womanprostitution:the oldest profession in the world,Company Logo,Crazy English,There is no egg in the eggplant,no ham in the hamburger,and neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.English muffins were not invented in England.French fries were not invented in France.We sometimes take English for granted,but if we examine its paradoxes,we find that quicksand takes you down slowly,boxing rings are square,and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.,