Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Naive

\nä-ˈēv, nī-\   adj.  天真的; 幼稚的; 輕信(別人)的 
: having or showing a lack of experience or knowledge 
: innocent or simple 

一般人都不喜歡被稱為 Naive,因為這表示別人認為是不夠成熟或很幼稚。
No one likes being called naive, since it means you lack sophistication or street smarts.


A person who is too trusting can be criticized for being overly naive: "You're so naive, you think that e-mail from the Nigerian prince is really going to make you a million dollars!" Naive shares the same root as native, and originally meant "natural" or "not artificial." It can still be used in a more positive meaning when describing a charming lack of artificiality, as in "the naive style of folk art made by an untrained painter.” 

例句:
Because I refused to give kickbacks, they sarcastically said that I was very naive.

因為我拒絕給回扣,所以他們諷刺地說我很天真。

Monday, January 06, 2014

Vice

\ˈvīs\ 
n.  惡習,壞脾氣,惡行

: bad or immoral behavior or habits
: a moral flaw or weakness
: a minor bad habit

prep.  
instead of; in the place of.  


A vice is a moral failing or a bad habit. Traditional examples of vice include drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and gambling in card games.

In the United States, municipal police departments often have a bureau dedicated to vice, manned by vice cops, whose job it is to fight crime related to alcohol, drugs, and gambling. But anything can be a vice, as long as there's someone out there who views it as bad behavior or a moral weakness. You might say, casually, "I don't drink, smoke, or gamble. Chocolate ice cream is my vice." Or driving over the speed limit. Or intentionally failing to sort your recycling. 


例句:
Along with great wealth, it stimulated political vice  and the noxious excretions. 
伴隨著巨大的財富,它同時激發了政治的墮落與有毒物的排出。 

Sunday, January 05, 2014

Regardless

\ri-ˈgärd-ləs\ 
adj.  不注意的,不留心的,不關心的 
: having or showing no regard; heedless; unmindful (often followed by of  ).

adv. 不顧一切地; 不管怎樣地; 無論如何
: in spite of difficulty, trouble, etc. 
: without being stopped by difficulty, trouble, etc. 

Idioms  不管, 不顧
regardless of, in spite of; without regard for

If something is done without consideration, it's done regardless, usually followed by the word "of." Today you can sit wherever you'd like on a bus, regardless of your race, but this wasn't always the case.

The word regardless can also be used as an adverb meaning despite everything. If your speaker had to cancel, you should carry on with the meeting regardless. People sometimes use the word irregardless when they mean regardless. Irregardless is an error resulting from a blend of irrespective and regardless. You may hear people say it, but grammarians consider it to be a mistake. 


例句:
Organ harvesting is a crime regardless of whose organs are removed!
不管摘除誰誰的器官,活摘器官就是一種犯罪行為!