YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

Michael-liu
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 Michael-liu »

Timothy Cheng 寫:Dear all,
Here are the useful sentences and vocabularies that I suppose, and the questions I met.

Questions:
1.a sneaky son of a gun p179 "son of a gun" means "son of a bitch"
2.When it came to an important principle, Dewey would never roll over and play dog. P182
roll over means "翻轉身體" here, and play dog means "扮演狗"
3. This was no ordinary spur-of-the-moment visit. P197 spur-of-the-moment means "心血來潮"
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chiron
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 chiron »

Michael-liu 寫:
chiron 寫:
Hello, Michael:

Here is the context:

I'll always remember the former city manager. Every time he saw me, he said with a smile, "Are you girls at the library still mooning over that cat?" Maybe he was trying to be funny, but I couldn't help but feel offended. Girls! --> In my point of view, I feel the phrase here is kind of derogatory.
Hi, Chiron

According to Google Dictionary, "moon over" means to spend time thinking about somebody that you love, especially when other people think this is silly or annoying 痴痴地思念

so, I believe in this context, the city manager implies that the girls " 痴痴地思念" that cat, and this term is used especially when other people think this is silly or annoying. That is why the girls feel offended.

If it means "逗那隻貓咪" here, then I dont see why it would be "offended". Also, I guess "逗某人" is a wrong translation on the internet for this phrase.

Michael
Hello, Michael:
If you are also interested in this novel-reading meeting, would you like to join us from our next novel? You're always welcome.
Please call me Na'vi!
Michael-liu
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 Michael-liu »

Hi, Chiron

If the novel you guys choose interests me, I would love to join.

Janet told me the next novel might be "P. S. I love you". Is that true? I like this movie..^^


Michael
Kooper
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 Kooper »

Michael-liu 寫:Hi, Chiron

If the novel you guys choose interests me, I would love to join.

Janet told me the next novel might be "P. S. I love you". Is that true? I like this movie..^^

Michael
Hi Mike,

It's "The Lovely Bones."
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chiron
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 chiron »

chiron 寫: [The Lovely Bones]
Guys:
I'm glad we finally choose this book. It's a worthy book not only because it's a totally different topic from our previous novels but also because it's profound in every aspect. Hope you like this one as I. Besides, I also found an on-line video from PPS, pls click the link below and install whatever it asks you to install. However, you still can go to movie theather to have a higher definiton if you like to. Enjoy it~~

[an on-line video]
Please call me Na'vi!
Michael-liu
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 Michael-liu »

This novel seems interesting and so popular. The total 21 copies of this novel in city library are all checked out!!

I am in for this one and will buy this novel online. It is quite cheap, only NT221. How come it is so cheap for an English copy?


Michael
最後由 Michael-liu 於 週六 4月 03, 2010 1:56 am 編輯,總共編輯了 2 次。
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chiron
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 chiron »

Michael-liu 寫:This novel seems interesting and so populor. The total 21 copies of this novel in city library are all checked out!!

I am in for ISG and will buy this novel online. It is quite cheap, only NT221. How come it is so cheap for an English copy?


Michael
You're wlcome.

Eslite usually choose few original books as their "focus product",purchase them in quantity and sell them at a pretty low price. In Taiwna, there are not too many people having the habit of buying English novels, so I guess it won't be a good strategy to sell it at a higher price like most original books.
最後由 chiron 於 週六 4月 03, 2010 10:21 am 編輯,總共編輯了 1 次。
Please call me Na'vi!
Michael-liu
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 Michael-liu »

Sherry Liao 寫:((P. 235) not so much...as...: used to say that one description of someone or something is less suitable or correct than another [Longman]
Ex.: She was not so much nervous as impatient for the journey to be over.
Ex.: They're not so much lovers as friends.
Ex.: I don't feel angry so much as sad..
This is a good one.

Something is not so much A as B

與其說是 A , 不如說是 B


Michael
Sherry Liao
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 Sherry Liao »

chiron 寫:6. What does this sentence on p.169 mean: “Let’s make the rounds, Dew”?
Vicki suspected that the strange behavior of Dewey was caused by hair balls. So she decided to look around to find the vomit.

do the rounds of something (British English) make the rounds of something (American English): to go around from one place to another, especially looking for work or advertising something
Ex.: Ryan is making the rounds of talk shows to promote her new movie.
chiron 寫:7. What does this sentence on p.169 mean: “I braced myself for the mother of all hair balls”?
When a cat has hair balls in its stomach, it might get it out by vomiting. Vicki decided to find out the vomit by searching in the library and tried to get herself ready for the sight of the mess.

the mother of something: [informal] a very severe or extreme type of something, usually something bad
Ex.: I woke up with the mother of all hangovers.
chiron 寫:8. What does this sentence on p.169 mean: “The poor cat was in knots”?
He was upset.
chiron 寫:9. What does this sentence on p.170 mean: He’d never “acted out”. This was completely “out of character”?
Dewey was a well-behaved cat and never let himself get out of countrol. The behavior (peeing on the cards) was unusual.

in character/out of character : typical or untypical of someone's character
Ex.: He swore, which was out of character for him
Ex.: Her behavior last night was completely out of character.

Acting out is defined as the release of out-of-control aggressive or sexual impulses in order to gain relief from tension or anxiety . Such impulses often result in antisocial or delinquent behaviors. The term is also sometimes used in regard to a psychotherapeutic release of repressed feelings, as occurs in psychodrama.
http://www.healthofchildren.com/A/Acting-Out.html
chiron 寫:10. Why does this sentence on p.171 mention “proverbial canary”: He had taken it upon himself to use his powerful nose to protect us, to be our “proverbial canary” in the coal mine?
Check this out:
What does It Mean to be a "Canary in a Coal Mine"?

Life for an actual canary in a coal mine could be described in three words - short but meaningful. Early coal mines did not feature ventilation systems, so miners would routinely bring a caged canary into new coal seams. Canaries are especially sensitive to methane and carbon monoxide, which made them ideal for detecting any dangerous gas build-ups. As long as the canary in a coal mine kept singing, the miners knew their air supply was safe. A dead canary in a coal mine signalled an immediate evacuation.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-it-me ... l-mine.htm
Sherry Liao
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 Sherry Liao »

chiron 寫:11. What does this sentence on p.172 mean: He didn’t “ham it up”, but he went about all his usual activities, and he performed them on command?
Dewey acted moderately and appropriately and was not carried away before the filmmaker.

ham it up (informal): to perform or behave in a false way, especially in a way that is too obvious or that makes people laugh [Cambridge]
chiron 寫:12. Why does it say, “Poor little thing, my foot” on page 174?
Vicki believed that Dewey was not so much poor as lucky, since he was saved that day and then became the idol of the library.

...my foot! (British English) (old-fashioned): used to show that you do not believe something that someone has just said
Ex.: £50 my foot! It'll cost £200 at least.
chiron 寫:13. What does this sentence on p.176 mean: As far as digestive systems were concerned, that cat really “got a lemon”?
Dewey had a very delicate digestive system, and Vicki described it as a lemon.

lemon (countable) (especially American English) (informal): something that is useless because it fails to work or to work properly
Ex.: I soon realized the van was a lemon.
chiron 寫:14. What does this sentence on p.177 mean: The pain had been “blinding”?
Dewey had been suffering extreme pain.

blind: describes an extreme feeling that happens without thought or reason:
Ex.: blind anger/faith/prejudice
Ex.: He was blind with fury (= so angry that he could not behave reasonably).
chiron 寫:15. What does this sentence on p.178 mean: Sometimes Dewey “came tearing out of the back room” like someone had lit a firecracker under his rear end?
I guess "the back room" is where Dewey did a "poo", and sometimes it hurt because of the constipation.
Sherry Liao
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 Sherry Liao »

chiron 寫:16. What does this sentence on p.181 mean: “You’re going to have to walk me through that, Dr.”?
walk-through: thorough demonstration or explanation that details each step of a process.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/walk-through
chiron 寫:17. What does this sentence on p.181 mean: I hated to “dish out” 30 dollars for sth I knew wasn’t going to work?
dish out something: to give something too freely and in large amounts
Ex.: The mayor was famous for dishing out political favors to his pals.
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/dish+out
chiron 寫:18. What does this sentence on p.182 mean: But when it came to an important principle like food, Dewey would never “roll over” and “play dog”?
Michael has answered this question, but I think it actually means "roll over and play dead":

roll over and play dead: not try, not compete hard, give up
http://english-idioms.net/wm/idiom.cgi?idiom=ro&nr=20
roll over and play dead: Fig. to just give up and be unable to cope with life or a problem.
Ex.: Why can't I complain about this? Am I supposed to roll over and play dead?
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/rol ... +play+dead
chiron 寫:19. What does this sentence on p.204 mean: “I don’t want to take anything away from the cat” who falls out of the Winnebago, then spends five months trudging home through snowdrifts and scorching heat?
The cat in Winnebago was brilliant, but Dewey was as good in a way.

take away from something (phrasal verb): to spoil the good effect or success that something has [Longman]
Ex.: The disagreement between the two men should not take away from their accomplishments.
Ex.: I don’t want to take away from his achievements, but he couldn’t have done it without my help.
chiron 寫:20. What does this sentence on p.206 mean: But on the day Yvonne had to “put her own cat to sleep”,…?
To euthanize the cat.
Sherry Liao
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 Sherry Liao »

chiron 寫:21. What does this sentence on p.215 mean: Mr. Hoshi “was all over the visitors”? (p.215)
Not quite sure. I think it means to interview the visitors actively and carefully. :?

be all over: To attack verbally; reprimand severely.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/all+over

Also check this out:
http://www.englishforums.com/English/To ... b/post.htm
chiron 寫:22. What does this sentence on p.225 mean: “If you’re straight, you can visit her. If you’re high, you can’t”?
Vicki said David could visit his daughter only when he was not taking drugs.

straight: (informal) not using illegal drugs or alcohol:
Ex.: He's been straight for five months.
chiron 寫:23. What does this sentence on p.240 mean: Dewey never hesitated to “play up his condition”?
Dewey tried to get people's attention and sympathy by playing poor.

play something ↔ up: to emphasize something, sometimes making it seem more important than it really is
Ex.: Play up your strongest arguments in the opening paragraph.
chiron 寫:24. What does this sentence on p.247 mean: Are these people going to “throw me out on my ear”, too?
The discussion on Dewey in the meeting made Vicki think she might be dismissed as well if she was getting older and became useless.

throw (one) out on one's ear: Fig. to remove someone from a place forcibly. Straighten up, or I'll throw you out on your ear. The caretaker caught us and threw us out on our ear.
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/throw+out+on+ear
chiron 寫:25. What does this sentence on p.247 mean: I’ve “put them down”?
put sth down: to kill an animal that is old, ill or injured, to prevent it from suffering
Ex.: If a horse breaks its leg, it usually has to be put down.
chiron 寫:26. What does this sentence on p.262 mean: The staff “files in”?
It means the staff walks in one after another.

file: [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if people file somewhere, they walk there in a line
Ex.: We began to file out into the car park.
Ex.: The mourners filed past the coffin.
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chiron
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 chiron »

sherry 寫:
chiron 寫:10. Why does this sentence on p.171 mention “proverbial canary”: He had taken it upon himself to use his powerful nose to protect us, to be our “proverbial canary” in the coal mine?
Check this out:
What does It Mean to be a "Canary in a Coal Mine"?

Life for an actual canary in a coal mine could be described in three words - short but meaningful. Early coal mines did not feature ventilation systems, so miners would routinely bring a caged canary into new coal seams. Canaries are especially sensitive to methane and carbon monoxide, which made them ideal for detecting any dangerous gas build-ups. As long as the canary in a coal mine kept singing, the miners knew their air supply was safe. A dead canary in a coal mine signalled an immediate evacuation.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-it-me ... l-mine.htm
I guess a canary should be also useful when someone is farting around. Ha~Ha~
Please call me Na'vi!
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chiron
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Re: YOYO-ISG 100402 Novel / Dewey p.138 - p.269

文章 chiron »

Sherry Liao 寫:
chiron 寫:21. What does this sentence on p.215 mean: Mr. Hoshi “was all over the visitors”? (p.215)
Not quite sure. I think it means to interview the visitors actively and carefully. :?

be all over: To attack verbally; reprimand severely.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/all+over

Also check this out:
http://www.englishforums.com/English/To ... b/post.htm
This sentence here means Mr. Hoshi would not let the visitors go, for it's a great chance to interview all of them.
Sherry Liao 寫:
chiron 寫:26. What does this sentence on p.262 mean: The staff “files in”?
It means the staff walks in one after another.

file: [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if people file somewhere, they walk there in a line
Ex.: We began to file out into the car park.
Ex.: The mourners filed past the coffin.
What an dreaful example!!

Wow, Sherry, you are our heroine. You answer these questions by yourself. What an achievement!!
Please call me Na'vi!
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