又中又英
又中又英
又中又英

A stirring speech

2016/08/04 08:41:27 網誌分類: 生活
04 Aug
          I was glued to my computer last week watching live coverage of the Democratic Party convention (large meeting, conference). Glue is a liquid to stick things together. But if you say you are glued to the computer or TV, it means you are watching something so exciting you cannot stop watching it. As expected, the Democratic Party nominated (proposed, recommended) Hillary Clinton as its candidate to compete against the Republican Party’s Donald Trump in November’s US election for president. The Republican Party convention two weeks ago, during which it nominated Donald Trump as its candidate, was boring compared to the Democratic Party convention. I didn’t even bother to watch the Republican Party convention.

         I was glued to the computer last week for live coverage of the Democratic Party convention because the party has many good orators. An orator is a person who is very good at making speeches in public. President Barack Obama is an excellent orator. His speech last week to endorse (publicly support) Hillary Clinton as the next US president was so stirring (passionate, emotional, inspiring) that I teared up. The American slang expression “tear up” means to almost cry or to bring tears to your eyes. Michelle Obama also gave a stirring speech at the convention. I did not know until I heard her stirring speech last week that she too is a top-class orator. Her speech also made me tear up.

         Former president Bill Clinton is a good orator but not as good as Barack Obama. His speech at the convention was good but it did not make me tear up. He used a word to describe his wife Hillary that became headlines in the American media. He said Hillary is a “change-maker”. This American English word is not in the Oxford Dictionary. American dictionaries define it as a person or machine that changes money into smaller amounts, such as changing a $10 note into ten $1 coins. But when Bill Clinton said Hillary is a “change-maker” he meant she is a person with a vision who changes the world to make it better. It is a new and interesting word.

         我上星期在電腦前目不轉睛的(glued to)收看美國民主黨全國代表大會(convention)的現場直播。Glue就是膠水,但若你說你 glued to電腦或電視,即是說你正在緊張的觀看着甚麼,不願錯過任何一刻。不出所料,民主黨提名(nominated)希拉莉.克林頓做其候選人,於十一月的美國總統大選中與共和黨的特朗普對壘。共和黨兩星期前的大會(convention)提名了(nominated)特朗普成為其候選人,但相比於民主黨的大會(convention),他們那場可謂沉悶至極,我甚至懶得去觀看共和黨的大會(convention)。

         我上星期目不轉睛的(glued to)觀看民主黨大會(convention)的直播,因為這黨有着許多很好的演說家(orators)。 Orator 就是公開演說的人。總統奧巴馬就是一流的演說家(orator)。他上星期為希拉莉背書(endorse)、支持她做下任總統的演說,激動人心(stirring)得令我teared up。美式俚語 tear up意思即是差不多要哭了,或是熱淚盈眶。米歇爾.奧巴馬也在大會講了一場激動人心(stirring)的演說。我聽她上星期那振奮人心(stirring)的演說前,並不知道她原來也是一流的演說家(orator)。她的演說也令我熱淚盈眶(tear up)。

         前總統比爾.克林頓也是一個很好的演說家(orator),但還是奧巴馬略勝一籌。克林頓在大會(convention)的演說很好,但並未把我惹哭(tear up)。他用了一個字去形容他的妻子,成為美國媒體的頭條。他說希拉莉是個“change-maker”。這個美式英語字並沒收錄在牛津字典裏。美國的字典將它定義為換零錢機、或是替你將大額金錢換成零錢的人,例如將十元紙幣換成十個一元硬幣。但當克林頓說希拉莉是個“change-maker”時,他的意思是她有遠見,能帶來改變,將世界變得更美好。這真是個有趣的新字。mickchug@gmail.com

        中譯:七刻

        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

        

        
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