Wednesday, February 12, 2014

It appears that more and more people who had had Christian and Jewish faith have turned agnostic.

Victoria Nuland's father, Professor Sherwin B. Nuland, a native Jewish American and a surgeon, is one of them. "Although raised in a traditional Orthodox Jewish home, Sherwin now considers himself agnostic, but continues to attend synagogue." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherwin_B._Nuland )

In a typical democratic society, damning reports are broadcast every now and then.

Is it a good thing for the society, or is it a bad thing?

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

It doesn't feel good to see the unabated downward spins of career roller coasters of many people in this insecure era of demotions and lay-offs.

人言啧啧的“啫啫鸡煲”和“啫喱水”

从小到大,我肯定读过很多白字。最近几年才自知的有豉(chǐ)。

有些中餐馆的女侍应将“啫啫鸡煲”的“啫啫”读成“zhū zhū”,今天查了一下,其实应该读作“zé zé”。我猜“啫”应该是广东话里的字,象声字;所以他们不将“啫啫鸡煲”称作“啧啧鸡煲”。其实,“啧啧”形容咂嘴的声音,那道菜品叫“啧啧鸡煲”貌似也不错。当然,“啧”字既可以做褒义(例如“啧啧称羡”),又可以做贬义(例如“啧有烦言”),不如“啫”来得清爽不产生误解。

另外,对于英文的 “gel” 一词的翻译,“啫喱水”,为什么很多人读作“zhě lí shuǐ”?应该是“zé lí shuǐ”才对啊。