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【No. 0122】It's all Greek to me.

Apr 19, 2015 22:29
Today, I'd like to introduce an unique Japanese phrase.

It's "ちんぷんかんぷん," which means like "it's all Greek to me."

The phrase sounds strange and lovely.

If you face a situation that you can't understand about Japanese, it may be better to say "ちんぷんかんぷんです."

However, since the phrase sometimes sounds ironic in some situations, please be careful.
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【No. 0121】Ring Finger

Apr 18, 2015 22:33
The ring finger is known as a finger to wear a wedding ring.

In Greek mythology, it was believed that a left hand ring finger and a heart were connected each other by a single thick vessel.

In order to connect two hearts, wearing a wedding ring on a left hand ring finger became habitual.

However, in Germany or Spain, wearing a wedding ring on the right hand ring finger is common.

I don't know the detail, but there seems to be a religious background.

When married people travel abroad, it might be better to consider their wedding rings' position.
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【No. 0120】Network Trouble

Apr 17, 2015 20:24
Today, we could not connect the internet at our university all day.

Since I had retained my study data to the cloud, I couldn't do anything today.

I'd like to demand decent network management to our university.
Apr 16, 2015 22:49
Today, I learned the phrase "That’s the way the cookie crumbles."

This is used when something unlucky happened, and you would like to comfort someone like "That’s the way it goes."

And I found other interesting phrases that have similar meaning.

「That’s the way the cookie crumbles.」　

「That’s the way the mop flops.」

I felt like I could make phrases like this, so I made them.

「That’s the way the formula diverges.」

「That’s the way the algorithm explodes.」

【No. 0118】Rain Cats and Dogs

Apr 15, 2015 21:35
Today, it was temporarily downpour.

In English, there are some phrases that means rain hard:

・It's raining cats and dogs.
・It's coming down in buckets.
・It's really coming down.
・It's pouring.
・It is the heavens open.

There are various hypotheses about why "cats and dogs" means hard rain, but one of the most widely-accepted theory come from Scandinavian myth.

In Scandinavian myth, it is said that cats have a power to cause rains, and dogs have a power to cause winds.

In fact in many European countries, the bad weather was referred to as "dog(wolf) weather."

Also, while "cats and dogs" means bad relationship in English, "dogs and monkeys relationship" means bad relationship in Japan.
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【No. 0117】Complement versus Compliment

Apr 14, 2015 20:04
When I write a technical paper, I sometimes use the word "complement."

However, I often mistake "compliment" for "complement," and it makes me go out of my tree.

Today, I'd like to write a note how I remember them.

"Compliment" contains "I."

In Japanese, "I (ai)" means "love."

That is, I can remember it like "There is a love in compliment."

Also, "Complement" contains "e."

In Japanese, "e (e-)" means er (hesitation).

That is, I can remember it like "Complement? Er, it is a bother."
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【No. 0116】The farthest location from the center of the Earth

Apr 13, 2015 19:13
The farthest location from the center of the Earth
地球の中心から最も遠い場所

Today, I learned about the farthest location from the center of the Earth.
今日、地球の中心から最も遠い場所を学びました。

Simply think, the location seems to be Everest, which is the highest mountain, but this is wrong.
単純に考えると、世界で最も標高の高いエベレストだと思うかもしれませんが、違います。

Actually, the equatorial radius of the earth is about 20 km longer than the polar radius (distance from the Antarctic to the Arctic) due to the centrifugal force by rotation.
地球は自転による遠心力で、赤道半径のほうが極半径（南極から北極までの距離）よりも約20km程大きいのです。

Therefore, the correct answer is Chimborazo, which is the highest mountain in Ecuador.
そのため、正解はエクアドルのチンボラソという山です。

The peak elevation of Chimborazo is about 6,268 metres, and Everest is about 8,848 meters, however, the distance from the center of the Earth; to Chimborazo is about 6,384.4 kilometers, to Everest is about 6,382.3 kilometers.
チンボラソの標高は約6310m、エベレストの標高は約8848mですが、地球の中心からの距離ではチンボラソが約6,384.4km、エベレストが6,382.3kmとなっています。

In other words, Chimborazo is the closest location to the universe.
すなわち、チンボラソは地球上で最も宇宙に近い地点だと言えます。

Also, while the deepest location in the world is Challenger Deep of Mariana Islands, the closest place from the center of the Earth is Litke Deep of Greenland.
また、世界で最も深い場所はマリアナ諸島のチャレンジャー海淵ですが、地球の中心から最も近い場所は、グリーンランドのリトケ海淵です。
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【No. 0115】Washing My Wallet

Apr 12, 2015 21:12
Washing My Wallet
財布を洗濯

Today, I washed my wallet.
今日は、財布を洗濯しました。

I forgot there was my wallet in my pants, and I washed them together using clothes washer.
ズボンの中に財布があるのを忘れて、一緒に洗濯してしまったのです。

Bills and cards were soaked.
お札やカードがずぶぬれです。

Fortunately, it will be available if I dry them.
幸いに、乾かせば使えそうでした。

However, I was sad.
でも、とても悲しかったです。
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【No. 0114】Beethoven Portrait

Apr 11, 2015 22:49
Beethoven Portrait
ベートーヴェンの肖像画

In most music rooms of Japanese elementary schools, a portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven is displayed.
日本の小学校の音楽室には、ルートヴィヒ・ヴァン・ベートーヴェンの肖像画が飾られていることが多いです。

However, Beethoven is displeased look in the most famous portrait, which was drawn by Fernando Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller in 1823.
しかし、1823年にフェルナンド・ヴァルトミュラーが描いた最も有名な肖像画は、不機嫌な顔付きで描かれています。

Why was he so mad?
彼は何に怒っているのでしょうか？

According to the record of his pupil, Schindler, Beethoven was angry all day because his favorite food "macaroni cheese," that was made by his housekeeper tasted bad.
弟子のシントラーの記録によれば、家政婦が作った彼の大好物「マカロニチーズ」が不味かったため、一日中機嫌が悪かったそうです。

Although such a background, the Beethoven portrait is often used in ghost story in Japan.
そんな背景があるにも関わらず、日本ではベートーヴェンの肖像画はよく怪談話に使われます。
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【No. 0113】Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Apr 10, 2015 23:33
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
くも膜下出血

Yesterday, I was informed that my customer, who is a dentist, had been hospitalized with subarachnoid hemorrhage from ruptured intracranial aneurysms.
昨日、私の顧客である歯医者の先生が、脳動脈瘤破裂によるくも膜下出血で入院していたことを知りました。

The subarachnoid hemorrhage refers to the state in which the blood was mixed in the cerebrospinal fluid, caused by bleeding in a subarachnoid space in a brain.
くも膜下出血とは、脳内のくも膜下腔に出血が生じ、脳髄液中に血液が混入した状態を指します。

This is a horrible disease, it is said that about one-third will die at the same time as the bleeding, and only one-third can return to society.
これは恐ろしい病気で、約1/3は出血と同時に死んでしまい、社会復帰できるのもまた約1/3だと言われています。

I was really relieved, because the dentist got back into society a few days ago.
その先生は、最近社会復帰できたようで、本当に安心しました。

【No. 0112】Salt Content in a Ramen

Apr 9, 2015 23:12
Salt Content in a Ramen
ラーメンの塩分

Today, I went to a ramen shop to eat Szechuan spicy noodles with my friends.
今日は友人と、ラーメン屋に担々麺を食べに行きました。

The ramens, especially the Szechuan spicy noodles have a high salt content, and it's not good for our health.
ラーメン、特に担々麺は塩分含有量が高く、あまり健康には良くありません。

In fact, the salt content of the Szechuan spicy noodles is about 6.3 grams.
実際、担々麺の塩分含有量は約 6.3 g です。

According to the WHO, it is recommended that people limit their salt intake no more than 5 grams per day.
WHOでは一日の塩分摂取量が 5 g 以下になることを推奨しています。

Also, the US government recommends that Americans limit their salt intake no more than about 6 grams per day to prevent a cardiovascular disease.
また、米国では心臓血管病の予防のため、一日の塩分摂取量が約 6 g 以下になるよう呼びかけています。

That is, if you ate the Szechuan spicy noodles, your health would be exposed to risk.
つまり、担々麺を食べた時点でアウトです。

However, Japanese people get salt average 10 g per day.
しかし、日本人は一日に平均 10 g の塩分を摂取しています。

Therefore, most Japanese people have the problem of high-blood pressure.
このため、日本人は高血圧の人が非常に多いです。

I'd like to be careful not to become HBP.
私も高血圧にならないよう気を付けたいです。
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【No. 0111】When I post English sentences with my native language on Lang-8.

Apr 8, 2015 22:42
When I post English sentences with my native language on Lang-8.
Lang-8で母語の文章を掲載するにあたって

Recently, when I post an English article, I also post article in my native language (Japanese) at the same time.
私はLang-8に英語で記事を投稿するとき、母語（日本語）での文章も同時に投稿します。

And for now, I had written Japanese sentences in the form that is prepared for an article in a native language.
これまでは、母語で書くスペースがあったので、そこに日本語の文章を書いてきました。

However, I found that some people was writing sentences in a learning language and sentences in a native language alternately like this.
しかし他の人の記事を見ていると、このように学習中の言語の文章と母語の文章を交互に書いている人がいました。

Posting articles with our native languages is convenient to corrections, but if the distance between the article in their learning languages and the article in their native language was far, it might be a little troublesome to refer to their sentences.
母語での投稿は、添削をするにあたり便利ではありますが、文章が離れていると対応する箇所を参照するのが少し面倒かもしれません。

On the other hand, if we used this style, it would be easy to refer to corresponding sentences.
それに対して、このようにすれば、参照が容易になります。

Since I thought this idea was good, I am currently imitating that.
私は、これは良いアイデアだと思い、現在真似をしています。

For other people who are using Lang-8, what do they think about this style?
他の添削する方々にとっては、このようなスタイルはどうなのでしょうか？

I would be grateful if you could tell me about your views.
意見を頂けたら幸いな思いです。
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【No. 0110】Predicate adjectives that begin with "a"

Apr 7, 2015 23:53
Today, I learned an adjective that begin with "a" is a predicative adjective almost all cases.

In the other words, this adjective don't modify nouns, but is used for a complement.

For example, afraid, alike, alone, asleep, alive awake, etc.

(Of course, there are exceptions such as unable, well, glad, worth, pleased, liable.)

I became curious, so I searched for them.

In Old English, these adjectives had a meaning of progressive, or was a past participle, so they often represent a state.

Also, a progressive form in Old English was represented like "bēon + on + V-ing."

Through Medium English from Old English, prefixes "an-" and "a-" came to be used instead of "on."

It is said that "alive" or "asleep" is exist as a vestige of that.

This is the reason why an adjective that begin with "a" is a predicative adjective.

Also, a present participle was represented like "bēon + V-ende" in Old English, and this became "be + V-ing," and finally, a progressive form "be + V-ing" was born by combining a gerund and a present participle.

Ah, I think my sentences are so hard to understand. I'm sorry.
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【No. 0109】I bought a kindle paperwhite

Apr 6, 2015 22:49
I bought a kindle paperwhite because it was sold at 3000 yen off for people who are members of Amazon Student.

Recently, I think I became a person who spend money lavishly.

Maybe because I can't progress my paper on wheels, I am losing my marbles.

Today, I learned that the phrase "lose one's marbles," which means like "go out of one's mind," is derived from the phrase "let his marbles go with the monkey."
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【No. 0108】Important to me or important for me

Apr 5, 2015 22:47
I heard a phrase like "that is important to me," in a US drama.

I often use the phrase "important for me," but have never used the phrase "important to me," so I searched them.

As a result, I found the following things:

・In the case of using a sense subject like "it is important for me to...," we must use "for me."

・In the case like "this is important to me," we usually use "to me."

・In the case like "you are important for/to my life," for specific purposes, we can use both "for" and "to."

However, the nuances might differ.

Also, I found sentences such as the followings:

It is important to you for me to become a doctor.
It is important to me for you to become a doctor.

When I see these sentences suddenly, I would be thrown into utter chaos. Haha.
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【No. 0107】The Tourism Ambassador Godzilla

Apr 4, 2015 23:56
In Tokyo Shinjuku on April 17, a building will open that is attached the head of the Godzilla.

In this opportunity, Shinjuku decided to issue of residency cards for the Godzilla, and to appoint the Godzilla to a tourism ambassador.

By establishing the Godzilla in a symbol of Shinjuku, Shinjuku harbor designs on attracting many tourists.
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【No. 0106】I bought a iPhone 6

Apr 3, 2015 20:46
Recently, I often perform presentations using the software "Keynote."

I bring only iPhone 5 to a conference room, and perform a presentation by connecting the iPhone to a projector.

It's very easy to prepare, but when I was creating a presentation for next week, a problem was found.

When I have played a heavy movie file on the iPhone 5, the movement of the phone became very slow.

In order to solve this problem, I decided to buy an iPhone 6.

By using the iPhone 6, the slow phenomenon got really better.

From now, I will connect the iPhone 6 to a projector, and will use the iPhone 5 as a remote controller of presentation slides.
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【No. 0105】Health Checkup

Apr 2, 2015 21:58
Today, I had a health checkup at my university.

I was weighed and measured, took a urine test, had an eye exam, performed a blood pressure check, and took an internal health check.

No serious problems were reported.

Except an increase of body fat percentage.

Woe is me.

I heard this phrase is derived from the phrase "woe unto me" in the Old Testament.

Also, I'd like to express my feel using Yiddish too, because I learned it.

Oy, vey iz mir.

In addition, German.

Ach, Weh mir.

【No. 0104】April Fool's Rule

Apr 1, 2015 23:27
Today is the beginning day of the new semester in Japan, and new members were joined our laboratory.

Today is also April Fools day that we can say lying, but in around me, there were no people who were lying.

By the way, do you know an April Fool's rule?

There is a rule that we can say lying only in the forenoon in April 1.

It is a lie that is popular in Japan in recent years, haha.

However, this rule is not a complete lie.

I heard this forenoon rule is a general thing in Britain, Australia, and South Africa (Maybe this is true).

In the UK, there is an anniversary of the Restoration called "Oak Apple Day," and there is a traditional custom to wear oak apples up to noon.

It is said that this custom influenced April Fools Day.

For now, we can say lying all day in April Fools day in the US, Russia, France, Japan and many other countries, but in the future, there is a possibility that the forenoon rule become used in general.

【No. 0103】Hackers and Crackers

Mar 31, 2015 23:18
Today, we could not access the internet at our university.

The cause was unclear, and we could not use internet almost all day, so it was really inconvenient.

Someone might attack server of our university.

We (this may be applied only to Japanese people) often refer to a person who attack network system et cetera as a hacker, but this is not correct.

Hackers have a deep technical knowledge that is related to computers or network, and they use the knowledge for system improvement or problem solving.

In other words, hackers are good people.

Although hackers also refer to people who look at inside of computers, when accompanied by illegal acts such as unauthorized access, destruction or falsification, they are called crackers.

However, since hackers and crackers are often confusing, we sometimes refer to a benevolent hackers as a white hat hacker, and refer to a cracker as a black hat hacker.

Also, an especially good hacker is called "wizard" or "guru."

I sometimes hack Java, but I'm not villain.