"I do have a stubborn streak in me."

好文共賞
V22 Sharp Daily - Hong Kong Version
2012-07-26



"I do have a stubborn streak in me." 昂山素姬Aung San Suu Kyi



1."We know we were sloppy (1). We know we were stupid (2). We know there was bad judgment (3)." （Jamie Dimon）

背景：投資銀行摩根大通（JPMorgan Chase）總裁Jamie Dimon在他的投資銀行在交易中損失160億港元後發表講話。

2."I cannot express my anger enough (4) that those close to me (5) have unfairly (6) been dragged into (7) this." （Rebekah Brooks）

背景：英國小報《世界新聞報》（News of the World）前總編輯Rebekah Brooks被英國政府控告妨礙司法公正後發表感想。

3."I do have a stubborn (8) streak (9) in me." （Aung San Suu Kyi）

背景：緬甸反對黨領袖昂山素姬（Aung San Suu Kyi）在英國訪問時用這句說話來形容自己的性格。

馮強短評

好辭彙共賞:

(1) sloppy = 懶散的，草率的。Sloppy的同義詞有shoddy、slapdash和careless等

(2) stupid = 愚蠢的；頭腦糊塗的。例句：Victor said, I did some pretty stupid things when I was young.

(3) bad judgment = 判斷錯誤。A judgment of acquittal = 無罪的宣判。Exercise【use】one's judgment = 運用判斷力。Show good judgment = 判斷力強

(4) I cannot express my anger enough = 我的憤怒比我能夠表達的強得多。例句：Victor cannot express his gratitude to Prof Huang enough.

(5) close to me = 與我關係密切的人。That chapter is closed = 話已完結，問題已有結果。Close a speech = 演說結束

(6) unfairly = 不公平的。Victor uses unfair means to get the dean's job = 用卑劣手段達到目的

(7) dragged into = 把（某人）拉扯進（某事）。The negotiation dragged on until 2013 = 談判一直拖到2013年。Jo Jo Chan always drags his Ph.D. into every discussion = Jo Jo Chan討論發言的時候總是要生拉硬扯到他的哲學博士頭銜。

(8) stubborn = 倔強的，頑強的；難駕馭的，不聽話的。A stubborn resistance = 頑強的抵抗。Stubborn illness = 頑疾。 Victor is as stubborn as a mule = Victor非常固執得如騾子

(9) streak = 性格傾向。Victor has a streak of obstinacy in him = Victor有一點兒固執。Ma Shan has had a long streak of bad luck = Ma Shan遭遇了一連串的不幸

短評共賞:

如果我們可以把"sloppy"（草率）, "stupid"（愚蠢）和"bad judgment"（判斷常常錯誤）這些性格缺點去掉，我們便應該可以踏上人生坦途。這是JPMorgan Chase總裁Jamie Dimon給我的啟示。

馮強

浸會大學傳理學院國際新聞和財經新聞碩士課程主任

my china daily article and interview with HKET

Executive & Market
A27 Hong Kong Economic Times
2012-07-24


馮強：寫作最弱 互改作文易進步


　　曾是《南華早報》首位華人副總編，現於浸大新聞系執教的馮強，感嘆普遍香港本科學生的英語水平愈來愈差，連寫一封電郵也錯漏百出。「香港人最弱是寫作，論看、講、聽水平，一般大學畢業生都還可以。故此要自己找機會寫，以及給別人改。」

　　但馮強也承認，對不少人來說，要認真寫一篇英文文章已經很難，要找到別人替你改就更難。他建議上網找正在學中文的外國人，互相改對方的文章。「一邊寫一邊改，逐漸形成英文思維，會進步得很快。」

　　要寫出好文章，前提是要廣泛閱讀。「進步最快就是看英文長篇小說，不一定要大文豪的作品，從《Harry Potter》開始也可以。長篇小說的好處是有起承轉合，不似新聞報道那樣硬邦邦。小說會令你追看，看的量與英文進度成正比。」

　 　記生字也是馮強學英文的絕招，「最近就學到一個字『busker』，是指街頭賣藝的人，能代替『street musician』，我馬上抄下來。80年代美國副總統Walter Mondale第一次用『where's the breef？』，後來傳媒相繼引用，我也記下來，今日常說『重點在哪裏？』就能派上用場。」

---------------------------------

馮強醒醒你

　James Patterson作品

　　「對我寫作幫助很大的，是5年前開始追看的James Patterson小說。他的文筆非常簡潔，看了幾年，我發現自己的寫作更流暢。寫英文毋須用很艱深的字去炫耀，愈簡單、清楚愈好。」

...................

　BBC網

　　「BBC網頁有好多資源，更能錄音，你讀一句，然後電腦幫你評分，看看有哪個字讀錯。」

　網址：www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

遮字幕看美劇 刨《經濟學人》增詞彙


　　常說港人英語水平下降，近年書展多了不少名人出書教英文，最新鮮滾熱辣的是新民黨主席葉劉淑儀和浸大新聞系首席講師馮強。兩人不約而同紙筆不離身，英文生字見一個學一個。他們都深信，良好英語能力可提升事業前景。

HK Opinion
H03 China Daily Hong Kong Edition Victor Fung Keung
2012-07-24


Our Chief Executive deserves applause


Chief Executive CY Leung deserves a big round of applause for taking the bull by the horns in addressing the poverty problem in this world city, the so-called “Pearl of the Orient”. People develop grudges when Hong Kong’s wealth goes only into the pockets of a few high-profile families, while many elderly people suffer from hunger and lack of medical attention.

In particular, many elderly people, despite putting in life-long efforts to help the city grow and prosper, can’t make ends meet at a time when Hong Kong’s fiscal and foreign-exchange reserves hit sky high.

According to Chairman Mao Zedong, this scenario is tagged as an “internal conflict” between the haves and the have-nots. This is a conflict that must be addressed before society can march forward.

Hong Kong people live long lives, which is both good news and bad news. Our longevity is among the highest, probably in the top five, among the world’s hundreds of nations and territories. The sad picture is that many elderly, in their 60s and 70s, can be seen scavenging on the streets to ward off starvation. Isn’t it a mockery (and irony) when Hong Kong claims it is one of the world’s most prosperous cities?

If you didn’t have enough to eat or enough money to see a doctor, how would you feel? Anxious, what else! This week a survey done by the Hong Kong Rhenish Church revealed that retirees in their 70s are four times more likely to suffer from anxiety disorder than people below 50 years old. This figure is alarming because the percentage is twice as high as those reported in similar surveys in other countries.

Many elderly worry about their well-being, finances and other issues. Too much stress may lead to anxiety, which could trigger depression and substance abuse, experts say. Anxiety symptoms include insomnia, headaches and body pains.

Fortunately, Mr Leung’s new proposal in mid-July to double the old age allowance to HK$2,200 a month is like rain on parched land. Moreover, the elderly also will see the value of their medical vouchers double to HK$1,000 a year. It is not much, but it is a good start. We should give a standing ovation to our Chief Executive.

The new policy will hand out an additional HK$6 billion a year to the elderly, benefiting about 400,000 people. This is money well spent. Hong Kong’s elderly deserve our respect and care, not just lip service. They should live in dignity and we all should give them a hand.

To address the survival of our senior citizens and other issues, a commission on poverty, initiated by Mr Leung, will be established by October. It is hoped that this commission will come up with long-term, concrete and practical solutions to alleviate Hong Kong’s poverty problem.

Not only are the elderly being lent a hand, the physically and mentally-challenged also will receive assistance from the government. Kudos, again, should go to Mr Leung, who sincerely cares about people’s quality of life. Mr Leung’s call for setting aside HK$500 million to establish a Social Enterprises Development Fund should be welcomed with open arms. Social enterprises will employ the physically and mentally-challenged and ameliorate their plight brought about through unemployment.

Social enterprises in Hong Kong are underdeveloped mainly because operators possess only limited sources of funding. With this planned HK$500 million availability, many social enterprises can be launched. The many underprivileged will have better lives because of this policy.

Rome was not built in one day. But improving the livelihood of the elderly, the physically and mentally-challenged is a good start.

Well done, Mr Leung!

The author is director of the MA program in international journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University.

DEFEND EVERY INCH OF SOVIET SOIL!

好文共賞

DEFEND EVERY INCH OF SOVIET SOIL! 保衞每一寸領土



DEFEND EVERY INCH OF SOVIET SOIL! 保衞每一寸領土

前蘇聯總理史太林（Joseph Stalin）1941年7月3日對國民發表演說節錄

The perfidious (1) military attack on our fatherland is continuing. In spite of heroic resistance of the Red Army, the enemy continues to push forward (2), hurling fresh forces into the attack. Hitler's troops have succeeded in capturing Lithuania and a part of the Western Ukraine. A grave danger (3) hangs over our country. History shows that there are no invincible (4) armies, and never have been. The same must be said of Hitler's German Fascist Army today.

Of no little importance in this respect is the fact that Fascist Germany suddenly and treacherously violated the non-aggression pact (5) she concluded in 1939 with the U. S. S. R. She gained a certain advantageous position (6) for her troops for a short period, but she has lost politically by exposing herself in the eyes of the entire world as a bloodthirsty aggressor.

Overcoming innumerable difficulties the Red Army and Navy are self-sacrificingly disputing every inch of Soviet soil. The enemy is cruel and implacable (7). He is out to restore the rule of landlords, to restore Czarism, to destroy national cultures, to Germanize them, to convert them into slaves of German princes and barons.

In areas occupied by the enemy, guerrilla units must be formed to foment guerrilla warfare everywhere, to blow up bridges, roads, damage telephone and telegraph lines and to set fire to forests, stores and transports.

In occupied regions conditions must be made unbearable for the enemy. Our war for the freedom of our country will merge with the struggle of the peoples of Europe and America for their independence, for democratic liberties. It will be a united front (8) of peoples standing for freedom and against enslavement and threats of enslavement by Hitler's Fascist armies. All working people must be roused (9) to defend our freedom, our honor and our country-in our patriotic war against German fascism.

Forward, to our victory!

馮強短評

好辭彙共賞:

(1)perfidious = 背信棄義的。

Perfidious的同義詞有disloyal；deceitful和treacherous等

(2)push forward = 推進（Advance）。Push one's claims = 竭力要求。Push it = 死乞白賴地要求。Push for higher wages = 爭取提高工資Be pushed around = 被擺佈

(3)grave danger = 嚴重危機。Dig one's own grave = 自掘墳墓。Dread the grave = 怕死。

A grave international situation = 嚴重的國際局勢

(4)invincible = 所向無敵。An invincible army = 常勝軍隊。

Invincible的同義詞有unbeatable；unconquerable；indomitable 和impregnable等

(5)the non-aggression pact = 互不進犯條約。Aggression = 攻擊；侵略，侵犯。Cultural aggression = 文化侵略

(6)gained a certain advantageous position = 佔取有利位置。Advantageous的同義詞有helpful；useful和valuable等

(7)cruel and implacable = 殘忍和毫不留情的。An implacable enemy = 死敵

(8)a united front = 聯合陣線。A united effort = 共同努力。A united action = 一致行動。United we stand, divided we fall = 團結頂得住，分裂必垮台

(9)roused = 驚醒；鼓勵，鼓舞

短評共賞:

前蘇聯總理史太林的焦土政策（scorched earth strategy）抵抗德軍的佔領蘇聯行動（Operation Barbarossa）。這場仗共有15萬德軍和80萬聯軍人戰死，大大削弱德國的軍事能力，改變了第二次世界大戰的形勢。

馮強

浸會大學傳理學院國際新聞和財經新聞碩士課程主任

Victor interviewed by Headline Daily

新聞故事——
英語達人親述秘訣 學英文 「」勇字行先

2012-07-18


有 兩位「英語達人」作家今年雙雙殺入書展，用社會時事和名人語錄教英文，教學生最Update的英文生字和最地道的用法。馮強因為對英文的狂熱而不斷努力， 成為英文報章首位華人副總編輯。近年推出多本英語教學書籍的他，提倡把英語融入日常生活，讀報、上網、煲劇全方位輕鬆學英文。另一位 MichaelChugani（褚簡寧）是居港印度裔美國人，講得一口流利英語和廣東話，學習外語別有心得。他們不約而同表示，要學好英文，「不要怕，放 膽講！」記者：卓穗良

不但科技日新月異，語文也與時並進，廣東話有「潮語」，英文世界每天亦有很多「新字」誕生。馮強解 釋，通用字一般要流行兩年或以上，才能納入字典，所以一定要不時上網和每天看英文報紙「update自己」。美國競選期間，常聽到 「Where'sthebeef？」「牛肉去了哪裏？」這源於一個漢堡包廣告的標語，現在變成諷刺對方說話無重點，平平無奇。他表示，學習外語靠的不是天 資聰穎和死記硬背，要多聽多睇，才會明白背後的語境和運用。

善用互聯網寓學習於娛樂

現 在有很多網 上資源和平台又實用又好玩，寓學習於娛樂。外國有不少電視劇，可訓練聆聽速度。不過，馮強建議煲劇時不要看中文字幕，「人有惰性，點都會偷睇，所以我會用 白紙遮住下面的字幕」。馮強強調，「學英文一定要從生活出發，這樣才會親切、有用。若把英語融入日常生活中，你會發掘很多有趣事物。」

家 長亦有責任製造良好的英語環境，讓孩子「習慣英文」。馮強坦言在女兒出世後，只跟她用英文溝通，直至四歲後才開始混雜廣東話。「那時常被朋友嘲笑『扮 嘢』、『以為自己英文好好』，但這樣做的目的是讓孩子自小習慣運用英文，無懼用英文與人溝通。」此外，他認為長篇小說是改善寫作的最佳教材，因為小說有連 貫性，可學習長句子的文法運用，「若果看了整套HarryPorter，保證英文升一個Grade！」

港生常被格式規限

「我 從來都無學過正式的Grammarrule！Doitasfun！」MichaelChugani（褚簡寧）認為現今社會資訊四通八達，要學生坐定定上 課、死記硬背的教學方法，已留不住學生的心，反而令學生「更怕、更怯」。香港學生一放學就同英文講ByeBye，又不會用英文跟父母和朋友溝通，難以營造 良好的英語氣氛。他續指，八成美國學生沒有文法訓練，香港學生則常被「格式規限」，他們不是不懂英文，而是「唔敢講」，擔心錯、發音不正、被人笑。「若你 在倫敦迷路，警察不會笑你英文不標準而唔幫你，所以一定要放膽講！」

《巓峰英語 -由錢入深經濟篇》

6 Jul 2012 (Friday)


New books by staff
學者新作







Author: Mr. Victor Fung, Principal Lecturer of Journalism Department
作者: 新聞系首席講師馮強先生


《巓峰英語 -由錢入深經濟篇》

ISBN: 978-988-15534-9-2

本書內容集中財經英語，作者精心編撰了一系列短文及精選多篇財經新聞報導，添上各式註解、心得筆記及導論，教讀者財經界常用語彙，甚至字典上還未收錄的新字、潮語。


《生活英語大躍進》

ISBN: 978-962-432-880-6

作者在本書嘗試透過電視劇集、音樂、時事、名人事跡等激發讀者的學習興趣，教曉讀者常見卻用不到或用不好的英語，有些新字、諺語連字典也未收錄。全書分五章，包括生活篇、語言篇、文化篇、人物篇和時事篇。


《時代英語》

ISBN: 978-988-8164-65-3本書分三部份，包括聽歌看戲學英文、活用英文心法和時事英語Guide，收錄了約八十篇文章，如「Like a rolling stone」、「社論學英文」、「推薦六個學好英文網」、「外國免費報紙」、「名人雜誌風起雲湧」、「Make yourself happy」、「You can Make a World of Difference」等。

RENDEZVOUS WITH DESPAIR 與絕望會見

好文共賞
V22 Sharp Daily - Hong Kong Version
2012-07-05


RENDEZVOUS WITH DESPAIR 與絕望會見


前紐約市長Thomas E. Dewey在1939年12月6日發表總統提名演說節錄

The president has said we have a rendezvous with destiny. We seem to be on our way toward a rendezvous with despair (1).

The one essential to the survival (2) of the republic is to know it will survive and will survive into a future that is always larger, always better.

Here in our own America we have the man-power, the wealth, the natural resources, the genius (3) to invent and create. We have the in-dustrial skill to release that ever-flowing (4) stream of new inventions and greater productivity wherein lies the future of our own America. I don't say to you, close your eyes and have faith-I say to you, open your eyes, look around you and be convinced.

There is only one source of real money in any free country and that is private enterprise (5), the enterprise of the farmer, the worker, and the business man. It is our first, our primary task, to create the conditions under which this enterprise can go to work.

This force is the energy of American enterprise, great and small. Given a chance, it can produce employment, can generate new purchasing power and set in motion (6) once more the surging flow of commercial venture.

Government hostility, repressive taxation and economic quackery (7) have kept this force from going to work. Our firm resolve must be to give it a chance and to encourage enterprise.

Tonight I propose that we Americans, of whatever party, make up our minds that we do believe in the continued growth of this country.

Is it true that America is matured (8) and completed and overbuilt and incapable of further expansion and Dew achievements? Let us again learn to believe in the ability of a free people to solve Its problems if given a chance (9). We can and we will again go forward.

馮強短評

好辭彙共賞:

(1) a rendezvous with despair = 與絕望會見。Rendezvous的同義詞有meeting、appointment和tryst等

(2) survival = 生存；殘存；倖存。The survival of the fittest = 適者生存

(3) genius =天才，天資，天賦，天分，有才華，創造能力。A man of genius = 天才。The genius of modern civilization = 近代文明的特徵。Have a genius for poetry = 有詩才

(4) ever-flowing = 川流不息。Ebb and flow = 漲落，盛衰，消長。A flow of traffic = 車水馬龍

(5) enterprise = 進取心；冒險心；有膽識。Embark in [upon] an enterprise = 舉辦企業。Free enterprise = 自由企業。A man of enterprise = 有進取心的人

(6) set in motion = 啟動，發動。All Julian's motions were graceful = Julian的一舉一動都優美。The motion to adjourn was carried = 休會的提議通過了

(7) economic quackery = 經濟上自我吹噓，大話；騙子行為

(8) matured = 成熟的，已到期的。The mature age [years] = （能辨是非的）成熟年齡。A mature plan = 慎重的計劃

(9) given a chance = 如果給予機會的話。By chance = 偶然，意外地

短評共賞:

Thomas E. Dewey市長鼓勵性的說話今天也可應用。美國目前的經濟停滯情況與1939年相同。美國需要多些有進取心、冒險心和膽識的人 （There is only one source of real money in any free country and that is private enterprise）。

馮強

浸會大學傳理學院國際新聞和財經新聞碩士課程主任

（supercommuters）

【明 報專訊】由香港到廣州是174公里，你可以想像每天要開車或坐車（travel）367公里上班嗎？單在美國達拉斯市（Dallas），每天就有5萬多人 到距離367公里外的休斯敦市（Houston）上班。美國人叫這些人做「超級長途旅者」（supercommuters）。

Supercommuters 來自supercomputers（超級電腦，或super central processors）。根據美國紐約大學一項研究，超級長途旅者大多是中產階級，30歲以下的年輕人。Super是「超等的、極好的」的意思，常用的如 supermarket（超級市場）、superfilm（特製影片）和我喜愛觀賞的Superman（超人電影）。

一個平凡人可不可以 在香港政府當局長呢？某議員認為許曉暉沒有足夠的street cred，所以未有問鼎局長的資格。那什麼是street cred？Cred是credibility的縮寫，street cred 的意思是acceptability among fashionable young urban people。Street cred的另一說法是street smart: a person who has a lot of common sense and knows what's going on in the world。

新聞界英語達人馮強談流行英語