英语与拉丁语的.pdf

2 2 2 英语与拉丁语 英语大家说 孙 　坤 　王 　荣 　　Latin 一词无论是在语言中 ,还是在国家区域中 ,或是历史上都被 经常提及。Latin 译成中文是“拉丁”,一般是指拉丁文 。Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 把 Latin 解释为 : t he language used by ancient Romans and as t he language of educated people in many European countries in the past. 在该字典上还有一处对 Latin American apply to every instit ution. I drafted a 我给克林顿总统起草了一封 letter to President Clinton explaining 信 ,说明该政策为什么会极 why t his policy would do great if un 大地伤害全国的研究型大 intended harm to the nation’s research 学 ,尽管这不是故意的。但 universities. But how to get this message 是 ,怎样把这封信交给新上 under the nose of a brand new president ? 任的 总 统 呢 ? 我 的 助 理 劳 My assistant , Laura Mersky , started 拉 · 默斯基给可能与白宫有 phoning around t he White House to 联系的人打电话 , 寻找能把 find a fax number that might possibly 信发给总统的传真号。不知 reach the president. Somehow a secre 怎么的 , 总统新闻办公室的 tary in t he press office , undoubtedly 一位秘书 ( 无疑是位新手) , new on t he job , answered t he p hone 接电话后爽快地说“咳 ,给你 and said , in effect ,“Well , here’s t he 乔治 · 斯蒂芬诺普洛斯 (高 fax number ( senior advisor) George 级顾问) 用的传真号 ,它能直 Stephanopoulos uses ; it goes straight 接转到总统办公桌。”瞧 ! to the President’s desk. ”Bingo. 　　The letter was faxed , and a week 　　传真发出去了 , 一两周 or two later I received a reply from 后我收到克林顿总统的回信 President Clinton saying that a uniform 说不再使用统一的间接费用 indirect cost rate would not be 率。这中间有直接的因果关 adopted. Was there a direct cause 系么 ? 我无从知晓 。但它的 and effect ? I’ll never know. But it 确说明了这一格言 :凡在华 surely illustrates t he maxim t hat t he 盛顿取得的最大胜利都不是 greatest victories in Washington are 轻而易举的 。■ t he t hings t hat don’t happen. □ (From htt p :/ / web. mit. edu) (译者单位 :西北工业大学外国语言文学系)