11/10 Daily Reading

◆譯言堂

"The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall should remind us all what incredible luck we had with the reunification of Europe and Germany." -- Angela Merkel

「柏林圍牆倒下20周年紀念，提醒我們有多麼幸運，讓歐洲和德國重新統一。」

來自東德的德國總理梅克爾表示，就算在柏林圍牆倒塌的前幾年時，她也不敢想像此生能親眼看見此牆倒下。柏林圍牆倒塌9日屆滿20周年，各國領袖和政要齊聚柏林，共同紀念這個深具歷史意義的日子。

incredible：難以置信的。reunification：重新統一。


◆Word of the Day | sanctimonious

By THE LEARNING NETWORK

sanctimonious adjective 偽善的；道貌岸然的

excessively or hypocritically pious(虔誠的,盡責的)

The word sanctimonious has appeared in 12 Times articles over the past year, including in the recent review of the new Pearl Jam album “Backspacer,” on September 21, 2009:

While the music hurtles along, Pearl Jam’s new songs don’t try to fake youthful attitudes or troubles. Mr. Vedder no longer sings about surviving traumas, as he did on Pearl Jam’s first albums, or vents (表達,發洩感情)  political anger as he did on the band’s previous studio album, ”Pearl Jam,” in 2006. Now his lyrics reflect — sometimes raucously (沙啞地) , sometimes pensively (沉思地,焦慮地) — on a fulfilled life. [...]

Pearl Jam’s quandary (進退兩難,困窘) is that with fewer outside targets or frustrations to rail against (抱怨,責罵) , it risks turning sanctimonious. No doubt Mr. Vedder means it when he sings, ”Fill the air up with love,” or ”I’m still holding tight to this dream of distant light.” But Pearl Jam’s music doesn’t align (一致) well with satisfaction.