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不少常见常用词本来就是多义词，因书报读得少，词义面就窄。所谓多义词是指某个词本来就不止一个意思，还有的词的基本意思在不同的上下文有着不同的含义。另一个重要问题是词语的搭配不同，词义也不同。如a hidden agenda 就与trade agenda 意思不同，再如动宾结构宾语不同，词义也异。如 challenge your interest 与 challenge the judge's ruling 中这两个“challenge”意思迥异，在下面所举的大量例子中都说明了这种异同。这里的重点不是探讨一词多义及词义与词义之间的区别，而是说明它们是读报理解中的一大拦路虎，因为实践中常犯的一个错误是忽视某些词的多义性，越是常用词，引申义越多，有时连本国人也弄糊涂了。此外，interest能有“组织、机构”和“企业、公司”的意思，抽象名词presence指具体能引申出那么多词义也是他们所料想不到的。
《泰晤士报》曾载文称，在现代报纸上，一个词有五六个意思是很平常的（见 “Ironically” ）。这就增加了读报难度。为了引起读者重视和消除一些读报的难点，特在下面列出一些读者熟悉、报刊中常见而又往往难以把握的词语意义。编者相信，下列实例的解说定会开拓他们的视野。应当说明两点：第一、这里并未列举出词典中的全部词义。第二、例句解读并非正式翻译；省略部分以节省版面为目的，讲解重点是词典上查不到或语焉不详的词义。
“agenda”的本意为“things to be done”。后来常作议会用语，指“议事日程”和“待议事项”。近年来，此字常见诸报端，词义也扩展引申了。我们原来可能只知：1．a hidden agenda 不可告人的动机；2．his private agenda 他个人的小九九；3．My agenda for today starts with cleaning out the cellar.我今天的事（或任务）从打扫地下室开始。2008年美国驻华使馆教育交流中心一份ALERT的英文小册子列着几十篇美国出版的多种杂志文章的标题和提要，其中有好几个标题里都用agenda而弃用program, plan或policy, 似乎大有作为时髦词之趋势。下面举例说明这个词的上述词义和一些其他词义：
1．Mr Ma emphasises that links with China are just one dimension of his economic policy agenda .（2008/3/27 financial Times）
马先生强调说，与中国（大陆）的联系只是经济政策 议题/计划 的一个方面。
2．The Republican Party has lost its mind．To win elections, a party needs votes, obviously, and constituencies．First, however, it needs ideas．In 1994—1995，the Republican Party had after long struggle advanced a coherent, compelling set of political ideas expressed in a specific legislative agenda .（Time）
共和党已经失去了理智。要取胜，任何政党都要选票。还要支持者和赞助者。然而，党首先要有理念。经过长期的斗争，该党曾在1994年至1995年（民主党人克林顿任总统）期间提出了体现在具体立法项目上的一套有条有理、令人信服的政治理念，现在却提不出什么来了。
3．Democrats will use their new legislative muscle（注意此处用muscle这一形象词而不用抽象的power）to advance an economic and foreign policy agenda that Bush has largely blocked for eight years．Even when the party seized control of Congress two years ago, its razor-thin margin in the Senate had allowed Republicans to hinder its efforts.（2008/11/5 The Washington Post）
2008年大选后，民主党不仅成了“the party in the White House”，在国会参众两院都成了“the majority party”，而且在2009年又推荐了一位中意的大法官。成了真正意义上的执政党。今后，立法和施政都会推出符合该党理念的法案。此例的意思是：民主党议员将会利用立法增实力，提出经济和外交解决的议题（a list or program of things or problems to be addressed）。……
4．a．Over the next two years, U.S.congressional and administration efforts to move forward a trade agenda are likely to end up in stalemate, says Faux, a distinguished fellow with the Economic Policy Institute（研究所）.Faux says that at least seven new Senate seats and 30 new House seats once occupied by supporters of free trade and investment are now occupied by critics of the Bush administration's trade policies… With the administration occupied with Iraq and the war on terror, Faux doesn’t see how the administration will be able to muster the will to modify its trade agenda to deal with Democratic concerns.（International Economy）
在未来两年的时间里，美国国会和行政部门推动一项贸易政策的努力可能会陷于僵局……Faux看不出小布什政府将如何能集中精力应对民主党的担忧而修改贸易政策。
b．Former presidential hopeful Elizabeth Dole, also addressing the gathering of more than 800 women from around the country, urged them to use their clout（用clout而不用influence是典型的新闻爱用短字、时髦词的特点）to advance the agenda of women, who she said comprise 53 percent of the American electorate and 23 percent of donors to political campaigns.（Campaign Spotlight）
曾经有望入主白宫的Elizabeth Dole（曾参与党内初选角逐中途退出）也对来自全国800多名妇女发表讲话，催促她们利用自己的影响力而提出妇女计划……
5．Some of Olmert's best choices for coalition partners are dovish parties with expensive social agendas ．Amir Peretz's Labor Party, which won the second largest bloc of seats, campaigned on a platform of better pay for workers.
可供Olmert选择作为组建联合政府最佳伙伴的都是些主张在社会计划上大把花钱的鸽派政党。……
美国有的政界人士如肯尼迪、克林顿很会用字。可不像小布什这位牛仔式总统却口无遮拦，常闹笑话，叫做“Bushisms”。克称政府部门的开支不用“spending”而用“investment”，困难、难题不用“difficulty”和“problem”而用“challenge”。也就是说，在他面前没有困难，只有挑战。但“challenge”不只“挑战”一义。请看：
1．He put forward some ideas to challenge the interest of all concerned.
他提出了一些新见解，引起了有关人士的注意。
2．Mr．Howard didn't challenge the Chairman's ruling.
霍华德不曾对主席的裁决表示异议。
3．Aggression unchallenged is aggression unleashed.
不反对侵略就是纵容侵略（美国前总统L.约翰逊宣传，出兵越南制止“侵略”。）
4．The attorney for the defense challenged the evidence as hearsay.
被告辩护律师驳斥该证据为道听途说。
5．The sentinel challenged us with“Who comes there?”
哨兵喝问我们：“谁？”
以上这些challenge的词义，好一点的词典上都可查到，拙著《当代英汉报刊词典》还列举了“质问，指责”、“抗衡”、“经得住”、“攻击”、“抗议”、“否认”、“触犯”、“对付”等等词义，一般词典没有收录。
下面再举几个作noun用的例句：
1．“Unless we take some measures, we may be in danger of loving our heritage to death,”Engelhardt told a conference on cultural conservation in Beijing last month.
Although the Communist regime recognizes the challenge , tackling it has turned out to be a relatively slow and haphazard business.
……共产党政权虽然认识到文化保护工作是项艰巨任务，但抓得不力，时紧时松。
2．FDR's second inaugural, delivered on January 20, 1937, radiated confidence, challenge , and reformist zeal.
在1937年1月20日，富兰克林·罗斯福连任总统，就职演说洋溢着信心、干劲和改革激情。
3．Pippen said,“This series could have been over a week ago if we read every-thing that was being said against us, that we weren’t going to challenge them, and the Sacramento Kings were the biggest challenge the Lakers were going to face.”
（原NBA芝加哥公牛队后开拓者队队员）皮蓬说：“……萨克拉门托国王队是（洛杉矶）湖人队（在西部争霸中）将要面对的最厉害的 竞争对手 。”
此外，challenged 作adjective委婉地表示“某方面有缺陷的”（used euphemistically to indicate that sb suffers impairment or disability in a specified respect）和“某方面缺乏的”（used to indicate that sb or sth is lacking or deficient in a specified respect），如：
1．my experience of being physically challenged
我有着 身体残疾 的感受。（见“ 常见委婉语 ”）
2．today's attention-challenged teens
当今 心不在焉 的青少年。
community 的基本意义可概括为“a group of people”或“a group of nations”，但是在不同的上下文或与不同的词搭配意思也异。如用于“the international com-munity”，一般指“国际社会”；用于“the Atlantic Community”“大西洋集团”；“the European Community”“欧洲共同体”。还有的学者认为：一般而言，大写为“共同体”，小写为“大家庭”。但记者并不一定遵守大小写规则，在报刊上该大写的字却小写的现象相当普遍，尤其在英国报刊中居多。细究起来，此字比上述定义要广得多。在下面例句中尤其要注意其与不同词搭配而词义之不同。
1．Next week Thatcher travels to the United States，where she is expected to issue a spirited defense of British national sovereignty within the European Community .（Newsweek）
……撒切尔夫人预计会为英国在 欧洲共同体 内享有国家主权作出有力辩护（指不听任共同体摆布）。
2．The reports of a respected foreign correspondent were a different matter．Snow's stories in the foreign press（and the English-language China Weekly Review，published in the International Settlement in Shanghai）quickly filtered through the Chinese intellectual community .（The China Quarterly）
……斯诺在外刊上发表的报道文章很快就传遍了中国知识界。
3．the Shiite community （伊斯兰教派中的）什叶派
4．the indigenous community 土著居民，原居民
5．a large foreign community 大量外国侨民
6．a large Mexico community in the U.S．在美国的大量墨西哥移民
7．a gay community 同性恋群落
8．community charge（英国）地方劳务税,（俗称）人头税
9．a．By 1968，however，Robert Kennedy had moved so far away from his assassinated brother's position that he was now competing with Eugene McCarthy in the Democratic presidential primaries for the favour of the antiwar movement and was also becoming a hero to the black community .（The Times）
然而到1968年，Robert Kennedy（也被暗杀）已跟遇刺的哥哥John Kennedy 拉开距离，竟然与Engene Mclarthy在民主党内总统候选人预选竞争中相互讨好反战运动者（肯尼迪总统出兵越南）。这样，Robert也成为 黑人大众 眼里一位英雄。
b．The resolution calls upon“ the communities in Cyprus and their leaders to act with the most restrain.”
联合国决议呼吁塞浦路斯 民众 及其领袖们要保持最大限度克制。（因塞国内曾遭到希腊和土耳其两国干扰。1974年希腊曾策动希族军人政变，企图吞并塞岛。岛内土耳其族也曾先后闹独立，险些酿成内战。）
10．a．Most of those volunteering were doing so for the first time, for example, and many said they were eager to do more community work in the future．Says Jiang：“It's a major leap forward in the formation of China's civil society, which is vital for China's future democratization process.”（2008/5/22 Time）
多数志愿者首次抗震救灾，热望今后做更多 社会工作 。……
b.“We are prepared to build a more cooperative relationship with China and wish to work with China as an active member of the international community ，”Mr．Clinton said at the signing ceremony.（International Herald Tribune）
克林顿先生在签字仪式上说：“我们准备与中国建立更好的合作关系，希望与中国这一 国际社会活跃 成员一道工作。”
c．The courage and success of the RAF pilots—of the Kuwaiti，Saudi，French，the Canadians，Italians，the pilots of Qatar and Bahrain—all are proof that for the first time since World War Ⅱ， the international community is united.（The New York Times）
……这一切都证明，自二次大战以来， 世界大家庭 第一次这么团结。（这里其实只指第一次伊拉克战争参战国：美英、西欧和若干阿拉伯国家。）
d．The occupation continues, in spite of the condemnation by the international community , a condemnation which was also voiced on various occasions in our organization［UN］.
尽管遭到 举世谴责 ，联合国内也在不同场合挞伐，伊拉克仍赖在科威特。
如果将以上三例都理解为“国际社会”就不太贴切。c.例指为“国际大家庭”考虑到西方的想法；而d.例指“举世”则照顾到中国政治因素。国际社会有时指联合国组织，有时包括该组织成员国及其人民，不宜跟联合国画等号；有时只指西方国家。如出于美英领导人之口，甚至只指美国或美英两国，但仍盗用“国际社会”之名。the global/world community或the community of nations也指国际社会。以前中国和苏联、东欧等社会主义国家也常称“社会主义大家庭”（the socialist community）。
11．Some ethnic communities may make a point of survival, but only those who are proud of their cultural roots.（Cambridge Alumni Magazine）
一些 民族 /（美） 少数民族 会强调要保留他们古老的风俗习惯，但只有那些对文化渊源引以为豪的民族才会这样做。
dimension的本义是“extent”和“measure out”，下面举例或本义或引申义。
1．a．What is a nation's health-care system for? Obviously, to care for the sick and protect the health．Well, sure, but there is an additional dimension .（The New York Times）
国家建立医疗保健制度目的何在。虽然是为了保健治病。这么说当然没错，但还有另一 方面 的目的。
b．Most Americans apparently found the campaign boring, in part because a Clinton victory was widely assumed．Televised debates between Clinton and Dole, on Oct.6 and Oct.16, attracted media attention but low audience ratings.（Some said that Perot, who was excluded from the debates, could have added a new dimension to them.）（The World Almanac）
许多美国人显然对总统竞选感到厌倦，部分原因是普遍认为克林顿会胜出，所以克与Robert Dole在1996年10月6日和16日的两次电视辩论虽然引起媒体的兴趣，但收视率并不高。［有人说，被排除在总统候选人辩论之外的Ross Perot（1992年和1996年以独立候选人和改革党候选人参与总统竞选）要是能参与辩论，或许能别开 生面 ，增加收视率］。
2．Thomas Murphy protested some of the President's Washington-oriented advisers, far more than Carter“are influenced by their own life-styles and they do not understand the dimension of the American public.”（Time）
T.Murphy声称，卡特总统身边一些顾问，高高在上，官僚习气重，架子远比卡特大，不了解 民情 （卡特原为花生农场主，较接近普通民众，顾问做官当老爷，不了解 下情 ）。
3．But the mid-January outbreak of the Gulf war created a new and menacing dimension to dispel the general euphoria born of the NATO-Warsaw Pact declaration in November, which officially ended the cold war.
但是一月中旬海湾战争爆发（指伊拉克侵占科威特触发的第一次伊拉克战争）风云突变，使去年11月北大西的公约和华沙条约联合声明冷战正式结束，普天同庆的狂喜心情一扫而光。
4．President Carter therefore returns to Washington having done more than merely escaped the frustration and disarray of his domestic policies．He has confirmed and enhanced the foreign dimension of his presidency.（The Times）
所以卡特总统出国访问后返回华盛顿，不只是逃避了内政受挫乱局，还确立和提高了总统职位在对外政策方面的 分量 。
5．China with its massive military strength and daunting dimension can fight a protracted war.
中国人多势众， 国土面积 辽阔，能够打一场持久战。
6．Most of us were Catholics，and this added an extra dimension to the tension…There are international dimensions to our problems in Britain.
我们许多人都是天主教徒，这就增加了造成紧张局势的特别 因素 ……对解决我们英国问题来说，还有种种国际 因素 。
7．The Macedonian argument has a Greek dimension too.（见“ 学习方法 ”“ 词义之确定及辨析 ”）
8．This does not mean that America needs to keep an armed presence of cold-war dimensions in either place.（The Economist）
这并不意味着美国在这里或那里都需要保持冷战时期 水平/规模 的兵力。
9．Nothing in the Constitution mandates a dramatic denouement to the election-night drama—though as recently as 1980 the polls failed to predict the Republican takeover of the Senate and the dimensions of the Reagan landslide.（Newsweek）
宪法并未强求这场选举收场之夜要来一个出人意料的大结局。要知道，近在1980年，民意测验还没有预测到共和党会在参议院占多数，也没有预见到里根会以如此悬殊的 比例 赢得一面倒的胜利。
10．Her［China's］presence is felt, more than ever, all over the world, assuming historic dimensions in the world political situation.
中国影响空前，遍及全球。在世界政坛起着具有历史意义的 重大作用 。
11．They received no sudden revelation of Watergate's wider dimensions , used no James Bond wiles to score their scoops.（Time）
水门事件涉及的 面 很广，记者并非一下子就掌握全部内情，因而没有像王牌间谍詹姆斯·庞德那样耍弄花招，抢先报道独家新闻。
“establish”常作“建立”讲，词源义是“make firm”，作形容词为“stable”。现在“establishment”/“Establishment”的词义很广，常用于政治题材文章，可指建立起来的单位（机构）、权势集团、当权派等，但均从“建立”或“建立的机构”这一基本意义引申扩展而来。见例句：
1． Intelligence establishment became intelligence community because establishment became pejorative.（The New York Times Magazine）
情报界 的“界”字已由英文字“establishment”改为“community”，因为前者已成为贬义词。但英国报纸仍用“America's intelligence establishment”，见《精选本》四版第11课第2段。
2．The Pentagon argues for a leaner military establishment ，even though the gulf conflict has stretched its resources to the limit.（Time）
五角大楼力争缩小军事 建制 ，即使海湾战争（指第一次伊拉克战争）已使其投入的兵力达到了极限。
3．Indeed the West German establishment, like the Polish and East German governments, seems to be cordially displeased with Judge Stern's judgment.（Newsweek）
确实， 西德当局 与波兰和东德政府一样，似乎都对Stern法官的判决打心底老大不痛快。（此处的establishment与government义同，这样理解带有当时的政治背景。）
4．Khomeini's curious blend of mysticism and activism still made him slightly suspect in the eyes of the Islamic Establishment —as a holy man who tried to run around with the Mob, one might say—but his following was growing steadily.（Time）
（前伊朗宗教领袖）阿亚图拉（Ayatollah）·霍梅尼把宗教上祈祷默念，悟道与神交往这一套与积极参政，活跃异常奇怪地融合在一起，在 伊斯兰世界当权派 看来，有点离经叛道……
5．a．The Times takes a middle-of-the-road view，claiming to represent the views of the establishment and is especially well-known for its correspondence column.（Meet the Press）
《泰晤士报》所持的是中庸看法，声称代表的是 现存体制 的观点。该报的读者通讯栏尤其闻名遐迩。
b．The Church of England is the official（established）church of the United Kingdom, created in the 16th century as a protestant church by the Act of Supremacy．… It is one of the main forces of the Establishment in Britain.（Adrian Room）
英国国教会/圣公会是联合王国官方定为国教的教会，在16世纪由君主作为牧首（而非教皇）而作为新教会建立的。……英国国教会是英国 权势集团/社会既成权力结构 的一股重要力量。（见“ 读报知识 ”“宗教”）
c．Several senior strategists recommended that the White House adopt an anti- Establishment strategy, taking on organized labor, civil-rights groups, feminists and other GOP foils.（U.S．News ＆ World Report）
几个资深谋士建议白宫采取反对 实力集团 的策略，准备同工会、民权团体、女权主义者和其他老大党（即共和党）内的不忠诚分子较量。
6．a．But Dole had the near-unanimous support of the GOP establishment and wrapped up the nomination after a shaky start.（The World Almanac）
但是（Robert）多尔在老大党（即共和党） 当权派 几乎一致的支持下而终于获得总统候选人提名，展开角逐，尽管起步不顺。
b．Despite his contribution in the field of social progress President Johnson“was never accepted by the liberal Eastern Establishment ，”Carter said.“I don't know why.”（Washington Star News）
美国前总统卡特说，尽管L.约翰逊总统推动社会进步有功（他曾将“Great Society”作为主要施政纲领），却“从未被 自由派东部权势集团 所接受。我真不知道个中原因”。（根据American Government & Politics的释义：1．所谓权势集团是指社会掌握实权的那帮人，主要指保守的和秘密的统治阶级，并举例an“Eastern Establishment”和a Protestant Establishment为例。2．社会某一方面（如政治、军事、社会、学术或宗教等某一界的）集体掌权者。（Eastern Establishment在新中国成立之前和之后很长一段时间，我国一直译为“东部财团”。美国来访者说，洛克菲勒和摩根等财团概念在美国已过时，现在改称“利益集团”。）
c．Some establishment figures remain wary of Byrne because she defeated their candidate，but the new mayor has moved to patch up differences.（Time）
一些 当权派 人士仍在防范Byrne，因为她击败了代表他们利益的候选人，然而这位新市长已开始弥合双方分歧。
d．I have been accused of being an Establishment hack，part of the capitalist conspiracy．Such charges can be easily laughed off…（Newsweek）
我曾被指责为某一 财阀 的笔杆子，是富豪在捣乱。……
7．a．The hotel is a well-run establishment （Los Angles Times）
这家旅馆是管理得好的服务 单位/机构 。
b.“It is truly regrettable．It is deplorable that a diplomatic establishment that is supposed to have extraterritorial has been mistakenly hit，”Keizo Obuchi was quoted as saying by Kyodo News Agency.（AP）
真遗憾，也可悲，一家理所享有治外法权的外交 机构 居然遭到误炸。……
本书第一版在“常见的多义词”一章中就“interest”的词义试举了下列三例：
1．special interests
特殊 利益集团 （＝an interest group）
2．human interest
人情味
3．Terrorists might hit American interests abroad.（VOA）
恐怖分子或许会袭击在国外的美国 机构 /美国驻外 机构 。
4．“The focus ought to be：Does big money in politics buy something?”she says.“And the answer is yes．Does it matter whether it comes from overseas interests or domestic ones? What's the difference?”（The Washington Post）
她说：“问题的焦点应该是：重金投资竞选能否获得一些回报？这当然是肯定的。资金来自海外 公司/企业 和国内 公司/企业 事关重大吗？有何区别？”
关于此字，The New Oxford Dictionary of English 的第5义是：（usu．interests）a group or organization having a specified common interest, esp.in politics or business：food interests in Scotland must continue to invest．尤指在政治或企业方面有着共同利害关系的（即同业或同行）集团或组织：在苏格兰的食品企业必须继续投资。
看了上述释义，人们或许要问：“为什么第（3）例是“驻外机构”而第（4）例则作“海外公司”讲呢？”根据美国情况和国际形势，恐怖分子常常袭击美国驻外的使领馆和军事基地，所以第（3）例定义为“机构”。第（4）例考虑到美国的文化背景而理解为“公司”，因为美国法律禁止外国任何个人或机构给美国候选人竞选捐款，以前的韩国商人因收买国会议员震惊美国而被称之为“Koreagate”。所以通常的做法是，外国为收买总统或其他高官，一般通过公司与竞选活动委员（PAC）或lobby firm（游说公司）等联系，或直接或间接秘密地给其竞选捐款。若驻美使馆直接捐款，曝光后定会引起外交风波。
《英汉大词典》（第二版）第5义是：（常作～s）利益集团；同业，同行；利益相关者：（其中有一例是）the business～s公司同业。网上的the free dictionary.com 无这两本词典的第5义。
这就是说，两本词典释义有所不同，《英汉大词典》有“利益集团”而无Oxford的“政治机构”或“企业、公司”的词义，而以上（3）（4）两例正好符合Oxford的第5义。
1977年8月15日《泰晤士报》刊载一篇“Continuing our series of new words and new meaning”的文章，对ironically这个字作了如下说明：
IRONICALLY is one of the most popular introductory words… There is no shred of IRONY in its popularity, only haziness，IRONICALLY is evidently used to have several meanings：
1．by a tragic coincidence;（万万没有料到）
2．by an exceptional coincidence;（真是难以想到）
3．by a curious coincidence;（出奇地巧合，出奇地没有想到或料到）
4．by a coincidence of no importance;（无关紧要的巧合）
5．oddly enough, or it's rum thing that;（说来也怪，你看怪不怪，真邪门）
6．oh hell; I have run out of words for starting a sentence with.（真该死）
Study of modern newspapers suggests that meanings five and six are becoming by far the most common．This is a shame, because it devalues a useful word.
这种滥用和歪曲ironically词义的现象，现在可以跟gategate和nikgate（-gate和-nik作构词成分不断造词，泛滥成灾到了滥用的地步）一样。为了说明ironically之滥用，见例句：
1．IRONICALLY is a powerful and explicit word．It is being weakened by use as an all-purpose introductory word to draw attention to every trivial oddity, and often to no oddity at all, Ironically those who use the word in this way are its worst enemies.
ironically 是一个用于有力和词义明确的字，但是现在其词义正常被削弱。原因是它被用作了各种意思开场白的字眼，旨在吸引人们注意每一个无足轻重的奇事怪事，而且常常根本一点都不怪，因为 万万没有料到 （相当于“by a tragic coincidence”）的是，那些这样用的人倒成这个字死对头。
2．According to Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Robert Oakley, a key U.S．policy-maker for Southeast Asia, the Vietnamese are so eager to establish diplomatic relations that they have dropped their long standing demand for American aid as a quid pro quo（报酬；交换物）.
Ironically , Hanoi could have exchanged ambassadors with Washington two years ago if it had not raised the aid issue.
…… 你说怪不怪 （相当于“oddly enough”），要是河内当初不向美国提出补偿援助要求的问题，河内和华盛顿可能在两年前就建交交换大使了。
b．Communists are finding more and more receptive ears to their propaganda that the revolution was a petit bourgeois change and merely amounted to replacement of Savak—the shah's hated secret police—with the SHEIKHIS（those of the clergy）．The appearance of plethora（大堆；过多）of communist literature on the pavements of Iran's major towns and its easy sale are attributable to this.
Ironically all this is happening to a people with a high standard of living…
…… 真是怪了 ，碰巧这一切就出现在生活水平很高的民族身边……
一句话，ironically当嘲讽讲主要指言语，用在其他场合则有事与愿违等意，不能机械地一律理解为“具有讽刺意味的是”。
presence是词义面很广的词，cultural presence指学校、教堂等教育、宗教等文化设施，financial presence指银行、货币奖金组织等金融机构。作外交用字，意为“显示军事力量”（showing the flag）。原来特指为避免或防止战争布署在所在地区的联合国维和部队。这种用法始于1958年，当时的联合国秘书长哈马舍尔德（Dag Hammarskjld 1905—1961）派遣了一个30人的使团出访约旦，称为“U.N．presence in Amman, Jordan”。后来这种用法不再限于U.N.机构，美国在中东的第六舰队也称为“the U.S．presence”（美军力量）。
现在不但词义广，用得有点滥，几乎成了一个万用词（a word of all work）。其次，有时含糊不清，不了解情况者很难定义，已超过任何一本词典和网上的释义。然而presence这个抽象词可用来表示具体意义，就会扩大产生新义。有时含糊、艰涩。出于政治策略，有些政客如哈马舍尔德就喜欢用这样的字。他曾说：“There is a UN presence wherever the UN is present.”此处“a UN presence”指什么?“维和部队”、“外交官”、“外交使团”或“军事观察团”都可以。此语妙在可作种种理解，使对手或政敌抓不住话柄。
事实上，“a presence”还可指“出访的外交官”、在海外的“航空母舰”、“永久性军事基地”、“军队”或“警察”。下面所列第（2）至第（6）的例句基本上是显示力量或由此扩展引申而来的词义。后面几例谈及的“投资”、“开店设厂”等由该词的第一义或本义“the state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present in a place”或“being at hand”引申而来。
刚入门者往往一见此字就认为只有“存在”而似乎无他义。那么，下面就从该词作“存在”的意思起逐一举例说明从抽象到具体而引申扩展出多种意义：
1．A team of FBI and ATF investigators came to town, and a specially trained black Labrador named Iris, who sniffed out the presence of accelerants in the ruin of First Missionary Baptist, confirmed that the fire in fact was arson.（Newsweek）
一队联邦调查局和烟酒枪支专卖局调查人员来到镇上，一条受过特殊训练名叫Iris的黑色拉布拉多犬在第一传教士浸信会堂（此处省去了“church”。在美国南方的，我国称“浸信会”北方的称“浸礼会”）的废墟里嗅出了催化剂气味（“存在”二字可省去）。从而证实，这次教堂火灾实为纵火造成的。
2．a high-profile military presence 炫耀军事实力
3．maintain a strong air presence in Asia 在亚洲留驻一支强大的空军/在亚洲保持一支强大的 空中力量 。
4．His price for a coalition arrangement would have been political autonomy for Scotland and Wales, with which Labour agreed, as well as electoral reform to make proportional representation the basis for future elections, which would give the Liberal Democrats a larger presence in Parliament.（Time）
联盟安排的代价是让苏格兰和威尔士实行政治自治，这一点工党倒是赞同的。还有选举改革，使比例代表制代替简单多数选举制作为未来大选的基础，这就使自由民主党因 席位的增加 而加强了在议会的 力量 。（见“读报知识”英国“议会选举”）
5．a．Though President Bill Clinton's administration says it will maintain current force levels in the region, it's no longer just the extreme left wing that's calling for a rethink of the U.S．presence .（Far Eastern Economic Review）
……虽然克林顿总统的政府说，它们要在该地区（in Asia）保持现在的军力水平，但是要求重新考虑 驻亚美军的问题/美国在亚洲的驻军问题 不仅仅是极左翼人士。
b．The key decisions must still be made by and with Israel．The problem is how to give the Palestinians a homeland that would not pose a threat to Israeli security．Mr．Begin seems to think that this can be achieved only if Israel retains responsibility for security in the West Bank．This is not necessarily the case．An Israeli presence might exacerbate tension and provoke insecurity, whereas the Palestinians living on the spot, who have as great an interest in peace as the Israelis, might be able to police themselves more effectively.（The Times）
……关键问题是既给巴勒斯坦人一个家园而它又不对以色列的安全构造威胁。以色列总理贝京先生似乎认为，要能达到这两个目的唯有以色列继续负责约旦河两岸的安全。形势没有必要这样做。一支以色列的 驻军 或许会加剧紧张形势，揽得巴勒斯坦人心神不安……
c．Despite the problems with civilian reconstruction and pressures from European governments to consider leaving a force behind after IFOR leaves, the White House—with an eye on the presidential election campaign—will not even discuss for now any possibility of an American troop presence in Bosnia past President Clinton's December deadline.（U.S．News ＆ World Report）
波黑战后百废待举，欧洲政府也要求考虑在北大西洋公约组组派驻该国执行《代顿和平协议》的执行部队撤离后留下一支部队。然而，白宫只盯着总统竞选，顾不过来，眼下根本不会讨论克林顿总统规定的年底撤军期限过后，美军是否留驻波黑问题。（这里的presence既有“force”也有“station”之义）
d．The Pentagon confirmed the presence of American troops in northern Afghanistan for the first time Tuesday and credited them with improving the effectiveness of U.S．bombing raids.（AP）
五角大楼在星期二首次证实美军 驻扎 在阿富汗北部，认为他们在那里有助于提高美国空袭效率。
6．Indonesians opposed to the UN presence in East Timor protesting Friday outside UN offices in Jakarta．The UN said 20 more people died at the hands of militias in West Timor, but Indonesia denied the claim.（International Herald Tribune）
印度尼亚尼人反对（UN mission也可指） 联合国维和部队 驻扎在东帝汶，他们星期五在驻雅加达联合国办事处外举行抗议活动。
7．Britain is committed to maintaining a worldwide diplomatic presence ．Diplomatic or consular relations are maintained with 183 countries and there are missions at nine international organisations or conferences.（Britain）
英国尽力保留驻世界各国的 外交使团/机构 。
8．Even those who did not question the President's motives found it difficult to defend his particular reshuffling of federal and state roles．Academic theoreticians and practical politicians alike see a need for a federal hand in helping the poor，since their problems are often created by national economic conditions．Only a federal presence can apply pressure to hold down the inequities stemming from a state's relative inability or unwillingness to deal fairly with the problem.（Time）
即使不怀疑（里根）总统意图者也发现很难为其提出的调整联邦和州政府的作用（的新联邦主张）进行辩护。……只有联邦政府 插手/干预 。（见上句中的“a federal hand”）才能向州政府施压，迫使其减少对穷人的不公。因为这个问题是由于州政府的无能和无心公平解决造成的。
9．The presence in China of Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald's, and Kentucky Fried Chicken has certainly helped spur the development of the domestic soft-drink and fast-food industries.（Far Eastern Economic Review）
可口可乐、百事可乐、麦当劳和肯德基家乡鸡在中国 投资/（经营）/开店设厂 肯定有助于促进美国国内软性饮料和快餐业的发展。
10．Also, confirm that a school truly offers the full range of courses you'll need to complete your degree at a distance.“Some institutions grossly exaggerate their online presence ,”warns Robert Tucker, president of InterEd, a Phoenix-based educational research firm.（U.S.News & World News）
……一些学校明显夸大它们的网上 课程 ……（见《精选本》四版第一课“语言解说”，根据上下文，cultural presence还可指“文文历史”或“文明史”。）
作为学生见到“story”就认为只有“故事”一义并不奇怪，奇怪的是有一家大学出版社将一本News Reporting & Writing的原文书目里约11个“story”不分语言场合，一律译为“故事”。其实其中有的意思是“新闻”，有的是“报道”，有的是“新闻报道”，还有的可能“稿子”或“文章”等。
另一个值得探讨的词语是“cover story”，Oxford词典的第一义是：a magazine article that ia illustrated or advertized on the front cover。我们出版的双语词典基本都译为“封面故事”，并加上类似“指杂志中与封面图片有关的主要文章”。美国出版的词典也有指“由杂志封面图片引出的专题报道”。但无论如何，译为“封面故事”与新闻的原则相悖。报刊所报道的尽管是已经发生、正常发生或今后要发生之事，但都视为“新闻”，不可能去报道旧事。而“故事”有一义为“旧事”（见《现代汉语词典》），所以报刊标题都少用过去而尽可能用现在时态就是这个道理。当然，这是为了吸引读者。所以，如果要译得简明，与其译为封面故事还不如译为“封面新闻报道”当然，此语还有“掩盖每人身份或所做之事的托词或借口”，“掩人耳目的说词”等意思。此外，在USA Today（2009/5/12）报头的一篇题为“Rising at Ground Zero（“9·11”事件被炸平的世界贸易中心大楼遗址），a symbol of resilience”的短文里有一幅插图，文字说明下有Cover Story, 右边有see Cover Story page▶，可见其词义扩大了，也指报纸头版（front page）（相当杂志的封面）图片引起的专题报道。当然，“story”是个词义面很广泛的多义词。见例句：
1．a.“During the past six months, the world's top story has been Iraq．If we play our cards wrong, North Korea could become the lead story .”（Reuters）
在过去六个月里，伊拉克一直是世界关注的 头条新闻 。若我们政策出错，朝鲜或许将代之成为 头号新闻 （＝news）。
b．I think you'll do anything for a“gotcha” story .（The New York Times）
我看你们这些记者只要得到一条抓住你错误把柄的 消息 ，什么手段都使得出来。（这是曾参与过美国总统竞选的Ross Perot骂记者的话）
2．Last December, the Post first reported that probes were being made in each of those cities, but officials refused to confirm the story.
去年12月，《华盛顿邮报》率先 报道 ，每一个那样的城市都进行调查，但是有关人员/官员却拒不证实这则报道（联系reported确定词义）。
c．Some reporters who were not included in the session broke the story .
吃了闭门羹的记者捅出了会议的 消息 。
3．The reporter beat out a story in time for the morning edition.
这位记者为晨报版及时赶出了一篇 稿子 。
4．The magazine has a different editorial approach：personality stories about well-known financial figures.
该杂志的编辑方针与众不同，把重点放在财经界名人的 报道 上。
5．The Mediterranean may lose its wild bluefin tuna．High-tech harvesting and wasteful management have brought world fish stocks to dangerous lows.This story explores the fish crisis—as well as the hope for a new relationship between man and the sea.（National Geographic）
地中海或许不再有其野生金枪鱼，高科技的捕捞活动和挥霍性的管理方式已使全世界的鱼类资源减少到了濒危程度。这篇 文章/论文 探讨的是渔业危机以及建立人类与海洋之间新型关系的愿景。
6．Even as Harper was carrying out his espionage tasks, America's Polish mole was discussing the case with Harper's own Polish case officer．Later, he passed on the entire story to U.S．agents, including word that the Poles had received congratulations from Yuri Andropov, the late Soviet President and former KGB chief.（U.S．News & World Report）
即使在苏联特工James Durward Harper在执行间谍任务时，美国安插的波兰人卧底还在与Harper自己的波兰控制特工的情报官员讨论Harper执行任务的情况。后来，这位卧底把这事的全部 机密 都传递给了美国特工，其中还包括波兰情报官员曾经获得已故苏联总统和前克格勃首脑安德罗波夫的贺词。
7．Curiously, in the committee report the phrase plausible denial was listed but not defined：it is a cover story which enables high government officials to disclaim knowledge of an intelligence activity.（William Safire）
奇怪的是，在委员会的报告里，这个“plausible denial”的词语（否认知情的说法似乎蛮有理或跟真的一样）是有的，但未下定义：这是一个为掩盖丑闻而 遮人耳目的托辞 ，为使政府高官能对某一情报活动推说不知情而了之。
8．John told his story .
约翰把他的 经历/身世 都说了出来。
9．The teacher told him off for telling stories .
教师责备他谎话连篇。
10．It is quite another story now.
早已时过境迁啦，或那是老皇历啦。
11．This war is becoming the most important story of this generation.
这场（越南）战争是这25年来头等 大事 。
12．The old mountaineer also wanted custody of the children．The judge asked for his side of the story and, after a long moment of silence, the mountaineer slowly rose from his chair and replied,“Judge, when I put a dollar in a candy machine and a candy bar comes out, does it belong to me or the machine?”
这位年迈的登山运动员也要求获得孩子的监护权，法官要求呈诉 理由/道理 。他沉默了好长一阵子后慢慢从椅子上站起来说道：“法官先生，我把一元钱投进糖果机，吐出一根棒糖，归我还是归糖果机？”（言下之意，他妻子只生不养，像糖果机一样，无权监护孩子。）
13．As he points out, India feeds 17％ of the world's water and 3％ of its farmland—and, along with China, is seeing its cereal crop rise this year．Similar success stories are cropping up, in patches.（The Economist）
正如你所指出的，印度占世界水资源不到5％，农田3％，却要养活世界人口的17％。与中国一样，今年粮食作物要增产。类似的 成功事例 其他地区也在不断涌现，尽管只是东一块，西一块，未连成片。
14．Since I had said good-bye to him on Thursday, we had gone through greater emotions than any mystery story could provide.
我俩在星期四分手后，相思相恋，酸甜苦辣，一言难尽，超过了任何一部侦探推理小说的描绘渲染。
用于外交，这个“technical（ly）”可因其意思含糊而能将政治上或外交上有些不便明言的事搪塞过去而免生事端。如说由于“技术原因”（for technical reasons），这次会议暂时不开或取消了，是常用的外交辞令。从两国关系来看，很可能是由于政治原因。还有的国家领导人因来访者与其对等职位的官员会谈因口出狂言或预计根本问题就是接见了也谈不拢，就借口因“健康原因”（for health reasons/for reason of health）而拒绝接见，其实患的是政治病，这是以前的苏联常用的外交辞令，现在有的国家还在用。
不少学生见到此字时往往脑子里就认为只有“技术的/地”这个意义，只要好好查查学生词典或网上浏览一下，还有下列一些意思：
1．Technical
（1）“Precipitation”is a technical term used by weather scientists for“rain”.
“降水”是气象学家用来指“雨”的一个专门术语。
（2）The university admits its Asian-American acceptance rate dipped three years ago, after some technical changes in admission procedures, but denies discrimination and says the rate is going back up.（Time）
这所大学承认，在招生手续作了一些 规则/规章/章程 改革后，亚裔美国学生接收入校的比例三年前就下降了。尽管如此，但该校却不承认有歧视现象，还说，亚裔入校的比例正在回升。［technical——according to a strict application or interpretation of the law or rules（Oxford）］
（3）a．Then Anderson realized that he’d forgotten the Miranda warning ．He didn't want to blow an arrest like this by making a technical mistake.（The Blue Nowhere）
那时，Anderson 认识到他已经忘了对嫌疑人宣读米兰达预告（见“ 法律用语 ”）。可他不想就这样由于犯了一个 法规程序 上错误而把这桩逮捕的大事搞砸了。
b．The result was a technical defeat for the government, but otherwise of limited importance.
对政府而言，该结果只是 法律上的一次败输 ，在其他方面却无足轻重。
c．The arrest was a technical violation of the treaty.
这种逮捕在 法律 上是违反条约的。
（4）a technical fault 机械故障［technical—resulting from mechanical failure（Oxford）］
2．Technically
（1）The method of electing the President is peculiar to the American system．Although the names of the candidates appear on the ballot, technically the people of each state do not actually vote directly for the President（and Vice President）.（An Outline of American Government）
选举总统的方法是美国制度特有的。虽然总统候选人的名字都列在选票上，但 确切地 说，各州选民事实并非将票直接投给总统和前总统而是投给了选举人。（见《当代英汉美英报刊词典》 electoral college ）
（2）In the U.S., the words college and university are often used interchangeably. Technically , there is a difference.
在美国，college和university作“大学”讲常不加区分，交替使用。 严格地 说，这两个字还是有区别的。（“确切”和“严格”都是从“技术”这个本义引申而来的意义，因为技术要求“精确”。）
（3）More substantively, Aldrich claims to have been told directly by former White House Associate Counsel William Kennedy that it was Mrs．Clinton who got Livingstone his White House job．Kennedy last week denied that．After some backing and filling, Livingstone said that while Kennedy technically hired him, the person he consulted about a White House job was Christine Varney, a former senior White House aide and currently a Federal Trade Commissioner.（Time）
阿尔德里奇更是往细里说道，里文斯通到白宫工作一事是前白宫助理顾问肯尼迪曾经直接跟他说，是克林顿夫人给了他这份工作。但肯上周于以否认。经过一阵磋商更正后，里文斯通改口说，虽然肯尼迪 事实上/按规定 说是雇了他，但里文斯通关于在白宫谋份差事的事所资讯的人却是瓦内，……
（4）Of course, the economy is in a worse place than it was when Hillary Clinton's husband was on the campaign trail．Today, the nation is perilously close to sliding into a recession; in ’92, the economy had already started growing, though a jobless recovery doomed George H.W．Bush’ s re-election bid anyway．The lesson? Voters’perceptions matter more than whether the economy is technically expanding or contracting.（2008/1/21 Newsweek）
……但那时失业未见好转，结果老布什竞选连任泡汤。1992年虽说经济已经开始复苏。教训何在？说明选民切身感受比经济 事实上 是增是缩更加重要。
（5） Technically , you could be prosecuted for this, but I don't suppose you will be.
按法规 办事，你为此会受到起诉，但我认为不会。