lundi 22 août 2011

آسید نا! زمان تو دیر شده ست
افتادنتان به حکمِ تقدیر شده ست
آن تخمِ شقاوتی که بر کاشت امام
خود سر نزده، بحکمِ ما پیر شده ست

انگار شرابِ غم بجام افتاده ست
بر پوزهِ زورگو لگام افتاده ست
دیروز اگر نوبت قذافی بود
فردا بینی «اسد» بدام افتاده ست!

گویا بن علی سر خطِ افتادن بود
اسقاطِ مبارک، غمِ بی شیون بود
در کوزه فتاد «درزی» از خیزشِ خلق
قذافیِ ما، که گاوِ گاو آهن بود

تا جغدِ «معمر» از سرِ بام پرید
بشار اسد در غمِ او جامه درید
بر قلبِ «علی صالحِ» ما غصه رسید
آسید علی از ترس به تنبانش رید!

پایان آمد فصلِ شما ، سید نا
نه! گفت غریو توده ها، سید نا
این معرکهِ فریب بر باد رود
بیهوده زنید دست و پا، سید نا !

lundi 15 août 2011

st updated at 10:03 BST, Friday, 12 August 2011

Earth-orbit ‘sweeper’ proposed

Summary

12 August 2011

The Space Age has left the Earth's orbit littered with debris that can endanger the life of astronauts and damage satellites. Now a researcher at the Italian Space Agency has proposed a series of automated 'sweepers' to start cleaning up.

Reporter:
Jason Palmer

More than 17,000 pieces of space debris are floating around the Earth

Listen

Click to hear the report:

Report

After a half century of successes in space, low-Earth orbit has become a very messy place.

More than 17,000 pieces of space junk bigger than a hand's breadth are floating around up there; the largest of them weighs nearly ten tonnes.

The debris poses a growing risk to communication satellites and occasionally manned space missions. As time goes on catastrophic collisions become more likely, which would create even more debris.

Marco Castronuovo has a simple plan to solve the problem, starting with the largest, heaviest threats. He's proposed sending up a robotic mission that will skip between chunks of junk, affixing a little rocket to each one that will drive them out of orbit. The debris would then burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere over an ocean.

Each orbital housekeeper could clean up five objects a year, and would be sent on a seven-year mission.

It's a slow but straightforward solution to a problem that could otherwise leave low-Earth orbit completely unusable.

Jason Palmer, BBC News

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Vocabulary

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messy: untidy
space junk: fragments of space travel leftovers that encircle the Earth
a hand's breadth: the width from thumb to little finger of a hand spread open
manned space missions: spaceships with astronauts on board
threats: items that could cause a collision
skip: move between the objects
harmlessly: not causing any damage
orbital housekeeper: device that circles the Earth and 'cleans' the area
straightforward solution: uncomplicated answer to the problem
unusable: unfit to use

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Words and Their Stories

04 December 2010

Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 1

Double-click any word to find the definition in the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary

Or download MP3 (Right-click or option-click and save link)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

I think people everywhere dream about having lots of money. I know I do. I would give anything to make money hand over fist. I would like to earn large amounts of money. You could win a large amount of money in the United States through lotteries. People pay money for tickets with numbers. If your combination of numbers is chosen, you win a huge amount of money – often in the millions. Winning the lottery is a windfall.

A few years ago, my friend Al won the lottery. It changed his life. He did not have a rich family. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Instead, my friend was always hard up for cash. He did not have much money. And the money he did earn was chicken feed – very little.

Sometimes Al even had to accept hand-outs, gifts from his family and friends. But do not get me wrong. My friend was not a deadbeat. He was not the kind of person who never paid the money he owed. He simply pinched pennies. He was always very careful with the money he spent. In fact, he was often a cheapskate. He did not like to spend money. The worst times were when he was flat broke and had no money at all.

One day, Al scraped together a few dollars for a lottery ticket. He thought he would never strike it rich or gain lots of money unexpectedly. But his combination of numbers was chosen and he won the lottery. He hit the jackpot. He won a great deal of money.

Al was so excited. The first thing he did was buy a costly new car. He splurged on the one thing that he normally would not buy. Then he started spending money on unnecessary things. He started to waste it. It was like he had money to burn. He had more money than he needed and it was burning a hole in his pocket so he spent it quickly.

When we got together for a meal at a restaurant, Al paid every time. He would always foot the bill, and pick up the tab. He told me the money made him feel like a million dollars. He was very happy.

But, Al spent too much money. Soon my friend was down and out again. He had no money left. He was back to being strapped for cash. He had spent his bottom dollar, his very last amount. He did not even build up a nest egg. He had not saved any of the money.

I admit I do feel sorry for my friend. He had enough money to live like a king. Instead, he is back to living on a shoestring -- a very low budget. Some might say he is penny wise and pound foolish. He was wise about small things, but not about important things.

(MUSIC)

WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.

Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 3

Double-click any word to find the definition in the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary

Or download MP3 (Right-click or option-click and save link)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Most people enjoy working for several reasons. Their job might be fun, or they like their employer and the other people at work. Most people I know, however, work for the money. I do not know anyone who is loaded, or extremely rich. Most of my friends work to earn enough money to live. They have to make ends meet. They have to earn enough money to pay for the things they need. Some even live from hand to mouth. They only have enough money for the most important things.

They struggle to earn enough money to bring home the bacon. It can be difficult to earn enough money for a family to survive. Sometimes, poor people even get caught short. They do not have enough money to pay for what they need.

Or they have to spend or lay out more money than they want for something. When this happens, poor people have to tighten their belts and live on less money than usual. I hate when I have to live on less money. It takes me longer to get back on my feet, or return to good financial health.

However, other people are on the gravy train. They get paid more money than their job is worth. These people make a bundle. They really rake in the cash. In fact, they make so much money that they can live high off the hog. They own the best of everything and live in great ease. Sometimes they pay an arm and a leg for something.

Because money is no object to wealthy people, they will pay high prices for whatever they want. Sometimes, they even pay through the nose. They pay too much for things.

I am not rich. I did not make a killing in the stock market when my stocks increased in value. Yet, I am not poor either. When I go out with friends, I do not want to shell out or pay a lot of money. Often, my friends and I will chip in or pay jointly for a fun night out. When we go to restaurants the meal is Dutch treat. Each person pays his or her own share.

Once, the owner of a restaurant gave us a dinner on the house. We did not have to pay for our meals. However, I admit that we had to grease someone’s palm. We had to pay money to the employee who led us to our table. The money was for a special request. Yes, it was a buy off. The employee put us at the top of the list for a table instead of making us wait like everyone else. We had a great time that night and the meal did not set me back at all. I did not have to pay anything.

Because of that experience, I will always remember that nice things still happen in a world that is driven by money. But, that is just my two cents worth. It is just my opinion.

(MUSIC)

WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus

Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 2

Double-click any word to find the definition in the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary

Or download MP3 (Right-click or option-click and save link)

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.

Many people believe that money makes the world go around. Others believe that money buys happiness. I do not agree with either idea. But I do admit that money can make people do strange things. Let me tell you about a person I once knew who liked to play card games for money. He liked to gamble.

My friend Bob had a problem because he liked to gamble at all costs. He would play at any time and at any price. To take part in a card game such as poker, my friend would have to ante up. He would have to pay a small amount of money at the beginning of the game.

Bob always played with cold, hard cash -- onlycoins and dollar bills. Sometimes my friend would clean up. He would win a lot of money on one card game. He liked to tell me that one day he would break the bank. What a feeling it must be to win all of the money at a gambling table!

Other times my friend would simply break even. He neither won nor lost money. But sometimes Bob would lose his shirt. He would lose all the money he had. He took a beating at the gambling table. When this happened, my friend would have to go in the hole. He would go into debt and owe people money.

Recently, Bob turned to crime after losing all his money. In his job, he kept the books for a small business. He supervised the records of money earned and spent by the company. Although my friend was usually honest, he decided to cook the books. He illegally changed the financial records of the company. This permitted him to make a fast buck. My friend made some quick, easy money dishonestly.

I never thought Bob would have sticky fingers. He did not seem like a thief who would steal money. But, some people will do anything for love of money.

Bob used the money he stole from his company to gamble again. This time, he cashed in. He made a lot of money. Quickly he was back on his feet. He had returned to good financial health. His company, however, ended up in the red. It lost more money than it earned. The company was no longer profitable.

It did not take long before my friend’s dishonesty was discovered. The company investigated and charged him with stealing. Bob tried to pass the buck. He tried to blame someone else for the deficit. His lie did not work, however. He ended up in jail. Today, I would bet my bottom dollar that my friend will never gamble again. I would bet all I have that he learned his lesson about gambling.

(MUSIC)

WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, in VOA Special English, was written by Jill Moss. I’m Faith Lapidus.

earning English - Words in the News

26 December, 2007 - Published 14:04 GMT

Russia orders British Council closures

Russian government has ordered the British Council to close down virtually its entire operation in Russia by January the first. It's accused the British Council of operating illegally - a charge the Council denies. This report from Richard Galpin:

Listen to the story

A spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry said all fifteen regional offices of the British Council would have to suspend their activities from next month. These include the new office in St Petersburg opened by Tony Blair last year. Only the headquarters in Moscow will be allowed to continue operating.

The Russian government has given a whole raft of reasons, including that the British Council has no legal basis for its work in the country and that it has violated tax laws. But the Council says it's fully compliant with all tax requirements and says it operates in Russia on the basis of an agreement signed in the 1990s.

It seems the real reason for this action is Russia's continuing anger at the expulsion of its diplomats from London last July over the Litvinenko affair. Now relations between Moscow and London are about to take yet another turn for the worse.

Richard Galpin, BBC, Moscow

Listen to the words

spokesman
a person who speaks for another person or group

suspend
stop (usually temporarily)

headquarters
the centre of operations of an organisation

operating
running or continuing business

whole raft of
a number of, a range of

violated
broken (especially law)

compliant
obeying, following the regulation

expulsion
driving out, sending out

diplomats
people representing a country in negotiations with other countries

take yet another turn
become

vendredi 5 août 2011

http://dictionnaire.reverso.net/anglais-francais/back%20then

back then معنی

Réponse: Back then de alili, postée le 03-07-2008 à 16:49:06 (S | E)
"Back then" signifie "à l'époque", en référence à un temps passé.

Exemple :
Things were different in the 50s. Back then life didn't seem so hectic.
Les choses étaient différentes dans les années 50. A l'époque, la vie semblait moins frénétique.

NB : on peut aussi remplacer "then" par une année ou une décennie : "Back in the 80s", "back in 1965"... Dans ce cas, cela signifie simplement "dans les années 80", "en 1965", avec une insistance particulière sur le fait que c'est une époque passée, révolue.

jeudi 4 août 2011

http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/guide

mardi 2 août 2011

Learning English - Words in the News

21 December, 2006 - Published 13:45 GMT

The Christmas Wars


	A Christmas tree

At this time of year in the United States a public and often angry debate takes place over religion and free speech. This year is no different. This report from Jane Little

Listen to the story

Tis the season for the annual battles that have been dubbed ‘The Christmas Wars’. Across the states from city halls to classrooms there are disputes over the display of symbols associated with the Christian festival.

This year the talkshows seized upon a decision by the airport authorities in Seattle to remove all Christmas trees because a Jewish rabbi threatened to sue them if they didn't also display a menorah - a religious symbol for the Jewish festival of Hannukkah that coincides with the Christmas season. There was an outcry, the rabbi insisted he never wanted the trees removed and they were replaced when the lawsuit threat was withdrawn.

Ironically the Christmas tree is a secular symbol that has nothing to do with the story of the birth of Christ. But such facts don't get in the way of a heated battle over the soul of the nation. One side argues that religious liberty is at stake in a Christian country, the other that the constitutional separation of church and state is under threat. In recent years public companies have preferred to play it safe and to wish their employees and customers an inoffensive Happy Holidays.

But this year Christmas has made a comeback - perhaps due to a feeling that religion got too squeezed out of the public square or maybe because the society is now more secure in its pluralism. Whatever the reason shoppers are being wished a Merry Christmas, the stores apparently confident that such greetings won't drive them out of the door empty-handed.

Jane Little, BBC, USA

Listen to the words

Tis
It is (note: old English, now rarely used)

dubbed
called

seized upon
used (something because it gave you an opportunity to do something)

secular
non religious

a heated battle
an angry argument

the soul of the nation
here, the choice of religion of most people in that country

at stake
at risk (here, there is a chance that the freedom to celebrate your religion could be lost)

under threat
at risk

to play it safe
do something that will not offend or upset anyone

a comeback
a successful attempt to become important again

آموزش زبان انگلیسی ماه ژوییه 2011

Last updated at 11:02 BST, Monday, 01 August 2011

Air France crash. Who's to blame?

Brazilian Navy officers recovering debris from Air France flight 447 (Image: HO/AFP/Getty Images)

Brazilian Navy officers recovering debris from the Air France plane in 2009 (Image: HO/AFP/Getty Images)

Summary

1 August 2011

France's flight accident investigation bureau has indicated that pilot error may have played a part in the crash of an Air France flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris two years ago. The Airbus A330 fell more than 35,000 feet into the Atlantic ocean, killing all 228 on board.

Reporter:
Hugh Schofield.

Listen

Click to hear the report

Report

This is not the final report into the causes of the crash, but with the new evidence from the flight recorders, it's the most substantial analysis to date - and what's new is a clear signal from the investigators that pilot error may have been partly to blame.

The initial problem it's now certain was the failure of outside speed monitors, which froze over. But in response to that, the bureau says, the three man crew failed to take the correct steps.

The 32 year-old co-pilot who was at the controls kept the plane on an upward trajectory, which caused the plane to stall. But even though a warning then sounded for nearly a minute, at no point, says the report, did the crew formally identify a stall situation.

No announcement was made to the passengers as the plane then plunged for three and a half minutes before hitting the sea.

The shifting of blame towards the pilots - and by implication away from the machinery of the plane - is a highly sensitive matter, and Air France has already reacted angrily.

It says there's no cause to question the professionalism of its crew, and pointing the finger at the manufacturer, Airbus, it says that confusing signals from the stall alarm system in the cockpit hindered the pilots in their task of analysing the crisis.

Hugh Schofield, BBC News

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Vocabulary

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substantial analysis: thorough examination of the cause
pilot error: mistakes by the people flying the plane
speed monitors: equipment which measures how fast the plane is travelling
an upward trajectory: a curved path going higher
to stall: to make an engine stop by accident
plunged: fell suddenly from a great height
the shifting of blame: the moving of responsibility
by implication: by suggestion
pointing the finger at: suggesting the blame lay with
hindered: limited the ability of

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lundi 22 août 2011

lundi 15 août 2011

Earth-orbit ‘sweeper’ proposed

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Words and Their Stories

Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 1

Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 3

Words and Their Stories: Money, Part 2

vendredi 5 août 2011

jeudi 4 août 2011

mardi 2 août 2011

Air France crash. Who's to blame?

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