Far out in the South Pacific lies a tiny country with a lot of history, the Federated States of Micronesia. During World War II it was an important Japanese base in the Pacific arena. Today it is a top choice for adventurous travelers and a mecca for wreck divers.
Four states make up Micronesia - Kosrae, Pohnpei, Yap and Chuuk - and each has its own flavor. Kosrae is a lesser-developed tropical paradise. Pohnpei is home to the ruins of the stone city of Nan Madol, a must-see for visitors. Yap offers true island tradition, complete with village chiefs and thatched-roof huts.
But Micronesia's main draw is Chuuk. Hundreds of World War II-era wrecks lie beneath the surface of its lagoon, the result of a huge battle. For scuba divers wanting a unique glimpse of history, this is Micronesia's real treasure.
Sunken history
During World War II, Chuuk, then called Truk, hosted a large portion of Japan's naval fleet. In 1944, the U.S. attacked the Japanese forces on Truk. More than 300 ships and aircraft were destoryed, creating what would become a wreck diver's paradise.
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Silent letters are a lot like mosquitoes. They're hard to detect, and they're annoying. Just the other day, I was listening to a man give a fabulous speech. His English was great, except for one word he mispronounced again and again - "debt".
Which is spelled d-e-b-t, and the "b" should be silent.
But, much to my chagrin, he kept pronouncing that "b", and it sounded like he was saying debit, a related but different word.
Now, I bring this up as a reminder to be careful.
Because no matter how long we've been speaking English, silent letters can unexpectedly appear and bite us.
Well as irritating as they are, there are rational reasons for their existence.
One is that during the Renaissance, there was something of a classical language revival. At that time, scholars in England felt compelled to tweak the spelling of English words, reforming them to fit the Latin ideal.
That's when "debt", formally spelled d-e-t-t-e, got its silent "b". And so, became more like its Latin root, "debitum".
Many other letters acquired a silent letter during this time too, including "doubt", "receipt", and "island".
Speaking of "island", can you detect the other two words from today's lesson that have a silent letter?
See if you can find them.
英文單字中有許多字母不發音，
例如：
island 的 s 不發音
debt 的 b 不發音
因為在Renaissance(文藝復興時期)，有一個classical language revival(古典語言復興運動)，當時學者將不少英文單字的拼音，改為符合拉丁原文的拼法，如：債務原本拼法dette，為了符合拉丁原文 debitum，所以加入了一個不發音的 b
Language Lab
arena n. (本文指) 區域，領域
/əˈri:nə/
1 a building for sports and other forms of entertainment that has a large central area surrounded by seats
2 an area of activity, interest, or competition
- Roy isn't familiar with the rules of the political arena yet.
Roy 對政界的規則還不熟悉
arena n. (圓形劇場中央的)圓形舞臺, (周圍有觀眾席的)比賽場, 競技場
- The crowd cheered as the boxers entered the arena.
拳擊手進場的時候人們歡聲雷動
mecca n. (m-小寫時)許多人想去的地方
Mecca n. 麥加(在沙烏地阿拉伯, 為伊斯蘭教聖地)
a city in Saudi Arabia which is the holiest city of Islam
- Hollywood has become a tourist mecca because of its movie industry.
由於電影工業的原故, 好萊塢成為觀光聖地
- Paris is a mecca for fashion designers
巴黎是服裝設計師必去朝拜的聖地
adventurous adj.愛冒險的; 大膽的; 充滿危險的; 有危險的
/ədˈvɛntʃərəs/
not afraid of taking risks or trying new things;
eager to go to new places and do exciting or dangerous things
era n. 時代, 年代, 時期
a period of time in history that is known for a particular event, or for particular qualities
- The 90s were a golden era for software businesses.
90年代是電腦產業的黃金時期
- We're living in an era filled with all sorts of information and rapid changes.
我們活在一個充滿各式各樣訊息和快速改變的時代
前面加上名詞:
the Clinton era 柯林頓時期
the Michael Jordan era 麥克喬登時期
lagoon n.潟湖; (大湖或江河附近的) 小而淺的淡水湖
/ləˈgu:n/ [重音在第2音節]
an area of sea water that is separated from the ocean by a reef or sandbar
- This lagoon is filled with tropical fish.
這個潟湖裡面充滿了熱代魚
- The lagoon is surrounded by a beautiful forest.
這做湖被美麗的森林包圍起來
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