griffinn's Quotable Blog

自從 SMS 流行以後，人們開始慣性使用一些縮寫，以便輸入，例如把 because 縮成 'coz 等。我個人會避免使用這些縮寫，也不太喜歡見到別人使用。

但又是因為蕭 Sir 的緣故，在日常生活裏開始留意外國人用英文的習慣，竟然又從中看出了一點條理 -- 縮寫用甚麼字母組成，往往直接反映以英語為母語的人怎樣發音。

就以 because 為例，在討論區裏面通常會看到的縮寫有： becoz, becuz, b'coz, b'cuz, 'coz, 'cuz, coz, cuz。

由此可以得出三點觀察：

1. "be-" 的讀音往往會被省略掉，就算保留，也可能只發 consonant (/b/) 不發 vowel (/ɪ/)。
2. "au" 的讀音，可能介乎 o (/ɒ/) 與 u (/ə/) 之間，所以 coz 和 cuz 兩種縮寫大概各佔一半。
3. "s" 的讀音應該是 /z/。

再查查朗文字典，發現讀音為 /bɪ'kɒz/ 或 /bɪ'kəz/。除了 "be-" 可能被省略的口語習慣外，嘩！全中。

我們同學對於很多發音方面的問題 -- 例如甚麼時候用 s 或 z 發音 -- 都感到有點困惑。除了死記硬背之外，看看 native speakers 在平常生活裏怎樣把英文變來變去，也可能提供一點點的線索。

不貪不嗔不癡，平平實實，以事論事，不防人也不信人。

引自明報即時新聞：

上水高空墜麻雀牌無人傷

上水下午發生高空墜物事件，有麻雀牌從高處墜下，無人受傷。...

既然無人受傷，那我最關心的是：係咪有人小相公咗？

下班後，拿著一杯星巴克的熱巧克力漫步回家。天氣不太冷，時間不太晚，飲品不太燙，心情不好不壞。

就在這時候，顧慮隱隱浮現：當你自覺不錯的時候，大概就是到了峰頂，往後就只有走下坡？（人就是這樣吧，自找煩惱。）

改變是免不了的，但奢侈地很希望就留在這一刻。 Don't ever change.

Just started on the Speak English like a Native course taught by Siu Sir.

Siu Sir is superbly insightful about how the Cantonese language has moulded the way we make sounds. And he's surprisingly effective at helping us find ways to make novel sounds we've never made before, and feel new rhythms we've never felt before. In doing so we don't just learn to lose the Hong Kong accent; we are in fact exercising parts of our brain that the Cantonese language never touches. For that I know I'm going to be eternally thankful.

This course is so different from all the others, because this time I'm learning for the sole purpose of enriching my mind. Haven't had this feeling of pure bliss in a while.

But no, it's not evident from what you see. The entire thing has been migrated to a different host but I haven't made any visual change to the web side of it.

Being a virtual server provider is tough. Every year there are better offers at cheaper rates.

• Typing on the keyboard after playing the piano
• Having alphabet soup after solving a Sudoku puzzle
• Lifting an empty suitcase after lifting heavy luggage

It's time to stop looking up to a higher authority for what to do. Find for yourself what is right, allowing for the possibility you may be wrong anyway, and do what you need to do to defend the right thing and maintain a clear conscience.

There is stress in presenting the unembellished truth to your boss. There is stress in bending the truth to your boss's liking. However, the degree of the former is far smaller than that of the latter.

Once I figured that out, it felt as if an anvil chained to my neck just disappeared.

In other words, the Good triumphs over the Evil this time round. And the forces of nature are in the Good's favour. Lucky break, I say.

Today, something slipped from my hand but I was able to catch it. Usually my attempt to grasp at the thing would only make matters worse by knocking it (and probably other things) out of sight.

從失落的邊緣把事情挽回的感覺真好，縱使挽回的只是一支飲管。

任何一個人虧欠這世界的，總比世界虧欠他的多。所以，無償地做一些事，又何妨？