Weblio英和辞典・和英辞典とは

http://ejje.weblio.jp/

 

Weblio英和辞典・和英辞典は、研究社『新英和中辞典』『新和英中辞典』を中心に42種類の英和辞典・和英辞典、219万語の英語と254万語の日本語、合計約473万語を一度に検索できる、国内最大級のオンライン英語辞書です。英語の意味を英和辞典で調べられるだけでなく、豊富な英語の用例や、英語の発音も参照できます。基本的な英単語の意味・用例から、専門的な英語の意味・訳語まで調べることができる、英語の学習に最適な英語辞書です。

Weblio英和辞典・和英辞典の主な特長

• 複数の英和辞典や和英辞書から、英語を一度に検索して意味を表示します。
• 英語でも日本語でも検索できます。英単語の場合は英和辞典が、日本語の場合は和英辞典がヒットします。
• 本文中の英語や日本語から、その言葉の意味を解説している英和辞典・和英辞典の記事にリンクしています。
• 英語のイディオムや成句の意味を英和辞典で調べることができます。
• 「ランダム表示」では英語や日本語の解説をランダムに選択して意味を表示します。

Weblio英和辞典・和英辞典は、こんなときに便利です

• とにかく英語の収録語数が多い英語辞書で意味を調べたいとき
• 英語の専門用語の意味や訳語を調べたいとき
• 英和辞典と和英辞典の機能を同時に使って意味を調べたいとき
• 英語の意味を調べると、解説文中の英語や日本語の意味も調べたくなるとき

GMail hacking draws FBI interest

The computer phishing scam that Google says originated in China was directed
at an unknown number of White House staff officials and set off the FBI
inquiry that began this week, according to several administration officials.

It is unclear how many White House staff members - or those of other
departments in the executive branch - might have been targeted, according to
two officials with knowledge of the investigation. But the intended victims
ranged across different functions in the White House, and were not limited
to those working on national security, economic policy or trade areas that
would be of particular interest to the Chinese government.

Administration officials said they had no evidence any confidential
information was breached, or even that many people fell for the attack by
providing information that would allow a breach of their Gmail accounts.
White House classified systems run on dedicated lines and information on
those systems, the officials said, cannot be forwarded to Gmail accounts.
But investigators are trying to determine if the attackers believed that
some staff members or other officials used their personal email accounts for
sensitive government communications.

"Right now," said one senior official, "that's a theory, not a fact."

Google disclosed the attack this week and said it targeted not only U.S.
government officials, but also human right activists, journalists and South
Korea's government. Google tracked the attack to Jinin, China, which is the
home to a Chinese military school.

But that does not necessarily mean the attackers were Chinese or related to
the government. The Chinese government denied any involvement.

The attack used emails that appeared to be tailored to their targets to
better fool their victims, a technique known as spear phishing. Recipients
were asked to click on a link to a phony Gmail login page that gave the
hackers access to their personal accounts.

The attacks come as the U.S. government considers expanding its use of
Web-based software for email, along with word processing, spreadsheets and
other kinds of documents. Google is one of the many companies vying for the
business with its Apps product, as is Microsoft . Web based email would be
vulnerable to hackers who steal login information through phishing attacks.
But Web-based systems are not necessarily any easier to hack than
traditional email, which a government agency would usually manage using its
own servers, said Larry Ponemon, chairman of the Ponemon Institute, a
computer security company in Traverse City, Mich.

Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said Thursday that all White
House-related electronic mail was supposed to be conducted on work email
accounts to comply with the Presidential Records Act, which governs how
those communications are protected and archived. Carney said there was no
evidence that any White House accounts were compromised.

White House employees are permitted to have private email accounts, he said,
but cannot use them for work purposes.

Officials at the White House and other agencies often keep two computers in
their offices, one for unclassified work and another for classified. Very
senior officials sometimes have a "secure facility" in their homes, in which
computers and telephones are on dedicated lines and communications are
encrypted.

Given its size, Google and its Gmail system will always make an attractive
target.

Other personal email services, including Yahoo and Microsoft's Hotmail, have
faced similar attacks, according to Trend Micro , a computer security
company in Cupertino, Calif. "The types of attacks that are happening
against Web mail users aren't confined to Gmail alone and extend to other
email platforms," said Nart Villeneuve, a senior threat researcher for Trend
Micro.

Sony Pictures website hacked

Sony is not having a good year. As the company scrambles to get the
PlayStation Network and Qriocity music service back online, it's suffering
from yet another security breach.
This time it's a hacker attack on various websites associated with Sony
Pictures.
A team of individuals going by the name LulzSec, who recently managed to
deface PBS.org's homepage, announced that they have broken into
SonyPictures.com and compromised more than 1 million user accounts. An
additional 75,000 music codes and 3.5 million coupons were also uncovered.
The attack, part of a campaign known as Sownage, was announced on Twitter
and on the LulzSec website.
LulzSec said that it didn't have enough resources to copy all the data that
it was able to access. But the group did manage to grab a collection of
databases that contain thousands of usernames.
The accounts, presumably associated with any sort of registered activity on
SonyPictures.com (or its subsidiaries or partners), contain information like
passwords, email addresses, dates of birth and other Sony opt-in data.
This certainly isn't as dangerous as the information that was exposed during
the PSN hack, but it could still be used to gather access to more important
accounts elsewhere.
The scariest part of this attack isn't what was taken, but how easy it was
for the LulzSec members to take it. According to the groups own press
release, access to the main Sony Pictures website was gained using a very
basic tactic called a SQL injection.
We haven't had a chance to examine the released files to see what this
injection was, but it's likely that an out-of-date software stack and
relatively unprotected web server made passing the injection trivial.
LulzSec says that all of the information it took was unencrypted.
"Sony stored over 1,000,000 passwords of its customers in plaintext," says
the hackers' press release, "which means it's just a matter of taking it. "
Seeing as this is the second security breach of a major Sony-branded website
in just outside of a week, we have to ask: Is anyone at Sony employed to
handle web security?
Sure, managing a large number of brands and properties that are often
connected in name only has to be a challenge, not to mention the logistical
and administrative challenges of managing websites that can store millions
of user profiles. Still, that doesn't make up for what by all appearances is
an abysmal security record.
LulzSec has been on a tear, infiltrating the websites and databases for the
UK television program, "The X Factor," parts of Fox.com, Sonymusic.co.jp and
many parts of PBS.org in the past three weeks alone.
The attacks, while often juvenile in nature and execution (the
Lulzsecurity.com website plays the theme from "The Love Boat"), underscore
just how important it is for brands to keep their web servers updated,
hardened and monitored. In the age of simple publishing tools like
WordPress, it's easy for managers to underestimate the importance of having
someone on contract or on staff to keep data encrypted and protected.
We can only hope the most recent cyber attacks convince executives to think
seriously about investing in online security.

China says its military no threat to peace in Asia

The strength of China's armed forces is 20 years behind the U.S. and
although the military is developing new capabilities, it is not a threat to
peace in Asia, the Chinese defense minister said Sunday.
China's military won't be used aggressively against its neighbors, General
Liang Guanglie said at an Asian security conference in Singapore.
"I know many people tend to believe that with the growth of China's economy,
China will become a military threat," Liang said. "China will never seek
hegemony or military expansion."
"This is a solemn pledge made by the Chinese government to the international
community," he said.
Liang met Friday with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Singapore amid
increasing high-level contacts between the militaries of the two countries.
Gates told Liang that he believes the military-to-military relationship is
"on a positive trajectory" after a series of setbacks in recent years.
Liang is the highest-ranking Chinese military official to attend the IISS
Shangri-La Dialogue, now in its 10th year. General Chen Bingde, China's
chief of general staff, met with top U.S. military officials last month in
Washington.
"China and the U.S. have made great progress in bilateral relations," Liang
said. "All of us are very optimistic about the future of bilateral and
military-to-military relations."
Liang sought to downplay recent increased Chinese military spending,
insisting the nation's capabilities remain far behind those of developed
countries.
"Our defense force is more modern and developed. However, there still exists
a big gap," he said. "There's a generational gap."
China is working privately with North Korean officials to try to revive
stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks that involve the two Koreas,
Japan, China, Russia and the U.S., Liang said.
"The work we have done with North Korea is much more than what the outside
world may expect," he said. "We are trying to persuade them not to take
risks."
Tensions between the two Koreas have jumped since two deadly attacks blamed
on North Korea last year. The North has denied involvement in the sinking of
a warship in March 2010 that killed 46 South Korean sailors and argued that
a November artillery barrage that killed four people was provoked by South
Korean firing drills.
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said Saturday that any future
attacks by North Korea would be met by a very strong response, and that
Pyongyang is becoming increasingly bold in its provocations.
"The situation is moving toward relaxation, but the foundation remains
fragile," Liang said. "We need to cool things down."
Last week, Google alleged that computer hackers in China had compromised the
personal Gmail accounts of several hundred people, including U.S. government
officials, military personnel and political activists.
Liang said China is paying close attention to the cyber attack problem.
"In China, we also suffer quite a wide range of frequent cyber attacks and
it is hard to attribute the real source of the attacks," he said. "It's
important for everyone to follow laws in terms of cyber security, and they
should also apply to corporations."

Philippines says China violated its seas

The Philippines accused China on Saturday of undermining peace and stability
in Asia by allegedly sending naval vessels to intimidate rival claimants in
disputed sections of the South China Sea.
Manila had protested over incidents in February to May, when the Chinese
navy allegedly opened fire on Filipino fishermen, intimidated a Philippine
oil exploration ship and put posts and a buoy in Philippine-claimed areas.
"The Philippines noted that these actions of Chinese vessels hamper the
normal and legitimate fishing activities of the Filipino fishermen in the
area and undermines the peace and stability of the region," Manila said.
"The actions of the Chinese vessels in Philippine waters are serious
violations of Philippine sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction," said a
statement issued by the foreign department.
Manila had also earlier queried Beijing over plans reported in Chinese state
media to install an oil rig in the area.
The Chinese embassy in Manila on Thursday denied that Chinese naval vessels
had intruded on Philippine territory, while reiterating Beijing's
territorial sovereignty over the disputed South China Sea areas.
The Philippine foreign department statement said both governments agreed to
continue dialogue on the highly sensitive issue.
Manila says the incidents happened in an area of the South China Sea just
outside the Spratlys, a reputedly oil-rich island chain claimed in whole or
in part by Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Some of these also have competing claims on the Paracel Islands, another
South China Sea chain.
In May, Chinese ships confronted a Vietnamese oil exploration vessel between
the Paracels and the Spratlys.
The renewed tensions drew a warning Saturday by the United States, the
region's dominant naval power that is militarily allied with the
Philippines, that the myriad territorial disputes could lead to armed
conflict.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told a regional security conference in
Singapore that clashes may erupt in the South China Sea unless nations with
conflicting claims adopt a mechanism to settle disputes peacefully.
"There are increasing concerns. I think we should not lose any time in
trying to strengthen these mechanisms that I?ve been talking about for
dealing with competing claims in the South China Sea," he said.
"I fear that without rules of the road, without agreed approaches to deal
with these problems, that there will be clashes. I think that serves
nobody?s interests," Gates added.
Speaking at the same conference Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak
called for restraint in the South China Sea.

Australia says rights key to Malaysia refugee deal

SYDNEY — Australia said human rights would be a key element in its deal with
Kuala Lumpur to send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia, as the UN welcomed its
move to treat minors on a case-by-case basis.
Australia is in advanced discussions with Malaysia on a plan to send 800
asylum seekers to the Southeast Asian nation in exchange for accepting some
4,000 of its registered refugees.
Cabinet minister Jenny Macklin on Sunday said a human rights reference was
included in Australia's original in-principle agreement between Prime
Minister Julia Gillard and her Malaysian counterpart and the issue was key
to the government.
"That is very important to us and something that we know is critical to
achieve in the final agreement," Families Minister Macklin told ABC
television.
Canberra has come under fire in recent days for proposing there be no
blanket exceptions to its plan to send asylum seekers to Malaysia, even for
minors, despite the country not be a signatory to the UN refugees
convention.
Refugee advocates have suggested that asylum seekers could be mistreated in
Malaysia, arguing that unaccompanied children were particularly vulnerable.
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen indicated Saturday that unaccompanied
minors would be managed on a "case by case basis", with anyone considered
vulnerable afforded "particular care".
"We will consider, in those cases, if it is appropriate to transfer those
people to Malaysia or to make other arrangements, and if they are
transferred to Malaysia, what care and support needs to be put in place,"
Bowen said.
The UNHCR, which had said it was unable to lend its support to a plan that
did not protect vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied children, welcomed
Bowen's comments and said it remained committed to negotiations on the
scheme.
Refugees are a sensitive issue in Australia, where a record 6,900 illegal
immigrants arrived by boat in 2010, mostly on rickety vessels from Indonesia
and usually hailing from strife-torn Iraq, Afghanistan or Sri Lanka.

Europe Races to Widen Aid for Greece

European finance officials met late Wednesday in Vienna to prepare a fresh
aid package for Greece, people close to the matter said, but the talks must
first bridge a crucial gap between Germany and the European Central Bank
over whether private investors should share the pain of propping up the
indebted nation.

Plucked from the brink of default in May 2010 by other euro-zone countries
and the International Monetary Fund, Greece is again verging on a critical
cash shortage.

Officials have conceded that Greece—already the beneficiary of €110 billion
($158 billion) in promised rescue aid—will need roughly another €30 billion
in each of 2012 and 2013.

They are racing to figure out a plan before a key meeting of finance
ministers later this month.

At least some of the money will have to come by way of a further bailout
from taxpayers in Europe's stronger countries—chief among them Germany. But
at the Vienna meeting on Wednesday, officials from the German finance
ministry pressed for Greece's bondholders to bear some of the burden by
accepting late repayment of their investments, said a person familiar with
the matter. That "reprofiling" of Greek bonds is anathema to the ECB.

For the time being, the standoff continues—although a senior German official
said this week that Germany may ultimately have to relax its insistence that
extending bond maturities should be part of the package now under discussion
and to be agreed to by late June. Berlin has no serious alternative to
lending Greece more money to avoid default, the official said, but a debt
reprofiling probably can't be agreed on in such a short time. Berlin has
made no final decision, however.

But many private analysts say the euro zone's squabble over what to do now
misses a broader point: Greece, they say, is highly unlikely to ever pay all
its debts back—no matter if they are delayed for a few years or not.

"A debt reprofiling is not enough," said Rodrigo Olivares-Caminal, a senior
lecturer in financial law at the University of London and a visiting
professor at a Greek business school. "That was an option in 2009, early
2010, but not in 2011."

The European Union's solution—to provide Greece with money in order to calm
markets enough that the country could go back to them for financing—hasn't
worked. Greek bond spreads, a measure of investors' reluctance to lend, are
far higher than they were last year. And, between the end of 2009 and the
end of 2011, Greece will have added €50 billion in debt.

"They are trying to put out fire with gasoline," said Mr. Olivares-Caminal.

Meanwhile, Moody's Investors Service on Wednesday downgraded Greece even
deeper into junk-bond territory, to Caa1, a level that implies a 50% chance
of default over the next five years. That is the lowest of any of the main
rating agencies—and Moody's said the outlook for the rating remained
negative, suggesting further downgrades are possible.

Mr. Olivares-Caminal and others advocate forcibly reducing Greece's debt by
telling creditors they will only receive part of their money back. European
governments have made clear they aren't ready to consider that option.

For Germany and most other countries, an extension of maturities is as far
as they will go at the moment.

Germany has for weeks argued that Greek bondholders should be persuaded to
accept a delay in bond maturities, as a way to reduce Greece's funding needs
in coming years. The central bank argues that even such a voluntary
agreement would amount to default by Greece and could trigger severe capital
flight from other indebted euro-zone countries.

ECB officials also argue that a default in any form would render Greek bonds
ineligible as collateral for ECB loans to banks, threatening the Greek
banking system with insolvency.

ECB officials have indicated that they are open only to a loose form of
private-sector involvement: a gentleman's agreement by European banks to
maintain their current level of lending to Greece's government, by buying
new bonds when current bonds mature.

Supporters of this option point to the success of a similar agreement in
2009, known as the Vienna Initiative, when some major European banks agreed
to keep lending to Eastern European countries during the global financial
crisis.

In a speech in New York on Wednesday, Olli Rehn, the EU's economy
commissioner, said European authorities would push for a Vienna-style
agreement.

But Greece isn't Eastern Europe. Hungary and the other countries concerned
weren't considered to be seriously threatened by insolvency. Most investors
think Greece is. Persuading banks to buy new Greek bonds, at an interest
rate Greece can afford, could be a tall order, economists said.

What is more, German officials said a gentleman's agreement mimicking the
Vienna Initiative would be harmless but insufficient. Berlin tried to secure
pledges from Germany's major banks in May 2010 to keep lending to Greece,
but the nonbinding accord did little or nothing to ease Greece's funding
problems. "We already tried a Vienna-style agreement. It didn't work," said
a German official.

Meanwhile, the options for Greece are narrowing. Under the €110 billion
package agreed to last year, aid from the EU and the IMF is distributed in
quarterly tranches; each quarter, a team of technocrats must review Greece's
progress, and the next tranche of €12 billion is due to be disbursed this
month. By policy, the IMF won't release its share of the money unless it is
assured that Greece has financing for the next 12 months. That is a problem
since the bailout package assumes Greece will be able to begin borrowing on
its own from long-term debt markets early next year. Few people think that
is realistic.

In return for additional aid, Berlin and other capitals are demanding that
Greece do more to cut its own budget deficit and to sell state assets. Both
of those measures would ease the amount of additional aid Greece would
require.

An ambitious, €50 billion program of state asset sales is already in the
works, and European officials are pushing for new cuts in spending and
higher tax collection. Greece's government has proposed €1.6 billion worth
of savings for the rest of this year, on top of €4.8 billion already
planned. For 2012-2015, Greece is proposing a total of €22 billion in
deficit reduction.

A large chunk will be deep cuts to state spending, which are intended to
take government expenditures down to the equivalent of 44.1% of gross
domestic product in 2015 from 49.6% last year.

Perhaps more challenging will be raising revenue, which Greece plans to get
from 39.1% of GDP in 2010 to 43.1% in 2015.

It has been difficult in the past. In spring 2010, Greece projected it could
show revenue after tax refunds in its "ordinary" state budget of €55.1
billion in 2010, up from €48.5 billion in 2009. It managed only €51.1
billion. (The ordinary budget figures count most of the central government
but exclude social-security funds and local government.)

Greece made up the difference in part with deeper spending cuts. But the
government's reduced spending has eaten into the economy and Greece's
recession has been deeper than expected. That, in turn, makes tax collection
yet harder. Even if Europe finds a solution that carries Greece through 2012
and 2013, its troubles won't end there. The country's massive debt load will
require heavy interest payments for years to come, and big chunks of
long-term bonds will come due: more than €25 billion in 2014 and more than
€17 billion in 2015. If Greece isn't able to persuade financial markets to
lend to it by then, Europe will be faced again with giving more aid.

■単語
crucial

[形]

1 （…にとって）決定的な；きわめて重大［重要］な((to, for ...))

a crucial issue to the world peace
世界平和を決する問題

a crucial decision
最終決定.

2 ((俗))すごい，すてきな.

3 〈時期・問題などが〉きびしい，むずかしい；苦しい

a crucial experience
つらい経験.

4 ((古))十字形の.

［ラテン語crux（十字架）＋-AL＝十字架の→きびしい. △CROSS］

indebted

[形]

1 （…に対して）（人に）恩義がある，恩恵を受けている((for ...；to ...))

I'm greatly [deeply] indebted to you for your help during my illness
あなたには病気のとき助けてもらった大きな［深い］恩義がある.

2 （人に）（…の額の）借金がある((to ...；for ...))

I'm indebted to you for 10,000 yen.
あなたに1万円の借りがある（▼I'm in debt to you for 10,000 yen. のほうがふつう）.

propping
支持法
proppingの文法情報
「propping」は動詞「prop」の現在分詞です

prop１
音節prop１ 発音記号/prάp｜prˈɔp/音声を聞く
【名詞】【可算名詞】
1支柱，つっぱり，つっかい棒.
2支え，頼り; 支持者.
3【ラグビー】 プロップ 《スクラム最前列の左右のフォワード》.
【動詞】 【他動詞】
(propped; prop・ping)
1a〔…で〕〈…を〉(倒れないように)支える，〈…に〉つっかい棒をする
〈up〉〔with，by〕.
用例
prop (up) a tree (with a pole) 木に(ポールで)つっかい棒をする.
b〔+目+補(+with+(代)名)〕〔…で〕〈…に〉〈…の状態に〉つっかい棒をする.
用例
I propped the door open with the chair. いすをつっかいにしてドアを開けておいた.
2〈人・ものを〉支持する，支援する 〈up〉.
用例
prop up old‐fashioned agriculture 旧式な農業にてこ入れをする.
3〈…を〉〔…に〕立てかける，寄りかからせる 〈up〉〔against〕.
用例
He propped his bicycle (up) against the wall. 彼は自転車を壁に立てかけた.
prop２
音節prop２ 発音記号/prάp｜prˈɔp/
【名詞】【可算名詞】
《口語》 プロペラ.
［PROPELLER の短縮形］
prop３
音節prop３ 発音記号/prάp｜prˈɔp/
【名詞】【可算名詞】
[通例複数形で] 【演劇】 小道具.
［PROPERTY の短縮形］

pluck

[動](他)

1 …の羽毛［髪］を引き抜く；〈羽毛などを〉（…から）むしり取る((off, from
...))；〈雑草を〉引き抜く((up))；((文))〈果実などを〉摘む；もぐ；［pluck A B／pluck B for A］〈Ａ（人）にＢ（花など）を〉摘んでやる

pluck a bird
鳥の毛をむしる

pluck grapes
ブドウを摘む

pluck feathers from a bird
鳥の毛をむしる

He plucked her a lily [=a lily for her].
彼女にユリの花を摘んであげた.

2 …を引っ張る，つかむ(grasp)；((古))…を（…から）むりに［ぐいっと］引き離す［ひったくる，動かす］((away, out/off, from ...))

pluck one's mother's skirt [=pluck one's mother by the skirt]
母親のスカートを引っ張る

pluck the cloth off a table
食卓からテーブル掛けを引きはがす.

3 〈人を〉危険［困難］な状況から救い出す.

4 ((俗))…から物［金銭］などを強奪する，巻き上げる，だまし取る.

5 〈魚が〉〈えさを〉食う.

6 〈楽器の弦を〉はじく，かき鳴らす.

7 …を（…から）選び出す((from ...))

Four new names were plucked from the waiting list.
順番待ちリストから4つの新しい名前が選び出された.

8 ((英古))…を試験ではねる，落第させる.

━━(自)［pluck at A］〈Ａ（物）を〉ぐいっと引っ張る；〈Ａ（人）に〉つかみかかる；〈Ａ（楽器の弦）を〉はじく.

pluck up

(自)元気を出す，奮起する.

━━(他)

［pluck ... up／pluck up ...］

(1)…を根こそぎにする，根絶する.

(2)〈元気・勇気などを〉奮い起こす，出す.

━━[名]

1 引き抜く［もぎ取る］こと，ぐいっと引っ張ること

give a pluck at ...
…をぐいっと引っ張る.

2 [U]((古風))勇気，決断.

3 [U]（牛などの）臓物，もつ.

4 ((古))落第.

［古英語pluccian. △ドイツ語pflcken］

brink

[名]

1 ((文))（がけの）縁，端，へり

the brink of a cliff
がけっぷち.

2 瀬戸ぎわ，土壇(どたん)場，危機

be driven to the brink of ruin
破滅の寸前に追いやられる

bring ... to the brink
…を瀬戸ぎわに追い込む.

on [at] the brink of ...

…に瀕(ひん)して

on [at] the brink of starvation
餓死寸前で.

［スカンジナビア語. 「山の傾斜」→「危ういぎりぎりの端」］

verge

1 （ある方向・地点・状態に）傾く，向う，推移する；広がる((on, upon, to,
toward ...))

The hill verges to the north.
その丘は北に広がっている.

2 （太陽が）傾く，沈む.

verge

[名]

1 端，へり，縁(ふち), 道の端，花壇の縁；装飾的な縁どり

the verge of a forest
森のはずれ.

2 ((the ～))限界，境界，瀬戸際，間際，範囲；境界をなす帯状のもの；((詩))水平［地平］線

the verge of a flower bed
花壇の縁どり.

3 特別管轄区域；英史宮内大臣管区.

4 （屋根の）けらば（軒先）；（円柱・小柱の）柱身.

5 権杖(けんじょう)：高位聖職者の裁治権のしるしの杖(つえ).

6 （振子時計の）レバー.

on the verge of ...

…間際の，寸前の，いまにも…しようとして

on the verge of tears
涙をこぼしそうな

be on the verge of starvation
餓死寸前である

She was on the verge of fame as a singer.
歌手として有名になる寸前だった.

━━[動](自)（…の）縁にある；（…に）接する，近接［隣接］する；わずかに寄る((on,
upon ...))

A small lake verges on my property.
私の土地沿いに小さな湖があります.

━━(他)…のへり［境界］をなす

a fence verging the park
公園の境をなしているへい.

verge on ...

(1)〈人・動物などが〉（…の状態に）近づく，今にも（…に）なろうとする

The American eagle is verging on extinction.
ハクトウワシは絶滅に瀕している.

(2)〈言動・色などが〉（…に）近い，ほとんど等しい

His statements often verge on nonsense.
彼の発言はしばしばたわごとに近い.

［中フランス語←ラテン語virga（杖）］

bailout

[名]

1 ((略式))（財政的な）緊急援助；債務棚上げ.

2 保釈；（パラシュートなどによる）緊急脱出.

3 代替方法.

squabble

[動](自)[名]つまらないけんか［言い争い］（をする）((about, over ...)).

Windows 8 optimized for desktop tablets

Microsoft demonstrated the next version of Windows this week, and the
operating system has an interface almost nobody expected or predicted.

The default interface for Windows 8 will look almost nothing like Windows 7,
but will look and feel a heck of a lot like Microsoft's cell-phone operating
system, Windows Phone 7.

What's going on here?
Way back in February 2007, I told you about the coming era of touch-screen
desktop computing -- "an iPhone the size of a big-screen TV." I asked: "Will
the desktop version of this third-generation UI come from Apple, or
Microsoft?"

After four years, we still don't know the answer to that question. Apple
could still beat Microsoft to the punch.

But this week we learned that Microsoft intends to ship the first desktop
touch tablet version of Windows next year. More importantly, we know how
Microsoft is going to manage the jarring transition from second-generation
WIMP (windows, icons, menus and pointing devices) computing to
third-generation MPG (multi-touch, physics and gestures ) computing.

To gently-but-aggressively transition the Windows world to the next
generation of computing, Microsoft is going to do something I hadn't even
thought of: Microsoft will get millions of users to interact with their
touch interface without touching. Windows 8 will combine the gestures and
eye candy of tomorrow's touch tablets with the clunky mice and keyboards of
yesterday's PCs.

A proven strategy
When Microsoft transitioned users from DOS to Windows back in the early
1990s, they made Windows a "shell" on top of DOS, but made the Windows UI
the default. (Note that the less aggressive, legacy-friendly alternative to
that would have been to ship DOS with the Windows shell as an optional
application.) Microsoft didn't force everyone to suddenly abandon DOS and
the DOS applications they had invested in. Anyone who wanted to launch and
run a DOS program could do so, but in a DOS window within the Windows shell.
Microsoft's strategy paid off, and Windows adoption happened quickly.

Microsoft plans to do exactly the same thing with Windows 8. The new
operating system will default to the next-generation shell -- the Metro UI,
which first showed up in the Windows Media Center, then the Zune, then
Windows Phone 7.

That's right. When you install Windows 8, you'll be greeted not by a
"desktop" with icons, but to a "personal mosaic of tiles," according to
Microsoft's demo video. These are like icons in functionality -- when you
click or tap them, they launch the associated applications. But unlike
icons, they display data from the applications. In Microsoft's example, the
e-mail tile shows new messages. The calendar tile shows today's
appointments. A "My Investments" tile displays live stock prices. A Twitter
tile shows a recent tweet.

The interface is so new that applications will have to be re-written for it
from the ground up, just like DOS applications had to be re-written for
Windows. These new applications will have interesting qualities. For
example, they'll be written in either HTML5 or JavaScript. They'll launch
full-screen, just like apps on an Apple iPad tablet, but will also
optionally run two at a time, side-by-side. And even if you're using an old
mouse-and-keyboard style desktop PC, the apps you'll use will be "designed
for touch." You can cycle through multitasking applications with a simple
swipe-from-the-left gesture.

But don't worry. Your old Windows applications will still run. Like in the
earliest versions of Windows that ran DOS software in a special DOS mode,
Windows applications will run in a "Desktop" or "Windows 7" mode. Best of
all, you'll be able to run old Windows applications side-by-side with the
Metro UI app of your choice.

Interestingly, the Metro UI handles files like the iPad -- documents and
data files are associated with the application, and will be managed only
from within applications. But in the Windows 7 window, you'll still have
old-fashioned file management, where your data file locations are not
associated with specific applications and can be moved copied, deleted or
modified without reference to specific applications.

Note that these two generations of user interface will exist side-by-side
only on PCs. Windows 8 will also run on devices powered by ARM chips made by
a company called ARM Holdings. Traditionally, these chips power smartphones
and tablets, and the slim operating systems designed for these mobile
gadgets. Windows 8 will run on ARM devices, but the old interface will not
be supported. ARM devices will run only the Metro UI, and the apps written
for that platform.

So both your PC and tablet will run Windows 8, but only your PC will be able
to run your current version of Office or QuickBooks. On the tablet, you'll
have to wait for new, Metro-specific versions to be created.

Why Microsoft is doing this
People resist change. It's just human nature.

Users are going to love the touch-centric computing interfaces of tomorrow.
But today, many Windows users just don't like the sound of it.

Whenever I predict desktop tablets, I get a lot of e-mail from the
resistance. Touch is too limited, they say. An iPad-like interface is
cramped and limiting. The arm position necessary to use a touch screen even
at an angle is uncomforable. I need a real keyboard. I've grown attached to
my mouse. I need hardcore multi-tasking.

Apple's strategy for overcoming resistance was to launch an entirely new
device, rather than immediately replace an existing platform with a new one.
Apple's MPG (multitouch, physics and gestures) interface was first used on
Apple's first-ever cell phone. Because the entire device category was brand
new to Apple, the company didn't ask users of existing Apple products to do
things differently. The company's strategy is to start small and move up the
food chain - first phones, then tablets, then multi-touch laptop and desktop
touchpads, then desktops, which we'll see no doubt this year or next.

What we learned this week is that Microsoft has come up with an entirely
different solution to the problem of user resistance to change: Microsoft
intends to get us all using a touch interface with mice and keyboards first.

By the time we get used to doing that, we'll be happy to get rid of the
peripheral hardware and just use our desktops like iPads, touching the
screen directly. It will be the same interface, but much better because
we'll be able to use multi-finger gestures and because we'll enjoy the
innate psychological payoff of using an MPG device.

I think Microsoft's strategy is brilliant. I had all but written off
Microsoft as clueless about the future of touch computing. But the company's
latest demo changes everything.

Mike Elgan writes about technology and tech culture. Contact and learn more
about Mike at Elgan.com, or subscribe to his free e-mail newsletter, Mike's
List.

■単語
heck

[間]((略式・軽い嫌悪など))ちぇっ.

━━[名][U]((hellの婉曲語))いったい

What the heck do you care?
なんだってくよくよしているんだ.

a heck of a

((話))大変な；すごい，エキサイティングな

I had a heck of a day.
大変な1日だったよ.

What the heck!／The heck with it!

((話))かまうもんか.

Chinese teen sells his kidney for an iPad 2

The 17-year-old boy, identified only by his surname, "Zheng", confessed to
his mother that he had sold the kidney after spotting an online
advertisement offering cash to anyone prepared to become an organ donor.
"I wanted to buy an iPad 2, but I didn't have the money," the boy told
Shenzhen TV in the southern province of Guangdong, "When I surfed the
internet I found an advert posted online by agent saying they were able to
pay RMB20,000 to buy a kidney." After negotiations, the boy travelled north
to the city of Chenzhou in Hunan Province where the kidney was removed at a
local hospital which discharged him after three days, paying a total of
RMB22,000 for the organ.
Trading organs online is a common practice in China, despite repeated
attempts by China's government to stamp out the practice. Last year Japanese
television reported that a group of "transplant tourists" had paid £50,000
to receive new kidneys in China.
According to official statistics more than a million people in China need a
transplant every year, but fewer than 10,000 receive organs, driving an
almost unstoppable black-market organ trade that enriches brokers, doctors
and corrupt government officials.
The boy, who has suffered complications following the surgery, returned home
but was unable to keep what he had done from his mother.
"When he came back, he had a laptop and a new Apple handset," his mother,
identified as Miss Liu, told the station, showing off the livid red scar
where her son's kidney was removed, "I wanted to know how he had got so much
money and he finally confessed that he had sold one of his kidneys."
The mother took the son back to Chenzhou to report the crime to the police,
however, the mobiles of the three agents that Zheng had contacted were all
switched off.
The hospital, which admitted contracting out its urology department to a
private businessman, denied any knowledge of the surgery.
The case, which caused an online furore, was cited by some as an extreme
example of the rampant materialism of modern China.
Thousands of comments were posted on internet discussion groups, with many
lamenting the lack of rule of law in China and the "immorality" of the new,
'capitalist' China.
"This is a failure of education, the first purpose of which is to 'propagate
morality'," said one comment on Hong Kong's Phoenix TV website, "This
teenager's stupid behaviour is a manifestation of his radically
materialistic values." "To sell a kidney in order to buy consumer goods?
What vanity!" added another, "It is undeniable that modern Chinese
teenagers' morality is declining. This is something we must all think
about."
Apple products like the iPhone and the iPad are in huge demand in China, and
are seen as a badge of wealth and sophistication by young consumers.
Last month scuffles broke out among desperate shoppers outside several
Beijing Apple Stores as they queued to buy the newly launched iPad2 and
white iPhone4.

■単語
kidney
[名]（複 ～s）

1 解剖腎臓(じんぞう)；生物腎機能をもつ（無脊椎(せきつい)動物の）器官；((～s))腰部.

2 [C][U]（食品としての牛・羊・豚などの）腎臓.

3 気質，気だて.

［中英kidenei（codd腹＋ei卵）. △EGG1］

practice

[名]

1 ((ふつう単数形))いつも［常に］すること，慣行；ならわし，習慣，慣習，風習，慣例

a matter of common [daily] practice
日常茶飯事

follow the usual practice
一般の慣例に従う

make a practice of doing [=make it a practice to do]
…することにしている

be out of practice
（以前はよくしていたが）今はしていない.

2 [U][C]実行，実施，実践，実地，実際

in practice
((文修飾副詞的))実際には

put the principle into practice
その原理［主義］を実行に移す.

3 [U]（反復または規則的な）練習，演習，訓練，けいこ. ⇒EXERCISE[類語]

daily violin practice
毎日のバイオリンのけいこ

Practice makes perfect.
((ことわざ)) 実地練習で完全習熟；習うより慣れろ.

4 [U]熟練，技量(skill)

have great practice in ...
…の腕前が非常によい

be in [out of] practice
熟練している［いない］.

5 [U]（特に弁護士・医師などの）開業，営業，業務；[C]((集合的))事業の対象，事件依頼者，患者；[C]開業場所

a surgeon in regular practice
繁盛している外科の開業医

in (private) practice
（医師が）開業して

have a large practice
大いにはやっている.

6 法律訴訟手続き，裁判実務.

7 [U]((古))陰謀の企て；ぺてん［詐欺］にかけること；[C]((通例～s))陰謀，策略，たくらみ，常套(じょうとう)手段

sharp practices
抜け目のない手口.

8 宗教儀式，礼拝式.

9 数学実用算.

get out of practice

どうしてよいかわからなくなる.

━━[動](他)

1 …を習慣的に行う，するのを常とする

practice the same method
同じ方法をいつも行う.

2 〈義務・教え・戒律などを〉守り実践する，遵守する

practice what one preaches
言行を一致させる.

3 ［III[名]/doing］…を練習［演習，けいこ］する

practice tennis [the guitar]
テニス［ギター］の練習をする

practice playing the flute
フルートの練習をする.

4 〈人・動物に〉（…を）しつける，（…を）訓練する((in ...))

practice students in pronunciation
学生に発音の練習をさせる.

5 〈専門職を〉営む，開業する；［IIIdoing］〈…することに〉従事する

practice dentistry [law]
歯科医［弁護士］を開業する

practice painting
絵を描くことに従事する.

6 ((文))…を実行［実践］する；〈不愉快なことを〉（人に）行う((on, upon ...))；〈手品などを〉行う

practice deception [to deceive]
欺く

practice economy
倹約する.

━━(自)

1 習慣的に行う，いつもする.

2 ［I（[副]）］（…を）練習［けいこ］する((on, at ...))

practice on the piano
ピアノの練習をする

practice at riflery
ライフル射撃を練習する.

3 実際に行う，実施する.

4 ［I（[副]）/II as[名]］〈特に医師・弁護士が〉開業［営業］する

practice at the bar [=practice as a lawyer]
弁護士になる.

5 ((文))（人に）陰謀を企てる，策略を巡らす((against, with ...))；（性格に）つけ込む，乗じる((on, upon ...)).

stamp

[名]

1 切手；ハガキの印面

a sheet of stamps
切手シート.

2 印紙，（納付）証紙.

3 ＝trading stamp.

4 公印，保証印，検印，刻印；スタンプ

the stamp of the maker
製造業者の証印.

5 押し［打ち］型，ダイス(die)；版木；型押し機，刻印機.

6 押し型などでつけた模様［記号］.

7 ((通例a [the] ～))((形式))しるし，こん跡，特徴，特質

bear the stamp of ...
…の特徴をもつ

leave one's stamp on ...
…に足跡を残す.

8 ((通例a [the] ～))((形式))（人・物の）性格；種類；タイプ

a man of honest stamp
正直な人.

9 領収の証明，料金支払いの指示；((英話))国民保険料.

10 （足を）踏みつける［鳴らす］こと.

━━[動](他)

1 〈地面・床などを〉踏みつける，踏みしめる；〈足を〉踏みおろす

stamp the floor
床を踏み鳴らす

stamp one's foot with impatience
いらいらしてじだんだを踏む.

2 …を踏みにじる，踏み消す［つぶす］((out, on))；…を押しつぶす，粉砕する；［III[名][副]/V[名][形]］…を踏んで（…に）する

stamp out a cigar
葉巻を踏み消す

stamp the leaves flat
葉を踏みつぶす

stamp ... to bits
…を粉々に打ちくだく.

3 〈反乱などを〉鎮圧する；〈感情などを〉抑える；〈犯罪・病気などを〉撲滅する((out)).

4 ［stamp A with B／stamp B on [onto] A］

(1)〈Ａ（物）にＢ（印など）を〉（証明・認可・所有などを示すために）押す

stamp the papers with the proper seals of approval
書類に公式の認可印を押す

He stamped his name on all his books.
自分の本のすべてに印を押した

The package is stamped "handle with care. "
包みには「取り扱い注意」とスタンプが押されている.

(2)〈Ａ（物）にＢ（模様・記号など）を〉刻印する；((比喩))〈Ａ（心など）にＢ（印象など）を〉刻む（▼連語関係によってはin, intoも用いる）

stamp oneself on ... [=stamp one's presence on ...]
…に影響を与える；…に足跡を残す

a face stamped with grief
悲しみの刻み込まれた顔

The bloody battle was stamped vividly on our memories.
その凄惨(せいさん)な戦闘は私たちの記憶に生々しく刻み込まれていた.

5 〈手紙・封筒に〉切手をはる；〈書類に〉印紙をはる

a stamped addressed envelope
((英))切手をはり宛名を書いた封書（略：s.a.e.）

Remember to stamp the letter before you mail it.
投函(とうかん)する前に手紙に切手をはるのを忘れないように.

6 ［V[名]as[名]［[形]］］〈人が〉（…であることを）示す，特徴づける

This stamps him as a coward.
このことは彼がおく病者であることを示している.

7 …を（型に合わせて）打ち抜く，押し切る((out))

stamp out a car body
車体を打ち抜く.

━━(自)

1 （力を込めて）踏みつける((on))；足を踏み鳴らす，じだんだ踏む

stamp with rage
怒って足を踏み鳴らす.

2 ドタドタと歩く((along；into ...)).

3 ((略式))（提案などを）つぶす，却下する((on ...)).

livid
[形]

1 激怒した.

2 〈顔・皮膚が〉（打ち身・充血などで）鉛色の；〈色が〉暗青色の.

3 ((文))（死んだように）青ざめた.

［ラテン語lvidus（lvere青黒くなる＋-ID＝青黒い）］

urology

[名][U]泌尿器学，泌尿科学.

surgery
sur・ger・y[ srdri ]
[名]（複 -ies）

1 [U]手術

accept [undergo] surgery
手術を引き受ける［受ける］.

2 [U]手術法；外科，外科医学

cosmetic [clinical, orthopedic] surgery
美容［臨床，整形］外科.

3 [C][U]((米))手術室（((英))theatre）；((英))医院，診療所（((米))office）（▼薬局を含まず，診察し薬の処方を出す）；((英))診療時間（((米))office hours）.

4 ((英))議員面会時間.

furore

［１］（突発的な）強い興奮[怒り].

［２］熱狂的流行[賞賛].

make [create] a ～
熱狂的な賞賛を受ける.

rampant

[形]

1 〈人・動物が〉激しい，荒々しい；暴れ回る；狂暴な；〈病気・犯罪・うわさなどが〉はびこる，盛んな；〈植物が〉おい茂る.

2 後脚で立っている；紋章((ふつう名詞のあとに置いて))〈特にライオンが〉左後脚1本で立った.

3 建築〈アーチ・ボールトなどが〉片上がりの.

lament

[動](他)［III[名]/doing/that節］…を悲しむ，嘆く；…を後悔する

lament one's folly
愚行を後悔する

lament the loss of one's child
子供を失ったことを悲しむ

She lamented having [that she had] married young.
若くして結婚したことを後悔していた.

━━(自)（…を）悲しむ；後悔する((for, over ...))

He lamented over his son's death.
息子の死を嘆き悲しんだ.

━━[名]

1 （…に対する）悲しみ，嘆き((for ...)).

2 哀歌，挽歌.

3 泣き言，愚痴.

［ラテン語lmentum（悲しい声）］