網路世代熟悉的Windows瀏覽器Internet Explorer(IE),因為近年使用者大幅減少,加上微軟推出的新瀏覽器Edge,在上周三停止技術支援,也代表IE正式退場、走入歷史。本次就讓我們來從國外相關報導學習如何用英文表達「退場」吧!
退休、辭職、下台?
retire (v) 代表「退休」,相關名詞有retirement「退休」、retiree「退休人士
Photo: Pixabay / 圖片來源:Pixabay
,通常在屆齡退休時使用。
Mr. Schmidt’s retirement party will be held at the seafood restaurant next Friday.
(施密特先生的退休宴將於下週五在海鮮餐廳舉行。)
另外,同樣是離開工作崗位,「辭職」是resign (v),名詞為resignation。片語resign to 則代表「把…託付給、委託」的意思。
After Mr. Sutton’s resignation, Ms. Lambert took over his responsibilities.
(沙頓先生辭職後,由蘭柏小姐接管他的職責。)
She resigned her children to the care of her brother.(她把孩子交給她哥哥照管。)
step down 退場、退位
而同樣是描述辭職的單字還有step down (v)「退場、退位、下台」,通常是表達政治人物(或高階主管)辭職、離開現有職務。
The CEO of QuaKing Inc. stepped down amid a scandal involving insider trading and money laundering.(QuaKing公司的總裁因身陷內線交易和洗錢的醜聞而下台。)
「退場」相似的字詞還有bow out (v),bow 當動詞為「鞠躬」,注意發音為[au],而名詞bow有「領結、弓」等意思,發音為[o]。bow out 根據字面可以解釋為「下台一鞠躬」,也就是「結束」的意思。
To most people’s surprise, McLaughlin, the defending champion, bowed out in the first round of the tournament.
(出乎大多數人意料的是,衛冕冠軍麥克拉倫在首輪比賽就被淘汰出局。)
phase out (v)也可以用來描述「漸漸退場」,而phase (n)單做一個單字時則是stage「階段」的意思。
The company will gradually phase out the use of fluorescent lightbulbs.
(公司將逐漸淘汰螢光燈泡的使用。)
要描述產品被「移除」,或公司、軍隊「撤離、撤出」則可用withdraw (v)這個字。
Due to financial concerns, Parkland city decided to withdraw its bid to host the international tennis tournament.
(由於財務上的問題,Parkland 市決定撤回申辦國際網球錦標賽。)
IE 退場令人錯愕
使用量急遽下降是IE退場原因之一,儘管微軟有預告退役時間,但仍有不少企業對IE的退場感到錯愕,甚至仍然需要使用Edge 瀏覽器中的IE模式,例如日本退休金服務機構(Japan Pension Service)。
plummet (v)「劇跌」經常在股市相關新聞中,以及多益測驗財務金融情境出現,通常代表「下跌快速且劇烈」的意思。
Several stocks plummeted on Friday after the news of the war broke out.
(在戰爭爆發的新聞出來後,許多股票在週五應聲大跌。)
caught by surprise 指的是「令人錯愕」,通常表示之前沒預期到,突然感到訝異。同樣要表示「感到錯愕」也可以用thrown for a loop 來形容,loop 在此解釋為「環圈、迴路」,throw 則有「陷入」的意思,因此讓人陷入環圈、摸不著頭緒就是「令人很意外、很震驚」的意思。
I was really thrown for a loop when Amanda told me I was fired.
(當亞曼達告訴我說我被開除時,我真的感到相當錯愕。)
pension (n) 是多益測驗的重要字彙,指的是退休金、撫恤金。
As a result of pension system reform, workers now might need to work until age 68.
(年金改革的結果是勞工可能需工作到六十八歲。)
IE從一九九五年推出服務至今,伴隨不少人度過了求學時期做報告、找資料的日子,是許多人青春時的共同回憶,而今光榮退役,結束其二十七年生涯,成為時代的眼淚。
【多益模擬試題】
1. I heard that the company wants someone internal to fill Mr. Chen’s position after he ________ in August.
(A) retiring
(B) will retire
(C) retires
(D) retirement
2. Jack Becker announced that he will step down ________ Gorwin Firm’s Chief Financial Officer after ten years of service.
(A) of
(B) with
(C) even
(D) as
【解析】
1. 正解(C)。句意為「聽說公司要找內部的人來接替陳先生八月退休後的職位。」本題要判斷出符合句意的動詞時態,從句子判斷退休時間應該尚未發生,但是以after引導的副詞子句,不用未來式,而是要用現在式,故(C)為正確答案。
2. 正解(D)。句意為「傑克貝克宣布,在服務十年後,他將卸任 Gorwin公司首席財務官一職。」本題是文法題,需要選擇適合空格的介系詞,由於CFO是職稱,搭配as可解釋為「當作/做為…,故(D)為正確答案。
SOURCE: https://www.englishok.com.tw/toeic/toeic-issue/internet-explorer-retired
文章由 English OK 授權使用: www.englishok.com.tw
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