日韩精品久久一区二区三区_亚洲色图p_亚洲综合在线最大成人_国产中出在线观看_日韩免费_亚洲综合在线一区

您現在的位置: Language Tips> Columnist> Zhang Xin  
   
 





 
About-face
An about-face instead means a 180-degree change from the position of attention...
[ 2008-06-13 10:40 ]


About-face
Reader question:

In this passage – President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is a man known for his surprising and often headline grabbing announcements but this latest one is extraordinary even by his standards. He's called on the left-wing Colombian FARC rebels to lay down their arms and release their hostages. It amounts to an all-out about-face in policy for the man who, only a few months ago, called on Colombia and the international community to stop branding the group a terrorist organization and instead recognize the FARC as a legitimate rebel army (BBC, June 9, 2008) – what does "about face" mean?

My comments:

About-face is not about the face, as in "losing face".

An about-face instead means a 180-degree change from the position of attention, hence in President Chavez's case a complete change in policy.

About-face is the same as about-turn, both originally a military term for turning around. If you look "face" up in the dictionary, you'll see one of its meanings as "be opposite". For example: They stood facing each other for a few minutes (Longman), meaning they stood opposite each other face-to-face, eye-to-eye.

My bedroom faces north, meaning that, well, I don't get any sun during the day if I get to stay in bed – not that I mind because I don't get to stay in bed during the day anyway.

Anyways, it is perhaps from "face" being "be opposite" that in the army, when a commander calls his men to turn around he shouts: "About face!" or "About turn!"

The terms are nowadays used everywhere of course to mark a total turn or change in position, direction, policy. Naturally, "about-face" and "about-turn" are the same as "turnabout", as in "a turnabout in public opinion", or "turnaround", as in "a turnaround in fortune".

Here are examples:

1. about-face (change in policy):

Central bank chiefs, including those in Britain, the euro zone and Canada, may follow the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, in an about-face, shifting toward supporting economic growth and away from fighting inflation.

- In an about-face, central banks may start cutting rates, International Herald Tribune, October 1, 2007.

2. about-turn (change in policy):

A headline: In about turn, Bush signs climate change bill

- The Guardian, December 20, 2007.

3. turn about (move the body to face another direction):

The short gentleman turned about towards Carrie, and she arose and came forward.

- Sister Carire, Theodore Dreiser.

4. turnabout (change of position):

In a major diplomatic defeat for the US, Britain broke ranks Wednesday and joined more than 100 nations in agreeing in principle to an international ban on cluster bombs, the small, insidious weapons that have killed thousands of civilians in the aftermath of battle...

Advocates of the ban said Britain's turnabout Wednesday broke open the doors and led to several other nations' dropping significant objections to the agreement.

- British turnabout key to cluster bomb ban, Los Angeles Times, May 29, 2008.

5. turn around (change for the better):

Another headline: Economy has turned around, but look for yellow flags (USA Today.com, February 1, 2004).

6. turnaround (change of fortune):

Swiss No. 1 Roger Federer in his bid to get over his humiliating defeat in the French Open final has flown to Halle and is hoping for aturnaround in the run-up to the third Grand Slam of the year – Wimbledon.

- Federer hopes for a turnaround in Halle, yahoo.com, June 11, 2008.

我要看更多專欄文章

 

About the author:
 

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: [email protected], or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

 
英語點津版權說明:凡注明來源為“英語點津:XXX(署名)”的原創作品,除與中國日報網簽署英語點津內容授權協議的網站外,其他任何網站或單位未經允許不得非法盜鏈、轉載和使用,違者必究。如需使用,請與010-84883631聯系;凡本網注明“來源:XXX(非英語點津)”的作品,均轉載自其它媒體,目的在于傳播更多信息,其他媒體如需轉載,請與稿件來源方聯系,如產生任何問題與本網無關;本網所發布的歌曲、電影片段,版權歸原作者所有,僅供學習與研究,如果侵權,請提供版權證明,以便盡快刪除。
相關文章 Related Story
 
 
 
本頻道最新推薦
 
Walking in the US first lady's shoes
“準確無誤”如何表達
英國新晉超女蘇珊大媽改頭換面
豬流感 swine flu
你有lottery mentality嗎
翻吧推薦
 
論壇熱貼
 
別亂扔垃圾。怎么譯這個亂字呀?
橘子,橙子用英文怎么區分?
看Gossip Girl學英語
端午節怎么翻譯?
母親,您在天堂還好嗎?

 

主站蜘蛛池模板: 波多野结衣一区二区三区在线观看 | 色欲天天婬色婬香视频综合网 | 欧美激情刺激爽免费视频观看 | 5g免费影院永久天天影院在线 | 久久我们这里只有精品国产4 | www.riripa.com | 91国内外精品自在线播放 | 日本黄色一级片视频 | 欧美一级毛片欧美毛片视频 | 九九久久国产精品大片 | 天天艹夜夜艹 | 91九色国产视频 | 99视频网站 | 久久一日本道色综合久久 | 久久综合热 | 午夜在线电影 | 日韩欧美大片 | 久久精品视频在线观看 | 日本三级全黄 | 国产成人久久精品二区三区牛 | 精久久久 | 青青草国产 | 欧美性爽xxxⅹbbbb | 日本韩国三级在线 | 欧美精品欧美极品欧美激情 | 嫩草影院观看 | 中文字幕精品一区二区三区精品 | 欧美色综合天天久久综合精品 | 在线中文天堂 | 91国内精品 | 国产精品美女视频 | 日本捏胸摸下面免费视频 | 日本黄色网址免费 | 国内精品久久久久久久久久久久 | 国产一区二区在线看 | 美女色黄网站 | 国产美女主播在线观看 | 日韩二三区 | 亚洲第一久久 | 日韩欧美天堂 | 亚洲午夜成激人情在线影院 |