English 中文网 漫画网 爱新闻iNews 翻译论坛
中国网站品牌栏目(频道)
当前位置: Language Tips> 译通四海> 翻译服务

Ground zero

[ 2009-07-03 13:43]     字号 [] [] []  
免费订阅30天China Daily双语新闻手机报:移动用户编辑短信CD至106580009009

Ground zero

Nancy Matos

Reader question: “Avedon has had a knack for locating himself at ground zero of American culture. Smith takes readers inside the minds and lives of the rescuers at Ground Zero as he shares stories about these heroic individuals and the effect their loss has had on their families and their companies. (From: Report from Ground Zero: The Story of the Rescue Efforts at the World Trade Center).

Could you explain “ground zero”? Why does it usually refer to the site of 9/11?

My comments: Although the term “ground zero” is used in reference to the site of the former World Trade Center in New York City that was destroyed on September 11, 2001, it has been around for decades. The term has also been used to describe the sights of the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. In fact, the actual meaning of ground zero pertains to a site or target under attack.

“Dictionary.com” describes it as:

1. The target of a projectile, such as a missile or bomb.

2. The site directly below, directly above, or at the point of detonation of a nuclear weapon.

That would explain why it generally refers to the site of 9/11. However, the term ground zero can also be used in a less formal way, as in describing a starting point or basic level, like in the following sentence: “My teacher didn’t like my ideas for the project, so I had to start at ground zero.”

You probably won’t hear the term used as often as in the example above. Plus, connotations of nuclear war and devastating attacks like 9/11 aren’t images that one likely wants to stir up, which are normally what one thinks of when they hear ground zero. While we’re on the topic, how would you feel about eating at a place called “Ground Zero Café”? The headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, known as The Pentagon, houses a snack bar in its central plaza with that very name.

本文仅代表作者本人观点,与本网立场无关。欢迎大家讨论学术问题,尊重他人,禁止人身攻击和发布一切违反国家现行法律法规的内容。

Related stories

May-December love

Comfort food

Stand-up guy

Dead soldier

Upper crust

Hit the jackpot

Juggle的活用

Rock bottom

Whistle-stop

Cherry-pick

Spoiler alert

 

About the author:

Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.

 

 
中国日报网英语点津版权说明:凡注明来源为“中国日报网英语点津:XXX(署名)”的原创作品,除与中国日报网签署英语点津内容授权协议的网站外,其他任何网站或单位未经允许不得非法盗链、转载和使用,违者必究。如需使用,请与010-84883631联系;凡本网注明“来源:XXX(非英语点津)”的作品,均转载自其它媒体,目的在于传播更多信息,其他媒体如需转载,请与稿件来源方联系,如产生任何问题与本网无关;本网所发布的歌曲、电影片段,版权归原作者所有,仅供学习与研究,如果侵权,请提供版权证明,以便尽快删除。
 

关注和订阅

本文相关阅读

人气排行

翻译服务

中国日报网翻译工作室

我们提供:媒体、文化、财经法律等专业领域的中英互译服务
电话:010-84883468
邮件:translate@chinadaily.com.cn