Learn by osmosis
文章来源: 文章作者: 发布时间:2009-03-11 00:47 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
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Guo writes:

Please further explain these sentences – He doesn't believe in fines; he believes in benchings. Guys make too much to care about fines, he says. Burying them gets their attention – from your column From the Old School (February 5, 2008). I don't quite understand what they're about, especially these words, "fines", "benchings" and "burying".

My comments:

These things you pick up by osmosis, or gradually – after meeting them time and again. This is where hobbies come into play.

"Fines, benchings and burying" are concepts of NBA basketball. If you're not a basketball fan and don't give a hoot1 about what Yao Ming is up to etc, close this window and read something else. On the other hand, if you are a basketball fan, you'll probably want to find out more about them. And you know what, if you follow the news, you are likely to see these words every once in a while. That's what I mean by saying you can pick up new words or expressions by osmosis instead of, say, having to look every word up every single time – and tire yourself out in the process.

Being a basketball fan and having just watched the All-Star Game, I find myself in a good mood to further explain these terms – fines, benchings and burying. So here you go.

When players don't observe team rules, a coach has a few punishment measures to mete2 out. He may fine them a certain amount of money. Or he may bench them, that is, to sit them on the bench instead of letting them play. The coach in the story being from the old school, he doesn't believe in fines. To his way of thinking, today's players make way too much money to care about fines. Shaquille O'Neal, for example, makes $20 million a year. Is he going to care if his coach fines him, say, 5,000 bucks3 for missing a practice? No, a few bucks lost is not going to catch his attention.

But benchings – sitting him on the bench – do. And burying him at the deep end of the bench most certainly does.

If a player is not allowed to play, his value diminishes and come time for a new contract, his chances of getting another fat paycheck would diminish accordingly. Shaq is not a good example here. Shaq is not worried about another contract. His current contract, paying him $20 million dollars annually4, has two more year to run and he will likely call it a career by that time. Therefore, Shaq is pretty safe all-round. If not for pride, Shaq would not bother about minutes and playing time. But another player, a younger one, definitely will worry about minutes and playing time (a player's playing time, the time he spends on court each game, is recorded in minutes as a regular NBA game last 48 minutes). Yi Jianlian, for example, will worry about playing time. In fact, being on the court playing – and playing a lot if he could help it – means everything to him. It's his livelihood5. Rest assured it won't sit well with him if he is told to sit on the bench all the time. Therefore, benching and burying (if the benching lasts a considerable time, it will be as if the player were buried deep among benchwarmers) will certainly get his attention, that is, force him to learn a lesson.

That's the philosophy of a coach from the old school, an old coach for sure and smart thinking from a cunning old dog.

Well, in these explanations, you've seen "fines", "benchings" and "burying" each in action a number of times. That's how you pick up new words by osmosis, that is, by seeing them often – and gradually let them sink in. The cause is helped if you have a hobby which allows you to follow a particular subject on a regular basis.

Now, don't say you don't have a hobby – just develop one – or give another lame6 excuse.

Even if you have no hobbies and have no intention creating one, you can still learn by osmosis – I have inexhaustible punishments for you. You can, for example, read the dictionary for new words.

Only that then you will definitely be looking every word up.

Including, of course, osmosis.

If you had not tired yourself out by then.



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 hoot HdzzK     
n.鸟叫声,汽车的喇叭声; v.使汽车鸣喇叭
参考例句:
  • The sudden hoot of a whistle broke into my thoughts.突然响起的汽笛声打断了我的思路。
  • In a string of shrill hoot of the horn sound,he quickly ran to her.在一串尖声鸣叫的喇叭声中,他快速地跑向她。
2 mete t1xyy     
v.分配;给予
参考例句:
  • Schools should not mete out physical punishment to children.学校不应该体罚学生。
  • Duly mete out rewards and punishments.有赏有罚。
3 bucks a391832ce78ebbcfc3ed483cc6d17634     
n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 );钱;(英国十九世纪初的)花花公子;(用于某些表达方式)责任v.(马等)猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 );抵制;猛然震荡;马等尥起后蹄跳跃
参考例句:
  • They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
  • They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 annually VzYzNO     
adv.一年一次,每年
参考例句:
  • Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
  • They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
5 livelihood sppzWF     
n.生计,谋生之道
参考例句:
  • Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
  • My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。
6 lame r9gzj     
adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的
参考例句:
  • The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
  • I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。
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