Doç. Dr. Yalçın İzbul

Hacettepe Üniversitesi eski öğr. üyesi

PRACTICAL ENGLISH FOR TURKS

A Bilingual Electronic Newsletter

Distributed Bi-Weekly

12/10/01 - 0003

 

May God keep any form of a Monday Morning Feeling away from you, Dear Members!... With new subscribers joining us over the weekend, we now occupy the third place on Yahoo's listing for "Schools and Education" for Turkland! This is equivalent of being Number Eleven on their international listing for "English As A Second Language"!

Well, well, well... A very warm welcome to our new members and may God bless them! And, Boy! Do we have plans for more, and even more! Of course, we do... Ah, now that you have discovered what has been floating around in my mind for some days, I might as well spell it out... Yes, exactly! Any reason why we shouldn't transport this wonderful Group onto an international platform and open it up to non-Turks who want to learn or improve their Turkish? But, more about that upon a more opportune  time... So!  Best wishes as ever... İzbul

 

AMBIGUOUS NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN

    Turkish Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit said on Friday that Turkland was ready to help Afghanistan establish an effective administration, urging the rival groups to resolve their differences over the new interim government.

help Afghanistan establish = Afganistan'ın ... kurmasına yardımcı olmak /// effective administration = etkin yönetim /// urging = çağrıda bulunarak, önemli ve acildir çağrısında bulunarak...

resolve their differences = aralarındaki anlaşmazlıkları çözmeleri /// interim government = ara hükumet

    Turkland has already announced its full support for all international efforts for the founding of an effective administration and the establishment of a workable social order in the country.

has already announced = zaten, esasen, daha şimdiden, daha önceden ilan etmiş bulunuyor /// international efforts = uıluslararası çabalar /// a workable social order = işlerliği olan bir toplumsal düzen

    "Some leaders have taken negative stances against the decisions taken in Bonn," Mr. Ecevit noted, pointing out that an agreement, nevertheless, has to be reached without delay. It would be futile to discuss who is right and who is wrong at this stage.

negative stances = olumsuz tutumlar, olumsuz tavırlar /// decisions taken in Bonn = Bonn'da alınan, alınmış olan kararlar /// without delay = gecikme olmaksızın;

would be futile = boşuna, beyhude olur /// at this stage = bu aşamada

    Dostum, a powerful ethnic Uzbek warlord, is apparently of the opinion that his faction, which is part of the Northern Alliance, is not fairly represented in the new administration. His repeated requests that the Foreign Ministry be allocated to his faction were not met.

ethnic Uzbek = Özbek asıllı /// warlord = güçlü ve savaşçı yerel yönetici /// apparently = anlaşıldığına göre, öyle görünüyor ki /// faction = hizip, grup /// part of = içinde yer alıyor, bir parçası; 

the Northern Alliance = Kuzey İttifakı / not fairly represented = adil olarak temsil edilmiyor /// to be allocated = tahsis edilmek /// requests ... were not met = talepler, istekler karşılanmadı

ambiguous = belirsizlik taşıyan, her iki yöne yada anlama çekilebilecek...

 

WHAT NOW, MR. DENİZLİ ?

    Trying to recover from a 2-1 home defeat to Beşiktaş last weekend, the Yellow Canaries faced another mission impossible last night at Trabzon's Avni Aker Stadium, with Fener fans totally outnumbered by the fiery Trabzonians.

be outnumbered by = sayıca daha az olmak

    That defeat by Beşiktaş had ended the defending champion's 24-game winning streak at Şükrü Saracoğlu. And now Fenerbahçe no longer has the luxury of dropping points since it trails the leader Galatasaray by seven points.

24-game winning streak = 24 maçlık galibiyet dizisi /// dropping points = puan kaybetmek /// trails the leader = liderin gerisinden gidiyor

    The truth of the matter is that the Yellow Canaries are far away from proving themselves in the Turkish League this year. They have lost to all the other serious title contenders they have played so far, firstly to İstanbulspor, then to their century-old rival Galatasaray and then to another rival Beşiktaş last weekend.

title contenders = zirve adayları

    On paper, Fenerbahçe is a formidable side in Turkland, but not so in Europe, where they finished "pointless" in the first phase of the European Champions League and bowed out ignominiously.

bowed out ignominiously = gururlarını yitirmiş olarak başları eğik çıktılar

   Fener coach Mustafa Denizli has injury problems in virtually all positions. The Yellow Canaries' brilliant strike force are missing the services of Rapajic, who has not fully recovered from injury yet, and the Israeli star Haim Revivo.

in virtually all positions = hemen hemen bütün mevkilerde /// brilliant strike force = parlak hücum gücü /// missing the services of = hizmetlerinden yoksun

    Turkish international Oktay Derelioğlu, who underwent a knee surgery in midweek, was added to the list last week.

Turkish international = milli takım oyuncusu

    The defense also has serious problems. Goran Mirkovic was suspended for two matches for trading punches with Beşiktaş midfielder Tümer during their İstanbul derby last Sunday. Mustafa Doğan is ill and Ali Akdeniz is off form.

suspended = cezalı /// trading punches = yumruklaşma

 
 

CHUNKS OF WISDOM OR DROPLETS OF BANALITY ?

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. -- HENRY FORD

who stops learning = öğrenmeyi bırakan, öğrenmekten vazgeçen... whether at twenty or eighty = ister yirmisinde olsun, ister sekseninde... to keep your mind young = zihninizi genç tutmak...

He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery." -- HAROLD WILSON (1960'larda İşçi Partisinden İngiltere Başbakanı)

who rejects change = ki o kişi değişmeyı reddeder... the architect of decay = çürümenin mimarı... progress = ilerleme, gelişme... progressive = 1. ilerlemeci, terakkiperver; 2. yavaş yavaş artan, tedrici surette artan veya ilerleyen, çoğalan vb... a progressive policy... progressive taxation (i.e. with an increase of the rate of tax as the incomes increase: gelirler arttıkça, vergi oranları da artıyor)... cemetery = mezarlık...

"In the long run the pessimist may be proved right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip." -- DANIEL L. REARDON

in the long run = sonunda, uzun vadede, pekçok iniş çıkıştan sonra... be proved right = haklılığı ve doğruyu düşünüp dile getirdiği kanıtlanmak... has a better time on the trip = yolculuk boyunca daha iyi, daha hoşça vakit geçirir...

The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep. --E. JOSEPH COSSMAN

despair = çaresizlik... a feeling of despair came over him; he was filled with despair; gave up the attempt in despair; drive smb. to despair... to despair of smth: Even her doctors despaired of saving her life...

In matters of principle, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, swim with the current. -- THOMAS JEFFERSON

principle = ilke; (principal = 1. belli başlı, 2. baş öğretmen)... matters of taste = zevk, beğeni konularında... swim with the current = akıntı yönünde yüzmek... Burada: moda akımlara uymak... (opposite of, swim against the current)

In politics stupidity is not a handicap. -- NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

stupidity = aptallık, ahmaklık, budalalık... handicap = engel, elverişsizlik, dezavantaj... handicapped = belli bir engelleme uygulanmış, dezavantajlı duruma düşürülmüş, sakat, malül... mentally handicapped = zihinsel özürlü...

"It is better to be hated for what one is than to be loved for what one is not." --ANDRÉ GIDE

what one is = kişinin ne/kim/nasıl olduğu... I love you for what you are / I love you as you are... Seni olduğun gibi seviyorum... Dikkat: Bu tümce, "bütün kusurlarına rağmen" nüansı da taşıyabilir.

"Men always want to be a woman's first love - women like to be a man's last romance." -- OSCAR WILDE

a woman's first love = bir kadının ilk aşkı... a man's last romance = bir erkeğin son sevdası, son sevgilisi...

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.-- KAHLIL GIBRAN

give but little = çok az şey verirsin... possessions = sahip olunan şeyler, zenginlikler, eşyalar, mülk, vb... give of yourself = kendinden birşeyler vermek...

 
   

 

GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY

Answering Your Questions, To Start With:

(Intermediate level sorularınızı Türkçe, Advanced level sorularınızı İngilizce yanıtlıyorum)

 

KİM GELDİ ? NELER OLDU ? gibi Sorular Nasıl Sorulur ?

    Tümcenin aynı zamanda öznesi konumunda olan bir soru sözcüğü yada öbeği ile soru oluşturmakta güçlük çekiyor musunuz? Örneklere bakınız:

Who came?...  What happened?...

    Bunlarla oluşturulacak ad-tümcelikler (noun clauses) de sözcük dizilişinde herhangi bir değişiklik gerektirmeyecektir. Neden? Çünkü, tümcenin düz ve soru diziliş biçimi aynı da, ondan:

Do you know who came? He didn't tell me what happened.

    Oysa bu tür sözcükler tümcenin nesnesi olduğu zaman (yani, Kimi? Neyi? anlamı taşıdıkları zaman)  herhangi bir güçlük çekmiyoruz:

Who (whom) did you see? / What did you do?

Can you tell me who (whom) you saw? / You didn't tell me what you saw.

    Özne konumunda soru sözcüğü / öbeği ile başka örnekler de oluşturalım:

Who told you?

Who is going to pay the bill?

What happened to them?

What became of them?

Whose horse won?

Whose car broke down?

Which of your sisters is getting married?

    Bu tür tümcelerin dolaylı anlatımda tense dışında herhangi bir değişikliğe uğramayacaklarına dikkat ediniz. Çünkü oldukları biçimiyle zaten aynı zamanda ad-tümlecik niteliği taşıyorlar:

He asked me who had come.

I don't know who came.

Can you tell me whose horse has won?

She wants to know which of your sisters is getting married.

* * * * *

WHAT IS DISTANCE LEARNING ?

    Well, simply put, it is the learning of educational material at a place other than the traditional campus. Distance learning may come in several forms: as online, televised or correspondence courses, with videotapes, audiotapes, and so on.

    Although correspondence courses are still quite popular, the fastest growing formats are its online varieties. As resources using these formats increase , so do the number of programs offered on the Internet.

    Now, who are likely to benefit most from earning a diploma or a degree through distance learning?  Some people live so far from the nearest relevant campus or classroom facility that there is no way they can attend classes with reasonable regularity. Others have family and/or job situations that simply do not permit them to commit themselves to a regular classes, week after week, month after month.

    And, what about the cost? Well, there are many distance learning programs that cost much less than a traditional education... All in all, distance learning can be the answer pretty soon to quite a number of educational and personal problems.

 
 
   

Here Is An Intermediate Level Vocabulary Test I have Prepared For You

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD


1. Please ............. your papers in half before you hand them in to me.

a. bend     b. lay     c. fold     d. overturn     e. wrap up


2.
I'm .............. an answer within a few days.

a. hoping     b. waiting     c. expecting     d. excepting     e. accepting


3. He .............. there under the tree, just thinking about his earlier life here on the farm.

a. lay     b. laid     c. lied     d. layered     e. lain

4. I'm just hoping that she'll grow out of that nasty .............. of hers as she grows older.

a. custom     b. tradition     c. usage     d. habit     e. error


5. He said he used to .............. much more than that in his old job as a junior clerk.

a. win     b. wage     c. gain     d. acquire     e. earn

* * * * *

Answers: 1. c    2. c    3. a    4. d    5. e

Any questions? Just mail me...

 
 
   

And, This Is An Advanced Level Vocabulary Test

Choose The Correct Word

1. Both countries have declined to .............. the treaty on nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, partly out of concern for the other's supposed intentions. 

a. praise     b. assess     c. avoid     d. endorse     e. advocate

2. Soldiers in full battle gear took up .............. outside the Presidential Palace as tens of thousands of demonstrators slowly marched towards the building.

a. trenches     b. position     c. situation     d. deployment     e. statement

3. In a speech he made today, the President of Patagonia advocated the .............. of nuclear arms and said that his country was ready for "urgent and effective measures to .............. the arms race.

a. expansion/hinder      b. propulsion/end      c. escalation/curtail      d. acceleration/stop      e. elimination/curb

4. The traditional bonds that exist between the two countries, as well as the mutual respect they hold for one another, will ............. a firm basis for further development of their economic ties.

a. confirm     b. establish     c. contribute     d. constitute     e. capitulate

5. Naim Süleymanoğlu, born of Turkish descent and one of the world's top weight-lifters then, .............. to Turkey some twenty years ago while he was competing in Australia.

a. immigrated    b. interrogated     c. defected     d. conspired     e. emigrated

* * * * *

Answers: 1. d    2. b    3. e    4. d    5. c

Now consult your dictionary for the words you weren't so sure about. You can always mail me, should you have any doubts lingering on your mind. 

 
 
 

SILLY QUESTIONS

1. Your aunt has a brother, but this is not your uncle. Who is he?

2. What is the longest word in the English language?

3. Who said: "Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes" ?

4. Is it possible for a flea to jump higher than the Galata Tower?

5. What word becomes shorter when you add a syllable to it?

6. Temel has five sons and each son has a sister. How many children does Temel have?

7. Do you stir your tea with your right or left hand?

8. Two fathers and two sons ask for a cup of tea each. The waiter brings only three cups. Why?

9. What word is always spelled wrong?

10. What is THE capital of Turkey.

* * * * *

You'll get all the silly answers to these silly questions in our next issue

 

 GEÇEN SAYININ YANITI

Askeri Doktor: How're your bowels working? / Nasıl, barsakların çalışıyor mu? Abdestin muntazam mı?

Acemi Er : Haven't been issued with any, sir. / Henüz vermediler, komutanım. ("Bowels" sözcüğünü bir tür teçhizat filan zannediyor)

Doktor: I mean, are you constipated? / Demek istiyorum ki, konstipe misin, sıksık konstipe olur musun?

ER: No, sir. I volunteered. / Hayır, komutanım. Gönüllü oldum. (Sözcüğü "conscripted" = zorunlu askerlik gereği askere alınma, şeklinde anlamış)

Doktor: Heavens, man, don't you know the King's English? / Aman Allahım, adamım sen doğru dürüst İngilizce bilmiyor musun?

ER: No, sir. Is he? / Hayır, komutanım, kendisi İngiliz midir? (the King's English = standart İngilizce, yada standart oluşturacak şekilde iyi bir İngilizce anlamına gelirken, bizim saf er bunu "The King is English" şeklinde anlamış.)

* * * * *

Just mail me, if you have any doubts lingering on your mind.

Bana olan mesajlarınızı İngilizce yazmağa çalışın... Fayda faydadır. Ama, Türkçe de olur, çekinmeyin...

 
   

 RECOMMENDED ONLINE RESOURCES 

 Karin's ESL Partyland 

Karin's ESL Partyland offers help for both teachers and students of ESL.

Hem Öğrenmek Hem Eğlenmek İçin

Gerçekten sizler için çok yararlı olabilecek ve çok hoş bir hanım tarafından hazırlanan bir site. Site sahibesinin kedi kılığında resmi bile var.

* * * * *

   
 
 

CLEAN JOKE OF THE DAY

THE PRIEST & THE RABBI

A priest and a rabbi found themselves sharing a compartment on a train.

priest = papaz; rabbi = haham

After a while, the priest put down his book and opened a conversation by saying, "I know that in your religion, you're not supposed to eat pork... but have you really never even tasted it?"

The rabbi closed his newspaper and responded, "I must tell you the truth. Yes, I have, on the odd occasion."

on the odd occasion = arada bir olmuştur

The rabbi had his turn of interrogation: "I know that in your religion, you're supposed to be celibate, but..."

interrogation = sorgulama; celibacy = hayat boyu evlenme yasağı

The priest interjected, "Yes, I know what you are going to ask, and yes, I have succumbed to temptation once or twice."

interjected = (burada) araya girdi, sözünü kesti; succumbed to temptation once or twice = birkaç kez şeytana uydum... To succumb = boyun eğmek, teslim olmak; temptation = baştan çıkaran şey.

The two resumed their reading. Both were silent for a while.

resumed their reading = yeniden okumağa başladılar

Then the rabbi peeked around his newspaper with a smile and said, "Better than pork, isn't it?"

peek = bakmak, gözetlemek, dikizlemek... Burada, gazetesinin arkasından kafasını uzatarak...

 

DIRTY JOKE OF THE DAY

FOR ENLARGEMENT !

   On their first night together, the bride comes out of the bathroom, having taken a shower and wearing a beautiful robe. 

   The proud husband says, "My dear, we are married now, you can take off your robe." 

   The beautiful young woman takes off her robe, and he is astonished."Oh, oh, aaaahhh," he exclaims, "My God you are so beautiful, I must take a picture of you at once.

   Puzzled she asks, "My picture?" He answers, "Yes my dear, so I can carry your beauty next to my heart forever".

   He takes her picture, and then he heads into the bathroom to shower and change. 

   He comes out wearing his robe and the new wife asks, "Why do you wear a robe? We are married now."

   At that, the man opens his robe and she exclaims, "Oh my God, Oh my God! Let me take a picture at once".

   He beams and asks why and she answers, "So I can get it enlarged!"

having taken a shower = duş almış olarak

heads into the bathroom = banyoya gider, girer

At that = bunun üzerine (pek sık kullanmayın)

beams = yüzü bir gülümsemeyle aydınlanır, beşlik simit gibi sırıtır

 

FOLK WISDOM

Laugh alone and the world thinks you're an idiot. Atasözünün aslı: Laugh, and the whole world laughs with you... Gül, ki bütün dünya seninle gülsün!

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. (Kelime oyunu: change = 1. değişim, değişme; 2. Bozuk para, para üstü... vending machine = para atıp birşey satın aldığınız makine.

I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian. Beslenme zincirinin tepesine vejeteryen olayım diye tırmanmadım!

She took an IQ test and the results were negative. 

When there's a will, I want to be in it! Will = 1. İstek, irade; 2. (Burada) vasiyetname... Atasözünün aslı: Where there is a will, there is a way. İstenirse bir yol bulunur...

Time is the best teacher; Unfortunately it kills all its students! Zaman en iyi öğretmendir, ama...

He who laughs last thinks slowest. Atasözünün aslı: He who laughs last laughs best: Son gülen iyi güler...

Can it be a mistake that "STRESSED" is "DESSERTS" spelled backwards? Desserts = Yemek üstüne yenen tatlılar...

Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it. Herşeyi gördüm, herşeyi yaptım, ama çoğunu hatırlamıyorum.

Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't. Those who live by the sword = kılıcına güvenerek, kılıç yasasıyla yaşayan kimseler; get shot = ateşli silahla vurulurlar

 

 

LEARN ( BUT DO NOT USE ) SOME SLANG EXPRESSIONS !!

uptight = gergin, asabi, sinirli (nervous; anxious)... You were a bit uptight last night, weren't you?

butt = kalça, kıç (the buttocks)... Why don't you just stop sitting on your butt there and give me a hand in the kitchen?

catch some rays = güneşlenmek (get some sunshine)... Hey, let's go down to the beach and catch some rays.

chicken = korkak (coward)... Oh, come on, man! Don't be such a chicken!

to get some winks = uyumak, biraz kestirmek... I think I'll turn in early tonight. I need to get some winks, you know.

whiz = üstad, dahi, işin ustası, çok zeki ve yaratıcı kişi... He was a real whiz, you know, when it came to selling things.

to take a whiz = to urinate... "Where's John?" "Oh, he's just gone inside to take a whiz."

         

ANASAYFA  --  TESTLER  --  OKUMA  --  EĞLENCE