Monday, February 28, 2011
No-fly zone over Libya
The United States consults with allies a no-fly zone over Libya. Meanwhile, the opposition is preparing for an attack on Gaddafi's troops.
Flug (n): Flight
fliegen (v): fly
verbot (v): prohibited
zone (n): zone
Derweil: meanwhile, whilst
der: the
weil: because
über: over
von: of, off, from, on the part of (what a flexible particle in German language!)
Für ein Flugverbot müssten weitere Beratungen im UN-Sicherheitsrat stattfinden. Es sei allerdings unwahrscheinlich, dass das Gremium handele, solange die Gewalt der libyschen Führung gegen Zivilisten, etwa durch Luftangriffe, nicht deutlich zunehme. Eine entscheidende Rolle spielt in der Angelegenheit dem Bericht zufolge Italien, das einen umfangreichen Freundschaftsvertrag mit Libyen geschlossen hatte.
Held for a ban would have further discussions in the UN Security Council. It is unlikely that the panel trade unless the violence against civilians by the Libyan leadership, such as air strikes, not significantly increasing. Plays a crucial role in the matter, the report says Italy, which had signed a comprehensive treaty of friendship with Libya.
müssten => müssen: have to
weitere (adj) : more
Beratungen (pl): proceedings (similar to discussions / Diskussion)
im : in
der Sicherheitsrat: security council
stattfinden: to happen
finden: to find, to locate, to meet
statt: stead (a place or role that someone or something should have or fill)
die Gewalt: violence
Eine entscheidende Rolle: a crucial role
der Angelegenheit: a matter
dem Bericht: the report (dem indicate that it is an object)
Freundschaftsvertrag (Freundschaft + s + vertrag): friendship treaty
Freundschaft: friendship
Vertrag: agreement
geschlossen : closed (implies signed)
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Intrinsic value is key to growing up
Our world is a sophisticated system with lots of policies, measures and utilities for certain goals. These goals are inscribed in these measures. Even though, these goals may be right, the implementation may not be good for everyone or tailor-made to the perception of everyone. For the sake of prolonged exposure to external measures, the external values are internalized. As we know, the external environment is kept changing. The change would be an impact to the children especially when the internalized values do not match to the new external values.They may collapse.
If the children have not yet internalized these values, they would treat those measures to be controls only. They would either adapt them or work against them. Eventually, they would forget their own values.
Parents should help them to develop their own intrinsic values which are the pillars of self-development. These values also give them direction and stability.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Mein Eindrunk about BarCamp HK 2010
Der Zeitraum von 3-Wort-Einführung selbst ist recht interessant. Es ist eine Herausforderung, um sie an Sie zu erinnern.
Nach dem Grundton des Veranstalters ist es ein Thema Anregung Zeitraum. Alle von uns notiere das Thema und die Kategorie auf ein Papier und steckte sie dann an die Wand außen. Der Veranstalter würde dazu beitragen, wieder je nach Kategorie zu 8 verschiedene parallele Sessions Form zu vereinbaren. Der Rest der Konferenz ist es, den Teilnehmern überlassen.
Es ist gut, ein paar Freunde zu machen, um neue Arbeitsplätze zu finden und für die Kandidaten suchen. Außerdem denke ich, es ist gut, Vorbild für andere Community-basierte Ereignis wie Wikipedianer sammeln. Es ist wirklich fördert die Beteiligung, Initiativen und freien Austausch. Es können alle genießen es.
BarCamp läuft noch in meinem Kopf viele Tage lang.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Freedom and Responsibility
In fact, freedom and responsibility is in the same package. Why? Every person is born with equal rights including freedom of speech which is limited by law in a society, If the exercise of freedom causes conflicts, such conflicts must be resolved according to mutually agreed principles of justice. These principles of justice are normally presented in the form of laws and regulations. For example, if it is an emergency for a nation, much of the freedom of nationals is restricted. If the exercise of certain freedom violates the human rights, say living with respect, such exercise would be prohibited. Therefore, these regulations remind us our responsibilities.
My friend commented that this is idealism. Americans don't see it that way. For them, freedom is the biggest and nothing to do with responsibility. Responsibility is another issue.
I think that though most of americans don't see it in this way, it does not mean that their view is right. Freedom of speech should be protected until the exercise of it violates other principles of human rights. Recent there are many cases about cyber-bullying in Hong Kong. It is abuse of freedom of speech in certain sense.
He said, "yeah, it is not right. But in this world, the powered commands. Sadly, everything is not purely considered. Everythings is mixed with benefit and advantages......... Human rights is always a bargaining power for US to negotiate with other countries for commercial rights. "
Most of us try to interpret a nation to be a person. The behaviour of a nation is analogued to personal behaviour. In fact, it is not strictly appropriate. The outcomes or decision is obtained through a political process which is a competition among pressure groups and interest group especially in a nation where democractic system is deployed. For the US pigeons, human rights are good for 'preaching'. For the US eagles, human rights are for bargaining power. When it is republicans' administration, the eagles win, otherwise, the pigeons win. I hope the democrats can fix the problems created by the republicans.
(Chinese Version of "Freedom and Responsibility")
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Scoring is administration
For administration, we also need planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling and budgeting. Plan what we should do, how we should do, who should do and when we should do. Assign responsibility to posts and organization. Put these rules on the policy. Then, find right candidates to fill the posts. Direct or motivate them to do. Monitor performance and control the quality of work. Finally, budgeting is a periodic task for future resource allocation. Both administration and scoring share a similar model.
In fact, as the environment is changing fast, administrators need to adapt it fast. Administration is not an easy job.
Monday, August 02, 2010
Data type
It looks like mathematics. We have sets, number sets. We can define our own sets and we also have some pre-defined sets such as Integers, Real Numbers and Complex Numbers. The name of these pre-defined sets is reserved in certain sense. The concept of reserved words is similar to this one. Besides sets, we have operators like '+','-','x' to manipulate the numbers, members of the given sets.
In programming, data type is not limited to numbers. It includes characters and even strings. Here, characters does not mean any tool or persons in the movies. We are talking about members of alphabet, the letters, the puntuation marks and other symbols.
Typically, we write some functions to manipulate these data for us. It normally takes serveral input and generates a datum as output. It works like a function in mathematics. It maps the parameters in given sets to a value in another set. It tells us a clear relation.
How about the function of your mind? How can we understand and handle the data from the external world? Firstly, we tends to categorize them. Category is one of the key concept in our mind. Secondly, category helps us to compare and associate the current instance of event with the past events. It helps to manage the expectation. Thirdly, we can take the procedure from our experience or external authority to deal with the current situation. Hence, category on low level is data type in our mind.
Our mind is much more advanced. We have self-awareness and self-reflection. We can handle meta-level thinking. We can apply category on other categories. We can understand the logic of our thinking.
In fact, compilers of some computer programming language can be implemented by itself. It means it has reflection mechanism to describe itself. It is similar to metadata for database and meta-language for language.
Language somehow governs our thinking and communication. If everyone has kept its very own version of interpretation on public affairs, it would create chaos. It is the reason why we need objectivity and objective language in law. It helps us to categorize different real life scenarios and measure them with objective scales such that we can handle them in a systemetic way under the principle of fairness and justice.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Source of Trust
According to the chapter of Gongye Chang in Analects of Confucious (Lunyu), we have to listen what he says and observe what he does. Just listening is not enough, we have to check whether it is consistent with what he does. We should settle for short term observation. Long term observation is more reliable.
Firstly, from this point of view, one should be observable before trust is earned; otherwise it is hard to judge it. Regarding government, the process of making policy should be open and fair. Recently, the Hong Kong Journal Association is pushing the Hong Kong government to enact freedom of information legislation to ensure access to government information and documents. According to the principle of governance, it enforces government to release the information pro-actively such that the public can monitor the whole process of making and implementation of policy. Therefore, the former director of Government Records Service, Simon Chu, requested to put the Law of Public Records on the agenda of the Legislative Council in order to ensure the public records created, archived, released and removed properly.
Secondly, it is mutual understanding between government and the public. It requires effective communication. Understanding of nature of communication is crucial. The message will be selected and compiled by the sender, transformed via different type of channels and finally interpreted by different kinds of receivers. Hence, the results would vary so much. The government should not just focus on itself and should use the appropriate methods according to the receiver. Communication is not only a delivery of its own message but also receiving of message from other partners. Selective listening must be avoided. Positive and constructive comments should be included.
What is positive and constructive comments? When citizens are sitting on the road without saying a word, is it? When protesters are climbing on the tree without saying a word, is it? Objection! Is it? If we speak out what we want and what we need to do, it is a positive and constructive comment.
Appropriate channel is critical for effective communication. Discrimination should be avoided. At least one open and fair platform should exist in a civic society. Every party can have equal right. Their opinions should not be wrongly interpreted. The creditability of Radio Television of Hong Kong is well known. However, it is retained as a government department after public evaluation. HKJA urged government to reverse its decision.
Thirdly, keep the promise. Only hope can be built when the promises are kept all the time. Promises must be kept whatever it is. Typically, those promise should be in black and white. The most challenge issue is the change of the people, the environment and the society. If the need for a specific promised policy vanished, the public can realize that such policy should be suspended; otherwise, apology and backup plan is needed.
Finally, I hope that the mutual trust can be built up. The making of public policy will allow peaceful participation of the public in the public space. The society will be improved continuously.
(Chinese Version)
Friday, May 07, 2010
German class is ended.
Let's try to translate the following message.
Die Briten entscheiden über ihre nächste Regierung. In der spannendsten Unterhauswahl seit langem wittern die Konservativen und die Liberal-Demokraten ihre Chance. Labour-Premier Brown gilt als schwer angeschlagen.
Die Briten entscheiden über ihre nächste Regierung. In der spannendsten Unterhauswahl seit langem wittern die Konservativen und die Liberal-Demokraten ihre Chance. Labour-Premier Brown gilt als schwer angeschlagen.
Literal translation is:
The British decide about/above/of their next government. In the most exciting beneath/between/among-house-election for a long time detect/sense the Conservatives and the Liberal-Democractic their chance. Labour Premier Brown is deemded to be as hard striken.
Refine the literal translation:
The British decide about their next government. In the most exciting Lower House Election, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats sense their chance for a long time. Labour Premier Brown is striked badly.
Google translation result is:
The British decide about their next government. In the most exciting general election has long been suspect, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats their chance. Labour Premier Brown is struck as hard.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Klavier
We know that English is originated from German. In German, piano is called Klavier. Why does it called Klavier? In English, there is another word - clavier to describe musical instrument - keyboard. It is same as the Clavier from French. Klavier may come from Latin (claves), clavile in Modern Latin. It is Klavír in Solvenian and Czech, Glasovir in Crotian. Clavier may mean key-bearer, key is clavis in Old Latin.
The name piano comes from pianoforte, same as Italian and Russian (Фортепиа́но) name. It is fortepian in Poland.
The most strange is that piano is Zongora in Hungarian. Why Zongora?
Thursday, April 01, 2010
German and English 2
When we say "How old are you?" in English, we would say "Wie alt sind Sie?" in German. They are literally equivalent.
When we say "What is your name?" in English, we would say "Wie ist Ihr Name?" in German, literally "How is your name?".
"How are you?" in English. Then "Wie geht es Ihnen?" in German, literally means "How goes it you?". I guess it is more like "How is going on you?".
Kindergarten was absolutely borrowed from German. Kinder is plural form of Kind which means child. Garten is garden. Therefore, kindergarten means garden of children.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
German and English
The verb 'helfen' is Help in English. 'Help' comes from 'helpan' in Old English which comes from 'khelpanan' in Proto-Germanic and 'kelp' in Proto-Indo-European language.
The 'have' comes from 'habban' in Old English, 'habba' in Old Frisian, 'haben' in German, 'haban' in Gothic, 'khaf-' in Proto-Germanic and 'kap-' in Proto-Indo-European language.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
0-9 numer
1 is eins (one).
2 is zwei (two/twice).
3 is drei (three/tri).
4 is vier (four).
5 is fünf (five).
6 is sechs (six).
7 is sieben (seven).
8 is acht (eight).
9 is nuen (nine).
10 is zehn (ten).
11 is elf (eleven).
12 is zwölf (twelve).
13 is dreizehn (thirteen).
14 is vierzehn (fourteen).
15 is fünfzehn (fifteen).
16 is sechzehn (sixteen).
17 is siebzehn (seventeen).
18 is achtzehn (eighteen).
19 is nuenzehn (nineteen).
20 is zwangzig (twenty).
30 is dreißig (thirty).
40 is vierzig (forty).
100 is hundert (hundred).
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
When something passed
Saturday, December 05, 2009
COP15 - Hoffnung oder nicht?
Viele Länder definieren ihre eigenen Ziel von verschiedenen Messungen. Einige sind auf das Emissionsniveau von 1990 basiert, aber einige sind auf 2005. Einige messen die Gigatonne von Kohlendioxid, ein gewisses Maß der Kohlenstoffintensität. Es hat, um herauszufinden, ursprüngliche Grund für die Verringerung der Emissionen, so dass wir feststellen, ob die Messung sinnvoll ist kann.
Das Kohlendioxid und anderen Treibhausgasen in der Atmosphäre war seit industriellen Revolution rasant erhöht. Das Kohlendioxid soll durch die Pflanzen unter normalen Situation aufgenommen werden. Allerdings ist die Höhe der Emissionen deutlich höher als der Betrag der Absorption. Deshalb hat Kohlendioxid werden so gesammelt, dass die durchschnittliche Oberflächentemperatur steigt. Es ist ein großer Schaden für die Erde durch den Menschen gemacht. Die kumulative Betrag der menschlichen Emissionen können als Schulden interpretiert werden. Human hat die Schuld zu begleichen.
Nach der Erde hurted wird, nicht alle Schäden ausgeglichen werden können. Aufgrund der Anstieg der Oberflächentemperatur hatte, einige Arten starben aus und hatte einige Tiere ihr Verhalten verändert. Zum Beispiel, greifen die Eisbären das Walross (海象), weil sie nicht mehr Treibeis von der Bartrobben verbergen. Nobdoy können sicher sein, dass die Eisbären wieder normal, wenn die Temperatur wieder normal bekommen kann. Zusätzliche Anstrengungen erforderlich sein, um die Erde zu erholen. Ähnlich wie Schulden, sollte Zinsen zu zahlen, manchmal nicht bezahlt werden.
Wie hoch ist die Verschuldung? In Bezug auf die Menge, die ultimative Ziel sollte sein, das angesammelte Betrag der Treibhausgas-Emissionen durch den Menschen gemacht. Gestützt auf einen Bericht von einer großen Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft hat, sollten die globalen Treibhausgasemissionen um 2% pro Jahr gesenkt werden, um von den globalen tragedy.This maximale Betrag wird als globale Kohlenstoff-Budget zu verhindern. Leider hat die Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft finden, dass die Erde zur Neige geht it.It liegt daran, dass nur 0,8% der weltweiten Emissionen annualy wurde von 2000 auf 2008. Daher ist die Lücke, über die Emission von USA in zwei Jahren. Wenn wir die Lücke zu füllen, müssen wir die globalen Emissionen um mindestens 3,5% Jedes Jahr werden 2008 bis 2020 zu reduzieren. Es ist ein drastischer Rückgang und es ist sehr schwer zu tun.
Im Sinne der Ethik, ist es ein Verbrechen, um Schäden an der Erde zu machen. Jemand anderes begeht das Verbrechen. Es bedeutet nicht, dass es moralisch richtig ist für uns das Verbrechen zu begehen. Europa und Nordamerika emittierten Treibhausgase. Es ist nicht moralisch richtig für Brasilien, China und anderen Entwicklungsländern, THG emittieren. Nun setzen China und Indien ihr eigenes Ziel von Kohlenstoff-Intensität. Es wäre irreführen, wie viel Treibhausgase reduziert werden kann. Nur echte Senkung der THG-Emissionen können echte Anstrengungen unternommen.
COP15 - hopeful or hopeless?

COP15, the Climate Submit will be started on 7 Dec. The world leaders will prepare a new international agreement, the Copenhagen Protocol to take over the Kyoto Procotol which will be expired in 2010. Before the Submit, many countries with great amount of GHG emission have declare their own goal on controlling emission according to its own standard. They claimed that it would balance the need for economic development in developing countries and controlling emission. They think that the developed countries should share more responsibility for what they did since the last industrial revolution.
Many countries define their own goal by different measurements. Some are based on the emission level in 1990, but some are based on 2005. Some measure the gigaton of carbon dioxide, some measure the carbon intensity. It has to find out original reason for reduction of emission such that we can determine whether the measurement is reasonable.
The carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas in the atmosphere had been increased rapidly since industrial revolution. The carbon dioxide should be absorbed by plants under normal situation. However, the amount of emission is far higher than the amount of absorption. Therefore, carbon dioxide has being accumulated so that the average surface temperature increases. It is a big damage to the Earth made by human. The accumulative amount of human emission can be interpreted as debt. Human has to pay the debt.
After the Earth being hurted, not all the damages can be compensated. Because of rise of surface temperature, some species had died out and some animals had changed their behaviour. For example, the polar bears attack the walrus (海象) because they cannot find any more floating ice to hide from the Bearded Seals. Nobdoy can be sure that polar bears can get back to normal if the temperature becomes normal. Extra effort may be needed to recover the Earth. Similar to debt, interest should be paid, sometimes cannot be paid.
How much is the debt? In terms of quantity, the ultimate goal should be the accumulated amount of greenhouse gas emission made by human. Based on a report made by a big accounting firm, ,global greenhouse gas emission should be reduced by 2% per year in order to prevent from the global tragedy.This maximum amount is called global carbon budget. Unfortunately, the accounting firm find that the Earth runs out of it.It is because only 0.8% of global emission was reduced annualy from 2000 to 2008. Therefore, the gap is about emission of USA in two years. If we fill the gap, we need to reduce global emission by at least 3.5% annualy from 2008 to 2020. It is a drastic drop and it is very hard to do.
In the sense of ethics, it is a crime to make damage to the Earth. Someone else commits the crime. It does not mean that it is morally right for us to commit the crime. Europe and North America emitted GHG. It is not morally right for Brazil, China and other developing countries to emit GHG. Now, both China and India set their own goal by carbon intensity. It would mislead how much GHG can be reduced. Only real reduction in GHG emission can make real effort.
(Chinese Version)
Monday, November 09, 2009
Social Mobility and Multivalue System

A modern society is a heterogeneous one. Members of a society come from different culture, background and they do things in different ways, they have different point of views, they have different value systems. This society should have a multi-value system. The social groups embrace each other, support each other to build up a healthy society.
When someone can align the social value and have much more ability about it, their social status will be improved. For example, earning money is one of social values. If they earn alot, their social status is higher. Another example, management capability is one of of social values. If they can manage great affairs, they will be respected. One more concrete example, the master sinologist, Yao Zongyi, can be very good at research and art literacy and nobody can compete with him. His social status is unparalleled even though he cannot earn much. Therefore, social value drives social stratification and then develop a systematic framework for social mobility.
If multi-value system is widely recognized in a society, the education system and industries will develop accordingly. Then, multiple frameworks for social mobility can be built up. Thus, a healthy circulation of cash flow can be started among the social groups, and then the gap between rich and poor would not be worsened. Unfortunately, even though the foreign exchange reserve and GDP of Hong Kong is very high throughout the world, the gap is widening in past few years. M-society is built up. Middle class is diminished. Thus, it can deduce that cash flow is not healthy, social mobility is low, uni-value system prevails.
The social status of professional drops, the one of education drops under government funding system, the one of sportsmen drops, the one of cultural and historical researchers drops. In enterprise aspect, manufacturing diminished, technology diminished, retail diminished, tourism diminished, only financial service and real estate can have a lion's share. It pushes other to get rid of land, to develop offshore. Unless the government can pour resources in professionals, sports, culture and historical research, it is hard to change the trend.
Where is Hope?
Things cannot happen without any cause, any drive and any effort.
Effort is necessary and should be towards to the goal.
If you want to work out something, please do the work.
But do not do it blindly.
Do it wisely.
Understand the environment.
Understand the rules of game.
Smell the changes and life cycle of it.
Remember! Make your goal clear.
Push yourself to the limit.
Use every bit of energy to rush to your target.
And... that is it.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Be creative
Try role play with your wife/husband.
Be creative on celebration.
Try to watch 3 great movies or have a big big buffet.
Be creative on interaction.
Can have fun to mix hug and judo.
Be creative on position.
You can have different feeling.
Remember to smile and laugh
when create a joyful moment.
Life is
Don't save it for the last moment.
Do it at once.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Hallo! Guten morgan!
Hallo means Hello.
Guten means good.
Morgan means morning.
When we come across with a friend or someone I know, we would say "Hallo!" for informal greeting. If we come across a stranger, we would say "Guten Tag!" for formal greeting.
Tag means day. Therefore, Guten Tag means good day.
How about to say "See you tomorrow" in german? "Bis morgan". Morgan here means tomorrow. Yes, it is the same word for morning. "Bis morgan" literally means "Til tomorrow".
When we say goodbye, there is a formal way and informal way. "Auf Wiedersehen!" for formal way. "Tschüs!" for informal way. Of course, we can say "Bis später!" for "See you later!". ü sounds like 淤泥的淤 in putonghua. ä sounds like e. When say Tschüs! to whom understand putonghua, don't break it into 2 separated sounds; otherwise, it sounds like foul language - 去死。