Question of the Day #302

"To accommodate the F-35Bs, the government intends to revamp the Maritime Self-Defense Force's JS Izumo helicopter carrier to host the fighters."
From the seventh paragraph of this article at Nikkei Asian Review.

上記の文で、revamp の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "revamp" mean?

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


1. 〈話〉〔外観・機能などをもっと良くするために〕改造する、改良する、改訂する、修理する、繕う、改革する
2. 〔靴のつま皮を〕付け替える

この場合は、もちろん1番です。

Answer

According to :

1. REMAKE, REVISE
2. RENOVATE, RECONSTRUCT

Examples

• The company has revamped the design of its best-selling car.
• But facing potentially dramatic impacts in the years ahead if membership declines, and with it their dues, unions are also revamping their operations for the 2018 election cycle and beyond. — Alexei Koseff, sacbee, "After 'wake-up call' from Supreme Court, California unions face tough political choices," 3 July 2018
• We revamped the management system, but the business is doing no better than it was before.
• ‘an attempt to revamp the museum's image’
• a plan to revamp the banking industry

Question of the Day #301

"Mueller accuses Manafort of breaking plea agreement by lying"
From the headline of this article at AP News.

上記の文で、plea agreement の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "plea agreement" mean?

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


司法取引

ただし、英語ではplea bargain（司法取引する）をした結果がplea agreementまたはplea bargain（名詞形）になります。

Answer

According to Collins Dictionary:

an agreement between the prosecution and defence, sometimes including the judge, in which the accused agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge in return for more serious charges being dropped

Question of the Day #300

"The Note: Mississippi runoff tests Democrats’ momentum"
From the headline of this article at ABC News.

上記の文で、runoff の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "runoff" mean?

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


1. 〔水・液体・土砂などの〕流出
2. 〔環境を破壊する〕流出液
3. 地表を流れる雨水
4. 〔試合などで同点になった場合の〕優勝決定戦
5. 〔選挙戦で得票が同数になった場合の〕決選投票

多くの意味がありますが、この見出しの場合は当然5番目です。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

1. a final race, contest, or election to decide an earlier one that has not resulted in a decision in favor of any one competitor
2. the portion of precipitation on land that ultimately reaches streams often with dissolved or suspended material

In the case of the headline above, it goes without saying that 1 is correct.

Examples

• Failing that, a runoff is held between the two leading candidates, and whoever gains a majority of votes is declared winner. — Ghassan Adnan And Isabel Coles, WSJ, "Iraq Lawmakers Delay Vote to Elect New President," 1 Oct. 2018
• If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the votes on Oct. 7, a runoff will be held on Oct. 28. — Mauricio Savarese, Fox News, "Brazilian court spares far-right candidate from racism trial," 12 Sep. 2018
• So then-President George H.W. Bush and other prominent Republicans endorsed Treen in the House runoff.
• But what if a Louisiana runoff will determine which party controls the Senate? 

Question of the Day #299

"Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn arrested over 'significant' financial misconduct"
From the headline of this article at CNN.com.

上記の文で、misconduct の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "misconduct" mean?

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


非行、不品行、違法［不正］行為、職権乱用、不祥事、まずい経営

なお、動詞形もあるけれども、発音が違うことに注意してください。
《名》mìskɑ́ndʌkt
《動》mìskəndʌ́kt

Answer

According to Cambridge Dictionary:

unacceptable or bad behaviour by someone in a position of authority orresponsibility

Examples

• There have been reports of misconduct by several employees.
• The psychiatrist was found guilty of gross (= unacceptable) professional misconduct.
• The former priest denied allegations of sexual misconduct.
• He enlisted in the Navy but was dishonorably discharged for misconduct two years later, according to CNN.
• alleged misconduct by the police

Question of the Day #298

"Finland’s president rakes memory for source of Trump remark"
From the headline of this article at AP News.

上記の文で、rake の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "rake" mean?

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


1. 熊手で掃く［かき集める］
2. くまなく［徹底的に］探す
3. 機銃掃射する

なので、例文の答えは2になります。

Answer

According to Oxford Dictionaries:

Search or rummage through something.

Examples

• ‘he raked through his pockets and brought out a five-pound note’
• He raked about in the drawer looking for his passport.
• I've raked through the cupboard but I can't find my blue mug.
• I’ve been raking through my drawers looking for those tickets.

Question of the Day #297

"In defeat, Abrams casts aside traditional expectations"
From the headline of this article at AP News.

上記の文で、cast aside の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "cast aside" mean?

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


1. 投げ捨てる、放棄する、排斥する
2. 〔人を〕見捨てる
3. 〔不安などを〕払拭する

なので、この場合は当然1です。

Answer

According to MacMillan Dictionary:

to get rid of someone or something because it is no longer interesting or valuable to you

Examples

• Sweden needs to cast aside outdated policies and thinking.
• She tried to cast aside her worries and enjoy the party.
• She cast all thoughts of making the trip aside.
• Casting modesty aside, she outlined the reason for her success.
• He cast the newspaper aside impatiently.

Question of the Day #296

"Holding out slim hope as crews search for more fire dead"
From the headline of this article at AP News.

上記の文で、slim hope の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "slim hope" mean?

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


かすかな［わずかな］望み

Answer

According to Macmillan Dictionary the definition of slim in this case is as follows:

very small

So, "slim hope" means "very small hope."

Question of the Day #295

"While Democrats didn’t secure the so-called “blue wave” across both chambers, the midterm results will certainly bring a sea-change to Washington."
From the first sentence of this article at ABC News.

上記の文で sea change の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "sea change" mean?

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


〔良い方への〕大転換、180度の転換、著しい変化、大変貌、大変化、完全な様変わり

なお、英辞郎の訳語の冒頭に「〔良い方への〕」とありますが、下記例文でもわかるように必ずしもそうではありません。悪い方への変化の場合もあれば、結果のまだわからない大転換・大変化の場合もあります。

Answer

According to Merriam-Webster:

a marked change: TRANSFORMATION

Etymology/語源

Merriam-Websterによると、

シェークスピアのThe Tempestの中では、sea changeとは、海がもたらす変化である。

Full fathom five thy father lies ... / Nothing of him that doth fade / But doth suffer a sea-change.

According to Merriam-Webster:

In Shakespeare's The Tempest, a sea-change is a change brought about by sea: Full fathom five thy father lies ... / Nothing of him that doth fade / But doth suffer a sea-change.

Examples

• In this op-ed about Taylor Swift’s surprisingly political Instagram post, writer Lily Herman breaks down how her endorsement of Democratic candidates fits into a political sea change following Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. — Lily Herman, Teen Vogue, "Taylor Swift's Political Instagram Post Is a Sign of the Post–Brett Kavanaugh Times," 8 Oct. 2018
• Burberry’s new fur-free policy is part of a sea change in the luxury industry. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Burberry’s Future is Fur-Free—And Much More Sustainable," 6 Sep. 2018
• This happy situation continued until the 1960s, when there was a sea change in official attitudes toward these hospitals.
• The result was a sea change in the political balance.
• Like all the rest of us, he, too, had suffered his sea-change and was the better and bigger man for it. Pirates' Hope, Francis Lynde

Question of the Day #294

"Democrats ride blue wave to victory"
From the headline of this article at ABC News.

上記の文で、blue wave の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "blue wave" mean?

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Write your answer in the Comments.

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解答

意味：

直訳すると「青い波」になるが、この場合は「アメリカの民主党の議席数が躍進する」の意味になります。
Wikipediaによると、wave electionとは、「一方の党が躍進する選挙」のことを言います。そして、アメリカの報道関係等では、民主党はblue、共和党はredと言う具合に色分けしていて、blue state/red stateは「民主党支持が多数の州」「共和党支持が多数の州」と言う意味になります。支持がはっきりしない州はpurple stateと言います。
また、さらに多くの議席数を確保の場合は、blue tsunamiという表現も使われることがあります。

Answer

According to Wikipedia, "a wave election is one in which a political party makes major gains." Since the Democratic Party has been assigned the color blue by the media and the Republican Party red, a blue wave would indicate an election in which the Democratic Party gained a significant number of seats.

Question of the Day #293

"Colorado's Jared Polis could make history as first openly gay governor"
From the headline of this article at ABC News.

上記の文で、openly gay の意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "openly gay" mean?

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、


同性愛者であると公表している人

Answer

We will assume that everyone is aware of what the current definition of "gay" is, so the question is then the definition of "openly." According to Oxford Dictionaries:

Without concealment, deception, or prevarication, especially where these might be expected; frankly or honestly.