Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日）
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang
Interestingly, one of the words Collins Dictionary discarded was selected by Oxford University Press (OUP) for its own Word of the Year. On its Web site, the publishing house of the University of Oxford stated it had conducted a public poll in which over 37,000 people participated. The voters, along with OUP’s language experts, settled on the term “brain rot.” One main reason for the decision was the vast amount of interest in the noun during 2023 and 2024, with its usage increasing by 230 percent. In fact, brain rot is not a new term by any means. The first recorded use of the expression was by American writer Henry David Thoreau in his book Walden in 1854.
Photo: Bloomberg I 照片：彭博
So, what exactly does brain rot mean? As OUP noted, Thoreau used the term to criticize society’s tendency to reject complex ideas in favor of simple explanations. In its more modern sense, brain rot refers to a mental or intellectual decline that results from overconsumption of online material that is trivial. The publisher explained that brain rot is used “to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media.” Considering Thoreau’s criticism from the 1850s, it seems likely that he would have approved of brain rot’s new meaning in the Internet era.
有趣的是，柯林斯詞典摒棄的其中一個單詞被牛津大學出版社選為其年度代表字。牛津大學出版社在其網站上聲明，他們進行了一次有三萬七千多人參與的公開投票。這些投票者與牛津大學出版社的語言專家選定了“brain rot”這個詞。這個決定的一個主要原因是人們在 2023 至 2024 年間對這個名詞的廣大興趣，這個單詞的使用增加了 230%。事實上，“brain rot”完全不是個新詞。首次使用這個詞組的記錄是在美國作家亨利．大衛．梭羅 1854 年的作品《湖濱散記》中。
那麼“brain rot”到底是什麼意思呢？根據牛津大學出版社的說明，梭羅使用這個詞來批判社會拒絕複雜概念、偏好簡單解釋的傾向。在更現代的涵義中，“brain rot”意旨過度接收瑣碎的網路資訊而導致的心理或智力衰退。該出版社解釋，“brain rot”是用來「表達對於接收過量的低品質網路內容（尤其是在社群媒體上）所造成影響的擔憂」。考量到梭羅在 1850 年代的批評，他很有可能會認同“brain rot”在這網路時代的新意義。
What Did You Learn?
1-2. 請從文章中找出最適當的單詞填入下列句子空格中，並視句型結構需要做適當的字形變化，使句子語意完整、語法正確，並符合全文文意。每格限填一個單詞（word）。（填充）
The Word of the Year selected by Collins Dictionary, “brat,” reflects Gen Z’s tendency to openly express themselves and __1__ the expectations of society. As for the one chosen by OUP, “brain rot” draws attention to concerns about the excessive __2__ of low-value digital material.
答案 : 1.resist 2.consumption
3. From (A) to (F) below, choose all options that are true about the terms mentioned in the passage.（多選題）
(A) “Brain rot” is now used to describe the decline of one’s physical health.
(B) The term “anti-tourism” refers to the negative attitude toward mass tourism.
(C) A famous politician redefined the meaning of “brat” last year and made it a hot topic.
(D) Both “brat” and “brain rot” are brand new words.
(E) The new definition of “brat” is more positive than the one used for many years.
(F) “Yapping” means pretending to be friendly while criticizing someone behind their back.
答案 : B、E
4. Which word in the passage carries the meaning of “dismissed” or “ruled out”?（簡答）
答案 : discarded
Word in Use
1. interestingly adv. 有趣的是
Interestingly, my friend and I traveled to the same destination at the same time, without planning it.
有趣的是，我朋友和我在沒有計劃的情況下同時前往相同的目的地。
2. publishing n. 出版業
a publishing house 出版社
publisher n. 出版社
Rita works in publishing and loves editing books.
麗塔在出版業工作且喜愛編輯書籍。
The publisher released a new edition of the classic novel.
出版社發行了這本經典小說的新版本。
3. poll n. 投票；民意調查
The latest poll shows that most people support the new law.
最新的民意調查顯示，大多數人支持這項新法律。
4. voter n. 投票者，選民
As a first-time voter, Justin felt excited and went to vote early in the morning.
作為初次投票的選民，賈斯汀感到很興奮並一大早就前去投票。
5. vast a. 廣大的
The vast wealth of the company allowed it to expand rapidly.
這家公司雄厚的財力使其能夠迅速擴展。
Practical Phrases
1.not. . . by any means 絕非……
The team is not weak by any means; they have been performing well all season.
這支隊伍絕非弱隊；他們整個賽季都表現得很好。
2. in favor of. . . 偏好∕支持∕贊成……
I’m in favor of taking a break before we start working again.
我贊成在我們重新開始工作之前先休息一下。
3. it seems likely + that 子句 看來有可能……
It seems likely that it will be a sunny day tomorrow.
看來明天可能會是晴天。
4. approve of. . . 認同∕贊同……
Claire doesn’t approve of spending so much money on clothes.
克萊兒不贊同花那麼多錢在衣服上。
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
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