Monday, August 11, 2008

Window ♦ 窗口 ♦ Das Fenster

This is not about the Windows operating system but the normal window at home.
这篇不是在讲微软的作业系统,而是家里那个普普通通窗口。

The windows in Germany are mostly this type:
在德国的窗口大多数都是这种的:


can be opened widely. And also slightly opened. During winter, you want some air ventilation but don't want to waste the heater energy, use this one~
可以开大大。也可以微微开,冬天的时候要空气流通,但是又不要开太大浪费暖气,就用这个。


Of course can be closed tightly also. The handle pointing downwards is closed tightly.
当然也可以关紧紧。手把向下就是关紧。


Handle pointing sidewards, the window can be opened widely.
手把向横就可以开大大。


Handle pointing upwards, the window can be opened slightly incline.
手把向上,上面就可以微微倾斜地开。


Outside that one is "blind". It's to block the sunshine. And with wholes so that won't be too stuffy.
外面那个当作窗帘用,拿来遮太阳的。有很多洞洞,这样就会通风。

A special phenomenon on the window is that it open inwards but not outwards~ what is the reason?
一个很特别的现象就是窗口都是向内开不是向外开的~什么原因呢?

One of the answer is to keep the building looks nicer without the window flipping outwards.
其中一个原因是不要窗口向外翻破坏建筑物的美观。

The second answer is because of safety reason. When the building is on fire, you might need to open the window to get some fresh air. According to the statistic, most of the people die in fire not because of burning but lack of oxygen. But if the window need to flip outwards to open, you might have difficulty because the air pressure inside is lower than outside. That's the reason why the window is flipping inwards.
第二个原因是安全原因。当一个建筑物火灾的时候,你可能会需要打开窗呼吸新鲜空气。据统计指出,大部分的人死于火灾现场中不是因为烧死而是缺氧而死。但是如果窗口是向外开的话,你可能会有困难,因为里面的气压会比外面的气压低。这个是为什么窗口要设计成向内开。

The third reason is that you can clean the window easily.
第三个原因是你可以很容易的清理窗口。

Of course it has also disadvantage. You must free the space in order to flip inward and waste some space inside.
当然也有坏处。你一定要空出位子来让窗口向内翻进而浪费了些许位子。

Thursday, August 7, 2008

麦兜

麦兜是一只猪,一只小猪。
他的故事很废很废,但是又很好笑。
就因为这样,“废”变成了一种幽默,一种现在正在流行的幽默。
以下是一些精彩的片段:



这个看医生的最为深入民心,最出名:

连TVB也抄他的idea来娱乐大众:

麥兜菠蘿油王子是一个长篇的故事。有兴趣可以看看。

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

The Socket and Plug ♦ 插座与插头 ♦ Die Steckdose und der Stecker

Electricity standards are different all over the world. Let me introduce the standard in Germany/Europe.
电力标准在不一样的地方有不一样的标准。让我跟大家介绍德国/欧洲的标准是怎样的。
Voltage: 230V Frequency: 50Hz
电压: 230伏特 频率: 50赫兹
Want to know how those Electrical terms called in German?
想要知道德语怎么叫这些电子名词?
Voltage 电压Spannung
Current 电流Strom
Resistance 电阻Widerstand
Capacitor 电容器Kondensator
Inductor 电感元件Spule (means Coil)
Power 功率Leistung


In German, everything has a gender. Either Masculine (der), Feminine (die) or Neuter (das) gender. The Socket and Plug have also gender. Socket is Feminine (die Steckdose) and Plug is Masculine (der Stecker). Do you know why? I'm sure you know...:P
德语语法里,任何东西都有“性别”。男的用Der,女的用Die,而中性用Das。插座和插头也不例外。插座是女的(die Steckdose)而插头是男的(der Stecker)。你知道为什么吗?我想你应该知道。。。:P


The best thing I like the Europe socket design is that they can plug in 2 ways~ the second way is used when you don't want the cable to go down so fast. For example a hot pan is under the socket.
我最喜欢欧洲插座的设计在于他们有两种方式来插~第二个方式是当你不要电线这么快往下。打个比方,有个热炉在插座的下面。

Information for the students:
给学生的资讯:

If you want to buy an adapter, please be careful on the design. Choose the left one, the right one is what i bought and cannot be used.
如果你要买adapter,要小心他的设计。选左边那个,右边那个是我买到却不能够用的。

Or you can also do it like this. Buy an extension and change the plug on your own~ the Plug cost about 2 euro only.
或者你可以这样做。买一个extension然后把插头换掉~这个插头2欧元而已。

Inside is something like this, red/brown one is Live line, blue one is Neutral/Null line and green one is earth line.
里面大概是这样,红/褐色的是火线,蓝色是中线而青色是地线。


If you have really really no idea how to change the plug, you can buy the traveler adapter. Cost me about 20 euro.
如果你真的真的不会的话,你可以买旅行用的adapter。花了我20欧元。

Of course the strange thing about German socket and i think it is disadvantage.
当然他们插座的设计也有奇怪的地方,也是我觉得不太好的地方。
1) They have no on/off switch on the socket. Maybe they think all the electronic stuffs should have their own switch, don't need to have an extra one on the socket~
他们在插座上没有开关键。可能他们觉得每个电器本身都已经有了自己的开关键,不需要多余的一个在插座上吧~
2) They don't have a fuse inside the plug. Maybe they want the thing spoil faster so that you can buy a new one and help the economy~ just kidding...:P
在插头里面没有保险丝。可能他们希望电器早点坏,可以快快买新的刺激经济~开玩笑而已,别当真。。。:P

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Waste separation system ♦ 垃圾分类 ♦ Mülltrennungsystem

Waste separation plays an important roll in environmental issue, as a leader of a whole world - European countries of course must be a good model of other countries. In my opinion, Germany has done quite well on this part.
垃圾分类是一个环保意识里重要的一环,走在世界尖端的欧洲国家当然要以身作则。德国在这方面,我觉得算是不错了~


This is a typical garbage collecting container in a hostel. Green boxes are for paper, white boxes are for glasses. The black plastic bag suppose to be yellow is called "Gelbe Sack", it's for plastic bags and packaging bags. And the bio and rest waste are in another bag.
这个是在宿舍里典型的垃圾箱。青色盒子放纸张,白色放玻璃。黑色胶袋应该是黄色的,叫做"Gelbe Sack",是用来装塑胶袋或包装纸。当然还有剩余的垃圾和有机的垃圾在另一个袋子。

Yellow bag - "Gelbe Sack"
黄胶袋 - "Gelbe Sack"

This is taken at train station. Green is for glass, yellow is for packaging, blue is for paper and red is for others.
这个是在火车站的垃圾桶。青色盒子放玻璃,黄色放包装纸,蓝色放纸张,红色放其余的。


This garbage centre is outside the hostel, you have to throw is out here when the garbage is full. White is for rest waste, blue is for paper. (the colour is a bit confusing, the best is know how to read the word)
这个是在宿舍外面,里面满了要拿出来丢。白色是其余的,蓝色的是纸张。(颜色有点不太统一,最好是会读字)

Here is to collect glasses, it even separates white(transparent), green or brown bottles.
这里收集玻璃,还有分白色(透明),青色或褐色的瓶子。

This is for you to put old bags or shoes or clothes or so on. It's for charity. Those things will send to poor people. Nice huh?
这个是装旧包包或鞋子或衣服等等。像慈济一样做善事的。这些东西会送去给穷人家。不错吧?


This mark means that you need to pay 25 cents for the bottle, we called it "Pfand". But if you put the empty bottle in a machine, print out a receipt, you can take the money back. This is also means they use money to force you not to simply throw the bottle, it's also a way. For normal beer bottle has this system too, but less money, only 8 cents.
这个标志代表瓶子要给钱,一瓶25cent,我们叫Pfand。但是放进机器里面回收后,印出来的单据可以换回钱。换句话就是用钱来逼你环保,也不算差。平时的啤酒瓶也是有回收,比较少,8cent而已。

The bottles are pressed flat and send back to factory.
那些瓶子被压扁,之后会送回工厂。

And one more thing, here we don't encourage to use plastic bag. You need to pay 6 cents for plastic bags. Let you think twice and better use green bag~~
还有值得一提的是,这里不鼓励用塑胶袋。要用塑胶袋要给钱6cents。让你三思后,还是用环保袋比较好~