Free Essays on Coraline

Coraline Reviewed by Sarah Have you ever wanted to read a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and at the same time you will be scared of what’s going to happen next? Well if the answer is yes then Coraline is the right book for you. This wonderful book was written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean. I chose this book because I had never read a good scary story in my entire life. This book is supernatural fiction. This story mainly takes place in another world that looks exactly the same as Coraline’s home. Although it looks the same, to Coraline it feels much different. The love and happiness from her real home is missing. This other world is not a bright and happy place like Coraline expected. It is gray and boring. In fact, not only is this unknown world dull and unhappy, it is also full of scary creatures. Coraline is very sad in this strange, horrible world. Although the the author did not give a detailed description of what Coraline looks like, I imagined that she was about my size, but thinner, with dark brown hair, beaming black eyes and a narrow face. I thought Coraline was a very brave girl. She showed her courage in the story when she went down into a dark cellar and found herself being chased by a frightening, button-eyed creation of the â€Å"other† mother. I liked the fact that even though she was scared, Coraline never stopped trying. She believed in herself and knew that some day she was going to get out of this miserable place. The story begins with Coraline finding the door to another world. Ready for adventure she goes inside, and what she finds amazes her at first but after a while things start falling apart and everything turns into a total and complete nightmare. Her real parents are missing and she is trapped inside this other place. Coraline must find her parents and her way out before the â€Å"other† mother changes her. During her adventure she finds many lost souls ... Free Essays on Coraline Free Essays on Coraline Coraline Reviewed by Sarah Have you ever wanted to read a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and at the same time you will be scared of what’s going to happen next? Well if the answer is yes then Coraline is the right book for you. This wonderful book was written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean. I chose this book because I had never read a good scary story in my entire life. This book is supernatural fiction. This story mainly takes place in another world that looks exactly the same as Coraline’s home. Although it looks the same, to Coraline it feels much different. The love and happiness from her real home is missing. This other world is not a bright and happy place like Coraline expected. It is gray and boring. In fact, not only is this unknown world dull and unhappy, it is also full of scary creatures. Coraline is very sad in this strange, horrible world. Although the the author did not give a detailed description of what Coraline looks like, I imagined that she was about my size, but thinner, with dark brown hair, beaming black eyes and a narrow face. I thought Coraline was a very brave girl. She showed her courage in the story when she went down into a dark cellar and found herself being chased by a frightening, button-eyed creation of the â€Å"other† mother. I liked the fact that even though she was scared, Coraline never stopped trying. She believed in herself and knew that some day she was going to get out of this miserable place. The story begins with Coraline finding the door to another world. Ready for adventure she goes inside, and what she finds amazes her at first but after a while things start falling apart and everything turns into a total and complete nightmare. Her real parents are missing and she is trapped inside this other place. Coraline must find her parents and her way out before the â€Å"other† mother changes her. During her adventure she finds many lost souls ...

A Guide to Lexical Verbs

A Guide to Lexical Verbs In English grammar, a lexical verb  is the  main verb  in a sentence. Lexical verbs- also called full verbs- convey the  semantic (or lexical) meaning  in a sentence, such as I ran fast or I ate the entire hamburger. Not surprisingly, the great majority of verbs in English are lexical verbs, which are those that are not auxiliary  (or  helping)  verbs. Lexical vs. Auxiliary Verbs Lexical verbs are the doing verbs, while auxiliary verbs are their helpers, as  eNotes  explains: Lexical verbs indicate the main action taking place in any sentence and therefore the intention of the sentence becomes clear; whereas, auxiliary verbs have a more subtle function because they often complete a sentence without the reader being aware how they contribute to [its] structure. An auxiliary verb determines the  mood,  tense,  voice,  or  aspect  of another verb in a verb phrase. Put another way, a  helping verb comes before the  main (lexical) verb in a  sentence. Together, they form a  verb phrase. In English, the auxiliary verbs are: Is, am, are, was, wereBe, being, beenHas,  have,  hadDo, does, didWill, shall, should, wouldCan, couldMay, might, must Lexical verbs constitute all the rest. Lexical verbs can be grouped according to four types:  transitive and intransitive,  linking,  dynamic  and  static (or stative),  as well as  regular  and  irregular. Transitive and Intransitive A  transitive lexical verb expresses action and needs a direct object to receive that action, notes Dictionary.com, which gives the sentence  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Alice  sees  the candle† as an example. In the sentence, sees  is the lexical verb and is transitive, while  the candle  is the direct object because it receives the action of the lexical verb sees. Intransitive verbs, by contrast,  express action but don’t affect a direct object. For example, if you say â€Å"Alice  dances,† the word  dances  is the lexical verb, but it is intransitive because it doesn’t require a direct object. Linking Verbs A linking verb is an important lexical verb  (such as a form of  be  or  seem) that joins the  subject  of a sentence to a word or phrase that  tells something about the subject. For example,  is  functions as a linking verb in the sentence The boss  is  unhappy. Note that  to be  verbs such as is can also serve as auxiliary verbs depending on how the sentence is constructed. In the sentence, Alice  is helping  Victor with his homework, is  serves as the auxiliary verb because it helps the lexical verb  helping.   Dynamic and Static A  dynamic verb- also called an action verb- is used primarily to indicate an action, process, or sensation. An example of dynamic verbs in action is this saying uttered by Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays in describing the game: They  throw  the ball, I  hit  it. They  hit  the ball, I  catch  it. By contrast, a static (or stative) verb  is  used primarily to describe a state or situation.  An example would be,  We  are  what we  believe  we  are.  Note that as in the linking verbs section, the  to be  verb- in this case,  are- can be a lexical verb, describing a state of being. Regular and Irregular A regular  verb is one that forms its tenses, especially the  past tense  and  past participle, by adding one in the set of generally accepted standardized suffixes. Regular verbs are conjugated by adding either -d, -ed, -ing, or -s to their  base form. An  irregular  verb, meanwhile, does not follow the usual  rules  for verb forms. In the sentence, â€Å"She  looks  in the mirror,† the main verb  looks  is a regular verb, Dictionary.com explains, adding that the past tense of look is looked. So in the past tense, the sentence would read, She looked  in the mirror. In comparison, an example of irregular verbs in a sentence would be: The bridge they  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹built brought traffic in both directions. The present tense of the first verb in the sentence is build, but in the past tense, it is  built. Similarly, the present tense of the second verb would be  bring,  but in the past tense  as used in the sentence, its  brought. Hard-Working Verbs Clearly, lexical verbs do much of the heavy lifting in English. They provide the action (intransitive and dynamic verbs), explain what is happening to various direct objects (transitive verbs), and describe states of being (static) among their many duties. Learn the lexical verbs in English and you will master the very heart of what it means to speak and write the language  correctly, effectively, and in an engaging manner

Justice Antonin Scalia and the Doctrine of Original Intent Research Paper

Justice Antonin Scalia and the Doctrine of Original Intent - Research Paper Example What originalism is and the advantages of originalism as compared to other methods of constitution and statutes interpretation. He has also given reasons as to why he chooses to use the method of originalism over other methods which still prove to be efficient. Original intent is used in law as a theory that defines how the constitution and statutes should be interpreted. Original intent implies that when interpreting any text, the authors intent on that particular text, should first be determined so as to accomplish the purpose of that statute. Original intent assumes that a particular text has only one intended meaning (Scalia 23). Theoretical debates on the adjudication of the constitution have been there for a long time. There are all types of advocates who give different methods of interpreting statutes as well as the constitution and how the courts ought to do and what they ought not to do. Originalism is a method that has proved quite dominant in America (Levy 342). This metho d has been well embraced by Justice Antonin Scalia. Who is seen to fully embrace this method and further gives long justifications to help support the originalism belief. Justice Scalia Antonin insists that Original intent determines the meaning of the constitution. ... Scalia advocates for textualism with exceptional rigidity. Textualism refers to having statutes interpreted based on its normal meaning. Other critics say that textualism is more of political. All the same Justice Scalia Antonin appears to be more conservative as is evident in his service at the Supreme Court. Scalia agrees that text that is statutory is not necessarily inherent liberally neither inherently conservative as that depends on who wrote it. Originalists say that reading strictly of any text can only be found by giving an interpretation of the constitution by using the original intent of that particular constitution. Justice Scalia opts to use an originalism theory that is softer, that is to say, interpretation should be made based on the time of constitution adaptation. Scalia feels this is much stricter as compared to allowing attempts by Justices to decipher author’s intent. Textualism is what Justice Scalia advocates for since he believes that Intent ruling is a s ambiguous as a living constitution. He believes this allows greater discretion as compare to other methods of interpretation. According to the conservative originalists, rights are those made via the democratic process and written constitutionally together with its amendments. Justice Antonin Scalia does not quite agree with the living constitution idea or even agree to give power to the judiciary to even modify the constitutional. This means that Scalia’s originalist method is more of statutory interpretation of the text than the living interpretation of the constitution. Believing that the normal meaning of the statute should facilitate for

Computer science and information technology major personal statement Essay

Computer science and information technology major personal statement - Essay Example I noticed that the lock was very convenient since we never had to bring the key again. I started to dream about owning a smart house where electronics will do everything for us, such as tasks scheduling, voice commanding, decisions making, etc. Since coming to the U.S., I have seen people using iPhones to dim lights in their houses. I realized my dream is actually achievable, yet even that did not seem like enough. I want houses that are even â€Å"smarter†, and I wish one day everyone can own one of these houses. I want to customize my own smart house instead of those that exist already. Looking back on the past, I realize t that my dream had become more of a reality when I got to use computers.   The first time I used a computer I use it to play games only. I started to play a Japanese web game (livly) in 2005. By chance the game allowed me to customize my own homepage with HTML. I started to write simple HTML for my page. Eventually, I spent more time exploring the World Wide Web and discovered that there are programming languages for web pages which can do more than a markup language. I managed to read a book about PHP4 and MYSQL which I borrowed from the library. Although I did not have enough knowledge to understand everything, I read through the whole book and tried my best to understand all of the content. At the same time, my achievement in writing simple Visual Basic code in high school encouraged me even more to explore the computer field.   In 2009 I had a very special experience. I participated in a regional championship of the Worldskills Competition in Office and I was glad that I had learnt a lot in the field of software application from the training course I had taken. I was allowed to explore Microsoft Office at a deeper level by implementing VBA and the built-in library functions in Microsoft Excel. A year after I participated in another competition with participants from Hong Kong and Macau. I got a chance

A Tentative Study of Trademark Translation Essay Example for Free

A Tentative Study of Trademark Translation Essay Abstract: Trademark is a special kind of language signs. It is the concentration of commodities’ distinct characteristics, the core of commodities’ culture, and the powerful weapon for an enterprise to participate in international competitions. With the development of globalization and the increase in international trade, the products of importing and exporting strengthen day by day; the translation of trademarks is gaining more and more attention. Nowadays, more and more people have realized that a good translation of a trademark in promoting sales is crucial to the development of international markets and profits making. According to some instances of trademark translation, this thesis summarizes some main characteristics of trademark, and discusses the principles and some general methods of trademark translation. Key words: Trademark; characteristics; translation principles; translation methods : , , , , , , , , , , : ; ; ; Introduction According to R. Heis, an American economist: â€Å"A brand name, i. e. trademark is a name, form, sign, design or a combination of them that tells who makes it or who sells it, distinguishing that product from those made or sold by others. † (Guo Guilong Zhang Hongbo, 2008: 100) A trademark is just like a product’s name, which is the representative of the image of a company and the symbol of quality. In promoting sales, the trademark plays a very important role in arousing consumer’s desire to shop, bringing the huge economic benefits and even in determining the survival of a company. With China’s joining to the WTO, China strengthens cooperation with other countries, including increasingly frequent economic and trade exchanges. How to introduce our products to foreign countries, bring foreign products into the domestic markets and conduct a successful sales business has become quite important. Therefore, a successful translation of trademark becomes urgent and necessary for the enterprises. While trademark translation is not only a simple conversion from one code to another, but a clear intention of the cross-language commercial, a special cross-cultural communication activity. Thus, it is vital for us to pay more attention to the principles and methods of trademark translation. Chapter1 The Characteristics of Trademark Though there are various definitions of trademark, they share something in common. In general, a trademark should be simple and easy to remember, and should be distinctive and favorably associative. 1. 1 Simple and Easy to Remember It is a basic requirement for a trademark to be simple and easy to spell. Choosing short and simple words for composing trademarks will help consumers comprehend them more easily, because simple and short words are easy to keep in memory. Nowadays, with the fast development of economy, more and more trademarks flood into the market, how could consumers memorize all of them? Therefore, if a trademark is short and easy to spell and memorize, it can occupy the market easily. In fact, most well-known trademarks are in short form, such as Nike, Sony, Apple and so on. 1. 2 Distinctive from Similar Products We all know that the purpose of using trademarks is to distinguish one product from others. Therefore, to be distinctive is another important characteristic of a trademark. Trademarks, in a sense, are equal to signs and reputations. Distinctiveness can help customers not to be easily confused with other trademarks in the market either by sound or appearance. Distinctive and typical words may be used to distinguish the relevant product from others. â€Å"Kodak† (camera) created by the manager, is distinctive and easy for the potential consumers to memorize. The Chinese famous trademark â€Å"Lenovo†( ),can easily be differentiated from other computers, because â€Å"Lenovo†, a coined word, can be associated with the word â€Å"legend† which is particular and attractive. Lenovo is more innovative than legend. Adventurous consumers will prefer that trademark distinguishes the relevant product from other computers with consummate ease. 1. 3 Arousing Favorable Association Most trademarks can arouse favorable association, which is an indispensable feature of trademark. Owing to the requirement of marketing, a trademark is not only a sign, but also an advertisement. It should arouse the favorable association and show the good quality to consumers. Some trademarks have inherent meaning and some have historic or cultural connotations, both of which can arouse favorable associations. â€Å"LUX† (soap) is a product of Unilever Company. â€Å"LUX†, a Latin word, means â€Å"sunshine†. So the consumer can associate it with â€Å"bright sunshine and healthy skin†. This trademark even let people imagine the romantic feeling on the summer beach. Whats more, consumers can associate â€Å"LUX† with â€Å"lucks† and â€Å"luxury† from its appearance and pronunciation. Thus, Unilever Company publicizes the good quality of its products by the favorable association of the trademark. From the above example, we can see that the inherent meaning of trademarks plays an important part in advertising and can arouse people’s desirable association and let them accept the products. Chapter 2 The Principles of Trademark Translation Trademark translation is an art as well as a science. It is a comprehensive process which is related to linguistics, translation theory, intercultural communication, aesthetics, and consumer psychology. Generally speaking, trademark translation is a complex task of compromising between the meanings of trademarks and their consumers. Therefore, to translate trademarks successfully, some principles should be taken into consideration. 2. 1 Reveal the Products Characteristics Usually, every product has its identification. Trademark translation should show the features and functions of the products, so that the buyers could immediately think of the usage of products when they see the trademarks. As has been discussed by Xu Hui and Cheng Zhendong, the characteristic of a product means that it has some basic elements which differ from those of others (Xu Hui, 2004:55-56). The translated brand name should match with the characteristics of products and show the idea of the original name. The characteristics of products not only distinguish from others, but also contain the ability to communicate with the consumers. Thus, in the process of translation, the translator should grasp the characteristics of the products, so as to promote the understanding of products for consumers, and help learn the characteristics and functions of the products by the first sight. For example, a trademark of suit-dress â€Å"Hope Show† is translated into â€Å" †, in which the word â€Å"? † instantly reflects in the products for the apparel category, and â€Å"? † add more promotion of a happy and peaceful feeling to the goods. The translation not only reflects the features of the product but also caters to consumers’ aesthetic taste. Nobody will have interest in products which they are not acquainted. A successful trademark translation should have the trait that customers can learn the category and characteristics of the product. Like â€Å"Nike†, the famous American brand of sports wears, is the name of the goddess Victory in Greek myth. According to its pronunciation, it can be translated into â€Å" † or â€Å" † in Chinese. However, these two names can’t reveal the characteristics of the product, but even give people a misunderstanding that â€Å"Nike† is some products for women. â€Å" † is better. â€Å"? † means something durable. As the sport wear, durability is equal to good quality. â€Å"? † implies that people can finally overcome difficulties and succeed, conforming with the connotation of Victory. These two words in Chinese show the features of the product perfectly. Another example is Procter Gambles antidandruff shampoo â€Å"Head Shoulders†. The translation â€Å" † means dandruff disappears when washed, and highlights the distinct characteristics of the product fully. Another two examples are â€Å"Sportsman† (bicycle) and â€Å"Unlsports† (sports shoes). The former is translated into â€Å"†, the latter into â€Å" †. If you are not familiar with the trademarks, who will associate it with their products? 2. 2 Choose the Appropriate Words As the symbol of products, trademarks should be simple and easy to remember and understandable for consumers. So in order to leave the best impression on consumers, translators should choose some appropriate words during the process of trademark translation. The more complicated words in the translation, the weaker the trademark sounds and the less memorable it becomes. For instance, McDonald’s was transliterated into â€Å"† in mainland of China before and now is displaced by â€Å" †. Also, in mainland, the brand name â€Å"Hewlett Packard† had a long translation of â€Å" - † for a long period. Now, the six-character version, long and meaningless, has been replaced by the two-character version â€Å" †. Balancing these two versions, we can see the latter is easier to pronounce and memorize. Moreover, â€Å" † contains more meanings and can stimulate more favorable e favorable association of the the productassociation of consumers. Similarly, â€Å"Head Shoulder†(shampoo) was transliterated into â€Å" † before and now a more compact and meaningful version â€Å" † is popular. â€Å"Stafanel†, the brand name for apparel from US, is translated into â€Å" † now. However, what about a two-character version â€Å" †? Also in China, â€Å"Mercedes-Benz†, the brand name for a quality car from Germany, was transliterated into â€Å"  · † before and yet is put into â€Å" † at present. A car from Great Britain â€Å"Rolls Royce† is translated into â€Å" † now instead of the former transliteration â€Å"  · †. The Chinese version for â€Å"Fair Child†, a semi-conductor from the US, was â€Å" † before and now is â€Å"  Ã¢â‚¬  instead. â€Å" † is easier to be pronounced and memorized than â€Å" † for â€Å"Nescafe† from Swiss. The upper new versions have replaced the old renderings because they are simple and easy to be accepted by consumers, in pronunciation, form and meaning. Easy acceptance by consumers finally promotes the sales of the products. On the contrary, some translations sound profane or may lead to negative associations in the Chinese language. Thus such translations would not be recognized and accepted by consumers. For examples, â€Å"Psorales†, a drug, was put into â€Å" † when just coming into China. No one knew what â€Å" † was and assumed it to be something discarded. It is not hard to imagine nobody would buy things that sound worn and useless. Later, it is replaced by â€Å" †,a more vivid and meaningful version, and its sales was improved afterwards. 2. 3 Analyze the Aesthetics Features Trademark translation should comply with the characteristics of morphology of trademark in the TL. â€Å"Getting the best out of the combination of beauty in meaning, sound and form is the internal requirement if we want to realize the associated function and the advertising function of a brand name†. (Tang Zhongshun, 2002:75-77) The translated trademark accordingly must be normative, elegant, vivid and visual. Firstly, â€Å"beauty of meaning† means the translated terms should produce an artistic conception through a favorable association of words or component words so that people will have rich and nice association and arouse the expectation and pursuit of wonderful things. We have the typical examples of â€Å"Sprite† (beverage) and â€Å"Tide† (washing power). Since â€Å"Sprite† was translated into â€Å" † in Chinese, this product has prevailed in China due to the brilliant color and abundant connotation. The translated term â€Å" † in sound is not only quite close to the pronunciation of the original brand name, but also makes people have a favorable association of lustration, neatness and tidiness, showing the sort and feature of the product. Secondly, â€Å"beauty of sound† means a brand name of the original and its translated version should basically share the same or similar pronunciation with the quality of sonority, rhythmization and musicality so that an aesthetically pleasing enjoyment is gained in hearing that brand name (Zhang Quan, 2004:77-79). There are many successfully translated versions fully reflect the beauty of sounds. Take â€Å"OMO† (washing power) and â€Å"CleanClear† (facial cleanser) for example. As â€Å"OMO† is translated into â€Å" †,it sounds like a compliment â€Å"great† in English. The translated term of â€Å"CleanClear†, â€Å" † makes good use of alliterative rhythmic reduplication in order to achieve a combination of phonetic rhythm and verve. Lastly, â€Å"beauty of form† means the translated trademarks should make the best of conciseness and simpleness in structure, namely using few syllables, readability and understandability of the words and avoiding difficult and seldom-using words. People prefer two or three words of translated versions because this structure better accords with the referential custom and aesthetic psychology. There are many famous translated brand names with the above feature, such as â€Å"HeadShoulders† (shampoo), â€Å"Avon† (cosmetic), â€Å"Johnsons† (cream) and so on. Especially the translated version â€Å" † is full of the characteristics of concision, elegance and vividness representing the feature and function of the product. 2. 4 Pay Attention to Cultural Differences Edward Taylor defined culture as â€Å"a complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by individuals as members of a society. † (Taylor Edward B, 1871:36) Namely, the major factors contributing to the making of culture are the religions, habits, customs and history, which vary considerable from countries to countries. As a carrier of culture, language is an important part of culture which reflects the characteristics of a nation, which not only includes the nations historical and cultural background, but also contains the national outlook on life, lifestyles and ways of thinking. From the relationship between language and culture, it is obvious that translation is not only a process of transferring the source language into the target language, but also a process of a mutual communication and exchange between different cultures. Therefore, during the process of trademark translation, as language and culture are inseparable from each other, it is essential to pay more attention to cultural differences. 2. 4. 1. Differences in Religions Religions, myths, legends, and images from literary works are an in-separable part of culture. They are deeply rooted in culture and at the same time contribute a great deal to the formation of people’s concepts about certain objects. These elements, when involved in brand name translation, call for the translator’s sensitivity as well as flexibility in cultural adaptation in order that functional equivalence could be attained between the source brand name and the target brand name. For example, Goldlion was not well-liked when it first appeared in the Chinese market with the nameâ€Å" †. It is said that many people would not buy that product just because the name sounds very close toâ€Å" †in some Chinese dialects. Other people believe that the name was not well accepted because it resembles the sound ofâ€Å" †,which is also a taboo idea in China, especially in Hong Kong, where people display a particular liking for things with luck-bearing names. Anyway, the product did not sell well until the new nameâ€Å" †was adopted by Zeng Xianzi, a famous Chinese entrepreneur. He skillfully took apart the source brand name intoâ€Å"gold†andâ€Å"lion†. The first part was literally put intoâ€Å"? †to be faithful to the original, while the latter adopted the method of semantic transliteration and was put intoâ€Å" †,meaningâ€Å"bringing profit†. Such an auspicious name has helped a lot in building up the good fame of the product. 2. 4. 2 Differences in History. Every country has its own history. In the history, many historical incidents happened. These incidents have carved into the culture and have become a part of it. Being unaware of the history when translating a trademark will lead to failure. â€Å"Opium† is a brand of perfume. Actually in the western cul ention to hich reflects nd nice associationame, but also makes ation. things. he producr. ture, such kind of trademark name is popular, such as Poison, another perfume brand. However in China, â€Å" † has a negative meaning. The Chinese people experienced the shameful history related to opium since 1840, when the notorious Opium War broke out. Without the consideration of history, this brand encountered the resistance from the Chinese consumers. Finally, the trademark name â€Å" † was banned in China. 2. 4. 3 Differences in Customs and Habits Custom is one of the branches of culture reflecting the specific characteristics of a nation or parts of the nation. It is the sediment of long history and closely linked with the surroundings and the way of life. So some customs and habits exist in one culture but may be absent in another, which brings about an obstacle to Chinese-English brand name translation. Many Chinese brand names come from Chinese custom. One of the most famous rice wines named â€Å" † (Daughter Wine) is produced in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province of China. To Chinese customers, the brand name represents the happy events in one’s life, while they cannot arouse the same feeling in westerners if translated literally and that will absolutely cause cultural loss, because the western consumers do not know about the custom of the ancient Shaoxing. It is said that in ancient Shaoxing a jar of this wine was buried under the ground when a daughter was brought into the world. When the girl grew up and became a bride, the jar was dug out and presented to the guests attending the wedding. As the wine was uncapped, the smell of the wine spread far, and all guests became excited and congratulated the parents, so it was named â€Å" †. When a translator translate the trade mark, it is very necessary to reveal the cultural information of the brand names. It is not only easy for customers to know about the origin of the wine but accept it quickly, because any one from any country would like to equally appreciate the beautiful things, enjoy the happy feeling and desire success. Thus, in order to reveal the cultural information of this brand name, perhaps the translation â€Å"Daughter’s Wedding Wine† is more suitable. 2. 4. 4 Differences in the Attitudes towards Animals and Numbers People living in different cultures hold different attitudes and beliefs towards animals and numbers. What is considered a good omen in one culture may not symbolize the same in another. Therefore, it is generally advisable that people should not use this type of words to name the relative products, and when one translates existing brand names of this type, cultural adaptation may help him find a more proper target brand name. The difficulties caused by such words in brand name translation may be illustrated with the following example. As we know, the Chinese people often associate bats with good luck because the Chinese character â€Å"? †sounds the same asâ€Å"? †(meaningâ€Å"good fortune†). Some Chinese legends even say that when a bat lives 100 years, it turns white in color and hangs upside down from a tree, and eating that bat could bring a person longevity. A red bat foretells even better luck forâ€Å" †sounds exactly the same withâ€Å" †(being supremely fortunate). Some Chinese stick to the belief so much that they name their productsâ€Å" †. But if the translator adapts his linguistic choices to the different attitude towards the animal in European cultures, he would not considerâ€Å" Bat† a good name, for bat is regarded as an extremely evil omen in many European folklores. Perhaps translations like â€Å"Fortunes† would be better. Besides, numbers bring about different associations. Generally speaking, each culture has certain numbers believed to be either â€Å"lucky† or â€Å"ominous†, but this may often differ from individual to individual. Let’s take the translation of â€Å"7-up†, a brand of soft drink, as an example. The number â€Å"7† is thought to be a lucky number to many English speakers, but it does not have the same meaning in Chinese. Considering the cultural difference, the translator, in order to create a similar effect among the Chinese consumers, worked out the nameâ€Å" †. The name is quite satisfactory because its first partâ€Å"? †remains faithful to the source brand name without conveying any unfavorable meaning, and its second partâ€Å"? †conveys the meaning ofâ€Å"happiness and good luck†,and hence makes up for the loss of connotation in the numberâ€Å"7†. Chapter 3 General Methods in Trademark Translation Peter Newmark once said that different translation strategies should be adopted according to the different functions of different works (Mou Yan, 2008). It is well-known that trademark translation is not only to convey the cultural information of the source culture, but also to set up a good image in the target culture, and finally to attract the people in the target market to the product. In order to achieve these purposes, translators should adopt the following methods in the process of trademark translation. 3. 1 Literal Translation Literal translation, referred to as semantic translation by Peter Newmark, is a way of translation which aims at preserving the most possible cultural messages (including the communicative aspect of culture, such as, the formal elements of the SL) of the source text at the sacrifice of the formal elements of the target language and sometimes even the intelligibility of the target text (Zheng Shengtao, 1994). Since the formation of words in the Chinese language is different from that in the Western languages, it is actually impossible to achieve trademark translation by word-for-word translation in most cases. Peter Newmark favors â€Å"literal translation† too. He says, â€Å"I am somewhat of a ‘literalist’ because I am for truth and accuracy†. (Newmark Peter, 2001:62) Although sometimes literal translation may create something exotic or even eccentric for the target language readers, it will gradually be accepted by the target language and its culture. As long as the translated brand names from foreign language can be understood and accepted by the target consumers, literal translation is the best way for promoting cultural exchange through the brand name translation in China. As the brand name translation is to transfer between cultures, translators should make the target consumers understand the source culture. Some people say there is a better way for translators to approach the original. That is literal translation, which can keep the national feature. For example, some traditional brand names, which are very familiar to the Westerners even to the world like â€Å" † (The Yangtze River), â€Å" † (the Yellow River), and â€Å" † (the Great Wall) are chosen by the producers, as they are the symbols of Chinese wonderful natural history. When translators translate them, they have no need to do any translation. As these brand names are well-known to the world, and these Chinese characteristics of brand names are fresh and mysterious to the Westerners, it is easy to evoke the target consumers’ purchasing desire. Translators can adopt literal translation. The brand names â€Å" †, â€Å" †, â€Å" † carry our ancient cultural information. When translators translate them into the Western languages, they should keep literal translation and add some notes, in order to let the target consumers know the source culture. Literal translation also keeps the general form and keeps the structure of the source language. Today, Chinese culture are getting more and more popular in the world, and more and more Westerners are eager to study our language in order to learn our long history. Therefore, the kind of translation is a necessary way to let more people learn our traditional culture. On the other hand, in the English-speaking countries, there are some brand names which can be literally translated. For example, the very famous brand name â€Å"White cat† is translated into â€Å" †. And the brand name â€Å"Camel† is translated into â€Å" †. All these translated brand names are very suitable for the products, and the products will very probably be loved by the consumers in the target market. Here literal translation is not the same as word-for-word translation. Word-for-word translation is to rigidly reproduce every word in the process of translation. Strictly speaking, it is not a translation method. But, literal translation is a skill of translation, even if there do exist some additions or deletions while the essence of the original is not destroyed. Literal translation makes the target language more smooth and acceptable. Although literal translation can most possibly maintain the cultural messages of the source language, it sometimes will cause misunderstanding of the cultural messages or create unintelligible meanings. Let’s take Sprite as an example. If the word â€Å"Sprite† is translated literally or directly, it might be â€Å" †. The version would put Chinese consumers into great confusion because â€Å" † is a human-like monster in Chinese culture. Thus translators should consider other methods. Literal translation is adopted as the most ideal translation technique in reproducing images because it can preserve the original images as much as possible. Some English expressions wearing word-for-word similarity to some Chinese expressions may mean something quite different. In this case, translators should go deeper to find out what these English expressions really mean; otherwise mistakes will be made in literal translation. 3. 2 Transliteration Transliteration in a narrow sense is a mapping from one system of writing into another and it is mostly based on the pronunciation. Transliteration attempts to be lossless, so that an informed reader should be able to reconstruct the original spelling of unknown transliterated words. To achieve this objective, transliteration may define complex conventions to deal with letters in a source script that do not correspond with letters in a goal script. Transliteration means that trademarks are translated into similar names in pronunciation according to the original ones (Li Yi, 2009:232-234) It is generally believed that the adoption of this method can help to achieve various purposes. Some trademarks obtained in this way can effectively remind the customers of their classic status. Such trademarks are easier for target consumers to pronounce and memorize. Still, some trademarks are deliberately transliterated in order to cater to the foreign consumers general preference for foreign goods because some thus-translated trademarks sound more foreign-like. The world famous trademark â€Å"Intel† means: the ability to learn and reason and the capacity for knowledge and comprehension. Now you see why it is translated into â€Å" † which sounds foreign-like and is easy to memorize and read. Meanwhile, it indicates the characteristic of the product. Another example is the translation of â€Å"Ya Ya†. â€Å" † (down wear) is transliterated into â€Å"Ya Ya† instead of â€Å"Duck†. The translated trademark â€Å"Ya Ya† is a catchy name that can fulfill the simulating function of trademark effectively. These two examples show the characteristics of being simple and easy to pronounce and memorize and as well obey the principle of aesthetics. Though transliteration embodies the sound beauty of the original one, the translated trademark dictions should be chosen carefully. During transliteration, it is important to obey the characteristics of arousing desirable association. â€Å"Philip† was once translated into â€Å" † which sounds more similar to the original one than â€Å" †. But the three characters â€Å" † will arouse unfavorable association. People prefer good and appropriate words, and hence, when using transliteration method, translators should do their best to choose beautiful words. For example, â€Å"Lancome† (cosmetics) is put into â€Å" †. The two Chinese  characters are beautiful and can be associated with an elegant woman with certain spiritual qualities. These two words â€Å" † are always connected with beautiful things, such as â€Å" , †. Thats why Chinese females have a partiality for â€Å"Lancome†. In translation practice, we find that English trademarks are highly coherent in letters or words and can be pronounced easily in one breath, while the transliteration of Chinese trademarks are broken into independent words in accordance with the specific Chinese characters. So the English version often lacks coherence. To avoid the disadvantage of transliteration in strict accordance with the standard Chinese pronunciation, we can use transliteration method flexibly. To some extent, we can translate a trademark according to the local pronunciation. The following examples successfully avoid the above problem. â€Å" † (refrigerator) is translated into â€Å"Frestech† instead of â€Å"Xin Fei†. â€Å"Frestech† is composed of â€Å"fresh† and â€Å"technology†, which is coherent in structure and pronunciation. Whats more, it also implies that the product is produced with advanced technology. â€Å"† (tonic food) means that happiness is coming, suggesting the product will bring happiness and health to consumers. The English version â€Å"Life† caters to westerners psychology and is easier for them to pronounce and spell. 3. 3 Free Translation â€Å"Free translation reproduces the matter without the manner, or the content without the form of the original. Usually it is a paraphrase longer than the original. † In order to take advantage of the target language and make translated brand name more idiomatic and acceptable, some imaginary brand names are freely translated. Free translation can communicate the information of products clearly and vividly. It will make a strong impression on the target language consumers and arouse their response. There are many successful examples to show this method. For example, â€Å"Ariel† (washing powder) is rendered as â€Å" †. The word â€Å"? † means â€Å"clean† and â€Å"clear†. So â€Å" † indicates the super cleaning capability of the washing powder. Similarity, â€Å"Safeguard† (soap) is not literally translated into â€Å" †, but â€Å" †. The translation describes the product’s function and attributes. â€Å"Rejoice† (shampoo) is not translated into â€Å"†, but â€Å" †, meaning softness and glossiness. â€Å"Slek†(shampoo) is also rendered as â€Å" † through free translation. â€Å" † in Chinese can be a noun as well as a verb phrase. If â€Å" † is interpreted as a noun, it means beautiful buds, implying ladies will be like an elegant bud after using the shampoo; if â€Å" † is interpreted as a verb, it means nourishing a bud to make it come out. This implies the shampoo can make hair glossier. â€Å"Zest†(soap) is paraphrased as â€Å" † through free translation. â€Å"? † is a very popular word in China, which brings the soap a fashionable element. This translation is improved from the original one â€Å" † in literal method. â€Å" † is more proper and suitable to meet the needs of the youth who are the target customers. 3. 4 Liberal Translation plus Transliteration In order to reach the criteria of trademark translation—beauty in meaning and sound, and to make the translated versions possess the general features of good brand names, we can use the combination of liberal translation and transliteration to translate brand names, since in many cases liberal or transliteration cannot do the job along. A good translation of a brand name should not only be similar to the original sound but also reflect the connotation of the original. The combination of liberal translation and transliteration may achieve double purposes, as the message of the brand name will be more vividly reflected so that it will be more impressive to guide consumption. Here we take some examples to appreciate the merits of this kind of method. For example, â€Å"Pampers†diapers from PG, is rich in meaning and clear in pronunciation. The translated brand name â€Å" † has got a balance between the meaning and the pronunciation. The brand name of a medicine â€Å"Bufferin† is translated into â€Å" †. The translated brand name does not tell us what the medicine is, but it forms a sound which is very close to that of the source brand name. A drink named â€Å"Milo† is translated into â€Å" †, which not only makes us know that the pronunciation of the translated word is close to that of the original, but tells us what the product is made from and the property of the product.

Christopher Columbus :: Christopher Columbus Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator who sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean in search for the all-water route to Asia, but instead achieved fame for making landfall in the Caribbean Sea. Columbus' plan was based in part on two major miscalculations. First, he underestimated the circumference of the world by about 25 per cent. Columbus also mistakenly believed that most of the world consisted of land rather than water. This mistake led him to conclude that Asia extended much farther east than it actually did. In 1492, Columbus embarked on his first voyage. Queen Isabella of Spain ordered that the port of Palos supply him with three ships the Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria. A total of about 90 crew members sailed aboard the three ships. In addition to the officers and sailors, the expedition included a translator, three physicians, a servant for each captain, a secretary, and an accountant. On October 12, 1492, at 2:00 in the morning he spouted a small island, which he called San Salvador. In January, the Santa Maria was wrecked off the coast of Espanola. The Nina, with Columbus in command, along with the Pinta began the homeward voyage in January 1493. The storms drove the ships first to the Azores and then to Lisbon, Columbus arrived in Palos, Spain, in March. He was enthusiastically received by the Spanish Monarchs. Columbus planned immediately for a second expedition, with about 1500 men, which left Spain in September 1493. They landed on the island of Dominica, Gaudeloupe. His stop at Puerto Rico is the closest he came to setting foot on land that would later form part of the United States, the main foundation for the claim that Columbus â€Å"discovered America.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Columbus returned to Queen Isabella on September 29, he found that serious conflicts had developed among the colonists, a number of whom were already on the route to Spain to press their grievances. One of the major problems confronting Columbus was the hostility of the natives, whose initial friendliness had been alienated by the cruelty of the Europeans. Columbus defeated the natives in battle in March 1495 and shipped a large number of them to Spain to sell as slaves. Queen Isabella objected, however, and the survivors were returned. A royal investigating commission arrived at Isabella in October 1495. Because this group was consistently critical of his policies, Columbus established a new capital named Santo Domingo.

Converting Paper Records to a Computer Based Health Record Essay

Traditional utilization of paper based medical records leads to the dispersion of clinical information as a result of the heterogeneous character of hospital systems. Due to this, the development of a clinical information system that can integrate hospital information as well as enable cooperation amongst legacy systems became a difficult task. System integration as well as the development of an efficient clinical information management system was thereby dependent upon the creation of conceptual and architectural tools that will enable such an integration. In line with this, many healthcare institutions are currently seeking to establish the integration of their workstations through the utilization of technological tools. Such tools are effective in the arrangement of clinical matters as well as in the arrangement of administrative and financial information. Clinical information systems are utilized by healthcare institutions in their integration of information. At this point, the utilization of electronic medical systems in healthcare delivery is evident in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Hong Kong, Canada, as well as Australia. The current shift from a human memory based paradigm to a technological paradigm can be traced to the recent emphasis given on health care quality improvement and cost reduction. In lieu of this, policymakers started to adopt health information technology such as the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). According to Tim Scott in Implementing an Electronic Medical Record System, most information regarding the use of EMR systems are derived from the Regenstrief Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Department of Veterans Affairs, LDS Hospital, and Kaiser Permanente. The information derived from the following medical institutions shows the following. First, success is dependent upon the organizational tools rather than on the type of technology used. Second, minimal changes were noted in terms of increase of quality and efficiency as a result of the system’s adaptation. Such findings thereby led to the slow adoption and implementation of EMR systems since majority of medical institutions as well as healthcare systems required the high verifiability of the system’s utility. True enough, researches within these institutions also showed that EMR systems increase the quality of patient care as it decreases medical errors, however, the economic aspect regarding its use has not been well documented leaving most medical institutions adamant regarding its implementation. In lieu of this, the paper is divided into three parts. The first part will present the rationale behind the formation of the technology based medical paradigm. It will be formulated within the parameters of Thomas Kuhn’s conception of scientific revolutions. The second part present a discussion of the various EMR components and the problems encountered in its implementation at Kaiser. The last part, on the other hand, will concentrate on presenting possible solutions to the problems evident in the utilization of the EMR systems within the Kaiser program while giving specific emphasis on the role of the agent in successful implementation. Thomas Kuhn, in his work entitled The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, discusses the very nature and necessity of what he calls scientific revolutions. In this particular work, Kuhn sees an apparent parallelism between political revolutions on the one hand, and scientific revolutions on the other. Kuhn writes: â€Å"scientific revolutions†¦ (are) those non-cumulative developmental episodes in which an older paradigm is replaced in whole or in part by an incompatible new one† (2000, p. 50). On a preliminary note, paradigms are frameworks in and through which we approach phenomena, in general. They are models, so to speak. Naturally enough, different models employ different methodologies, different methodologies in turn, generate different types of knowledge, which, consequently, have different criteria of proof or validity. Scientific development, as Kuhn contends, may appropriately be characterized by paradigm shifts and this he calls scientific revolutions. It is important to note that scientific developments do not occur in a vacuum. For the aforementioned reason, there is a felt need to situate scientific developments in the historical context within which they are conceived, proposed and ultimately, institutionalized and integrated as part of society’s shared knowledge. This is to say that scientific revolutions are also proper objects of historical analysis and discourse in as much as political revolutions are. Kuhn contends that there is a parallelism between political and scientific revolutions. As pointed out earlier, it is important to note that he characterizes scientific revolutions as â€Å"those non-cumulative developmental episodes in which an older paradigm is replaced in whole or in part by an incompatible new one. † Kuhn’s characterization emphasizes two important points. First, â€Å"that there is a replacement of an old paradigm by a new one†. Second, â€Å"that the new paradigm is not merely something new; it is also incompatible with the old paradigm†. This is to say that the incompatibility or the irreconcilability of the new paradigm with the old paradigm serves as warrant for the necessity of such a revolution. Although there are significant differences in both scientific and political developments, Kuhn argues that one may be justified in using the notion of revolution as a metaphor for understanding them. He writes: Political revolutions are inaugurated by a growing sense, often restricted to a segment of the political community, that existing institutions have ceased adequately to meet the problems posed by the environment that they have in part created. In much the same way, scientific revolutions are inaugurated by a growing sense, again often restricted to a narrow subdivision of the scientific community that an existing paradigm has ceased to function adequately in the exploration of an aspect of nature to which that paradigm itself had previously led the way. (2000, p. 150) Kuhn’s parallelism is thus, founded on the idea that in both cases, a sense of malfunction (in our institutions as for the case of the political, and in our paradigms as for the case of the scientific) necessitates for the occurrence of a revolution. In relation to this, the shift from a human memory based paradigm to the technological paradigm may be likened to a revolutionary development within the field of medical data acquisition and retention. The difference between the human memory based paradigm as opposed to the technological paradigm stems from the ascription of greater subjectivity in relation to human memory based data as opposed to technologically maintained data. As was stated in the first part of the paper, the heterogeneous characteristic of medical institutions stems from the existence of various separate holistic systems within it. As a result of this, deriving and correlating clinical information becomes tedious. The main reason for this stems from human memory based paradigm’s utilization of paper based records which has a high probability of non-viability and unreliability. Examples of this are evident in evidence-based medicine’s non-adherence to the traditional methods of training and practice. Second, paper based records fall short of their original expectations. The objective of the healthcare record is â€Å"to identify problems and to understand the impact of the illness on the individual† thereby enabling the â€Å"amelioration of the problem to the patient’s satisfaction, within the bounds of medical capabilities and society’s resource limitations†(Simpson and Robinson, 2002, p. 115). The main limitation of the paper bound records, therefore, stem from their inability of being multiply accessible to members of society. On the other hand, Scott related the reasons for the development of a technology based paradigm with the high verifiability of the positive results of technologically determined medical care processes. According to Scott, â€Å"new technologies make it possible to evaluate and intervene to improve care in ways not heretofore possible† (2002, p. 2). In line with this, members of both the public and private sector lobby for the accessibility of technological improvements. For the members of the private sector, this is due to the inclusion of the medical industry within the business sphere. For the members of the public sector, on the hand, demands for greater accountability for health care stems from the prevailing belief that technological advancements must be made accessible to the general public. According to the IOM, information technology’s role in the substantial improvement of the redesign of the healthcare system is important since it ensures the formation of â€Å"a strong infrastructure in supporting efforts to reengineer care processes†¦ oordinate patient care across clinicians and settings and overtime, support multidisciplinary team functioning, and facilitate performance and outcome measurement for improvement and accountability† (qtd in Scott, 2002, p. 4). The results of the success of the EMR are traceable to the developments within the field of e-Health. According to Silber, EMR serves as the fundamental building bl ock for the development of various applications such as the use of ICT by the Primary Health Care Team. Others involve the use of ERM for validation of research or as an instrument in Continuing Medical Education. Information necessary for the functions ascribed above, in relation to the personal health record, are possible since the health record’s functionality enables the inclusion of the following: practitioner order entry, electronic patient record, document management, clinical decision support, administrative data, integrated communication support, as well as access to knowledge and resources. According to Raymonds and Dolds, the functions of each component are as follows. The electronic patient record presents the patient’s history. Document management, on the other hand contains the actions undertaken in relation to the patient’s diagnosis. Clinical decision support as compared to the later contains â€Å"the alerts based on current data from the electronic medical record, evidence based practical guidelines or more complex artificial intelligence systems for diagnostic support†. Access to administrative related information such as admission and discharge are contained within the section encompassing administrative data. Integrated communication support however provides the tools for the facilitation of effective and efficient communication amongst members of the patient’s health team. The last part enables access to other sources of information regarding the patient’s condition (Scott, 2007, p. 4). The Kaiser Permanente EMR implementation presented one of the main problems in relation to the utilization of the components of the technologically based paradigm. It was recognized that the problems arose due to several factors which range from the software’s lack of efficiency up to the non adherence of specific qualities of the program with the social conditions in the region as well as the team’s lack of background in relation to the efficiency the program necessitates with regards to the division of the work flow as well as its dependence upon all the players within the medical institutions that the program was implemented. Scott however stated that what should be given credence with regards to the above failed project is not so much as the failure of the program but the possibilities it opened in relation to the creation and implementation of new EMR programs in the future. Scott states, â€Å"success and failure are socially negotiable judgments, not static categories† (2007, p. 43). Hence if such is the case it is thereby possible to conceive of the problems noted by Hartswood et al (2003) in relation to the user-led characteristic of EMR. The social negotiability of judgments thereby ensures the possibility of reversals in judgments as soon as occasions arise wherein a perceived failure may be reconnected with an overall success. In line with this, the continuous developments within the various EMR systems produced and implemented within the country ensures the viability and possibility of a near success and perfection within the system which in a sense also ensures the possibility of another scientific revolution in the near future whose scope may extend beyond that of the technological sphere.

A Probation Officer’s View of Effectiveness

This case study is about what a probation officer’s view of effectiveness is and how it can affect his or her view of the job. The local newspaper ran a 3-part article about the probation office and how it was not living up to the expectations of the citizens. The articles discussed how the recidivism rate for the department was high and the department did not utilize social programs in the community. Whose interests were served in the newspaper’s evaluation of the probation office and whose will be served by the proposed evaluation from the department? What theory or theories of effectiveness are represented in the proposed new evaluation format? And what process and outcome measures are included in the evaluation? What domain of activity do these cover? Is the meaning of the variables clear? The newspaper article served the interest of the probationer’s, citizens of the community, social service agencies, and the probation office. If the article had never been published there is a good chance there would not be a change in the operations of the probation office and the citizens of the community and probation officers would not see a change in the recidivism of probationers. The proposed evaluation will serve the probationers due to the fact that he or she will receive more options to break the cycle of crime. It will serve the citizens of the community by breaking the cycle of crime therefore crime rates will decrease. And, it will serve the probation officer’s as he or she can feel better about the options available for their probationers and the programs he or she can refer to them. The process approach and the system resource model are both prevalent in this case study. According to Steers, â€Å"the process approach consists of three related components: goal optimization, a systems perspective, and an emphasis on behavior within organizations† (Stojkovic, Kalinich and Klofas, 2003). In the case study, the officers and the leader discuss how the organization needs to look at how much time the officers are spending with each client, where they are spending this time, and what the probation officer is doing in this time. This type of study is putting the emphasis on behavior within the organization. In the system resource model the effectiveness is based on â€Å"the extent that it can obtain needed resources from its environment† (Stojkovic, Kalinich and Klofas, 2003). An officer in the case study discusses getting his clients in touch with the social agencies in the community to help break the cycle. This is an example of the system resource model. This evaluation will use the gross malfunction analysis. The probation system in the community is considered a failure. The evaluation in which the leader and officers are proposing will examine the reasons for the failure. Another good analysis is the revelatory analysis. This analysis is reflected in the use of social programs by probation officers and his or her client. It will also show how well the probation officers are utilizing inside and outside resources to help eliminate recidivism? The domain of activity these evaluations cover and the studies the probation office wants to utilize are the effectiveness-for-whom and the tendency for effectiveness criteria to influence behavior within organizations. By using the malfunction and revelatory evaluations the probation office and citizens of the community will have a better understanding of the operations and activities of the probation officers. The newspaper article in this study helped to bring about some positive changes for the probation office. The probation officers received a supervisor who included him or her in planning and implementing the type of evaluation needed to decrease the recidivism of all the probation clients. The effectiveness of the probation office became a propriety project not only for the probation supervisor but for the probation officers. The officers were able to feel as if the evaluation was his or her project and therefore he or she would benefit from it. The supervisor brain-storming with the officers gave the officers a sense of ownership over the evaluation and therefore when the results are returned he or she will be more compelled to help find solutions to the problems.

buy custom Sweatshops essay

buy custom Sweatshops essay Sweatshops have been with us for generations. Majority of the sweatshops` workers are from the Third World countries. Sweatshops refer to employment places where workers are exposed to inhumane working conditions in terms of long working hours, low wages and mistreatment by employers, child labor and lack of work unions to protect the workers` rights. The sweating system originated through forwarding of jobs to smaller firms by big garment industries and manufacturers, especially in London, England and New York City, the United States of America. Sweatshops were associated with poor immigrants who left their own countries in search of green pastures in the big cities. As a result, immigrant workers were employed. These workers worked for long hours in harsh conditions, such as overcrowding, risk of fire breakouts and infestation of rats, whereas they were paid very poorly for their sacrifice.Over the years, there has been a global concern of the welfare of workers working in the swea tshops. The textile and the clothing industries are most associated with sweatshops.Sweatshops developed as a result of many factors. Firstly, most people who work in the sweatshops are immigrants from Third World countries. These immigrants consider such opportunities of work as golden opportunities to earn a living in order to survive in Western nations. In fact, in most cases back in their home country they have the exactly same working conditions as those they are exposed to in the sweatshops and, therefore, they do not see anything wrong with them. In addition, since some of the immigrants are illegal in a country, employers exploit them by forcing them to work long hours with low pay, instead of reporting them to the relevant authorities for deportation. Consequently, the law does not allow employers to employ illegal immigrants, according to provision of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). So, when they employ illegal immigrants, some of the sweatshops do n ot have the capacity to handle the increase of workers; as a result, employers are forced to reorganize their facilities in such a manner so as to accommodate them and still maintain their profit margin. In doing so, they are forced to cut down on production costs, such as wages, which results to a decline in all workers` living standards. Some workers decide to take more than one job to meet their needs or work longer hours than usual.Consequently, their jobs are not secure, as long as there is someone else in line waiting and willing to be employed to do the same job at a lower wage and longer hours. The government, on the other hand, has not been very supportive since they expect the employers to regulate themselves in the management of the sweatshops in order to create more employment for the members of the society. Moreover, the workers trade unions are not very effective in negotiating for higher and reasonable pay for their members nor do they protect their rights in work pla ces. Actually in some cases, employers fire anyone found to be involved in any form of workers union.For example, it has been noted that the Disney is among the top of the worst operating sweatshops (Kirch, 1997). They were found violating the minimum wages law especially in the Haiti Disney, as reported by the National Labor Committee (NLC). In addition, accusations against them included sexual harassment of women and dismissal of pregnant women in order to avoid giving them maternity benefits, and firing of workers who tried to speak out about the poor work conditions they were subjected to. Another illustration shows that in Nepal, Pakistan, India, Morocco and other countries of the third world children, aged 5 to 14 years, are exposed to work. In fact, in some cases they are hidden behind the doors for years to tie knots of rugs, purchased by America and other Western countries. The situation is also similar in Pakistan, where children aged 6-14 years are used in stitching handm ade soccer balls. The stitches are so small that they cause their fingers to be stunted and underdeveloped in the long run. The worst part of it is that they are only paid $0.30 per one ball stitched and yet the same ball is sold for $30 in America. Moreover, these balls are sold by worldwide known shops, such as Reebok, Nike, Adidas and many others.Anti- Sweatshops organizations have been formed in various nations. According to Echikson (1999), European companies groups have come together and formulated a code of conduct for the labor situation and they demand their own subcontractors adhere to them. Although some employers are resistant, especially in wage increases, the code has greatly improved working conditions in the region. Also clean clothes campaigns have been conducted by religious groups, human right activists and labor unions across Europe, and in some places branches of organizing and mobilizing campaigns against sweatshops have been opened (Echikson, 1999).In America adequate exposure of unfair treatment has been done by journalists, called Muckrakers, and politicians who have campaigned for change of laws in favor of workers in sweatshops. In Australia and the United Kingdom anti- sweatshop campaigns, held by the National Anti Sweating League, led to the formulation of Trade Boards Act 1909. Moreover, a group known as the international Ladies Garments Workers Union was also formed to make the working conditions of the sweatshop workers better. In this countries safety regulations and laws governing labor were drafted. However, some argue that sweat shops make commodities more available and affordable to average consumers since production costs are kept law. Subsequently, it provides employment especially to the illiterate and less educated who otherwise will not have sources of income or would have been forced to immoral behavior such as prostitution in order to earn a living. In addition, others say that sweatshops benefit countries with big economies, contributing to their GDP and reducing their balance of payments deficit. This is because, most goods /products are exported and others are consumed locally.Even though sweatshops pay less than the expected standards in the US, UK and other western nations, the wages are much better than those that the immigrants would earn in their original countries. Actually, the same immigrants working in the sweatshops could be paid better than some of the workers, working in the third World countries (Budd Slaughter 2000). According the World Bank report, in most third World countries a large percentage of people live on less than $ 1 and $ 2 per day.Moreover, at a personal level when one compares what she or he is earning in a sweatshop with other available alternatives, one may decide to go for a sweatshop job if it better paid. Therefore, they can serve the interest of a sweatshop worker better when the payment is higher than the payment of the next best alternative.Actually, th e majority of economists believe that sweatshops are of benefit to the third world workers because they provide investment and employment opportunities for them (Bhagwata). Their views are based upon the demand and supply effects of a market, allowing it to balance itself to the equilibrium level, creating a win - win situation where both the employer and the worker win (Williams 2004).On the other hand, the economists who believe that sweatshops should be abolished argue that the demand curves are negatively sloped must be very illiterate (Miller, 2003).In most third world countries the average number of working hours usually exceeds 50 hours per week, which is considered the international average weekly working hours. In countries like Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras and Dominican Republic, the working hours are at an average of 70 hours per week, which is almost the same number of hours per week in sweatshops.In the example of children making rugs (Kirsh, 1997), efforts are being made to set them free and enroll them in education and rehabilitation programs. In the process of eradicating sweatshops, an organization known as Co-op America has conducted research and found out that sweatshops can actually be eliminated. Their main idea is to provide the information to the public in order to assist them differentiate products from sweatshops and those from quality shops (Kirsh, 1997). This can be done through labeling brands. They also aim at exposing companies that exploit workers to the public. This will affect the taste and attitude of consumers towards specific products and as the result will put them out of the market. For instance, as the result of a research, they have ranked Blue Jeans Company as the best company that provides excellent working conditions for their employees, while rugs has worst practices regarding employees` management.To conquer sweatshops and eradicate them we must work as a team. There are several things we can do as nations and communi ties. First and foremost, we must acknowledge that sweatshops are real and they are unacceptable since they exploit other people unfairly. Then, we must communicate with those within our reach to let them know about the disadvantages of sweatshops. We must demand to know the welfare of workers in the places we purchase goods from. And if they are mistreated the situation must change through campaigning and mobilization. If nothing is done, bring awareness about the sweatshops to the entire communities, universities, churches and nations. In doing so, we will discourage purchase of goods manufactured in these factories, industries and companies and we will let them know why we do not buy their commodities.Establishment of strict labor laws and sound trade unions that protect the welfare of workers and children will greatly contribute to the reduction of sweatshops. Any employer found not abiding the laws should be punished accordingly. Also, third world nations should stop acting lik e victims of slavery and desperation. We should endeavor to live and work in own countries so that we can develop our own economies. Preferring to live as immigrants and working as sweatshop workers should be discouraged at all costs.According to Kirsh (1997), creation of awareness by the Co- op America Organizations has caused the consumers to pressurize the International soccer`s governing body to sign a code of conduct that they will not use children in soccer balls` production. As a result, there is a strategic plan to build factories to produce soccer balls by Reebok and Nike in places like Pakistan and only adults are to be employed. Moreover, rehabilitation programs are also instituted to develop the academic skills of children. This will cater for the children, especially those previously employed in production of soccer balls. In addition to the above, Co-op America has suggested various measures to assist consumers in selection of products for purchase. They advise e that the consumers choose a particular product which they often buy, and stick to it. They should also ensure that they buy the products from a fair trade organization or a green business company. The other thing they advice is to raise awareness.If possible, consumers should be bold enough to question retail stores whether there is any exploitation of workers of whatever kind in production of their products. Consequently, they could send coupon or questionnaires to manufacturer companies and request them to be filled by both employees and employers (Kirsh, 1997).As a result, awareness will be created to both the local and international community.Companies who sell products resulting from sweatshops will run great losses and close down if they do not stop sweatshops.As the sweatshops will be reduced, better working conditions and protection will be accorded to workers. This is because, trade unions will be empowered and many employers will seek to abide to the law. On the other hand, une mployment levels may increase for immigrants who are not educated or do not have skills that match job descriptions in the foreign nations. Therefore, the governments should establish centers to train and equip them for the job market and also to provide basic needs for them until they are employed and able to vend for themselves. Preferring to live and work in the country of origin will lead to greater heights of development; hence, employment opportunities will also increase and, therefore, immigration to western countries will reduce.As a conclusion, the sweatshops have been with us for many years. Eradicating them completely may take some time. A majority of sweatshop workers come from the third world countries. This is mainly caused by the demand of cheap labor in order to meet market demand. As a result, the companies end up employing immigrants who are desperate to earn a living and survive since they are not educated enough to do well paid jobs. Governments are not aggressiv e in fighting the problem, since some feel that it contributes to low unemployment rate. However, several anti sweatshops groups have raised up to express their displeasure in operation of sweat shops. The measures, such as mobilizing both the local and international communities and creating awareness about highly infringed human rights of those immigrants, were taken. This has led to closure of some companies and establishment of labor laws to protect the welfare of workers and to stop child labor in sweatshops.The bodies involved in this exercise include ECPAT, National Anti Sweating League and the international Ladies Garments Workers Union; they and many worker unions have been established to protect the workers` rights. Other companies have resulted to construct their own factories to get rid of the problem, for example, Nike and Reebok constructing factories in Pakistan to produce soccer balls and to build rehabilitation centers for children abused before.Even though it has b een argued that sweatshops pay workers more than local firms in the third world countries, they cannot be accepted. This is because in comparison with output products, the wages are low and also the working conditions are practically inhuman. Research conducted by organizations such as Co-op America shows that we can live and produce effectively and efficiently without sweatshops.Finally, in my opinion, sweatshops should be banned completely in both the local and international communities. This is because sweatshops degrade humanity. Every human being has a right to proper treatment, especially in working places, no matter whether he or she is an immigrant or not Buy custom Sweatshops essay

The Invention of M Ms Candies

The Invention of M Ms Candies M Ms chocolate candies are one of the most famous treats in the world, the most popular movie treat next to popcorn, and the most consumed Halloween treat in America.   The well-known slogan by which M Ms are marketed - The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand - is very likely a key to the candys success, and its origins date back to the 1930s and the Spanish Civil War.   Forest Mars Sees an Opportunity Forest Mars, Sr. was already part of a family-owned candy company in conjunction with his father, having introduced the Milky Way candy bar in 1923. However, father and son disagreed on plans to expand  to Europe, and in the early 1930s, estranged from his father, Forest moved to Europe, where he saw British soldiers fighting in the Spanish Civil War eating Smarties candies - chocolate candies with a hard shell, which were popular with soldiers because they were less messy that pure chocolate candies. M MCandies Are Born Upon returning to the United States, Forest Mars began his  own company, Food Products Manufacturing, where he developed, among other things, Uncle Bens Rice and Pedigree Pet Foods. In 1940 he began a partnership with Bruce Murrie (the other M) and in 1941 the two men patented M M candies. The treats were initially sold in cardboard tubes, but by 1948 the packaging changed to the plastic pouch we know today.   The enterprise was a rousing success, and in 1954, peanut M Ms were developed - an ironic innovation, since Forest Mars was deathly allergic to peanuts. In this same year, the company trademarked the familiar Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand slogan.   Forest Mars Later Life Although Murrie soon left the company, Forest Mars continue to thrive as a businessman, and when his father died, he took over the family business, Mars, Inc, and merged it with his own company. He continued to run the company until 1973 when he retired and turned the company over to his children. In retirement, he started yet another company, Ethel M. Chocolates, named after his mother. That company continues to thrive today as a maker of premier chocolates. Upon his death at age 95 in Miami, Florida, Forest Mars was one of the wealthiest men in the country, having compiled a fortune estimated at $4 billion. Mars, Inc. Continues to Thrive The company begun by the Mars family continues to be a premier food manufacturing corporation, with dozens of manufacturing plants in the U.S. and overseas. A great many name-recognized brands are part of its portfolio, not only candy brands, but also pet foods, chewing gum, and other consumables. Among the brands you may not have realized were related to M M candies and that live under the Mars umbrella include:   Three MusketeersSnickersStarburstSkittlesBountyDoveUncle Bens  Seeds of ChangeKudosBig RedDoublemintFreemintAltoidHubba BubbaJuicy FruitLifesaversWrigleysIamsCesarMy DogWhiskasPedigreeEukanuba

Women in American culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women in American culture - Essay Example The various generations of women that persisted at the time began to see a gap because younger women were full of fresh energy and good vibes and wanted independence from the clutches of the patriarchal society that they lived within. In short, women yearned for a personal identity of their own and were finally able to get it. They began to have successful careers as well as flourishing families, in tune with the capitalistic spirit of the era. The First World War had allowed women to enter the industrial field and begin working in different factories and producing wartime goods. This change also saw a change in fashion because women took to wearing shorter, more comfortable and manly clothes. They adorned scarves, trousers and blouses and gave away their tight fitting corsets and long flowing gowns because they hampered work and productivity. At this time, designers like Coco Chanel began to pave the way for a new look for women; this soon became a part of a new movement as women we re interested in looking pretty, but not becoming slaves to their male counterparts at the same time. They took to fashion like a moth to a flame as they began to dress themselves in a very casual yet independent manner in order to make themselves feel good.Young women began to take claim of their own bodies and became part of the sexual liberation movement. They began to read secretly and understand the works of authors like Freud and Ellen Key. This helped to spark their sexual thoughts and provided them with a new meaning to life. They began to fight for their right to education and began taking on activities like dance, drama and music. Women began attending dance clubs and taking music as a career and they taught the world that these were not merely frivolities but beautiful talents that could be harnessed and shown to the world. (Woloch, Nancy.) Thus, in the ways mentioned above, most women changed as time changed and gained their own identity; it was not easy for them to break away from their husbands, fathers and brothers however they knew they had to, and they did it. They became a part of the changing pop culture that persisted in America at the time and gave something to their future generations to look forward to. The role of women went from simply nurturing children at home to being a part of music, movies, dance and fashion. As time passed women began to perfect other sources of life and took to arts which included things ranging from

Boutique Hotels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Boutique Hotels - Essay Example It will also explore how the notion of the boutique hotel has evolved over time but still remains an important mainstay within the market. In particular, it will consider the factors that have influenced the growth in the boutique hotel sector. Swig (2000) examined the boutique hotel in more detail, suggesting that, whilst the major hotel chains are not suffering in any meaningful way, the boutique hotel never-the-less presents the consumer with a new and interesting option within the accommodation market. Swig (2000) suggests that an important characteristic of a boutique hotel is that the theme of the accommodation is somehow linked to the destination or neighbourhood in which it is situated, as well as taking into account the personality of the intended consumer. The article also uncovers the characteristics of this consumer, quoting Chip Conley (of Joie de Vivre Hotels); â€Å"sophisticated, artistic, literary and conscious† (Swig, 2000, p2). The boutique hotel may be hard to define in any definite terms, but essentially this is the purpose of the boutique hotel – it represents the personality of the individual consumer, in opposition to the chain hotels (Mcintosh & Siggs, 2005). Wilson (2004) covered in more detail what she termed ‘the boutique mystique’, stating that ‘not every distinctive property is a â€Å"boutique hotel† (p54). The emphasis on properly defining a boutique hotel suggests that it must be â€Å"trendy† (p55) in a similar way to the 1960s fashion boutiques. This means that the boutique hotel is not limited to traditional standards of beautiful architecture; indeed, many boutique hotels are located within urban areas and utilise refurbished â€Å"ex-factories and warehouses† (McNiell, 2008, p383). Thompson & Thompson (1995) suggest that this variety is a contrast to the anonymous larger chains, which is part of the reason why boutique appeals hold such an appeal. McNiell goes onto sugge st that the boutique hotel may not be a separate concept from the traditional B&B (McNiell, 2008, p384). In this case, we can see that some scholars believe that the boutique hotel may not be different to previous choices within the accommodation market. The difficulty in defining a boutique hotel is part of the reason that they appeal to such a wide variety of consumers. McManus (2001) suggests that the hotel consumer is now â€Å"turning to boutique hotels to give them the same services, but with greater intimacy† (p103), and the only applicable term for the boutique hotel user is â€Å"sophisticated† (p104). Fanning (2006) uses the term â€Å"cultural† to describe the consumer. These are both umbrella terms, with the precise demographic and tastes of the boutique user being hard to ascertain precisely because different hotels appeal to different consumers (Lim & Endean, 2009). Iwata (2006) proposed that the boutique hotel appeals more to the homosexual male t han the heterosexual. This literature seems to be in agreement that the boutique hotel offers something different, which contrasts with the opinion of McNiell (2008) above. More evidence that the boutique hotel can be considered different to the standard offerings is the literature exploring the global chains like Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide (Chang & Teo, 2009). There are even chains which