「直升機父母」進了韋氏大辭典
【聯合報╱編譯陳正杰／綜合報導】 2011.08.27 03:51 am
盤旋不去的「直升機父母」？去而復返的「回力鏢子女」？語言變遷永遠反映社會現狀，包括親子關係。韋氏大辭典（Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary）25日公布最新入選的詞彙，即為一例。
My comments: Yes. Language changes.
Boomerang children（回力鏢兒女）是指為了省錢搬回家跟父母同住的成年子女，類似中文的「啃老族」。過度保護子女的父母則是helicopter parents（直升機父母），他們像直升機一樣，老是在子女身邊盤旋不去。
My comments: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "helicopter parent" as "a parent who is overly involved in the life of his or her child" and "boomerang child" as "a young adult who returns to live at his or her family home especially for financial reaosns."
這批新收錄的詞有150個，當中也有許多反映科技和媒體的新發展，例如tweet（推文，是動詞也是名詞）、social media（社群媒體，例如臉書）和crowd sourcing（眾包），意思是在網路上靠多人共同提供資訊或完成一項工作。
My comments: "Crowd sourcing" is new to me; however, it is easy to understand since "outsourcing" is quite a familiar word.
在行動科技日漸發達的今天，許多交易靠手機或其他行動裝置就可完成，這樣的行為叫m-commerce（行動商務）。
結合brother（兄弟）和romance（戀情）的bromance也是新字之一，指男性之間的深厚情誼，但不含性行為。原意為美洲豹的cougar指熱中姊弟戀的中年熟女，美國有部電視影集就叫做Cougar Town 。
My comments: "Bromance" is an interesting term. So, to be politically correct, we need to coin the word "sisromance."
Want to get an idea of Cougar Town, an American television sitcom? Please take a look at the entry in Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar_Town
在「007首部曲：皇家夜總會」片頭，一名歹徒以高超體能結合快跑、攀爬和跳躍跨越各種障礙，其實這是一種新的運動，英文叫parkour（跑酷）。
總部設在麻州春田市的韋氏字典出版公司文字專家說，他們對這些新字的使用情況觀察了幾年，才決定予以收錄。
除了韋氏大辭典，英國的牛津大辭典也體認新科技當道的事實，把retweet（轉推）和cyberbullying（網路霸凌）列入牛津簡明字典。
Now, without looking back, how many words mentioned above do you remember?
The following is an article I found on the Net, which might be one of the sources for the above news report.
http://madmikesamerica.com/2011/08/helicopter-parents-and-boomerang-child/
Helicopter Parents and Boomerang Child
by Holte Ender on Aug 25, 2011
‘Helicopter Parents’ and ‘Boomerang Child’ are among dozens of new words added to the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary
Merriam-Webster have updated their Collegiate Dictionary with dozens of new words added, including: ‘Helicopter Parents’ and ‘Boomerang Child.’ Helicopter parents hover over their children’s lives constantly and a boomerang child is unable to make it as an adult, probably because of their helicopter parents, and returns home to a safe and coddled environment.
Also included is ‘Tweet’ whether you have a Twitter account or not, you probably know what a tweet is. Other words included are ‘m-commerce’ (business transactions conducted by using a mobile device); ‘Americana’ a music genre influenced by early-American folk and country roots; ‘Cougar’ not a very flattering term for a middle-aged woman hunting for a younger man.
Merriam-Webster President and Publisher John Morse says he considers ‘Fist Bump’ “the star of the group” for its ability to succinctly capture the movement and emotion of that simple act of solidarity.
Two people can take special credit for fist bump making it into the dictionary: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, whose knuckle-knocking gesture of affection when he accepted the 2008 nomination was described by The Washington Post as “the fist bump heard `round the world.”
Well fist bump my helicopter parents and boomerang child, must Tweet this and get my m-commerce done while I listen to some Americana then fight off a 90 year-old cougar, it almost makes sense.
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