英语学习笔记：2016-06-14

前天看到《Economist》里面提到的美国的债务上限，借助网上的英文资料学习了一下，近35年债务规模的发展历程差不多是这样^[1]：

US Debt 06_2015

在《History of United States debt ceiling》中可以看到最近的两次债务调整后面都有写明是：auto-adjust，原来在《Pub.L. 113–83》这个法案中，总统获得了3次可以提高债务上限的权利^[2]，依照的《PUBLIC LAW 112–25—AUG. 2, 2011》这个修正案。

---

在翻译的时候看到文档用了 Appendix 做了“附录”的意思，以前已经遇到好几个了，所以整理一下之间的差别：

• Exhibit（附件，有展示属性，书中间的图片或图画；诉讼中提交的证据）
• Appendix（附件，一般指书后面的解释性、数据性、参考书目这些）
• Attachment（附件，一般电子邮件后面的附件用 Attachment）
• Schedule（附件，感觉主要用在商务合同里面）
• Annex（附件，和内容有一定的关联性，参考文献，引用文本）
• Addendum（增编，对书的上一个版本基础上增加性质的内容）

Exhibit a display or something shown to the public; or an object or statement produced before a court of law and referred to while giving evidence.

Appendix is attached at the end to supplement the document, usually for reference (so it's a list of similar things, a bibliography, a study, etc.) You don't have to read the appendix to be able to understand the document. It's just additional reference information.

Attachment would just be something generally attached, that's not an exhibit and not an appendix.

Schedule is an index of documents Annex - is usually an index of documents that have been added after the transaction has been completed although some places uses this word the same way as Schedule Attachment - added document(s) Appendix - usually a list of references used in the document (eg case law).

Annex A document which is not written as part of the main document, but which, by reference thereto in the main document, usually accompanied by cross-references on the annexure, is incorporated in its effect into the main document.

Addendum is a section of new material that is added after the first edition or first printing of a book. The author may be correcting something in the original book, updating the information in the book, or providing an explanation for the author's work. In any case, it's an afterthought. Legal contracts can also have addendums.

---

在看 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting 新闻的时候遇到一个单词：post-Columbine（后哥伦拜恩）

Since the shooting, "Columbine" or "the Columbine incident" has become a euphemism for a school shooting. Charles Andrew Williams, the Santana High School shooter, reportedly told his friends that he was going to "pull a Columbine," though none of them took him seriously. Many foiled school shooting plots mentioned Columbine and the desire to "outdo Harris and Klebold." Convicted students Brian Draper and Torey Adamcik of Pocatello High School in Idaho, who murdered their classmate Cassie Jo Stoddart, mentioned Harris and Klebold in their homemade videos, and were reportedly planning a "Columbine-like" shooting.[^Columbine]
[^Columbine]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre

---

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_United_States_debt_ceiling ↩

2. http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2011/08/is-the-debt-deal-constitutional/ ↩