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Bilingual Eng-Ar BBC Radio Podcast : Australian auctions entire life on eBay بداية جديدة

MD — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:00:13 +0000

BBC Arabic (Learning English) has a dedicated bilingual radio programme aimed at teaching English to native Arab speakers. As an Arabic learner yourself, you may benefit hugely from listening to this interactive programme where the host (an Arabic speaker) interviews a guest (an English speaker) in English about a particular news item. The interview is then interpreted in Arabic immediately by the host.

اليوم في بي بي سي أكسترا إنجليش نتحدث عن رجل قرر بيع كل حياته علي موقع للمزادات علي شبكة الإنترنت لانه يرغب في الإنفصال من ماضيه تماماً و الشروع في حياة جديدة.

In this podcast,Somaya and Doug are talking about making a fresh start.

An Australian man is putting his whole life up for sale on eBay.Normally on eBay people sell small things such as clothes or books.Ian Usher is selling his three bedroomed-house, his car and his job.His friends are also included in the sale.His marriage has just ended and he wants to escape from painful memories. He wants to make a clean break.So how much can he hope to make from selling his life? Bidding starts at $Aus1, but he hopes his life is worth around $Aus 500,000.When it’s sold, he wants to walk away with the money in one pocket and his passport in the other. He’s going to jump on the first plane to anywhere.

Have you ever dreamed of making a fresh start?

هل حلمت في يوم من الأيام أن تفتح صفحة جديدة في حياتك؟

Listen to the programme :

Key Vocabulary

making a fresh start : بداية جديدة – صفحة جديدة في الحياة
eBay : موقع للمزادات علي شبكة الإنترنت
to escape from painful memories :يريد أن يهرب من ذكريات مؤلمة
a clean break :تعبير يعني الإنفصال عن الماضي بشكل تام
bidding :المزايدة

Source of Realia

BBC Arabic – Learning English – A fresh strat

Australian auctions entire life on eBay – The Telegraph

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Bilingual Eng/Ar BBC Radio Programme : Origins of Happiness – أصل السعادة

MD — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:41:25 +0000

This is the latest BBC bilingual radio programme for learning English. It is hosted by Mr. Louay Ismail, the BBC producer who came to interview us here at CASAW, University of Edinburgh last Tuesday 4th Mar. 2008

The topic of this podcast is very cheerful and nice to listen to : What makes you happy?.

The topic of discussion stems from a recent research carried out by the University of Edinburgh, which suggests that genes ‘play key happiness role’.

Welcome to BBC Xtra English!

اليوم نتحدث عن السعادة و عن بحث علمي جديد تم إجرائه بإستخدام توائم و يفيد أن الجينات الوراثية تساهم في تحقيق 50% من سعادتنا. و نطرح السؤال: مالذي يجعلك تشعر بالسعادة؟

In today’s programme Doug and Louay talk about happiness.
Scientists at Edinburgh University have been studying identical twins and non-identical twins to see what influence genes have on happiness.
Identical twins have the same genes while non-identical twins are genetically different.
The scientists asked the twins questions to measure how satisfied they were with their lives.
The results were interesting. Identical twins were generally equally happy even when their lifestyles were very different.How can this be?
The scientists have linked certain personality traits with happiness. These include not worrying too much, being sociable and even being conscientious at work.
50% of these personality traits are inherited so the scientists think our genes might contribute to 50% of our general happiness and satisfaction with life.

What makes you happy?

مالذي يجعلك سعيداً؟

Listen to the programme :

Key Vocabulary

happiness : السعادة
identical twins : توأم متماثل تماماً في الشكل
non-identical twins : توأم بينهما إختلافات في ملامح الشكل
genes : جينات وراثية
genetically different : مختلفين جينياً
satisfied : راضياً
equally happy : سعداء بشكل متساوي – سعداء بشكل متماثل
lifestyles : أنماط الحياة -أساليب الحياة – الطرق التي يعيش بها الناس حياتهم
personality traits : مزايا – خواص شخصية
conscientious : واع – حي الضمير
inherited : ورث

Further Reading

Related article from Middle Eastern Online

من قال ان السعادة لا تورَّث؟

باحثون يكتشفون ان العوامل الوراثية تتحكم في نصف السمات الشخصية المسؤولة عن الشعور بالسعادة.

ميدل ايست اونلاين

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If you have enjoyed reading this post, we welcome your comments, ideas and suggestions for improvements.

To leave a comment about this post, use the comments section below.

To leave a comment about V-Arabic realia resources, go to FEEDBACK & SUGGESTIONS

Video/Article Realia: Who is the wealthiest man in the world? – من هو أغنى رجل في العالم؟

MD — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:39:25 +0000

click to watch video

Buffett ‘becomes world’s richest’

US investment guru Warren Buffett has ousted his friend and occasional bridge partner Bill Gates as the world’s richest man, Forbes magazine says.
Read more

هو أغنى رجل في العالم؟

تمكن المستثمر الأمريكي وارين بافيت من ازاحة صديقه وشريكه السابق بيل جيتس من موقع الرجل الأكثر ثراء في العالم في قائمة مجلة فوربس.

وكان جيتس المؤسس المشارك لشركة ميكروسوفت قد ظل يتربع على أعلى قائمة أغنى أغنياء العالم لمدة 13 عاما على التوالي.

وقد زادت ثروة بافيت بعشرة مليارات دولار العام الماضي لتبلغ 62 مليار دولار.

أما ثروة بيل جيتس فزادت 2 مليار دولار خلال الفترة نفسها لتصل إلى 58 مليار دولار وبذلك تراجع إلى المرتبة الثالثة في قائمة أغنى الأغنياء.

اما في المركز الثاني فقد جاء المكسيكي اللبناني الاصل كارلوس سليم هيلو صاحب شركات الاتصالات الذي بلغت ثروته 60 مليار دولار بعد أن تضاعفت خلال العامين الأخيرين.

وتضمنت قائمة مجلة فوربس لعام 2008 أسماء 1125 من اصحاب المليارات بلغ مجموع ثراواتهم 4.4 تريليون دولار.

وقال ستيف فوربس المدير العام لمجلة فوربس “السبب في هذا التوسع الهائل في الثروة هو أننا نشهد طفرة كونية، فلم يحدث من قبل في تاريخ البشرية أن كان هناك عدد كبير من أصحاب المليارات كما حدث خلال السنوات الأخيرة

Source of Realia:

BBC Arabic

Bilingual Eng/Ar BBC Radio Programme : Life without TV or Telephone – الحياة من غير الهاتف أو التلفاز

MD — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:58:49 +0000

BBC Arabic (Learning English) has a dedicated bilingual radio programme aimed at teaching English to native Arab speakers.

As an Arabic learner yourself, you may benefit hugely from listening to this interactive programme where the host (an Arabic speaker) interviews a guest (an English speaker) in English about a particular news item. The interview is then interpreted in Arabic immediately by the host.

Read the following article before listening to the podcast:

Today Somaya and Finn are talking about two famous inventors from Scotland.
Alexander Graham Bell is credited as the inventor of the telephone. Other people were working speech transmission devices at the same time, but it was Bell who was awarded the first US patent for the invention of the telephone.John Logie Baird is credited as the inventor of the television. Like the telephone, this invention is used by people around the world.But which invention is more important to you? Some of us would say, “I couldn’t live without my telephone.” Others would say, “I couldn’t live without my television.”While others would say, “I could live without either of them!” They don’t think that these inventions are important at all.Would it be a hassle for you not to have a telephone?

Would you be happy not to watch some of the rubbish on TV?

الهاتف و التلفاز تم إختراعهم في إسكتلندا و ملايين من البشر حول العالم يستخدمون كلاهما

إذا كان لديك الخيار لإستخدام أحدهما هل ستختار الهاتف أم التلفاز و لما؟

Could you live without your telephone or television?

هل تستطيع الحياة من غير الهاتف أو التلفاز؟

Listen to the programme :

Key Vocabulary:

inventors : مخترعون
credited : نُسب إليه
speech transmission devices : أجهزة تنقل الكلام
awarded : مُكأفاة – مُجازاة
patent :براءة الإختراع
the invention of the telephone : إختراع الهاتف
around the world : حول العالم
I couldn’t live without my telephone : لا أستطيع مواصلة الحياة اليومية من غير هاتفي
hassle : مُشكلة
rubbish : قمامة

Source of Realia:

BBC Arabic – Learn English - تعليم الإنجليزية

Arabic Newspaper Front Page 1983

MD — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 10:54:52 +0000

(Click image to enlarge)

This is a newspaper realia that dates back to the 80s. (29th Oct 1983)

Due to a lack of printing resources, note that the front headlines were handwritten and the text in the articles were typed with a typewriter

Activity:

What type of newspaper is this?

Translate the headlines of the newspaper?

Source of Realia:

Library.ucla.edu

Answers

An assassination attempt on the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
Iran launches a widespread attack on the Northern Iraqi Front
Iraqi Kurds shot down a Turkish military helicopter/plane and arrested it’s pilot

Information Arabic Leaflet Realia : Scotland’s New Parliament

MD — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:15:50 +0000

If you happen to be in Edinburgh one day, or are already here, you may want to visit Scotland’s new Parliament. It sits at the foot of Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile in front of the spectacular Holyrood Park. It is also located very close to “Arthur’s Seat” – a series of hills that are great for climbing.

The complex building has been hailed as one of the most innovative designs in Britain today. However, the design has been the subject of a lively yet controversial debate since not all agree with its attractiveness.

The following leaflet realia, written for an Arabic-speaking audience – explains how committees work and outlines their role in scrutinising legislation, conducting inquiries, gathering evidence and holding the Scottish Government to account.

How the Scottish Parliament Works : English (PDF) | Arabic (PDF)

Find out more :

Scottish Parliament – Arabic site (أهلاً بكم في مجلس النواب الاسـكتـلندي)
Scottish Parliament

Al-Bilaad (البلاد ) : A Canadian Bilingual Newspaper

MD — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:35:43 +0000

Al-Bilaad (البلاد ) is a bilingual Canadian newspaper published in London both in Arabic and English

جريدة كندية تصدر باللغة العربية و الإنجليزية في لندن

Read the newspaper in PDF

Read/Download the front page (PDF) – Feb 2008

Access the newspaper site

Souce of Realia:

albilad.net

Arabic London: Find out more about London’s Arabic community

MD — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:27:15 +0000

From BBC – London

It is estimated that around half a million Arabs live in the UK. London has attracted the majority who have settled here largely from Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, the Gulf States and Iraq.

Migration to the UK substantially began in the 1940’s by the Egyptians. It started up again during the 1960’s. A mixture of the professional and unskilled – they came in search of employment, and mostly from Egypt and Morocco.

During the oil-boom days of the 70s, Arabs arrived from the Gulf to set up businesses in the UK. Civil war in Lebanon during that decade produced a further influx of people from the Arab world and by the 1980’s there was an exodus from Iraq of Arabic, Kurdish and Shi’a political refugees and asylum seekers.

Some have had to leave behind highly skilled careers in their own countries. Unable to resume the same path in the UK, they have instead taken advantage of the growth of London’s café society, opening up lucrative coffee shops and patisseries all over London, including suburbs such as Richmond and Harrow.

The hotel and catering industry in general has attracted skilled and unskilled workers, largely from Morocco and Palestine.

The centre of London, including SW1, NW London, W2 and W1 – particularly around Edgware Road – has a thriving Arab community. The Borough of Westminster has the highest density of Arabic speakers in the capital and is one of the most expensive areas to live. Knightsbridge is another example, with its nightclubs, banks, restaurants and the famous department store owned by the Egyptian Al Fayed brothers.

Associations such as the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) are geared towards the intellectual Arabs who find in these a forum for debate on current affairs, as well as a platform for the arts. This particular association was founded in order to give the Arab perspective of Middle East affairs to the British public.

In contrast, some Arabs, Moroccans amongst them, lead a completely different lifestyle, sometimes in the deprived areas of London – a far cry from the opulence of Bond Street, where it is not uncommon to see chic Arabs adorned in the finest jellabas (an Arabic robe), their princely heads swathed in the traditional ghutra (white Arabic head dress), shopping for high-class goods.

Source of artcile:

Arabic London - BBC London

Book Cover Realia: Oath Betrayed-Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror

MD — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:28:03 +0000

This is a new book on the US war in Iraq published in 2006, which was translated into Arabic.

The editrorial review states:

” The graphic photographs of U.S. military personnel grinning over abused Arab and Muslim prisoners shocked the world community. That the US was systematically torturing inmates at prisons run by its military and civilian leaders divided the nation and brought deep shame to many. When Steven H. Miles, an expert in medical ethics and an advocate for human rights, learned of the neglect, mistreatment, and torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo Bay, and elsewhere, one of his first thoughts was: “Where were the prison doctors while the abuses were taking place?”

In Oath Betrayed, Miles explains the answer to this question. Not only were doctors, nurses, and medics silent while prisoners were abused; physicians and psychologists provided information that helped determine how much and what kind of mistreatment could be delivered to detainees during interrogation. Additionally, these harsh examinations were monitored by health professionals operating under the purview of the U.S. military.

Read more

كتاب “خيانة القسم: التعذيب والتواطؤ الطبي والحرب على الإرهاب”, ستيفن هـ. مايلز

Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror

by Steven Miles

Key vocabulary to learn:

Oath : القسم
Betrayal: خيانة
Torture : تعذيب
Medical Complicity : التواطؤ الطبي
The War on Terror :الحرب على الإرهاب

There is an Arabic article in”Middle-East-Online.com” which elaborates on the stubject of the book.

كيف لطخ أطباء أميركا شرف المهنة في أبوغريب؟

‘خيانة القسم’ يكشف عن تورط الاطباء الاميركيين مع الجنود في الانتهاكات الخطيرة لحقوق الانسان في العراق.

Source of Realia:

Amazon.com

Middle-East-Online.com

Bilingual Eng/Ar BBC Radio Programme : Controlling your Anger السيطرة علي الطبع الحاد

MD — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:06:04 +0000

BBC Arabic (Learning English) has a dedicated bilingual radio programme aimed at teaching English to native Arab speakers.

Read the following article before listening to the podcast:

Today Kaz and Louay talk about controlling your anger.

A new study says that controlling your anger helps the body repair itself. It speeds up the healing process.

100 participants were given blisters on their arms and asked to fill in a questionnaire on how well they controlled their temper. Then scientists studied the speed of recovery.

The hot-headed people took longer to heal.

If you can’t control your temper your produce higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn affects the healing process.

We hear some anger control techniques including meditation, walking away and biting your lip.

Do you have a bad temper? How do you control it?

هل لديك طبع و مزاج حاد؟ و كيف تقوم بالسيطرة علي غضبك

Further reading:

‘Anger control’ key to recovery – BBC News

Listen to the programme :

Key vocabulary:

controlling your anger : السيطرة علي غضبك
the healing process : عملية الشفاء
blisters : تورم جلدي خفيف – بثرة مائيه
the speed of recovery : سرعة التماثل للشفاء
hot-headed people : الناس الذين مزاجهم حاد و يغضبون بسرعة
to heal : أن يُشفي
stress hormone : الهرمون المسبب للقلق و الإجهاد
anger control techniques :طرق و أساليب للسيطرة علي الغضب
meditation : التأمل و التفكر
biting your lip :عض الشفاه