Live Borderless!

Two Authors in Book City

2011-08-02T02:26:00.003+04:30

You know him! Mahmoud Dowlataabadi, one of the greatest Iranian writer, the author of 'Kelidar'.

It was a crowded day in Book City's central fair!

Yesterday, he was invited by Book City (http://www.bookcity.org/) to celebrate his 71th birthday (His birthday is actually on Mordad 15th; Iranian calender)!

That gave me the opportunity to take a couple of pictures.

Ali Ashraf Darvishian, another writer, also attended the meeting.

Read more about them:

1. http://www.mashaheer.net/archives/000087.html
2. http://www.farsi.se/gy_boken/9_1_darvishian.htm

Enjoy!

Start Over

2011-08-02T02:07:00.000+04:30

Hey!

I have no single idea why my blog is blocked! It was a truly academic blog, for God's sake! Actually, I got disappointed for a while. :(

But then I thought I shouldn't surrender! That's why I am starting over. Yet, I am not going to use this burnt(!) blog for academic purposes. I'll post links, pictures, etc. from now on. May be it will change moods. Life, after all, is fun!

So, have fun!

.....

2011-04-11T19:21:00.000+04:30

....,

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....,

Translation of Political Texts (The Last Post!)

2010-12-30T17:24:00.000+03:30

Hi everyone!

This is our last session! To give you more time to get prepared for your final exams, I thought we bring all the previous texts we were supposed to cover during our semester and see if we have missed anything. We will work on the missed parts.

See you!

Translation of Political Texts (11)

2010-12-20T21:28:00.002+03:30

Hi there,

As I promised, this time turn comes to Julian Assange! The following is a link to a text on this journalist's life and career. The text is taken from Wikipedia, so it's too long. Just translate the first part (before the content of the entry) AND the one under title "Release of US diplomatic cables".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange

See you!

Strange Facts!

2010-12-19T11:56:00.002+03:30

Hi there!

Long time, no see! I was too busy with my dissertation and classes to be able to make it, but now I have an interesting pack of strange facts you can read here:

http://www.liquidice.co.uk/joke/strangefacts.html

Enjoy!

Shahid Beheshti University - Taj Mahal

2010-12-12T12:19:00.000+03:30

Hi there!

Have you ever been to India!? If you are positive, I'm one hundred percent sure you have paid a visit to glorious Taj Mahal, in Agra. There has been numerous stories on various dimensions of this splendid artistic architecture some of which may be contradictory! The following is a short account of the Story of Taj Mahal. We will read it together on Tuesday, December 14.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/story-taj-mahal-mughal-emperor-shah-jahan-empress-mumtaz.html

Best,

Translation of Political Texts - Technical Terms

2010-12-11T14:25:00.000+03:30

Dear Friends,

Sorry for delay! Here is the post to which you should send your collection of technical terms. Please notice that those who have already sent their collections to other posts MUST resend them to THIS post! Your collection of technical terms, which are published in other posts, will be deleted by Monday.

Regards,

Tanslation of Political Texts (10)

2010-12-07T12:04:00.000+03:30

Hi everyone!

The end of the semester is close, but still we have a couple of more translations. Follow this link:

http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/12/06/senate-republicans-hostage-taking-on-tax-cuts-not-unprecedented.html

which is from Newsweek. See you on Saturday (December 11).

Regards,

IAU - Reading Comprehension - Movie Expressions

2010-12-03T23:47:00.000+03:30

Hi everyone!

As we had discussed last week and I forgot to publish the post, here is the post you should sent your assignments to. For those who do not remember this assignment: you had to watch a movie and look for those uneasy sentences and expressions to translate into Farsi/English.

Best,

Tanslation of Political Texts (9)

2010-11-29T19:00:00.002+03:30

Hey!

During the past week crisis has intensified between the two Koreans. Here is a text on this new important issue in international politics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/world/asia/30seoul.html?_r=1&hp

Our class is due on Saturday, Dec. 4.

See you!

SBU: E-mail - Class: 3-5

2010-11-29T18:41:00.002+03:30

Hi there,

As we discussed yesterday, your sample imaginary e-mails should come in this post. Deadline is due on Tuesday 12 pm.

Good luck then,

Best,

SBU: E-mail - Class: 1-3

2010-11-29T18:39:00.002+03:30

Hi there,

As we discussed yesterday, your sample imaginary e-mails should come in this post. Deadline is due on Tuesday 12 pm.

Good luck then,

Best,

SBU: E-mail - Class: 10-12

2010-11-23T16:16:00.001+03:30

Hi there,

As we discussed today, your sample imaginary e-mails should come in this post. Deadline is due on Tuesday 12 pm.

Good luck then,

Best,

SBU: E-mail - Class: 8-10

2010-11-23T16:15:00.001+03:30

Hi there,

As we discussed today, your sample imaginary e-mails should come in this post. Deadline is due on Tuesday 12 pm.

Good luck then,

Best,

Translation of Political Texts - An Extra Assignment (5)

2010-11-22T18:08:00.001+03:30

Hi there!
My friends in IAU, Translation of Political texts class,

After the recent hindrances US president, B. H. Obama, faced, especially in the recent election, talks have been around about how well he has managed presidency of the States. The following paragraph is taken from a recent Newsweek article. Let's see how the author analyzes his "cult".

Obama’s storied political career took him from the relative obscurity of the Illinois State Legislature to the presidency in such a short time that he didn’t get much of a feel for the nitty-gritty politicking that consumes so much of today’s partisan bickering. He didn’t have the benefit of getting beaten badly at the state level, like Clinton was in Arkansas, and having to learn how to reinvent himself. Clinton was the youngest governor elected in the state, and the voters tossed him out after two years, angry that he had raised car-tag fees and housed several thousand Cuban refugees, many of whom had been prisoners, at a local military base.

(adapted from: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/11/19/the-problem-with-the-cult-of-obama.html)

Waiting for your fluent Persian translations!

Best,

P.S. Please be advised not to make any judgment on the choice of the texts provided. Selected excerpts are included among your assignments merely based on their educational benefit for a Translation course.

Tanslation of Political Texts (8)

2010-11-22T17:53:00.000+03:30

Hello Everyone!

We've been quite lazy during the past 2 weeks! So, to compensate for all these days, please refer to the following 3 links to 3 articles to be translated on the coming Saturday (Nov. 27th) (don't worry the texts are too short!).

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=230739

http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=230743

http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=230745

See you!

Who do you think others think you are!?

2010-11-21T20:55:00.003+03:30

Hi!
To my friends at Shahid Beheshti University (Applied Mathematics, 3-5),

You are supposed to send your PARAGRAPHS on the discussed question, which is now the title of this post. Your comments/writings are acknowledged before Tuesday 3.00 pm! Please do not forget to add your names at the end of the texts unless you prefer not to receive your scores, do you!?

Good luck then!

BIG Picture!

2010-11-19T19:58:00.000+03:30

Hi everyone!

How BIG do you think a picture can be!? I have recently received an e-mail including a link to a REALLY BIG picture! How BIG? A 1474 MP Picture! Can you believe the details and width it can cover!? take a look!

http://gigapan.org/viewGigapanFullscreen.php?auth=033ef14483ee899496648c2b4b06233c

Best,

Shahid Beheshti University (Classes: 10-12, 13-15, and 15-17)

2010-11-17T09:00:00.001+03:30

Dear All,

Here is the link to our next session materials. It's an interesting article on Marriage adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage

Please read the article to the end of the section "History of Marriage by Culture".

If you like the article, we will continue and cover it all in our following classes.

(Any suggestion?? Leave a comment!)

See you!

English as a Lingua Franca!

2010-11-15T12:19:00.000+03:30

We have recently heard of calling English as a "Lingua Franca"! But sometimes we are not really completely aware of it when we are involved in enthusiastic technical discussions of the term! Especially after attending conferences of the field, I notice that we are in need of understanding the terms we tend to use. Now, here is a short article on "Lingua Franca" feature of English. You may find it by clicking on the followeing link:

http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/content/59/4/339.full.pdf

Regards,

IAU: Reading Comprehension I - Text TWO

2010-11-13T22:58:00.000+03:30

History of English

English derives from Old English (sometimes referred to as Anglo-Saxon), a West Germanic variety, although its current vocabulary includes words from many languages. The Old English roots may be seen in the similarity of numbers in English and German, particularly seven/sieben, eight/acht, nine/neun, and ten/zehn. Pronouns are also cognate: I/mine/me ich/mein/mich; thou/thine/thee and du/dein/dich; we/wir us/uns; she/sie. However, language change has eroded many grammatical elements, such as the noun case system, which is greatly simplified in modern English, and certain elements of vocabulary, some of which are borrowed from French. Although more than half of the words in English come from either the French language or have a French cognate, most of the common words used in English are of Germanic origin. For an example of the etymology of an English irregular verb of Germanic origin, see the etymology of the word go. Days of the week are derived from old Norse: Monday [Moondæg] Tuesday [Twiesdæg] Wednesday [Wodensdæg] Thursday [Thorsdæg] Friday [Friedæg] Saturday [Saternesdæg] Sunday [Sunnandæg]
When the Normans conquered England in 1066 (see Norman Conquest), they brought their Norman language with them. During the Anglo-Norman period, which united insular and continental territories, the ruling class spoke Anglo-Norman, while the peasants spoke the vernacular English of the time, as well as the native Celtic languages. Anglo-Norman was the conduit for the introduction of French into England, aided by the circulation of Langue d’oïl literature from France. This led to many paired words of French and English origin. For example, beef is cognate with the modern French bœuf, veal with veau, pork with porc, and poultry with poulet. All these cognate words, French and English, refer to the meat rather than to the animal. This relationship carries over into the names for farm animals, where the cognate is with modern German. For example swine/Schwein, cow/Kuh, calf/Kalb, and sheep/Schaf. The variant usage has been explained by the proposition that it was the Norman rulers who mostly ate meat (an expensive commodity) and the Anglo-Saxons who farmed the animals. This explanation has passed into common folklore but has been disputed.
English words of more than two syllables are likely to come from French, often with modified terminations. For example, the French words for syllable, modified, terminations, and example are syllabe, modifié, terminaisons, and exemple. In many cases, the English form of a word is more conservative (i.e., has changed less) than the French form. Polysyllabic words in English also carry connotations of higher education or politeness.
English has proven accommodating to words from many languages, as described in the following examples. Scientific terminology relies heavily on words of Latin and Greek origin. Spanish has contributed many words, particularly in the southwestern United States. Examples include buckaroo from vaquero or “cowboy”; alligator from el lagarto or “lizard”; rodeo and savvy; states’ names such as Colorado and Florida. Cuddle, eerie, and greed come from Scots; albino, palaver, lingo, verandah, and coconut from Portuguese; diva, prima donna, pasta, pizza, paparazzi, and umbrella from Italian; adobe, alcohol, algebra, algorithm, apricot, assassin, caliber, cotton, hazard, jacket, jar, julep, mosque, Muslim, orange, safari, sofa,magazine, and zero from Arabic; honcho, sushi, and tsunami from Japanese; dim sum, gung ho, kowtow, kumquat, ketchup, and typhoon from Cantonese Chinese; behemoth, hallelujah, Satan, jubilee, and rabbi from Hebrew; taiga, sable, and sputnik from Russian; galore, whiskey, phoney, trousers, and Tory from Irish; brahman, guru, karma, and pandit from Sanskrit; kampong and amok from Malay; Smorgasbord and ombudsman from Swedish; and boondocks from the Tagalog word, bundok. (See also “loanword.”)

IAU: Reading Comprehension I - Text ONE

2010-11-13T22:55:00.000+03:30

Hi there,
As promised, this post and the one which follows (History of English) are our next session's articles to cover.
Best,

What is Autophobia?

Sometimes referred to as monophobia, autophobia is a paralyzing fear of being left alone. People with this type of emotional condition are often unable to rest comfortably unless someone is relatively close, such as in another room of the home. In extreme conditions, a person suffering with this phobia must have someone in the same room during all waking hours or the individual will begin to experience extreme attacks of anxiety, regurgitation and other severe physical and
emotional reactions.
A broader autophobia definition involves not on the fear of being physically alone, but also a sense of being unable to trust oneself in any setting. Within the context of this understanding of the phobia, an individual must have a caretaker nearby at all times. The second party functions as a guardian that, in the mind of the autophobic, will be able to compensate or correct any foolish or unpleasant actions that may take place. Without this guardian nearby, the autophobic feels lost and unable to function even in a public setting with many people around.
Common autophobia symptoms include a constant sense of impending danger whenever another trusted individual is not within easy reach. Often, the autophobic will also have a heightened fear of experiencing some catastrophe with no one there to save him or her from a terrible fate. This often includes a fear of naturally occurring events ranging from being struck by lightning to being buried alive in an earthquake. It is not unusual for an individual suffering from this condition to also have an extreme fear of being burglarized or experiencing a heart attack when no one is nearby to help them through the crisis.
Effective autophobia treatment often involves a combination of therapy and medication. Anti-anxiety medication can sometimes help to calm the overwhelming sense of fear an autophobic faces during an episode. Therapy can assist the sufferer to explore the underlying causes for the phobia and defuse them over time. Therapeutic techniques such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy, or CBT, can also begin the process of changing behavioral responses to situations that trigger the extreme suffering and fear experienced by people suffering with autophobia. Since this type of phobia normally is the result of some type of traumatic experience, it is important for loved ones to be supportive as the treatments begin. As with many phobias, treating autophobics involves a process that sometimes seems to move forward quickly and at other times slow to a crawl or even lose ground. Loved ones should keep in mind that successfully overcoming any phobia is different from healing a broken bone, in that the rate of progress will vary from one day to the next. Patience, reassurance of their personal worth, and encouragement to stick with the therapy can go a long way in helping the autophobic to eventually be free from the phobia.

IF YOU ARE A NON-IRANIAN, ...

2010-11-10T12:46:00.000+03:30

Hi!
IF YOU ARE A NON-IRANIAN, you are invited to participate in this kinda survey!

After around 2 months I have been managing this blog, I noticed it has a good number of non-Iranian visitors from almost all parts of the globe (except for Africa)! So, I thought why not asking these friends to participate! That's why I'd like to ask 2 questions from our Non-Iranian friends. I hope you will take time and help us know your views on:

1. What is your general view of Iran and Iranian people? How did you get your
perception?
2. Please name 5 most interesting places in Iran you like to visit!

Maybe, we could make friends this way, huh!?

Looking forward to hearing from you guys!

Best,

Hadi

How to Read Difficult Text

2010-11-09T23:00:00.000+03:30

Hey,

I'm sure we have all experienced moments of madness while reading a text, which is unbearably difficult! True that it depends on individuals' personality, but there are certainly ways to get to the bottom of the text. Follow this link:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4680544_read-difficult-text.html

and follow the suggestions! You may like it!

Best,

What happened in your birth-year!?

2010-11-08T14:45:00.000+03:30

Hi!

Can you tell what happened the year you were born? As for me, I know that was the year Robert De Niro won an Oscar for the best actor for his role as jake LaMotta in Ranging Bull!

If you are interested to know events contemporary to your birth year, check on this link. You won't regret!

www.whathappenedinmybirthyear.com

Take care,

Translation of Political Texts - An Extra Assignment (4)

2010-11-08T11:27:00.003+03:30

Hi again!

Like the previous weeks, our extra assignment is here. This paragraph is adapted from Box Office section of Time. It's not a pure political text, yet it is fun to translate.

Megamind triumphed over two strong rivals that also opened Friday: Due Date, a road comedy teaming Downey with the star (Zach Galifiankis) and director (Todd Phillips) of The Hangover, which pulled in $33.5 million, and Perry's all-star poetry reading For Colored Girls, at $20.1 million. The box-office take for all films is predicted to be $154 million, which would be the highest-ever total for a first weekend in November — but not the highest attendance, since a movie ticket, whose price used to be about that of a fast-food burger and fries, now sets you back nearly as much as an entrée at a decent French restaurant.

(Adapted from: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2029983,00.html)

Best,

Tanslation of Political Texts (7)

2010-11-08T11:13:00.000+03:30

Hi there,

Our next text is from Time. It's on the recent crisis in Egypt, the conflict between Muslims and Christians.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2029977,00.html

But since the article is a bit long, please translate it to the end of the 6th paragraph where it ends with "...repeatedly adjourned."

Good Luck!

Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day?

2010-11-06T21:17:00.000+03:30

How do you feel when you read these lines?

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Majestic? Gorgeous? great? Or all of them and even more!? For more evocative pieces of poetry, check out this link, which introduces several blogs on poetry.

http://poetry.about.com/od/poetryblogs/Poetry_Blogs.htm

Best,

Classifying Vocabualries (Class: 3-5 pm)

2010-11-02T21:38:00.000+03:30

A BIG HI to my friends at Shahid Beheshti University,

How are you doing everyone? As we discussed today, we are going to collect a fruitful classification of various subjects along with the other two (10-12 am and 1-3 pm) classes. You are supposed to send your vocabulary classifications on the subjects you chose and send them as COMMENTS to this post! Don't forget to include your names, as well.

(Deadline: Nov. 8, Mon. 12 pm)

Best,

Classifying Vocabularies (Class: 1-3 pm)

2010-11-02T21:18:00.000+03:30

A BIG HI to my friends at Shahid Beheshti University,

How are you doing everyone? As we discussed today, we are going to collect a fruitful classification of various subjects along with the other two (10-12 am and 3-5 pm) classes. You are supposed to send your vocabulary classifications on the subjects you chose and send them as COMMENTS to this post! Don't forget to include your names, as well.

(Deadline: Nov. 8, Mon. 12 pm)

Best,

Classifying Vocabularies (Class: 10-12 am)

2010-11-02T21:12:00.000+03:30

A BIG HI to my friends at Shahid Beheshti University,

How are you doing everyone? As we discussed today, we are going to collect a fruitful classification of various subjects along with the other two (1-3 pm and 3-5 pm) classes. You are supposed to send your vocabulary classifications on the subjects you chose and send them as COMMENTS to this post! Don't forget to include your names, as well.

(Deadline: Nov. 8, Mon. 12 pm)

Best,

Translation of Political Texts - An Extra Assignment (3)

2010-11-01T17:08:00.002+03:30

Hi there,

One of the several types of political texts is celebrity's speeches. They are, however, probably one of the most significant types due to the effects they may cause. The following excerpt is taken from B. H. Obama's speech in Chicago. Let's transalte it together. You know what to do, don't you!?

"In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted--for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things--some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom."

(Adabpted from: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/chi-obama-speech-090120,0,1085546.story)

Best,

Tanslation of Political Texts (6)

2010-11-01T16:55:00.000+03:30

Hi everyone,

Your next assignment can be found through the following two links. We have two texts becasue they are short.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=229599

&

http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=229603

Regards,

Translation of Islamic Texts (2)

2010-10-29T14:50:00.001+03:30

Hi everyone!

How are you doing? Here is the second assignment for the class. Please do not forget to send your translations till Tuesday 12.00 pm (Nov. 2) as comments to this post. Also, remember to include your names under the translation, as well.

و ما هيچ پيامبرى را جز به زبان قومش نفرستاديم تا [حقايق را] براى آنان بيان كند پس خدا هر كه را بخواهد بى‏راه مى‏گذارد و هر كه را بخواهد هدايت مى‏كند و اوست ارجمند حكيم (۴) و در حقيقت موسى را با آيات خود فرستاديم [و به او فرموديم] كه قوم خود را از تاريكيها به سوى روشنايى بيرون آور و روزهاى خدا را به آنان يادآورى كن كه قطعا در اين [يادآورى] براى هر شكيباى سپاسگزارى عبرتهاست ...(۵

Best,

An Excersize for Applied & Pure Mathematics Students (SBU)

2010-10-27T22:36:00.001+03:30

Hi!
To my bright students in Shahid Beheshti University,

As you remember, I promised to allocate a post for your class. Now, here is the thing: quite like what we did in the previous session, you are invited to write a brief scenario this time making use of the following 8 words, which we have already studied:

1. persistent
2. disapproval
3. advent
4. allow
5. frail
6. anticipate
7. conform
8. intensify

You should send me your stories as comments to this post. Do not forget to add your name, as well. Deadline is Saturday 12.00 pm (October 30).

Good Luck!

P.S. You may change part of speeches as well.

CuneiformIZE You Name!

2010-10-27T00:59:00.002+03:30

They say ancient Iranians used Cuneiform system of writing, which is said to be a developed system at the time. A few days ago, I received this mail which encouraged the reader to refer to this link:

http://www.iranview.ir/pars.aspx

to type his/her name in English and convert it into Cuneiform. Experience it yourself! At least, it gives you an interesting feeling.

Yours!

Tanslation of Political Texts (5)

2010-10-25T12:24:00.002+03:30

Hey!

I'm sure you are desperately waiting for your weekly to-be-translated text! OK, here I am and here it is! Click on this link, which leads you to an article on Iran-Chine alliance:

http://tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=229202

and be kind enough to translate the text, bring me a copy of your translation, and be prepared for our Oct. 30 session, as you always do!

See you,

Translation of Political Texts - An Extra Assignment (2)

2010-10-25T12:04:00.002+03:30

Dear All,

How is everything? Here is your second Extra assignment. Just like the previous one, you need to translate the following paragraph and send your translations as COMMENTS to this post. Your comments/translations will not appear on the blog untill Friday midnight when your deadline is over. I hope, unlike the previous assignment, you will try not to lose another score!

"There are hundreds of plausible nominees for the title of America’s Second-Smarmiest Politician, but surely the top spot is un-contested. Americans of all political persuasions can come together in affirming one proposition: Public life would be improved by scrubbing Rep. Alan Grayson from it. This act of civic hygiene probably will be performed Nov. 2 by voters of Florida’s Eighth Congressional District. Polls indicate that a majority of them plan to deny Grayson, 52, a second term by electing his resonantly named opponent, Daniel Webster."

Adapted from: http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/24/america-s-worst-politician.html

Good Luck!

Electronic Library for Short Stories

2010-10-21T23:47:00.001+03:30

Hello!

Sometimes, in our darkest moments, we need to set our souls free to fly away to the far far lands.. And what airplane is better than a quick SHORT STORY for this purpose!? If you follow this link:

http://shortstorycorner.blogspot.com/

you will recive several of these planes. Buckle up! Have agood flight!

Bye.

Translation of ISLAMIC Texts II (1)

2010-10-21T01:32:00.001+03:30

To my knowledgeable students of the course "Translation of Islamic Texts II",
at Imam Khomeini Int'l University:

In order to add flavor to our class activity, as I already discussed in our class, I am providing you with a Farsi translation of one of Imam Ali's sermons. Please go through it, take your time to translate it, and send me your translations as COMMENTS to this very post. You can send me your translations NO LATER THAN Tuesday Oct. 26 (12 pm). It goes without saying that it is part of your class activity, and as a result, your final score!

Good Luck!

زمانى كه امام علی (ع) شنيد خوارج نهـروان مى گويند: لا حُكْمُ اِلاّ لِلّهِ، فرمـود

گفتار حقّى است كه به آن باطلى اراده شده. آرى حكمى نيست مگر براى خدا، ولى اينان مى گويند: زمامدارى مخصوص خداست.

در حالى كه براى مردم حاكمى لازم است چه نيكوكار و چه بدكار، كه مؤمن در عرصه حكومت او به راه حقّش ادامه دهد، و كافر بهره مند از زندگى گردد، و خدا هم روزگار مؤمن و كافر را در آن حكومت به سر آرد، و نيز به وسيله آن حاكم غنائم جمع گردد، و به توسط او جنگ با دشمن سامان گيرد و راهها به سبب او امن گردد، و در امارت وى حق ناتوان از قوى گرفته شود، تا مؤمن نيكوكار راحت شود، و مردم از شرّ بدكار در امان گردند

English Teachers' Zone

2010-10-19T23:15:00.002+03:30

For those who are English teachers there may be numerous questions about various dimensions of classroom practice. Also, it is not always an easy possibility to have access to our books or teachers or friends. But, an online site can be a good friend wherever a laptop and access to Internet is there!

Today, I am introducing an interesting website which provides excellent information on a good number of teacher and teaching-related issues appropriate for beginner and advanced classes. Take your time and have a look: you won't regret!

hhttp://www.learnenglish.de/Teachers/EnglishTeachers.htm

Good Luck!

Translation of Political Texts - An Extra Assignment (1)

2010-10-18T17:39:00.003+03:30

Dear classmates,

As I announced in our last session (on Saturday Oct. 16), as an extra assignment, you are invited to translate the following paragraph into fluent Persian and send your translations as COMMENTS to this post no later than Saturday, Oct. 23rd (Comments/translations after this date will not be accepted). Please, remember to add your names below your comments.

Good Luck, then!

"Chris Huhne, the energy and climate change secretary, approved two new designs for nuclear reactors and confirmed that the Government would cap the amount the owners of new nuclear power stations would have to pay to deal with radioactive waste. Environmental groups argue that this is a hidden form of subsidy because the costs of disposing of the waste could far exceed the amount the companies will be required to pay. Mr Huhne also said that the Government was willing to continue with a cap on the liability faced by nuclear companies in the event of an accident, currently set at £140 million."

(Retrieved from: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/)

Translation of Political Texts (4)

2010-10-18T17:17:00.002+03:30

Hi there,

Here is the new link for our October 23rd session. This text is about the rescued miners in Chile.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/18/world/americas/18chile.html?ref=world

You know what to do, don't you!? Translate, copy, and be prepared for the class!

See you,

The 2nd Day of TELLSI 8

2010-10-16T17:34:00.002+03:30

Hi,

Yesterday was the last day of TELLSI 8. Almost a whole year’s painstaking works finished yesterday, the presenters received their certificates, and Dr. Marandi could probably get some rest after God knows how many days!

I also presented my paper, which was on incidental learning of indirect questions; the paper I had carried out two years ago in my SLA class at Tarbiat Modares University, under Dr. Ghafar Samar's supervision. The audience, based on the number and faces of those who attended, welcomed the presentation and I hope they had even better feelings after the presentation, as well!

The schedule was the main problem yesterday, particularly morning sessions after there was around half an hour delay for the first keynote speech (Prof. Nassaji).

The last symposium was on CALL (read like tall!) (Computer Assisted Language Learning) where speakers (including Dr. Marandi and Dr. Ghahremani from Al-Zahra University) rounded up the discussions on CALL. It was mostly an introduction to CALL though, yet fruitful information was also given.

Now that the University of Ilam (www.ilam.ac.ir) has been selected for TELLSI 9, I truly hope to witness a better a conference with fewer numbers of sessions in each parallel session.

Get ready for TELLSI 9 from right now!

The 1st Day in Al-Zahra

2010-10-14T23:24:00.000+03:30

The first day of the conference was good enough to make us wait for the second day! Dr. Marani has done a great job indeed. I can easily guess how much of the job was on her shoulders. The reception was a big PERFECT: Cakes, fruits, and drink were almost abundantly there. The environment was friendly and no tension was felt, and everyone seemed so happy to be there. The timing was not flawless though. The first session started about 15 minutes late, and you can guess what followed. The crew were so organized, too. I liked it and I'll miss today. By the way, we had a great lunch, too (though we had to first have our lungs filled with hubble bubble smoke first: the restaurant was actually a traditional coffee shop)! OK, Gotta go: I have not finalized my slide show yet.

See you. (how!?)

Night before TELLSI 8

2010-10-13T20:52:00.000+03:30

Tomorrow will be the first official day of TELLSI VIII. I sincerely hope this conference will make a difference in our teaching community. Unfortunately, as I remember, the past 2 conferences were not as fruitful as I wished. I don't really know why, but presenters, papers, and the whole organization were kind of not-perfect. I know, no one is perfect, but we are talking about the only professional once-a-year conference of the country on Teaching English and Literature. I can expect this one to be much better for several reasons, but let me feel it myself. I'll let you know soon after the closing ceremony.

See you there!

Free Books

2010-10-13T01:03:00.004+03:30

Hi,

One of the greatest challenges of students has always been finding new texts on their specialized or favorite majors. Unfortunately, publishers do not offer digestible ways for us to have our books, simply because they are expensive and, especially for graduate students, it is not so easy, if not impossible, to purchase, say, 50 or more books only to get prepared to think of their proposals!
That's why I am introducing and suggesting you guys to go for

www.gigapedia.com,

an infinite resource of academic books! Easily search and download your books with a few clicks. You need to register and then it's all yours for free.

Have a good download!

Teaching Index

2010-10-11T14:12:00.001+03:30

For those who are interested in English language teaching, and I think most of you are, here is a link to a useful website. It introduces a good many of methods and approaches to teaching English, like Testing, Pronunciation, Materials Development, etc. Take a look and enjoy!

http://www.btinternet.com/~ted.power/teflindex.htm

Best,

Translation of Political Texts (3)

2010-10-09T20:06:00.002+03:30

Hi everyone!

As I promised, I tried to publish my post before Monday! Here is an article on the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liu Xiabo, and the debates Nobel committee's selection has caused. Follow this link:

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/08/nobel-peace-prize-what-picking-liu-xiaobo-means.html

and DO NOT forget to bring a copy of your excellent translations (due: October 16th)! This time, I mean it!

See you.

Update on TELLSI 8

2010-10-08T12:22:00.001+03:30

Again, as a widespread practice of us, Iranians, there was a change in the Final seminar schedule! Since some of the presentators said they could not make it, changes were thought to be inevitable. So, as for my presentation, it is now 10.30 (the same room no., i.e. 301) on Friday. Thank God Dr. Marandi is directing the conference (she is so very dedicated, responsible, and at-site); what would hapen if someone else decided to take the job!?

See you,

How rich are you!?

2010-10-08T00:20:00.001+03:30

Have you ever wondered where you sit on a list of the richest people in the world!? Here is an interesting site which tells you your relative rank among the rich/poor! Wish you a higher rank!

http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

Bye

Translation of Political Texts (2)

2010-10-07T19:39:00.001+03:30

Hi everyone!

Here is the second text for our translation class on the latest crisis in Ecuador, which is due on October 9. Follow the link, translate the article, and REMEMBER to bring me a copy of your translation. No Kidding!

http://shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/10/04/ecuadors_correa_not_going_to_let_a_good_crisis_go_to_waste

Take care,

How is your translation skill!?

2010-10-04T20:25:00.002+03:30

Last week, I received an email which included funny translations of a Farsi sentence in English. Well, the sentence was not an easy one of course, but let me give you the sentence and let us see who can give a better translation (I am quoting the sentence from the following link: http://titipool.blogspot.com/2010/09/tarjomeye-jaleb.html:

با نشان دادن « لولو» ی شورای امنیت، مردم ایران رو به قبله نمی شوند.

Send your translations as COMMENTS. Ok!?

Good!

TELLSI 8 - Al-Zahra University

2010-10-04T20:14:00.002+03:30

Hi!

A couple of days ago, I was informed of the latest update on TELLSI conferee which is due on Mehr 21-23. My presentation (co-authored with Dr. Ghafar Samar, Tarbiat Modares University), entitled "Incidental Learning of Indirect Questions: The Case of a Conversation Class" will be on Friday at 11.00 in room 301. I'll be happy to see you there (although I won't know you!).

For further information on the conference, dates, latest news, and programs, please follow this link:

http://tellsi8.alzahra.ac.ir

Best,

A Couple of Jokes

2010-10-04T20:03:00.000+03:30

Hi!

I thought a couple of jokes my be a good idea!

1.
A: Aren't you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?
B: Yes I am, I married the wrong woman.

2.
Teacher: Maria please point to America on the map.
Maria: This is it.
Teacher: Well done. Now class, who found America?
Class: Maria did.

3.
What is the longest word in the English language?
SMILES: there is a mile between the first and last letters!"

4.
What are the three quickest ways of spreading a rumour (or gossip).

Telegram
Telephone
Tell a woman

5.
A very drunk man comes out of the bar and sees another very drunk man.
He looks up in the sky and says, "Is that the sun or the moon?"
The other drunk man answers, "I don't know. I'm a stranger here myself."

6.
An elementary school teacher sends this note to all parents on the first day of school.

"If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, I will promise not to believe everything your child says happens at home.

7.
A: Doctor, will I be able to play the piano after the operation?
B: Yes, of course.
A: Great! I never could before!

Have fun!

Teacher Identity II

2010-10-04T13:17:00.002+03:30

Hi there!

Remember!? I promised to tell you everythinig about my PhD dissertation (although no one has answered my questions on teacher identity in my previous post!). But, before moving too fast, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions. These qustions are related to your IDENTITY concerning your CAREER and more specifically the INSITUTION with which you are affiliated. In other words, I'd like to investigate teachers' institutional identity in my dissertation. So, here is a list of questions: I'll be happy to recive our answers. In addition to warming up the discussion, it will give me excelent data, which can be used in my dissertation, as well (pretty fine, huh!!?)
So, in case you are a teacher (preferably English but teachers of other subject matters are also invited), answer the following questions (send your answers as comments or to my email address: azimi.hz@gmail.com):

1. How do you define yourself as a teacher?
2. What does it mean to you to be a teacher? (sounds similar to questions 1, but it’s different).
3. When someone talks about a colleague who is a real “teacher”, what characteristics are you reminded of?
4. How do you define yourself as a teacher in the institution (high schools/language institutes/universities) you are working?
5. Can you possibly think of being a teacher without being affiliated to any of the institutions named above? Why?
6. What characteristics make you feel different from:
a) a teacher of other subjects; e.g., a chemistry teacher, a math teacher, etc., and
b) other employees in other organizations, say an employee of a similar rank in Insurance Organization?

Waiting for your responses!

Hey

2010-09-30T21:14:00.001+03:30

Have you ever used Google Earth ? Here is an online site which gives you almost a similar experience, but in panoramic outlook. Check and let us know your comments!

http://viewat.org/?i=en&id_pn=11357&sec=pn&subsec=rc

Take care

;(

2010-09-28T21:43:00.000+03:30

This post has nothing to do with any new information. Frustrated and exhausted by the huge amount of data I've collected for my dissertation, I thought I should post something... Soon I'll let you know almost everything about my topic.
.
..
...
....
.....

OK! I feel much better now.. I'm going to try to probably start the second chapter.

Take care my unseen friends!

Teacher Identity

2010-09-28T21:35:00.000+03:30

Hi there,

Today, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions, IF you are a teacher! Since, I am working on and finalizing my thoughts on Teacher Identity (my PhD dissertation topic), I wish to ask you 2 very general questions, OK!? Thanks!

1. How do you define yourself in terms of your career?

2. How do you see the importance of your institution (high school, language institutes, and universities) concerning the way you define your teacher identity?

Send me your answers and be involved in an academic endeavor! I'll be waiting!

Bye!

Translation of Political Texts (1)

2010-09-27T10:32:00.001+03:30

Hi there!

I hope you are doing great. As I promised, I tried to publish my post on your first assignment earlier than Friday. Check this link, which is an article from Tehran Times:

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=227428

Translate it into fluent Persian style of political texts, prepare a copy, and be ready in class. See you on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Take care,

Statistics on Learning English

2010-09-21T16:47:00.005+04:30

My dear friends,

Have you ever wondered how many people are currently learning English? Here is a link to quench your curiosity:

http://esl.about.com/od/englishlearningresources/f/f_eslmarket.htm

Read it, but always remember to think about what you read:

DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING WITHOUT THINKING FIRST!

Take care thinkers!

Why English?

2010-09-21T16:31:00.010+04:30

Hi there,

Did it happen to you that why we should and do learn English? Follow this link:

http://www.antimoon.com/other/whylearn.htm

You will get good reasons!

Fe'lan!

Live Borderless!

Two Authors in Book City

Start Over

.....

Translation of Political Texts (The Last Post!)

Translation of Political Texts (11)

Strange Facts!

Shahid Beheshti University - Taj Mahal

Translation of Political Texts - Technical Terms

Tanslation of Political Texts (10)

IAU - Reading Comprehension - Movie Expressions

Tanslation of Political Texts (9)

SBU: E-mail - Class: 3-5

SBU: E-mail - Class: 1-3

SBU: E-mail - Class: 10-12

SBU: E-mail - Class: 8-10

Translation of Political Texts - An Extra Assignment (5)

Tanslation of Political Texts (8)

Who do you think others think you are!?

BIG Picture!

Shahid Beheshti University (Classes: 10-12, 13-15, and 15-17)

English as a Lingua Franca!

IAU: Reading Comprehension I - Text TWO

IAU: Reading Comprehension I - Text ONE

IF YOU ARE A NON-IRANIAN, ...

How to Read Difficult Text

What happened in your birth-year!?

Translation of Political Texts - An Extra Assignment (4)

Tanslation of Political Texts (7)

Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day?

Classifying Vocabualries (Class: 3-5 pm)

Classifying Vocabularies (Class: 1-3 pm)

Classifying Vocabularies (Class: 10-12 am)

Translation of Political Texts - An Extra Assignment (3)

Tanslation of Political Texts (6)

Top 50 Blogs in Short Stories

Translation of Islamic Texts (2)

An Excersize for Applied & Pure Mathematics Students (SBU)

CuneiformIZE You Name!

Tanslation of Political Texts (5)

Translation of Political Texts - An Extra Assignment (2)

Electronic Library for Short Stories

Translation of ISLAMIC Texts II (1)

English Teachers' Zone

Translation of Political Texts - An Extra Assignment (1)

Translation of Political Texts (4)

The 2nd Day of TELLSI 8

The 1st Day in Al-Zahra

Night before TELLSI 8

Free Books

Teaching Index

Translation of Political Texts (3)

Update on TELLSI 8

How rich are you!?

Translation of Political Texts (2)

How is your translation skill!?

TELLSI 8 - Al-Zahra University

A Couple of Jokes

Teacher Identity II

Hey

;(

Teacher Identity

Translation of Political Texts (1)

Statistics on Learning English

Why English?