Latest Concise English-Chinese Dictionary

Author: Sanyin Book Company Editors
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: This dictionary has the following major features: First, it has a large number of entries. It includes 140,000 words, with 79,500 headwords, 19,401 phrases, and 14,502 derived words. Its word count is unmatched among portable. Second, it offers rich encyclopedic vocabulary and numerous new words and meanings. In addition to general vocabulary, this dictionary adds more than 4,500 current, popular words from various fields compared to the Concise English-Chinese Dictionary (13th Edition), marked with red ★ for distinction. For example, in just the fields of economics and computer technology, over 1,000 new words have been added. It also includes some newly coined English words after the 9/11 event (e.g., BAT – the naive, self-centered attitude of Americans before the 9/11 terrorist attacks). Given that English learning requires not only understanding the language itself but also the social, political, cultural, and lifestyle aspects of English-speaking countries, this dictionary includes a large number of names of people (e.g., Powell – Powell (U.S. Secretary of State (2001-2005))), organizations, cooking and beverage terms (e.g., pierogi – cheese dumplings; Strawberry Kiss – strawberry cocktail), and products (e.g., Kit-Kat – Kit-Kat chocolate). Third, it provides detailed background information. The dictionary offers background explanations for most encyclopedic entries (including many general words), which is particularly valuable given its word count and compact size. Fourth, it marks word frequency. Core words are highlighted in red in the text, with one or two red stars () indicating their usage frequency, serving as a reference for readers in word selection and sentence construction. Fifth, it includes rich etymological information. The origins of some words, the original meanings of loanwords, and the full English names of acronyms are all marked in the text. Sixth, it uses American pronunciation. The dictionary adopts the K.K. phonetic system, marking only American pronunciation. In recent years, with the increasing exchanges between mainland China and Taiwan, some Taiwanese terms have become widely recognized. Therefore, without compromising readability, this dictionary retains some Taiwanese terms, hoping not only to assist readers in English but also to showcase the richness and diversity of the Chinese language.