Constantine Essays - Constantinian Dynasty, Flavii, Christianization

Constantine and Christianity The Roman Empire was dominant in the Western world for centuries and it also had a huge impact on the spread of Christianity. Emperor Constantine had a lot to do with this growth as it was he who was the first Emporer to convert to Christianity. While it is uncertain when he did in fact convert, as some have argued that this switch came on his deathbed, his contribution to the growth of Christianity cannot be ignored. He made it acceptable to be a Christian in the Roman Empire and even help change the society into meeting Christian ideals. Emporer Constantine is a major reason why Christianity was able to spread across the Roman Empire and could even be considered a reason why the religion is so prevalent today. Before Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, Christians were not treated with much respect in Roman society. As was shown in a letter from a Roman governor to a Roman Emperor, anyone suspected of being a Christian was arrested immediately and questioned about his or her beliefs. When someone was suspected of being a Christian, that person was asked three times whether or not he or she was in fact a Christian. Each time the answer was yes, harsher punishments were offered towards the person if the person was in fact a Christian. If the person admitted to being a Christian all three times, he or she was sent away for execution. This was how Christians were treated in the times before Christianity was accepted in Roman culture. Roman citizens who admitted to being Christians were not immediately executed, but were given a fair trial. Also, if a Christian repented his or her Christianity, he or she would be allowed to live as long and he or she worshipped the Emp eror, which is something that most Christians would not be willing to do. Christianity was looked down upon during this time period because the Emperor was seen as the highest being and the existence of a greater being undermined his authority. This means that the Emperor would do almost anything to ensure that the people did not believe in any other God, since it would take away from the power that he held. In fact, ?those who denied that they were or had ever been Christians? (Rome and the Early Christians) were forced to pray to the Roman Gods and praise the image of the Emperor. Constantine was the first Emperor to grant Christianity the status as an official religion, as he took Christian ideals into his own life. The most widely recognized story of how this came about is that Constantine saw the Greek letters that represent the word ? ?Christ? in the sky before a battle, while marching with his troops. Through this vision, Constantine began using a Christian emblem when going into battle, which is why many Christians believe that this is when he converted to Christianity. There are other stories, however, that claim that he did not officially convert to Christianity until he was on his deathbed, as it was a common belief that only past sins were forgiven by Baptism, so most people would wait until the last moment possible before going through with the ritual. Another reason why Constantine could have become a Christian was that his mother, Helena, could have been one. While very little is known about her background, it can be argued that she was raised a C hristian because later in life she was a part of numerous pilgrimages. Constantine was responsible for switching the day of rest of Saturday, which was originally the Sabbath, to Sunday, which is the first day of the week on in the Jewish calendar and also the day where Christ was Resurrected. Another thing that Constantine was responsible for was the building of many Churches throughout both the Holy Land and his Empire. These numerous Churches did a lot to support the growth of Christianity in the region and could be used to show the Constantine was in fact a Christian the entire time. Constantine was also responsible for bringing in religious reforms to the area. He ?ordered the abolition of crucifixion

5 Tips for Fixing Not Only . . . But Also Errors

5 Tips for Fixing Not Only . . . But Also Errors 5 Tips for Fixing â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Errors 5 Tips for Fixing â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Errors By Mark Nichol Few constructions cause as much consternation for editors as that in which a contrast is represented with the phrase â€Å"not only, . . but.† The solution to garbled syntax in such constructions is simple but bears repeating, so multiple sample sentences follow. But before we go any further, note not only that a comma following â€Å"not only† is unnecessary but also that also (or too or as well) is essential after but. At its most basic, the erroneous sentence structure you will see played out in several variations here is â€Å"(Subject) (this) (verb) and (that).† The correct sequence is â€Å"(Subject) (verb) (this) and (that).† 1. â€Å"I not only knew where this person was shopping and how much he or she was spending, but the exact time of each transaction.† For such a sentence to exhibit proper parallel structure, the verb following the subject must precede â€Å"not only† so that it applies to both parallel phrases, or the verb must be repeated. In the latter case, the sentence would read, â€Å"I not only knew where this person was shopping and how much he or she was spending; I also knew the exact time of each transaction.† This solution is correct but cumbersome. (I was tempted to write â€Å"not only correct but also cumbersome,† but one is favorable and the other unfavorable, so introducing parallel structure seems inappropriate.) For clarity and simplicity, try this: â€Å"I knew not only where this person was shopping and how much he or she was spending but also the exact time of each transaction.† (Note also the insertion of also.) 2. â€Å"When the United Kingdom went through its mad cow mess, it had to bury not just the dead animals that had gotten sick, but had to change its butchering methods.† That’s a clumsy (and erroneous) attempt to provide the verb twice. It’s far more elegant to compose the sentence so that a single had is strong enough: â€Å"When the United Kingdom went through its mad cow mess, it had to not only bury the dead animals that had gotten sick but also change its butchering methods.† 3. â€Å"Their drinking may not only reflect difficulties in sleeping and calming down, but the fact that their parents provided a chaotic and inconsistent home environment.† This sentence almost sounds right, but may, the verb that precedes â€Å"not only,† is an auxiliary, or helper, verb; it’s playing second banana to reflect, which must also precede â€Å"not only†: â€Å"Their drinking may reflect not only difficulties in sleeping and calming down but also the fact that their parents provided a chaotic and inconsistent home environment.† 4. â€Å"Extended-stay lodging may not only fulfill a practical purpose but an emotional one.† The error is most easily seen in sentences such as this one, in which the â€Å"but (also)† phrase is brief and noisily clatters to the floor, unsupported by the sentence structure: â€Å"Extended-stay lodging may fulfill not only a practical purpose but also an emotional one.† 5. â€Å"They understood that the devastation was not solely about the lack of water, but about the way the land had been used.† This sentence, in which solely stands in for only, places the â€Å"not only† element correctly, but, again, the comma is extraneous, and an inserted also is not: â€Å"They understood that the devastation was not solely about the lack of water but also about the way the land had been used.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcConfusing "Passed" with "Past"1,462 Basic Plot Types

At the Construction Summit held in 2001 it was agreed that there was Essay

At the Construction Summit held in 2001 it was agreed that there was no quick solution to the industry's health and safety problems - Essay Example d on the Health and Safety Commission since 1974, after the Health and Safety at Work (HSW) Act; an Act based on the belief that ‘disease leads to the cure’, hence the bodies that create risks also carried the means to ridden themselves of them (Robens, 1972). This Act introduced a goal-oriented, practical approach that paved the way for local bodies to employ new regulatory frameworks which led to the promotion of Health and Safety. The HSW Act led to the creation of two new bodies, which were: The HSC served to secure health, safety and the general well being of the workers whilst creating general public awareness and HSE works alongside HSC and enforces health and safety laws and regulations. Since 1974, noticeable progress has been made and has led to impressive results such as the total and complete elimination of the hazard of construction yet issues such as Construction remain unabated which keeps the situation at a standstill. Management and workers need to be made aware of the impending risks of construction. In an effort to create concrete and substantial targets the government along with HSC launched the ‘Revitalising health and safety strategy’ in 2000. This was to directly highlight the occupational hazard in the work place. After the introduction of this strategy, the Construction summit took place on 27th February 2001, led by the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott. The poor record of care and safety in the construction sector led to the realisation that measures needed to be taken to reform the state of affairs. The industry was obliged to commit to a change in performance that would practically be demonstrated. The intention behind this summit was to, catch the attention of the higher officials of the Construction Industry and to engage them in matters of health and safety which were a serious cause of concern for the work force. The government was encouraged to propose and adopt their own plans of dealing with matters that were

Malcolm X Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Malcolm X - Assignment Example The essay deals indepthly the acting, the film directing, and the historical accuracy of the film. The film Malcolm X is a film produced in the year 1992. It is essentially a biographical film that dwells around the African American activist Malcolm X. The film is co written and directed by Spike Lee, the actors and actresses who feature in the film are Denzel Washington who plays the role of Malcolm X, Angela Basset who plays the role of Dr. Betty Shabazz, Albert Hall who plays the role of a tough and strict muslim leader, Al Freeman Jr. who plays the role of Elijah Muhammad and Delroy Lindo who plays the role of West Indian Archie among others who play supporting roles. The Warner bros was the company involved with the production of the film. The essay deals indepthly the acting, the film directing, and the historical accuracy of the film. Denzel Washington who plays the main role of Malcolm X which is quite a huge role to play, but he brings out the effects quite effortlessly and still remains convincing enough to bring out the real character of Malcolm X. In all the scenes in the movie he seems natural and easy where he manages to fit perfectly in the nightlife of Harlem and later still effortlessly fits into the crowd of pilgrims in Mecca. Washington is an attractive and congenial actor and thus he is quite good in showing the unbending dogmatic side of Malcolm and his anger side. Al Freeman Jr. plays the role of Elijah Muhammad in an amazing way, in that, he behaved, looked and sounded like the real Muhammad fulfilling the screenplays delicate balance between the characters essence and the flaws of the character. Albert Hall is also an amazing and effective actor, taking the role of the tough and strict Muslim leader who takes time and lectures Malcolm on the aspect of self image and guides him into self awareness, but later on gets jealousy of Malcolm’s influence in the movement. This he brings out quite impressively in the film. Delroy Lindo brin gs out a two part powerful performance, as West Indian Archie, moving Malcolm by his weaknesses and impressing him with his power. Thus, it can be summarized that the actors did quite a good job in playing the roles of the characters they were assigned. The director of the film spike Lee has done a combination of several forms of narration. With skill he has conjoined them together to enhance the ideology of equality. As the movie unfolds, a structure that lacks linearity is utilized, thus, Malcolm Xs double life as an upcoming civil rights activist and a demoralized African American is shown through flashbacks to his rough childhood, and moving forward to Malcolm’s adult life and the other instances in between. In addition, voice over’s, using Malcolm X’s own audio voice, implies that he is narrating a story about some other person but in the real sense he is the subject. Also, Lee utilize the documentary footage about Malcolm x into his film skillfully so as t o make the art imitate life and the opposite too. With one crucial twist lee drives the plot by combining historical records and political ideologies. These different methods used in directing by Lee are quite effective in the narration of the story, as every viewer of the film can sympathize with Malcolm x and the African Americans with him and still comprehend the historical importance of the acts that he

The Liberty Leading the People - Eugne Delacroix Essay

The Liberty Leading the People - Eugne Delacroix - Essay Example The painting reveals the picture of a heroine carrying a flag and a musket slightly at the right of the painting. There is also a child who is holding two guns on the right of the painting. Additionally, another man is holding a sword and is armed for battle on the left corner. There is also another young man holding a musket at left of the painting. Apparently, many people are helplessly lying on the ground. In the background a blue sky and light is seen on the horizon. The flag carried by one woman, the heroine, is colored red, white and blue. The men, who are armed, are dressed in uniform ( Coetzee 45). The uniform constitutes of grey shirts, black three-piece tops, and khaki trousers. Additionally, all the armed men are wearing hats. The men are also carrying black bags with a certain trademark and a white handle. The buildings near the scene of the battlefront seem demolished. Some of the people lying down are in the same uniform as that of the men in action. The parts of the ar t, which are in light are the standing people like Eugene Delacroix and the woman with a rifle. The subdued people are in shade and the source of light is the rising sun at the horizon. The painting has a good mixture of colors, which have been used to create dà ©cor and beauty of the images and the background. The whole scene reveals a fierce confrontation between two rival groups and the scene that catches my eyes is the woman carrying the flag implies that a battle was worn and the group owning the flag worn the battle (Delacroix sand ONeill 67). The figures are intriguing and attractive to the audience especially because of the colors used to present them. There is movement portrayed by the painter. The woman with a rifle is presumed to be in motion given her position. The three dimensional reflection of the painting is manifest in the creative location of the background, the sky and the people at the forefront. The painter was standing at the front

The Theoretical Framework For The Translation English Language Essay

The Theoretical Framework For The Translation English Language Essay The commentary will be divided into three sections. The first section will introduce the source text, establish the theoretical framework for the translation, define the translation brief and carry out a comparison of the functions of source and target texts. The next section will focus on defining and analyzing the strategies implemented in the translation by providing examples from within the translation. The final section will be a conclusion of the preceding sections. Source Text The source text is an article titled Xin, Da, Ya: On Yan Fus Translation Theories and was written in Chinese by Professor Wong Wang-Chi of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The article was first published in the Journal of Translation Studies by the department of translation at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1997. Later it was published collection of works by author Wong in a book titled a Study of 20th Century Chinese Translation studies:Re-interpretation of xin, da and ya, by Shanghai Orient Press in 1999. The article contributes to the continuous academic debate among Chinese translation scholars on Yan Fus translation theory; xin, da and ya. Wong attempts to provide clearer interpretation of Yan Fus translation theory which had previously received much criticism claiming that it was flawed, inappropriate and contradictory. Due to the nature of text, it inevitably contains a large amount of theory-based content. The article was written with regard to Yan Fus translation preface of Tian Yan Lun, a translation of Huxleys Evolution and Ethics (1893). In this preface Yan Fu introduced his translation theory and it is therefore for this reason that Wongs piece contains large number quotations from Yan Fus preface; a preface which was written in classical Chinese prose in 1898, five years after the original was released. The fact that Yan Fus original translation was written in classical Chinese prose and obviously was published in the 19th century means that the way it is interpreted since then has been in constant debate. The combination of theory with both classical Chinese prose and modern Chinese means the task of translation was complex. The function of the original is to provide Chinese translation and literature fields with a fresh outlook on Yan Fus translation theory in response to previous criticism. It aims to change the critical way in which many scholars have looked upon this theory by allowing the reader to see Yan Fus theory in a different light. Deep down Wongs motives are clearly to defend Yan Fu and put right those previously who have misunderstood Yan Fus theory and then gone on to misrepresent Yan Fu in the field of translation studies. The target audience of the source text are Wongs fellow translation studies scholars and those students who are studying translation studies at least at undergraduate level. This is due to the heavy reliance on examples in classical Chinese prose throughout the text and the style of the authors writing. The text possesses a corrective and educative nature. Theoretical Framework A Brief Background A Functionalist Approach The theoretical framework chosen for this translation is a functionalist approach. The functionalist approach was first suggested by Kathrina Reiss in 1971 (2000:92), it developed further in the 1970s and 80s in Germany and was focal to the shift from predominantly linguistic and rather formal translation theories to a more functionally and socioculturally orientated concept of translation (Schaffner 1998:235). It was a shift that Gentzler described as one of the two most important theoretical developments in translation studies over the past two decades (2001:70). This aproach notably has been developed by a number of scholars in german language countries, including Kathrina Reiss, Hans Vermeer, Mary Snell-Hornby, Christiane Nord and Justa Holz-Manttari (2001:69). The functionalist approach not only allows for greater emphasis to be placed on the target text, but also provides a framework to evaluate better the role of the translator, something that previous theories failed to accom modate. The functionalist approach consists of a number of fundamental principles; All strategies are determined by the function of the translation. The function is defined by the commissioner through the translation brief. The function of the translation need not be identical to that of the original. A translation that achieves its intended purpose is to be declared as functional. (cf. Nord 2006) Functionalist scholars believe that translation should always strive to achieve optimal solutions within actual conditions (Gentzler 2001:70-71). However, importantly functionalist advocates admit there is no such thing as a perfect translation. Controversially the functionalist approach can be criticized as being too vague and not being extensive enough, Despite the plausible flaws in the approach, it is still recognized for decisively brought about the breaking of the two thousand year old chain of theory resolving around the faithful vs. free axis (Gentzler 2001:71). The framework for this translation will focus on Reiss and Vermeers Skopos theory (1984), a theory that has been established within the parameters of the functionalist approach. Skopos theory The was Skopos theory was established by Reiss and Vermeer in 1984. The theory is based around the skopos or the function, purpose or aim of a translation (Vermeer 1989:221). The main components of the theory are the overall aim (skopos), the purpose set in order to achieve the aim, the intention behind the aim and the eventual function of the target language text in terms of its readership. This means that any form of translation strategy implemented will be determined these four components of the skopos theory which in turn from the purpose that the translation will later go on to serve. Functionalists advocate that translation like any other activity in that behavior is determined by its intent, in other words, the end justifies the means (Nord 1997:29). The skopos theory provides the translator with the means to justify their decision making. According to Vermeer, every text has a given goal, function or intention and that any text can adopt a different function when applied in d ifferent circumstances with a different audience (1989:227). Therefore the translation is no longer classified as loyal or disloyal, but measured in terms of how consistent translation is in relation to the purpose and intention of the target text, which are defined from the viewpoint of the receiver. An important aspect of the skopos theory is that the source and target texts must be viewed separately to allow the theory to function. Reiss and Vermeer state that every text is an offer of information and indicating that the source and target text a two separate entities (House 1997:16). The translator is simply offering certain information from the source text in accordance with the skopos specified by the commissioner (Reiss and Vermeer 1991:76) By distinguishing clearly between the source and target texts it enables the a kind of translation to be carried out that does not place the source text at its realm. In other words, the text can take on a new function which can be viewed as an extension of the original, even though it might involve changing the function altogether, as Nord states written texts can exist outside their original situation (1991/2005:8). This means again means that the function target text it not restricted by the original, but most importantly is pragmatica lly defined by the purpose of the intercultural transfer (1991/2005:11). One of the most significant aspects the Skopos theory is its approach to equivalence and adequacy. According to Reiss and Vermeer, equivalence can defined as an identical communicative function shared across both source and target texts (House 1997:12) and adequacy can be defined as being the relationship between the source and translation where no functional match is obtained and the skopos of the translation has been attended to (1997:12). At the same time, the skopos remains more important than any form of equivalence. In translating between Chinese and English, two contrasting cultures, it is pivotal that we highlight the fundamental principle that just in the same way that source text is bound to or embedded within the source culture, the target text should also be orientated towards the target culture (Vermeer 1989:222-223). Following on from the initial establishment of the skopos theory by Reiss and Vermeer, Chrisiane Nord also contributes to the functionalist approach. Nord modifies the previous work on skopos theory by attempting to rebalance the excessively target text orientated skopos theory, claiming the priority of the target text purpose does not mean that the source text is irrelevant, as it sometimes assumed (1997:62). Moreover, she points out that the source text provides the offer of information that forms the starting point for the offer of information formulated in the target text (1997:62). Nord extends on the skopos theory by providing a model of source text analysis that Reiss and Vermeer had failed to cover, which in turn makes for a more comprehensive theory, a theory which is used as a framework for this translation. It is also important to recognize as Nord concludes that optimum circumstances for carrying out translation is when intention and function would be analogous or even identical (1997:28). In the case of this translation the intentions certainly are analogous, which signifies this theory is appropriate for this translation. Other Relevant Approaches Text Typology This model of translation was based on Bulhers typology. Reiss outlined her three text types: informative, expressive and operative. This model of translation is focuses on the functional relationship between source and target texts. It fundamentally involves the categorization of texts into either on of the three categories mentioned above(Reiss 1977), then dependent on which category the text falls under determines the translation strategies implemented by the translator. Translational Action This theory was introduced by Hola-Manttari, who defines translation as a complex action designed to achieve a particular process (Nord 1997:12-13). Hola-Manttari focuses on specific aspects of the translation process such as the translator, the receiver of the message, time, place and medium. This approach has been praised by Schaffer, who recognizes the versatility in accommodating all types of translation (1997:5). The theory considers highly the needs of the target text receiver. Although similar to the skopos theory it also bears the wrath of Nords criticism for neglecting the source text (1991:28). Nords Model of Text Analysis Nords model of text analysis consists of two main aspects; extratextual factors and intratextual factors. It gives a framework that allows both the source and potential target text to be analyzed. Nord divides translation problems into four categories; pragmatic, cultural, linguistic and text specific (1991:158-160). Hypothetical Translation Brief The translation brief is very influential in any translation, it is even more important in the functionalist approach. It gives both explicit and implicit information with regard to the intention, purpose and audience. It defines the conditions under which the translation is practiced. It is these conditions that influence the way in which the translator behaves. Munday states that it allows the translator to prioritize what information to include in the target text and to see where the source text and the target text may diverge (2001:82). This translation has been commissioned by Renditions, the leading international journal of Chinese literature in English language.   Based in Hong Kong, Renditions has striven to provide a unique yet rich variety of both classical and contemporary Chinese literature to the western world. It will be made commercially available in topical edition based on Chinese translation theory. The translation aims to present the latest standpoint on one of the most influential Chinese translation theories in translation studies history.   It will bring a more balanced, comprehensive understanding of Yan Fus translation theory among western translation scholars and students of translation.   The translation should ensure that those in the West are more sensitive to his theory.   Source and Target Text Function In order to effectively identify the strategies necessary to carry out the translation we must first establish the function of both the source and target texts. As it has been stated in the preceding paragraph the function of the source text is to outline the authors interpretation of Yan Fus translation theory; correcting those previous misunderstandings and at the same time defend Yan Fu. Therefore, in certain aspects the text is fullfilling an informative function in that it is sharing the view of Professor Wong Kwok-Pung, but furthermore the text has a operational function in that it is arguing for the defense of Yan Fus translation theory and is attempting to convince its audience that Yan Fu has been misrepresented. It has then become apparent that he source text possesses a combination of two functions. It is important to point out that the audience for this text is very niche as it is an scholarly and theoretical text which contains classical Chinese prose even those with a u niversity education will not necessarily be able to comprehend. With regard to the function of the target text, the function is similar to that of the source text. The key difference is that it takes on more of an educative function. It intends to educate western scholars of translation through increasing their sensitivity to the on going Yan Fu debate among Chinese translation scholars. Consequently, the target text is content focused, therefore the offer of information must be accurate in relation to the offer of information in the source text (Nord :80). In order to ensure that the translator is able to effectively transfer this information accurately, it is recommended that a literal translation strategy is used providing it can reach a level of naturalness that guarantees clarity and the presentation of the ideas and understandings of a fairly complex translation theory. This important as presently there exists a diversity among the understandings of the main concepts that form the basis of the theory. At this moment there is a key differenc e between the source and target texts; the source text audience is limited by both style of writing (classical Chinese) and the actual contents. On the other hand, the target will be restricted only by its content and not by the writing style as it will be mainly plain English. Therefore it audience will be extended by a more reader friendly text. The target text is aiming to turn a complex source text into a target text that is much clearer Strategies Used I n this section the strategies used by the translator will be discussed. A functionalist approach, in particular the skopos theory will determine these strategies which applied in this translation. It has also been recognized that the text is both informative and operational. Therefore, a balance must be found between being highly content focused in which no loss of information can be accepted, but also ensure the function of text is achieved, the translator must render the text in so that it is readable and conforms to the target text language conventions. Terminology Research Dictionaries, glossaries and parallel texts provide a resource that allows vital terminology research. Dictionaries are a tool used by translators across the world. In this translation a number of dictionaries have been referenced; bilingual and monolingual both modern and classic Chinese. Bilingual dictionaries provide a comprehensive range of terms including examples in a number of contexts. Despite that, there are instances with certain terminology when the bilingual dictionary does not suffice. A monolingual dictionary is used in instances when the incompleteness and inconsistency of the bilingual dictionary mean that terminology cannot be referenced. A specialized ancient chinese dictionary was required in this translation as the source text contains substantial amounts of classical Chinese prose. Dictionaries used Due to the difficulty in dealing with sections of classical Chinese prose within the source text, It was unavoidable that the translator depend on the assistance of a specialists outside of the field of translation. Nord (1991:158-160) describes this as being a text-specific problem, which is one of the four translation problems, as the source was written by a specialist. Although the fact that area of specialization in the source text is translation, but the fact that it is a technical text (1991:158-160) does still prove to be a problem. In terms of this translation, I sought the cooperation of a post graduate student from the University of Warwick who possessed an excellent knowledge of classical Chinese prose. He was able to help with difficulties in terminology and provide an evaluated opinion on the translated version of certain terms. Omission Omission is a strategy that is employed in instances when information is redundant and is non-beneficial to the function of the translation or the target reader. All forms of information must be able to make sense in the culture in which they exist. For example, the footnotes in the source text give reference to several Chinese authors and their work, all of which is in Chinese. I do not believe that supplying a translated version of these footnotes will provide any real support to the purpose of the text. Therefore, I have omitted all four of the footnotes which were present in the original. It is appreciated that some people believe the footnotes should be preserved in the translation and further explanatory information should accompany them. Despite this the decision to omit was made as the information was simply not significant enough to the target reader. Addition It is natural that the background knowledge of the source text audience and the target text audience may differ.   This means that the translator at times must employ strategies to either omit redundant or irrelevant information and also provide more information to supplement the the text in order to counteract the in balance in background knowledge, and in turn enable the target text reader to comprehend. There are a number instances in which historical and culture points are referred to within the source text.   These points are crucial in the explanation of Wongs standpoint and the understanding of Yan Fus theory.   By providing supplementary information regarding those theoretical terms, historical and cultural references in the translation it ensures the English readers are able to understand.   In particular with the terms xin, da and ya which are used throughout the text.   It is very important to add supplementary explanations.   If these items are not made clear in the initial stages of the translation then they will lead to the reader being distracted which is detrimental to the development of the text. Literal translation Literal translation involves following closely the structure, form and lexical meanings of the source text. It is based converting text constructions into their target text equivalents. By translating each lexical word means they are often out of context in target text form. It allows for accuracy in the transfer of information that explains why many people have misunderstood Yan Fus ideas. The main issue with literal translation is that those implicit and contextual meanings are neglected. This could potentially be damaging to the effective transfer of information. Example Source Text: à §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ… ½Ãƒ ¥Ã…“ ¨Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ®Ã…’à ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚  Ã‚ ·Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¥Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ¶Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ²Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¦Ã…“†°Ãƒ ©Ã‚ ©Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã…  Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ®Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¦Ã‹â€ -à ¤Ã‚ ½Ã…“à ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ §Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ £Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã…  Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à §Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬Å"à ¦Ã… ¾Ã…“à ¥Ã‚ ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ °Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ §Ã…’Å“Ã ¥Ã‚ Ã…  Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ·Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ±Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ Target Text: Due to the fact that Yan Fu himself did neither define nor explain in detail these three characters immediately after proclaiming them, as a result it led to much subjective speculation and confusion. In the example above a literal translation strategy has been implemented. The original forms and meanings have been preserved, or at least to some extent. In the first example, due to the fact that there is an equivalent available in the target text means the translation is straightforward. However, in the second example, to simply render the text in accordance with the source text would result in unnaturalness. As a result the it has been altered to conform with the target text norms. As there is an evident inter-lingual difference between Chinese and English, there are instances in which it is not possible to translate literary. An attempt at literal translation will result in unnaturalness in the target language text. In my translation a number of pragmatic strategies have been employed, all of which promote naturalness and readability in the target text. Admittedly, accuracy may be sacrificed in order to ensure the target text audience are able understand and fully engage with the target text. There are a few examples below; Example 1.01 Source Text: à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ²Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ £Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Literal Translation: Carving up technique Target Text: Misrepresentation Potential Alternative: Quote of context; garble his statement Example 1.02 Source Text: GAP Literal Translation: Eliminate Target Text: Clear up In the two examples above illustrates a certain loss in meaning. The source text expresses more strongly in a way that becomes unnatural in the target text. In the target text example 1.01 it shows a two version of translation. The translator had to decide not to use the potential alternative because to a certain extent it seemed too toned down and neutral to truly represent the source text. The translator opted to use misrepresentation as it is able to represent at least to some extent the strong connotation of the original. It is inevitable that strong connotation in the original is to be sacrificed in order to achieve naturalness in the target text. The next example (1.02) is a connotation similar to the previous example, but it was not possible to find an equivalent that possessed the same strong connotation as in the target text. The translator is left with no choice but sacrifice the connotation for a weaker, more natural target text equivalent. This kind of adaptation guarante es naturalness. Example 1.03 Source Text: à ©Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ §Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¦Ã‹â€ Ã‚  Literal Translation: Following a logical chain of thought Target Text: Reasonably Potential Alternative: Naturally Example 1.04 Source Text: à §Ã‚ ¼Ã‹Å"à ¦Ã…“ ¨Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ±Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ©Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ¼ Literal Translation: climbing a tree to seek a fish. Target Text: Fruitless approach Potential Alternative: climbing a tree to seek a fish (a fruitless approach) Although the two examples above (1.03 and 1.04) both can be translated literally, however, they seem to be too long-winded. The translation must conform to the norms of the target language. It is important to avoid any unnecessary unnaturalness that may be detrimental to the development of the target text. As the authors intention is to defend Yan Fus theory, it is crucial that messages and meanings are transferred into the target text effectively. Example 1.05 illustrates an example where a target version that strongly represents the meaning of the source is rejected due to its length and unnaturalness. Source Text: à ¤Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ®Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¾Ã… ¾Ãƒ §Ã‚ «Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã… ¡ Rejected translation: The use of certain methods specifically in accordance with the subject of the literary piece allows for enhanced cultural expression, faithfully expressing the real ideas and emotions of the original Target Text: An authors writing allows for enhanced expression that should sincerely reflect his thoughts and emotions In-text reference As the name suggests, it is the providing of extra information within the text itself. It is a strategy used to explain a term that is alien to the readership such as Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) or simply assist them in comprehending the text. In the translation this strategy was not used often as it confuses the reader, especially in theoretical based text. Syntactical Convention The syntactic structure of Chinese and English are different. In terms of this translation, this means that alterations to the sequencing elements of the source text so that it reads naturally in the target language. An example of the changes that need to be made is shown below; Source Text: à ¥Ã‚ ®Ã… ¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ §Ã‚ ²Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ §Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ ®Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¨Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ±Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ­-à ¦Ã‚ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¥Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¨Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¦Ã‹Å"â€Å" ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸-à ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¿-à ¦-†¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ­- ¼Ã…’à ¥Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ±Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ©Ã… ¡Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ Literal Transaltion: The fact is that with original texts which contain abstruse contents and are written in the terse and allusive language, to use the lexicon and sentence structure of pre-Han Dynasty proves better in expressing the original texts. Target Text: The fact is that the lexicon and sentence structures of pre-Han Dynasty prose prove to better express original texts which contain abstruse contents and are written in the terse and allusive language. The underlined part of each example highlights the change in structure. The text must function as an informative or educative and present an argument, in order to achieve this, the above adaptation has been made to emphasize readability. The next example below demonstrates the problems with complex sentence structures. To allow the reader to understand the target text modification is inevitable. Source Text: à ¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ ªÃƒ §Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¶Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ±Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ±Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ­-à ¦Ã‚ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ³Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ½Ã…“à §Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¯Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¦Ã‹Å"â€Å"à §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¦Ã… ¾Ã…“ ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ »Ã…  Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ ©Ãƒ §Ã…“†¹Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¾Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ½Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¦Ã… ¾Ã…“à ¦Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¨Ã†â€™Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã… ½Ãƒ ¥Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ ²Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ¦Ãƒ ¥Ã… ½Ã‚ »Ãƒ §Ã…“†¹Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ªÃƒ ©- ®Ãƒ ©Ã‚ ¢Ã‹Å" ¼Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¼Ã… ¡Ãƒ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¾-à ¦Ã…“†°Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ¢â‚¬  Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ Literal Translation: Naturally, Yan Fus demands of using lexicon and sentence structure of pre-Han Dynasty prose in carrying out translation, furthermore the belief that it can achieve da, today it seems unthinkable, but if we look at this problem from a historical point of view then we wouldnt feel that there was any inappropriateness at all. Target Text: Naturally, today when we look back on Yan Fus belief of using lexicon and sentence structure of pre-Han Dynasty prose to achieving da, it seems to be unimaginable. However, if we look at this problem from a historical point of view then we wouldnt feel that there was any inappropriateness at all. The lengthy sentence in the example above has not only been divided into two separate units or sentences, but also the order of the units have been rearranged for it to make sense. Elsewhere, in Chinese the subjects are often unexpressed and the object can also occasionally be omitted. In particular, these instances occur more frequently in classical Chinese. It is left to the reader to determine the subject and object in any given sentence which can prove ambiguous. When rendering the text it is important the object or subject is inserted into the translated text to allow the reader to understand. This is shown in example 1.07 where the object is inserted in square brackets to ensure the reader is not confused. The channels that communicate the message of the original should be kept clear and concise. Alterations The source does not only contain a number of paragraphs from Yan Fus original translation preface, the author also quotes on a number of occasions throughout his text. This means the task of translation becomes extremely difficult because the context changes slightly. The initial issue is that it is was not possible to translate the sections of classical Chinese literally, furthermore, as it was very important to make clear the original meanings in these sections as Wong bases his essay on them, the translation strategy adopted was loyal to the meanings and had to presented be clear, concise and natural in the target language. It is for this reason that literal translation was not possible. However, the problem arose when these translations had to fit into Wongs main texts that were written in mainly in modern Chinese. Example 1.05 demonstrates that in the original classical Chinese it does contain the word meaning, but it is left out because it is not necessary in the context of the whole passage. As Wong quotes this line in a separate instance the meaning is then required. In this instance the translator must use an in-text reference and not change the structure of the quotation in order to remain consistent. If a translation shows inconsistency then the reader will be confused. Example 1.05 Source Text: à ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Ãƒ ¦Ã…“ ¬Ãƒ ¦-†¡ Translated Passage of Classical Chinese: provided that the translation does not contradict of the original Quotation from the Passage in Main Text: provided that the translation does not contradict [the meaning] of the original) Footnotes Footnotes are used to provide additional information that is necessary to further explain certain terms or concepts in the text. They are usually employed when the supplementary information needed is too long to provide a parenthetical reference. It must be noted that footnotes should be used minimally to avoid distracting the reader in a way which will negatively influence the development of the text. As Baker states, unnecessary addition of information will only lower the readability of the text (1992:40). This translation uses footnotes to enable the reader to understand the source text. In other words they ensure the reader maintains connected with the text. For example to present an alien term without giving a supplementary explanation to the reader leads them to be unable to maintain their connection with the text. In this text there are instances when footnotes are employed to make the target text clearer in areas in which the author of the source text has failed, example on p age XX of the translation the translator uses footnotes to explain the term expression of intention which is one of the main elements of Yan Fus theory. The original author has not made much effort to make the chunks of classical Chinese prose more comprehendible to someone who does not understand this form of ancient Chinese. By doing this the author expresses that he wishes his text to function only among a very niche audience, I mean Wong could have provided a modern Chinese version of those sections. In the translation, the use of clear, plain English eradicates this potential restriction on its audience. The translated text intends to be accessible to all those who have interest in or understanding of the theoretical content of the original. Therefore, in a way the translation extends the influence of the original. In addition footnotes are used to counteract the lack of shared background knowledge between the source and target audience. The strategy shown below is an example of contextual amplification in which items, which source readers take for granted and that target readers do not understand, are explained. Example 1 On Page XX an explanation of the Tong

Alternative Fuel :: Hydrogen Fuel H2/02

Hydrogen can be "packaged" in several ways, as a fuel gas in a H2/02 powered engine or the newly devised solid state pellet of hydrogen isotopes that contains about the equivalent of 5000 cubic feet of hydrogen and is broken down and releases gas into the second chamber where it goes to the engine for use. There are many ways to get pure hydrogen out of many compounds using methods such as electrolysis and chemical reactions. One of the easiest ways is using a chemical reaction. Simple chemicals (aluminum,sodium hydroxide, and water) can be reacted in the home to produce heavy hydrogen to power your furnace or your hot water heater . No electrical power at all is required. The reaction also gives off a tremendous amount of heat. Even the waste heat could be captured for heating the house. The resulting sodium aluminate is harmless and could be collected at recoiling centers for complete acid/base neutralization. This way is a simpler way than electrolysis produce hydrogen for heating the home, because in a automobile it would be harder to do. Electrolysis is another way to produce hydrogen electronically. It is a way that I am more familiar with because I do it quite a bit in my room and have done several experiments with it. Electrolysis will produce a 2:1 ratio of hydrogen to oxygen out of water. higher voltages will give you faster collection. With a 12-volt battery it took around a half an hour to get a quarter of a mountain dew bottle filled with a catalyst of a small amount of Baking Soda. I used it because it was cheap and I knew it worked. Another time I used a 75 volt / 2 amp power supply with a catalyst of 2 drops of sulfuric acid to a pint of water and the result was very differing from the last time. I filled the whole mountain dew bottle in less than 6 minutes. All of that gas came from a little less than a drop of water(when I light it off there was only a little spec of water on the

Nucor – Porter’s 5 Forces

NUCOR AT A CROSSROADS CASE ANALYSIS NUCOR’S SUSTAINED PERFORMANCE RECORD PORTER’S 5 FORCES ANALYSIS †¢ Supplier Power: With the eventual exit of integrated steel companies from buying scrap, the options available with suppliers to sell, reduced. Nucor started several small plants that were close to suppliers ; customers, thereby reducing transportation costs. Also, the sites chosen had inexpensive electricity. Their employee-centric policies resulted in them having lowest attrition levels ; a steady supply of new employees. Thus the supplier power was moderate-low. Buyer Power: Although Nucor employed the latest technology ; competitive prices, with imported steel available, the buyers had more options to choose from. However, Nucor’s customer service was a differentiator that buyers were willing to pay for. Hence, the Buyer power was mildly unattractive. †¢Barriers to Entry: Minimill business was a capital-intensive business for a new player. Also, for existing integrated steel makers, their reluctance to adapt to newer technology ; smaller scale discouraged them to get into the market of the minimills. Thus it was mildly attractive from Nucor’s point of view. Threat of Substitutes: With wide availability of substitutes such as aluminum, plastics ; advanced composites, the demand for steel had stagnated. Hence, the threat of substitutes in the future was highly unattractive. †¢ Degree of rivalry: The integrated steel makers didn’t threaten Nucor’s business. Nucor always had the cost advantage ; efficiency coupled with superior technology ; innovation. However, this was challenged by the global steel makers which resulted in lowering of prices ; lower margins. The only differentiation for Nucor was its highly sought-after customer service.Thus the degree of rivalry was high. Thus overall, Nucor had sustained performance so far, due to its technology innovation, lean operations, high efficiency, strong emp loyee relations ; superior customer service. However, going ahead, with availability of substitutes ; growing threat of equally good foreign steel makers, the sustainability is in question unless Nucor innovates ; strategically aligns itself to the changing demands of its customers. FUNCTIONAL FIT †¢ Low Cost Focus Strategy: Nucor adoption of organic growth helped in bridging the gap between the company and its customers.Mills were set up near the Vulcraft operations and Vulcraft in turn ensured speedy delivery of the products to its customers. The company was also able to bring down the fixed order processing costs by using computerized order entry and billing systems. With the help of competent distribution and other measures, the company was successful in raising the willingness of the customers to pay even if the price was increased. Also, the company focused on the low end segment. †¢ Organizational systems / Procedures: Nucor had a flat organizational structure. They decentralized the plant-level decision making to the respective plant managers.This led to a lot of autonomy ; faster decision making thus providing them an advantage over the competitors. The performance measurement was more quantitative in nature for the plant managers, where they had to meet specific revenue targets. The Nucor management supported creativity ; risk taking as they firmly believed in innovation ; improvisation. There was a relatively high degree of inter-plant communication vis-a-vis consolidation of orders, sharing of deliverables, etc. Thus the plants didn’t entirely work in isolation, although the structure was decentralized.At the plant level, there were conscious efforts to treat all levels of employees at par ; make all of them feel equally important ; relevant to the organization. †¢ Performance Measurement: The performance of the plant manager was more quantitative in nature. However for those of the other employees, it was a mix of qualitative as well as quantitative. This is because of their emphasis on productivity ; quality. The reward / compensation were more group based rather than individual based, encouraging teamwork. †¢ Values / Culture Review: Employee focus was the hallmark of Nucor.They encouraged risk taking, creativity ; innovation. Their policies didn’t allow for much differentiation between different cadres. Their flat structure had decentralized decision making, they provided employees a sense of belonging / ownership with the organization. The all-cash incentives were regularly doled out ; were directly performance linked – quality ; quantity-wise. Their strong employee-bonding started right from the time the plant was constructed, till retirement. They didn’t believe in firing ; during lean times, would rather cut back on working hours, than fire people.The end result was that they not only had a highly productive, motivated, experienced ; non-unionized work force, but their e mployee turnover was much below the industry average ; they had many people willing to work for them. Their high human capital was a clear differentiator ; advantage over the competition in the steel industry. Thus, Nucor’s approach of controlled growth, focus on technology ; innovation, high employee productivity coupled with a dedicated workforce, decentralized ; quick decision making, have resulted in a sustained growth ; success of Nucor.For sustainability in the future, Nucor will have to continue to focus on technology ; innovation as it has been its point of differentiation among its competitors. TETRA-THREAT FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABILITY ANALYSIS: Threat of Imitation: †¢ The advantage it derived from a flatter decentralized structure ; a motivated workforce, was hard to imitate, as it would mean reorganizing the organization ; it would take much longer to be effective. †¢ Nucor constantly innovated ; used latest technology. Hence, even though a competitor cop ied its technology, it would take time for it to implement it ; in that while, Nucor would have moved n to a newer technology. †¢ Costs of imitation in this case are the capital investments that would have to be made ; the economies of scale that will have to be achieved. Threat of Substitution: †¢ The internal threat of substitution by means of resource substitution is very little, as the employee attrition rate is very low compared to industry level ; the services offered to customers is of high value for the customers. †¢ External threat of substitution is high due to emergence of aluminum, plastics, etc as cheaper substitutes for steel.But as Nucor is focused on innovation, it can counter this by itself moving towards these substitutes or coming up with further innovative ways to make steel which can compete with the substitutes. However this would mean further investments in technology ; infrastructure ; training of employees. Threat of Holdup: †¢ Nucor has a strong vertical integration ; the market for the suppliers is limited as the integrated steel makers are no longer in its market. So threat of holdup from suppliers is low. †¢ It also adds value with superior customer service, which the buyers are willing to pay for.But the buyers do have option to opt for imported steel. Thus, Nucor will have to sustain the additional value it generates for its buyers. Threat of Slack: †¢ Nucor has optimized the technology that is available for manufacture. It also has a dedicated skilled workforce. However it has not fully exploited these to venture into newer steel markets or into a Joint Venture with foreign steel makers who could provide newer technology. However its organizational structure ; policies are suited for sustained growth. UNCERTAINITIES AND RISKS ASSOCIATED 1.Technological threat: CSP would become obsolete in 10-12 years time, as new technology of casting even thinner slab was already under way. This posed risk and unce rtainty to Nucor’s heavy investment in CSP, but adoption of this technology could give it the first mover advantage also. 2. Quality: SMS’s pilot plant ran only 7 minutes and produced 12 tons per charge due to space constraints. It wasn’t clear if it could take the load from continuous operations and sustain the wear and tear. The components had to operate with more than 96% reliability for it to be cost-effective. 3.Raw Material: Nucor used scrap as its raw material, and the uncertainty of the scrap prices could make the project not viable. If scrap prices rose above $ 140 per ton, Nucor might have to shift to Direct Reduced Iron as raw material which would require major changes in facility and operations. 4. Competition: Other minimills will also adopt CSP in a few years and hence Nucor may not be able to bask in the glory of first mover advantage. It wasn’t even clear if first mover advantage would offset the huge costs this project entails. 5. Company : They didn’t have the expertise in flat rolled products which had to be acquired.Integrated mills adopting CSP were a major threat as they already had the expertise in flat rolled production. 6. Operations: CSP plant was very large and more complex. It couldn’t have been located in rural areas, where Nucor have till now established their plants, hence would require new strategy to cater to these plants. 7. Growth: Nucor was concerned that it would have to enter the high end market if it plans to build more plants with CSP technology and that would require products with superior quality ; reliability of delivery, which CSP did not guarantee for such products.Moreover the high end market demanded relationship based marketing which involved the customers at early level of development of product, which would be difficult. 8. Resources: If Nucor pursued both the projects i. e. CSP and joint venture with Yamato Kogyo, then it would have to stretch its financial resources an d raise equity or debt for huge capital expenditures for the initial years. But, according to its policies, Nucor restricted its debt/equity ratio to less than 30 % and did not issue new stock. So the problem of raising funds for the two projects is a matter of concern.PROJECT FEASABILITY ? Financial Decisions Assumptions: †¢ The new project technology will become obsolete in 10 to 12 years of time, so assuming that this project will last for 12 years of time including 2 and half years of startup time and two years for full capacity utilization. Assumed that 50 % of capacity will be utilized in 3rd yr, 80% in 4th yr and full from 5th yr onwards. †¢ The capital expenditure of $280mn takes place in phase wise manner with $70mn today, $170mn in first year and $40mn in second year with additional $30mn in second year for startup cost.Working capital of $30mn will also be divided in 3 years based on their capacity utilization. †¢ The revenues and costs are adjusted with an inflation of 3. 5% each year. †¢ The rising scrap prices are also taken into consideration. †¢ Assuming that reduction in labor costs and savings in energy will be absorbed by inflation. †¢ Depreciation taken around 13% w. r. t. given data (Done by WDV method). †¢ Tax rate taken around 44%. †¢ Assume salvage value equal to the book value at the end of the project life. †¢ As the industry is stable, so taken beta value (=0. 95) around market beta (=1). Keeping the Debt/Equity ratio to be around 15%, according to existing capital structure policies. The Capital budgeting of the project leads to the following analysis: IRR=11. 8%, NPV =$18mn and ROC=26. 5% The Expected rate of return of the project is more than the WACC (10. 19%) and NPV;gt;0, though it is not very high. The project is therefore financially viable and can be adopted. ? Industry Opportunities: †¢ As the market for low end products was beginning to reach saturation, CSP was a great opp ortunity for Nucor to enter into flat rolled products.It could easily enter into the low end of the flat sheet market, consisting mostly of construction applications, where low price was key differentiator. †¢ Its internal sales (Vulcraft division) could be 100,000 tons of flat sheets each year to produce steel deck. †¢ Moreover, it could enter into the high end market after some years by expanding its capacity, which will make it possible for Nucor to compete with US integrated mills and capture their market share. †¢ The threat of ocean freight imports could be mitigated by the reduced costs. Construction industry offers good opportunity as it takes high priced products from the integrated steel mills and CSP will give Nucor the cost advantage to charge lesser price and hence be able to sell its products. ? Operations: †¢ CSP would lead to savings in casting operations, labor costs and energy costs. †¢ Nucor would be able to achieve economies of scale at a reduced output as compared to the US integrated mills. The yields will be higher and the operating costs will reduce. ? Technology: †¢ Nucor had the drive to embody technological advances.It invested heavily in upgrading its capacity. Its investment levels were 2. 9 times its depreciation charges, wherein the three largest integrated firms had a ratio around 1. 6. Through CSP, Nucor will gain the first mover advantage for atleast a few years. †¢ Hazelett Caster wasn’t as effective as CSP. Also, there were some operational constraints with Hazelett approach like expensive conveyor belts, reduced product quality and increased maintenance costs. Conclusion: Taking all the business and financial aspects into consideration, Nucor should go ahead with this technology.

Blowing in the Wind Essays

Blowing in the Wind Essays Blowing in the Wind Paper Blowing in the Wind Paper Is The Answer: Blowing in the Wind? With the figure of people turning daily, the usage of electricity is on the addition. The Earth will run out of the supply of fossil fuels, if this uneconomical usage continues. The modern comfortss as ovens, air conditioners, visible radiations, etc. all use electricity. We need to look for other beginnings of energy. The other beginnings could be solar, atomic, H2O, and air current power. The 1 that does nt consume itself is wind power. No affair how much air current that is used, there is ever wind left for tomorrow. The good thing about air current is that it is free. As we face the energy jobs of tomorrow, we need to retrieve the words of Bob Dylan`s vocal: Is The Answer: Blowing in the Wind? When you are outside and the air current is blowing, you can experience it. Wind will mess your hair, blow things into you, and if difficult adequate knock you down. You can`t wing a kite or sail your boat without air current. Wind can work for you by utilizing the kinetic energy it produces to pump H2O or do electrical power. Wind moves across the surface of the Earth. A hurricane can bring forth really strong air current and at other times a soft zephyr will rustle the foliages. The Sun plays an of import portion in bring forthing air current by the uneven warming of the Earth. Warm air rises and colder air replaces it. This is called circulation and the air current is the air traveling. Sometimes there are big countries of air current, and certain provinces are more blowy than others. Examples of blowy provinces are California, Texas, and Oklahoma. Peoples have been utilizing the air current to make work for centuries. Mechanical energy or electrical energy is made from the wind`s kinetic energy. Wind can force a boat when the canvass are up. Farmers have used the air current to crunch their maize and wheat by turning crunching rocks, which works like a H2O wheel. Windmills have been around for centuries and used to pump H2O from Wellss. Windmills were used in Holland to travel H2O from low lying countr ies. The air current has been used for old ages, and now more and more it is used to do electricity. Air traveling over the Earth produces air current power energy. In rural countries the windmill was replaced by electricity brought in by power lines. The air current turbines became more popular in the 1970s when used to replace the more expensive electricity. In the `80s and `90s when the environment became more of import the turbine was seen as an good energy beginning that did non damage the environment. Wind energy is converted into mechanical energy by utilizing a air current turbine. When used to pump H2O or as a crunching rock the machine is called a windmill. If the power is changed into electricity, the machine is a air current turbine or a air current generator. The â€Å"upwind† air current turbine has three blades the faces into the air current. Another common air current turbine is the two-bladed or lee turbine. Wind turbines make electricity by working antonym of a fan. A air current turbine uses air current to do power, but a fan uses electricity to do air current. The shaft of the turbine connects to a generator, and as the air current turns the blades electricity is produced. Large turbines range in size from 50 to 70 kWs, while little turbines that are used for places or H2O pumping produce below 50 kWs. Horizontal axis and perpendicular axis are the two general types of air current turbines. The differences in these turbines is: the perpendicular axis has blades that rotate perpendular to the land, and a horizontal axis blades` rotate analogue to the land. The most common air current turbine is the horizontal axis design, but the perpendicular axis turbine has been around for centuries. The perpendicular axis turbine does non roll up energy from the air current every bit good. The rotor or propellor with blades is used to acquire the energy from the air current in a air current turbine. The chief thrust shaft has a hub connected to it with the rotor attached. The generator is in the thrust shaft and that produces the electricity. Plastic, fibreglass, or epoxy covered wood are used to do the blades. Energy Quest- Drawing of Turbine Wind power because of the clean nature and environmental friendliness has ever been popular. Some people feel that air current power is better than solar power, because it keeps working after the Sun goes down. Weave power at times will be plenty and other power will non be needed, besides wind power is free. The high cost of air current turbines and holding to happen the right location are the major ailments about air current power. Wind systems are complicated and non easy to put in. They require regular care and replacing parts. Battery battalions are expensive and frequently have to be replaced. The unpredictable nature of energy production is the chief disadvantage of air current power. Reasonably strong air currents are required to hold the full usage of a air current power system. If the air current dies down the production of energy will diminish.

Major innovations in technolog essays

Major innovations in technolog essays Major innovation in the pursuit of leisure Although it doesnt come to many people minds transportation in itself can be a leisure activity. Most people dont realize how far weve come from the horse drawn carriage. Bikes First bike invented by German Baron Karl Drais von Sauerbronn Simple design. Wooden plank set on 2 wheels.the first model didnt prove to be that much than simpy walking. 1871 The Penny Farthing is also referred to as the 'High' or 'Ordinary' bicycle, and the first one was invented in 1871 by British engineer, James Starley. Bike with large front wheel. Most effectiant yet front tire had rubber tubbing. Also had pedal on front wheel which gave it movement. 1885 Over a twenty-year span, the British brought the bicycle to its present form, thanks mainly to James Starley of the Coventry Sewing Machine Company. In 1885 the Starley Rover safety bike was born Early 1770 The unknown inventor accomplished dry land skating by nailing wooden spools to strips of wood and attaching them to his shoes. 'Skeelers' was the nickname given to the new dry-land skaters The late 70's through mid 80' - A second big skating boom occurred with the marriage of disco and roller-skating. Over 4,000 roller-discos were in operation and Hollywood began making roller-movies. 1979 - Scott Olson and Brennan Olson, brothers and hockey players who lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, found an antique pair of roller skates. It was one of the early skates that used the 'in-line' wheels rather than the four-wheeled parallel design of George Plimpton. Intrigued by the in-line design, the brothers began redesigning roller skates, taking design elements from the found skates and using modern materials. They used polyurethane wheels, attached the skates to ice hockey boots, and added a rubber toe-brake to their new design. ...

Microbiology lab report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Microbiology - Lab Report Example Thus, bacterial identification is the foremost step to accomplish further investigation procedures. The three preliminary steps for the analysis procedure comprise principal isolation, staining and biochemical reactions as the sample may contain diverse microorganism belonging to different species. Identification is based on the kind of Gram reaction shown by the organism. This is the most significant staining, also called differential staining performed to categorize microbial population into two groups the Gram positive and Gram negative organisms. The reaction displays the characteristic of the cell wall of the bacterial species. If the bacterial species possess thick peptidoglycan layer, it displays Gm +ve differential staining and if the microorganism possesses thin or single layer of peptidoglycan, it takes up the counter stain Safranin of the Gram reaction. Counter stain Safranin is added to the reaction after washing the Gram stain with alcohol. Since, Gram positive organisms possessing thick peptidoglycan retains the stain while Gram negative organisms possess thin peptidoglycan cell wall becomes colorless and therefore takes up the counter stain when stained with Safranin. The given sample displayed Gm-ve character of the organism. The cellular morphology is rod shaped (â€Å"Analytical solution for laboratories†; â€Å"Antimicrobial Therapy†; William, 2000). Part 2 MAC plate- Pink Color is observed on the culture plate, indicating that the unknown organism is lactose fermenting. Triple sugar iron agar test (TSI)- TSI contains glucose, sucrose and lactose together with iron and phenyl red as a pH indicator. On fermentation of sugar, the pH of the medium changes indicated by the color change from red to yellow. Sodium thiosulfate present in the medium is reduced to H2S which in turn reacts with the ferric ions to give sulfide of iron which turns the medium black. In the present condition the isolate is capable of fermenting Lactose and al so produces H2S (William, 2000). Imvic test TSI test is followed by Imvic test, to test the ability of the strain to produce enzyme tryptophanase. Unknown culture is unable to produce the enzyme typtophanase (William, 2000). Hydrogen sulfide test The unknown sample is able to produce H2S. Urease test Urease enzyme is responsible for the hydrolysis of urea to generate CO2 and ammonia. The unknown culture shows the presence of urease enzyme as indicated by the pink color (William, 2000). Motility indole ornithine (MIO) test MIO is a semisolid medium which is used to test the motility of the given organism. The medium contains indole and ornithine. No change in color was observed as the medium remained yellow indicating negative indole test. On the other hand, deep purple color was obtained indicating positive test for ornithine. Further, diffused growth was observed, which extended from the stab line forming cloudiness displaying the motile behavior of the organism (William, 2000). Ci trate test The unknown culture was grown on sodium citrate medium containing ammonium salts as the nitrogen source and bromothymol blue as the pH indicator. The test displays the ability to generate citritase enzyme, responsible for the breakdown of citrate into oxaloacetate and acetate. Sodium bicarbonate and ammonia are produced during the process which changes the pH of the medium, indicated through the change in color from green (neutral) color to blue (alkaline) (â€Å"

International transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International transportation - Essay Example ct of the Act towards rehabilitation of airports and air travel in America has great influence and impact on the American economy as well as the entire international economy. Construction of new and modern runway in airports will ensure low rate of tear and wear of the planes as well increasing efficiency in controlling the rolling of the plane. The funds proposed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act towards rehabilitation of the air transports will ensure purchase and introduction of modern airplane that consumes little fuel and energy thereby ensuring controlled wastage of energy. The purchase of modern airplanes by the funds donated to the Department of Transport of the federal government will ensure low release of or no release of smoke thus lowering the level of environmental population. The funds will also assist in the purchase of high-speed planes thereby making air travel across the world more efficient. The federal stimulus to the Department of Transport will enable installation of high tech security devices in airports and planes and this will assist in increasing international air travel security. The rehabilitation and modernization of the airline transport has significant impact on the fall in charges on the international transport. In addition, the federal stimulus for rehabilitation of transport system will modernize sea transport and assist in control and regulation of traffic at the ports. The stimulus fund will be used in purchasing modern machines for handling cargo at the sea thereby easing interstate trade within the American sea line. The federal stimulus package to the Department of Transport will used in purchasing modern sea vessels with high speed to facilitate quick transportation of cargo to and from the foreign nations. Moreover, the federal stimulus to the Department of Transport will also assist in the installation and improvement of marine security across the international borders. The federal stimulus to the Department