上周新京报编辑请我评论一下克鲁格曼2007年的新书“THE CONSCIENCE OF A LIBERAL"(中译名为“美国怎么了”），书很快寄来了，收到后马上就看，居然拿起就没放下，一天看完了。克鲁格曼被称为美国最会写文章的经济学家，我想起他还有个博客，翻出来看，居然头一页就是为他这本书宣传的广告。看来克鲁格曼也很得意这本著作。
克鲁格曼确实是个少见的西方主流经济学家，他懂得在使用数学模型和解决实际问题之间取得平衡，据说没有几个经济学家的文章写得好，而他则能为纽约时报撰写很叫座的专栏文章。克鲁格曼不是书呆子，但也不是市侩型的经济学家，在经济理论方面别有建树。
凑巧的是，书评刚写完，两天后宣布克鲁格曼因其二三十年前取得的理论成就而获得了2008年诺贝尔经济学奖，按照国内出版界的惯例，这本适逢其时的书，大概要热卖了。
刚才得闲，打开他的博客，看他昨天写到：
A tale of two columns
Yesterday, as I was working on something else, I happened to come across something that reminded me of an interesting contrast. As everybody knows, the general rap on me is that while I may be a good economist, I’m just too shrill and one-sided as a columnist.
Anyway, you can see the difference between what I do and what’s considered balanced and respectable by comparing this with this.
克鲁格曼很“低调”地将获奖称作一个GENERAL RAP。在英文中，有不少单词属于三字母或四字母词，这类词语一般属于常用词汇。学习英语的一条铁律是不要放过这类短音节词。日积月累必有用处。RAP的解释见下：
| rap
v. rapped, rap·ping, raps
v.tr.
1. To hit sharply and swiftly; strike: rapped the table with his fist.
2. To utter sharply: rap out a complaint.
3. To criticize or blame.
v.intr.
To strike a quick light blow: rapped on the door.
n.
Idioms:
1. A quick light blow or knock.
2. A knocking or tapping sound.
3. Slang
a. A reprimand.
b. A sentence to serve time in prison.
4. Slang A negative quality or characteristic associated with a person or an object.
beat the rap Slang
To escape punishment or be acquitted of a charge.
take the rap Slang
To accept punishment or take the blame for an offense or error.
[Middle English rappen, possibly of imitative origin.]
|
| rap
tr.v. rapt or rapped (r
 pt), rap·ping, raps Archaic
1. past participle rapt To enchant or seize with rapture.
2. To snatch.
[Back-formation from rapt.]
|
| rap
n. Informal
The least bit: I don't give a rap about office politics. I don't care a rap what you do.
[From obsolete rap, 18th-century Irish counterfeit halfpenny, from Irish Gaelic, alteration (possibly influenced by rap, piece, bit)of ropaire, cutthroat; see rapparee.]
|
rap Verb
rap