[Science and Communication]
我還在讀本科時,年少無知,覺得做科學,應該不拘小節,論文、Poster、PowerPoint 等,只應在乎內容而非「格式」。只要內容好,科學準確,排版、字體、用色、甚至錯字都無所謂。
後來發現,科學領域內,傳訊十分重要,而且匯報是展現研究成果,注意細節,才是敬業樂業的表現。所以儘管本人視覺藝術天份奇差,也開始留意設計原理,也開始注意行內設計,才發現到處都是災難級的設計。
最近寫博士學位的期中報告,就Typography我已用了大半天參考不同文章。雖然對設計師來說可能見笑,但我這初哥已經盡力。最後Headings一致用無腦Helvetica,內文用Garamond,古典但優雅,讀起來才有可信、已確定(established) 的感覺,DNA序列用Courier,字距一致才容易做DNA並列對比。大家的論文又用什麼字體呢?(不才,懂設計的朋友請指教)
對於我這種設計白痴,中央聖學子的貼文都很啟蒙。從事科學的朋友,我們該好好注意自己的設計了,你的poster有犯這些錯誤嗎?
【Typography Matters】(營養長文!!!)香港美術及設計教育,一直以來都麻麻地重視 Typography(字體排印學)。近十多年遇着個別有熱誠有才能嘅教育工作者,偶爾會有小陽春,業界亦好視乎個別執業者取向;但整體上,香港地無論學院抑或業內,重視 Typography 嘅人,實屬小眾,practise 得好嘅,更係少之又少。個人電腦普及前,字體應用及排印,都必定交由專業人士負責,質素衰極有個譜;然而,差不多係人都識用 Word、Excel、小畫家等軟件打字、畫圖、列印、發佈後,因差劣 Typography 而引發嘅溝通錯誤及視覺污染——自文字及印刷術發明以來——係史上最最最最嚴重的。
科技賦予人類能力,但冇賦予知識。人人用電腦揀字款打字排版做所謂「文書處理」,但當中有幾多個懂得基本 Typography?或,當中有幾多個知道有「Typography」呢樣嘢呢?記得留學時老師講過,或許設計上有好多範疇都冇甚麼絕對黑白對錯,但係响 Typography 嘅領域,有唔少理論及應用係黑白分明對錯有特定準則的。「靚囉」好少會出自 typographer 把口。
早前有人留意到康文署有套經過精心設計嘅温文意雅告示標語橫額,甚為破格,引來網上小眾討論。今日陽光普照,離開鍵盤,到赤柱走走,畀我發現咗啲嘢。特意寫兩句與大家分享一下。🙂
[Layout]
求其粗疏地响聖士提反灣周圍𥄫𥄫,做咗個微型 visual audit,諗住學下嘢。Woow~!真係獲益良多,原來而家尖端標示設計嘅 typography 已經同我以前學嗰套好有距離。首先(見圖由上至下左至右),大大塊告示板,個 layout 唔似有 grid,相當 dynamic,四個主標示 zig zag 咁放,size 不大,語氣和善,活潑可人,綠綠藍藍與泳灘氣氛連成一片。
[Hyphen]
Typography 中,英語 punctuation(標點符號)往往最被忽略。「Please - No Kite-flying」三個字中有兩個 hyphens,「Kite-flying」嗰個冇咩問題,怪就怪在「Please」之後嗰個。因為 hyphen 一般用作 compound terms 或 word division,當破折號或冒號咁用好似比較罕見。
//
For most writers, the hyphen’s primary function is the formation of certain compound terms. Compound terms are those that consist of more than one word but represent a single item or idea.
In professionally printed material (particularly books, magazines, and newspapers), the hyphen is used to divide words between the end of one line and the beginning of the next. This allows for an evenly aligned right margin without highly variable (and distracting) word spacing.
//
同中文標點好唔同,英文類似破折號嘅短小橫線標點有三種:hyphen (-), en dash (–), em dash (—),長度不一功能各異,唔可以亂用。
//
The en dash (–) is slightly wider than the hyphen (-) but narrower than the em dash (—). The typical computer keyboard lacks a dedicated key for the en dash, though most word processors provide a means for its insertion.
//
長話短說,日常應用嚟講 en dash 多數用嚟當「至」咁用,如日期或時間,「2005–2018」,「9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.」。正統前後冇 space,但我覺得若嫌太迫,kern 疏少少都無傷大雅。至於當破折號(或冒號)以作補充之用就應該用最長嘅 em dash。
//
The em dash is perhaps the most versatile punctuation mark. Depending on the context, the em dash can take the place of commas, parentheses, or colons—in each case to slightly different effect.
Notwithstanding its versatility, the em dash is best limited to two appearances per sentence. Otherwise, confusion rather than clarity is likely to result.
Do not mistake the em dash (—) for the slightly narrower en dash (–) or the even narrower hyphen (-). Those marks serve different purposes and are further explained in other sections.
//
[Apostrophe]
Prime mark (') 同 apostrophe (’),前者係小直劃,後者係升高咗嘅𢭃號,再想發揮創意都唔應該用錯。鍵盤碼點打,呢度唔多講嘞,自己 google 啦。
[a.m. and p.m.]
「a.m.」、「p.m.」係拉丁文「ante meridiem」同「post meridiem」嘅縮寫,所以正寫應該係細階兼有點點。但係設計上有時想省略簡化正寫達至美感要求,我覺得响意思唔被干擾下,可以接受。但時間數字與 am 或 pm 中間,應該有 space,連埋寫成一個字咁會怪怪,尤其出現於正統聲明。
[Title Case vs Sentence Case]
究竟幾時用 title case,即每個字頭都大階;幾時先用 sentence case,即只得第一個字大階?!我有啲亂。我嘗試觸摸個 pattern,可能我資質太差,花咗成日都徒勞無功。
[Text Justification]
忽左忽右,我估本 guidelines 肯肯定有說明點用法,只係我呢個路人未察覺箇中奧妙而已。「Dangerous Goods Store」,畀我會將「Goods Store」排埋一行,以意思 break line 嘛。不過人哋咁排法,一定有 concept。
最後,發覺大標示板係用 Helvetica,小標語則用 Arial,當中有咩精心佈局或創意我唔敢亂估,只覺得呢種字款運用嘅 fusion 很富本地混雜視覺文化特色,好可愛。☺️
… … … … … … … … …
早前相關康文署標示淺評:
https://www.facebook.com/…/a.1015316723…/10159910797350570/…
Source & reference:
http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/hyphen.html
http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/en-dash.html
http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/em-dash.html
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/…/HyphensE…/faq0002.html
text size中文 在 多益達人 林立英文 Facebook 的最佳貼文
【如何在兩個月內買到小米手機
How to Buy a Xiaomi in Two Short Months】
Beijing, Sept. 4th (by Carlos Tejada) -- China’s Xiaomi rose to the top ranks of global smartphone makers in only five years by selling high-spec phones at lowball prices. The phones have been snapped up by Chinese consumers looking for an affordable, homegrown alternative to pricier gadgets made by Apple and Samsung Electronics. Its success has made it China’s most valuable startup and second only to Uber in terms of global valuations.
中國的小米公司僅用了不到五年的時間,藉由以低價銷售高規格手機商品,在全球智慧型手機市場中躍昇至名列前茅的位置。與美國蘋果和南韓三星生產且較為昂貴的智慧型裝置相比,小米公司給中國消費者提供的是可負擔得起的國產化和實惠替代選擇,其產品也屢屢被中國消費者一掃而空。小米公司的成功使它一舉成為中國最具市場價值的新創企業,即使在全球範圍來算,其市值也僅次於 Uber。
So goes the story behind Xiaomi’s rise. Still, there’s one aspect of its business that can be hard to convey to the outside world: Its phones can be very, very, very difficult to buy.
以上便是小米崛起的故事,然而這其中尚有一個難與外界陳述的事實是:小米手機是非常,非常,非常難以購買的。
Xiaomi sells its phones only in China, India and a few other Asian markets. But that’s just the start of the difficulties. In China the company sells its newest phones online in limited batches through what are called flash sales. Xiaomi and analysts say that helps the company cope with demand for new products as it ramps up production.
目前小米公司僅在中國、印度及一些亞洲國家銷售智慧手機,不過這其實只是造成購買困難的第一個因素。小米公司在中國是透過所謂線上分批搶購的方式來銷售其最新機型。小米公司和分析家認為這種銷售方式有助於公司更好地控管新產品產量只能逐步上升可能造成的供不應求狀況。
On a practical level, it means those who aren’t quick enough with a computer mouse may have a long time to wait before they get one.
實際一點來說,這就表示那些使用電腦滑鼠不夠敏捷的人可能就得在買到一台小米手機之前要等上好長一段時間了。
I chose to buy a Xiaomi phone after the company lent me its newest phablet, the Note Pro, to use for a few weeks. I liked the large screen, decent camera and its take on Google’s Android phone-operating software, which in my opinion is still inferior to Apple’s mobile software but is closing the gap. Mostly, I liked the price – the Note Pro costs about half the price of Apple’s base-model iPhone 6 Plus, which is the same size but comes with only a quarter of the memory.
在小米公司把最新型的 Note Pro 智慧型大螢幕手機借給我使用了幾個星期之後,我決定自行購買一台小米手機。我非常喜歡它的大螢幕以及拍照效果不錯的鏡頭。小米手機使用的是 Google 公司的 Android 手機作業系統,雖然 Android 系統跟蘋果公司的 iOS 系統還存在一定差距,但這個差距正逐漸縮小中。我最在意的還是價格:小米 Note Pro 的售價僅為蘋果公司 iPhone 6 Plus 基本款(16 GB)的一半,且這兩台手機的尺寸一樣,而 Note Pro 的記憶體容量足足為 iPhone 6 Plus 的 4 倍 (64 GB)。
Another reason I liked it: In China-nerd circles, the phone is a conversation starter. People who follow China or technology but who aren’t on the mainland rarely see one. In that crowd everybody has an opinion of Xiaomi, ranging from respect for a scrappy startup to contempt for a cheap copycat. “Oh, you have a Xiaomi?” they ask, with some mix of curiosity and amusement.
我喜歡小米手機的另一個理由是,在愛好中國事物的群體之中,小米手機總是一個很不錯的開場白,因為關注中國或者科技產品但身不在中國的人很少能看見小米手機。那個群體的人對於小米都有各自的看法,有的人對這個草莽的新創公司表達尊重,也有人輕蔑地認為小米手機僅僅是廉價的山寨產品。他們會帶著愉悅和好奇問說:「哦?你的是小米手機?」
I chose to buy my phone like most Chinese people buy theirs: through an online flash sale. I skipped online brokers and secondhand dealers over concerns about malware and fakes. I also declined an offer from Xiaomi for a pass that would let me jump to the front of the line, an inducement it offers to its biggest Mi fans.
我選擇採用大多數在中國的消費者們所使用的方式來購買小米手機:線上搶購。出於對惡意軟體和假貨問題的擔憂,我略過了從網路賣家和二手交易者那邊購買的方案。我還放棄了小米公司提供的「插隊」優待,這對於廣大的「米粉」族來說可是項福利啊。
I went in with a co-worker, Olivia, who wanted to buy a budget-level phone for her father.
我和我的同事 Olivia 一起進行搶購,而她想幫她爸爸購買一台經濟實惠的手機。
Day 1第 1 天
Xiaomi holds its flash sales on Tuesdays at noon sharp. To buy one, a customer needs access to a Chinese debit or credit card or an account with an online payment system like Alibaba Group’s Alipay affiliate. With all those in check, I perched over my computer with my mouse at the ready.
小米在週二中午整點展開了一次搶購活動,想要參與的消費者必須擁有中國記帳卡、信用卡或者像隸屬阿里巴巴公司的支付寶那樣的線上付款系統。一切就緒以後,我手握滑鼠靜候在電腦旁邊嚴陣以待。
As it turns out, there’s another helpful prerequisite: An ability to read fine print in Chinese. My noontime click generated a message congratulating me for registering to try to buy a Xiaomi phone. The fine print on the website said people trying to buy a phone must first register on the site. My first true opportunity, it told me, would be next Tuesday.
有一個先決條件更能使我們成功搶購到手機:你需要具備讀懂中國文字的能力。我算好正午時間點下按鈕之後出現一個視窗,是一條恭喜資訊:小米網站祝賀我註冊成功,並可以開始嘗試搶購小米手機。網站上的中文有提示希望搶購小米手機的用戶必須先在網站進行註冊,我成功註冊以後的第一次嘗試機會變成了下週二。
Day 8第 8 天
Primed and registered, I set off with my mouse promptly at noon as if a starter’s pistol had gone off next to my ear. Two pages of options popped up on my browser. I read the Chinese as quickly as I could and clicked away.
確認註冊成功,且一切就緒以後,我又一次算準正午時分點下了滑鼠,那時的聲音就像是起跑槍的聲音從我耳邊呼嘯而過。隨後瀏覽器上出現了兩個頁面,我盡可能快速地閱讀了上面的中文資訊並隨後點了關閉。
Xiaomi’s mascot – a white rabbit named Mitu wearing a green Chinese army hat – popped up on my screen. It appeared to be running in place. The text explained that too many people were trying to buy phones too. “I’m lined up and currently moving forward with everything I’ve got,” it said.
小米的吉祥物,一隻戴著綠色中國軍帽,名為「米兔」的兔子出現在我的螢幕之上,一切看似順利。但上面的文字卻顯示目前搶購小米手機的人數已經太多,而且頁面一直顯示「正在排隊中」。
It ran with everything it had for the next 20 minutes. I wondered how long it would take for me to find out whether I had won my phone.
結果20 分鐘過去了,頁面所顯示的內容還是一樣,我當時就很好奇還需要等多久我才會知道是否搶到了手機。
A colleague, Yang Jie, walked by and sighed. “You didn’t get it, Carlos,” she said. Sure enough, the image soon changed to a Mitu gushing tears. “Sorry, we’re already sold out,” it said.
這時我一位同事Yang Jie經過並嘆了一口氣。她說:「Carlos,你沒有搶到。」果不其然,頁面隨後便出現了一隻淚水狂噴的米兔。上面寫著:「非常抱歉,我們已經售罄。」
I looked to Olivia, who shook her head. Sold out too.
我望向 Olivia 那兒,她搖了搖頭,顯然她也沒有搶到。
Day 15第 15 天
I noticed this time that Xiaomi offers potential buyers the option of ordering the Xiaomi phone for guaranteed delivery in a month. I snorted. Waiting, I decided, is for chumps. I’m not a chump. I’m a champ. Surely I can click as fast as anybody.
這次我注意到小米為潛在購買者提供了預約購買的服務,並保證在一個月內進行配送。我對此冷哼一聲。我主意已決,這種等待方案是準備給傻瓜的,但我並不是一個傻瓜,我是一個贏家,我肯定可以比別人更快點下滑鼠。
Apparently not. This time the crying Mitu quickly replaced the running Mitu. Sold out. On to next week.
結果根本事與願違,這次哭泣的米兔很快便取代跑步的米兔出現在了螢幕之上。再次售罄,只好再等到下個星期了。
But not with Olivia. Twice was enough, and she dropped out. “It’s too hard,” she said.
不過這次 Olivia 並沒有參與,因為她覺得兩次嘗試就夠了所以罷手。她說:「這太難了」。
Day 22第 22 天
I was on the phone with a colleague in Hong Kong when the trumpets from theme music of China’s national noon television broadcast blared across the newsroom. Noon! I scrambled to my open browser. Those precious seconds may have cost me. The crying Mitu mocked my inattention. Vigilance is the price of flash sales.
當時我在跟一位在香港的同事講電話,隨後我聽到了中國午間新聞的主題音樂。又到正午了!我習慣性反射地衝到開啟的瀏覽器前面,每一秒鐘都太寶貴了。哭泣的米兔再一次無情地嘲笑著我不夠投入的搶購行為。在進行秒殺搶購的時候警惕性實在是太重要了。
Day 29第 29 天
Xiaomi says it sells phones in limited batches strictly for production reasons, not to stoke demand through what’s known as scarcity marketing. “We have to monitor the demand for our smartphones, and produce our inventory accordingly, which requires us to use the flash sale model,” a spokeswoman said.
小米公司稱其之所以採用限量搶購的方式主要是由於產能問題,而並非像所傳的那樣利用所謂的「饑餓行銷」來刺激需求。「我們必須對自己智慧手機的銷量進行監控,並據此對庫存及產能進行調整,因此我們只能選擇限量搶購的模式。」小米公司的一位女發言人這麼說。
Whatever the reason, it resulted in a crying Mitu on my screen.
不管理由是什麼,最終我的螢幕上還是再度出現了一隻哭泣的米兔。
Day 36第 36 天
Hello again, you crying little lapin tease. Had I chosen to be a chump, instead of a champ, I’d have my Xiaomi by now.
再次見到了米兔的哭臉嘲諷。如果當初能自認蠢蛋,不要選擇當贏家的話,現在我應該已經把小米手機拿到手了。
Still, I wasn’t frustrated. More curious. Was it possible, in fact, to buy a Xiaomi phone?
但我並沒有感到沮喪,只是更加好奇用搶購這種方式的消費者究竟能否買到小米手機?
Day 42第 42 天
Noon on Tuesday in China came at 9 p.m. Monday at the airport in Phoenix, where I was schlepping two children from one set of grandparents to another. I thought about telling my wife I wanted to put down our luggage and pause our U.S. vacation while I try to buy a phone in China from a company that uses a militant rabbit as a mascot. I thought about the divorce proceedings. I kept silent.
中國週二的正午是美國鳳凰城(Phoenix)週一早上 9 點,當時我在鳳凰城的機場內,手上抱著兩個孩子,我剛把他們從祖父母處接回,現在正前往外祖父母的住處。當時我想要告訴太太我想放下行李並暫停我們的度假,因為我正嘗試從一家以軍裝兔子作為吉祥物的公司處搶購一台手機。只是在我想到了離婚的訴訟程序之後,我選擇了保持沉默。
Day 49第 49 天
I just plain forgot.
我壓根兒忘記了有搶購這件事情。
Day 55第 55 天
I logged into Xiaomi’s Chinese site the day before the Tuesday auction to register for the big showto be greeted with a message that the Note Pro was available for immediate sale. The Xiaomi spokeswoman later said that “we move from flash sales to open sales after we determine the exact alignment of demand and supply accordingly.” My Xiaomi would be waiting at my desk in Beijing when I returned.
我在週二的搶購開始之前就先登入小米的中文網頁,結果登入後我看到一則訊息說小米 Note Pro 已經可以即時購買。隨後小米公司的女發言人表示:「在確認了供應量能夠滿足需求量以後,我們決定將銷售方式從限量搶購調整為公開銷售。」在我回到北京的時候我的小米手機就已經躺在我桌子上等著我了。
TZ Wong, an analyst with research firm Canalys, says Xiaomi will need to broaden its distribution channels, “especially if it wants to achieve its ambitious 80 million to 100 million smartphone target for this year.” The Xiaomi spokeswoman said it doesn’t pursue market-share targets.
市場調查及研究機構Canalys 的分析師 TZ Wong 表示小米公司必須拓展其分配銷售的管道,「特別是如果他們想在今年達成 8 千萬至 1 億的銷售目標後。」但小米的女發言人稱公司並不以追求市場佔有率為目標。
My phone works fine so far. Does it work two-months’-wait fine? That’s between me and the Mitu.
目前我的手機運作的狀況一切良好,不過這支手機真的值得這兩個月的苦苦等候嗎?這個問題就留給我和米兔吧。
#高雄人 #學習英文 請找 多益達人 林立英文
text size中文 在 紀老師程式教學網 Facebook 的最讚貼文
如何設定 CSS,讓您的網頁在 Windows 與 Mac 都能顯示楷書
今天在設計網頁時,遇到一個小問題:有個網頁的「抬頭」(Title),我希望用「楷書」來呈現,好讓它與其它區塊有所視覺上的區隔。雖然有人說「楷書只適合印刷用,電腦上看楷書都會糊糊的,不舒服」,但我試過好幾種手法,還是覺得那個文章標題用「楷書」來呈現,最漂亮、最得我心。加上它是標題,使用 48 點字,應該不會有看起來糊糊的缺點。所以就著手做了。
眾所周知,網頁中要讓某一段文字變成標楷體,可以使用 CSS 中的「font-family」屬性指定。如下所示:
HTML 部份:
CSS 部份:
.my-style {
font-size: 48px;
font-family: "標楷體";
text-align:center;
}
就會做出「置中、48 點字、標楷體」的字樣來。但若對方使用的瀏覽器,執行於國別設定不為「中文(繁體,台灣)」的話,它就會用英文名稱抓字型,必須設定成:
font-family: "標楷體", DFKai-sb;
若你把這樣的網頁放到 Mac 上去執行時,Mac 的標楷體名稱叫做「BiauKai」,所以還得補上「BiauKai」,才能讓 Mac 下也看得到標楷體:
font-family: "標楷體", DFKai-sb, BiauKai;
至於我個人最愛的 Linux,我還沒找到方法。由於我用 Linux 是為了寫程式,所以故意灌成英文版。若有人能依照上述方法,找到 Linux 內建標楷體的字型名稱(有嗎?XD),麻煩您提供一下,不勝感激!
本篇參考資料:
[CSS] 網頁字體: http://kuoe0.ch/1110/css-web-font/
CSS -- 中英文字型家族相關整理: http://blog.kkbruce.net/2010/11/blog-post_23.html