Macbeth Observation, Interpretation, and Critique Essay

In William Shakespeare’s story Macbeth, the hero, faces a conflict that impacts how the play will go and delivers a message within the story. The conflict starts with the prophecies of the Weird Sisters and later on gets worse from the trickery of Lady Macbeth. The result concludes a series of repeating thoughts running through Macbeth’s mind, whether to kill or not to kill Duncan. During the time in which Macbeth’s conscience is still intact, the scene of the angel versus the devil haunts Macbeth. On one of Macbeth’s shoulders is the white angel, his conscience, and on the opposite shoulder sits the red devil, that represents the Weird Sisters and Lady Macbeth’s tricks. Macbeth’s conscience tells him all the reasons why he should let Duncan live. Duncan is a king that has ruled Scotland well by far. Therefore Duncan’s death would not be favored by any one, it will be as an act of betrayal and disloyalty, not relief. With Macbeth committing murder, he risks his honor; Macbeth has been proven to be a loyal and honorable noble. If the murder leads Macbeth back to the investigators, Macbeth’s life will be ruined. Macbeth’s wife helps him to reconsider the effects of killing Duncan. While being king, Macbeth will be more powerful than a noble. Lady Macbeth does this so out of love for her husband, and for her own benefit, she refuses to suffer her husband’s uncertainty and attacks Macbeth’s manhood in order to convince him to take this opportunity to achieve his ambitions by killing Duncan. With Lady Macbeth’s threat and his conscience destroyed, Macbeth sets out to do the work evil.

Scarlet Letter

Amy Sheehan Mr. Frye English 11 Honors 3 February 2012 Clever Title The physical and emotional strain resulting from sex out of wedlock seems to be an almost unbearable burden. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, and her daughter Pearl deal with the emotional abuse from her townspeople because of an affair with Dimmesdale. All of the harassment takes place in a small town in Boston, Massachusetts. In Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the reoccurring image of a circle/sphere probes the thought that humanity is following a cycle of cruelty that has never been broken.The use of actual objects to distinguish the pattern of isolation reoccurs often. Isolation plays a key factor in The Scarlet Letter, usually being hinted at with assistance from the image of a circle or sphere. In some instances, the cycle of isolation appears in nature: â€Å"Did the sun, which shone so brightly everywhere else, really fall upon him? Or, was there, as it rather seemed, a circle of ominous shadow moving along with his deformity, whichever way he turned himself. † (172). The sunlight refuses to fall directly on Chillingworth because of his impure body structure.The shadow casting off of him foreshadows the death he will later face. Nature isolates Chillingworth because he seems to be dark creature. Hawthorne does not just use circles and spheres in nature, he also uses them through Hester’s other possessions. Pear also plays a part in the reoccurring isolation symbol. â€Å"But she names the infant ‘Pearl† (85). In the beginning, Hester was isolated because of her sin. As the book goes on, she realizes that society continues to exclude not only her, but her daughter as well. A pearl represents a small spherical object grown in the comfort of an oyster’s mouth.In essence that is exactly what Pearl is. The only life she has known is one of complete distance from the rest of society. If someone shows her kindness, or a cceptance, she would not know how to react. She’s been raised to think isolation is normal. Her mother on the other hand will never quite get used to the harsh reality of what she’s done; â€Å"While Hester stood in that magic circle of ignominy where the cunning cruelty of her sentence seem to have fixed her forever† (242). The amazing ability of the townspeople to shun a completely innocent woman is the pattern of humanity.Mankind has always been unbelievably cruel to the people who least deserve it. Hester’s humility and strength is show constantly throughout the book. The invariable essence of cruelty is, and always has been, a big part of society. Not only are objects used to portray isolation, people are also used. With every mention of a circle/sphere, the patterns of isolation continue to show up. â€Å"They now felt themselves, at least, inhabitants of the same sphere† (186). Hawthorne uses the relationship between Hester and Dimmesdale to prove the point of the cruel unfair ways of humanity.The well liked man gets away with absolutely no judgment, while the lower class woman gets all the hatred and punishment. While these two people are so diversely seen in society, they formed a completely flawless creation that gets torn apart by the isolation of the town; â€Å"Pearl looked as beautiful as the day, but was in one of those moods of perverse merriment which, whenever they occurred, seemed to remove her entirely out of the sphere of sympathy or human contact† (130). Pearl has entered her own circle of dependency. She depends on her mom and herself.Society has shut her out completely, just because she’s associated with Hester. Which makes one think; how would this child be looked at if she were to be associated with her father, Dimmesdale. With Pearl having a father as a saint, and a mother as a sinner, gave Pearl a very narrow chance of ridding this pattern of isolation. Although society didn’t bear down on Dimmesdale, his guilty conscience is what got to him. â€Å"The very contiguity of his enemy, beneath whatever mask the latter might conceal himself, was enough to disturb the magnetic sphere of a being so sensitive as Arthur Dimmesdale† (189).The cruel patterns of humanity don’t always come from other people. Ones worst enemy is one’s self. His cruel ways of emotionally and physically tormenting himself were just another isolation tactic. He isolated himself from everyone emotionally because he felt as if the secret was bearing down on his soul. No matter whom you are, or how ‘godly’ you are, you will always fall a victim to the cruel ways of humanity. The main person being singled out by the people is Hester Prynne. Her ability to bounce back and still have a love for the people who have been ridiculing her for 7 years is unbelievable.Although her humility is great, the cycle of isolation will not be broken; â€Å"As was usually the case wherever Hester stood, a small vacant area- a sort of magic circle- had formed itself about her† (230) Her reputation alone gives her this kind of innate ability to after awhile isolate herself. In some parts of the book Hester even tries to isolate herself, from herself; â€Å"She had flirted fancifully with her own image in a pool of water, beckoning the phantom forth, and –as it declined to venture- seeking a passage for herself into its sphere of impalpable earth and unattainable sky† (173).The only thing keeping her back from complete and total freedom is her mindset. Her mind is so isolated from most other people that it would just be hard for her to even think about being part of a crowd again. The only thing keeping her somewhat part of a society greater than herself is her daughter. â€Å"The light lingered about the lonely child, as if glad of such a playmate, until her mother had drawn almost high enough to step into the magic circle too† ( 180). These two are isolated together. They depend on each other yet lead completely different lives.Society bonded them together in isolation, yet in their own little circles, they isolate themselves from each other. The cycle of isolation with humanity has never before been broken. Although it may appear to be an easy pattern to break, there is always someone or some kind of possession that will be thrown to the side and isolated from the rest of society. The patterns occur in this book through objects, people, and Hester. Don’t underestimate the power of isolation, it can make you do things you would never dream of doing. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York, NY: Tom Doherty Associates, 1989. Print Scarlet Letter In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter the story takes place in Puritanical America where the young Hester Prynne, after committing adultery is punished on the basis of what the town thinks is right. She is simultaneously a part of the town and is also pushed away from it. Hawthorne explores the theme of liminality between society and nature through the motif of setting to convey the isolation that comes with sin. The scaffold (where Hester stands to face her consequences), Hester and Pearl’s cottage, and the brook are all examples of setting that all contain elements of liminality in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†.Hester stands on the scaffold during the day to fulfill the consequences of her sin. She brings Pearl with her as she is the product of the sin. While the town has knowledge of what she has done they are still unaware of who took part in this crime with her. â€Å"They stood in the noon of that strange and solemn splendor, as if it were the light that is to reveal all secrets and the daybreak that shall unite all who belong to one another. † (135). â€Å"They† is referring to Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale; the town’s minister who, the reader now knows, fathered young Pearl.The light and dark imagery indicates the liminal state between the three of them and the rest of the town, â€Å"The light that is to reveal all secrets. † The scaffold also shows a liminal state between Hester and Dimmesdale, â€Å"†¦ and little Pearl, herself a symbol, and the connecting link between those two. † (135) When the three of them are on the scaffold together it shows the unity between them, but also a side that shows they are not fully united with one another. â€Å"All the dread of public exposure, that had so long been the anguish of his life, had returned upon him. (134). The passage â€Å"dread of public exposure† represents the guilt and fear Dimmesdale has about revealing the secret in his sin. This is what shows the liminal state between Hester and Dimmesdale; they sinned together, however only one of them will publically take responsibility for this action. This indicates that while there is a clear connection between the two of them (Pearl) the â€Å"dread of public exposure† creates a distance between them. Hester and Pearl are also, as another consequence, forced to live in a ottage on the edge of the town, isolated from the rest of society. This plays as a symbolic representation of liminality because the two of them are stuck in the area between lawful society and lawless nature. â€Å"It straggled onward into the mystery of the primeval forest. This hemmed it in so narrowly, and stood so black and dense on either side, and disclosed such imperfect glimpses of the sky above, that, to Hester's mind, it imaged not amiss the moral wilderness in which she had so long been wandering. It is said that Hester is recognizing her â€Å"moral wilderness† which further explains how she is not a real part of the Puritanical town but she is â€Å"wandering† within the in-between area of lawful society and lawless nature. Near the end of the story; Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl all stand together at the brook. Dimmesdale and Hester have just decided to move to Europe and finally be together where no will know of their previous sinful actions. Pearl stands on one side on the brook by herself, solemnly watching Hester and Dimmesdale who are on the opposite side. This brook is the boundary between two worlds, and that thou canst never meet thy Pearl again† (182). As Hester and Dimmesdale are together there is a clear liminal state between the two of them and Pearl, the words â€Å"boundary between two worlds† indicates the increasing distance created. Hester and Dimmesdale talk about being absolved and rid of the sin â€Å"Be the foregone evil what it might, how could they doubt that their earthly lives and future destinies were conjoined† (180). If Hester and Dimmesdale are rid of their sin, then they will be pushing Pearl away with it, because she is the physical symbol of the sin.In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter the story takes place in Puritanical America where the young Hester Prynne, after committing adultery is punished on the basis of what the town thinks is right. Hawthorne explores the theme of liminality between society and nature through the motif of setting to convey the isolation that comes with sin. Liminality is shown through settings such as the scaffold, the cottage, and the brook. All places that created a drawing distance between Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale. In the end, all of the three are lost in the â€Å"middle area† between lawful society and the lawless world of nature. Scarlet Letter In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter the story takes place in Puritanical America where the young Hester Prynne, after committing adultery is punished on the basis of what the town thinks is right. She is simultaneously a part of the town and is also pushed away from it. Hawthorne explores the theme of liminality between society and nature through the motif of setting to convey the isolation that comes with sin. The scaffold (where Hester stands to face her consequences), Hester and Pearl’s cottage, and the brook are all examples of setting that all contain elements of liminality in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†.Hester stands on the scaffold during the day to fulfill the consequences of her sin. She brings Pearl with her as she is the product of the sin. While the town has knowledge of what she has done they are still unaware of who took part in this crime with her. â€Å"They stood in the noon of that strange and solemn splendor, as if it were the light that is to reveal all secrets and the daybreak that shall unite all who belong to one another. † (135). â€Å"They† is referring to Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale; the town’s minister who, the reader now knows, fathered young Pearl.The light and dark imagery indicates the liminal state between the three of them and the rest of the town, â€Å"The light that is to reveal all secrets. † The scaffold also shows a liminal state between Hester and Dimmesdale, â€Å"†¦ and little Pearl, herself a symbol, and the connecting link between those two. † (135) When the three of them are on the scaffold together it shows the unity between them, but also a side that shows they are not fully united with one another. â€Å"All the dread of public exposure, that had so long been the anguish of his life, had returned upon him. (134). The passage â€Å"dread of public exposure† represents the guilt and fear Dimmesdale has about revealing the secret in his sin. This is what shows the liminal state between Hester and Dimmesdale; they sinned together, however only one of them will publically take responsibility for this action. This indicates that while there is a clear connection between the two of them (Pearl) the â€Å"dread of public exposure† creates a distance between them. Hester and Pearl are also, as another consequence, forced to live in a ottage on the edge of the town, isolated from the rest of society. This plays as a symbolic representation of liminality because the two of them are stuck in the area between lawful society and lawless nature. â€Å"It straggled onward into the mystery of the primeval forest. This hemmed it in so narrowly, and stood so black and dense on either side, and disclosed such imperfect glimpses of the sky above, that, to Hester's mind, it imaged not amiss the moral wilderness in which she had so long been wandering. It is said that Hester is recognizing her â€Å"moral wilderness† which further explains how she is not a real part of the Puritanical town but she is â€Å"wandering† within the in-between area of lawful society and lawless nature. Near the end of the story; Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl all stand together at the brook. Dimmesdale and Hester have just decided to move to Europe and finally be together where no will know of their previous sinful actions. Pearl stands on one side on the brook by herself, solemnly watching Hester and Dimmesdale who are on the opposite side. This brook is the boundary between two worlds, and that thou canst never meet thy Pearl again† (182). As Hester and Dimmesdale are together there is a clear liminal state between the two of them and Pearl, the words â€Å"boundary between two worlds† indicates the increasing distance created. Hester and Dimmesdale talk about being absolved and rid of the sin â€Å"Be the foregone evil what it might, how could they doubt that their earthly lives and future destinies were conjoined† (180). If Hester and Dimmesdale are rid of their sin, then they will be pushing Pearl away with it, because she is the physical symbol of the sin.In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter the story takes place in Puritanical America where the young Hester Prynne, after committing adultery is punished on the basis of what the town thinks is right. Hawthorne explores the theme of liminality between society and nature through the motif of setting to convey the isolation that comes with sin. Liminality is shown through settings such as the scaffold, the cottage, and the brook. All places that created a drawing distance between Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale. In the end, all of the three are lost in the â€Å"middle area† between lawful society and the lawless world of nature.

George adams President of SA Recycling Assignment

George adams President of SA Recycling - Assignment Example The business commenced about thirty-five years ago through Adams’ father, who then owned a single scrap metal facility located in Anaheim, which later became known as SA Recycling. The business has grown significantly and now covers forty locations in three states, and has employed 1,500 workers and processes almost two million tons of recycled metals in a year† (Citizen of the Year 2010). Mr. Adams is an attorney by profession, after graduating from â€Å"Western State University in 1984, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree† (Citizen of the Year 2010). Aside from being a lawyer, Adams was also elected as â€Å"Chairman of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) in 2008. ISRI is a private, non-profit trade association which based in Washington, D.C, also regarded as the Voice of the Recycling Industry† (Citizen of the Year 2010). This group represents more than â€Å"1,600 private, stock and profit corporations who process, acting as b rokers and may also be consumers† (Citizen of the year 2010) of scrap materials such as â€Å"old and new metals, glass, rubber, paper and plastics† (ISRI.org). The advocacies of ISRI are also laudable as they provide education, training, and promoting public awareness on the importance of recycling to help our Mother Earth.

Systems Upgrade for an Accounting Firm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Systems Upgrade for an Accounting Firm - Essay Example Hardware Requirements of ComputersWith respect to the accounting firm in subject, it is undeniable that the smaller firm use old computer systems in conducting their accounting practices. Use of circa 2005 models and Windows XP indicates that the small firm misses out on opportunity cost and convenience associated with new systems in the market. At this juncture, the essay will evaluate on the hardware needs of the small firm in terms of recommended computer models. In their earlier research, Kenneth, James and Mansfield (2012) found out that Mac computers feature as the leading products in terms of superiority, quality and reliability In order to upgrade the accounting firm, every employee will have to work with a Mac desktop computer. Since Mac computers possess different hardware specifications, it will be appropriate to select a model that not only possess the requisite features but also budget friendly. In this context, I would recommend model A1347 Apple Mac Mini Desktop for ev ery employee within the marketing department. On the other hand, auditors, ticket agents and accountants would work well with model A3870. Currently, the A1347 model retails at $390 while the A3870 goes for $25 and all prices are inclusive of shipping charges.Choice of each model depends on functionality requirements and professional purpose of the departmental computers. Conventionally, functional requirements for the marketing department differ considerably from those of the auditing or accounting departments.

Nando's Opening Restaurant in Hong Kong - Business Plan Essay

Nando's Opening Restaurant in Hong Kong - Business Plan - Essay Example In certain countries, Nando's has other savor selections like Mediterranean or mango and lime. This paper looks at the 9-steps business model for Nando’s Opening a restaurant in Hong Kong, China. Destination Introduction – Hong Kong Contemporary Hong Kong has a primarily service-centered economy (Hong Kong Census, 2007),  plus restaurant industries serve as a chief economic provider. With the third-thickest population per square meters in the whole world plus harboring a populace of around 7 million (Hong Kong Statistics, 2007),  Hong Kong is host to a restaurant business with powerful competition. Because of its small geographical proportions, Hong Kong comprises a great number of restaurants per unit area. The target clientele of the Nando’s is people from all walks of life. ... Business receipts in record chief service industries increased in worth in the second quarter for year 2008 over the same passe last year. Restaurant business receipts propagated 15.3%, while those for blanket retail, plus import and export line of work, up surged 14.3% and14.1% (www.news.gov.hk). Franchising in Hong Kong Hong Kong is a perfect destination for Nandos’. Private surveys and social networking web sites reveal that a huge number of people in Hong Kong are want Nando’s to start in Hong Kong as the ‘Peri Peri’ taste of chicken is traditional of Nando’s. The notion of franchising has been rising in Hong Kong for the preceding decade. More than 80% of the franchise maneuvers in Hong Kong have foreign basis. Home-grown franchises have also established, particularly in catering (Li, 2010). Location Target location to open the Nando’s restaurant in Hong Kong is at Wellington Street right besides Stanley Street, Queens Road. Nando’ s first branch will be right beside the ‘Kee Club’ (Please click the link in the references section to view the location). The purpose for choosing this spot is that offers a perfect location to start a chicken restaurant business. It has empty apartments for new entrants as well as full-functioning restaurants. Another attraction for choosing this location is ‘Yung Kee’ restaurant, which has the specialty in cooking goose and ducks. Our project, Nando’s is a master in chicken and its products. ‘Yung Kee Restaurant’ will serve as a supplement for our business – they will be serving ducks and goose and here in our restaurant, we will be serving chicken and its related products and sauces (Google Maps, 2011). Other restaurants on the opposite side of the road include Tsui Wah

Worst job you ever had Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Worst job you ever had - Essay Example The place was deceptive in its exterior and reeked of dishonest intentions, both that of owners and workers. The place was tastefully furnished but was conspicuous in its lack of modern technology. The most interesting and perhaps the ridiculous was the owner’s perception towards the uniform of its workers. He believed that they should wear clothes of 1960s so as to provide the restaurant with a unique identity. I was employed as a waiter and my primary work was to serve the customer. The good pay was the major attraction and I was congratulating myself in landing the job. But I soon realized that the work was not merely of a waiter but I was expected also expected to fill in for any employee who was absent, be it the cleaner or washer-man. Since I had already resigned from my previous job, I was in no position to refuse it at that stage as I needed the money for my rent and food. It was most humiliating for me when I had to juggle between serving the customers and washing dir ty dishes at the back.

Islam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Islam - Assignment Example Other masters have also taken on social inequality, whereas sometimes putting their own lives on the line in their attempts to change political and social conditions for spiritual revival and improved living conditions. Sufism’s missionary activities have led to an increased number of their faithful. It is impossible to overstate the importance the spiritual education, as well as inculcation of such virtues as veneration of the prophet, faith in the love of God, piety, and trust in God. Sufism’s dhikr formulas are still preservative of their quieting and consoling power that it has on the illiterate. Persian literature and literature that influenced Persian literature is permeated by mysticism. This literature has aided millions by being a source of happiness. However, several modernists have argued against this literature because of its narcotic-like influence on the thoughts of Muslims. However, modern life and the effects of industrialization have caused a constant d ecline in Sufism’s influence in many states. People who attempt to show that mysticism and modern science conform have preserved the order’s spiritual heritage. This is because mysticism is central to the beliefs of the order. 2. Explain in detail the five pillars of Islam The five pillars of Islam are the most important Islamic pillars. These are five obligations that all Muslims are required to satisfy so as to live a responsible and good Islamic life. The first pillar is â€Å"Shahadah†, which is a basic statement that states that there is no God, but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger. This statement is the basic one in Islam with those who cannot recite the statement wholeheartedly considered as non-Muslims. Muslims who recite this statement proclaim that they will obey all Islamic commitments in their life; Allah is the only God, and Muhammad is his prophet; and that they accept the statement to be true. The second pillar of Islam is â€Å"Salat†, which are the obligatory prayers said by Muslims five times a day. Allah ordered that Muslims pray every day at five set times. These are; Salat al-fair, which is at dawn, Salat al-zhur, which is at midday, Salat al-‘asr, which is just before the sun sets, Salat-al-maghrib, which is said just following sunset, and Salat al-‘isha, which is said between midnight and sunset. Every Muslim tries to abide by the set times with even children encouraged to pray. The third pillar of Islam, Zakat, refers to the compulsory giving to charity of a particular proportion of a person’s wealth. Muslims as a form of self-purification and worship regard Zakat. It is not referent to charitable gifts from Muslims given out of generosity or even kindness; however, it refers to systematic offering of 2.5% of a Muslim person’s wealth every year for the benefit of poor people. Sawm is the fourth pillar of Islam with a requirement for all Muslims to fast on Ramadan. During the entir e period of Ramadan, every adult Muslim is required to give up various things, including sexual activity, smoking of any kind, as well as food and drink. The fifth and final pillar of Islam is Hajj. Once every year, there is a gathering in Mecca of diverse groups of Muslims praising Allah together in front of the Kaaba. It is meant for the promotion of sisterhood and brotherhood among Muslims to show that they are all equal

Art Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art Analysis - Essay Example His interest was focused on capturing the body movements so that he considered himself and preferred to be known more of a realist than an impressionist. Seurat on the other hand experimented on a new form of painting which was called pointillism because he used dots of colors to create a visual effect where primary colors placed near each other form the desired secondary colors. This experiment was inspired by his interest on color theories and the study of primary and secondary colors so that his style hugely contrasted the common manner of mixing colors on a palette. With the different styles of the two artists, obviously, their works have all been different although their thoughts placed into canvass both reflect features of impressionism. In Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon, he tried to capture a photographic image of his subjects where the movements of the people are meticulously considered, interpreting even their facial expressions. As mentioned earlier, he used the concept of optical illusion where the viewers’ eyes seem to ‘mix’ the colors to form his desired color combinations with the use of dots of primary colors. Therefore, there are no traces of brush strokes in his work. Lines and curves have all been dependent on his skill and patience in making the painting. Looking more intently at the painting, one could just imagine the time spent in creating it, the care and painstaking effort exerted on the work. Seurat used the bright colors yellow and red as well as the cool colors green and blue, creating a lively sce ne at the island. He also used other colors for other objects and subjects in the painting, making use of a wide variety of colors. In contrast to Seurat, Degas formed his Ballet Rehearsal at the Set through brush strokes specially using thin lines to express the forms of his subjects. He used a mixture of long and short thin lines to define his thoughts placed into canvass, making every part of the painting detailed. One that could be

The World in my image Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The World in my image - Research Paper Example It is not for nothing then that there exist several international bodies, of which almost all countries of the world belong to one of them or the other. Because of the need to ensuring that national decisions made conform to international principles and standards, policy makers have a great deal of task to learn when it comes to meeting the said standards and principle in the formulation and implementation of national policies. It is for this reason that the need to study international systems to have a fairer idea of the present image of the international system should always be a priority to policy makers. In the present essay therefore, an academic perspective is given of the current world image when it comes to international systems. Such analysis of the current international system would influence decision making at the national and international levels for policy makers. Overview of the International System The term international system is greatly influenced by behaviorism in t hat the personal systems of human behavior have led to the various theories of international system, being organized into two major components or perspectives. These perspectives are foreign-policy perspective and international-system-analysis perspective (Britannica, 2012). Some of the key theories that make up the foreign policy perspective are how individual states are governed and categories. Under this, mention can be made of some key categorization of individual States such as democratic nations and dictatorship States. At the foreign policy level therefore, nations are better viewed as individual states that have the freedom to operate from very individualistic viewpoints without having to think about the need to conform of strict international standards (Gilpin, 2002). This is indeed where the subject of total sovereignty comes in. At the international system analysis perspective or level however, there are major theories that deals with how nations interact with each other. This perspective or level has been considered to be a major binding necessity as no individual nation can proof to be so independent that it would not need to interact with other nations in one way or the other to get basic social and economic support. At the international system analysis level, the capacities of individual nations are considered in the relations but the essential factor is that each nation is supposed to operate within a confined specification of regulations and conduct. Structure and nature of the contemporary international system According to Dessler et al (1997), the best description that can be given to the structure and nature of the international system is and â€Å"organization of units that emerges spontaneously from their interaction.† It could be seen that the description put forth by Dessler et al (1997) is directly rooted in the two perspectives of international system discussed earlier. This is because at the discrete level, States interact wit h themselves and as a result of their interactions, which are often influenced by the foreign policy perspective, an interaction is developed. Subsequently, the interaction gives birth to the international system analysis perspective and finally forms of the structure of the international system, which according to Waltz (2010), when formed â€Å"cannot be controlled by the discrete units from which it was first formed.† In effect, the structure of

Week 3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Week 3 - Coursework Example The Act also has a crucial provision, Â §404 which requires companies to evaluate their internal financial-reporting controls on an annual basis. While the intention of this legislation is clear, the outcome is still debatable in terms of the benefits it brings to the company and the economy as compared to the costs. Some of the provisions that bring this debate include those that cover issues related to insider trading, auditor independence, internal controls, corporate responsibilities, and internal controls. After the collapse of Enron and WorldCom that left shockwaves throughout the corporate world and left investors in the biggest accounting scandal in history, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was enforced. This act has become the most significant legislation that embraces corporate governance in the United States since the securities laws of the 1930s. SOX has resulted in a number of changes in the regulatory environment and governance in the United States, including requiring separate analysts of the financial statements from underwriters, requiring senior management to certify their company’s quarterly financial statements, heightened disclosure, and requiring attorneys to report fraud or crimes when detected without delay. While the intention of SOX is clear, there has been a debate about its effects. Proponents of this legislation maintain the fact that it helps investors be more confident in the safety of their investments because it has helped in improving the accuracy of th e financial reports and transparency. On the other hand, opponents argue that compliance to this Act results in a greater burden to public firms, especially those which are small because of increased average costs as a result of the new regulations. Studies show that SOX has resulted in a dramatic increase in companies’ compliance costs. Even though this cost has now reduced as

Ray Bradbury Comparative Paper Essay Example for Free

Ray Bradbury Comparative Paper Essay Ray Bradbury, well-known American author, playwright, and poet, created his success on no more than his high school diploma. He did, however, learn many valuable lessons in life which he incorporates in his works. Ray Bradbury uses figurative language such as irony, personification, and imagery to artistically present his vision of life’s morals. Bradbury’s use of irony in his pieces establishes how mankind commonly contradicts himself. In â€Å"The Veldt†, George and Lydia hear screams that â€Å"sound familiar† but ignore them. The couple also finds their wallet and scarf and disregards how these items were chewed and covered in blood when they found them. George and Lydia receive their last clue when they enter the nursery and see the lions in the background feasting on an unknown prey. â€Å"They’ve just been eating†¦ [but they] don’t know what. † Ray Bradbury turns these foreshadowing events into irony when the parents are killed by the lions. It is ironic that they have seen the lions devouring something, saw the wallet and scarf, and heard the screams but do not realize that they were the lion’s meal and it was their screams that they heard and the scarf and wallet were chewed by the lions and covered in their own blood. Bradbury also uses irony in the â€Å"Happiness Machine. † Leo Auffmann created a machine which he claimed brought happiness to the occupant. He convinced his wife to â€Å"try it on† but when she got out she shouted, â€Å"It lies, that Sadness Machine. † This is ironic because what Leo thought was a Happiness Machine is really a Sadness Machine. Leo then finds that true happiness cannot be created by a machine but is found in the heart of his family. In â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains†, the house reads a poem to the emptiness where a family once was. The poem explains how nature â€Å"would not mind†¦if mankind perished utterly. † It is ironic because the poem is warning the family how the war will destroy them but nature will continue on when that is exactly what has happened. The family has been killed and the house soon after dies but the sun continues to rise and set as if nothing has happened. Personification is another common literary device in Bradbury’s work. It is most prominent in â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains. † Bradbury describes the house with human like qualities in how it defends itself against the fire which is also personified. The house â€Å"quivered at each sound† and is described as the attic being the brain and the exposed oak beams as â€Å"its bare skeleton† and all of â€Å"its nerves revealed. † The fire was personified when it â€Å"fed upon Picassos and Matisses†¦ [and] lay in beds, stood in windows. † Bradbury also described the fire as being â€Å"clever† as it attacked â€Å"the attic brain† and â€Å"rushed back into every closet and felt of the clothes hung there. † Bradbury also uses personification in â€Å"The Foghorn. † He gives the foghorn human-like characteristics when relating it to the monster. The foghorn made a â€Å"great deep cry† that vibrated in the â€Å"throat of the tower† as the â€Å"light, switching its tail,† shone bright in the distance. Bradbury continues to use personification in â€Å"The Veldt. † The nursery that Wendy and Peter spend most of their time in is described with human-like qualities. The walls changed from blankness to the veldt with a â€Å"purr† and â€Å"reproduced to the final pebble and bit of straw. † It is further personified when the room itself kills the parents. Bradbury also frequently uses imagery in his work. In â€Å"The Pedestrian†, he described the highways as â€Å"only dry riverbeds† empty of vehicles. Bradbury also points out the â€Å"tomblike buildings† and â€Å"gray phantoms† along the sides of the road. These vivid descriptions allow the reader to feel the loneliness and absence of life in the city and its streets. The imagery in â€Å"The Pedestrian† sets the mood and describes the setting. â€Å"The Foghorn† portrays another source of imagery. Bradbury makes the reader visualize the â€Å"long grey lawn of the sea stretching away into nothing and nowhere† with his descriptive vocabulary. He describes how the â€Å"stone tower† emitted a light that flashed red and white out to the â€Å"lonely ships† â€Å"in the cold water far from land. † This makes the reader understand how secluded McDunn and Johnny were out at the lighthouse and intensifies the oddness of the appearance of the sea monster. Imagery is also present when McDunn explains to Johnny how the monster â€Å"hid away in the Deeps. † The way he describes the â€Å"Deeps† makes it all seem magical yet realistic. Bradbury continues to use imagery in â€Å"The Happiness Machine. † Towards the end of the short story, Leo discovers a real happiness machine. When he describes this â€Å"machine,† he makes the reader visualize a pleasant and warm home filled with joy. This example of imagery contrasts how Bradbury typically uses his words to display desolation and despair. Ray Bradbury expresses similar patterns in his work by using irony, personification, and imagery. He writes with these three types of figurative language in different ways in all of his pieces of work. Bradbury takes common techniques of writing and makes them his own by using them in a certain way to present his ideas in a unique style.

Translation Literary Translation Essay Example for Free

Translation Literary Translation Essay Preface This book has been five years in the writing. Sections of it have twice been stolen during travel and have been rewritten, hopeniliy better than the first time the fond hope of ail writers who have had their MSS lost, stolen or betrayed. Its progress has been further interrupted by requests for papers for conferences; four of these papers have been incorporated; others, listed in the bibliography are too specialised for inclusion here. It is not a conventional textbook. Instead of offering, as originally planned, texts in various languages for you to translate, I have supplied in the appendices examples of translational text analyses, translations with commentaries and translation criticism. They are intended to be helpful illustrations of many points made in the book, and models for you to react against when you do these three stimulating types of exercise. If the book has a unifying element, it is the desire to be useful to the translator, Its various theories are only generalisations of translation practices. The points I make are for you to endorse or to reject, or simply think about. The special terms I use are explained in the text and in the glossary. I hope you will read this book in conjunction with its predecessor, Approaches to Translation, of which it is in many respects an expansion as well as a revision; in particular, the treatment of institutional terms and of metalanguage is more extensive in the earlier than in this book. I dislike repeating myself writing or speaking, and for this reason I have reproduced say the paper on case grammar, about which at present I havent much more to say, and which isnt easily come by. This book is not written by a scholar, I once published a controversial piece on Corneilles Horace in French Studies, and was encouraged to work for a doctorate, but there was too much in the making that didnt interest me, so 1 gave up. And a German professor refused to review Approaches because it had so many mistakes in the bibliography; which is regrettable (he was asked to point them out, but refused; later, he changed his mind and reviewed the book), but academic detail is not the essential of that or this book either. I am somewhat of a itteralist, because I am for truth and accuracy. I think that words as well as sentences and texts have meaning, and that you only deviate from literal translation when there are good semantic and pragmatic reasons for doing so, which is more often than not, except in grey texts. But that doesnt mean, xt xn IBEFACh as Alex Brothenon (Amsterdam) has disparagingly written without evidence, that I believe in the * absolute primacy of the word1. There are no absolutes in translation, everything is conditional, any principle (e. g.accuracy) may be in opposition to another (e. g, economy) or at least there may be tension between them. Much as at times I should like to get rid of the two bugbears of translation, the dear old context and the dear old readership, alas, we never can. lean only go as far as saying that some words in a text are far less context-bound than others; and that some readerships (say of a set of instructions, of which the readership is the reason for its existence) are more important than others (say a lyric, where the poet and his translator) may only be writing for himself. Again when Halliday writes that language is entirely a social phenomenon and consequently collapses or conflates Biihlers expressive and appellative functions of language into the interpersonal function, stating that there is no distinction between the first two functions in language, I can only say that this is a matter of beliefor philosophy as the expression of belief, and that I disagree. But all this is to some extent a matter of emphasis (and reaction) rather than (diametrical) opposition. The single word is getting swamped in the discourse and the individual in the mass of society -1 am trying to reinstate them both, to redress the balance. If people express themselves individually in a certain type of text, translators must also express themselves individually, even if they are told they are only reacting to, and therefore conforming with, social discourse conventions of the time. Writing a book about translation, 1 am aware that this is a new profession, though an old practice, and that the body of knowledge and of assumptions that exists about translation is tentative, often controversial and fluctuating. This book is intended to be reasonably comprehensive, that is, to discuss most of the issues and problems that come up in translating. (In this aim, at least, the book is original. ) In spite of the controversial nature of several of its chapters, it is therefore designed as a kind of reference book for translators. However, some of the shorter pieces in Chapter 18 are inadequate and can only offer you a few pointers. I hope to expand the book (my last one on translation) for a second edition, and I would welcome suggestions for its improvement,  Acknowledgements I warmly thank Pauline Newmark, Elizabeth Newmark and Matthew Newmark, whom I have consulted so frequently; Vaughan James, who has helped so much at every stage; Vera North, who coped so superbly with the ins and outs of my handwriting; Mary FitzGerald; Sheila Silcock; Margaret Rogers, Louise Hurren; Mary Harrison; Simon Chau, Hans Lindquist, Rene Dirben, Robin Trew, Harold Leyrer, David Harvey. Contents Preface Acknowledgements xi xii Parti 1 2. Principles Introduction The Analysis of a Text Reading the text The intention of the text The intention of the translator Text styles The readership Stylistic scales Attitude Setting The quality of the writing Connotations and denotations The last reading Conclusion 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 19 19 19 20 22 23 3 The Process of Translation Introduction The relation of translating ro translation theory The approach. The textual level The referential level v  CONTENTS The cohesive level The level of naturalness Combining the four levels The unit of translating The translation of texts The translation of proper names Revision Conclusion 23 24 29 30 32 35 36 37 Language Functions, Text-categories and Text-types The expressive function The informative function The vocative function The aesthetic function The pharic function The metalingual function Translation Methods Introduction The methods Comments on the methods Equivalent effect . Methods and Lext-categories Translating Other methods 39 39 40 41 42 43 43 45 45 45 47 48 50 51 52 The Unit of Translation and Discourse Analysis Introduction Coherence Titles Dialogue cohesion Punctuation Sound-effects Cohesion Referential synonyms Enumerators Other connectives Functional sentence perspective Contrasts The lower units of translation Conclusion 54 54 55 56 57 58 58 59 59 60 60 60 63 65 66. CONTENTS vii  68 68 69 70 72 73 73 74 74 75 75 76 77 77 78 80 81 81 82 82 83 83 84 84 85 88 89 90 90 90 90 90 90 91 91 94 95 % 96 97 97 7 Literal Translation Introduction Varieties of close translation The translation of poetry Faithful and false friends Words in their context Elegant variations Back-translation of text (BTT) Accepted translation Constraints on literal translation Natural translation Re-creative translation Literary translation The sub-text The notion of theKno-equivalent1 word The role of context 8 The Other Translation Procedures Transference Naturalisation Cultural equivalent Functional equivalent Descriptive equivalent Synonymy Through-translation Shifts or transpositions Modulation Recognised translation Translation label Compensation Componential analysis Reduction and expansion Paraphrase Other procedures Couplets Notes, additions, glosses 9 Translation and Culture Definitions Cultural categories General considerations Ecology Material culture Vltl CONTENTS Social culture Social organisation political and administrative Gestures and habits Summary of procedures 98 99 102 103 10. The Translation of Metaphors Definitions Translating metaphors Types of metaphor 104 106 106 106 11 The Use of Componeniial Analysis in Translation Introduction Lexical words Cultural words Synonyms Sets and series Conceptual terms Neologisms Words as myths Conclusion U4 114 317 119 120 121 121 122 123 123 12 The Application of Case Grammar to Translation Introduction The translation of missing verbs, i. e. verbalforce The translation of case-gaps Various types of case-partner Contrast and choice in translation Some related issues Case partners of adjectives and nouns A remark on Tesniere Conclusion. 125 125 126 129 132 134 135 136 138 138 13 The Translation of Neologisms Introduction Old words with new senses New coinages Derived words Abbreviations Collocations Eponyms Phrasai words 140 140 141 142 143 145 145 146 147 CONTENTS }X Transferred words Acronyms Pseudo-neologisms The creation of neologisms A frame of reference for the translation of neologisms 147 148 148 149 150 14 Technical Translation Introduction Technical style Terms Varieties of technical style Technical and descriptive terms Beginning technical translation Translation method The title Going through the text Conclusion Appendix; sampletest. 151 151 151 152 152 153 154 L55 156* 158 IfrO 161 15 The Translation of Serious Literature and Authoritative Statements Introduction Poetry The short story/novel Drama Conclusion 162 162 162 170 172 173 16 Reference Boohs and their Uses; Tracing theUnfindable Word Introduction Resources [ Unfindables words 174 174 175 176 17 Translation Criticism Introduction Planofcriticism Text analysts The translators purpose Comparing the translation with the original The evaluation of the translation The translations future Marking a translation Quality in translation. 184 184 186 186 186 ! 87 188 189 189 192 X CONTENTS 18 Shorter Items Words and context The translation of dialect You and the computer Function and description The translation of eponyms and acronyms Familiar alternative terms When and how to improve a text Collocations The translation of proper names The translation of puns  ¦ The translation of weights, measures, quantities and currencies Ambiguity 193 193 194 195 198 198 201 204 212 214 217 217 218 221 225 19 20 Revision Hints for Exams and Deadlines By Way of a Conclusion Part II Methods. Introductory note Test 1 Tower needs clear eyes1, The Economist Text 2 Vppcr gastroint^imal endoscopy1, British Medical Journal Text 3 Brideshead Revisited (Waugh) Text 4 4Une certaine idee de la France (De Gaulle) Text 5 4Le Parti Socialiste (Source unknown) Text 6 Ala Recherche du Temps Perdu (Proust) Text 7 Presentation dun cas de toxoplasmose, Bordeaux Medical Text 8 Dialysebehandlung bei akutem Nierenversagen, Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrifi Text 9 Alexander von Humboldt (Hein) Text 10 VAdoraticm (BoreL) Text 11 Die Blasse Anna (Boll) Text 12 La SocUti Francaise (Dupeux) Text 13 ZumWohlealler\SC,4Z^. 229 231 234 238 242 245 248 250 254 259 264 267 272 277 Glossary Abbreviations Medical terminology BihHograpky Name index Subject index 282 286 288 289 291 292 PART I Principles Figures appear in Part I as follows: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 The dynamics of translation A functional theory of language Language functions, text-categories and text-types The Translation of metaphor Scalar diagrams Equation diagram Matrix diagram Parallel tree diagram  ¦ * 20 40 105 116 116 117 117 CHAPTER 1 Introduction. My purpose in this book is to offer a course in translation principles and methodology for final-year-degree and post-graduate classes as well as for autodidacts and home learners. Further, I have in mind that I am addressing non-English as well as English students, and I will provide some appropriate English texts and examples to work on. 1 shall assume that you, the reader, are learning to translate into your language of habitual use, since that is the only way you can translate naturally, accurately and with maximum effectiveness. In fact, however, most translators do translate out of theii own language (service translation) and contribute greatly to many peoples hilarity in the process. Further, I shall assume that you have a degree-level reading and comprehension ability in one foreign language and a particular interest in one of the three main areas of translation: (a) science and technology, (b) social, economic and/or political topics and institutions, and (c) literary and philosophical works. Normally, only (a) and (b) provide a salary; (c) is free-lance work. Bear in mind, however, that knowing a foreign language and your subject is not as important as being sensitive to language and being competent to write your own language dexterously, clearly, economically and resourcefully. Experience with translationese, for example, Strauss Opus 29 stands under the star of Bierbaum who in his lyric poems attempted to lie in the echoes of the German love poetry with ihe folk song and with the impressionistic changes, Opus 29 tekt im Zekhen Bkrboums, der als Lyriker versuchtet Nachklange des Mintwsangs mil dem Volkslied und mit impressicmistischen XPendungen zu verknupfen. (Record sleeve note) shows that a good writer can often avoid not only errors of usage but mistakes of fact and language simply by applying his common sense and showing sensitivity to language. Being good at writing has little to do with being good at essays, or at English 1 as you may have learned it at school. It means being able to use the 3 4 PRINCIPLES  appropriate words in the appropriate order for the obiect or process you are attempting to describe; continuously trying to improve your writing (a translation is never finished); and increasing your own English vocabulary co-extensively with your knowledge of new facts and new foreign-language words. And it means making flexible use of the abundant grammatical resources of your language, which are enriched by contemporary speech. It is something which, like translation, you can learn: you are not born a good writer; you do not have to be one now; you have to be determined to become one, to relate new experience to fresh language. Finallyj it means having a sense of order and pertinence learning to construct a specific {gezieh, purposeful) beginning, body and conclusion for your subject: a beginning that defines and sets the subject out; a body1 that gives and illustrates the pros and cons of the argument; a conclusion that states your own verdict — and all without irrelevance. A translator has to have a flair and a feel for his own language. There is nothing mystical about this sixth sense, but it is compounded of intelligence, sensitivity and intuition, as well as of knowledge. This sixth sense, which often comes into play (joue) during a final revision, tells you when to translate literally, and also, instinctively, perhaps once in a hundred or three hundred words, when to break all the rules of translation, when to translate malheur by catastrophe* in a seventeenth-centurv text, I cannot make you into a good translator; I cannot cause you to write well. The best I can do is to suggest to you some general guidelines for translating. I shall propose a way of analysing the source language text; I shall discuss the two basic translation methods; and I shall set out the various procedures for handling texts, sentences and other units. I shall at times discuss the relation between meaning, language, culture and translation. By offering plenty of examples I hope to provide enough practice for you to improve your performance as a translator. 9 The trmhvthe facts of the matter) SL writer 2 SL norms TEXT 10 Translator 5 TL relationship 6 TL norms 3 SL culture 4 SL setting and tradition Figure I. The dynamics of translation 7 TL culture 8 TL setting and tradition INTRODUCTION  5 What is translation? Often, though not by any means always, it is rendering the meaning of a text into another language in the way that the author intended the text. Common sense tells us that this ought to be simple, as one ought to be able to say something as well in one language as in another. On the other hand, you may see it as complicated, artificial and fraudulent, since by using another language you are pretending to be someone you are not. Hence in many types of text (legal, administrative, dialect, local, cultural) the temptation is to transfer as many SL (Source Language) words to the TL (Target Language) as possible. The pity is, as Mounin wrote, that the translation cannot simply reproduce, or be, the original. And since this is so, the first business of the translator is to translate. A texi may therefore be pulled in ten different directions, as follows: (1) The individual style or idiolect of the SL author. When should it be (a) preserved, (b) normalised? (2) The conventional grammatical and lexical usage for this type of text, depending on the topic and the situation. (3) Content items referring specifically to the SL, or third language (i. e, not SL or TL) cultures. (4) The typical format of a text in a book, periodical, newspaper, etc. , as influenced by tradition at the time. (5) The expectations of the putative readership, bearing in mind their estimated knowledge of the topic and the style of language they use, expressed in terms of the largest common factor, since one should not translate down (or up) to the readership, (6), (7), (8) As for 2,3 and 4 respectively, but related to the TL, (9) What is being described or reported, ascertained or verified (the referential truth), where possible independently of the SL text and the expectations of the readership. (10) The views and prejudices of the translator, which may be personal and subjective, or may be social and cultural, involving the translators group loyalty factor*, which may reflect the national, political, ethnic, religious, social class, sex, etc. assumptions of the translator. Needless to say, there are many other tensions in translations, for example between sound and sense, emphasis (word order) and naturalness (grammar), the figurative and the literal, neatness and comprehensiveness, concision and accuracy. Figure 1 shows how many opposing forces pull the translation activity {Vactivitti traduisante) in opposite directions. The diagram is not complete. There is often a tension between intrinsic and communicative, or, if you like, between semantic and pragmatic meaning. When do you translate Ilfaitfroid as Its cold1 and when as Im cold, Tm freezing1, Tm so cold, etc,, when that is what it means in the context? All of which suggests that translation is impossible. Which is not so. Why a book of this sort? Because I think there is a body of knowledge about translation which, if applied to solving translation problems, can contribute to a translators training. Translation as a profession practised in international organi- 6 PRINCIPLES sations, government departments, public companies and translation agencies (now often called translation companies) began only about thirty years ago; even now, the idea that ail languages (there are 4000) are of equal value and importance, and that everyone has a right to speak and write his own language, whether it is a national or a minority language (most countries are at least *bilinguaP) is not generally recognised. Translation as a profession has to be seen as a collaborative process between translators, revisers, terminologists, often writers and clients (literary works have to be checked by a second native TL reviser and desirably a native SL speaker), where one works towards a general agreement. Nevertheless, finally, only one person can be responsible for one piece or section of translation; it must have the stamp of one style. The principle with which this book starts is that everything without exception is translatable; the translator cannot afford the luxury of saying that something cannot be translated, Danila Seleskovitch, a brilliant interpreter and writer, has said: Everything said in one language can be expressed in another on condition that the two languages belong to cultures that have reached a comparable degree of development/ The condition she makes is false and misleading. Translation is an instrument of education as well as of truth precisely because it has to reach readers whose cultural and educational level is different from, and often lower or earlier, than, that of the readers of the original one has in mind computer technology for Xhosas. Foreign1 communities have their own language structures and their own cultures, foreign individuals have their own way of thinking and therefore of expressing themselves, but all these can be explained, and as a last resort the explanation is the translation. No language, no culture is so primitive that it cannot embrace the terms and the concepts of, say, computer technology or plainsong, But such a translation is a longer process if it is in a language whose culture does not include computer technology. If it is to cover ail the points in the source language text, it requires greater space in the target language text. There-fore, whilst translation is always possible, it may for various reasons not have the same impact as the original. Translation has its own excitement, its own interest. A satisfactory translation is always possible, but a good translator is never satisfied with it. It can usually be improved. There is no such thing as a perfect, ideal or ^correct translation, A translator is always trying to extend his knowledge and improve his means of expression; he is always pursuing facts and words. He works on four levels: translation is first a science, which entails the knowledge and verification of the facts and the larguage that describes them- here, what is wrong, mistakes of truth, can be identified; secondly, it is a skill, which calls for appropriate language and acceptable usage; thirdly, an art, which distinguishes good from undistinguished writing and is the creative, the intuitive, sometimes the inspired, level of the translation; lastly, a matter of taste, where argument ceases, preferences are expressed, and the variety of meritorious translations is the reflection of individual differences. Whilst accepting that a few good translators (like a few good actors) are INTRODUCTION 7 naturals, I suggest that the practical demands on translators are so wide, and the subject still so wrapped up in pointless arguments about its feasibility, that it would benefit students of translation and would-be translators to follow a course based on a wide variety of texts and examples. This book claims to be useful, not essential. It attempts to set up a framework of reference for an activity that serves as a means of communication, a transmitter of culture, a technique (one of many, to be used with discretion) of language learning, and a source of personal pleasure. As a means of communication, translation is used for multilingual notices, which have at last appeared increasingly conspicuously in public places; for instructions issued by exporting companies; for tourist publicity, where it is too often produced from the native into the foreign language by natives as a matter of national pride; for official documents,  such as treaties and contracts; for reports, papers, articles, correspondence? textbooks to convey information, advice and recommendations for every branch of knowledge. Its volume has increased with the rise of the mass media, the increase in the number of independent countries, and the growing recognition of the importance of linguistic minorities in all the countries of the world. Its importance is highlighted by the mistranslation of the Japanese telegram sent to Washington just before the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, when mokasuiu was allegedly translated as ignored instead of considered, and by the ambiguity in UN Resolution 242, where the withdrawal from occupied territories was translated as le retrait des tmitoires occupes, and therefore as a reference to all of the occupied territory to be evacuated by the Israelis. Translation has been instrumental in transmitting culture, sometimes under unequal conditions responsible for distorted and biased translations, ever since countries and languages have been in contact with each other. Thus the Romans pillaged* Greek culture; the Toledo School transferred Arabic and Greek learning to Europe; and up to the nineteenth century European culture was drawing heavily on Latin and Greek translations. In the nineteenth century German culture was absorbing Shakespeare, In this century a centrifugal world literature has appeared, consisting of the work of a small number of international* writers (Greene, Bellow, Solzhenitsyn, Boll, Grass, Moravia, Murdoch, Lessing, amongst those still living, succeeding Mann, Brecht, Kafka, Mauriac, Valery, etc. )* which is translated into most national and many regional languages. Unfortunately there is no corresponding centripetal cultural movement from regional or peripheral authors. That translation is not merely a transmitter of culture, but also of the-truth, a force for progress, could be instanced by following the course of resistance to Bible translation and the preservation of Latin as a superior language of the elect, with a consequent disincentive to translating between other languages. As a technique for learning foreign languages, translation is a two-edged instrument: it has the special purpose of demonstrating the learners knowledge of the foreign language, either as a form of control or to exercise his intelligence in order to develop his competence. This is its strong point in foreign-language classes, which has to be sharply distinguished from its normal use in transferring meanings and conveying messages. The translation done in schools, which as a 8 PRINCIPLES  discipline is unfortunately usually taken for granted and rarely discussed, often encourages absurd, stilted renderings, particularly of colloquial passages including proper names and institutional terms (absurdly encouraged by dictionary mistranslations such as Giacopo for James1 and Siaatsrat for Trivy Councillor). Even a sentence such as: Quune maillc $auiat parfois a ce nssu de perfection auquel Brigitte Finn travailinit uvec une vigilance de toutes les seamdes, detail dans Yordre et elle sen consolait pourvu que cefut sans temotn. Mauriac, l.a Phanstenne^ might produce something like this from a sixth-former: That a stitch should sometimes break in that tissue of perfection at which Brigitte Pian was working with a vigilance to which she devoted every second, this was in order and she consoled herself for it provided it was without witness, which proves that each word construction is understood, where a more likely reading would be: If Brigitte Pian sometimes dropped a stitch in the admirable material she was working on with such unremitting vigilance, it was in the natural order of things and she found consolation for it, provided she had no witnesses. A translator, perhaps more than any other practitioner of a profession, is continually faced with choices, for instance when he has to translate words denoting quality, the words of the mental world (adjectives, adverbs, adjectival nouns, e. g. good, well*, goodness), rather than objects or events. In making his choice, he is intuitively or consciously following a theory of translation, just as any teacher of grammar teaches a theory of linguistics. La traduction appelle une theorie en acte, Jean-Rene Ladmiral has written. Translation calls on a theory in action; the translator reviews the criteria for the various options before he makes his selection as a procedure in his translating activity. The personal pleasure derived from translation is the excitement of trying to solve a thousand small problems in the context of a large one. Mystery, jigsaw, game, kaleidoscope, maze, puzzle, see-saw, juggling- these metaphors capture the play1 element of translation without its seriousness. (But pleasure lies in play rather than i 1 seriousness. ) The chase after words and facts is unremitting and requires imagination. There is an exceptional attraction in the search for the right word, just out of reach, the semantic gap between two languages that one scours Roget to fill. The relief of finding it, the smirk* after hitting on the right word when others are still floundering? is an acute reward, out of proportion and out of perspective to the satisfaction of filling in the whole picture, but more concrete. The quality of pleasure reflects the constant tension between sentence and word. You may have heard of a relatively new polytechnic/university subject called Translation Theory (Translatology1 in Canada, Traductologia in Spain, (Iter-INTRODUCTION 9 setzungswissenschaft in German-speaking countries, Translation Studies in the Netherlands and Belgium); this book is intended to introduce it to you. In a narrow sense, translation theory is concerned with the translation method appropriately used for a certain type of text, and it is therefore dependent on a functional theory of language. However, in a wider sense, translation theory is the body of knowledge that we have about translating, extending from general principles to guidelines, suggestions and hints. (The only rule I know is the equal frequency rule, viz, that corresponding words, where they exist metaphors, collocations, groups, clauses, sentences, word order, proverbs, etc. should have approximately equal frequency, for the topic and register in question, in both the source and target languages.) Translation theory is concerned with minutiae (the meanings of semi-colons, italics, misprints) as well as generalities (presentation, the thread of thought underlying a piece), and both may be equally important in the context. Translation theory in action, translation theory used operationally for the purpose of reviewing all the options (in particular, sensitising the translator to those he had not been aware of) and then making the decisions in fact the teeth of the theory is a frame of reference for translation and translation criticism, relating first to complete texts, where it has most to say, then, in descending level, to paragraphs, sentences, clauses,  word groups (in particular, collocations), words -familiar alternative words, cultural and institutional terms, proper names, 1 non-equivalent words, neologisms and key conceptual terms morphemes and punctuation marks. Note that metaphor, perhaps the most significant translation problem, may occur at all levels from word to text, at which level it becomes an allegory or a fantasy. What translation theory does is, first, to identify and define a translation problem (no problem no translation theory!); second, to indicate all the factors that have to be taken into account in solving the problem; third, to list all the possible translation procedures; finally, to recommend the most suitable translation procedure, plus the appropriate translation. Translation theory is pointless and sterile if it does not arise from the problems of translation practice, from the need to stand back and reflect, to consider all the factors, within the text and outside it, before coming to a decision, I close this chapter by enumerating the new elements in translation nov.\ as opposed to, say, at the beginning of the century: (1) The emphasis on the readership and the setting, and therefore on naturalness, ease of understanding and an appropriate register, when these factors are appropriate. (2) Expansion of topics beyond the religious, the literary and the scientific to technology, trade, current events, publicity, propaganda, in fact to virtually every topic of writing. (3) Increase in variety of text formats, from books (including plays and poems) to articles, papers, contracts, treaties, laws, notices, instructions, advertisements,  10 PRINCIPLES (4) (5) (6) (7) publicity, recipes, letters, reports, business forms, documents, etc. These now vastly outnumber books, so it is difficult to calculate the number or the languages of translations on any large scale. Standardisation of terminology. The formation of translator teams and the recognition of the revisers role. The impact of linguistics, sociolinguistics and translation theory, which will.

Fire Safety Principles Analysis

Fire Safety Principles Analysis The aim of this report is to survey existing means of fire escape in a number of local houses of multiple occupations with a view to give recommendations for the preparations of a guide for fire escape in houses of multiple occupations. For that purpose, a comprehensive literature review of fire safety principles as well as fire escape issues is required. A set of survey criteria has to be drawn from the literature review to be able to evaluate the existing houses. If necessary, officers from the East Sussex Fire Services will be interviewed to prepare the criteria for evaluation. The survey will be made once the criteria are developed. Each house will be visited and observed in regard to the criteria developed. An analysis of the observations will be made and conclusions drawn. Finally, recommendations will be made for the preparation of the guide. The recommendations will be based on the survey and the conclusions of the analysis. The actual preparation of the guide is beyond the scope of this project. 3.1 Fire and Combustion 3.1.1 Theory of Fire Fire can be described as â€Å"a process of combustion characterised by the emission of heat accompanied by smoke and flame† (Malhotra, 2001). Combustion is a series of very rapid chemical reactions between a fuel and oxygen (usually from the air), releasing heat and light. (Stollard, 1991). For combustion to occur heat and a fuel source must all be present and the removal of one of these will terminate the reaction. Flames are the visible manifestation of this reaction between a gaseous fuel and oxygen. If the fuel is a solid or liquid, there is first a gasification process as it is heated. So, heating a solid does not necessarily lead to combustion. Combustion will only occur when the gas is ignited. The temperature to which a fuel has to be heated for the gases given off to flash when an ignition source is applied is known as the fuel’s flash point. Once the ignition has begun and the vapours are ignited, these flames will in turn further heat and increase the rate o f production of flammable vapours. For the flames to exist at the surface of the fuel, the combustion process must be self-sustaining and capable of supplying the necessary energy to maintain the flow of flammable vapours from the fuel. 3.1.2 Fire Development Once a fire is started, there are 3 ways the heat is transferred: Conduction – Conduction is the mode of heat transfer where the heat flows from one point (at higher temperature) to another (at lower temperature) by direct material contact. There is no flow of the material itself. This is the predominant more of heat transfer in solids. Convection – In the convection mode of heat transfer, the particles of the material flow, carrying the heat with them. This is the predominant mode of heat transfer in liquids and gases. Radiation – Radiation is a mode where there is no need of a material at all. The heat gets transferred from a hot surface by radiating in all directions. The way a fire develops in the open is much different from the way it evolves in a closed space such as a room in a building. The existence of walls and a ceiling changes the way the heat transfer modes affect the growth of the fire. The development of a fire in a room has several stages. Figure 1: Standard fire growth curve The growth period starts at ignition and lasts until all the contents of the room are alight. Initially, the flame remains near the surface of the fuel, with excess oxygen supply from the air of the room. The flame provides more heat and the rate of growth, controlled by the amount of surface of fuel available, increases. At one point, the flames reach the ceiling and spreads. The surface area being heated is suddenly increased considerably. Also, the ceiling then radiates the heat back towards the other contents of the room. The remaining of the room catches fire very quickly because of this sudden rise in temperature and the stage is called flash over. Flash over is short-lived and marks the start of the stable stage, where all the contents are burning. In this stage, the rate of burning depends on the amount of fuel left and the flow of air to the room. Eventually, all contents will burn out and there will be no more fuel to feed the fire. The fire will slow down and that is called the decay stage. 3.2 Principles of Fire Safety 3.2.1 Fire Hazard and Risk to Life Statistics and surveys (Marchant, 1973) on fire have shown that most fires occur between 10 am and 11pm. This is the time when people are awake and active. Also, the greatest number of fires occurs in dwellings. There is a lot more fire in winter months than in summer months, clearly showing a link between fire and energy use. More than one third of all fires can be attributed to human error. Rubbish burning, children with matches and electrical appliances are the biggest culprit among the causes of fire. Due to the hazardous nature of fire: involving flames, heat, smoke and toxic gases, 1000 people lose their lives in fire each year. Unsurprisingly, (Malhotra, 2001) 85% of those deaths are in occupied buildings. The heat generated in a fire is hazardous to the building structure and can lead to the collapse of the building. This presents a serious threat to the safety of fire fighters. But the main cause of death is neither the heat nor the flames. The burnt bodies found give the impression that the occupants were burnt to death. However, studies have shown that heat and flames account for only a small minority of deaths. Most of the deaths are related to smoke and toxic gases. More than half the deaths in fires are attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning. Smoke also significantly decrease visibility and people often cannot reach safety only because of lack of visibility. 3.2.2 Approach to Fire Safety The prime objective of fire safety is â€Å"to reduce to within acceptable limits the potential for injury or death to the occupants of the building and for others who may become involved† (Stollard, 1991). In order to achieve these objectives, there are 5 fire safety tactics that can be employed. Prevention Communications Escape Containment Extinguishment They can be used together for best efficiency. The traditional approach to fire safety in buildings has been to prescribe certain acceptable levels related to some components of fire safety. These components are (Stollard, 1991): Travel distances and routes Load bearing elements of the structure Roof construction Separating walls Compartment walls and compartment floors Protected shafts Concealed spaces and fire stopping Internal surfaces Stairways. There is a newer approach that consists of looking at the building as a complex system. Fire engineering goes beyond merely satisfying prescriptive criteria of the building regulations. The building is a complex system where fire safety interacts with all other systems and services. 3.3 Prevention As explained in section 3.1, fire can only occur if all of the three requirements are present. These requirements are fuel source, oxygen and ignition. The absence of any one is sufficient to avoid a fire. However, it is impossible to exclude oxygen from a building as it is present in the air in more than sufficient proportions. Fire prevention is therefore all about avoiding the occurrence of the fire in the first instance by controlling fuel sources and ignition. 3.3.1 Fuel Limitation Fire can be prevented or the risk of fire can be reduced by limiting the amount of fuel available. Reducing the quantity of potential fuel has two main advantages. Firstly, there is less fuel to burn (fire load) and therefore fires will grow at a slower rate and temperatures will be lower. Secondly, less fuel also means less smoke (smoke load) Fuel limitation can be achieved by controlling the building fabric. B building fabric is meant the structural components and finishes of the building. It is very important that the structural components of a building are not potential fuel sources in case of fire. The structural integrity and stability of the building depends on it. Also, structural elements are essential for containing a fire. Interior finishes on walls and ceiling are also crucial to fire prevention. The outer surface of the finishes is as important as the substrate behind it. The King’s Cross fire in 1987 demonstrated that adding successive coats of paint on older ones can present a danger. Fuel limitation can also be achieved by controlling the contents of the building. The type and amount of textile and furniture play a determinant role in fire behaviour. However, the contents of a building are likely to change over time. 3.3.2 Ignition Prevention To prevent ignition, the four main classes of ignition have to be understood. Natural Phenomena – The most common source of natural ignition is lightning. Lightning can be very destructive. In 1984, lightning struck the York Minster and the resulting fire was very destructive. Another source of fire is earthquake. Because of the very low probability, such occurrences can be neglected for the common dwellings. Human Error – Human carelessness is the main cause of fire in dwellings. Cooking appliances and smoking material account for almost all fire-related accidents and deaths in dwellings. Some of the accidents can be avoided by simple house keeping and general vigilance. Kids playing with matches have also contributed significantly to the number of fires in houses. Technological Failure – Electrical and cooking appliances are a major source of ignition, especially in non-residential buildings. Buildings services are not perfect and are likely to fail at point or another. In small domestic dwellings, the improper installation of services can lead failure leading to fire. Instead of counting this as a technological failure, this should be classed as human error. Deliberate Fire – Arson can be for many reasons: insurance claim, concealing a crime, vandalism, terrorism, or to deliberately hurt somebody. 3.4 Communications Once a fire is started, the response time has a great impact of the effectiveness of that response. As seen in Figure 1, fire growth is exponential. So, the sooner action is taken, the better. The response to a fire depends to a large extent to communications at that time. The location of the fire and the deployment of evacuation and fire fighting all depend on effective communication. There are four facets of communications that are important to fire safety. 3.4.1 Detection How fast a fire is detected has a crucial impact on the response and the effectiveness of that response. As fire grows exponentially, an early detection gives a better chance to fight the fire and limit damage. The best method of detection remains the occupants of the building. Humans can detect and locate a fire by sight, sound and smell. There is no better detection system than human presence. Places where there is more movement are less liable to have an undetected fire because of constant human presence. It is very important therefore that fire escape routes are not kept exclusively for that purpose. That would lead to a fire in that zone being undetected. Also, an unused portion of a building can very quickly become ‘temporary’ storage spaces which always contain boxes and crates full of rubbish. Other detection mechanisms include smoke detector that is fitted to most houses in UK. There are also heat detectors, flame (light) detectors and thermal turbulence detectors. 3.4.2 Analysis Once a fire is detected, it has to be interpreted and analysed before coming to a conclusion. Here again, nothing beats the human brain. Detection and analysis sort of overlap each other when it is by the occupants. Otherwise, conventional systems consist of relaying the detection information to a panel where the data will be analysed and an alarm raised if need be. With use of micro processors, analysis has become better and addressable systems have become common. 3.4.3 Alarm If the conclusion of the analysis is that there is a fire, an alarm has to be set off. This alarm can be in the form of a simple bell that marks the need to evacuate the building. This is the most common system used. Other systems are connected to the fire services and the latter are then notified of a fire automatically. 3.4.4 Signs Signs are very important to occupants as well as fire fighters when they give clear and concise information. However, in a dwelling type building where the occupants are familiar with the exit routes and the surroundings, they are unnecessary. 3.5 Escape Perhaps the most important part of fire safety, escape from a building once a fire breaks is the only measure that ensures the safety of the occupants. The occupants must be able to safety reach a place of safety without being hindered by smoke, fire or heat. It is therefore essential that they manage to escape before the fire spreads. There are three main means of escape: Egress – Egress simply means getting out of the building as soon as the alarm is heard. Refuge – Sometimes in large buildings, the time to get out is too much or the way out is too complicated. Then, a fire-safe compartment is used to provide a safe place within the building. Evacuation can take place at a slower rate from that compartment. Rescue – Rescue should be kept as a last resort but is still important, especially for old and disabled person. In an apartment with only one entrance, a fire at or near the entrance can prevent escape even if the rest of the apartment is not on fire. Rescue via ladders from outside is then crucial. The effectiveness of escape depends on several factors. Occupancy – the occupants and their behaviour is very important to how successful an escape can be. Buildings such as houses where people sleep are naturally more risky than industrial buildings and offices where people are only present during the day. The amount and density of occupation as well as the mobility of the occupants are also important factors to consider. One of the most important factors is familiarity to the place. A house owner is more likely to escape than a guest because he is more familiar with the place. Travel Distances – The total distance to be travelled to finally reach a safe place depends on a lot of factors. The layout of the room itself may change the distance to be travelled. The number of storeys and the building layout generally controls the travel distance. Escape Lighting – Escape during the night or when there is an electric fault are made possible by emergency escape lighting. This can make the difference between success and failure of an escape. The precious minutes during which the occupants find their way are crucial because fire can spread very fast. Rescue – As said previously, rescue should be relied on as a last resort. However, is rescue is to be used; it must be possible for the rescuers to get access to the building from outside. 3.6 Containment Containment is the ability of a building to contain a fire even in the event of every other tactic failing. It should be a built-in capability of the building. A fire should be contained to its compartment of origin to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the building. Containment is also responsible to preventing spread of smoke. Containment must ultimately limit the fire spread to the building only to prevent fire spread to neighbouring buildings. The first step on containment is to design the structural elements to resist the fire. The amount of protection to be given to structural elements depends on the escape time required. Also, if fire fighters are to work inside the building, the structure must maintain its stability and integrity throughout the operations. The collapse of the World Trade Centre has shown how fire fighters can be at risk when entering a building on fire. If the structural elements are not capable of ensuring structural integrity on their own, it will be important to apply fire protection. Steel structures are usually protected with plaster boards, cement sprays of intumescent paints. Wooden structures need protection as well. Compartmentation in a building can be compared to that on a ship. It involves physically incorporating fire and smoke tight barriers between different zones of the building. This gains time and limits the fire to one particular zone. Compartments can be rooms or storeys. The number of compartments into which to divide a given space is a function of the occupation and contents of that space. The higher the fire load, the smaller the compartments should be. Also, there must be a separate escape route from each individual compartment. The exterior envelope of a building is used as the final barrier for the fire. It protects the building from external fires and fires to adjoining buildings. It also prevents the spreading of internal fires to spread to adjoining properties. Fire can spread by debris falling on the roof, flames spreading through openings and radiation through glazed areas. The fire containment methods described up to now are passive methods. They are built-in characteristics of the building design. Active measures are those that operate only in the event of a fire. Pressurisation allow escape route to be clear of smoke even when the fire doors are opened to get access to the escape route. Venting is used to provide the smoke an easier way out of the building than by spreading to the rest of the building. 3.7 Extinguishment Even after escape and containment are successful, a fire still needs to be extinguishment to limit the amount of property loss and to prevent spread to adjoining properties. It can be achieved by removing one of the three essential ingredients of fire: fuel, oxygen and ignition. When a fire is already started, it is self igniting and does not need additional ignition. Therefore, extinguishment can be achieved by cutting off the oxygen supply. Alternatively, the temperature can be brought down below that of self-ignition and thus killing the fire. There are several material used in fire extinguishment: Water – Water is the most commonly used material for fire fighting. It has the capacity of achieving both tactics of fire extinguishment discussed. It will drop the temperature down and will also cut off oxygen supply. However, the main problem with water is that it is a relatively good conductor of electricity. It cannot therefore be used on electrical appliances. Foam – Foam is particularly good at extinguishing fires from liquids. They act mainly by smothering the fuel from the oxygen. They can also be high-expansion types which will fill the area and are generally used by fire fighters. Carbon Dioxide – Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers provide both a cooling and smothering agent. Carbon dioxide is heavier than oxygen and will displace oxygen on and around the fuel. It is light and a large amount can be contained under high pressure in relatively light extinguishers. They can be used on electric fires but they are restricted to localised fire spots as concentrated carbon dioxide can be lethal. Dry Powder – Dry powder act by quenching the chemical reaction of the fire. There are a number of possible substances available, some more appropriate than others on a given type of fire. In section 3.5, fire escape has been introduced as one of the tactics of fire safety in buildings. In the context of the current research topic, the factors influencing escape in a fire are brought under the magnifying glass. Other key topics related to escape during a fire are discussed. 4.1 Occupancy The nature and number of occupants as well as their likely behaviour pattern is a crucial factor in determining the speed and success of an escape from a fire. Five key characteristics of occupants that are most influential are: Sleeping risk Numbers Mobility Familiarity Response to fire alarm 4.1.1 Sleeping Risk Buildings where people sleep are more at risk of a fire than buildings with only day-time occupation. A building where people sleep is likely to be occupied for longer hours, combining day and night occupancy. Also, a fire start while people are sleeping is likely to be detected at a much advanced stage. Once detected, the response of people who are asleep is bound to be much slower than in day time. To understand the extent of the risk, consider the same people in the same building but in day time. A cigarette butt or red ashes fall on the bed sheet and the latter immediately gets a hole in it, which slowly grows wider and wider as the red edge of the hole eats at the bed sheet. In day time with people fully awake, such a minor incident will be dealt with promptly. The ashes will be rapidly removed and the growth stopped by water and even by hand. At night, the same incident may have a completely different turn out of events. The unchecked growth would soon lead to the bed sheet catching fire and setting fire to the mattress. The surrounding furniture, curtains and carpet will soon be alight and that room will have a fully developed fire that can potentially spread over the whole buildings very fast if undetected. Consider another scenario. A house wife has been cooking for breakfast before going to bed. She switches off the electric hob, turns off the lights of the kitchen, and goes upstairs to sleep. A kitchen towel has been left in contact with the hob by mistake. It does not catch fire immediately because there is no naked flame. It heats up, and eventually catches fire after a few minutes even though the hob is off. This fire can grow, away from the eyes of the sleeping occupants, in the kitchen and spread to the rest of the house. Had it been during the day, somebody will eventually walk into the kitchen and detect the towel starting the smoke and will simply put it in the sink and open the tap. Such is the difference between normal day time and at night, where people are asleep. 4.1.2 Numbers The number of people in a building and their likely position within the building are important factors in designing an escape route. To a large extent, these factors depend on the purpose of the building. For houses of multiple occupations, the main purpose is obviously residential, but there can be more people at a given time than the actual number of residents. The maximum number of people that can be present can be estimated by the use of an ‘occupancy loaf factor’. The area of the building divided by the occupancy load factor gives and idea of the maximum number of people that can be present. A general guide is given in the form of Table 1. Table 1: Building type and occupancy levels (Stollard, 1991) Building Type Occupancy 1 Houses Five times bed spaces 2 Flats an maisonnettes Five times bed spaces 3 Residential institutions (hospitals, prisons etc.) Three times bed spaces 4 Hotels and boarding houses Two times bed spaces 5 Offices, commercial and schools Occupancy load factor = 6 6 Shops Occupancy load factor = 2 7 Assembly and recreation (a) bars Occupancy load factor = 0.5 (b) dance halls, queuing areas Occupancy load factor = 0.7 (c) meeting rooms, restaurants Occupancy load factor = 1 8 Industrial Occupancy load factor = 5 9 Storage Occupancy load factor = 15 10 Car-parks Two times parking places For example, consider a small family house with two bed rooms. One bed is double and another is single. Building type=House Occupancy rate=Five times bed spaces Number of bed spaces=2 + 1=3 Maximum number of people=5 x 3=15 This is only a guide but is quite useful. It may seem at first sight that with only 3 bed spaces, the occupancy should have been 3 instead of 15. However, the maximum number of people can occur during a party or while receiving guests. Another factor to consider is the likely hood of concentration of people in a particular area. A concentrated number of people behave differently from individuals. They move at a much slower rate and therefore travel distances to escape routes should be kept shorter. The escape routes should also be wider than would normally be required to allow evacuation of a larger number of people at the same time. 4.1.3 Mobility Different people move at different rates, depending on their age, fitness, state of mind, disability, any special requirements and several more factors. It has been found from experiments that a normal healthy person can move between 60 and 80 metres a minute. At the other extreme of the spectrum, very old and disabled persons may need assistance to move at all. A patient in intensive care in a hospital may have to be moved along with an array of bulky equipment to sustain his life. There are no hard rules about figures to use and a reasonable estimate has to be made from the information about the occupancy of the building. The design of the escape route also has a big incidence on mobility. The layout of the escape route may include obstructions such as furniture. Changes in direction and use of stairs etc would normally reduce mobility. A qualitative assessment is the best that can be done. 4.1.4 Familiarity If people are not familiar with a building, they will find more difficulty finding and reaching the escape route. In buildings such as normal houses, the occupants are likely to be residents and will normally be well familiar with the place. In an office with a regular staff, there is not likely to be problems related with familiarity. However, in buildings such as hotels, bed and breakfast etc, familiarity can be a problem. People will instinctively try to get out the same way they came in, and that may not b a protected fire escape route. 4.1.5 Response The response to a fire or the sounding of a fire alarm is a very important factor to consider. In an office with a regular staff, there will be more discipline and the staff will be trained by means of evacuation drills. In a flat or other residential house, the response is most likely to be decided on the spot in the real fire. The response will also depend on the state of mind and attitude of the occupants. People who are asleep or drunk will be slow to react and may not react in a strictly rational way. Very often, people do not immediately head for the evacuation route. Instead, they try to contact others in the building to confirm that there is fire and how serious it is. 4.2 Travel Distances The maximum travel distance in the escape process is crucial for a successful escape. To quantify a travel distance, the steps involved in the escape process have to be considered one at a time. 4.2.1 Stage 1 – Escape from room of origin Stage one of the escape process is getting out of the room of origin. The speed (and hence time) at which the room has to be evacuated depends of the rate of fire spread. However, the rate of fire spread is hard to quantify. It is therefore best to ensure early detection of the fire in the room. The room has to be evacuated as soon as possible. For small rooms with low occupancy, one exit is sufficient. For larger rooms or rooms with high number of people, two or more exits may have to be provided. In some instances, there may be a smaller room inside a larger one. The escape from both the smaller room and the larger one has to be considered as stage 1. It is also crucial to make sure that the occupants of the inner room are aware of any fire incident in the larger room. 4.2.2 Stage 2 – Escape from compartment Stage 2 involves the escape from the compartment where the fire started. This is usually via escape routes to the final exit, to a protected stairway or protected escape route, or an adjoining compartment that can be used as refuge. Compartments are usually designed for one hour protection and sub-compartments are designed for 30 minutes protection. This should give the occupants time to escape before being overwhelmed by the fire spread across compartments. The combined travel distances of stages 1 and 2 have to be maintained within a certain limit to allow the occupants to evacuate within that time. Table 2 below gives a list of types of buildings and suggested travel distances. This is based on the