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The Trans-Pacific Partnership

跨太平洋合作伙伴关系协定

DONALD TRUMP, an American presidential candidate, denounced it as “a terrible deal”. Another, Hillary Clinton, does not think it meets “the high bar” that should be applied to trade pacts. Yet proponents of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which encompasses 12 countries in Asia and the Americas, including America and Japan, herald it as the biggest multilateral trade deal in 20 years, which will “define the rules of the road” for international commerce. Which is it? TPP will apply to 40% of the world’s economy. For American exporters alone, 18,000 individual tariffs will be reduced to zero. Much the same will be true for firms in the other 11 members. Even agricultural barriers, usually among the most heavily defended, will start to come down. Foreigners will gain a toehold in Canada’s dairy sector and a bigger share of Japan’s beef market, for example. Some of these reductions will be phased in lamentably slowly, however: American tariffs on Japanese lorries will last another 30 years.

Tariffs in the region were not that high to begin with, though. More important is TPP’s effort to free trade in services. These are not usually subject to the same impediments as, say, agricultural or automotive imports; instead they get tangled up in beyond-the-border rules, such as customs, visas and licensing. TPP promises greater access to markets for more service providers, which over time should provide a boost to productivity.

In spite of scaremongering on the left, the deal does not obviously exalt the interests of big business over those of lowly consumers. For instance, under pressure from Australia, Chile and Peru, America shelved its demand that certain drugs be protected from generic competition for at least 12 years, settling for five instead. In the same vein, TPP’s dispute-settlement mechanism explicitly bars tobacco firms from claiming compensation for public-health rules that harm their business.

To mollify unions and other likely opponents in richer countries, sev eral of TPP’s 30 chapters are devoted to protections for workers and environmental safeguards. There are clauses that attempt to slow deforestation and overfishing. All parties will also be compelled to follow the International LabourOrganisation’s basic principles on workers’ rights. They will be required to set a minimum wage and regulate working hours. Vietnam will have to allow unions independent of the Communist Party. Such commitments will be enforceable under the treaty’s dispute-settlement mechanism.

TPP also attempts to limit the extent to which governments can favour state-owned enterprises. Although there are lots of exceptions, this is quite a concession for the likes of Malaysia and Vietnam. According to Matthew Goodman of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a think-tank, “The White House feels this is a big one. It validates their definition of TPP as a 21st-century agreement.”

Since the fine print of the deal has not yet been blished, and since tariff reductions form so small a part of its measures, it is very difficult to estimate how big a boost TPP will provide its members. The Peterson Institute for International Economics, another think-tank, estimated that it would boost the world economy by $223 billion by 2025. The greatest impact will be felt not in America, but in the less developed members. The study estimates that Vietnamese GDP could rise by as much as an additional 10% over the same period.

In the long run, TPP’s impact will depend on whether or not its membership ex pands, as it in

theory might once the deal is up and running. South Korea, not one of the original 12, is pressing for swift accession. The crucial question is China. Many think America only pushed TPP forward in order to bolster its influence in Asia and counter China’s. But TPP’s economic significance will be severely curtailed if it does not include the country that lies at the heart of almost all Asia’s supply chains. China may now step up its push for a broader regional free-trade deal, built in part on TPP, says Jeffrey Schott, a former American trade negotiator.

Until TPP is ratified by its 12 original members, such talk is premature. This process should be straightforward in places like Japan and Singapore, where the ruling parties have commanding majorities. But Canada faces a knife-edge election on 19th October. One of the three main parties is campaigning against the agreement, arguing that it will kill farm jobs.

Why countries are so keen to agree new trade deals

The biggest row will be in America, where Congress has 90 days to review the deal before putting it to an up-or-down vote, with no amendments. This “fast-track” procedure was narrowly approved earlier this year, despite opposition on both left and right. But Republicans like Mr Trump are a lready complaining that the deal grants too many concessions to America’s commercial adversaries. Democrats like Mrs Clinton, meanwhile, say they are worried it will cost America jobs. Republicans, traditionally advocates of free trade, have a majority in both houses of Congress. But trade deals are often unpopular with voters. It does not help that the presidential campaign will be in full swing when Congress votes, or that the deal is seen as part of the legacy of Barack Obama, a toxic figure for Republicans.

Any foot-dragging would be foolish. The slowing of the Chinese economy and a tepid global recovery from the financial crisis have led to a long-term slowdown in world trade. The value of goods shipped around the globe has been shrinking on and off since early 2009. In the first half of the year it slumped by 13% in dollar terms compared to the same period in 2014. In terms of volume, trade is still growing, but by a fraction of the rates that prevailed before the financial crisis.

The problem is not just cyclical: the ever-broader range of goods manufactured within China, among other structural changes, seems to have slowed trade growth permanently. This is worrying because trade remains the most reliable way for poor countries to become richer. TPP would undoubtedly help spur it.

必修一课文及翻译

必修一 Unit 1 Friendship ANNE’S BEST FRIEND Do you want a friend whom you could tell everything to, like your deepest feelings and thoughts Or are you afraid that your friend would laugh at you, or would not understand what you are going through Anne Frank wanted the first kind, so she made her best friend. Anne lived in Amsterdam in Netherlands during Would WarⅡ.Her family was Jewish so they had to hide or they would be caught by the German Nazi .She and her family hid away for nearly twenty-five months before they were discovered. During that time the only true friend was her diary. She said ,”I don’t want to set down a series of facts in a diary as most people do ,but I want this diary itself to be my friend, and I shall call my friend Kitty .”Now read how she felt after being in the hiding place since July 1942. Thursday 15th June 1944 Dear Kitty, I wonder if it’s because I haven’t been able to be outdoors for so long that I’ve grown so crazy about everything to do with nature. I can well remember that there was a time when a deep blue sky, the song of the birds, moonlight and flowers could never have kept me spellbound. That’s changed since I was here. …For example, one evening when it was so warm, I stayed awake on purpose until half past eleven in order to have a good look at the moon by myself. But as the moon gave far too much light, I didn’t dare open a window. Another time five months ago, I happened to be upstairs at dusk when the window was open. I didn’t go downstairs until the windo w had to be shut. The dark, rainy evening, the wind, the thundering clouds held me entirely in their power; it was the first time in a year and a half that I’d seen the night face to face…. …Sadly…I am only able to look at nature through dirty curtains han ging before very dusty windows. it’s no pleasure looking through these any longer because nature is one thing that really must be experienced. Your, Anne 安妮最好的朋友你想不想有一位无话不谈能推心置腹的朋友或者你会不会担心你的朋友会嘲笑你，会不理解你目前的困境呢安妮弗兰克想要的是第一种类型的朋友，所以她把的日记当作自己最好的朋友。在第二次世界大战期间，安妮住在荷兰的阿姆斯特丹。她一家人都是犹太人，所以他们不得不躲藏起来，否则就会被德国的纳粹分子抓去。她和她的家人躲藏了将近25个月之后才被发现。在那段时期，她的日记成了她唯一忠实的朋友。她说：“我不愿像大多数人那样在日记中记流水账。我要把我的日记当作自己的朋友，我把我的这个朋友叫做基蒂。”现在，来看看安妮自1942年7月起躲进藏身处后的那种心情吧。 1944年6月15日，星期四亲爱的基蒂：我不知道这是不是因为我太久不能出门的缘故，我变得对一切与大自然有关的事物都无比狂热。我记得非常清楚，以前，湛蓝的天空、鸟儿的歌唱、月光和鲜花，从未令我心迷神

优秀英语美文摘抄带翻译

优秀英语美文摘抄带翻译【导语】优美的文字于细微处传达出美感,并浸润着学生的心灵。通过英语美文,学生不仅能够感受语言之美,领悟语言之用,还能产生学习语言的兴趣。以下是由分享优秀英语美文摘抄带翻译，希望可以帮助大家! 【篇一】优秀英语美文摘抄带翻译 We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you’ve read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o’clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won’t need to live in fear of it. 我们的勇气并不是与生俱来的，我们的恐惧也不是。也许有些恐惧来自你的亲身经历，别人告诉你的故事，或你在报纸上读到的东西。有些恐惧可以理解，例如在凌晨两点独自走在城里不安全的地段。但是一旦你学会避免那种情况，你就不必生活在恐惧之中。 Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.

七年级上册英语课文翻译

七年级上册英语课文翻译 P4 My name’s Daming and I’m in Class One. I’m from China and I’m Chinese. I’m from Beijing. Beijing is a big city. Lingling’s in my clas s. She’s my friend. My name’s Lingling. I’m not from England and I’m not English. I’m Chinese. I’m in Class One. Daming is my friend. We’re twelve years old. He’s from Beijing and he’s in my class. We’re good friends. My name’s Wang Hui and I’m Chinese. I’m from Shanghai. I’m thirt een years old. I’m in Class One with Daming and Lingling. They ar e my friends. 我的名字叫大明，和我在一班。我来自中国，和我是中国人。我来自北京。北京是个大城市。玲玲在我的班。她是我的朋友。我的名字叫玲玲。我不是来自英国，和我也不是英国人。我是中国人。我在一班。大明是我的朋友。我们12岁了。他来自北京，和他在我的班。我们是好朋友。我的名字叫王辉，和我是中国人。我不是来自北京。我来自上海。我13岁了。我在一班和大明、玲玲。他们是我的朋友。

P8 Miss Li: Please welcome Betty and Tony to our school. They are fro m Beijing International School. This is Betty. Betty: Hello. My name’s Betty. I’m from America. I’m 13 years old and I’m a student. I can play football and I can play basketball. I can speak English but I can’t speak Chinese. This is Tony. He’s my friend. Tony: Hello. My name’s Tony. I’m 11 years old. I’m from England and I can speak English. I can play football and table tennis, and I can ride a bike. Lingling: Can you swim? Tony: No, I can’t. And I can’t speak Chinese! 李小姐：请欢迎贝蒂和托尼来我们学校。他们来自北京国际学校。这是贝蒂。贝蒂：你好。我的名字叫贝蒂。我来自美国。我十三岁，和我是一个学生。我能踢足球，和我能打篮球。我能说英语但是我不能说汉语。这是托尼。他是我的朋友托尼：你好。我的名字叫托尼。我十一岁了。我来自英国，和我能说英语。我能踢足球和打乒乓球，和我能骑一辆车。玲玲：你能游泳吗？托尼：不，我不能。而且我不能说汉语。

高中英语必修一课文及其翻译

Anne’s Best Friend Do you want a friend whom you could tell everything to, like your deepest feelings and thoughts? Or are you afraid that your friend would laugh at you, or would not understand what you are going through? Anne Frank wanted the first kind, so she made her diary her best friend. Anne lived in Amsterdam in the Netherlands during World War Ⅱ. Her family was Jewish so nearly twenty-five months before they were discovered. During that time the only true friend was her diary. She said, ”I don’t want to set down a series of facts in a diary as most people do, but I want this diary itself to be my friend, and I shall call my friend Kitty.” Now read how she felt after being in the hiding place since July 1942. Thursday 15th June, 1944 Dear Kitty, I wonder if it’s because I haven’t been able to be outdoors for so long that I’ve grown so crazy about everything to do with nature. I can well remember that there was a time when a deep blue sky, the song of the birds, moonlight and flowers could never have kept me spellbound. That’s changed since I was here. …For example, one evening when it was so warm, I stayed awake on purpose until half past eleven in order to have a good look at the moon by my self. But as the moon gave far too much light, I didn’t dare open a window. Another time five months ago, I happened to be upstairs at dusk when the window was open. I didn’t go downstairs until the window bad to be shut. The dark, rainy evening, the wind, the thundering clouds held me entirely in their power; it was the first time in a year and a half that I’d seen the night face to face… …Sadly …I am only able to look at nature through dirty curtains hanging before very dusty windows. It’s no pleasure looking through these any longer because nature is one thing that really must be experienced. Yours, Anne

完整20篇初中英语小短文带翻译

1 Dogs People often say that a dog is man's best friend. Over thousands of years, man has taught his dogs to do many kinds of work besides guarding the home. For example, sheepdogs are famous for their ability to control a flock of hundreds of sheep. Dogs have been used to aid disabled people for centuries. A guide dog can lead its blind owner. Nowadays, dogs can be taught to turn on light switches, open refrigerator doors and dial the telephone for their disabled owners. For the majority of people, however, dogs are simply pets and friends for both young and old members of the family. guard 看守,看护sheepdog 牧羊犬flock 群aid 帮助 disabled 残疾人century 世纪guide dog 导盲犬dial 拨majority 大多数狗人们总是说狗是人类最好的朋友.几千年来,除了看家外,人类还教会了狗去做许多其他的事,例如,牧羊犬就因其可以控制数百只羊的羊群而出名. 狗用来帮助残疾人已有好几个世纪了.导盲犬可以为盲主人引路.现在,人们还教狗为残疾主人打开电灯、开冰箱和拨电话.然而,对于大多数人来说,狗只是家里老人和孩子们的宠物和朋友. 2 Detective Work A bank robber stole a lot of money. He was caught and sent to prison, but the money was never found. When he came out of prison, they watched him to see what he would do. Here is the detective, reporting to the inspector. Yes, sir, I found Johnny . I followed him all around the town, but frankly, I couldn't make anything out of what he bought. Here's the list. shirt , heavy crowbar, box of chocolates , shovel, heavy hammer, bunch of flowers .The inspector said, Good. That helps me a lot. Do you remember how we watched him helping his neighbor, old Mrs. Judson to cover her backyard with cement? detective 侦探的侦探robber 强盗,盗贼prison 监狱 inspector 检察官frankly 坦白地,真诚地crowbar 铁撬,撬棒 shovel 铲,铁铲hammer 铁锤,锤子backyard 后院cement 水泥侦探工作一个盗贼从银行偷了很多钱.他被抓住送到监狱,但是钱没找到. 我发现了,先生,是的“侦探正向检察官报告：,这不.看他会做什么,他被监视,当他从监狱出来时．强尼?阿米塔基,我跟着他转遍了全镇,但坦白说,我不能从他买的东西中推断出什么.这里是清单.”衬衫、大铁撬、一盒巧克力铁铲、大铁锤、一束花. 检察官说：“好,这对我很有帮助.你还记得我们看到他是怎么帮他的邻居,贾德森老太太用水泥铺院子的吗?” 3 What is Time? （Nursery Rhyme） Time is grain for peasants. Time is wealth for workers.

外研版七年级上册英语课文翻译

M1U1 李老师:您好,我的名字叫李芳。、我就是您们的老师您们就是我的学生。、我就是中国人。我来自武汉。您叫什么名字？玲玲:我的名字叫王玲玲李老师:、见到您很高兴。玲玲,您来自哪里？玲玲:我来自北京。我就是中国人。李老师:您多大了？玲玲:我十三岁。李老师:好的。您好,您那？大明:您好,李老师。我的名字就是李大明我也来自北京。我十二岁。李老师:谢谢。您好,您来自美国不？托尼:不,我不就是。我来自英格兰。我的名字叫托尼?史密斯。李老师:见到您很高兴。托尼。嗨,您也就是英国人不？贝蒂:不,我不就是。我就是美国人。我的名字叫贝蒂?金。玲玲:托尼与贝蒂就是我们的朋友。李老师:好的。欢迎来到七年级四班。 M1U2 大家好。我叫李大明,我的英文名字叫戴维。我12岁,我来自北京。北京就是中国的首都。这就是玲玲,她的英文名字叫露西。她就是我的朋友。她也来自北京。您们好。我叫王玲玲,我13岁。很高兴见到您。王辉就是我的朋友,但她不在我们班。她的英文名字叫亨利。她来自上海。上海就是个很大的城市。您们好,我的名字叫托尼?史密斯。我来自剑桥。她在英国就是个小城市。托尼就是我的名字,史密斯就是我的姓。我13岁。很高兴见到您们所有的人。 M2U1 玲玲:这就是您的家庭不？托尼:就是的,它就是。玲玲:好大的一个家庭啊！这就是您的妹妹不？托尼:就是的,这就是她。她叫琳达。玲玲:这些人就是您的祖父母与外祖父母不？托尼:就是的,她们就是。我妈妈的父母在左边,我爸爸的父母在右边。玲玲:我明白了。这就是谁？托尼:那就是我爸爸。玲玲:这就是您的妈妈不？托尼:就是的。在她旁边的妇女就是我爸爸的姐姐,我的姑姑利兹。

高中外研社英语选修六Module5课文Frankenstein's Monster

Frankenstein's Monster Part 1 The story of Frankenstein Frankenstein is a young scientist/ from Geneva, in Switzerland. While studying at university, he discovers the secret of how to give life/ to lifeless matter. Using bones from dead bodies, he creates a creature/ that resembles a human being/ and gives it life. The creature, which is unusually large/ and strong, is extremely ugly, and terrifies all those/ who see it. However, the monster, who has learnt to speak, is intelligent/ and has human emotions. Lonely and unhappy, he begins to hate his creator, Frankenstein. When Frankenstein refuses to create a wife/ for him, the monster murders Frankenstein's brother, his best friend Clerval, and finally, Frankenstein's wife Elizabeth. The scientist chases the creature/ to the Arctic/ in order to destroy him, but he dies there. At the end of the story, the monster disappears into the ice/ and snow/ to end his own life. Part 2 Extract from Frankenstein It was on a cold November night/ that I saw my creation/ for the first time. Feeling very anxious, I prepared the equipment/ that would give life/ to the thing/ that lay at my feet. It was already one/ in the morning/ and the rain/ fell against the window. My candle was almost burnt out when, by its tiny light，I saw the yellow eye of the creature open. It breathed hard, and moved its arms and legs. How can I describe my emotions/ when I saw this happen? How can I describe the monster who I had worked/ so hard/ to create? I had tried to make him beautiful. Beautiful! He was the ugliest thing/ I had ever seen! You could see the veins/ beneath his yellow skin. His hair was black/ and his teeth were white. But these things contrasted horribly with his yellow eyes, his wrinkled yellow skin and black lips. I had worked/ for nearly two years/ with one aim only, to give life to a lifeless body. For this/ I had not slept, I had destroyed my health. I had wanted it more than anything/ in the world. But now/ I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and horror and disgust/ filled my heart. Now/ my only thoughts were, "I wish I had not created this creature, I wish I was on the other side of the world, I wish I could disappear!” When he turned to look at me, I felt unable to stay in the same room as him. I rushed out, and /for a long time/ I walked up and down my bedroom. At last/ I threw myself on the bed/ in my clothes, trying to find a few moments of sleep. But although I slept, I had terrible dreams. I dreamt I saw my fiancée/ walking in the streets of our town. She looked well/ and happy/ but as I kissed her lips，they became pale, as if she were dead. Her face changed and I thought/ I held the body of my dead mother/ in my arms. I woke, shaking with fear. At that same moment，I saw the creature/ that I had created. He was standing/by my bed/ and watching me. His

英语美文(带翻译)

Always will I seek the seed of triumph in every adversity 在困境中寻找成功的希望 1．There is no better school than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve my performance next time. Never again will I contribute to my downfall by refusing to face the truth and learn from my past mistakes. Because I know: gems cannot shine without polish, and I cannot perfect myself without hardship. 2．Now I know that there are no times in life when opportunity, the chance to be and do, gathers so richly about my soul as when it has to suffer cruel adversity. Then everything depends on whether I raise my head or lower it in seeking help. Whenever I am struck down, in the future, by any terrible defeat, I will always inquire of myself, after the first pain has passed how I can turn that adversity into good. What a great opportunity that moment might present… to take the bitter root I am holding and transform it into a fragrant garden of flowers. 3．Always will I seek the seed of triumph in every adversity. 1．逆境是一所最好的学校每一次打击、每一次损失。都蕴含着成功的萌芽。都教会我在下一次有更出色的表现。我再也不会逃避现实，也不会拒绝从以往的错误中获取经验，我不再因此促成自己的失败。因为我我知道，宝玉不经磨砺就不能发光，没有磨练，我也不完善自我。 2．现在我知道，灵魂倍受煎熬的时刻，也正是生命中最多选择与机会的时刻。任何事情的成败取决于我在寻求帮助时是抬起头还是低下头。无论何时，当我被可怕的失败击倒，在最初的阵痛过去之后，我都要想方设法将苦难变成好事。伟大的机遇就在这一刻闪现——这苦涩的根本必将迎来满园芬芳！ 3．我将一直在困境中寻找成功希望。 Hold Fast to Dreams 紧紧抓住梦想 1．We all have dreams. We all want to believe deep down in our souls that we have a special gift, that we can make a difference, that we can touch others in a special way, and that we can make the world a better place. 2．At one time in our lives, we all had a vision for the quality of life that we desire and deserve. Yet, for many of us, those dreams have become so shrouded in the frustrations and routines of daily life that we no longer even make an effort to accomplish them. For far too many, the dream has dissipated and with it, so has the will to shape our destinies. Many have lost that sense of certainty that creates the winner’s edge.

(完整版)Unit7TheMonster课文翻译综合教程四

Unit 7 The Monster Deems Taylor 1He was an undersized little man, with a head too big for his body ― a sickly little man. His nerves were bad. He had skin trouble. It was agony for him to wear anything next to his skin coarser than silk. And he had delusions of grandeur. 2He was a monster of conceit. Never for one minute did he look at the world or at people, except in relation to himself. He believed himself to be one of the greatest dramatists in the world, one of the greatest thinkers, and one of the greatest composers. To hear him talk, he was Shakespeare, and Beethoven, and Plato, rolled into one. He was one of the most exhausting conversationalists that ever lived. Sometimes he was brilliant; sometimes he was maddeningly tiresome. But whether he was being brilliant or dull, he had one sole topic of conversation: himself. What he thought and what he did. 3He had a mania for being in the right. The slightest hint of disagreement, from anyone, on the most trivial point, was enough to set him off on a harangue that might last for hours, in which he proved himself right in so many ways, and with such exhausting volubility, that in the end his hearer, stunned and deafened, would agree with him, for the sake of peace. 4It never occurred to him that he and his doing were not of the most intense and fascinating interest to anyone with whom he came in contact. He had theories about almost any subject under the sun, including vegetarianism, the drama, politics, and music; and in support of these theories he wrote pamphlets, letters, books ... thousands upon thousands of words, hundreds and hundreds of pages. He not only wrote these things, and published them ― usually at somebody else’s expense ― but he would sit and read them aloud, for hours, to his friends, and his family. 5He had the emotional stability of a six-year-old child. When he felt out of sorts, he would rave and stamp, or sink into suicidal gloom and talk darkly of going to the East to end his days as a Buddhist monk. Ten minutes later, when something pleased him he would rush out of doors and run around the garden, or jump up and down off the sofa, or stand on his head. He could be grief-stricken over the death of a pet dog, and could be callous and heartless to a degree that would have made a Roman emperor shudder. 6He was almost innocent of any sense of responsibility. He was convinced that

英语美文欣赏带翻译

Friends or 'Enemies?' When I was younger, my Dad used to tell me: "Boys don't want to be your friend." He then left the rest to my imagination. At the time, I didn't agree. I thought: I can crack a good joke, I know how to shoot a hoop, and I'm a cheerful person (but not in an annoying way). What kind of boy wouldn't want to be around that kind of girl? Turns out, my Dad was right. Not to be all "Samantha Brick" about it, but in my experience, single, heterosexual men aren't actively looking for an exclusively platonic relationship with a woman they find sexually attractive. This of course is not a revolutionary concept. In fact, it seems pretty natural to me. Now, I will be the first to say that it is really and truly the most wonderful thing in the world if the attraction is mutual. But the Powers That Be seem to like to play these complicated little mating games with humans where the guy we want to re-enact scenes from 9? Weeks with sees our attractiveness level as akin to that of a discarded dishcloth, and the most physical we could see ourselves being with the guy who actually likes us is a game of ping pong over an especially long table. All of which means that someone usually ends up getting rejected. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I have struggled with the scenario where I am not interested in a man romantically, but I want to keep him as a friend because he is funny and I enjoy his company, or he has shown himself to be that rare specimen known as "a nice, genuine person, " or he simply doesn't mention his therapist in every other sentence. Rather than string him along and give him hope, I feel compelled to somehow communicate to him sooner rather than later that we'll just be staying friends, nothing more. Otherwise, I think I am being unfair to him. Why should he waste his romantic stamina on me when there are loads of other single women out there who might fall instantly in love with him? The thing is, it can sometimes be tricky to reject a man and keep him as a friend. If the operation is not executed carefully, you may end up creating a "menemy." It requires a certain amount of skill to be able to turn down a man's sexual advances or romantic gestures and then get him to agree to meet you for blueberry pancakes the following weekend and chat about the latest Woody Allen film. Some men aren't satisfied with just that. I'm not clear why. What's so bad about friendship? Everyone needs buddies. But I've seen men react poorly or simply fall off the face of the earth. I get it -- their feelings are hurt. None of us likes getting rejected. But in my experience, some men find it especially soul-crushing. I am only bringing all of this up because I recently had to go through this scenario again. I had spent some time cultivating a friendship with a man who, in my defense, I thought was gay. So I didn't see the harm in him buying me the occasional falafel, or accepting an invitation to see a film with him. Isn't that what friends are for? But a mutual friend shed light on his sexual orientation (straight) and suggested that his intentions -- and attentions -- weren't platonic. He had never "made the moves" but now it was all crystal clear -- that explains the way he had looked at me that time the tahini sauce dribbled down my chin! Since he had clearly been too timid to express his feelings, I thought I would be clever this time and subtly mention the dates I had been going on, focusing on the one guy I was kind of keen on, so that he would know that I was "unavailable" for heavy petting and those sorts of activities, but that I was available for things like roller skating, falafel-eating and shooting the breeze. Doesn't that sound nice? That way, he would known not to try to lean in for a kiss, and I wouldn't have to pull the Stevie Wonder dance and dodge him went he went for it. It was like pre-rejection, yet I was sparing his feelings because he didn't even have to put himself out there! I really thought I was being brilliant. It backfired, of course. Said man ended up sending me an email rant accusing me of being insensitive by talking about other men when he had "feelings for me." As if I am psychic, by the way, just because I am a woman! How was I supposed to know that? I think in his mind we were dating. In my mind, he was my new gay BFF. In the end, I got mad at him for getting mad at me, and now the friendship has ended. And I have created yet another "menemy." Look, I have also tried the direct thing: "I really like you, but only as a friend, " but you can only do that when the guy has made his intentions clear, and in my experience, they either cope okay (though rarely do I feel much enthusiasm for friendship after that), or they really don't cope well. I also tried the thing where you make them think they are rejecting you, but it gets quite confusing and only works if the guy isn't very sharp, and why would I -- or you -- be hanging out with someone not that sharp in the first place? As we all remember, Billy Crystal's character says men and women can't be friends in When Harry Met Sally because the sex stuff gets in the way. I do have single, male, heterosexual friends with whom I have an easy, non-romantic rapport, but I honestly don't know if they would walk away if I was sprawled naked on a bed calling out to them. I may not be everybody's cup of tea, but sometimes, I wonder if they wonder. And they may wonder if I wonder. If so, I hope they'll keep it to