提升

有讀者問「提升自己」是不是 Upgrade myself？我們知道「提升」本來是「把某人升職」的意思，例如：He was promoted to (the rank of) manager 是「他被提升為經理」。但隨著電腦軟件升級流行，「提升」也用作「提高質量、升級」的意思，英文是 Upgrade，例如：He was upgraded to security guard，是「他被提升為警衛」，We can upgrade you to business class，是「我們可給你升級為商務乘客」，The hotel has been upgraded and modernised，是「那酒店已經升級和現代化」。有美國軍火商希望協助印度把導彈防衛系統升級。The company is hoping to sell Patriot missiles to India and to help it upgrade its missile defense system。

而我們常說的「提升技能」是 Upgrade our skills，說Upgrade myself 也可以。例如有報告說 Women were more likely than men to upgrade themselves。