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用法学习: 1. Activist investors are shareholders who buy a large amount of a company's stock to influence its management, strategy, or operations. Shareholder activism is a form of activism in which shareholders use equity stakes in a corporation to put pressure on its management. A fairly small stake (less than 10% of outstanding shares) may be enough to launch a successful campaign. In comparison, a full takeover bid is a much more costly and difficult undertaking. The goals of shareholder activism range from financial (increase of shareholder value through changes in corporate policy, cost cutting, etc.) to non-financial (disinvestment from particular countries, etc.). Shareholder activists can address self-dealing by corporate insiders, although large stockholders can also engage in self-dealing to themselves at the expense of smaller minority shareholders. Macy's is in deep financial trouble and is working to fend off multiple activist investors – two of which said this week that Macy's would be more valuable if it just shut down its business and sold everything off for parts. 2. "Flee like a bird to your mountain" is a phrase from Psalm 11 of the Bible that means to react to danger with panic and self-preservation, like a bird that flies to a high place. In the psalm, David's advisors tell him to flee, but David chooses to put his faith in God instead. The psalm was written when David and other righteous men were threatened by enemies. David responds to the advice to flee by taking refuge in the Lord, understanding the crisis as a test, and remembering God's judgment. The phrase "flee like a bird to your mountain" is likely a metaphor for a siege, with the bird and mountains imagery having recognizable military associations. Psalm 11 can provide comfort for people struggling with God, and can show how to trust God during a crisis. 3. in the same vein = in a ... vein = in the same vein = in a similar vein 类似的, 相似的, 类同的 in a particular style of speaking or writing about something. Of similar kind. His comments to the press were in the same carping vein as in previous speeches. Last season he failed to finish a stage race and this season has started in similar vein. The second half began in a similar vein. There was more humour, in much the same vein. in a serious/light-hearted etc vein in the same style of speaking or writing. poems in a lighter vein. These poems along with many others in a similar vein, show that working people were articulating aspects of their experience in verse. She remembered how cruelly those eyes could look at her, turning her blood to vinegar in her veins. in the same breath = in the next breath [disapproval] in the same statement. You can use in the same breath or in the next breath to indicate that someone says two very different or contradictory things, especially when you are criticizing them. He hailed this week's arms agreement but in the same breath expressed suspicion about the motivations of the United States. "she admitted it but said in the same breath that it was of no consequence". vocabulary: When you say two things in the same breath, you say them at the same time. You might apologize for being late and in the same breath criticize the driving directions you were given. In the same breath is a great way to say "at once," or "at the exact same time." In practice, it really means "more or less at the same time," since it's physically impossible to say two things at once. It's fairly common to use this phrase when someone is expressing conflicting opinions or feelings at the same time, as when you beg to be invited to a party and, in the same breath, say you don't really care if you get an invitation or not. mention (someone or something) in the same breath 放一起比较, 混为一谈, 把...和...放在一起作对比 To compare two people or things, especially when one is considered to be superior to the other. compare a person or thing with another much better person or thing: How can you mention the Beatles and the Spice Girls in the same breath? Please don't mention that traitor in the same breath as George Washington. Gina found it incredibly flattering to be mentioned in the same breath as some of her favorite novelists. 4. experiential [ɪkspɪərienʃəl] 基于经历的 adj Experiential means relating to or resulting from experience. experiential learning. Learning has got to be active and experiential. ...the rediscovery of the experiential path of religious truth.

没素质, 没教养; Parallel construction 同步证据建设;

用法学习: 1. bring (someone or something) up to date 更新 I. To share or incorporate the most current information about someone or something. Bring me up to date on these candidates for the job. This schedule doesn't include the latest changes—can you bring it up to date? Hannah will bring you up to date on the policy changes happening this year. to inform someone of the latest information about something. Let me bring you up-to-date on what is happening in the village. Please bring me up-to-date. II. to modernize someone or something. We brought the room up-to-date with a little paint and some modern furniture. I can bring you up-to-date with a new hairdo. III. Looking at your account, you have a balance due of 26 dollars, that I'm not gonna waive  that. So whenever you are ready, I'll go ahead and take the credit card number if you'd like to proceed with your payment. Otherwise, you'll have a blanace due we will suspend your services temporarily until that payment is brought up to date. "Bringing up to date" an account refers to updating account entries to the current time. In the context of an overdue invoice, "bringing an account up to date" means the customer has paid the invoice and their account is current again. If a customer hasn't paid an invoice on time, a business can try to bring the account up to date by sending a reminder. up to date I. If something is up-to-date, it is the newest thing of its kind. ...Germany's most up to date electric power station. ...enhancing the system and bringing it up to date. This production is bang up-to-date. II. If you are up-to-date about something, you have the latest information about it. We'll keep you up to date with any news. I am very up to date on this sort of thing because I listen to the news. 2. "Thank you for holding 谢谢你的帮忙, 谢谢你的支持" I. can be used to express gratitude for someone's support. Here are some other ways to say "thank you for your support". Call centre: Thank you so much for holding, Tom. I had to walk away for a moment. I'm going to be taking over your call at this time. II. an expression that means listening to someone work through a problem without commenting. It can also mean "shut up, I need to work this out". The expression originated from a story about a researcher who would pick up a rubber duck when he was stuck on a problem, ask a colleague to hold it, and then say "thank you for holding my duck" when he came up with a solution. III. "Thank you for holding" is a polite phrase used to acknowledge someone's patience and time when they have been waiting on the phone. It is often used in customer service or professional settings. submit [səbˈmɪt] I. to give or offer something for a decision to be made by others: Companies are required to submit monthly financial statements to the board. You must submit your application before 1 January. The developers submitted building plans to the council for approval. to formally send a document, plan, etc. to a person or group in authority so that they can make a decision about it: submit a bid/plan/proposal. The consortium has yet to submit a bid. submit a letter/report/request They submitted the report after the retailer said that it might choose a replacement ad agency last year. Applications must be submitted by December 5. II. to suggest or say something: In conclusion, I submit that the proposal will not work without some major changes. III. to allow another person or group to have power or authority over you, or to accept something unwillingly. to give power or authority over a person or group to someone, or to accept something unwillingly. to allow another person or group to have authority or control over you, or to accept something unwillingly: They were required to agree that future industrial disputes would be submitted to arbitration. He had never been able to submit himself to that sort of discipline. All newly hired employees must submit to a background check. We protested about the changes for a long time, but in the end we had to submit. She decided to resign from the party rather than submit herself to the new rules. If you want to sue me for some reason, you need to come to my state. But if I get into my car and I drive to another state. By choosing to drive in that other state, I've submitted to their laws and I've submitted to their courts. So I can be sued in that state. IV. submit your resignation to tell your employer that you are leaving your job or position: He was given the choice on Wednesday to either submit his resignation, or be fired. 3. take a meeting 开会, 参加会议 to attend a business conference To attend a business meeting. I can't take a meeting today, I have a report that I really need to finish. traipse [treɪps] verb I. walk or move wearily or reluctantly. If you traipse somewhere, you go there unwillingly, often because you are tired or unhappy. If traipsing around shops does not appeal to you, perhaps using a catalogue will. Joyce traipsed from one doctor to another, praying that someone would listen. "students had to traipse all over London to attend lectures". I spent the day traipsing around the shops, but found nothing suitable for her. More than 6 million people traipse through the national park each year. II. walk about casually or needlessly. "there's people traipsing in and out all the time". [disapproval] 慢腾腾的走. If you talk about people traipsing somewhere, you mean that they are going there or moving about there in a way that annoys someone or gets in their way. You will have to get used to a lot of people traipsing in and out of your home. She doesn't want security men traipsing round with her every minute of the day. Phoebe: You ask us to find you a guy and you come traipsing in here with your own! Rachel: You found me a guy? Monica: Yes! We found you a really cute and funny guy from Chandler's work! Phoebe: Yeah and I found you one too who is not a weirdo. Rachel: Well, y'know what though 虽然如此但是 you guys? I really appreciate that but I think I'm just gonna take Sebastian to the charity. Chandler: Are you sure?! Because our guy smells incredible! Monica: Uh, would you stop it with that already?! Penny: How did you even get in, you weirdo? Sheldon: Yeah, really? I've seen strange men traipsing in and out of here for years, but when I do it, it's weird? Howard: Do I get an honourable mention for designing the telescope camera mounting bracket you used. Raj: Sorry, it's not part of my heartwarming and personal narrative, in which a humble boy from New Delhi overcame poverty and prejudice and journeyed to America to reach for the stars. Howard: Poverty? Your father's a gynaecologist, he drives a Bentley. Raj: It's a lease. Sheldon: I'm confused. Was there some sort of peer review committee to determine which scientists would be included? Raj: Peer review?It's People magazine. People picked me. Sheldon: What people? Raj: The people from People. Sheldon: Yeah, but exactly who are these people? What are their credentials 资格, how are they qualified, what makes accidentally noticing a hunk of rock that's been traipsing around the solar system for billions of years more noteworthy than any other scientific accomplishment made by someone under thirty? Raj: Boy, I bet Ellen Pages friends aren't giving her this kind of crap. credential I. something that entitles a person to confidence, authority, etc. II. a piece of information that is sent from one computer to another to check that a user is who they claim to be or to allow someone to see information. a letter or certificate giving evidence of the bearer's identity or competence. credentials the abilities and experience that make someone suitable for a particular job or activity, or proof of someone's abilities and experience: All the candidates had excellent academic credentials. 4. missive [mɪsɪv] A missive is a letter or other message that someone sends. an official, formal, or long letter: She sent a ten-page missive to the committee, detailing her objections. ...the customary missive from your dear mother. invective 骂人话 insulting, abusive, or highly critical language. Invective is rude and unpleasant things that people shout at people they hate or are angry with. A woman had hurled racist invective at the family. Crowley maintained a stream of invective and abuse against Waite. "he let out a stream of invective". inventive 创造性的 adj. An inventive person is good at inventing things or has clever and original ideas. ...Stroman's ceaselessly inventive choreography. It inspired me to be more inventive with my own cooking. He has surprised us before with his inventiveness. I worked with a lot of inventive, intelligent people. But there was an absolute stonewalling of [our] operations because of the mole we had at the time. long odds = the oddds are long 可能性很小 a poor chance of winning. if there are long odds against something happening, it is very unlikely that it will happen The team has made some major improvements, but they still face long odds. (at) long/short odds (=high or low numbers, that show a high or low risk of losing) Everyone was surprised when Desert Zone won the race, at very long odds. hit/strike pay dirt 找到矿了, 发横财. 发洋财. 大获成功 chiefly US, informal: to do, find, or get something that results in money or success The band hit pay dirt with their first single. The police struck pay dirt when a witness came forward with new information. vocabulary: Gravel or earth that contains valuable minerals is called pay dirt. If you're panning for gold in a rocky stream and suddenly realize your pan is full of gold, you've found pay dirt. This North American term pay dirt dates from the 1850s, during the California Gold Rush. When miners found an area rich with gold ore, they would say they'd hit pay dirt. Today, you're more likely to use this term informally to mean "reward, profit, or success." If you win a fancy new TV in a raffle at your school, you might exclaim, "I totally hit pay dirt!" give /quote something/someone chapter and verse 几章几节 to give exact information about something, especially something in a book: I can't quote you chapter and verse but I think it's a line from "Macbeth". They would've been giving chapter and verse not just on me but on my family, my friends, everything I did, my vulnerabilities [in case] they could recruit me. 5. exfiltrate [ˈɛksfɪlˌtreɪt] 偷偷回撤, 撤回, 偷偷后退 verb. I. (transitive) military to remove or withdraw (an intelligence agent, soldier, etc) surreptitiously from an enemy-held area. withdraw (troops or spies) surreptitiously, especially from a dangerous situation. "US special forces agents have all been exfiltrated from Iran". After being recalled to Moscow under suspicion, he was exfiltrated from the Soviet Union in July 1985 under a plan code-named Operation Pimlico. The Soviet Union subsequently sentenced him to death in absentia. II. to remove (data) from a computer, network, etc surreptitiously and without permission or unlawfully. extricate [ekstrɪkeɪt] I. If you extricate yourself or another person from a difficult or serious situation, you free yourself or the other person from it. It represents a last ditch attempt by the country to extricate itself from its economic crisis. He wanted to extricate her from the immediate influence of Catherine de Medici. Gordievsky felt, given the huge benefits MI6 would reap if he remained rezident of the embassy, that he was being encouraged by MI6 to return to Moscow as ordered, and decided on that; MI6 began to revive a plan to extricate him if necessary. II. If you extricate someone or something from a place where they are trapped or caught, you succeed in freeing them. ...extricate the survivors. He endeavoured to extricate the car, digging with his hands in the blazing sunshine. III. to remove, release, or free someone or something from a difficult condition or situation: They need education and other economic opportunities in order to extricate themselves from poverty. The president outlined a plan to extricate the troops if the situation worsened. extricate something from something It took hours to extricate the car from the sand. extricate yourself from something I tried to extricate myself from the situation. Following his exfiltration from the USSR to the UK in 1985, he became of even greater use to the West, in that information he would disclose or had previously disclosed could be immediately acted upon and shared without endangering his life, identity, or position. revive 起死复生. 复活 to come or bring something back to life, health, existence, or use: to revive someone's hopes/confidence/fortunes. My plants revived as soon as I gave them some water. A hot shower and a cup of tea will revive you. Traditional skills are being revived. to come back to life, health, existence, or use, or bring something back to such a state: She tried to revive the unconscious woman. My plants revived as soon as I gave them a little water. bring someone around = UK bring someone round I. (MAKE CONSCIOUS) to make someone become conscious again after being unconscious. I gave him a sniff of smelling salts to bring him around. II. to persuade someone to have the same opinion as you have: At first they refused but I managed to bring them around to my way of thinking).

Parallel construction 同步证据建设 is a law enforcement process of building a parallel, or separate, evidentiary basis for a criminal investigation in order to limit disclosure as to the origins of an investigation. In the US, a particular form is evidence laundering, where one police officer obtains evidence via means that are in violation of the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and then passes it on to another officer, who builds on it and gets it accepted by the court under the good-faith exception(In United States constitutional law and criminal procedure, the good-faith exception (also good-faith doctrine) is one of the limitations on the exclusionary rule of the Fourth Amendment. For criminal proceedings, the exclusionary rule prohibits entry of evidence obtained through an unreasonable search and seizure, such as one executed under an invalid search warrant. However, the good-faith exemption allows evidence collected by law enforcement officers pursuant to a defective search warrant if the officers reasonably relied on the validity of the warrant in good faith (bona fides). ) as applied to the second officer. This practice gained support after the Supreme Court's 2009 Herring v. United States decision. In August 2013, a report by Reuters revealed that the Special Operations Division (SOD) of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration advises DEA agents to practice parallel construction when creating criminal cases against Americans that are based on NSA warrantless surveillance. The use of illegally obtained evidence is generally inadmissible under the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine. Two senior DEA officials explained that the reason parallel construction is used is to protect sources (such as undercover agents or informants) or methods in an investigation. One DEA official had told Reuters: "Parallel construction is a law enforcement technique we use every day. It's decades old, a bedrock concept."

关于Melanie Phillips的例句: Phillips became a "scathing critic of modern Britain" which she regards as "a debauched and disorderly culture of instant gratification 及时满足, 及时享乐, 即时享乐, with disintegrating families, feral children and violence, squalor and vulgarity on the streets". In 2008, Ruth Runciman, chair of the UK Drugs Policy Commission, called "allegations" Phillips made that the commission was "intent on bringing about the legalisation of drugs" "an absolute travesty and a wilful misrepresentation 故意歪曲, 肆意歪曲, 曲解". In All Must Have Prizes, published in 1996, Phillips offered a critique of the British education system, saying that an egalitarian ( adj. 均等的. 均贫富的. believing in or based on the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. "a fairer, more egalitarian society". noun a person who advocates or supports the principle of equality for all people. "he was a social and political egalitarian". ) and non-competitive ethos (progressivism; multicultural education) had led to a catastrophic fall in standards. debauched [dɪˈbɔːtʃt] 腐化堕落的, 纵情声色的, 花天酒地的 adj. [old-fashioned, disapproval] indulging in or characterized by excessive indulgence in sex, alcohol, or drugs. made weaker or destroyed by bad sexual behaviour, drinking too much alcohol, taking drugs, etc.. If you describe someone as debauched, you mean they behave in a way that you think is socially unacceptable, for example because they drink a lot of alcohol or have sex with a lot of people. ...a debt-ridden 负债累累的 and debauched lifestyle. "a debauched lifestyle". debaucherous Excessively indulgent in sensual pleasures. involving or tending toward debauchery, which is behavior that is considered excessive, indulgent, and depraved. Debaucherous behavior is often associated with a disregard for social norms and can be seen as immoral or reckless. debauchery [dɪbɔːtʃəri] 声色犬马的生活 uncountable noun [disapproval] You use debauchery to refer to the drinking of alcohol or to sexual activity if you disapprove of it or regard it as excessive. bad sexual behaviour, drinking too much alcohol, taking drugs, etc.: a life of debauchery. ...scenes of drunkenness and debauchery. disintegrate 分崩离析 verb. I. If something disintegrates, it becomes seriously weakened, and is divided or destroyed. During October 1918 the Austro-Hungarian Empire began to disintegrate. ...the violent disintegration of Yugoslavia. ...the disintegration of an ordinary marriage. disintegrate into The situation disintegrated into chaos. II. If an object or substance disintegrates, it breaks into many small pieces or parts and is destroyed. to become weaker or be destroyed by breaking into small pieces: The spacecraft disintegrated as it entered the earth's atmosphere. disintegrate into The Ottoman Empire disintegrated into lots of small states. At 420mph the windscreen disintegrated. ...the catastrophic disintegration of the aircraft after the explosion. squalor [skwɒlər] 腌臜, 肮脏 uncountable noun You can refer to very dirty, unpleasant conditions as squalor. the condition of being extremely dirty and unpleasant, often because of lack of money: These people are forced to live in squalor. It was a dirty, damp, smelly flat - the usual student squalor. He was out of work and living in squalor. squalid disapproving I. (of places) extremely dirty and unpleasant, often because of lack of money. A squalid place is dirty, untidy, and in bad condition. He followed her up a rickety staircase to a squalid bedsit. The migrants have been living in squalid conditions. Many prisons, even today, are overcrowded and squalid places. II. Squalid activities are unpleasant and often dishonest. They called the bill 'a squalid measure'. ...the squalid pursuit of profit. wilful = willful 肆意的, 故意的 I. [disapproval] If you describe actions or attitudes as wilful, you are critical of them because they are done or expressed deliberately, especially with the intention of causing someone harm. Wilful neglect of our manufacturing industry has caused this problem. He admitted wilful misconduct in public office by disclosing a report to a journalist. He seems to have wilfully misunderstood. The present crisis is the result of years of wilful neglect by the council. They eat huge quantities of sweet and fried foods, in wilful disregard of their health. II. If you describe someone as wilful, you mean that they are determined to do what they want to do, even if it is not sensible. (of a person) determined to do exactly as you want, even if you know it is wrong: She developed into a wilful, difficult child. Francesca was a lively child, quite wilful 任性的, 固执的, 有主见的 and demanding. The new foster parents couldn't cope with her wilfulness.

down to a science, down cold, down to a fine art, down to a T/Tee; have something down pat, have something under one's belt: have something under your belt to have learned or succeeded in something that might be an advantage in the future. to have already achieved or done something After a few years, I had enough recipes under my belt to put them into a book. Basic computer skills are a good thing to have under your belt. have/know something down/off pat 烂熟于心, 滚瓜烂熟 have something memorized perfectly. to know something so well that you can say or do it without having to try or think. Thoroughly practiced, rehearsed, or understood; mastered: I'd given the talk so many times I had it down pat. "she had the baby's medical routine down pat". to a T 已臻化境, 完美无缺, 精确无比 (idiomatic) Precisely; exactly; perfectly; with great attention to detail. exactly; to perfection. "I baked it to a T, and of course it was delicious". The announcement of the political endorsement was timed to a T. You can use to a T or to a tee to mean perfectly or exactly right. For example, if something suits you to a T, it suits you perfectly. If you have got an activity or a skill down to a T 熟练掌握, you have succeeded in doing it exactly right. The description fits us to a tee. Everything had to be exactly right, rehearsed down to a T. down to a science = down cold = down to a fine art 熟能生巧 Perfected; to the point of practiced ease and confidence. I have my painting technique down to a science. mastered or learned perfectly Another hour of studying and I'll have the math lesson down cold. Usage notes: Usually used after have or got (something). Having something down to a science implies skill developed through long practice or repetition. To a point of exceptional proficiency. They've got it down cold. have something down to a fine art to know the best way of doing something because you have practised it a lot and have tried many different methods. to be able to do something very well or quickly, often because you have done it so many times They've got fruit selling down to a fine art. You can be sure that your pears will ripen in a day.

没素质, 没教养: 1. uncultured, uncivilized, uneducated. Did you have to wipe your dirty hands on my jacket? You are so uncultured. 2. trashy. This guy keeps shit posting about women online, he's so trashy. I hate people who litter, it's so trashy. 3. No class, have class, classy. Having class means: having good manners, being polite, showing humility. So someone with no class 没素质的人. This trashy guy on the tube kept playing videos out loud, he has absolutely no class. She had her feet on the table the whole journey, real classy 反讽没素质. 4. Rude. Those rude little dickheads keep hitting the Disney characters. You guys are so rude. 5. No manners, bad manners. ill-mannered. You need to learn some manners 太没教养了, 你太没素质了. I'm gonna teach you some manners 教你学做人. Who taught you such bad manners?

 COME IN: This is where I came in 我就是从这里开始看的, 这些我已经看过了, 这之后的我已经看过了. I already know or have heard all of this before; this it not new information. I have heard all this before. (Said when a situation begins to seem repetitive, as when a film one has seen part of before reaches familiar scenes.) When it became clear the meeting was just going to recap Monday's meeting for those who hadn't been there, Tom excused himself and muttered, "This is where I came in." John sat through a few minutes of the argument, and when Tom and Alice kept saying the same thing over and over John said, "This is where I came in," and left the room. The speaker stood up and asked again for a new vote on the proposal. "This is where I came in," muttered Jane as she headed for the door. This is where I began, my knowledge dates from this point. For example, Do you have anything more to add, because if not, this is where I came in. note: This idiom, dating from the 1920s, originally alluded to the continuous showing of a motion picture, with customers entering the theater at any stage while the film was running and leaving when it reached the point where they had started. This is where you come in 这时候就需要你了!: This is the moment at which you will be useful or important! "Hogwash has expressed an interest in the project, though we will of course have to agree to terms. This is where you come in!" "I believe that's where I come in." We need expert advice, and that's where you come in. His character doesn't come in until about halfway through the film. as (...) as they come ...的不行不行的 used to describe someone or something as having a characteristic to the highest degree Their daughter is as clever as they come. The movie was as boring as they come. come in I. to enter a room or building: Do you want to come in for a cup of tea? Hi, come in - great to see you! II. (of a bus, train, plane, etc.) to arrive at a particular place: Hasn't his train come in yet? Our flights came in within an hour of each other. III. (of a product) to become available: We are waiting for new stock to come in. He has the book on order and expects it to come in 到货 next week. IV. (of a law, rule, or system) to be introduced and start to be used: Many thousands of people have given up smoking since this legislation came in. It will be several months before the new rules come in 生效. V. to become fashionable or popular: Flared trousers first came in 风行 during the 1970s. As with so many other fashions, the trend for dressing down at work seems to be going out almost before it has come in. VI. BE RECEIVED. When news or information comes in, it is received: Reports are just coming in of a major accident on the motorway. VII. If you have money coming in, you receive it as income: With Dave unemployed, we don't have much money coming in at the moment. If more funding comes in, we may be able to restore some of our services. VIII. to become involved in a situation, story, or plan: We need expert advice, and that's where you come in. His character doesn't come in until about halfway through the film. come in on sth 参加意见, 参与进来 Can I come in on that issue? X. 进来. to begin playing or singing as part of a piece of music, either for the first time or after a pause: My favourite part of the song is that moment when the horns come in. The soloist has a long wait before coming in again. The DJ has to cue up the second piece of music so it comes in on the first beat of a bar. XI. When the sea or the tide comes in, the water moves forwards to cover more of the beach. come in handy (also mainly UK come in useful) to be useful for a particular purpose: Keep it, it might come in useful. come in first, second, etc. to finish a race in first, second, etc. position: Burns came in second in the 100 metres.

strife VS strive; Torah Scroll; discerning VS observant;

用法学习: 1. galore [gə'lɔːr] = in abundance adj. You use galore to emphasize that something you like exists in very large quantities. in great amounts or numbers: And to satisfy your sweet tooth, this café has desserts galore. You'll be able to win prizes galore. ...a popular resort with beaches galore. After the shipwreck there was whisky galore to be had for the taking. disenfranchise [ˌdɪs(ɪ)nˈfrantʃʌɪz] verb I. 剥夺投票权的. deprive (someone) of the right to vote. To disenfranchise a group of people means to take away their right to vote, or their right to vote for what they really want. Opponents say that the laws are a Republican ruse to disenfranchise entire groups of voters. ...the helplessness of disenfranchised minorities. "the law disenfranchised some 3,000 voters on the basis of a residence qualification". II. 剥夺权利的. 夺去特权的. deprive (someone) of a right or privilege. "we strongly oppose any measure which would disenfranchise people from access to legal advice". He tapped into cohorts of disenfranchised young men, who believed efforts for "gender quality" under the previous administration were giving women a free pass. President Yoon pledged to dismantle the Minister of Gender Equality, stating structural gender discrimination did not exist. over-egg 过分渲染, 夸大其词 (resume padding) overembellish or exaggerate (something). to make something seem larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is: Yes, there is a risk that the deal won't complete, but the market is over-egging it. Many celebrities' memoirs overegg their difficult childhoods in order to flatter their later achievements. "investors want to be clear that companies are not over-egging their results". She had already come under controversy for allegedly not paying taxes, manipulating stock prices, taking kickbacks for hosting art exhibitions and for over-egging her resume. padding 填充废话充数 unnecessary words or information added to a speech or piece of writing. unnecessary words or information added to something to make it seem longer or better: His presentation was interesting but there was too much padding.  Of the sonnet eleven of the lines are mere padding and say nothing. ...the kind of subject that politicians put in their speeches for a bit of padding.  It could have been an interesting essay, but there was too much padding. The first lady is no stranger to controversy – over the past few years, she has apologized for resumé-padding and has faced allegations ranging from academic plagiarism to stock manipulation, which the presidential office has repeatedly denied. over-egg the pudding I. to make something seem larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is: We all know insurance claimants who have over-egged the pudding to increase their payouts. It would be overegging the pudding to describe the system as universally popular. II. to spoil something by trying too hard to improve it. to try so hard to improve something that you spoil it, for example by making it seem exaggerated or extreme The movie obviously over-eggs the glowing childhood pudding with lots of cuddles, warm milk and snow pattering against the window panes. There are some great moments, but the writer tends to over-egg the pudding with metaphors and similes 比喻 when all she's describing is a group of women getting through the day. simile [ˈsɪmɪli, ˈsɪməli] 明喻, 比喻 ( analogy [əˈnalədʒi]  类比. metaphor 暗喻, 隐喻) A simile is an expression which describes a person or thing as being similar to someone or something else. For example, the sentences 'She runs like a deer' and 'He's as white as a sheet' contain similes. a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g. as brave as a lion ). What is the difference between a metaphor 暗喻, 隐喻 and a simile? 2. tamp If you tamp something, you press it down by tapping it several times so that it becomes flatter and more solid. Then I tamp down the soil with the back of a rake. Philpott tamped a wad of tobacco into his pipe. tamp down I. to pat or pack something down. Tamp the soil down over the seeds after you plant them. Please tamp down the soil firmly. II. to reduce the amount, level, size, or importance of something: As the price of gasoline rose above $3 a gallon, consumers cut their spending elsewhere, tamping down profits in retail, travel and other industries. The party retained power by boosting the economy and tamping down corruption. III. To suppress or demoralize someone. My ex-husband was always trying to tamp me down so that I would think I didn't deserve anything better in life. There will always be bullies who tamp you down for being different. IV. To limit, manage, or moderate someone. My doctor prescribed some medication to tamp me down when my food swings become too erratic. Whenever I get really stressed out or angry because of work, I always listen to classical music to help tamp me down. V. To lower or dampen something. The analyst is recommending that investors tamp down their expectations for the economy's performance. I don't want to tamp his hopes down, but I don't want him to end up disappointed, either. ask down 邀请到家里来, 邀请家访 to invite someone to come to one's home [for a visit]. To invite another person to one's home. I've been asked down to the MacLeods' farm this weekend. Haven't I asked you down to our new house before? I did ask Maureen down, but she's busy this weekend. She might be able to stop by during the week, though. Sam asked us down for Friday evening. Shall we go? We asked down some old friends for the evening. Note: (Usually said when someone must go to a lower level, travel south, down a hill, or into the country for the visit.) 3. jackpot 奖池 A jackpot is the most valuable prize in a game or lottery, especially when the game involves increasing the value of the prize until someone wins it. any large prize, kitty, or accumulated stake that may be won in gambling, such as a pool in poker that accumulates until the betting is opened with a pair of jacks or higher. the largest prize in a competition or game: The jackpot was over $1 million. A nurse won the £5 million jackpot. verb. (intransitive) Australian to accumulate 奖金累积 stake money in a prize fund. Powerball jackpots to $100 million, third highest prize this year. hit the jackpot 中奖, 中乐透 If you hit the jackpot, you have a great success, for example by winning a lot of money or having a piece of good luck. A prize pool is a collection of funds that is used to pay out the winnings in a lottery or other event. A large portion of the money from lottery tickets goes into the prize pool, which is then divided up among the different prize divisions. The larger the combination of winning numbers, the bigger the prize. unsecured I. 没有担保的. relating to a loan (= an amount of money that is lent) for which the person who has lent the money has no right to take property from the person who has borrowed it, if the money is not paid back: While we may request security for your loan, it can be unsecured. Total unsecured borrowing has increased by 60% over the past year. With an unsecured loan you do not offer your home as security and it is therefore a popular form of borrowing among consumers. II. 没有固定的. 没有弄紧的. not made secure or firm; not kept firmly in place. not made safe; not protected from danger or risk: According to the insurance company's report, the garage door had been left unsecured. III. 没有保障措施的. (of a creditor) having no security against a specific asset and with a claim inferior to those of secure creditors. An unsecured creditor is a creditor who does not have a security interest in the assets of a debtor. This means that if the debtor defaults on payment, the unsecured creditor has nothing to fall back on. The administrators' report lists 124 unsecured creditors, including customers, who are owed money from the company. The administrators say unsecured creditors may receive 19 cents for every dollar they're owed once Redflow's assets have been sold. IV. not protected against tapping or interception, as a telephone line or radio communication. notwithstanding I. preposition 尽管. 虽然. in spite of. If something is true notwithstanding something else, it is true in spite of that other thing. despite the fact or thing mentioned: Notwithstanding some members' objections, I think we must go ahead with the plan. Injuries notwithstanding, the team won the semifinal. He despised William Pitt, notwithstanding the similar views they both held. His relations with colleagues, differences of opinion notwithstanding, were unfailingly friendly. "notwithstanding the evidence, the consensus is that the jury will not reach a verdict". II. adv. nevertheless; in spite of this. 虽然是那么说. 尽管如此. 虽然如此. 即便如此. "I didn't like it. Notwithstanding, I remained calm". It's just the way the cookie crumbles. Notwithstanding it was a very bloody expensive cookie for me. wheels come/fall off 忽然就不行了, 猝死, 戛然而止 —used to say that someone or something fails in a sudden or unexpected way. Something failed, often after or amidst a laborious, tiring process. The coach said, "We were doing well for a while, but they got tired and then the wheels fell off". The pitcher was doing well for the first four innings, then the wheels fell off in the fifth. For the last several years, it felt like unless we could figure out a way to to raise a bigger chunk of money … eventually the wheels might fall off. demonstrable [dɪˈmɒnstrəbl] clearly apparent or capable of being logically proved. A demonstrable fact or quality can be shown to be true or to exist. The road safety programme is having a demonstrable effect on road users. Despite its demonstrable speed and safety, the boat failed to become popular. "the demonstrable injustices of racism". 4. Torah scroll ( torah [tɔrə] In the Jewish religion, the Torah is the first five books of the Old Testament of the Bible, regarded collectively. ...the first school for the study of the Torah. scroll [skroʊl] noun. I. 书卷 A scroll is a long roll of paper or a similar material with writing on it. a long roll of paper or similar material with usually official writing on it: The ancient Egyptians stored information on scrolls. Ancient scrolls were found in caves by the Dead Sea. II. A scroll is a painted or carved decoration made to look like a scroll. ...a handsome suite of chairs incised with Grecian scrolls. verb. If you scroll through text on a computer or phone screen, you move the text up or down to find the information that you need. I scrolled down to find 'United States of America'.) is a sacred handwritten copy of the Torah, the first five books of Moses, that is used in Jewish rituals and prayers. Torah scrolls are made from parchment ( parchment I. 羊皮. In former times, parchment was the skin of a sheep or goat that was used for writing on. the thin, dried skin of some animals that was used in the past for writing on, or a high-quality paper made to look like this: ancient parchment. He'd been ill for a long time, and his skin was like parchment. ...old manuscripts written on parchment. II. 牛皮纸. Parchment is a kind of thick yellowish paper. ...an old lamp with a parchment shade. Cover with a sheet of non-stick baking parchment. III. A parchment is a document written on parchment. parched [pɑːtʃt] adj I. 干旱的. dried out with heat. If something, especially the ground or a plant, is parched, it is very dry, because there has been no rain. parched earth/fields/corn. It was the height of summer and the land was parched and brown. The clouds gathered and showers poured down upon the parched earth. ...a hill of parched brown grass.  "the parched earth". II. informal 口渴的. extremely thirsty. If your mouth, throat, or lips are parched, they are unpleasantly dry. "I'm parched—I'll die without a drink". If you say that you are parched, you mean that you are very thirsty. III. lightly roasted. "parched corn". ) from a kosher animal, usually a cow, and are written in Hebrew by a trained scribe, or sofer. The scroll contains 304,805 letters that must be written precisely. The process of making a Torah scroll is complex and can take up to 18 months. The parchment is specially prepared, and the scribe uses a quill or other permitted writing utensil dipped in ink. Torah scrolls are kept in synagogues in special cabinets called arks. Torah scrolls are read from regularly during prayer services and on the Sabbath and holidays. Torah scrolls are so sacred that if one is accidentally dropped in the synagogue, the congregation must fast for 40 days. 5. shoulder season noun a travel season between peak and off-peak seasons, especially spring and fall, when fares tend to be relatively low. In the travel industry, a shoulder season is a period just before or after most people take their holidays. In Peru, the shoulder seasons are April–May and October–November. Main character syndrome 主角症候, 主角光环(主角 leading character, protagonist ) is a term used to describe a person who views themselves as the main character in their life, believing they are the most important person in most situations: They see their lives like a movie or book, focusing on their own experiences and feelings; They act according to the narrative of their plot, however they define it; They see everyone else as secondary, often a sidekick or a villain. While the term is popular on social media and in pop culture, it's not an actual medical diagnosis or psychiatric condition: It's a colloquial term that originated on social media platforms; It's similar to narcissism, but the two are not the same thing. Main character syndrome can be a warning sign for other mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). If you think you may be living with a mental health condition, you should speak to a psychiatrist or psychologist. 6. top flight noun. 顶级. the highest rank or level. The Sheffield Eagles move down to the second division after two seasons in the top flight. adj. 顶级的. 第一流的. of the highest rank or level. of superior or excellent quality; outstanding He's one of our top-flight engineers. "a top-flight batsman". high-flying adj. I. flying at a high altitude. "the remotely piloted, high-flying aircraft". II. 非常成功的. very successful, especially academically or in business. A high-flying person is successful or is likely to be successful in their career. ...a high-flying management consultant. a high-flying investment banker. "a high-flying, stressed-out Los Angeles tax attorney". A high-flying top Melbourne model who partied with A-list celebrities ended up homeless and in jail after party drugs wrecked her life and led to her downfall. The former private schoolgirl ended up at Melbourne's notorious Dame Phyllis Frost Centre women's prison after her party-drug addiction took a grip of her life. discernment [dɪˈsəːnm(ə)nt] 明辨是非 the ability to judge well. the ability to judge people and things well. Discernment is the ability to judge which things of a particular kind are good and which are bad. Over the years, I have learnt discernment, acceptance and patience (to a degree). ...their lack of discernment and acceptance of inferior quality.  It's clear that you are a person of discernment. "an astonishing lack of discernment". discern 辨别, 看得出来 verb. I. If you can discern something, you are aware of it and know what it is. to see, recognize, or understand something that is not clear. to be able to see, recognize, understand, or decide something: He could discern the note of urgency in their voices. The exhibit is arranged in no important order that the viewer can discern. I could just discern a figure in the darkness. It is difficult to discern any pattern in these figures. You need a long series of data to be able to discern such a trend. It was hard to discern why this was happening. II. If you can discern something, you can just see it, but not clearly. Below the bridge we could just discern a narrow, weedy ditch. discerning 明辨是非的, 看得出好赖的, 有眼力的 adj. having or showing good judgement. showing good judgment, especially about style and quality. If you describe someone as discerning, you mean that they are able to judge which things of a particular kind are good and which are bad. ...tailor-made holidays to suit the more discerning traveller. Her childhood passion for collecting has not dimmed, but now she is more discerning. a discerning customer. "the brasserie attracts discerning customers". observant ( alert, sharp-eyed, eagle-eyed, hawk-eyed, with eyes like a hawk, keen-eyed) adj. I. 眼尖的. 明察秋毫的. Someone who is observant pays a lot of attention to things and notices more about them than most people do. good or quick at noticing things: "That's a new dress, isn't it?" "Yes, you are observant!" That's a marvellous description, Mrs Drummond. You're unusually observant. An observant doctor can often detect depression from expression, posture, and movement. II. An observant follower of a religion performs all the duties that his or her religion requires. obeying religious rules or customs: As an observant Muslim, she wore a headscarf. ...a profoundly observant Islamic country. keen-eyed extremely observant. "an accident was averted by a keen-eyed officer". 7. on account of 因为, 鉴于, 原因或者理由, 由于...的原因: Owing to, because of the fact that. You use on account of to introduce the reason or explanation for something. The President declined to deliver the speech himself, on account of a sore throat. A newly-married couple, he thought, on account of their walking so close together. Penny: Okay. What do you watch on Thanksgiving? Sheldon: The parade. Penny: Oh, you know, that reminds me, I usually go back to Nebraska for thanksgiving, but this year they're calling it off on account of my brother's trial. Leonard: What's he on trial for? Penny: Oh, just a big misunderstanding. You know, you'd actually like my brother, he's kind of a chemist. Anyway, I was thinking I'd have thanksgiving here, and you are all invited. on that/this account 有鉴于此, 因而, 因此 You can use on that account or on this account when you want to say that something happens for the reason you have just mentioned. Wine is radioactive but few people stop drinking it on that account. on sb's account 为了某人, 因为某人 If something is said to be on someone's or something's account, it is because of that person or thing: I'm not very hungry, so please don't cook on my account (= don't cook just for me). They were tired, but not any less enthusiastic on that account.

strife VS strive: strife noun. I. 困境. 困局. violent or angry disagreement. angry disagreement or violent actions: What are the prospects for overcoming the strife between the Christian minority and Muslim majority? 20 years of civil strife have left the country's economy in ruins. Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages. The boardroom strife at the company is far from over. It remains a highly unstable and strife-torn country. civil/ethnic/political strife. At no point was there any hint that we were in financial strife?. He led the union through several years of labor strife. The killer reportedly wrote that he acted alone and that he was self-funded. 'To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn't working with anyone,' Mangione said. 'These parasites had it coming. I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done.' II. 分歧. disagreements between groups of people: industrial/financial/political strife. boardroom/internal strife. strive 努力, 寻求, 致力于 If you strive to do something or strive for something, you make a great effort to do it or get it. to try very hard to do something or to make something happen, especially for a long time or against difficulties: Mr Roe has kindled expectations that he must now strive to live up to. In her writing she strove for a balance between innovation and familiar prose forms. He strives hard to keep himself very fit. She strove to read the name on the stone pillar. The region must now strive for economic development as well as peace. ...a politician consumed by his own passionate striving for leadership. strive after something to try very hard to obtain something. I am always striving after perfection. Ted was striving after a promotion and finally got it. strive against something to work against something. He worked hard, striving against failure at every turn. Things were difficult. I had to strive against quitting almost every day. strive for something to try to obtain or bring about something. I am striving for the best possible result. Mary strives for perfection in everything she does. strive to do something to try hard to do something. She strove very hard to do what she had set out to do. Please strive to do it as best you can. strive toward something to work toward a goal. DI always strive toward perfection. Mary strove toward doing her best at all times.

 Executives sucking up to Trump now have to factor in the 'first buddy': And in this bareknuckle 你死我活, 竞争白热化(Bareknuckle fighting is a sport in which two competitors fight by hitting each other with their hands, which are not protected by gloves (= thick hand coverings that are worn for protection): The men went to a bare-knuckle fighting club. He is a bare-knuckle campaigner who is not scared to take on any political opponent. A bareknuckle brawl broke out in the airport terminal.) world of corporate executive leadership, Zuckerberg and the like have little choice but to spin up some flattery and lay it on thick. Failing to do so risks upsetting a leader with a short fuse and the power to sink a company's stock or ignite a boycott with a single social media post. Trump also welcomed his faithful "first buddy" Elon Musk into his inner circle, where Musk appears to be relishing his role as a kind of gatekeeper for executives hoping to snag an audience with the president-elect, per the Wall Street Journal. (Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI and the most prominent spokesman for the AI industry, is reportedly persona non grata around Mar-a-Lago because Musk "despises" him.)  The Musk factor adds a wrinkle ( add a new wrinkle To bring or contribute a new and often unexpected aspect, dimension, innovation, development, or stratagem (to something). If proven to be true, the discovery could add a new wrinkle to the way we think about the evolutionary process. Their new, and unorthodox, pitcher has added a new wrinkle to the team's offensive game. Well, this certainly adds a new wrinkle—no one foresaw that the experiment would yield a rubber-like substance. A clever device or expedient, a novelty, as in The players added a new wrinkle to victory celebrations by tossing their shirts to the crowd after the game.) to an already tricky diplomacy that Zuck, who has a history of beef with both men, would have had to engage in anyway. But zooming out 全局来看, 从大的方面看, 从大处着眼, it also reflects a broader shift in recent years in the way business leaders approach their job. If at one point it was cool to speak out on political issues — as many executives did during the first Trump administration and early in Joe Biden's term — the pendulum has swung fully back. The mood now: Bend the knee, or say nothing and pray no one notices. We can see that happening not only in the parade of tech CEOs tweeting fawning congratulations to Trump but more broadly in the wave of companies backtracking on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. To be sure, plenty of companies are still committed to DEI programs, and not all executives are morphing into insufferable suck-ups 拍马屁, 拍须溜马, 逢迎巴结. But now that Trump has locked up a second term, businesses feel less pressure to fake it till they make it on the DEI front. "Trump's election gives business leaders who were never committed to DEI an easy out," Shaun Harper, a professor of education and business at the University of Southern California, recently told my colleague Nathaniel Meyersohn. In other words, as the country embraces its strongman era, the idea of "stakeholder capitalism( Shareholders: Have partial ownership of a company because they've bought stock in it. Shareholders are always stakeholders, but not all stakeholders are shareholders. Stakeholders: Anyone who is impacted by a company's decisions, regardless of whether they own part of the company. Stakeholders can have an interest in a company's decisions, plans, and financial stability. Shareholder capitalism: Companies focus on maximizing profits, which can lead to short-term goals that don't align with the long-term interests of other stakeholders. Stakeholder capitalism: Companies consider the interests of multiple stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, and communities. Stakeholder capitalism is more focused on long-term management strategies that promote better business practices. )" — that companies should strive to be more than just profit machines — is losing its tug of war 角力 with the more traditional profit-at-all-costs model of "shareholder capitalism."

How a stowaway avoided identity and boarding pass checks on a flight from New York to Paris: A TSA spokesperson told CNN the woman first bypassed an airport terminal employee in charge of the security lane reserved for airline flight crews at JFK's Terminal 4 main checkpoint. It was at that point the woman skipped the station where her ID and boarding pass would have been checked, the spokesperson said. She then joined the line for standard TSA screening. It remains unclear how the woman was able to get past Delta gate agents at JFK. Delta has not said how the woman was able to board the plane once she made it past the TSA checkpoint. A review of JFK's security camera video shows the woman first blended in with a flight crew before the security screening, and later proceeded to the gate where she then placed herself in the middle of what appeared to be a family traveling together, according to a senior law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. TSA Administrator David P. Pekoske, speaking at the American Association of Airport Executives Aviation Security Summit on Tuesday, said the agency occasionally has "a very, very small number" of people who skip the identity verification stage undetected. He suggested electronic gates might be a solution to making sure all passengers are screened. What's really important here is, now the world knows our security is once again – just like before 911 – extremely porous 筛子似的, 漏洞百出. The flight attendants are required to check the bathrooms. Some airlines lock the bathrooms but Delta doesn't require them to be locked on takeoff," Schiavo said. "The airlines that require that is obviously to stop this bathroom dodgeball (四处躲藏的人)." Pekoske added, "We don't use e-gates in our system, and that's a problem." Schiavo said bypassing the first identity verification station with its facial recognition technology was among the glaring mistakes committed that day. "She came in and she didn't have any facial recognition, and obviously they didn't check to see she was ticketed passenger because she wasn't," Schiavo said.

hard sell, hard to buy for; feel guilty VS feel guilt;

用法学习: 1. venomous [ˈvɛnəməs] adj. I. (of an animal, especially a snake) secreting venom, or capable of injecting venom by means of a bite or sting. A venomous snake, insect, etc., produces venom (= a poisonous liquid that can be put into another animal's body by biting or stinging): Possible hazards include mosquitoes, sandflies, and venomous snakes. The Florida cottonmouth snake, which is also known as the water moccasin, has venomous fangs. She found a highly venomous black widow spider in a bunch of grapes. "a leading expert on venomous snakes". II. (of a person or their behaviour) full of malice or spite. full of anger or hate: Ms Brown has launched a venomous attack against the newspaper. She was forced to delete the venomous posts on her blog. "the venomous tone of her voice". veinous [ˈveɪnəs] adj. I. having prominent or noticeable veins. "a veinous nose". II. I do a veinous draw once a month at the doctor's lab. III. having veins; veiny. veiny 血脉明显的, 脉络分明的, 血脉喷张的 I. having or showing veins. II. full of veins. said as of flesh, leaves, or marble. Bodybuilders are often considered to be some of the most veiny people because of their high muscle-to-fat ratio. The condition of having prominent veins is known as vascularity. venous [ˈviː.nəs] 静脉的 adj. of or relating to the veins: venous blood. the venous system. intravenous = IV [ˌɪn.trəˈviː.nəs] 进入静脉的 into or connected to a vein: intravenous feeding/fluids. an intravenous drip/injection. Intravenous drug users are at particular risk of contracting the disease. The antibiotic was given in a fluid intravenously. Intravenous foods or drugs are given to sick people through their veins, rather than their mouths. ...an intravenous drip. ...intravenous drug users. Premature babies have to be fed intravenously. vain I. [disapproval] verly proud of oneself, especially concerning appearance; having a high opinion of one's own accomplishments with slight reason. If you describe someone as vain, you are critical of their extreme pride in their own beauty, intelligence, or other good qualities. I think he is shallow, vain and untrustworthy. II. Having no real substance, value, or importance; empty; void; worthless; unsatisfying. III. Effecting no purpose; pointless, futile. A vain attempt or action 徒劳的, 徒劳无功的 is one that fails to achieve what was intended. The drafting committee worked through the night in a vain attempt to finish on schedule. I was singing in a vain effort to cheer him up. He hunted vainly through his pockets for a piece of paper. vain toil. a vain attempt. IV. Showy; ostentatious. V.vIf you describe a hope that something will happen as a vain hope, you mean that there is no chance of it happening. He glanced around in the vain hope that there were no witnesses. He then set out for Virginia for what he vainly hoped would be a peaceful retirement. in vain 白白的 If you do something in vain, you do not succeed in achieving what you intend. If you say that something such as someone's death, suffering, or effort was in vain, you mean that it was useless because it did not achieve anything. He wants the world to know his son did not die in vain. He stopped at the door, waiting in vain for her to acknowledge his presence. It became obvious that all her complaints were in vain. 2. mend your fences 修补关系 to try to be friendly again with someone after an argument. If one country tries to mend fences with another, it tries to end a disagreement or quarrel with the other country. You can also say that two countries mend fences. Washington was last night doing its best to mend fences with the Europeans, saying it understood their concerns. The two countries fought a border war a decade ago, but now they are mending fences. burn one's bridges 断掉退路, 断后路 If you burn your bridges, you do something which forces you to continue with a particular course of action, and makes it impossible for you to return to an earlier situation or relationship. heal the rift/breach 修补关系 make an unfriendly situation friendly again Only time will heal the rift/breach between the two families. mend the gap = bridge the gap 弥补差距 to improve or strengthen something, such as a relationship, through negotiation or conciliation. Fill the gaps 填补空缺 To add what is needed to something to make it complete. "He's trying to fill the gaps in his CD collection". Close the gap To reduce or eliminate a difference between two people, groups, or things. "We hope to close the gap between well-funded suburban schools and the struggling schools in poorer communities". Bridge the gap To make two groups, people, ideas, etc. less separate or less different. to make two groups, people, ideas, etc. less separate or less different: We must bridge the gap between employees and management. The company hopes that the merger will bridge the gap to the market leaders. They believe that the digital device bridges a gap in patient-doctor communication. "We must bridge the gap between employees and management". "It's time to mend your ways" means to change or improve one's behavior. build bridges promote friendly relations between groups. to improve relationships between people who are very different or do not like each other: A local charity is working to build bridges between different ethnic groups in the area. "the challenge for all politicians now is to build bridges between communities". "Mind the gap" = "watch the gap 小心间隙" is an audible or visual warning phrase issued to rail passengers to take caution while crossing the horizontal, and in some cases vertical, spatial gap between the train doorway and the station platform edge. 3. bottle blonde 后天金发女郎 adj. (of a person's hair) of a bright or light blonde shade produced by dyeing or bleaching. noun. a person with dyed or bleached blonde hair (typically used of a woman). "a bottle blonde who winks at the camera". famously If you get on or get along famously with someone, you are very friendly with each other and enjoy meeting and being together. extremely well: get along famously 相处融洽 We got along famously. I got on famously with Leary from the first time we met. I left her in the room with my mum and dad and my uncle and aunt and my sister and they got on famously. fugue [fjuːɡ] I. A fugue is a piece of music that begins with a simple tune which is then repeated by other voices or instrumental parts with small variations. Can you be original writing a fugue? a musical form consisting essentially of a theme repeated a fifth above or a fourth below the continuing first statement. II. a dreamlike altered state of consciousness, lasting from a few hours to several days, during which a person loses his or her memory of his or her previous life and often wanders away from home. A fugue state, also known as dissociative fugue or psychogenic fugue, is a rare psychiatric condition that causes a person to experience temporary memory loss and end up in an unexpected place. After the episode, prior memories return but there is amnesia for the fugue episode. Dissociative fugue ([fjuːɡ] FYOOG), formerly called a fugue state or psychogenic fugue, is a rare psychiatric phenomenon characterized by reversible amnesia for one's identity in conjunction with unexpected wandering or travel. This is sometimes accompanied by the establishment of a new identity and the inability to recall personal information prior to the presentation of symptoms. 4. egotistical [ˌɛɡəˈtɪstɪkl,ˌiːɡəˈtɪstɪkl] 自以为是的, 以自己为中心的 adj. I. excessively conceited or absorbed in oneself; self-centred. excessively conceited or boastful. excessively conceited or absorbed in oneself; self-centred. "he's selfish, egotistical, and arrogant". II. (of behaviour or actions) characteristic of an egotist; self-interested. The word egotistical is derived from egotist. thinking only about yourself and considering yourself better and more important than other people: Finding herself world-famous by the time she was 18 only encouraged the actress's egotism. egotism [ˈi·ɡəˌtɪz·əm] the tendency to think only about yourself and consider yourself better and more important than other people. boastful [boʊstfʊl] 爱吹嘘的, 爱吹牛的 [disapproval] adjective If someone is boastful, they talk too proudly about something that they have done or that they own. inclined to brag; boasting. having a tendency to praise yourself and what you have done I'm not being boastful. ...boastful predictions. upset the apple cart 掣肘, 坏人好事, 搅局 = tip/knock over the applecart, overturn the applecart, rock the applecart to cause trouble, especially by spoiling someone's plans. to disrupt a procedure, spoil someone's plans, etc. Spoil carefully laid plans. Now don't upset the applecart by revealing where we're going. This expression started out as upset the cart, used since Roman times to mean "spoil everything." If you upset the applecart, you do something which causes a plan, system, or arrangement to go wrong. They may also be friends of the chairman, so they are reluctant to upset the applecart. The state-run media is hardly likely to upset the applecart and criticize the government. He is not very happy with how things are but he doesn't want to upset the apple cart. The occasional unexplained event is hardly enough to overturn the applecart of science. "a hard sell (soft sell)" means something is difficult to get people to do or try. For example, a job in teaching may be a hard sell to young people. "Hard sell" can also refer to the act of trying to persuade someone to buy or do something in a forceful and annoying way. For example, "When I told him I didn't think the car was right for me, he tried the hard sell on me". a hard/tough sell = not an easy sell 难卖, 不好卖 something that it is difficult to persuade people to buy or accept This tax increase is going to be a hard sell to voters. a. a method of selling in which the person selling tries very hard to persuade the customer to buy something. the act of trying to persuade someone in a forceful and annoying way to buy or do something. A hard sell is a method of selling in which the salesperson puts a lot of pressure on someone to make them buy something. ...a double-glazing firm whose hard-sell techniques were exposed by a consumer programme. The big electrical retailers are singled out for the hard selling 强行推销 of unwanted extended warranties. b. aggressive high-pressure salesmanship. of or relating to an aggressive insistent technique of selling or advertising his hard sell approach. a double-glazing firm whose hard-sell techniques were exposed by a consumer programme. hard-selling He was known for his hard-selling business techniques. hard to buy for = impossible to buy for 难以取悦, 难买礼物: hard to choose gifts for. 5. bored silly = bored to distraction; bored stiff; bored to death; bored to tears Extremely bored to the point of distraction, frustration, or irritation. I was bored silly listening to that lecture this afternoon. We thought a week in a secluded cabin with no TV or Internet would make for some great family bonding, but we all became bored silly after a couple of days. A: "Sorry for dozing off, but I just get bored silly watching these old-timey movies." B: "Fine, go back to sleep then." very bored; extremely dull and uninteresting I was bored silly at the lecture. The dull speaker left me bored to distraction. I am bored to tears. Let's go home. go hard in the paint giving one's full effort. The "In the Paint" area is where players can score points from inside the key. it is the most active area on the court as most of the action occurs in this area. Originating in basketball, hard in the paint is a slang expression for giving one's full effort. Hard in the paint comes from basketball slang. In the sport, the paint, also called the key or free throw lane, refers to the rectangular lane underneath the hoop on a basketball court. It's often shaded or painted (as with team colors), hence the name, recorded since the 1980s. Because more shots are made closer to the net, the paint sees a lot of action in a game, so players going for baskets in the paint need to be aggressive in their efforts—or go hard, to use another slang phrase. To go hard in the paint spread from the court to youth slang for "to give it one's best" in the early 2000s, likely due to the role of basketball in youth culture. 篮球术语: Three-point line: A semi-circular arc that separates the two-point area from the three-point area. The distance to the three-point line varies by league. Key: The area from the baseline below the basket to the free throw line. In the NBA, the key is 16 feet wide. Block 罚球区: A spot on the lane line near the basket used to line up for free throws. There are two blocks near each basket. The painted area 禁区 the paint in basketball is the area between the free throw line and the two lane lines, also known as the 3-second area. It's usually a different color than the rest of the court. 足球术语: The penalty area 罚球区, 大禁区 or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 18 yd (16 m) to each side of the goal and 18 yd (16 m) in front of it. If any part of the ball is over any part of a line demarking the penalty area then the ball is considered to be inside the penalty area. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot, which is 12 yd (11 m) from the goal line, directly in line with the centre of the goal. A penalty arc (often informally called "the D") adjoins the penalty area, and encloses the area within 10 yd (9.1 m) of the penalty spot. It does not form part of the penalty area and is only of relevance during the taking of a penalty kick, when any players inside the arc are adjudged to be encroaching. Within the penalty area is another smaller rectangular area called the goal area 球门区, 小禁区 (colloquially the "six-yard box"), which is delimited by two lines starting on the goal-line 6 yd (5.5 m) from the goalposts and extending 6 yd (5.5 m) into the pitch from the goal-line, and the line joining these. Goal kicks and any free kick by the defending team may be taken from anywhere in this area. Indirect free kicks 间接任意球 awarded to the attacking team within the goal area are taken from the point on the line parallel to the goal line (the "six-yard line") nearest where the infringement occurred; they cannot be taken any closer to the goal line. Similarly drop-balls that would otherwise occur closer to the goal line are taken on this line. Previously, penalty areas extended across the full width of the field; they were reduced to their current dimensions in 1901. 6. commensurate [kəˈmenʃərət] 相当的, 相匹配的, 相应的, 相配的 adj If the level of one thing is commensurate with another, the first level is in proportion to the second. Employees are paid salaries commensurate with those of teachers. Managers saw a commensurate fall in their revenues. As life expectancy continues to rise, the demand for care services expands commensurately. The gain will be commensurately modest. While the intelligence was effectively shared within the Intelligence Community (IC) and with key officials at the Department of State, it did not lead to a commensurate increase in security at Benghazi nor to a decision to close the American mission there, either of which would have been more than justified by the intelligence presented. The desire of the State Department to maintain a low profile in Benghazi has been cited as the reason why the State Department circumvented 绕过 their own Overseas Security Policy Board (OSPB) standards for diplomatic security. In the aftermath, Clinton sought to take responsibility for the security lapses at Benghazi and expressed personal regret. In her January 2013 testimony before Congress, Secretary Clinton claimed security decisions at the Benghazi compound had been made by others, stating, "The specific security requests pertaining to Benghazi ... were handled by the security professionals in the [State] Department. I didn't see those requests, I didn't approve them, I didn't deny them.". Even though you might see retail prices drop for these [alternative] milk products, you might not see a commensurate 相应的 drop in cafe prices. 7. puny 可怜的, 无力的, 软弱的 adj I. small; weak; not effective. small and weak, or not effective: Don't tell me you're afraid of that puny little kid. In 1981, computers were puny compared with today's machines. a puny little man. My car only has a puny little engine. The party's share of the vote rose from a puny 13 percent in the last election to 21 percent this time. Someone or something that is puny is very small or weak. ...a lanky, puny youth. The resources at the central banks' disposal are simply too puny. contrite [kəntraɪt] 悔过的, 忏悔的, 懊悔的 If you are contrite, you are very sorry because you have done something wrong. feeling very sorry and guilty for something bad that you have done: a contrite apology/expression. She was instantly contrite. 'Oh, I am sorry! You must forgive me.' The next day he'd be full of contrition, weeping and begging forgiveness. During her trial in April Truong My Lan, who had been chairwoman of the real estate firm, Van Thinh Phat Group, was sometimes defiant. But in the recent hearings for her appeal against the sentence she has been more contrite.

absolve VS exonerate VS acquit VS commute VS remit VS reprieve VS pardon: Biden Pardoned his son: "The Constitution provides the President with broad 宽泛的 authority to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States … but nowhere does the Constitution give the President the authority to rewrite history," Scarsi wrote. Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in September to nine tax offenses, stemming from $1.4 million in taxes that he didn't pay. He was also convicted by a jury in June of illegally buying and possessing a gun as a drug user. The president's pardon explicitly granted clemency for the tax and gun offenses from Hunter Biden's existing cases, plus any potential federal crimes he may have committed "from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024." The judge also rebuked the president for claiming his son was "singled out" for prosecution because of political reasons. Earlier this year, Scarsi rejected this exact argument from Hunter Biden, who wanted the indictment tossed on those grounds. (The judge in Hunter Biden's gun case also rejected the selective-prosecution theory.) Special counsel David Weiss, who brought the two federal cases, argued "termination" instead of "dismissal" was the appropriate way to end the case, saying that's how cases for other pardoned defendants were handled. Prosecutors in Weiss' office also wanted the indictments to survive as originally filed, instead of being formally dismissed. absolve [əbˈzɒlv] 赦免, 宽恕, 饶恕 (especially in religion or law) to free someone from guilt, blame, or responsibility for something: The report absolved her from/of all blame for the accident. The priest absolved him (of all his sins). If a report or investigation absolves someone from blame or responsibility, it formally states that he or she is not guilty or is not to blame. A police investigation yesterday absolved the police of all blame in the incident. ...the inquiry which absolved the soldiers. to officially remove guilt or responsibility for something wrong that someone has done or might have done: He was absolved of all wrongdoing. exonerate [ɪɡˈzɒn.ə.reɪt] to clear (someone) of blame or a criminal charge. to show or state that someone or something is not guilty of something. to show or state that someone or something is not to be blamed for something bad that happened: The police officer was exonerated by a grand jury, but the protests continued. The official report exonerated the school of any blame. exonerate someone from something The report exonerated the crew from all responsibility for the collision. We have proof which will completely exonerate him. I do not wholly exonerate her from blame. acquit I. to decide officially in a court of law that someone is not guilty of a particular crime. to decide officially in a law court that someone is not guilty of a particular crime: acquit someone of something She was acquitted of all the charges against her. acquit someone on something Five months ago he was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. She was acquitted. The jury acquitted him. II. to cause yourself to perform or behave in the stated way: She acquitted herself well, finishing second. acquit yourself 表现出色, 表现出人意表, 超出期待的表现好 to do better than expected in a difficult situation: I thought that he acquitted himself admirably in today's meeting. If Holmes acquits herself well in today's race, she may earn a place in the national team. The three starting forwards acquitted themselves quite well in last night's game. amnesty [ˈæm.nə.sti] I. a decision by a government that allows political prisoners to go free. a decision by a government to forgive people who have committed particular illegal acts or crimes, and not to punish them: The state has declared an amnesty for individuals who pay their outstanding back taxes. Most political prisoners were freed under the terms of the amnesty. II. 大赦期. a fixed period of time during which people are not punished for committing a particular crime: People who hand in illegal weapons will not be prosecuted during the amnesty. The government refused to declare an amnesty for people who had not paid the disputed tax. vocabulary: Amnesty can mean a pardon for a wrongdoing, or it can also signal a government's willingness to overlook something. Amnesty sounds a little like "amnesia," and that's because in its more specific sense amnesty means "forgetting." The government will essentially forget about whatever crime was committed, or whatever horrible things were said. As part of a truce, amnesty can be granted to opposition forces in civil disputes. Amnesty to illegal aliens means the government will deliberately overlook their illegal entry to the country. There can also be a period of amnesty when people can turn in something that they would otherwise get in trouble for. "The city offered a period of amnesty for everyone to turn in illegal guns". reprieve [rɪˈpriːv] I. 延缓. an official order that stops or delays the punishment, especially by death, of a prisoner: The warden notified Shaw of his reprieve. He was sentenced to death but was granted a last-minute reprieve. If someone who has been sentenced in a court is reprieved, their punishment is officially delayed or cancelled. Fourteen people on death row for murder have been reprieved. A man awaiting death by lethal injection has been saved by a last minute reprieve. II. an escape from a bad situation or experience. to provide something or someone with an escape from a bad situation or experience, especially to delay or stop plans to close or end something: The threatened hospitals could now be reprieved. The injection provided a temporary reprieve 暂时的缓解 from the pain. A reprieve is a delay before a very unpleasant or difficult situation which may or may not take place. It looked as though the college would have to shut, but this week it was given a reprieve 得以续命, 一线生机. free pardon UK (Royal pardon) (US: pardon) an occasion when someone who has committed a crime is officially forgiven: The new government is to grant a free pardon to all political prisoners. commutation [ˌkɒmjʊˈteɪʃən] 减刑 I. the act of changing a punishment to one that is less severe. the act of replacing a punishment with a less severe one: The committee also examined factors a governor might consider for commutation of death sentences. Another 12 commutation requests were denied. His execution became certain when the state board refused his request for commutation. II. the act of changing a financial agreement so that someone receives the whole of an amount of money immediately instead of receiving it at a later time in a series of smaller payments: Unless the policyholders are in need of short-term cash, there is no benefit to them in these commutations. III. the act of travelling regularly between your home and the place where you work: They have developed an electric car for safe and sustainable commutation on city roads. Join our Mail & Ride program to receive your monthly commutation ticket automatically by mail. commute I. to make the same journey regularly between work and home. He commuted every day, back and forth, an hour and 20 minutes each way. Debbie works for an investment bank and is presently commuting between Paris and Luxemburg. Duffy has commuted from Windsor to London for the past seven years. It's exhausting commuting from Brighton to London every day. II. to change one thing into another: People used to believe that you could commute base metals into gold. III. to exchange one type of payment for a different type: I think I'll commute my life insurance into an annuity. IV. to change a punishment to one that is less severe. to exchange one type of payment or investment for another type: Pensioners who commute their pension for a lump sum sometimes face huge losses. Her sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment. noun. I. a regular journey between work and home: It's at least an hour's commute to work. The commute is not too bad – just over an hour. The 5:30 train is always packed with commuters. a 90 minute/50km/30 mile commute Every morning during his 85-mile commute he has plenty of time to think about the day ahead. a daily/weekly commute Cutting out the daily commute is the most obvious attraction of teleworking. a long/short commute The survey provides evidence that low-paid workers are forced to endure long commutes into the capital. commute VS remission: commute 轻判, 改判, 减刑 (和remission不同) I. to travel regularly to and from work. I commute by train. II. transitive ​legal to change a punishment to one that is less severe. If a death sentence or prison sentence is commuted to a less serious punishment, it is changed to that punishment. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Prison sentences have been commuted. Enrico Forti is trying to have his sentence commuted. His sentence has been commuted to one of life imprisonment. remission [rɪˈmɪʃ(ə)n] (remittence 病症消失, remitment 减刑, remittal 减刑) I. ​medical (=remittence) a period of time when an illness or disease becomes less severe. An abatement or lessening of the manifestations of a disease; a period where the symptoms of a disease are absent. Her cancer was in remission. in remission: Her sister's cancer is in remission. II. the process by which someone is allowed not to pay money that they owe. Scholarship students will receive full remission of their tuition fees. III. (= remitment) mainly British 减刑 (和commute的减刑不同). the reduction of a prison sentence because the prisoner has behaved well. A reduction or cancellation of the penalty for a criminal offence; in particular, the reduction of a prison sentence as a recognition of the prisoner's good behaviour. IV. An act of remitting, returning, or sending back. a. (law) A referral of a case back to another (especially a lower or inferior) court of law; a remand, a remittal. be (released) on license 假释 ​legal to be freed from prison early under certain conditions. It is also known as being on parole. The pair were released on license having served 5 years of a 10-year sentence. remit ['riːmɪt] noun [British] Someone's remit is the area of activity which they are expected to deal with, or which they have authority to deal with. That issue is not within the remit of the working group. The centre has a remit to advise Asian businesses and entrepreneurs. Someone's remit is the area of activity which they are expected to deal with, or which they have authority to deal with. That issue is not within the remit of the working group. The centre has a remit to advise Asian businesses and entrepreneurs. remit [ri'mɪt] verb I. 汇款. If you remit money to someone, you send it to them. Many immigrants regularly remit money to their families. II. In an appeal court, if a case is remitted to 打回重审, 发回重审 the court where it was originally dealt with, it is sent back to be dealt with there. The matter was remitted to the justices for a rehearing. unremitting [ˌʌnrɪˈmɪtɪŋ] 一刻也不消停的, 不停歇的, 无休无止的, 不曾减轻的, 不见好转的, 没有好转迹象的 continuing for a long time without stopping or ever getting better. Something that is unremitting continues without stopping or becoming less intense. I was sent to boarding school, where I spent six years of unremitting misery. He watched her with unremitting attention. The weather was unremittingly awful. unremitting pain​/​opposition​/​hostility.

feel guilty 觉得做错了事 VS feel guilt 觉得遗憾, 觉得悔恨, 觉得做得不够, 没有做好: Generally when we are talking about our own feelings, we use the adjective. The noun form is more often used when talking about others, often in the past (even though the adjective would also work): He felt a lot of guilt after he broke up with his girlfriend. Strangely enough, they didn't seem to feel much anger after the attack. However, the first sentence could be written as 'I feel the guilt' to give it a proper shape taking into account the context of the question. The crucial point of reference is ‘I'. I feel the guilt or I feel guilty or deep regret or for a wrong I committed. It's equivalent to a feeling of contrition, repentance, penitence, self-condemnation. Realising that you have done something wrong… is FEELING THE GUILT… BUT if you blame yourself and continue to do so… that is what is called FEELING GUILTY. "To have that loss of Tori and Katrina, I'll never lose that," Baird said, referring to the two hostages who were tragically killed during the siege. "It's just impossible not to feel guilt." 

The Big Bang Theory: Dr Hofstadter: I can't help but notice how her unconditional love for you is diametrically opposed to my own parenting strategies. Sheldon: Well, you doled out affection as a reward for achievement, a proven way to raise a child. Or train a rat. Dr Hofstadter: But look how well you turned out. Sheldon: I'd feign modesty at this point, but who would believe me? Still, you need to consider how successful Leonard's brother and sister are. Dr Hofstadter: I suppose. Sheldon: While my brother and sister are mouth-breathing idiots. Dr Hofstadter: Do you suppose you would've flourished more in a reward-based environment? Sheldon: Perhaps. But my mom made me spaghetti with chopped-up hot dogs whenever I wanted, so who cares? Leonard: Not once did my mother ever give me any love or affection for just being myself, I always had to earn it. Mrs Cooper: Oh, Leonard, I'm sure she loves you very much. In her own cold godless way. Penny: Yeah, and you certainly don't have to earn my love. Leonard: Thank you. Penny: Of course, you already knew that when you bought me this princess-cut drill bit. Leonard: That's not what it is. Penny: I know, I know. Zzzzzzzz. Mrs Cooper: When your mom gets back, I'm gonna need to apologize for the way I spoke to her. Penny: Well, come on now, she did kind of start it. Mrs Cooper: Doesn't matter, a good Christian would've turned the other cheek. On the other hand, a good Texan would've shot her, so, I just kind of split the difference 折衷 ( I. take the average of two proposed amounts. If you split the difference, you agree on a number or amount that is exactly in the middle of the difference between two other numbers or amounts. If you split the difference with someone, you agree on an amount or price which is halfway between two suggested amounts or prices. Shall we split the difference and say $7,500? I suggested that we split the difference between his current salary and what we had initially offered for the job. I wanted £50 for the table and she offered £30, so we agreed to split the difference. Can't you simply split the difference between the amount the two sides want? Casinos wanted higher spending limits than anti-gambling groups, so the regulators decided to split the difference. If she offers you less than you want, you could offer to split the difference. II. to accept that you will reduce your demands or change your opinion in order to reach an agreement with someone. She is always trying to split the difference and please everyone. His strategy is to defeat political adversaries rather than split the difference with them. ). Hey, who's in the mood for spaghetti and hot dogs?