lodestar

用法学习: 1. lodestar [ˈləʊd.stɑːr] I. 启明星. 指路明灯. a star that leads or guides. a star, especially the Pole Star, used to help find direction. II. one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide. an example or principle that people want to follow: The party manifesto is no longer the lodestar it used to be. big tent 大家庭, 大家 noun. politics mainly US specialized a political party or group that includes many different groups or ideas, and so can attract a wide range of supporters. a widely inclusive composition or character that allows people of differing backgrounds, opinions, and interests to be members of a group or organization (such as a political party) "The Republican Party is a big tent," he said. "We have strong core beliefs that bring us together, but we can disagree about social issues." I feel very comfortable in the Republican tent. It's a big tent. It goes all the way from the right, all the way crossing the center line. adj. 包罗万象的. including many different groups or ideas, and therefore able to attract a wide range of supporters: We are a big-tent organization. Obama wanted to demonstrate his desire for a big-tent administration that transcended partisan politics. Abrams's witty and con­fes­sional whis­per-pop has earned her open­ing slots for both Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, the cur­rent lode­stars of big-tent singer-song­writers. at bat taking your turn to try to hit the ball in a baseball game. the time when it is your turn to try to hit the ball in a baseball game: In a nine-inning game, you might get four or five at bats. I struck out on the sixth pitch of the at bat. He came to the plate with only two hits in 15 at-bats. I struck out almost every time I was at bat. The game was tied in the ninth inning with the home team at bat. 2. not know the first thing about something 一点不懂, 一点不了解, 完全不懂 to know nothing about a subject. If you say that you do not know the first thing about something, you are emphasizing that you know absolutely nothing about it. You don't know the first thing about farming. I'm afraid I don't know the first thing about car engines. RACHEL: Monica, what are you talking about? You don't know the first thing about the stock market. MONICA: What's to know? Buy sell, high low, bears bulls... TBBT: Leonard: Why are you mad at me? You're the one that did the stupid thing. I'm just trying to fix it. Penny: Ugh, I need some air. Leonard: Wuh, Penny. Sheldon: I don't know the first thing about women, but I would not follow her. Mike: Listen to Stretch. not care for someone/something 不感冒, 不关心, 不在乎, 不喜欢 to not like something or someone: She didn't much care for his friends. I have to say I don't much care for modern music. Your father thought she was nice but Camille and I didn't care for her. Sheldon: Hello Penny. Leonard just left. Penny: I know. I want to talk to you. Sheldon: What would we talk about? We've no overlapping areas of interest I'm aware of, and you know I don't care for chit-chat. Penny: Okay, can you just let me in. Sheldon: Well alright, but I don't see this as a promising endeavour. Sheldon: I don't care for your mother's bathroom. There's not an angle to 没有任何一个角度 do one's business without a clown figurine staring at you. think much of I. To like; to hold in high esteem; to look upon favourably. I don't think much of her new book. II. 没多想. 想都没想, 没好好想. (usually in the negative). To consider deeply. When he asked to have a look at my bank statements, I didn't think much of it, but now I'm certain he was up to something no good. 

currency; moderate VS temper (tamper, pamper) VS chasten VS mellow;

用法学习: 1. currency n. I. 通货. 接受度. 流通. the state of being commonly known or accepted, or of being used in many places. the state of being commonly known or accepted, or of being used in many places: The idea that computer use enhances students’ motivation has gained currency in recent years. wide currency His ideas enjoyed wide currency during the last century. gain currency Many informal expressions are gaining currency in serious newspapers. II. the system of money that is used in a particular country at a particular time: domestic/foreign/local currency The deal will be done in the local currency. stable/strong/weak currency They benefited from having a stable currency over a long period of time. buy/sell currency Currency is bought on the currency foreign exchange, also known as the forex exchange. devalue 贬值/revalue a currency The Central bank devalued the currency to curb rising inflation. a currency rises/falls Stocks jumped and the currency rose for the first time in several weeks. currency dealing/trade/trading This website will give you top tips on the foreign exchange markets from currency trading experts. currency dealer/trader. common currency If you say that an idea or belief has become common currency, you mean it is widely used and accepted. The story that she was trapped in a loveless marriage became common currency. 2. possess I. If you possess something, you have it or own it. He was then arrested and charged with possessing an offensive weapon. He is said to possess a fortune of more than two-and-a-half-thousand million dollars. II. If someone or something possesses a particular quality, ability, or feature, they have it. possess knowledge/qualities/skills 具备知识, 具备技能 Sales managers must possess strong leadership qualities. ...individuals who are deemed to possess the qualities of sense, loyalty and discretion [dɪˈskrɛʃn]. This figure has long been held to possess miraculous power. III. If a feeling or belief possesses you, it strongly influences your thinking or behaviour. Absolute terror possessed her. Tsvetayeva was possessed by a frenzied urge to get out of Moscow. possessed I. If someone is described as being possessed by an evil spirit, it is believed that their mind and body are controlled by an evil spirit. She even claimed the couple's daughter was possessed by the devil. He behaved like someone possessed. II. If someone or something is possessed of a particular quality, ability, or feature, they have that quality, ability, or feature. If someone is possessed of a particular feeling or belief, they have that feeling or belief. He is possessed of the most brilliant talents. She was possessed of a terrifying sensation that the life was being squeezed slowly out of her. what possessed you to do something (what has to break inside your brain for you to do something) 发了什么疯, 中了什么邪, 怎么会? 哪股劲儿, 是什么风? If you ask what possessed someone to do something, you are emphasizing your great surprise that they have done something which you consider foolish or dangerous. (of a wish or an idea) to take control over a person's mind, making that person behave in a very strange way: Whatever possessed him to wear that appalling jacket! What on earth had possessed her to agree to marry him? enter into and control, as of emotions or ideas. (of a desire or an idea) to take control over a person's mind, making that person behave in a strange way: I don't know what possessed me to start yelling like that. What possessed you to buy this house? 3. I'm not OK with this S1E1: And yes, during arousal, there is an increase in all sorts of things, including adrenaline and, of course, blood flow, and the blood flow continues down and then gets trapped within the corpora cavernosa. The penis expands, and this is how the Homo sapien male( Homo sapiens [ˌhəʊ.məʊ ˈsæp.i.enz] modern humans considered together as a species: The genus Homo contains multiple species, including our own, Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens hasn't evolved all that much since prehistoric times.) is able to hold an erection. Yes. From my experience, Mr. File, the holding of an erection is far more successful in the hands of a Homo sapien female. Very funny, Mr. Lewis. Just talking science ("Talk science 讲科学道理" refers to using the specific language, reasoning, and discourse practices used within the scientific community. It involves observing, hypothesizing, arguing with evidence, and communicating concepts clearly. Educators use it to build critical thinking and meaning-making in science classrooms. ). Moving on. 4. This is not OK with me - S1E1: So, I'm standing there, trying to get by(get by I. get past. trying to physically pass someone, like squeezing past them in a hallway or crowded space. II. He's not trying to excel, just get by 凑合过, 瞎过. ), and he's all like, "Oh, who's the new girl in town?" And I'm like, "Shut up. It's me, Dina." Wait, this is Brad... Lewis? Yeah. He's sort of sweet, you know? And then he asked me to homecoming. Wait, and... and you accepted? No. I told him to take his washboard abs and chiseled jawline and get out of my face. Yeah, of course I said yes. Dina just got her braces off, and her boobs suddenly arrived. So, of course, golden boy Bradley Lewis takes notice 注意到. So, what, are you guys, like, suddenly girlfriend and boyfriend or something? I mean, we haven't put a label on it yet, but... I really like him, okay? 4. I'm not OK with this S1E1: Hey, Goob. Done your homework yet? Hours ago. Soon as I got home. What about you? Uh... I'll get to it 一会儿做, 等会儿做, 过会儿的. Come on, Syd. Mom says you have to work hard if you're gonna succeed. Yeah, well, the plan's always been for me to sit back and watch you succeed, Goob. Oh, hey, who knows? Maybe one day, if you really work hard enough, you get to be the one to pay for my funeral. How was school today? Well, um... Richard Rynard punched Toby Gardner in the face, and he got sent to Mr. Coffee's office. Oh, yeah? Yup, and I think I might be next, so... I'm devising a plan. Check it out. Holy shit, Goob. Is that for you? Yup. Designed it myself. Breastplate, shin guards, spiked gloves... But I'm not so sure about the helmet situation just yet, 'cause I don't wanna block my peripherals, you know, just in case. It's really cool, man. It's some of your best work yet. Yeah, it's basically my Mark One (Mark I or Mark 1 第一版 often refers to the first version of a weapon or military vehicle, and is sometimes used in a similar fashion in civilian product development. In some instances, the Arabic numeral "1" is substituted for the Roman numeral "I". "Mark", meaning "model" or "variant", can itself be abbreviated "Mk." mark 1 eyeball (military, humorous) The naked eye. Don't worry, I'll use my trusty mark 1 eyeball here. Etymology:  In reference to mark 1; the designation commonly given to the first version of an invention, before the addition of any improvements or enhancements. ), and the first suit's always the hardest to design, so it's still a work in progress 半成品. And, sorry, what was the plan again? Well, I'm gonna build the suit and kick Richard Rynard's ass. Oh. Vengeance. Got it. 5. fizzle [ˈfɪz.əl] mainly US I. to gradually end. to finish slowly in a way that is disappointing or has become less interesting. If something fizzles, it ends in a weak or disappointing way after starting off strongly. Our relationship fizzled into nothing. I like the way the movie starts but then it fizzles out. Interest in the project fizzled after the funding was withdrawn. II. to make a weak continuous s sound: The fire fizzled miserably in the rain. fizzle out to gradually end, often in a disappointing or weak way: They went to different universities and their relationship just fizzled out. The railway strike fizzled out on its second day as drivers returned to work. It had appeared those plans fizzled after a government committee denied Harry security protection for his family and Buckingham Palace withdrew and offer for the prince to stay there when it appeared he would come alone. 6. bend (one's) efforts 全力以赴, 竭尽全能 To put forth a great deal of effort toward some goal or end. I've been bending my efforts to find a way out of these legal problems, but, as of now, I'm still going to prison. Don't bend your efforts to please these people—they'll never appreciate it. I've been bending my efforts trying to get a passing grade this semester, so failing by two measly points is incredibly frustrating. bend (one's) mind 好好想想, 好好思考, 认真思考 To consider, reflect upon, or think hard about something. If you would just bend your mind, I'm sure you could find a solution to the company's excess costs. I have bent my mind about things, and, unfortunately, selling the house is really the only option. Oh, bend your mind a little—you'll come up with something! bend your mind/efforts to something (formal) think very hard about or put a lot of effort into one particular thing. bend to someone's will (idiomatic, intransitive) To yield to persuasion or other pressure originating from someone. bend someone's will = bend to the will of (someone) 无奈服从, 屈服于淫威, 说服, 劝服, 改主意, 改变心意 (idiomatic, transitive) To persuade or otherwise induce someone to change his or her views or to choose a different course of action. to do what is demanded by (one who is stronger, in authority, or influential). a politician accused of bending to the will of wealthy supporters. bend to something 认怂, 为...而折腰, 向...屈服 to unwillingly accept the opinions or decisions of other people: The city council was forced to bend to public pressure. TBBT: Priya: Oh, Sheldon. You haven't changed a bit, have you?Sheldon: Why would I change? Leonard: The hope has been that you'd eventually bend to public opinion. So, Priya, what brings you back to LA? Priya: I have a one day layover on my way to Toronto. Corporate merger. 7. TBBT1: Leonard: Hey Lesley. Lesley: I didn't know you ate here. Sheldon: We don't. This is a disturbing aberration. TBBT2: Sheldon: What does it mean? Penny: Oh, come on, you went to college. Sheldon: Yes, but I was eleven. Penny: Alright, look, a tie on the doorknob usually means someone doesn't want to be disturbed because they're, you know, getting busy. TBBT3: Sheldon: I have good news. Leonard: And you had to barge in here and wake us up in the middle of the night? Sheldon: Your cell phone was off. Leonard: Because we didn't want to be disturbed 被干扰, 坏好事, 被打扰, 别打搅, 被打搅. Sheldon: And that didn't work out, did it? TBBT4: Sheldon: Mmm, all right. It would appear as if alcohol is playing keep-away with your intelligence. Good night. Please note, it is now past ten p.m. Per our roommate agreement, kindly refrain from raucous laughter, clinking of glasses, and celebratory gunfire. Penny: Okay, explain something to me. You watch Leonard put up with that guy for years and years. What has to break inside your brain for you to think (what possessed you to do something) 脑子坏了, 中邪, 发疯, 发神经, 脑子坏掉了, 吃了什么药, 中了什么邪, Oh, Krishna, I've got to get me some of that? play-away: Keep Away, also called Monkey in the Middle, Piggy in the Middle, Pickle in a Dish, or Pickle in the Middle, or Monkey, is a children's game in which two or more players must pass a ball to one another, while another player (in the middle) attempts to intercept it. The game could be considered a reverse form of circle dodgeball, because instead of trying to hit people in the middle with the ball, players attempt to keep the ball away from them. The game is played worldwide. 9. Friends: It's not just giant nuclear weapons that can destroy the world. As a microbiologist, I can tell you even the tiniest organisms can still tear you a new one ( tear/rip someone/something to shreds I. to strongly criticize a person or something they do, think, or say: The critics tore his performance to shreds. II. to damage someone or something badly: My trousers were torn to shreds when I fell off my bike. tear someone a new one 臭骂, 痛骂, 大骂一通, 骂翻天 (euphemistic) To express great anger toward (a person) for some perceived offence or shortcoming; to castigate. To criticize, berate, or upbraid one in an extremely belligerent and angry manner. Oh man, the boss is going to tear me a new one when he finds out what happened! I hope the government tears that company a new one for what they did. ). Howard: Interesting. I think what you might need to know about my colleague is that though she claims her field of interest is tiny organisms, she certainly has spent her fair share of time around what we can assume was pretty massive weaponry. 10. trade places (with someone) = change places (with someone) 交换位置, 换身份,  to exchange positions with someone: We traded places so he could sit near the window. He might be rich, but I wouldn't change places with him for anything. To switch to the spot, role, or position that another person currently is in. If two people trade places, each person puts themselves in the situation of the other person. There was a time in my life when I would have traded places 交换人生 with anyone because I believed that everyone was better than me. He plays the young heir to an oil fortune who trades places with a water-ski instructor. I want to talk to the people at the other end of the table. Would you mind trading places? Many people say that they would gladly trade places with a celebrity, but I doubt they would enjoy the constant attention. Friends: Rachel: Okay. Switch places with me! Switch places with me! Come on! I'll go under, you go over! Ross: Yeah, I'll get right on that. Rachel: Oh come on Ross!! (She tries to switch places with him and goes under his leg.) Friends: MONICA: OK, wait, wait, wait, wait. You know what?  Ross, let's switch places. You get in the middle. No un-, ya know, unless this looks like we're trying to  cover something up. ROSS: Monica, Monica, you could come in straddling him, they still wouldn't believe it. [opens door] We're here. TBBT: Howard: Sweetie, we don't have to do this now. Bernadette: Yes, we do. You left right after we got married. This is like our honeymoon. Now, hold on to your hat. Oh. Uh-oh. Howard: You okay? Bernadette: A little dizzy. Must be the Benadryl. Switch places with me. Howard: Okay. 11. Corned beef (called salt beef in Ireland and Commonwealth countries) is a salt-cured 腌过的, 腌制的 piece of beef. The term comes from the treatment of the meat with large-grained rock salt, also called "corns" of salt. Sometimes, sugar and spices are added to corned beef recipes. Corned beef is featured as an ingredient in many cuisines. phony-baloney = phoney-baloney 假的, 弄虚作假的, 装相的 [ˌfəʊ.ni.bəˈləʊ.ni] adj. US informal disapproving Something that is described as phony-baloney is not real or is not what it claims to be: I was not fooled by all that phony-baloney talk about spiritual renewal. Why do you keep asking me all these phoney-baloney questions? 12. venture noun. I. a new activity, usually in business, that involves risk or uncertainty. a new business activity: business/commercial venture The firm is looking overseas for more lucrative business ventures. The total value of venture investments increased to $5.6 billion in the second quarter. The American car giant and its venture partner in China are investing millions of dollars to explore ways of reducing reliance on petrol. create/form/set up a venture. finance/fund/invest in a venture. She advised us to look abroad for more lucrative business ventures. There are many joint ventures between American and Japanese companies. verb. I. to risk going somewhere or doing something that might be dangerous or unpleasant. to start a new activity, start thinking in a new way, or start doing an activity in a new place: venture into sth There are some excellent deals for new investors venturing into the electronic marketplace. Meanwhile, the insurer has ventured beyond insurance with the launch of its first unsecured personal loan last week. The company has finally decided to venture overseas. He wanted to venture into the mountainous wilderness of the countryside. She rarely ventured outside, except when she went to stock up on groceries. As we set off into the forest, we felt as though we were venturing (forth) into the unknown. If you venture to do something that requires courage or is risky, you do it. 'Don't ask,' he said, whenever Ginny ventured to raise the subject. If you venture into an activity, you do something that involves the risk of failure because it is new and different. He enjoyed little success when he ventured into business. If you venture somewhere, you go somewhere that might be dangerous. People are afraid to venture out for fear of sniper attacks. Few Europeans who had ventured beyond the Himalayas had returned to tell the tale. II. fml to say something when it is risky to do this. To venture something is to attempt it when you are likely to be wrong or to be criticized: I wouldn’t venture an opinion about that. She tentatively ventured 斗胆说出 the opinion that the project would be too expensive to complete, but the boss ignored her. venture a guess/opinion/judgement I don't have enough knowledge to venture a judgement. I was too shy to venture a comment. Friends: What do you think? Uh, you in the blue shirt? I think that, um, yours is a question with many possible answers. Would you care to venture one? If you venture a question or statement, you say it in an uncertain way because you are afraid it might be stupid or wrong. 'So you're Leo's girlfriend?' he ventured 斗胆问了一句, 大着胆子说. He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air. Stephen ventured a few more sentences in halting Welsh. 13. fealty [ˈfiːəlti] 效忠 ( allegiance ) a feudal tenant's or vassal's sworn loyalty to a lord. "they owed fealty to the Earl rather than the King". Ser Jorah Mormont is an exiled Northern lord living in Essos. He has sworn fealty to his fellow exile Daenerys Targaryen and helps her adapt to life as a Khaleesi of the Dothraki. But even as his fealty to Trump was unquestioned, the senior senator continued to be a vocal spokesperson for US intervention and leadership across the globe — often breaking with the more isolationist bent of Trump's supporters. II. formal acknowledgement of loyalty to a lord. "a property for which she did fealty". Originally, Jorah was working as a spy for Varys, King Robert's spymaster in King's Landing, sending Varys information about the Targaryen exiles. But he grows to respect and admire Daenerys and begins serving her in earnest. He saves her from an assassination attempt, stops sending reports to Varys and ignores an official royal pardon that would allow him to return home to Westeros. He develops strong and unrequited feelings for her. When Daenerys learns of his past spying, he is dismissed from her service and ordered to leave her presence. 14. flub [flʌb] 搞砸 US informal verb. to fail or make a mistake, especially when performing: He really flubbed badly by not catching the ball. Sheila flubbed her lines in the second act. If you try a sales technique and flub it, not making a sale, will you try it again? noun. A flub is a mistake or an unsuccessful attempt to do something. ...a flub that made listeners cringe. supplant [səˈplɑːnt] 取而代之, 取代 to replace. to take the place of (something or someone): Travel videos do not supplant guidebooks, but they can be useful when planning a trip. Printed books will soon be supplanted by e-books. Small children can often feel supplanted in their parents' affections (= that their parents no longer like them as much) when a new brother or sister is born. He may be supplanted by a younger man. By the 1930s the wristwatch had almost completely supplanted the pocket watch. Big tech rivals have long tried to supplant Apple, but so far Google, Samsung, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Amazon.com have all failed. Now, OpenAI is emerging as a new threat. It has built powerful AI models and is working toward an unscientific "family of devices" to run them, devices that could supplant Apple's. Apple's innovation engine failed to develop hit AI products and features, leaving it vulnerable to new entrants 新来者, 后来者. Its suit could be an attempt to throw sand in the gears at OpenAI, company observers say, to slow poaching of Apple staffers, for instance. throw sand in the gears 阻挠, 捣乱, 搅局, 搞破坏 to cause problems or prevent something from happening as it should. To disrupt, delay, or cause problems to a plan, activity, or project. We had everything in line for the party, but having the caterer cancel on us at the last minute really threw sand in the gears. It will throw sand in the gears if the board decides not to increase our funding for this project. The CEO of the massive conglomerate accused the government of maliciously throwing sand in the gears of its latest acquisition. I don't want to give them a chance to throw sand in the gears. He said "When mobile phone companies charge consumers fat penalties to leave, they're throwing sand in the gears of competition." 15. mettle [ˈmet.əl] 实力 ability and determination when competing or doing something difficult. bravery and determination. Someone's mettle is their ability to do something well in difficult circumstances. His first important chance to show his mettle came when he opened the new session of the Legislature. For both sides, it's the first real test of their mettle this season. The climb to the summit in a blizzard would test their mettle. show your mettle 显示自己的实力 The team showed its mettle in the final round. prove your mettle 证明自己的实力 She proved her mettle as a hardworking, hard-minded appellate court judge. The real test of her political mettle came in the May elections. Thomas Tuchel's exchange with Jude Bellingham gives England another chance to prove its World Cup mettle. on your mettle ready to do something as well as you can in a difficult situation. If you are on your mettle, you are ready to do something as well as you can, because you know that you are being tested or challenged. The added competition keeps them on their mettle. Both players were on their mettle in the final round. put someone on their mettle Cooking for such important people really puts you on your mettle. 16. paternalistic [pəˌtɜː.nəˈlɪs.tɪk] 说教的, 家长式的 politics usually disapproving (of people in authority) making decisions for other people rather than letting them take responsibility for their own lives: The country has a paternalistic culture. He had a paternalistic attitude toward his peers. be put out I. to be annoyed, often because of something that someone has done or said to you: He seemed a bit put out at not having been invited. II. In a sporting competition, to put out a player or team means to defeat them so that they are no longer in the competition. The Spaniard was put out in three sets. ...the debatable goal that put them out of the UEFA Cup. III. 熄灭. If you put out a fire, candle, or cigarette, you make it stop burning. Firefighters tried to free the injured and put out the blaze. She tried to light a candle but the rain put it out. If you put out an electric light, you make it stop shining by pressing a switch. He crossed to the bedside table and put out the light. IV. If you put out an announcement or story, you make it known to a lot of people. The French news agency put out a statement from the Trade Minister. put off I. 暂缓. 延期. If you put something off, you delay doing it. Women who put off having a baby often make the best mothers. The Association has put the event off until October. II. If you put someone off, you make them wait for something that they want. The old priest tried to put them off, saying that the hour was late. III. 失去兴趣. If something puts you off something, it makes you dislike it, or decide not to do or have it. The thought of caring for young plants can put people off growing their own veg. His personal habits put them off. The country's worsening reputation does not seem to be putting off the tourists. We tried to visit the Abbey but were put off by the queues. IV. If someone or something puts you off, they take your attention from what you are trying to do and make it more difficult for you to do it. She asked me to be serious–said it put her off 干扰到某人, 影响某人, 失去注意力 if I laughed. It put her off 不能专心 revising for her exams. be rained off = US be rained out 因下雨而暂停 If a sport or outside activity is rained off, it cannot start or continue because it is raining: Most of today's matches were rained off. 17. flop sweat 紧张的流汗 US informal nervous sweat (as of a performer) caused especially by the fear of failing. sweat (= clear, salty liquid that passes through your skin when you are hot or worried) caused by fear of failure, for example when someone is performing in front of an audience: The first sign of trouble was the flop sweat that broke out on the witness's brow. The performers are trying so hard you can almost smell the flop sweat through the TV screen. Raj: Can I ask you guys a question? So, I'm seeing Lucy tomorrow night, and I've never hung out with someone who broke up with me. How do you do it? Howard: You can't let her know you're hurting. You know, the key is confidence. Raj: Why is the key always confidence? How come it's never love handles and flop sweat? Bernadette: If this girl hurt you so much, are you sure you want to see her again? Howard: Well, if I may, he has so little self-respect and is so desperate for the smallest crumb of affection, she could literally sleep with his own father in his own bed and post the video to YouTube, and he'd still buy her flowers and ask her to be his bride. Raj: He's right. But in my defence, if we could survive that, we could survive anything. cold sweat a state of extreme worry and fear: break out in a cold sweat 吓出一身冷汗, 出了一身冷汗 I break out in a cold sweat (= become extremely worried) just thinking about public speaking. 19. pay raise = UK pay rise 加薪 an increase in the amount of money you earn for doing your job. To get a raise 获得加薪 means to receive an increase in your base salary or hourly wage for the work you do. It is an employer-approved bump in pay, typically awarded for strong performance, added responsibilities, or longevity with a company. Negotiating a pay raise is always a difficult task. Howard: Guys, there was an accident at Bernie's lab. Leonard: Oh, my God, is she okay? Howard: Yeah, but she's at the hospital in quarantine. Penny: What? Amy: Poor Bernadette. Leonard: Oh, no. Sheldon: I hate to pile on the bad news, but I just got a raise. Note: You should be careful not to confuse the verbs raise and rise. Raise is a transitive verb and usually followed by an object, whereas rise is an intransitive verb and not followed by an object. Rise can also not be used in the passive. ...the government's decision to raise prices... The number of dead is likely to rise. Both raise and rise can be used as nouns to mean pay increase. Raise is used in American English, and rise is used in British English. Millions of Americans get a pay raise today. ...a rise of at least 12 per cent. 20. walk a mile in (someone's) shoes To spend time trying to consider or understand another person's perspectives, experiences, or motivations before making a judgment about them. I know that certain people can come across as selfish or mean-spirited, but you should try walking a mile in their shoes before you dismiss them too quickly. Howard: So, you can never take it off? Leonard: No. Raj: Not even to sleep? Leonard: No. Howard: So, you're just an idiot? Leonard: It's called proving a point. Howard: Is the point that you're an idiot? Sheldon: Gentlemen, please. Leonard is trying to walk a mile in my metaphorical shoes. He can't walk in my actual shoes. He has the feet of a toddler. 21. 少年犯罪: Tulloch was automatically sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2001 stabbing deaths of Half and Susanne Zantop. But the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that mandatory sentences of life without parole are unconstitutional for juveniles, and later applied that decision retroactively. The rulings gave hundreds of juvenile lifers(lifer I. someone who has been punished by being put in prison for a very long time or until they die: In the 1980s, 726 lifers were paroled. Releasing lifers is a very complex issue. II. someone who has been employed by a particular company, organization, or industry for the whole of their working life: Before the move to Channel 4 he was considered a BBC lifer. A company lifer, he worked his way up through the ranks at the household products group.) a shot at freedom, including five men serving life sentences in New Hampshire for murders they committed as teenagers. A psychiatrist with two sons, one of them the same age Tulloch was when he committed his crimes, she said she can appreciate that brain functioning can change over time. But she does not believe it's true for Tulloch, saying he meticulously planned the killings and followed through in a cold, predatory manner. "This wasn't a crime of passion or retribution," she said. "He wasn't using substances, he wasn't psychotic. There was just sheer depravity (depravity [dɪˈpræv.ə.ti] 道德败坏, 堕落 the state of being morally bad, or an action that is morally bad. Depravity is very dishonest or immoral behaviour. ...the absolute depravity that can exist in war. ...the righteous struggle between decency and depravity. depraved [dɪˈpreɪvd] adj. Depraved actions, things, or people are morally bad or evil. morally bad or evil: a depraved character/mind. Someone who can kill a child like that must be totally depraved. ...a disturbing and depraved film. She described it as the work of depraved and evil criminals. )." She urged that he stay in prison "for the longest possible sentence." Attorneys Richard Guerriero and Oliver Bloom said Tulloch's prison records show he has matured, and that after some initial misconduct early on, he's had no major infractions ( infraction [ɪnfrækʃən] 违反, 违规, 犯规 An infraction of a rule or law is an instance of breaking it. an occasion when someone breaks a rule or law: infraction of Any attempt to influence the judges will be seen as an infraction of the rules. ...an infraction of school rules. ...parents of kids who committed minor infractions. ) since 2012 and no minor infractions since 2017. Quoting from Tulloch's therapy records, they said he has expressed "significant remorse" for what he sees as a heinous and unforgivable crime, his "warped youthful thinking 扭曲的年轻思维," and his "good capacity for empathy." The Supreme Court rulings addressed only mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles, leaving the U.S. the only country that allows discretionary 审慎的, 视情况而定的 life sentences for minors. New Hampshire lawmakers have rejected attempts to end life sentences for juveniles, but Tulloch's case could bolster future attempts. After Tulloch argued in 2018 that sentencing juveniles to life without parole violated the state constitution, the judge asked the state Supreme Court to weigh in, but it declined. Last July, MacLeod agreed with Tulloch, finding that the constitution categorically prohibits such sentences as "cruel or unusual" punishment. 22. plug away = dig away to work hard and in a determined way, especially at something that you find difficult: plug away at 坚持不懈, 不懈努力, 用功读书, 学习辛苦 to continue doing something even though it is difficult or boring. She kept plugging away at her homework. If you keep plugging away at it, your English will improve. Katie has been plugging away at her homework for hours. dig (away) 深挖, 大肆挖掘 I. to devote serious and sustained effort. It took days of digging away at the subject, but he understands it thoroughly now. II. to keep plugging away at a difficult problem, subject, or project. He dug away at the math textbook for hours until he understood the concepts. III. to shovel, scoop, or scrape dirt and debris away from a specific area. Frequently used when freeing something or someone that is trapped or buried (like a car in a snowdrift). We had to dig away the heavy snow 掘走, 掘开, 凿开 just to open the front door. The construction workers dug away the mud to reveal the old stone foundation. dig someone/something out I. to get someone or something out of somewhere by digging: Firefighters helped to dig out the people trapped in the snowdrift. The doctor used a sharp instrument to dig a piece of glass out of my finger. II. to search and find something that has been put away for a long time. to find something that you have not seen or used for a long time: Mum dug out 找出, 挖出 some old family pictures to show me. 

moderate VS temper (tamper, pamper) VS chasten VS mellow: 0. moderate adj. & noun. [ˈmɒd.ər.ət] verb. [ˈmɒd.ər.eɪt] adj. I. 适度的. 适量的. neither small nor large in size, amount, degree, or strength. being within a middle range in size, amount, or degree; neither great nor little. moderate growth/inflation/increase Moderate growth last year was enough to raise a profit. moderate gains/losses Investors saw moderate gains on Wall Street overnight. People on low and moderate incomes spend proportionately much more on housing. They split investments between high-yielding bonds and those of more moderate risk. The rent has gone up over the years, but in moderate amounts. The company was of moderate size, with about 50 employees. The cabin is of moderate size - just right for a small family. moderate growth/inflation. He's a moderate drinker. Imposing sanctions is a moderate action when you consider that the alternative is military intervention. There has been a moderate improvement in her health since she began the treatment. We have had moderate success in changing people's attitudes. Sheldon: Well, I believe I've done it. And I'm only saying believe to sound modest, because, sweet Sam Houston, I did it. Sheldon: Look at him, just standing in line like he wasn't moderately famous 有一定知名度的 30 years ago. Let's go say hello. some, but not as much or as great as desired 一定的: There has been moderate improvement in her health since she began the treatment. II. Moderate 中庸的 opinions, especially political ones, are not extreme and are therefore acceptable to a large number of people. (of opinions) not extreme: comparatively/relatively moderate Temporary lay-offs are a relatively moderate action when you consider that elsewhere whole factories have been shut. Conservatives are suspicious of the Senator's moderate views. When she was young she was a radical, but her political views have become more moderate as she has gotten older. The party includes both extremely conservative and moderate members. noun. I. a person whose opinions, especially their political ones, are not extreme and are therefore acceptable to a large number of people. Of the seven members of the committee, five were political moderates 中间派. He is well-known as a moderate in the party. verb. I. to (cause to) become less in size, strength, or force; to reduce something. to lose strength or force, or to make something less strong: Oil prices are expected to moderate. In the short term a rising currency helps to moderate inflation. The weather prediction is for strong winds, moderating 转轻微 by evening. The president may have to moderate his stance on tax cuts. II. education UK specialized 统一标准. to make certain that all the people marking an examination use the same standards: The marked scripts are sent away to be moderated. We moderate to ensure fairness in marking. III. to make certain that the rules of an internet discussion are not broken, for example by removing any threatening or offensive messages: The entire message board is moderated to ensure that only genuine stock market discussions are featured. The broadcaster has vowed to moderate more strictly on its social media pages. IV. mainly US 节制. to make certain that a formal discussion happens without problems and follows the rules. to manage a public discussion: The local TV anchorman is going to moderate (the debate). They asked him to moderate the debate. The encounter took place with both men seated at a table, with PBS's Gwen Ifill moderating. moderation My doctor advised me to eat anything I want as long as it's in moderation 有节制. V. to become less extreme, or to make something do this: His views on some social issues had moderated over time. There have been repeated calls for the director to moderate his plans for layoffs. 1. temper and fray: fray: I. 分崩离析, 土崩瓦解. if a rope or piece of cloth frays or is frayed, the fibers in it become loose and start to come apart. The shirt cuffs are beginning to fray. II. if someone's nerves or their temper frays or is frayed神经兮兮的, 神经质, they start to get angry or nervous. fraying at/around the edges 磨了边角 gradually being destroyed or becoming weaker. Support for the proposals was fraying at the edges. the fray I. an exciting activity or situation in which someone competes with other people. Other bidders are now likely to enter the fray. II. a fight or argument. have a short/quick temper/fuse (=become angry very quickly): He's not a bad boss, but he has a short temper. control your temper: Andrew has not yet learned to control his temper. tempers flare 脾气大爆发, 勃然大怒 (=people get angry): Tempers flared and things began to get out of control. tempers fray (=people start to get angry): It was a difficult meeting and tempers got a bit frayed. temper: a particular emotional state or mood: in a bad/foul/terrible etc. temper 脾气不好, 情绪不好: When Mark turned up he was in a foul temper. in a good temper脾气好: He seems to be in a good temper. be in a temper 闹脾气: He doesn’t mean what he says when he's in a temper. get/fly into a temper: When she refused to help, he flew into a temper. a fit of temper (=a sudden short period of uncontrolled anger): He stormed out of the room in a fit of temper. a temper tantrum (=a sudden short period of uncontrolled anger): As a small child he had had violent temper tantrums. guard your tongue/temper to speak or behave carefully, without using bad language or violence. pamper verb.  I. To treat with excessive indulgence. to treat with affectionate and usually excessive indulgence; coddle; spoil: pampered their child. II. To give in to; gratify: He pampered his ambition for wealth and fame. tamper verb.  I. (usually foll by with) to interfere or meddle. 篡改. to tamper with a lock. to tamper with official records. tried to tamper with the decedent's will; tampering with the timing mechanism of the safe. II. To tinker with rashly or foolishly: Don't tamper with my feelings. III. (usually foll by with) to attempt to influence or corrupt, esp by bribery. to engage in underhand dealings私下交易, 黑幕交易, esp. in order to influence improperly (usu. fol. by with). to tamper with the jury. temper [ˈtɛmpə] noun. I. a frame of mind; mood or humour a good/quick/even/short temper = a short fuse. II. a sudden outburst of anger; tantrum. a quick temper. a fit of temper. III. a tendency to exhibit uncontrolled anger; irritability. IV. a mental condition of moderation and calm (esp in the phrases keep one's temper, lose one's temper, out of temper). V. (Engineering / Metallurgy) the degree of hardness, elasticity, or a similar property of a metal or metal object. temper verb (tr). I. 柔和, 柔化, 调整. to moderate. to soften or tone down. to make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else. he tempered his criticism with kindly sympathy. to temper justice with mercy. a portfolio that is tempered to the investor's needs. temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom". temper clay; paints that had been tempered with oil. II. 洗礼. 淬炼. 磨练. To strengthen through experience or hardship; toughen: soldiers who had been tempered by combat. temper something with something I. Fig. to harden something, such as metal, with something. You have to temper the metal pieces with very high heat. The sheet of metal was tempered by the application of great pressure. II. Fig. 调和一下, 调剂一下, 显得好听的, 显得没有那么刺耳, 缓和一下. 缓冲一下. 软化一下 to soften the impact of something, such as news, with something. We can temper 柔和一点, 柔化 this disaster story a bit with a picture of the happy survivors. The news story was tempered with a paragraph of explanation and justification.  板球员妈妈打电话给NZ广播节目(duped into believing she's off air): Deborah: I don't know whether they realise he was actually born and bred in New Zealand and quite frankly has family all over the country. And for those who listen to your station, for them to sit and listen to their cousin and their grandson being bagged like that is absolutely unconscionable ( 太过分了. more than a reasonable or acceptable level or amount. ) and I'm his mother and I'm totally brassed off ( brass someone off Sl. to make someone angry. (Primarily military. As angry as the "brass," or officers, might get about something.) You really brass me off. The private brassed off the sergeant. ). Host: Well he's a great cricket player, he's amazing. Deborah: I know he is, but it's not even about the cricket. It's about the personal attack on him. They called him arrogant and then they called him some sort of name. They don't know him! They wouldn't have a bloomin' clue! Matt: I don't remember them calling him any other words, other than he made some pretty arrogant comments before the game. Deborah: No he didn't! It's a load of rubbish 一派胡言, 胡说八道! Matt: Yes he did. Deborah: Arrogance isn't a part of his make up( kiss and make up ‎(idiomatic) To settle one's differences and forgive. make it up to sb. 补偿 (idiomatic, transitive) To pay back; to return someone a previous good deed. to do something good that helps someone to feel better after you did something bad to them. to do something good for someone you have ​upset, in ​order to ​become ​friends with them again: I'm ​sorry we can't take you with us, but I ​promise I'll make it up to you ​somehow. I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you. After John gave her a lovely wooly hat for her birthday, she wanted to make it up to him so she took him out for dinner. You've been so kind to me, how can I make it up to you? make up to someone to try to become friends with someone. Look how the cat is making up to Richard! Jimmy is making up to Donna, and she doesn't even notice. make it up as one goes along 即兴, 见机行事 (idiomatic) To improvise continuously. make up I. 弥补, 不悔. To compensate, fill in or catch up. He can make up the time next week.‎ I plan to make up for my failed midterm.‎ Cuba took limited free market-oriented measures to alleviate severe shortages of food, consumer goods, and services to make up for the ending of Soviet subsidies.‎ II. (intransitive) 重归于好. 解决争端. To resolve, forgive or smooth over an argument or fight. They fight a lot, but they always manage to make up. make up (with someone) to reconcile with someone; to end a disagreement (with someone). Bill and Max decided to make up. They made up with each other and are now very good friends.‎ ). Are you being smart here? Matt: No. Deborah: I just want to get the point across ... I'm just really disappointed. Say those things and then temper it with some positives( temper something with something I. Fig. to harden something, such as metal, with something. You have to temper the metal pieces with very high heat. The sheet of metal was tempered by the application of great pressure. II. Fig. 调和一下, 调剂一下, 显得好听的, 显得没有那么刺耳, 缓和一下. 缓冲一下. 软化一下. to soften the impact of something, such as news, with something. We can temper this disaster story a bit with a picture of the happy survivors. The news story was tempered with a paragraph of explanation and justification. ). Have a look on Twitter, see the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Tino Best, Graham Onions — all of those people giving him their support because they know that tomorrow is another day. Host: You're a lovely woman Debs and thanks for call and we'll make sure that gets righted on the show. You have a great day. 2. mellow adj. I. relaxed and satisfied, for example because of having drunk alcohol. Warmed by liquor, slightly intoxicated, stoned, or high. II. 温暖的. 暖色的. soft and warm in colour. mellow greys and greens. III. with a soft, smooth, and pleasant sound. Not coarse, rough, or harsh; subdued, soft, rich, delicate; said of sound, color, flavor, style, etc. the sweet mellow tones of a guitar. IV. 口感绵软的. 不生涩的. 不苦涩的. with a smooth full taste. Soft or tender by reason of ripeness; having a tender pulp. a mellow apple. a mellow whisky aged in wood. V. 由于年龄, 阅历而变的洗练, 安然, 不急不躁, 智慧. 安静. 人情练达的 gentle, wise, and easy to talk to, especially because of age and experience. He had grown mellow with age. mellow Verb. I. If you mellow, or if something mellows you 变得圆滑, 变得圆融. 懂得变通. 不固执, 变得好相处, 磨去了棱角, 少了些刺. 经过人生淬炼, 收敛锋芒, 不倔强的, 收敛, 不张扬了, 内敛, 温和, 变得柔和,世故. 深通人情世故. 人情练达, 通情达理, 变得心软了, 变得更睿智, 更成熟. 更稳重. 变得随遇而已, 不再较真, 不再计较 ( bellow n. 风箱, 空气泵, 鼓风机 bellow I. 咆哮, 大喊大叫. To make the deep roaring sound characteristic of a bull. II. To shout in a deep voice. bellow something out 喊出来 to cry something out loudly with great force. Don't just say it. Bellow it out! Bellow out your name so we know who you are!), you become gentler, wiser, and easier to talk to, especially because of age or experience. She's mellowed 变得好相处, 没有棱角 a lot over the years. Leonard: Its not that I'd stopped trying, its just how relationships progress 关系都是这样的. They start with infatuation, but over time mellow into something more comfortable. II. if colours mellow, or if something mellows them, they become softer, warmer, and less bright 不那么鲜艳, 不那么扎眼. mellow out I. to become less angry. to chill out, relax, settle down. "He was really mad so we all told him to mellow out". When you mellow out, maybe we can talk. Come on, man, stop yelling and mellow out! II. to become generally more relaxed. Gary was nearly forty before he started to mellow out a little and take life less seriously. After his illness, he mellowed out and seemed more glad to be alive. He needs to mellow out a little. Maybe I'm getting mellow 变得柔软, 心变得柔软, 不再心硬 in my old age, but at least the boy made one good decision. He had the savvy to get out of Westlife before they had the cheek to 有胆, 有脸, 厚颜无耻的 release a whole album of Frank Sinatra covers. Astringents 收敛剂, 收敛水 are also often used in the formulation of an aftershave. astringent [əˈstrɪndʒ(ə)nt] n. a liquid or cream used for making your skin drier or for stopping a cut from bleeding. adj. I. medical 止血的. 收敛的. 帮助伤口融合的. 有助伤口融合的. an astringent substance or liquid makes your skin drier or helps to stop a cut from bleeding. II. an astringent taste is one that is strong and bitter. III. an astringent remark is one that criticizes someone severely. ignominious [ˌɪɡnəˈmɪniəs] 丢人现眼的, 丢脸的 very embarrassing, especially because of making you seem very unsuccessful or unimportant. an ignominious defeat. ignominy [ˈɪɡnəˌmɪni] 羞辱. 耻辱. a situation where you feel embarrassed and lose other people's respect. Great dishonor, shame, or humiliation. The army suffered the ignominy of a quick and decisive defeat. harsh one's mellow 破坏好兴致, 扫兴, 坏我好事, 败兴(killjoy, buzzkill, dampener, killjoy (person), party-pooper (person)) to reduce or destroy a person's good mood. To spoil one's good mood or to annoy.to be a killjoy. to ruin someone's happiness, whether they are drunk, or just really happy, with sad news or drama. Don't harsh my mellow by asking me about my SAT scores. 3. chasten [ˈtʃeɪs(ə)n] (责难,不幸)遏制, 使缓和, 使有所收敛. 不再那么嚣张的 vt. (be chastened) (of a reproof or misfortune) have a restraining or moderating effect on. to make someone feel ashamed or less confident. She seemed suitably chastened 磨去了棱角, 没脾气了 by the experience. "We believe democracy in Thailand has been systematically destroyed," he said from Phnom Penh. "People have been chastened 惩戒, 惩治, hunted and bullied with no sense of fairness, justice or decency. She seemed suitably chastened by the experience. the director was somewhat chastened by his recent flops. chastened 学乖了的, 吸取教训了的, 吃过亏了的, 吃一堑长一智的, 经过磨练了的 [as adj. chastening] a chastening experience 一次磨炼.  

How Israel tried to turn Ira­nian foe into an asset: In early 2024, the rector ( rector [ˈrek.tər] I. a priest in charge of a parish (= area) in the Church of England. A rector is a priest in the Church of England who is in charge of a particular area. He was rector of All Hallows Church in Wellingborough. II. an important official at some colleges in Scotland, elected by the students. A rector is an important official in some universities or colleges. ...the Rector of Imperial College, London. III. US the person in charge of a university or school. 校长: 中小学: US Principal 和 UK Headteacher. 大学校长: 美国用 President；英国/澳洲/新西兰用: Vice-Chancellor. Chancellor 是名誉校长. 没有实权.  ) of a university in Budapest received a startling request from a top Hungarian government official. The official told the rector, Professor Gergely Deli, that Ludovika University of Public Service should hold a climate change conference and extend an invitation to an unlikely guest: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the widely reviled(to criticize someone strongly, or say unpleasant things to or about someone: The judge was reviled in the newspapers for his opinions on rape. ) former president of Iran. Even more shocking was the reason. The official told Mr. Deli that the conference was merely a front for Mr. Ahmadinejad to have secret discussions in Budapest with intelligence operatives from Israel, Mr. Ahmadinejad’s avowed enemy. Mr. Deli knew that the invitation could tarnish both his own reputation and that of the university. But, he said in an interview, he believed he might be playing a role in saving lives. Mr. Ahmadinejad’s 2024 visit to the university and a second one the following year were part of a yearslong Israeli effort to groom him as an intelligence asset who, when the time came, could be installed as Iran's new leader, according to both American and Iranian officials familiar with the operation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive intelligence. The effort culminated in late February of this year — during the first days of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran — with an audacious operation to relocate the former leader, who had been living under strict surveillance in Tehran. The goal: to set in motion the plan to topple the current regime and install Mr. Ahmadinejad. The plan failed.On Feb. 28, an Israeli airstrike hit Mr. Ahmadinejad's compound, targeting the building of his bodyguards and his armored vehicle. After the strike, according to four senior Iranian officials, a black Peugeot car arrived, picked up Mr. Ahmadinejad and whisked him away at high speed from the chaotic scene. American and Iranian officials with knowledge of the operation said the car had been driven by Mossad operatives, who took Mr. Ahmadinejad to a secret safe house in Iran. But the former Iranian leader was upset about the frantic rescue operation, and he appeared to be disillusioned about the Israeli plan to return him to power, according to people with knowledge of what occurred. He eventually left the safe house under circumstances that are still unclear. Mr. Ahmadinejad was not seen in public again until July 6, when he made a brief appearance at the funeral procession for the slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His current status remains uncertain. But four senior Iranian officials said that Mr. Ahmadinejad was in the custody of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence wing, under house arrest, now that Iran has learned about much of his interactions with Israel. Israeli officials have not commented publicly about the plan to install Mr. Ahmadinejad as Iran's leader, which was part of a broader attempt to topple the government in Tehran. Another element involved arming and training Iranian Kurdish opposition forces based in northern Iraq to cross into western Iran, hold territory there and eventually move toward the capital Tehran, an effort that never manifested 实现, 成真. The regime-change plan involved a "sequence of special operations, very, very unique, that was supposed to happen," Tamir Hayman, a former head of intelligence for the Israeli Defense Forces, told the PBS talk show "Firing Line" in May, after The New York Times first revealed details of Mr. Ahmadinejad's role in the plan. "And Ahmadinejad was part of that sequence." Mr. Ahmadinejad ordered violent crackdowns on a nationwide uprising contesting 质疑 his re-election in 2009, and, under his rule, the judiciary carried out mass executions of dissidents and jailed opponents and rivals. But in the years after he left the presidency, Mr. Ahmadinejad tempered his views and toned down the anti-Israel rhetoric that had marked his time in office. He was often eager to show off his newly minted moderate side, granting interviews and giving speeches in which he opined on Iran's pop music culture, criticized the country's security forces for heavy-handed crackdowns and accused the ruling class of financial corruption. He abandoned his signature oversize khaki windbreaker and began wearing tailored suits. He groomed his messy beard, appeared to get Botox treatment and began learning English. Mr. Ahmadinejad's relationship with the Iranian government was complicated. Senior leaders marginalized him and restricted his movements, yet they allowed him a seat alongside other senior officials on a high-level council that advises the supreme leader. He attended the council's meeting in February, a few days before the war began. Many in Iran saw cynical political motives in Mr. Ahmadinejad's transformation 转变, 嬗变, which they viewed as an attempt to burnish ( I. to rub metal until it is smooth and shiny. II. 改善形象. If you burnish something such as your public image, you take action to improve it and make it more attractive: The company is currently trying to burnish its socially responsible image. burnished I. 擦亮的, 磨光的, 抛光的 smooth and shiny, usually because of being polished (= rubbed): The case is burnished aluminium. burnished mahogany doors. II. (of a colour) 温暖而有光泽的. 闪闪发光的. 明亮的. shining in a warm way: Their children have burnished olive skin. III. having had improvements made to it: Nothing in political prose has been so burnished as his acceptance speech. ) his populist credentials and distance himself from ruling officials. He retained a base of support among working-class Iranians, and his advisers were certain that his goal was to one day return to power. Mr. Ahmadinejad became disillusioned with the Islamic republic system after he was disqualified to run for president three times, the associate said, and concluded that he could not ascend to power 上台, 掌权 as long as the current system remained in place. Israeli intelligence agencies were closely following the brewing rift between Mr. Ahmadinejad and the Iranian regime during this period, according to two Israeli defense officials familiar with intelligence assessments at that time. Of particular interest, the officials said, was Mr. Ahmadinejad's growing resentment of Ayatollah Khamenei and other senior figures who had disqualified Mr. Ahmadinejad from running for president again. Mr. Ahmadinejad's actions began to arouse suspicion within the intelligence branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, which is responsible for safeguarding the Islamic republic against foreign interference. His Iranian bodyguards from the Guards' Ansar unit, who accompanied Mr. Ahmadinejad on all his foreign travel, reported that on at least two occasions, he had managed to shake off 摆脱, 甩掉 his security detail and disappear for long meetings during the June 2025 trip. In a report about the trip, the bodyguards said that they had confronted Mr. Ahmadinejad about his disappearances and that he had told them he had been meeting with university professors, according to the two Iranian Guards members and one intelligence official. On July 6, he made a brief, surprise appearance as part of Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral procession. Videos of the procession showed Mr. Ahmadinejad, wearing a heavy jacket in the 90-degree Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) heat, with a surgical mask pulled down to his chin. Iran's two other living former presidents, Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad Khatami, were not invited and did not appear in any of the funeral ceremonies. Mr. Ahmadinejad stood with his head down, not speaking, flanked on all sides by what appeared to be security guards. 

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用法学习: 1. decorous [ˈdek.ə.rəs] behaving politely and in a controlled way. Decorous behaviour is very respectable, calm, and polite. They go for decorous walks every day in parks with their nanny. He sipped his drink decorously. His manner, as ever, was decorous. tousled [ˈtaʊ.zəld] 凌乱的 I. having hair that looks untidy, as if it has been rubbed. If you have tousled hair, it is untidy and looks as if it has not been brushed or combed. He invariably dressed in crumpled clothes and his thatch of blond hair was often tousled. Naomi stood in front of them, her face flushed, her hair tousled. He came to breakfast, all tousled, in last night's clothes. II. (esp. of hair) looking messy: She ran her fingers through her tousled hair. duff someone up 暴揍, 胖揍 to hit someone repeatedly. to hit them many times and injure them. There was a fight on a bus where some kids duffed up the bus conductor. Two of the robbers threatened to duff the witness up if he went to the police. 2. variation [ˌveə.riˈeɪ.ʃən] I. a change in amount or level. change in quality, amount, or level: The variation in the price during the past month is startling. Unemployment rates among white-collar workers show much less regional variation than corresponding rates among blue-collar workers. The medical tests showed some variation in the baby's heart rate. global temperature variations over the last 140 years. Unemployment rates for individual counties are not adjusted for seasonal variations. variation in sth (什么方面的)变化  The survey found a wide variation in the prices charged for canteen food. Every day without variation my grandfather ate a plate of cold ham. The company uses outsourcing to respond to variations in demand. II. something that is slightly different from the usual form or arrangement. A variation also is a difference, or a thing that differs slightly from another of its type: Her movies are all variations on the same theme. There are wide variations in the way pensioners have benefited from the system. The films she makes are all variations on the same theme. something which is slightly different from the usual form or arrangement: a variation 小小不同 on sth (在...之上的)不同 A variation on something is the same thing presented in a slightly different form. This delicious variation on an omelette is quick and easy to prepare. Many theories on punishment exist, all of which are variations on a theme. Sometimes a small variation on an existing idea is enough to make it stand out. III. one of several short tunes that are based on the same simple tune, but are different from it and from the others: symphonic variations. variety [vəˈraɪ.ə.ti] 多样性 I. the characteristic of often changing and being different: When planning meals, you need to think about variety and taste as well as nutritional value. Sexual reproduction serves to create genetic variety. Work on the production line is monotonous and lacks variety. the characteristic of often changing and being different: Most people like a bit of variety 不一样, 变化, 多样性 in their work. II. a different type of something. a type, esp. one among a group of things that share general features and differ in some details: Several different varieties of sparrows live around here. The article was about the different varieties 不同形态的 of Spanish spoken in South America. language variety There are no linguistically based reasons - only social ones - for preferring one language variety over another. This variety of rose is especially hardy and drought-resistant. Our supermarket stocks apples in several different varieties. Pink Lady is not an heritage 历史遗留下来的, 流传下来的 apple variety. It's a relatively modern cultivar, bred in Western Australia in the 1970s by John Cripps at the Department of Agriculture. It's a cross between **Golden Delicious** and **Lady Williams**. The "Lady" part of the name comes from the Lady Williams parent. III. many different types of things or people. many different types of similar things or people: a variety of sth The company makes a variety of cameras. They stock a wide variety of tools. She does a variety of fitness activities. The equipment could be used for a variety of educational purposes. Manufacturers need large sales to justify offering a big variety in export markets. IV. a type of entertainment which includes several separate short performances, such as singing, dancing, magic tricks, and telling jokes: a variety show. variety is the spice of life 多样化, 多种多样 the characteristic of frequently changing, or of including many different types or things: The markets offer a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. You can get magazines there that have a little bit more variety. heritage I. A country's heritage is all the qualities, traditions, or features of life there that have continued over many years and have been passed on from one generation to another. The historic building is as much part of our heritage as the paintings. ...the rich heritage of Russian folk music. The Crooked Road is the state of Virginia's 250-mile musical heritage trail. II. A person's heritage is their racial, religious or cultural identity that has come to them through their family. As proud as I am of my Mexican heritage, there is only one place I can call home: the United States. Despite being of Jewish heritage, young Walter was raised a Lutheran. III. Heritage breeds of animals or varieties of plants are ones that have existed for a long time and were popular in the past. You need 600g ripe heritage tomatoes in various colours, shapes and sizes. They supply us with heritage breed beef which is properly and carefully aged. 3. skint [skɪnt] 没钱 having no money. If you say that you are skint, you mean that you have no money. I'm skint! Lend us a tenner. I get paid each Friday, and by Tuesday I'm always skint. 3. on a tear 一段时间的成功 US informal having a period of success: Since releasing her fifth album in early June, the pop star Lizzo has been on something of a tear. The Sox finished the season on a tear, winning 70% of their last 66 games. The markets took off on a tear and rarely looked back for another nine years. Sales of electric bicycles are suddenly on a tear. The industry has been on a tear, building new plants all over the country. I knew I had to get on a tear to have any chance of beating him. on a shoestring 预算有限 If you do something on a shoestring, you do it with a very small amount of money: The film was made on a shoestring. on a wing and a prayer 准备不充分但又希望成功, 只有一线成功的可能 If you do something on a wing and a prayer, you do it hoping that you will succeed, although you are not prepared enough for it. without much chance of success. to do something in the hope that you will succeed, even though you do not have the proper resources for it, or are not properly equipped or prepared Whatever the cause, large parts of the government seem to be running on a wing and a prayer.  She took the job on a wing and a prayer. With hardly any funding and a staff of six, they were operating on a wing and a prayer. litigate [ˈlɪtɪˌɡeɪt] 发起诉讼, 起诉 to ask a court of law to make a decision about a disagreement. To litigate means to take legal action. ...the cost of litigating personal injury claims in the county court. If we have to litigate, we will. to ask for a disagreement to be discussed in a court of law so that a judgment can be made that must be accepted by both sides in the argument. to cause an argument between people or groups to be discussed in a law court so that a judgment can be made. To cause a disagreement to be discussed in a court of law so that a legal decision can be made about it: It is not necessarily right to litigate in every dispute. The case is still being litigated. When Lizzo burst on 忽然冒出来 the scene in 2019, it seemed to herald, or at least symbolize, a new moment. Here was this force of musical prowess and personal charisma, living unapologetically as herself — and being celebrated for it. As a plus-sized Black woman, she inspired millions — and also saw her body unfairly used to litigate the issues of the day. She faced enormous scrutiny — and fought back in kind, like when she didn't take criticism about her backside-bearing outfit causing a stir at a Laker game in 2019. of the day I. served in a restaurant as a special item on a particular day. What's the vegetable of the day? Our soup of the day is vegetable beef. II. 时下的. of a particular period of time. What were some of the popular movies of the day? We read old newspapers to learn of the important issues of the day. 4. diddly-squat slang (usually used with a negative) US and Canadian informal the least amount. anything at all. … my mother never gave my father diddly-squat for Valentine's Day. that doesn't mean diddly-squat. fiddly (因为部件太小而复杂所以难操作的) 精细的, 细微的, 难拿捏的 UK informal difficult to do because the parts involved are small. Something that is fiddly is difficult to do or use because it involves small or complicated objects. It was a time-consuming and fiddly job. Fish can be fiddly to cook. fiddly job Repairing a watch is a very fiddly job. fiddly bits I hate painting the fiddly bits in the corner. pernickety [pəˈnɪk.ə.ti] = US persnickety [pəˈsnɪkɪti] 纠缠于不重要的细节的, 太抠细节的 [British, informal, disapproval] If you describe someone as pernickety, you think that they pay too much attention to small, unimportant details. giving too much attention to small details that are not important in a way that annoys other people. Customs officials can get extremely pernickety about things like that. 5. break out I. If something dangerous or unpleasant breaks out, it suddenly starts: War broke out in 1914. Fighting has broken out all over the city. II. If an infectious disease breaks out, people start to suffer from it and it spreads to others: Many diseases have broken out in these camps. Cholera broke out in the city. Detergents make my hands break out. I hate it when I break out in hives. break out in a rash, spots, a sweat etc. to suddenly have something such as red marks or sweat appear on your skin: break out in a rash I broke out in a rash all over my body. She broke out in a rash after eating some strawberries. The drugs they prescribed caused my vision to blur and my skin to break out in spots. I have a tendency to break out in acne when I'm stressed. break out in a sweat It didn't take much exercise to make him break out in a sweat. When I heard the noise I broke out in a cold sweat. My whole body had broken out in a sweat and my heart was pounding. III. 单独列出, 分开单列. 单独算. to divide a set of numbers or other pieces of information into groups according to particular characteristics, in order to better understand them: Europe accounted for nearly 27 per cent of Apple's total sales in its last fiscal year. The company does not break out sales for the EU. She gave overall sales figures but did not break out numbers for any single store. The reports did not clearly break out how much was being spent on travel, how much on entertainment, and how much on basic salaries. break something out by something Write down the numbers and break them out by product category or service type and by customer. The numbers are not broken out by cities, so the Denver area, with an extensive bus system, can not be distinguished from the rest of the state. The board doesn't break out its new voter registrations numbers by political party. IV. to escape from a place or a situation: Two inmates broke out of prison and are still at large. V. to begin, or to begin using or doing something: A fight almost broke out. I was afraid I was going to break out crying. 6. a steady hand I. the ability to control your hands and not shake: Painting these small details needs a steady hand. He is a trained surgeon who wields a scalpel with a steady hand. II. the ability to keep control in a difficult situation, or someone who has this ability: He led the company with a steady hand through tough times. She's a steady hand, but I don't see her as a reformer. III. Strong, unwavering discipline and control. Children need parents with a steady hand growing up—they crave structure and rules, despite their protests to the contrary. The new CEO has managed to steer the company back into profitability in less than a year. It seems they finally have a steady hand at the helm. With the company's president making a series of brilliant decisions, it seems they finally have a steady hand at the helm. structure I. A set of rules defining behaviour. For some, the structure 定规 of school life was oppressive. Personal routine/organization (most common everyday use). "She has a lot of structure in her life" means she has consistent routines, schedules, and predictable patterns — set wake times, regular meals, planned work blocks, etc. The opposite would be someone who's more spontaneous or disorganized. "He needs structure" is common in parenting, education, or mental health contexts — meaning a person functions better with clear rules, routines, and boundaries rather than open-ended freedom. This comes up a lot with children, but also with adults managing things like ADHD, recovery from addiction, or major life transitions. II. A body, such as a political party, with a cohesive purpose or outlook. The South African leader went off to consult with the structures. excoriate [ekˈskɔː.ri.eɪt] 痛斥, 严厉谴责, 狠批, 痛批 to write or say that a play, book, political action, etc. is very bad. To excoriate a person or organization means to criticize them severely, usually in public. He proceeded to excoriate me in front of the nurses. His latest novel received excoriating reviews. The president excoriated the Western press for their biased views. vocabulary: When it comes to "telling someone off," excoriate is reserved for the most severe cases. So, before you excoriate your little sister for borrowing your favorite jacket without permission, consider whether she truly deserves such harsh treatment. If you excoriate someone, you let that person know that you really, really disagree with them. This verb goes beyond mere criticism; it implies anger, a harsh and insulting tone, and even a scathing attack. Synonyms of excoriate include denounce, decry, and condemn. In a medical sense, excoriate means "to tear skin off by chafing." A bad rug burn can excoriate your skin. If someone excoriates you verbally, it might make you feel like you've been physically excoriated. 7.  handball something (hand off something, pass the buck, palm off, offload ) In Australian Rules Football, one of the ways to pass the ball is to handball it. To handball something has also come to mean to give a task or a project to someone else to finish. Sometimes it also has a slightly derogatory sense to it, in that someone has shirked their responsibility. Handball 足球中的手球 is the act of touching the ball with your hand during a football game, which is not allowed. in football, the act of touching the ball with your hand or arm: Simmons was penalized for a handball and Nicholson converted the spot-kick. He was sent off after 65 minutes for hand ball but the opposition were unable to take advantage. He got sent off for deliberate handball in the 32nd minute. 8. fill out I. If someone who is thin fills out, they become heavier and more rounded, often because they have grown older. If a fairly thin person fills out, they become fatter. to become larger, fuller, or rounder, as the figure. The children have begun to fill out 变壮, 变得壮硕, 变大块. since I saw them last. After months of training, the young athlete began to fill out and build serious muscle. A girl may fill out before she reaches her full height. II. to become larger: When John is older and fills out some, he'll be an outstanding athlete. to make or become fuller, thicker, or rounder. the plants have filled out considerably this spring. III. to write or type information in spaces that are provided for it: The 9m taxpayers obliged to fill out self-assessment forms must file their returns by September 30. IV. [mainly US] If you fill out ( = fill in UK) a form or other document requesting information, you write information in the spaces on it. Fill out the application carefully, and keep copies of it. V. to make more substantial the writers were asked to fill their stories out. VI. have fans occupy the seats. "We need a big-name artist to fill out the stadium for tonight's concert". The team needs a win to fill the stadium. Over 80,000 fans packed the stadium. 9. scion [ˈsaɪ.ən] a young member of a rich and famous family. A scion of a rich or famous family is one of its younger or more recent members. Nabokov was the scion of an aristocratic family. He's the scion of a very wealthy newspaper-publishing family. Law­makers have accused Ms. Duterte, the daugh­ter of the Phil­ip­pines' pre­vi­ous pres­id­ent, of embez­zle­ment and of betray­ing the pub­lic's trust by threat­en­ing to assas­sin­ate Pres­id­ent Ferdin­and Mar­cos Jr., who is also a polit­ical scion 官二代. The stun­ning fall­ing-out came just four years after the Mar­coses and the Dutertes joined forces in 2022. 10. edit oneself 说话小心, 谨言慎行, 加个把门的, 约束点自己 to change what one was going to say or would normally say. To "edit oneself" means to filter, correct, or censor what you are about to say or how you behave. It involves consciously stopping yourself from saying something that might be inappropriate, offensive, or unnecessary, or carefully tailoring your thoughts to fit a specific situation. I feel like I have to edit myself when I talk to them. "I never saw it," she said before quickly editing herself, "or at least I don't remember seeing it." Look, since Dad died, I know you've been feeling free to speak your mind, but it wouldn't hurt to edit yourself every once in a while. I'm sorry if the truth hurts. I'm just saying you hero-worshipped him. And those feelings were never returned. self-edit I. To censor oneself; to stop oneself from saying certain things. II. (authorship) To edit one's own writing while it is being written. adjust [oneself] to (something/someone) 调整以适应 I. To become familiar or comfortable with something, often a change in one's life. to make changes in one's opinion or attitude toward someone or something, such as a change in one's life or environment. to make something fit something else; to alter something to make it suitable for something else. The builder adjusted the plans for the new house to the requirements of the fire marshal. Can't you adjust yourself to your new office? I know you're not thrilled with this new schedule, but can you please try to adjust yourself to it? After growing up in a small town, I really had to adjust to college life in Manhattan. How has Uncle Ed been since the divorce? Is he adjusting to single life? II. To get used to something or someone: It took many years for me to adjust to the cold winters 适应寒冷的冬天 in Vermont. adapt I. 改编. 稍事修改. to change, or to change something, to suit different conditions or uses: adapt something for something Davies is busy adapting Brinkworth's latest novel for television. be adapted for The play had been adapted for (= changed to make it suitable for) children. be adapted from The recipe here is a pork roast adapted from Caroline O'Neill's book "Louisiana Kitchen". Many software companies have adapted popular programs to the new operating system. We had to adapt our plans to fit Jack's timetable. Sometimes you have to adapt the design to suit the customer's requirements. adapt sth for sth It was the first time a British brewer had adapted a product for French tastes. II. to change your ideas or behaviour to make them suitable for a new situation. adapt to doing sth Dick has adapted very well to running a multinational. adapt to something To remain competitive the company has to be able to adapt to the changing marketplace. The good thing about children is that they adapt very easily to new environments. It took me a while to adapt to the new job. III. biology specialized If a living thing adapts, it changes slightly over time so it can continue to exist in a particular environment: adapt to Species have adapted to climate changes throughout history. The ways in which organisms have adapted to survive in this extreme environment are not well understood. adapted I. changed slightly for a particular purpose or use: He drives a specially adapted car. The festive grotto is in fact an adapted garden shed. This adapted procedure was problematic in many ways. II. (of a living thing) able to exist in a particular environment because of changes that have happened to it over time: adapted to Both trees are well adapted to London's dry climate and dirty air. The rat is uniquely adapted to living around humans. 11. shut-in I. 卧床不起的人. a person who is confined to home, a room, or bed because of illness or incapacity. a. secretive, brooding. a bitter, shut-in face. b. tending to avoid social contact, withdrawn. the shut-in or seclusive type of personality. II. a narrow gorge-shaped part of an otherwise wide valley. III. available oil or gas which is not being produced from an existing well. shut someone/something in (something) to prevent someone or something from leaving a place, usually by closing or fastening a door or gate: The door enables us to shut the birds in the shelter in bad weather. The cat was shut in the garage all night. shut yourself in something He was so upset that he shut himself in his bedroom and refused to come out. Several OPEC members – namely Iran, Iraq and Kuwait – had no choice but to shut in their crude production and wait. II. to catch part of your body or an object inside a device or container when it closes: Steve was off work for a week after he shut his hand 夹住了手, 夹手 in the car door. III. 关起来. If you shut yourself in a room, you stay in there and make sure nobody else can get in. After one particular bad result, he shut himself in the shower room for an hour. He shut himself in his office, telling his secretary to hold all calls. judicious 深思熟虑的, 仔细衡量过的, 精打细算的, 精明的 having or showing reason and good judgment in making decisions. having or showing good judgment in making decisions. If you describe an action or decision as judicious, you approve of it because you think that it shows good judgment and sense. The President authorizes the judicious use of military force to protect our citizens. Modern fertilisers should be used judiciously. The law allows for the judicious use of force in some situations. Spend your money a little more judiciously. We should make judicious use of the resources available to us. That's why OPEC has been clear: it will be judicious with its supply increases while it engages in dialog with its member states. This weekend, OPEC+, a group that includes Russia and some other non-OPEC members, agreed to raise daily output by just 188,000 barrels, the fifth such incremental production increase since March. judicial [dʒuːˈdɪʃ.əl] relating to a judge or judges, to a law court, or to the justice system. the judicial branch. the judicial system. judicial enquiry. No judicial enquiry has been held into the outbreak of violence last summer. 12. sending-off 罚下场 If there is a sending-off during a game of football, a player is told to leave the field by the referee, as a punishment for seriously breaking the rules. He is about to begin a three-match ban after his third sending-off of the season. You are off the team(Off One's Game: Refers to a temporary slump where a player is underperforming compared to their usual ability, though they remain on the team.) I. a phrase that determines you have done something wrong and are no longer viewed as an equal. "hey did i say you could use my stick? yer off the team!". II. to be lower than yourself. "hey asshole!!!!!!!!!! YER OFF THE TEAM!" III. the opposite of being on the team if in fact you once were, and if you weren't, see the first two definitions. an individual is no longer a member of a squad, cut from the team, or completely removed from an organization's roster. It indicates a permanent or temporary dismissal, exclusion, or separation from an active group or competitive event. captain-"hey curtis, you wanna get me a beer? captain-"ya know what? YER OFF THE TEAM!!!!!!!!!" You realize there's nothing I can do if you fail. You're off the team 你就得离队了( 用现在时态表示将来 in casual spoken English, people frequently use present tense to express a near-certain future outcome, almost for dramatic emphasis (like "I'm out of here" meaning "I'm about to leave," or "You're dead" meaning "you're about to be in serious trouble"). ). fool's gold 很上去很美, 骗傻子的黄金 I. a mineral that is found in rocks and looks like gold but is not valuable. Fool's gold is a substance that is found in rock and that looks very like gold. II. [disapproval] something that you think will be very pleasant or successful but is not. If you say that a plan for getting money is fool's gold, you mean that it is foolish to carry it out because you are sure that it will fail or cause problems. The British establishment seems to be off on another quest for fool's gold. A wealth tax would be fool's gold: To many, the 5 per­cent wealth tax on Cali­for­nia’s bal­lot this year may sound like a harm­less way to raise money, a pro­posal only bil­lion­aires would dis­like. Yet lead­ers from across the polit­ical spec­trum oppose the plan. The crit­ics are right. A quick look at the math under­pin­ning the pro­posal, which would tax the accu­mu­lated assets of ultrawealthy Cali­for­ni­ans, shows that the first net wealth tax in mod­ern U.S. his­tory would provide the state little and endanger its eco­nomic core. 13. expound [ɪkˈspaʊnd] to give a detailed explanation of something. If you expound an idea or opinion, you give a clear and detailed explanation of it. Schmidt continued to expound his views on economics and politics. Lawrence expounded on the military aspects of guerrilla warfare. expound on = expound He's always expounding on what's wrong with the world. expound a theory He likes to expound his theories about the economy, which are usually wrong. expound your views She uses her newspaper column to expound her views on environmental issues. play the heavy 做坏人, 演大反派, 演大坏蛋 Act the part of a villain; take the blame for unkind behavior. She can't bear firing an employee, so she relies on Jim to play the heavy. This colloquial term comes from the theater, where heavy has been used for a stern, serious role or that of a villain since the early 1800s. the heavy I. A villain in a work of fiction. I always get typecast as the heavy of the movie. The heavy in his novel is about as generic as you can get. Why can't screenwriters write a nuanced heavy for once? Their one-note villain is just annoying me. II. noun, slang A mobster, especially an enforcer. A couple of heavies showed up to force the business owner to pay his share of the mafia's protection racket. After Mr. Smith refused to pay the mafia the money he owed, they sent a few heavies around to rough him up. I'm worried that if I don't put a security detail on our witness, some heavy will try to take her out before she can testify. III. noun, slang A very important or influential person. He's known as something of a heavy in the fashion industry. Our lobbyists have been pressuring some of the political heavies to alter the wording of the legislation. OK, who are the heavies around here, and how can I impress them? III. adjective, slang 太沉重. 太深奥. Of very serious, intense, or profound significance. This book about World War II is real heavy, man—I don't think I can keep reading it. I'm too emotionally drained for anything heavy, that's why I picked a comedy series to watch. Of course a movie about war is going to be heavy—what did you expect? V . interjection, dated slang Used to express the profound or intense seriousness of a situation. A: "If we don't fix this, you may never get back home!" B: "Whoa, Doc, this is heavy!" A: "Weight has nothing to do with it, Marty." This is heavy, man. But you can't tell the others we're in danger, they'll totally freak out. So the protagonist is able to go back in time and stop assassinations from happening? Heavy. 14. negotiate I. 成功穿越, 成功穿过. to manage to travel along a difficult route. If you negotiate an area of land, a place, or an obstacle, you successfully travel across it or around it. Frank Mariano negotiates the desert terrain in his battered pickup. I negotiated the corner on my motorbike and pulled to a stop. I negotiated my way out of the airport and joined the flow of cars. The only way to negotiate the muddy hillside is on foot. II. to deal with something difficult: The company's had some tricky problems to negotiate in its first year in business. III. If people negotiate with each other or negotiate an agreement, they talk about a problem or a situation such as a business arrangement in order to solve the problem or complete the arrangement. It is not clear whether the president is willing to negotiate with the democrats. When you have two adversaries negotiating, you need to be on neutral territory. The local government and the army negotiated a truce. Western governments have this week urged him to negotiate and avoid force. He has bravely negotiated an end to the country's civil war. His publishing house had just begun negotiating for her next books. There were reports that three companies were negotiating to market the drug. a credit to someone/something to be so good or successful that the people or things that made you successful should be mentioned: Thomas is a credit to our school system. credit (something) to (someone or something) do somebody/something credit I. To apply a payment to a financial account belonging to someone or something. to behave so well or be so successful that your family, team etc are proud of you She‘s a credit to her profession. Your children really do you credit 增光添彩. Now, which account should I credit this payment to? Don't worry, ma'am, we'll credit the refund to your bill. Why hasn't my payment been credited to my account? I know I submitted it on time. II. To give someone praise, admiration, or acknowledgement for some task, achievement, or accomplishment. Jenny did all the hard parts of the project, so we need to credit the work to her 记功劳. The company credited 归功于 the sharp increase in quarterly profits to the massive popularity of its latest product. I must credit my success to the many excellent acting teachers I've had over the years. good offices 帮忙, 帮助, 恩惠 Someone's good offices are the help that they give to other people who are trying to achieve something. She sought the good offices of the President for the smooth passage of the Bill. through (one's) good offices = through the good offices of somebody 借助影响, 借助援助 Through someone's assistance or influence. help given by someone who has authority or can influence people It was through the State Department's good offices that we were able to locate our son in Cambodia. My uncle is great friends with the college dean, and it was through his good offices that I was able to get in despite my poor grades. I managed to obtain a visa through the good offices of a friend in the Service. smoke-filled room A room where a small group of people make important decisions. Usually used in reference to political parties. a place where powerful people, such as politicians, meet to have discussions and make agreements in secret. If you talk about a decision being made in a smoke-filled room, you mean that it is made by a small group of people in a private meeting, rather than in a more democratic or open way. The whole business stinks of political corruption and decisions made in smoke-filled rooms. The smoke-filled rooms are still producing the candidates for most offices, despite all the political reforms. breakout room 小会议室 A small meeting room or a separate part of an internet meeting where a small group can discuss a particular issue before returning to the main meeting: We will have breakout rooms where an inventor can present his plan to investors. Breakout rooms are useful in an online training session to enable practice in small groups. be one thing after another = be one thing after the other 各种事, 事非常多, 非常多事 You say that it is one thing after another/the other when many things are happening in a short time. If you talk about one thing after another, you are referring to a series of repeated or continuous events.  I've been so busy today. It's been one thing after another. They had faced one difficulty after another with bravery and dedication. They kept going, destroying one store after another. smoke signals 迹象 征兆 A sign that something is probably going to happen. All the smoke signals from Downing Street indicate that the taxpayer will have to pay up again. 15. proper adj. I. [ before noun ] 正式的, 正规的. 合适的. 恰当的. real, satisfactory, suitable, or correct. fitting or right for a particular situation; suitable: We didn't have the proper tools to do the job right. With proper treatment she should recover completely. This is Sara's first proper job - she usually does temporary work just for the money. If you're going to walk long distances you need proper walking boots. I would have done the job myself but I didn't have the proper equipment. I've had sandwiches but I haven't eaten a proper meal 大餐, 正餐, 好好吃一顿 (Have a good meal, Have a big meal, Treat myself to a nice meal, Have a proper meal, Have a feast, Eat like a king / Eat like royalty, Treat yourself to a big feast). She likes everything to be in its proper place. II. 注重礼仪的. 合规的, 符合礼仪的, 合规矩的, 恰当的 showing standards of behaviour that are socially and morally acceptable. correct, or considered to be correct: The coach showed him the proper way to hold a bat. In those days it was considered not quite proper for young ladies to be seen talking to men in public. She was very proper, my grandmother - she'd never go out without wearing her hat and gloves. according to socially accepted standards of behavior: I didn't think it was proper to just invite myself in. III. 正宗的. 地道的. belonging to the main, most important, or typical part. being in the central or main part or place: They live in the suburbs, not in Boston proper. It's a suburb of Los Angeles really - I wouldn't call it Los Angeles proper. IV. UK informal complete: I've got myself into a proper mess! adv. I. sometimes used instead of the adverb "properly" to describe how someone speaks: She was an educated lady so she talked proper 说话讲究, 用词将就. II. UK informal used for emphasizing what you are saying: I was proper annoyed with him. 16. camp on to In phone systems and mobile networks, "camping on" means holding your call in a queue for a busy extension or searching for and locking onto an available network. For example, in Australia, if your carrier is out of range, your mobile is designed to "camp on" to an alternate network to connect emergency calls. Telstra CEO Vicki Brady says some of the emergency calls on Wednesday that were affected by the Telstra outage did camp on to other networks. That means some emergency calls did go through via Optus and other networks. wiki: In telecommunications, the term camp-on busy signal has the following meanings: A signal that informs a busy telephone user that another call originator is waiting for a connection. A teleprinter exchange facility signal that automatically causes a calling station to retry the call-receiver number after a given interval when the call-receiver teleprinter is occupied or the circuits are busy. 17. modal [ˈməʊ.dəl] I. 情态动词. a verb, such as "can", "might", and "must", that is used with another verb to express an idea such as possibility that is not expressed by the main verb of a sentence. In grammar, a modal or a modal auxiliary is a word such as 'can' or 'would' which is used with a main verb to express ideas such as possibility, intention, or necessity. Explain how the modal verb changes the meaning of the second sentence. The first verb in the following sentence is a modal: We ought to pay the gas bill. modal auxiliary: an auxiliary verb that is used with another verb to indicate its mood, as can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would: it has no special form in the third person singular and no present or past participle (Ex.: the modal auxiliary would indicates the subjunctive mood in "We would go if we could"). II. relating to or using modes (= a type of musical scale): Chords still are used in modal jazz, just not as many. The modal harmonies seem at once ancient and fresh. III. = modeless Requiring immediate user interaction and thus presented so that it cannot be closed or interacted behind until a decision is made. a modal dialog; a modal window. IV. 莫代尔. Modal is a bio-based textile made from reconstituted beech tree cellulose. Classified as a type of rayon, it is highly breathable, stretches easily, and feels incredibly soft, making it popular for underwear, pajamas, activewear, and bed sheets. It is often praised as a sustainable, eco-friendly, and moisture-absorbent alternative to cotton. adj. used to describe the number or value which appears most often in a particular set: There are rates of 5, 10, 20, 40 and 70%, the modal rate being 10%. The modal value (or mode) refers to the most frequently occurring number in a dataset. wiki: Modal logic 模态逻辑 is a kind of logic used to represent statements about necessity and possibility. In philosophy and related fields it is used as a tool for understanding concepts such as knowledge, obligation, and causation. 18. "Nice guy instincts(Heroes: I don't have time. I've got 8 days to make up 10 points. I need all the help I can get which is what I want to talk to you about. I wanna offer you a job. I trust you. You're good with people. I need a coordinator to help organize the volunteers and you got nice guy instincts, I could use that. I'm a shark, Pete. Everybody knows it. It's starting to show up in the polls. I bring you on, it kinda reflects well on me. You know what I mean? All right, so I'm making you look good? That's a new one. Makes me look like I put family first. I mean I know that sounds self-serving but this is for you too, right? You gotta think of your future. How do you do that? Do what? Even try to make it look like this has something to do with me.)" typically refer to behaviors driven by a pattern known as the Nice Guy Syndrome. Rather than stemming from genuine kindness 真诚的善良, these instincts are often rooted in covert manipulation, conflict avoidance, and the subconscious belief that transactional "niceness" equals love. "Nice guy" is an informal term, commonly used with either a literal or a sarcastic meaning, for a man. In the literal sense, the term describes a man who is agreeable, gentle, compassionate, sensitive, and vulnerable. The term is used both positively and negatively. When used positively, and particularly when used as a preference or description by someone else, it is intended to imply a man who puts the needs of others before his own, avoids confrontations, does favors, provides emotional support, tries to stay out of trouble, and generally acts nicely towards others. In the context of a relationship, it may also refer to traits of honesty, loyalty, romanticism, courtesy, and respect. When used negatively, a nice guy implies a man who is unassertive or otherwise unattractive. The opposite of a genuine "nice guy" is commonly described as a "jerk 烂人", a term for a mean, selfish and uncaring person. A man is labeled a "jerk" on how he treats his partner, seen as the extreme case where he would not have a sensitive or kind side and is seen as a "macho man" and insensitive type. However, the term is also often used sarcastically, particularly in the context of dating, to describe someone who believes himself to possess genuine "nice guy" characteristics, even though he actually does not, and who uses acts of friendship and basic social etiquette with the ulterior aim of progressing to a romantic or sexual relationship. This is sometimes referred to as "nice guy syndrome", which is used to describe a sense of entitlement to sexual or romantic attention from women simply for being "nice," and irrational anger when that attention is not reciprocated. Although the "nice guy syndrome" is used primarily in the context of dating relationships, it can also apply to the workplace as well as politics. The "bad boys" were divided into two categories, "as either confident, attractive, sexy, and exciting or as manipulative, unfaithful, disrespectful of women, and interested only in sex". This distinction helped further the understanding of why women might prefer "nice guys" or "not-nice guys". Women were asked for their preferences and what values they may look for in each relationship, such as attractiveness, and sexual desires in short- and long-term relationships. Nice guys are sometimes suggested to be overbearing or lacking in vision and ambitions; these opinions suggest self-confidence as a key-point and area of improvement. Often these ideas and views of a certain nice guy can contribute to a woman's willingness to pursue a romantic relationship. Researchers have therefore operationalized ( operationalize [ˌɑpəˈreɪʃənəlˌaɪz] to make operational; put into operation. o put into operation, action, or use; implement. It's our VP's task to effectively operationalize the company's vision. Unfortunately, relations between the two superpowers have never been strong enough to operationalize the northern route through Central Asia. ) the "nice guy" and "jerk" constructs ( construct noun. I. an idea or theory put together from different elements that may not be proved:  ...the underlying constructs (beliefs, philosophy, etc.) which influence action and behaviour. It was a re-enactment of the same mental construct under which slavery was justified. His reputation as an eccentric is largely a media construct. Marriage is a social construct that is found in most communities and cultures. II. A construct is something that is built, made, or created. The kites were flimsy constructs but soared to over a thousand feet. The country was an artificial construct held together by force. verb. I. 建造. to build something made of many parts: to construct a new bridge/building. be constructed of The walls are constructed of concrete. to construct a story/sentence/argument They approved funds to construct a new ferry terminal. The company is constructing 70 homes and a 130-room hotel on the land. The boxes should be constructed from rough-sawn timber. They thought he had escaped through a specially-constructed tunnel. II. 构造. To construct is also to put together different parts to form something new. It's a company which constructs circuit boards for mobile phones. We aim to construct an investment portfolio which will reflect the investment aims of the client. to construct a sentence. to construct a new economic theory. III. If you construct something such as an idea, a piece of writing, or a system, you create it by putting different parts together. You will find it difficult to construct a spending plan without first recording your spending. He eventually constructed a business empire which ran to Thailand and Singapore. The novel is constructed from a series of on-the-spot reports. ...using carefully-constructed tests.  ) in different ways, some of which are outlined below. 19. petty cash 日常开销, 小额开销, 零花钱, 零用钱 Petty cash is a small amount of discretionary funds in the form of cash used for minor expenditures. a small amount of money kept on hand for small purchases or expenses. It is typically kept in a locked box or other secure location and is often used to pay for minor office supplies, postage, or travel expenses. e.g. The most common way of accounting for petty cash expenditures is to use the imprest system. Take the money for stamps out of petty cash. the literature 著作, 专著 on a particular subject of study all the books and articles that have been published about it. Literature is written information produced by people who want to sell you something or give you advice. all the information relating to a subject, especially information written by experts: There is very little literature on the disease. The article comprehensively reviews the scientific literature on how far pollen can travel. The literature on immigration policy is extremely critical of the state. II. 宣传材料. material published by a company or organization about something, especially that is intended to encourage people to buy that company's products or services: Could you send me your literature on car insurance policies, please? Customer service staff will distribute literature about the new process. III. published writings in a particular style on a particular subject. e.g. One aspect of Waterloo has not yet been treated in the literature. 20. custodian [kʌsˈtəʊ.di.ən] I. a person with responsibility for protecting or taking care of something or keeping something in good condition. a person or organization that is responsible for protecting, caring for, or maintaining something or someone: The library is a traditional custodian of information. The school's crisis team includes teachers, custodians, and the principal. custodian of the custodian of a museum/castle. II. someone who tries to protect particular ideas or principles: She sees herself as a custodian 卫士 of the public's morals. III. (UK caretaker 监护人. ) a person employed to take care of a large building, such as a school, and who deals with the cleaning, repairs, etc. someone who has the legal right to manage and look after another person's money, investments, etc.: The report was sent to the owners and the custodians of the corporation's voting stock. indemnity [ɪnˈdemnəti] I. insurance or protection against injury or loss. If something provides indemnity, it provides insurance or protection against damage or loss. protection against possible damage or loss, or the money paid if there is damage or loss: indemnity for/against sth The policy provides an indemnity for loss of or damage to third-party property. provide/offer (an) indemnity This insurance provides indemnity against legal costs and damages. Creditors must give an indemnity to cover the costs of a potential claim. professional indemnity insurance. They were charged with failing to have professional indemnity cover. Political exiles had not been given indemnity from prosecution. II. a payment made to someone who has suffered injury or loss. An indemnity is an amount of money paid to someone because of some damage or loss they have suffered. The government paid the family an indemnity for the missing pictures. III. protection against having legal responsibility for something: indemnity against sth The doctors were given an indemnity against prosecution for performing abortions. wiki: An indemnity is a legally binding promise where one party agrees to cover the financial losses or damages suffered by another party. It acts as a safety net or a risk-shifting tool to ensure that a specific person or business is not left out of pocket if a particular event occurs. double indemnity = accidental death benefit 意外死亡双倍险 a statement in an insurance agreement in which the company agrees to pay twice the usual amount if a person dies in an accident: Coverage was doubled to $200,000 because the death was accidental and subject to a double indemnity provision. letter of indemnity I. a legal document in which a person or company promises to pay for any loss that happens as a result of them doing a particular task. Letters of indemnity are often used when transporting goods by ship: The letter of indemnity protects the shipping company against any claims that may arise from the issue of a clean Bill of Lading. II. a formal letter to ask for new share certificates (= documents) to replace the original certificates that you have lost: Where a certificate is lost, stolen or missing, completion of a letter of indemnity is required. indemnify [ɪnˈdem.nɪ.faɪ] I. to pay or promise to pay someone an amount of money if they suffer damage or loss: indemnify someone against something In return for a premium, the underwriter agrees to indemnify the insured against losses covered by the insurance. indemnify someone from something The farm bill contained provisions enabling the secretary of agriculture to indemnify farmers from certain losses. indemnify someone for something The seller promised to indemnify the buyer for cleanup costs associated with pollution on the parcel of land. II. to protect someone against legal responsibility for their actions: He cannot sue, because the government had indemnified the company. indemnify someone against something The state is required to indemnify employees against civil claims relating to actions taken in the course of their official duties.