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用法学习: 1. "beat someone off" has two primary meanings: one literal/formal and one informal/vulgar.1. To Defend or RepelIn a formal or literal sense, it means to successfully fight back against an attacker or to defeat a competitor.Physical Defense: "She managed to beat off her attacker with a heavy bag".Competition: "The company beat off fierce competition to win the contract".Synonyms: Fend off, fight off, or ward off.2. Vulgar SlangIn informal American English, the phrase is a vulgar slang term for masturbation, specifically referring to a man. Because of this widespread sexual connotation, many native speakers avoid using "beat off" in professional or polite settings and prefer alternatives like "fight off" or "repel" to avoid a double entendre.

sovereign wealth fund;

用法学习: 1. leaven [ˈlev.ən] I. to add a substance to bread or another food made with flour to make it increase in size when it is cooked. II. to make something less serious or boring: leavened with humour 淡化, 调侃, 轻松 If a situation or activity is leavened by or with something, it is made more interesting or cheerful. His mood of deep pessimism cannot have been leavened by his mode of transport–a black cab. He found congenial officers who knew how to leaven war's rigours with riotous enjoyment. Even a speech on a serious subject should be leavened with a little humour. But Charles leavened his critique by showing deep respect for his hosts. He quoted Trump saying that the "bond of kinship" between the US and UK is "priceless and eternal." And his speech was replete [ɪˈpliːt] with praise for American historic achievements. And the harder edges were softened by the choreographed [kɒr.i.ə.ɡrɑːf] pomp of a state visit that reciprocates a trip by Trump last year. Paraphrasing President Theodore Roosevelt, the king was speaking softly while carrying a big scepter. congenial [kənˈdʒiniəl] 宜人的, 怡人的 I. friendly and enjoying the company of others. A congenial person, place, or environment is pleasant. He is back in more congenial company. II. a congenial situation is pleasant, friendly, and enjoyable. note: Congenial describes a person, place, or thing that is pleasant, friendly, and well-suited to one’s tastes or needs. It implies a harmonious or compatible nature, such as a "congenial atmosphere" or "congenial company". The term often suggests shared interests or a pleasant, sociable temperament. uncongenial [ʌnkəndʒiːniəl] 不友善的, 不友好的, 不让人愉悦的, 让人不快的, 让人不舒服的, 让人不爽的, 让人不痛快的, 让人痛苦的 If you describe a person or place as uncongenial, you mean that they are unfriendly and unpleasant. He continued to find the Simpsons uncongenial bores. Hollywood was an uncongenial place to work. congeniality People who have the quality of congeniality 亲善, 亲切友好, 平易近人 have a gift for getting along with others. They are warm, friendly, and probably well-suited to serve on welcoming committees. The noun congeniality is closely related to the word geniality, which means "friendliness." The noun congeniality is closely related to the word geniality, which means "friendliness." Congeniality can be defined the same way, but the Latin prefix con, or "with," adds a sense of connection to other people. If you can't get elected as Prom Queen, strive for the title "Miss Congeniality." In beauty pageants such as the Miss America pageant, it's an award given to the friendliest contestant as determined by a vote among the contestants. "Congenial" means friendly, welcoming, amiable. Congeniality is the quality of being friendly or welcoming. It can apply to persons (e.g., a congenial fellow) or it can be used in a more abstract sense (e.g., a congenial atmosphere).Congenial describes a person, place, or thing that is pleasant, friendly, and well-suited to one’s tastes or needs. It implies a harmonious or compatible nature, such as a "congenial atmosphere" or "congenial company". The term often suggests shared interests or a pleasant, sociable temperament. collegiality [ˌkɑlidʒˈæləti] 同事关系 the quality of being relaxed, friendly, and cooperative, as is typical among a group of close colleagues. The regular meeting schedule builds a sense of collegiality among the teachers. congenital [kənˈdʒenɪt(ə)l] 天生的, 与生俱来的, 胎里带的, 先天性的 I. a congenital medical condition is one that a person has had since they were born. II. if someone has a congenital fault, they have always had it. He's a congenital 天生的, 与生俱来的 liar. 2. conning tower [ˈkɒnɪŋ ˌtaʊə] 司令塔, 指挥塔 a structure on top of a submarine (= a ship that can travel underwater) or, in the past, a military ship, from which the ship can be controlled and that contains a periscope (= a device for seeing what is above you). A conning tower is an armored, raised structure on submarines and, historically, battleships, used as a protected command post for steering, navigation, and weapon control. Submarine conning towers (often called a "sail" or "fin" in modern designs) typically house periscopes, radar, and torpedo control systems, serving as the primary combat station. A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armoured, from which an officer in charge can conn (conduct or control) the vessel, controlling movements of the ship by giving orders to those responsible for the ship's engine, rudder, lines, and ground tackle. It is usually located as high on the ship as is practical, to give the conning team good visibility of the entirety of the ship, ocean conditions, and other vessels.  The conning tower of the sub slowly emerged from the water. 3. In US politics, "86" is slang for removing, getting rid of, or rejecting a politician, often carrying connotations of forced removal or, in extreme interpretations, elimination. It is commonly used in phrases like "8647" to imply removing the 47th President (Donald Trump), used by critics to signify political ousting or, as argued by some, a threat of violence. Eighty-six or 86 is American English slang, generally meaning to "get rid of" someone or something. In the hospitality industry, it is used to indicate that an item is no longer available, traditionally from a food or drinks establishment, or referring to a person or people who are not welcome on the premises. Its etymology is unknown, but the term seems to have been coined in the 1920s or 1930s. The term eighty-six is used in restaurants and bars, according to most American slang dictionaries. It is often used in food and drink services to indicate that an item is no longer available or that a customer should be ejected. Beyond this context, it is generally used with the meaning to "get rid of" someone or something. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term as to "refuse to serve (a customer)", or to "get rid of" or "throw out" someone or something. While the former FBI director James Comey has said it did not occur to him that that the numbers “86 47” – which he spotted spelled out in seashells on a beach, and posted on social media last year – could be interpreted as a call to assassinate the president, as many supporters of Donald Trump have claimed, he now faces criminal charges tied to the shells. On Tuesday, Comey was charged over the picture he posted on Instagram last year. The charges mark the latest instance in which Trump’s justice department has used its power to target the US president’s political enemies. The controversy revolves around the meaning of 86, which is common slang for stopping or getting rid of something, typically old equipment; not serving someone, for example in a restaurant; being ejected from somewhere, such as a bar; or, in a military context, stopping a plan or mission. (The number 47 could be understood to indicate Trump, the 47th president.) Merriam-Webster notes that 86 has very occasionally been used to mean “to kill” but said it did not endorse that meaning “due to its relative recency and sparseness of use”. There are differing etymologies 词源 of where the term “86” or to be “86’d” originates. The most common origin story involves Chumley’s, a prohibition-era bar at 86 Barrow Street in New York’s West Village. The bar had two entrances, one on Barrow and another via Bedford, and “86” referred to the address of the door from which intoxicated or unruly guests would be ejected. A different version of the story, narrated by the author Jef Klein in The History and Stories of the Best Bars of New York, says that when “the cops would very kindly call ahead before a [prohibition-era] raid, they’d tell the bartender to ‘86’ his customers, meaning they should exit via the 86 Bedford door” while cops came in through the Barrow Street entrance. 4. flummoxed [ˈflʌm.əkst] 困惑的, 迷惘的, 不解的, 不明白的 so confused that you do not know what to do.  perplexed or bewildered No wonder Josef was feeling a bit flummoxed. He looked completely flummoxed. Doctors were flummoxed by the boy's symptoms. I have to say that last question flummoxed me. "I'm always flummoxed how travelling on the taxpayer's dime is morally correct, but on a supporter's dime covers for a maligned purpose," he said. Mr Joyce said he had been lobbied by members of the public when on a commercial flight, when explaining why a private plane was needed. 5. US - UK special relationship: In a leaked audio recording of Sir Christian's meeting with UK sixth-form students visiting the US, he can be heard saying: "'Special relationship' is a phrase I try not to utter because it's quite nostalgic, it's quite backwards-looking, and it has a lot of sort of baggage about it." "I think there is probably one country that has a special relationship with the United States, and that is probably Israel," he said. This is awkward timing for the King, who is in the US to try to bolster the UK-US "special relationship" at time when relations between Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are at a low ebb 在低潮期. In the recording, Sir Christian also said the US and the UK shared "a deep history and affinity", particularly on security and defence, and noted their economies were "very close". "There are things we do together that no two other countries do." He said he did not believe the UK and the US were in a "moment of rupture 破裂期, 破碎期 (A "moment of rupture" refers to a sudden, intense interruption in continuity, marking a break in safety, stability, or historical flow, often leading to deep transformation or crisis. It encompasses both material failures and profound shifts in perception or political history. )" but that "we're certainly at the end of an era, and the era is changing". "And my advice to my prime minister is 'I can't just put my hands on my ears and say it's special, it's going to be fine,' we've got to work really clearly to see what we the UK bring to the table." It is understood that diplomats no longer use the phrase the "special relationship", a term some view as outdated. Former foreign secretary Jack Straw told BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight programme that Sir Christian was "absolutely right" to say Israel has a special relationship with the US. "The United States subsidises Israel's military spending, including its spending on United States armaments, and that alone makes the relationship special," Straw said. He added that he was "uncomfortable" using the phrase "special relationship" during his tenure as foreign secretary and would like to see it "cosigned to the bin 丢进垃圾桶 ( cosign kənˈsaɪn] I. to send something to someone. to give or send, or to put someone in an unpleasant place or situation. To consign something or someone to a place or situation where they will be forgotten or do not want to be means to put them there 丢到, 陷入. For decades, many of his works were consigned to the basements of museums. It was time to consign his bat and glove to the cupboard. It seemed that the custom of riding side-saddle would be consigned to history. She refused to consign her children to a life of poverty. be consigned to sb The goods have been consigned to you by air. II. to give something to an auctioneer and ask them to sell it for you: Most items that you consign to us for sale will be illustrated in our online catalogue. consign someone/something to something to get rid of someone or something or to put him, her, or it in an unpleasant place or situation: to be consigned to prison. After the financial disaster, she was consigned to a life of poverty. consignee  [ˌkɒn.saɪˈniː] 收件人, 收货人 the person something is sent to: Goods must be signed for by the consignee. If the consignee refuses the goods, the carrier will ask the sender for instructions. ) ". In response to Sir Christian's comments on Israel, Lord Darroch said it was "hard to see anyone disagreeing with any of it" as it has been "the conversation in corridors ( the corridors of power = halls of power 掌权阶层 the higher levels of government where the most important decisions are made. the higher echelons of government, the Civil Service, etc, considered as the location of power and influence. The places or positions occupied by those with authority, especially in the upper levels of government. I want to be in the corridors of power someday—I'm sick of having to take orders from other people. Ordinary people don't make the laws, though—that's reserved for the people in the corridors of power. Well, if you make it all the way to the corridors of power, you too can boss people around one day. ) across Westminster". 6. aphrodisiac [ˌafrəˈdɪziak] 催情药, 催情剂, 春药, 激发性欲的药品(或食物), 引起性欲的 noun. An aphrodisiac is a substance—such as food, drink, or medication—believed to increase sexual desire, arousal, pleasure, or performance. Derived from the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, these substances can be natural (e.g., oysters, chocolate) or synthetic (e.g., Viagra). They often work by increasing blood flow, neurotransmitters, or hormonal levels. something, usually a drug or food, that is believed to cause sexual desire in people: Asparagus is reputed to be an aphrodisiac. Are oysters really an aphrodisiac? They say that power is an aphrodisiac. adj. 有催情作用的. 有催情功能的. 催情的. belonging or relating to an aphrodisiac: the aphrodisiac properties of champagne. ...plants with narcotic or aphrodisiac qualities. narcotic [nɑːˈkɒt.ɪk] 催眠药, 麻醉药 noun I. (US) 毒品. an illegal drug such as heroin or cocaine. You can also use narcotics, especially in American English, to mean any kind of illegal drug. He was indicted for dealing in narcotics. He appears to be high on some sort of narcotic. He faces three years in jail for selling narcotics. II. medical specialized a drug that makes you want to sleep and prevents you feeling pain. Narcotics are drugs such as opium or heroin which make you sleepy and stop you feeling pain. Morphine is a narcotic. adjective 催眠的. relating to drugs that make you want to sleep and prevent pain. If something, especially a drug, has a narcotic effect, it makes the person who uses it feel sleepy. ...hormones that have a narcotic effect on the immune system. narcotic drugs. a narcotic effect. narcotic painkillers. 7. find/take shelter 避险, 躲一下, 躲藏, 避难, 藏身 to go somewhere for cover and protection from danger, bad weather, etc. to protect yourself from bad weather, danger, or attack: find/take shelter in We took shelter for the night in an abandoned house. I took shelter under a tree until the rain passed. They took shelter behind a wall. The children took shelter under tables during the tornado watch. Eventually they found shelter in a barn. I assume they found shelter somewhere. They found/took shelter in a cave during the storm. "Where can I take shelter from the rain 躲雨, 避雨?" "Where can I get out of the rain?" The 29-year-old told the BBC that she took shelter in 躲在, 躲着 a nearby bookshop and saw the suspect run past in the direction of the North Circular Road. 8. despot [ˈdɛspɒt] A despot is a ruler or leader holding absolute power, typically exercising it in a cruel, oppressive, or tyrannical manner. It describes an autocrat who abuses authority, often used for dictators, and historically referred to a Byzantine title of high rank. a person, especially a ruler, who has unlimited power over other people, and often uses it unfairly and cruelly: an evil despot. The king was regarded as having been an enlightened despot. He is the despot against whom they rebelled. despotic [desˈpɑt̬·ɪk, dɪs-] 专制的 adj. having unlimited power over other people, and often using it unfairly and cruelly: a despotic government/regime. A handful of corrupt and despotic leaders make the decisions. a despotic regime. 9. tidy I. having everything ordered and arranged in the right place, or liking to keep things like this: The house was clean and tidy. My flatmate isn't very tidy. neat and tidy. a tidy solution. II. tidy sum (of amounts of money) large: His business deals make him a tidy sum. He sold the house for a tidy (= large) sum. If federal and state governments had put a share of their windfall revenue into a foreign currency future fund, thereby taking advantage of record-high mineral prices and the soaring Australian dollar, they would have amassed 聚敛财富 a tidy fortune. noun. a desk, car, sink, etc. tidy 收纳盒, 收纳箱 a small container for a few objects, that makes it easier for you to keep your desk, car, etc. tidy. princely adj. I. like a prince, being a prince, or relating to a prince or princes: The rich merchants lived and entertained in a princely manner. By the autumn of 1559, several princely suitors were vying for Elizabeth's hand in marriage. The neighbourhoods north of the Forbidden City have imperial parks and lakes, temples and towers, and princely mansions. II. used to describe a large amount of money: They were given false promises of princely wages to clear trees from the rainforest. princely sum He offered a £250 reward, a princely sum of money in 1929. the princely sum of 可怜的一笔钱 humorous used to refer to a surprisingly small amount of money: She acquired the painting at a jumble sale for the princely sum of 25p. John Lancaster managed the day-to-day running of the tramway, for which he was paid the princely sum of £1-15 shillings a week. I worked for three whole weeks for which I received the princely (= very low) sum of $100. princely state an Indian state that was ruled by a prince, although influenced and advised by Britain, before the Indian Independence Act of 1947. There were 565 princely states when the Indian subcontinent gained independence from Britain in August 1947. Patel was known for consolidating the princely states into the Indian union. 10. The artichoke [ˈɑːtɪtʃəʊk] (食托菜蓟, 雅枝竹, 菜蓟)(The artichoke is actually the bud of a thistle—a flower. The leaves (called "bracts") cover a fuzzy center called the "choke", which sits on top of a meaty core, called the "heart". ) (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus)is a variety of a species of thistle 蓟花 ( A thistle is a wild plant which has leaves with sharp points and purple flowers. The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. New thistles begin as small prickly rosettes flat on the ground. ) cultivated as food. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom. The budding artichoke flower-head is a cluster of many budding small flowers (an inflorescence), together with many bracts, on an edible base(bract: a specialized leaf, usually smaller than the foliage leaves, with a single flower or inflorescence growing in its axil. a type of leaf that grows from the area just below a flower and is sometimes different in shape or colour from the main leaves: Poinsettias are popular for their attractive red bracts. foliage [foʊliɪdʒ] The leaves of a plant are referred to as its foliage. the leaves of a plant or tree, or leaves on the stems or branches on which they are growing: dense foliage The dense foliage overhead almost blocked out the sun. ...shrubs with grey or silver foliage. ). Once the buds bloom, the structure changes to a coarse, barely edible form. Another variety of the same species is the cardoon, a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean region. Both wild forms and cultivated varieties (cultivars) exist. The heart is completely edible (and amazingly delicious). The fuzzy 有绒毛的, 毛茸茸的, 毛绒绒的, 有毛的 ( The fuzzy melon is the younger version of a winter melon 冬瓜. It is significantly smaller than a mature winter melon, which does not have hairy skin. Winter melon and fuzzy melon are often used interchangeably in recipes. Fuzzy melon is slightly sweeter than winter melon, but they both absorb the taste of other ingredients when cooked in soups and stir-fries.) choke is too fibrous 太多纤维的, 太柴了([ˈfaɪ.brəs] Food that is fibrous contains fibre. made of fibres, or like fibre. ) to eat in regular artichokes, but edible in baby artichokes. All but the innermost leaves are tough and you have to scrape 剥掉, 剥落, 剔掉, 剔除 them with your teeth to eat the tender parts. 11. animus [ˈæn.ɪ.məs] 敌对态度, 敌意, 恨意 a feeling of hate or anger towards someone or something: He harbours no animus toward his rival. animosity [ˌæn.ɪˈmɒs.ə.ti] 敌对事态, 敌对情绪 strong dislike, opposition, or anger: Of course we're competitive, but there's no personal animosity between us. In spite of his injuries, he bears no animosity towards his attackers. The European Community helped France and Germany forget the old animosities between them. Animosity: the feeling of hostility, more emotional. Purely an English word in common everyday usage. A straightforward word meaning strong hostility, active dislike, or ill will toward someone. It's the feeling you have when you genuinely resent or antagonize someone. "There was clear animosity between the two rivals". Animus: more about the underlying motivation or intent behind hostility, slightly colder and more deliberate. More nuanced and used in a few distinct contexts: In everyday/legal English, animus means a hostile attitude or intent — similar to animosity but slightly more formal and often implying motivated hostility. In legal contexts it can specifically refer to discriminatory intent (e.g. "the decision was made with racial animus"). In Jungian psychology, animus has a completely different meaning — it refers to the unconscious masculine side of a woman's psyche (the counterpart being the "anima," the feminine side in a man). Carl Jung used it as a technical term for inner psychological archetypes. So you might say someone acted with animus (intent) which resulted in animosity (emotional tension) between two parties. They're related but animus is more clinical and animus carries that extra layer of psychological or legal weight. 12. Situation awareness or situational awareness 观察环境, 注意环境, is the understanding of an environment, its elements, and how it changes with respect to time or other factors. It is also defined as the perception of the elements in the environment considering time and space, the understanding of their meaning, and the prediction of their status in the near future. It is also defined as adaptive, externally-directed consciousness focused on acquiring knowledge about a dynamic task environment and directed action within that environment. Situation awareness is recognized as a critical foundation for successful decision making in many situations, including the ones which involve the protection of human life and property, such as law enforcement, aviation, air traffic control, ship navigation, health care, emergency response, military command and control operations, transmission system operators, self defense, and offshore oil and nuclear power plant management. Inadequate situation awareness has been identified as one of the primary causal factors in accidents attributed to human error. According to Endsley's situation awareness theory, when someone meets a dangerous situation, that person needs an appropriate and a precise decision-making process which includes pattern recognition and matching, formation of sophisticated frameworks and fundamental knowledge that aids correct decision making. 

 挪威和澳大利亚对比 What Australia could have learnt from Norway's sovereign wealth bonanza: University of New South Wales economist Richard Holden said the rules and norms around global trade and economics had changed as some countries looked to exert power. There have also been a number of government bail-outs for metal facilities. Some of the interventions were necessary, according to University of Sydney's Lian Sinclair, who specialises in critical minerals. "That type of assistance is really needed because most of these minerals are really uncertain [and] opaque global markets," she said. "So, there's a role for public intervention to de-risk the market." But Dr Sinclair said the risk was not being shared. "The state is accepting all of that downside risk, but very little of the upside potential,"  she said. In 1969, Norway discovered one of the world's largest offshore oilfields in the North Sea. Initially, foreign companies held responsibility for developing the first gas and oil fields. But the Norwegian government later took a bigger stake in the proceeds from its resources, gaining a 50 per cent ownership interest in every production licence. By 1996, the government had established its sovereign wealth fund. It now owns almost 1.5 per cent of all shares in the world's listed companies. Decades on, the revenue from oil and gas make up less than half of the value of the fund with the bulk of it coming from investments in equities, real estate and renewable energy infrastructure. Australia's sovereign wealth fund, the Future Fund, is ranked about 16th behind other fossil fuel rich nations such as Norway, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The really big lesson from Norway is not the size of its trillion-dollar fund; it is the way every single krone of surplus revenue has been converted into foreign currency. Norway has a commodity-based economy like Australia's, but it has built a giant hedge to help manage the boom times and protect against the inevitable periods of subdued commodity prices. This explains why Norway is a creditor nation that has almost doubled its net foreign assets to around 185 per cent of GDP since 2010. That is the equivalent of Australia having amassed net foreign assets worth $3 trillion; instead, we owe the world $1 trillion. Even though China's demand for coal and iron ore may have peaked, India is likely to sustain demand for these key commodities for many years to come. A period of low commodity prices provides an opportunity to introduce such a reform, notwithstanding the likely backlash from a diminished mining industry. Second, this revenue should be channelled into a foreign currency fund to hedge against the next commodity downturn. The Labor government did try to introduce a super-profits tax in 2010, which treasury sources said could have raised $100 billion over a decade. This income was not earmarked for a sovereign wealth fund, but would at least have delivered more of the profit to the nation, rather than to the mostly foreign-owned mining corporations. However, the design of the tax was overly complex and its hasty introduction allowed the mining companies to ambush the government. In what must be one of the most comprehensive policy defeats since Federation, the miners knocked off the prime minister and then killed the tax, thanks in part to an advertising blitz costing a mere $22 million. Research commissioned by Big Dirt showed that the ads' rhetoric convinced the Australian people that the nation's prosperity was dependent on its lightly taxed mining sector. (Stock-exchange data indicates that the effective tax rate on the resources sector is around 30 per cent, less than half Norway's rate, and lower even than that of some emerging economies.). 

sovereign wealth fund 主权财富基金: A sovereign wealth fund (SWF), or sovereign investment fund, is a state-owned investment fund that invests in real and financial assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate, precious metals, or in alternative investments such as private equity funds or hedge funds. Sovereign wealth funds invest globally. Most SWFs are funded by revenues from commodity exports or from foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank. Some sovereign wealth funds may be held by a central bank, which accumulates the funds in the course of its management of a nation's banking system; this type of fund is usually of major economic and fiscal importance. Other sovereign wealth funds are simply the state savings that are invested by various entities for investment return, and that may not have a significant role in fiscal management. SWFs are primarily commodity-based and many have been established by oil-rich states.  SWFs of China are a notable exception to this more typical model. Other reasons for creating SWFs may be economic, or strategic, such as war chests for uncertain times(war chest 钱袋子, 小金库 money that has been collected or saved to pay for something, especially a long fight to achieve something: The candidates are gathering money for their election war chests. wiki: A war chest is a metaphor for any collection of tools or money intended to be used in a challenging or dangerous situation. Historically, it referred to an actual chest located in the homes or barracks of soldiers or military leadership, in which arms and armor were stored. Traveling armies, such as that of Hannibal, collected the spoils of war and used them to negotiate with others to resolve conflicts through economic exchange rather than violence. In the modern era, the term refers to amassed funds, expertise, and/or equipment which allows a person or organization to survive a challenging situation. In politics, a war chest is funding obtained from donors well in advance of a campaign, usually accumulated by an incumbent for either re-election or to contest a more advanced office, or provided by a wealthy candidate to their own campaign. The possession of such excess funds may discourage otherwise viable candidates from a primary or general election challenge. In arms and armor, a war chest 武器库 is a container for the personal weapons and protective gear of a citizen-soldier, kept in the household, and is the origin of the term. The term's modern meaning originates with the medieval practice of having a chest, literally, filled with money to open in time of war. In business a war chest, or cash mountain is a stash of money set aside to deal with unexpected changes in the business environment, or to use when expansion possibilities arise. Today companies can use accumulated cash or rely on quickly raised debt which costs less to carry when you do not need it. This is not always a reasonable substitute, as the credit available to a company typically drops as a result of the same actions that require the war chest to be opened. The Future Fund 澳大利亚的主权财富基金 is an independently managed sovereign wealth fund established in 2006 to strengthen the Australian Government's long-term financial position by making provision for unfunded superannuation liabilities for public servants that will become payable during a period when an ageing population is likely to place significant pressure on the Commonwealth's finances. ). For example, the Kuwait Investment Authority during the Gulf War managed excess reserves above the level needed for currency reserves (although many central banks do that now). The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, Temasek ([təˈmɑːseɪk]) 淡马锡控股 Holdings, or Mubadala are partially the expression of a desire to bolster their countries' standing as an international financial centre. The Korea Investment Corporation has since been similarly managed. Sovereign wealth funds invest in all types of companies and assets, including startups like Xiaomi and renewable energy companies like Bloom Energy. According to a 2014 study, SWFs are not created for reasons related to reserve accumulation and commodity-export specialization. Rather, the diffusion of SWF can best be understood as a fad whereby certain governments consider it fashionable to create SWFs and are influenced by what their peers are doing. 

Does fashion really dress like 'The Devil Wears Prada'? When "The Devil Wears Prada" was released in 2006, it won over countless fans: critics adored how it spikily 尖刻的, 尖锐的( I. Something that is spiky has one or more sharp points. Her short spiky hair is damp with sweat. ...tall, spiky evergreen trees. II. British informal ill-tempered. easily annoyed and not polite: a spiky teenager. III. characterized by violent or aggressive methods. spiky protestors. ) satirized the sudsy ( sudsy [ˈsʌd.zi] 充满泡泡的 full of or like suds or froth; foamy. covered in soap bubbles. ) but serious business of fashion magazine publishing; Meryl Streep, playing formidable magazine editor Miranda Priestly, and costume designer Patricia Field (who also masterminded the looks on "Sex and the City") earned Academy Award nominations; and the film grossed over $300 million. But fashion insiders were not among the reverent. Not only did Anna Wintour, upon whom Miranda is based, ignore the 2003 book — "I cannot remember who that girl is," she said to a colleague upon learning that her former assistant, Lauren Weisberger, was publishing a novel based on her time as the Vogue editor's underling — but she glided above ( glide across (something) 滑过 To move across a surface or area in a very smooth manner, similar to floating. Those ballroom dancers are very talented—they just seem to glide across the dance floor! A: "Wow, how do you just glide across the ice like that? You make it look so easy." B: "Well, I did grow up ice skating." We stood on the footbridge and watched the swans glide across the water. glide 滑过, 飘过 I. If you glide somewhere, you move silently and in a smooth and effortless way. to move easily without stopping and without effort or noise: She came gliding gracefully into the ballroom in a long, flowing gown. I love my new pen - it just glides across/over the paper. Waiters glide between tightly packed tables bearing trays of pasta. II. When birds or aeroplanes glide, they float on air currents. ... the albatross, which glides effortlessly and gracefully behind the yacht. to fly by floating on air currents instead of using power from wings or an engine: We saw a condor gliding high above the mountains. glide through Unlike other spacecraft, the shuttle can glide back through the atmosphere, land safely, and be reused. III. to move or progress without difficulty or effort: Some people glide effortlessly through life with no real worries. ) the film's existence while nonetheless benefitting from its chilly portrait. She eventually attended a screening, wearing Prada. The clothes, though, were a particular pain point 痛点 for the industry. In 2006, The New York Times interviewed fashion figures who griped about 吐槽 the costumes, which comprised head-to-toe Chanel outfits and ladylike coats for Anne Hathaway as Miranda's hapless assistant Andy, and several enormous furs and aviator frames for Miranda. Elle magazine's then-fashion news director Anne Slowey deemed the clothes "a caricature of what people who don't work in fashion think fashion people look like." Those inside Vogue's office recall feeling the same. "We were terribly snobbish and disparaging about everyone else's clothes, and particularly about anyone who attempted to portray the fashion industry," said Plum Sykes, a longtime Vogue contributing editor. "The Chanel boots that Andy wore, we all thought — this is a very English phrase — gopping error(gopping: vile, disgusting, or very ugly. refers to a glaring, hideous mistake or a fashion faux pas. )!" she added, referring to the over-the-knee shoes that Andy dons post-makeover, which inspired one of the film's most quoted exchanges: "Are you wearing the..." her baffled rival, assistant Emily (played by Emily Blunt), sputters. "The Chanel boots?" purrs a victoriously coiffed ( coiffed [kwɑːft] 打扮一新的, 精心打扮的 If someone has neatly coiffed hair, their hair is very carefully arranged. styled. Coiffed hair is carefully arranged in an attractive style: immaculately coiffed How do those TV mothers always manage to look so immaculately coiffed as they do the housework? perfectly coiffed Her makeup was immaculate, her blonde hair perfectly coiffed. Her hair was perfectly coiffed. ) Andy. "Yeah, I am." "We never would have worn a Chanel jacket, with the Chanel boots with the Chanel skirt," Sykes said. "American Vogue at that time was really in the moment of personal style — capital P, capital S — where you broke up all the designers. So: the boot was a Manolo Blahnik. Long, skinny Manolo, very high heel. The skirt was Prada. And then you might have thrown a Chanel jacket, with not too many logo buttons, over that. And then you might have put a vintage fur stole 披肩 ( I. a long piece of cloth or fur worn around the shoulders, especially by women in the past on special occasions: a mink stole. II. a long, narrow piece of cloth, especially silk, worn over the shoulders by some priests in the Christian Church during religious ceremonies. note: A stole is a long, narrow scarf-like garment, typically made of fur, silk, or high-quality fabric, designed to be draped around the shoulders or arms. Often worn over formal evening wear, it provides warmth and a fashionable look. Stoles differ from shawls by being narrower and from scarves by being more formal and often wider. ) around the collar." The sequel's costume designer Molly Rogers, who also worked on the first film as Field's protege, described the costumes of the first film as "timeless," adding that Field thought of them as "heightened reality(I. 强化. to increase, esp. an emotion or effect. If something heightens a feeling or if the feeling heightens, the feeling increases in degree or intensity. The move has heightened tension in the state. These latest murders have heightened fears of further attacks. Cross's interest heightened. ...a heightened awareness of the dangers that they now face. As the excitement heightened, the audience began stamping their feet. The high winds heightened concerns about forest fires. Especially when you are struggling a little with your game, time in hotel rooms only serves to heighten the feeling of being under siege. This could heighten the risk to the investor if the bank got into trouble. They heighten awareness, but would they help a golfer over a five-hour round? That came amid heightened concerns that its second bailout could unravel. II. to increase or make something increase, especially an emotion or effect: The strong police presence only heightened the tension among the crowd. )." The characters "only needed the framework 骨架, 大框架 of the fashion world. They weren't loaded up with things." But in the two decades between "The Devil Wears Prada" and its sequel, which releases this Friday, fashion editors have come to look fondly on director David Frankel's funhouse vision. Vogue has gone on a marketing bonanza for the sequel, with Wintour posing alongside Streep on the magazine's May cover and attending the New York premiere. Wintour's biographer Amy Odell reported that the Vogue maverick even visited the set and suggested a change to the color of floral bouquets. A spokesperson for Vogue clarified that there is no financial relationship between Disney and Conde Nast, and that Vogue and Wintour are not incentivized 动机. 激励 ( something that encourages a person to do something by offering them a reward: incentive to Bonus payments provide an incentive to work harder. incentive for The state offers generous incentives for business investment. incentive for someone to do something There's no incentive for the unions to make concessions now, since they've always been given what they asked for. There is little incentive for people to leave their cars at home when public transport remains so expensive. Executives had a strong incentive to destroy papers they knew would incriminate them in court. incentive scheme 激励机制 UK The company has adopted incentive schemes to boost productivity. incentive program US The company has adopted incentive programs to boost productivity. something that encourages a person to do something: Tax incentives are sometimes effective in encouraging people to save money. These kids have no incentive to learn. financial/fiscal/monetary incentive Cash grants were part of the financial incentives given to developers of new solar power technology. a big/great/generous incentive. be/have little/no incentive There will be little incentive to consolidate before new tax laws take effect. incentive package/plan/system. create/offer/provide an incentive. tax incentive an arrangement for a person or organization to pay less tax if they do something, as a way of encouraging them to do it: Tax incentives have been very effective in encouraging people to save and invest more of their income. Even substantial tax incentives could not stop the company from moving overseas. economic incentive something, often money or a prize, offered to make someone behave in a particular way: The state has an economic incentive program that provides an additional incentive to companies that already are located and employ workers here and are considering expansion. group incentive 团队激励, 集体激励 money or a reward given to a group of employees who achieve something together: One of the most overlooked benefits of group incentives is the good feeling that naturally develops between teammates. The entire division spent a week in Barbados, all expenses paid by the company, as part of the group incentive scheme. sales incentive money or a reward offered to salespeople for selling a particular amount of goods or services: Our new sales incentive: commissions are doubled for every tenth unit sold before the end of the quarter. share incentive plan = stock incentive plan 股权激励 an arrangement where employees own a percentage of their company's shares so that they make money when the company makes a profit: He will continue to defer the receipt of shares received under a 2007 stock incentive plan. disincentive 打消积极性 something that makes people not want to do something or not work hard. something that makes a person or organization less willing to do something: High taxes are a disincentive to business. A culture of corruption is a disincentive to investment and trade. serve as/act as a disincentive High severance costs can act as a disincentive to hire new workers. a disincentive (for sb) to do sth The tax on large pensions could be a disincentive to save for retirement. a disincentive to doing sth Working on a fixed-fee basis is a disincentive to agreeing to act for certain clients. a major/strong/powerful disincentive. create/provide a disincentive Prices send signals to producers telling them what to supply, while taxes create disincentives. incentivise to make someone want to do something, such as to buy something or to do work, especially by offering prizes or rewards: incentivize sb to do sth They incentivized workers to adopt the less expensive health care plan by giving more paid vacation. Headquarters has incentivized employees with free offers of tickets to sporting events. We need to incentivize our sales managers to achieve these targets.) to promote the film. The success of the sequel, projected to make a nearly $200 million debut globally, and the enduring appeal 长盛不衰的, 持久的魅力 of the beloved original is all down to good timing, said Odell. The 2006 movie arrived during the final high-flying days of the magazine business, cementing a picture of a seemingly untouchable era of lavish authority for Vogue and Wintour. "People were so afraid of Anna. She was so intimidating and so mysterious and very powerful. Magazine publishing was really rocking. She was at her peak: Apex Anna. The film squeaked in just before the recession, and obviously Conde Nast and the magazine industry never recovered from that." Now, both the fashion and publishing industries are struggling. "That gives brands more of an incentive to take part in this cultural phenomenon," Odell said. "They're glomming onto it ( glom onto something/someone I. US informal to become very interested in something such as a new idea or fashion or in someone: Retailers are glomming onto a new fashion among teens for outsize clothes. This guy glommed onto me at Tasha's party and wouldn't take no for an answer. II. to get or take something that you want: He glommed onto a couple of my comics and I can't get them back from him. ) because it's guaranteed to be huge." Labels from Starbucks to Google Shopping have launched promotional tie-ins 周边, 捆绑销售 (co-brand 联名, collaboration. ) ( A tie-in is a product, event, or marketing campaign intentionally linked to another (like a movie-themed toy or book) to boost sales. As a phrasal verb, "tie in" means to coordinate, match, or connect with something else. It implies collaboration or association, such as, "The book was released to tie in with the movie". "The toy company is investing less in film and book tie-ins". "His book The War of the World is a tie-in with a coming Channel 4 series". "The product launch date was set to tie in with the movie release". "Her description tied in with that of the other witness". "Fixed-rate mortgages usually tie borrowers in with early repayment charges". tie (something) in When ideas or statements tie in, they agree or are closely connected, and if you tie them in, you make them agree or connect closely. tie (something) in with something I can't tie in what he said today with what he told me last week. The product launch date was set to tie in with the movie release. If our product is reviewed in a journal, we try to tie it in with an advert placed in the same journal. tie in with something To match or work well with something: The plan does not quite tie in with the aspirations of the club's owners. tie sb in to make people agree to particular conditions when they borrow, invest, or buy a product, especially relating to the minimum period of time the agreement can last: Watch out for bonus accounts that tie you in after the bonus period. tie sb in with sth Fixed-rate mortgages usually tie borrowers in with early repayment charges. tie sb in for sth You need to know your mortgage rate and how long you are tied in for. tie-in I. a connection between two things, businesses, etc., often a connection between two products that are related or are sold together: The rules bar advertisements for products that have tie-ins to children's shows. In 1998 regulations were introduced banning tie-ins between holiday offers and travel insurance. II. a product such as a toy or book that is related to a film, television programme, etc.: The show pioneered product tie-ins for kids, including colouring books and dolls. III. the activity of marketing a product by connecting it to a film, event, TV show, etc.: merchandising/movie/promotional tie-in 周边 The potential for merchandising tie-ins makes the TV deal very attractive. The BBC animated series was a great hit and led to one of its first major tie-in deals. IV. a condition stated in an agreement, especially relating to the minimum period of time the agreement can last: When remortgaging, borrowers should be wary of very low-rate deals that come with extended tie-ins. adj. used to describe a product such as a toy or book that is related to a film, television programme, etc.: The movie has a tie-in book. The audience was offered the whole range of Spiderman tie-in products. ) with the film; Old Navy is even selling a capsule collection that includes a replica of the saggy cable knit sweater Miranda degrades in her famous "cerulean" monologue. When an industry is encouraging you to buy what it once made fun of, you know it's in trouble. And fashion fanatics now consider the clothes iconic. Those "gopping" Chanel boots retailed for $1,500 in 2006 and now sell for over $4,000 on resale sites. The film's aesthetic of maximalist opulence has also spread to other movies, with Field consulting on the costumes of Netflix's "Emily in Paris," and Rogers spreading the gospel of extravagance 极奢 with the polarizing "Sex and the City" reboot "And Just Like That." "I think the costuming in 'The Devil Wears Prada,' both the original and the sequel, is more realistic now, because in the intervening years, a handful of stylists and editors have become influencers that have a similarly maximalist approach 极奢风 to getting dressed," said Chelsea Fairless, who cohosts the "Every Outfit on Sex and the City" podcast with writer Lauren Garroni. "And now I really think there is an assumption that a large part of the industry does dress like Law Roach or Eva Chen on a regular basis, and the film kind of reinforces 强化那种观点 that." According to Rogers, the rumors that designers and labels were reluctant to appear in the original movie for fear they might be blacklisted by Wintour isn't quite correct: "There were just a handful of people." But brands this time around were so eager to have their products included in the sequel that "it could have easily been a commercial." In a hint that today's audiences may take sides with 站队, 选边 Sykes and her old school Vogue colleagues, the first trailer met with controversy when Miranda was pictured wearing a pair of Valentino Rockstud heels, a shoe style that peaked in appeal over a decade ago. Rogers says that someone from the marketing team put the shoes on Streep while she was off set, acknowledging that while the production was "extremely collaborative," her creative vision didn't always align with those "looking for eyeballs 抓眼球 in marketing." For Rogers, part of her goal was to protect the integrity of what these characters would wear while balancing brands eager to collaborate on their own terms. "A lot of houses are like, 'No, you're not going to get that look unless you do head-to-toe.' That is not layered and meaningful to an actor or myself. That is a walking advertisement," Rogers said. Dior was more open. In the movie, Emily is now an executive at the French luxury house and is dressed throughout the film almost exclusively in its designs. According to Rogers, the brand recognized Emily as "a character that has been established, she's gotten this big promotion — mix and match away." Sykes, Fairless, and Garroni, all of whom had not yet seen the film at the time of writing, remained underwhelmed by the many looks in the sequel's various trailers. "I think they look exactly the same as they did before, despite the films being twenty years apart," said Sykes. It may be that outrageousness is more intelligible to most of us than carefully cultivated taste. "I think most people in the fashion industry are a bit more pragmatic, and they just want a Charvet shirt and a pair of Prada loafers," said Fairless. But of course, audiences aren't going to buy a ticket to see how fashion editors really dress, which often looks inscrutable, or even boring, to the outside observer. Today, fashion editors are more likely to be seen in the cerebral sexy silhouettes of Alaia, the quirky quietude of The Row, or carefully hunted vintage than they are in Valentino Rockstud heels. They are not in the thrall of( in (somebody's/something's) thrall = in thrall to somebody/something I. controlled or strongly influenced by somebody/something: The country's economy is still largely in thrall to the big companies. My daughter's new boyfriend has her totally in thrall. She seems to go along with everything he says. I worry about him doing every little thing his professor says. It's like she has him in thrall or something. A: "It's so annoying how you get totally in thrall every time you date someone new." B: "I do not!" II. Very interested in or paying close attention (to something). I was thrilled to see my students in thrall during the assembly, instead of talking or passing notes. A: "Why is it so quiet in the playroom?" B: "The kids seem to be in thrall watching that movie." Did you hear that wild story she told? I was in thrall the whole time! ) social media trends like quiet luxury either. "I think we were all shocked to hear 'Toteme' in that final trailer," said Garroni. In the closest the sequel gets to a makeover montage, Stanley Tucci's character Nigel says Andy needs a two-piece set from Toteme as he's pulling looks for her weekend trip to Miranda's Hamptons house. And while Miranda's Dries Van Noten tassel jacket, which she wears to meet a team of corporate consultants brought in to cut budgets at Runway, seems a bit whimsical for a high-ranking magazine editor, Rogers said it serves as a storytelling device. "She would wear it to meet pinstripe suits — the enemy," Rogers reasoned. "It's art versus commerce in that scene." Now, as the fashion world races to embrace the film that it once attempted to take down a peg 贬低, it finds itself indulging a vision of fashion that may not jibe with what its own power players deem in style. The dominance of red carpet and social media, where nostalgia for earlier eras rules, means that fewer people today are learning about fashion from carefully styled magazine spreads. "Back then," said Sykes, "if it's already been seen, it was over with a capital O, and it's not a trend unless it's the next thing. With Anna, it was always: what's the news?" Rather than pushing forward an agenda of newness, the industry has eagerly hopped onto the bandwagon of what was once. The question is: who will tell us what to wear next? 

宋干节2026;

用法学习: 1. surge into (something) 暴力闯进 I. Of a liquid or gas, to enter into something or some place in a great gush or burst. Cold air comes surging into the house if you leave the doors open for more than a couple of seconds. Rainwater started surging into the room through a crack in the window. II. Of people, animals, or things, to enter something or some place in large numbers and all at once. Hundreds of people surged into the store to nab one of their amazing Black Friday deals. A huge colony of bats surged into the sky from the mouth of the cave. Scores of teenagers and young adults were participating in so-called "link-ups" – using social media apps including TikTok and Snapchat before surging into shops. "Without a government seriously cracking down on crime and a mayor that prioritises effective policing, we are powerless," he said. London Mayor Sadiq Khan condemned the scenes in Clapham as "utterly unacceptable" and pledged that "the culprits will face the full force of the law." Khan’s office stated that police are now working with social media companies to clamp down on viral online content that promotes violence and theft. 2. mow the/(one's) lawn I. Literally, to cut the grass in one's lawn or yard using a mower. I need to go mow the lawn before it starts to rain. II. slang To comb one's hair. Go mow your lawn before church. III. slang To smoke marijuana. Just tell your parents you're going to mow the lawn with us—they won't know what you mean. mow the lawn 隔三差五地教训一下, 时不时教训一下, 时不时修理一下, 教育一下, ku chua 几下: Mowing the grass (Hebrew: כיסוח דשא) is a metaphor used to describe periodic Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip to manage the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. During such attacks, Israel has targeted Palestinian militants, civilians, and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. The strategy is usually carried out by conducting short, sharp military operations to maintain a certain level of control over the area without committing to a long-term political solution, similar to how one would mow a lawn to keep it neat and tidy. The term was coined by Efraim Inbar and Eitan Shamir, two scholars associated with the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, where they described how "Israel is acting in accordance with a "mowing the grass" strategy. After a period of military restraint, Israel is acting to severely punish Hamas for its aggressive behavior, and degrading its military capabilities – aiming at achieving a period of quiet." According to Adam Taylor in The Washington Post, "the phrase implies the Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and their supply of crude but effective homemade weapons are like weeds that need to be cut back." 3. the adult/adults in the room 一群人里唯一成熟的人, 唯一的大人 The person in a group who is behaving in a mature or responsible manner. the mature and intelligent people in a given situation These meetings always devolve into petty finger-pointing, leaving me feeling like the only adult in the room. Bill, enough with the stupid, juvenile remarks. The adults in the room are trying to have a real discussion here. A frequent thought-terminating cliché (A thought-terminating cliché is a form of loaded language – often passing as folk wisdom (似是而非的)民间智慧, 警世名言, 格言, 名言警句 – intended to end an argument and reinforce cognitive dissonance with a cliché rather than a point. Some such clichés are not inherently terminating and only become so when used to intentionally dismiss dissent or justify fallacies. The term was popularized by Robert Jay Lifton in his 1961 book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, who referred to the use of the cliché, along with "loading the language", as "the language of non-thought". The concept is also known as a semantic stop-sign, a thought-stopper, bumper sticker logic, or cliché thinking. 例子: "There are worse things in life to worry about." – implies that less significant issues are not worth addressing since they are not as significant as other issues and implies that a person's situation is not significant enough to even warrant discussion or action. "Here we go again." – implies that the redundant, cyclical nature of a given disagreement means it will never be resolved. "So what? What effect does my action have?" – used to dismiss an individual's involvement in a larger cause on the grounds that one person is too insignificant to ever have a meaningful impact. "Let's agree to disagree." – used to stop discussion of an issue rather than attempt to resolve it; may, however, instantiate a dialectic. "It is what it is." – a tautology which implies that things are unchangeable, therefore there is no point in further discussion. ) about our governance situation in the US is something like: "Where are the adults in the room?" This useless utterance implies some superiority of the speaker, that an adult like them could fix things easily; the same dead-end of thought applies to those who quickly agree to these clichés. 4. half-truth a statement that is intended to deceive someone by telling only part of the truth. A half-truth is a deceptive statement that includes some element of truth. The statement might be partly true, the statement may be totally true, but only part of the whole truth, or it may use some deceptive element, such as improper punctuation, or double meaning, especially if the intent is to deceive, evade, blame or misrepresent the truth. A deceptive statement, especially one that is only partly true, is incomplete, misrepresents reality by telling part of the truth, or alters the time sequence of truths. Usage notes: Half-truths may use various tools, including statistics, unexpected meanings of words, facts taken out of context, or even nonstandard punctuation to corrupt 歪曲 the meaning conveyed by an otherwise true statement. assume the mantle = pick up the mantle = take up the mantle 继承衣钵, 继承遗志, 代为履行职责 (idiomatic, with "of") To take on a specific role or position, along with any associated responsibilities. "Taking up the mantle" means assuming a significant role, responsibility, or leadership position previously held by someone else, often signifying a continuation of their legacy. This idiom implies inheriting authority, duty, or a specific, often challenging task. It is frequently used in contexts of mentorship, leadership succession, or in heroic/fictional narratives. Etymology: From the act of putting on particular robes of office. 5. Meerkat fights 领土之争, 互相争抢, 都得死去活来 refer to either violent territorial battles between rival groups (mobs) or play fighting among juveniles to develop social and physical skills. They are highly territorial, frequently engaging in aggressive intergroup aggression, making them one of the most violent mammal species to their own kind. TBBT: Howard: You guys going to Professor Tupperman's memorial? Raj: I don't know. Leonard: Probably not. Sheldon: Barely knew him. Howard: Yeah, you wouldn't want to look like you guys are brown-nosing 谄媚 the tenure committee, who will all be there. Oh, yeah, that's what I was hoping for, meerkats. Amy: She plans on flirting with members of the tenure committee to further Leonard's cause. Sheldon: Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do. Don't just stand there. Take your breasts out. Howard: Ooh, meerkat fight! Amy: You're all wasting your time. Sheldon is the most qualified for the job, and no amount of gravity-defying bosom's going to change that. Seriously, is that tape? Like, how are they staying up like that? 6. a day late and a dollar short/shy 太晚了, 太少了 Too late and too feeble to achieve the desired effect. His apology was a day late and a dollar short. Usage notes: Permits relatively little variation, but can be found with shy for short, other units for day and dollar, and occasionally a unit of distance instead of dollar. make headway 取得进展, 有进步 to begin to succeed. If you make headway, you progress towards achieving something. He is not disappointed at the failure to make headway towards resolving their differences. There was concern in the city that police were making little headway in the investigation. Has the city made any headway in attracting new businesses? show/give no quarter 杀光 If you say that someone was given no quarter, you mean that they were not treated kindly by someone who had power or control over them. no pity or mercy. used to say that an enemy, opponent, etc., is treated in a very harsh way. The soldiers showed/gave no quarter to the enemy. This is not war as you learned it. It is brutal work, with no quarter given. a military phrase meaning to refuse enemy surrender and show no mercy, resulting in killing all enemy combatants rather than taking prisoners. Offering "no quarter" is illegal under international law, specifically the ICRC Casebook, the Geneva Convention, and the US military's own rules of engagement. 7. Independent expenditure-only political action committees, commonly known as super PACs( His work in office has included efforts to regulate artificial intelligence (AI), drawing intense opposition from AI industry-aligned lobbying groups and super PACs.), are a type of political action committees (PACs) in the United States. Unlike traditional PACs, super PACs are legally allowed to fundraise unlimited amounts of money from individuals or organizations for the purpose of campaign advertising; however, they are not permitted to either coordinate with or contribute directly to candidate campaigns or political parties. However, in practice, restrictions on such coordination are considered flimsy and poorly enforced. Super PACs are subject to the same organizational, reporting, and public disclosure requirements as traditional PACs. Many super PACs are candidate-oriented but some focus on specific issues, an industry, a piece of legislation or a federal administrative rule. Super PACs were made possible by two judicial decisions in 2010: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission by the U.S. Supreme Court and, two months later, the federal Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit decision in Speechnow.org v. FEC. While Citizens United became widely recognized as enabling unlimited political spending, the SpeechNow v. FEC decision has been identified by scholars and journalists as the actual catalyst for super PAC proliferation. Unlike Citizens United, which addressed independent expenditures by corporations and unions, SpeechNow eliminated limits on contributions to political committees making independent expenditures, thereby creating the modern super PAC. The popular focus on Citizens United has largely overshadowed the SpeechNow opinion and its impact on campaign finance practices in U.S. elections. In the years following the SpeechNow ruling, several states attempted to enact contribution limits on super PACs. All were struck down, with judges citing the SpeechNow precedent. A "pop-up" super PAC is one that is formed within 20 days before an election, so that its first finance disclosures will be filed after the election. In 2018 the Center for Public Integrity recorded 44 pop-up super PACs formed on October 18 or later, a year when the Federal Election Commission pre-general election reports covered activity through October 17. In 2020 there were more than 50. Pop-up super PACs often have local-sounding or issue-oriented names. However, they can be funded by much larger party-affiliated PACs. In 2021 the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the FEC, listing 23 pop-up Super PACs which had failed to disclose their affiliation to other PACs mostly affiliated with leaderships of the two major parties. In the 2024 election cycle, there were 2,458 super PACs that raised $4,290,768,955 and spent $2,727,234,077. Because super PACs were able to coordinate with campaigns on canvassing for the first time, Donald Trump's campaign relied on Elon Musk's America PAC, a super PAC, to lead his get-out-the-vote efforts in swing states. 8. Deus vult" (Latin for "God wills it") 上帝的意旨 is a historic Christian motto and battle cry, famously shouted by Crusaders during the First Crusade in 1096. It signifies divine providence and, at the time, was used to justify holy war. Today, it is associated with Crusader history and occasionally used in modern religious or cultural contexts. Deus vult (Latin for 'God wills it') is a Christian motto historically tied to ideas of divine providence and individual interpretation of God's will. 9. The just war theory (Latin: bellum iustum) is a doctrine, also referred to as a tradition, of military ethics that aims to ensure that a war is morally justifiable through a series of criteria, all of which must be met for a war to be considered just. It has been studied by military leaders, theologians, ethicists and policymakers. The criteria are split into two groups: jus ad bellum ("right to go to war") and jus in bello ("right conduct in war"). There have been calls for the inclusion of a third category of just war theory (jus post bellum) dealing with the morality of post-war settlement and reconstruction. The just war theory postulates that war, while it is terrible but less so with the right conduct, is not always the worst option, but justifiable when justice is an objective of armed conflict. Important responsibilities, undesirable outcomes, or preventable atrocities may justify war. Opponents of the just war theory may either be inclined to a stricter pacifist standard (proposing that there has never been nor can there ever be a justifiable basis for war) or they may be inclined toward a more permissive nationalist standard (proposing that a war need only to serve a nation's interests to be justifiable). In many cases, philosophers state that individuals do not need to be plagued by a guilty conscience if they are required to fight. A few philosophers ennoble the virtues of the soldier while they also declare their apprehensions for war itself. A few, such as Rousseau, argue for insurrection against oppressive rule. 10. Is this what self-improvement looks like? Clavicular has presented himself as a short-term case study in the benefits of “looksmaxxing,” the art of modifying one’s physical appearance to attract women, wealth and fame. Starting at age 14, by his account 据他自己说, 自述, through exercise, sometimes by a hammer to the face, and with the help of a regimen of off-label or illicit drugs, he says he’s made himself into something new: a 6-foot-2 Chad with a 31-inch waist and pointy clavicles ( The clavicle [ˈklavɪkl] 锁骨, collarbone, or keybone is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 15 centimetres (6 in) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on each side of the body. The clavicle is the only long bone in the body that lies horizontally. Together with the shoulder blade 肩胛骨, it makes up the shoulder girdle. Girdle: A girdle 塑形衣 is a form-fitting undergarment or medical compression garment designed to shape, support, or compress the lower torso, waist, and hips. Used for aesthetic, post-surgical, or medical support, these garments (often called body shapers) can include features like hooks, zippers, and high waist.) that span 19.5 inches (his own measurements, provided to the New York Times). The result is an uncannily childlike face stuck onto a slim frame with swollen arms and a sharply tapering torso. (He rarely shows his legs.) His skin is always pallid( [ˈpæl·ɪd] I. 脸色苍白的. 面无血色的 (ashen). very pale, in a way that looks unhealthy and not attractive. pale and looking unhealthy: He looked pallid and bloated a few years ago. Next to his tanned face, hers seemed pallid and unhealthy. II. 索然无味的. showing no enthusiasm or excitement. You can describe something such as a performance or book as pallid if it is weak or not at all exciting. ...a pallid account of the future of transport. ...a pallid unsuccessful romance. This is a pallid production of what should be a great ballet. ), his expression pursed, his eyes vacant 眼神空洞, 眼神无神. He's almost always wearing, or removing, shirts that are too tight, so he can flaunt the broadness of his shoulders. He’s been profiled in GQ and walked in New York Fashion Week; after spending a day with him, the Times declared, borrowing from looksmaxxing argot [ˈɑː.ɡəʊ]术语, that he'd "ascended 上位了" — in looksmaxxing vernacular — successfully became more attractive and widely known. 11. Under Xi, Beijing ramped up a nascent push ( nascent [ˈneɪ.sənt] I. 新近开始的. 刚开始的. 刚开创的. only recently formed or started, but likely to grow larger quickly. Nascent things or processes are just beginning, and are expected to become stronger or to grow bigger. ...Kenya's nascent democracy. ...the still nascent science of psychology.  a nascent political party. a nascent problem. II. 早期的. 初创的. 刚开始的. in the earliest stages of development: Everyone in this nascent business is still struggling with basic issues. ) to both increase green energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, unleashing 释出, 释放出 more government backing for renewable energy and EVs. 11. blind alley 死路一条, 死局, 死胡同一条 a situation or method that is not effective or will not produce results. something that leads you nowhere or is of no use: ll our work has only led us up a blind alley. This sort of thinking just seems to be leading us up/down a blind alley. shortfall 缺口, 不足, 稀缺, 缺少 an amount that is less than the level that was expected or needed: The county had to close three of its four libraries because of a budget shortfall. The drought caused serious shortfalls in the food supply. the difference between the amount of something, especially money, that you have and the amount that you need: a shortfall of sth The state is facing a budget shortfall of $1.75 billion for the fiscal year. a shortfall in sth The organization is grappling with a major shortfall in its final salary pension scheme. a shortfall on sth I recently received notification of a potential shortfall on my low-cost endowment. make up/cover/meet a shortfall 弥补缺口. a pension/funding/budget shortfall. the long and the short of it 总之, 总的来讲, 总而言之, 简短来说, 简单来说, 总之一句话 said when you want to explain the general situation without giving details: The long and the short of it is that they are willing to start the work in January. misadventure 事故 an accident or bad luck. bad luck, or an experience with a bad result. His death was ruled a medical misadventure. death by misadventure 遇难 law UK specialized the official expression used in court for a death that happens by accident: The coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. Pastor died after 27-hour open-heart surgery; coroner's court rules medical misadventure. A medical expert reviewing the operation said that it was very unfortunate and unusual that every major step of the operation that could go awry did go awry. 12. slight adj. I. small in amount or degree: He speaks with a slight French accent. She had a slight 轻微的感冒 cold, but wasn't feeling too bad. a slight improvement. a slight incline. She had a slight headache 轻微的, 些微的. the slightest idea I don't have the slightest idea what he's talking about. II. (of people) thin and delicate: He was a young man of slight build 瘦削的 with sensitive eyes and expressive hands. Like most long-distance runners she is very slight. III. not dealing with very serious or important subjects, or not needing much serious thought: It's a slight 轻松的, 不严肃的 but enjoyable tale. His terrific performance lifts this otherwise slight film. verb. I. to insult someone by ignoring them or treating them as if they are not important. to insult someone by not paying attention or by treating the person as unimportant: He slighted his wife by neglecting to introduce her. I felt slighted 不搭理, 爱答不理的, 看不起, 看不上, 被鄙视 when my boss thanked everyone but me for their hard work. noun. I. an action that insults a person because someone fails to pay attention to them or to treat them with the respect that they deserve: I regarded her failure to acknowledge my greeting as a slight. 13. shimmy 摇肩摆臀的跳舞, 摇头摆尾, 摇头晃脑, 爬上, 爬下 verb. I. to do a dance in which you shake your hips and shoulders. If you shimmy, you dance or move in a way that involves shaking your hips and shoulders from side to side. Dancers shimmied in the streets of New Orleans. The singer shimmied across the stage in an incredibly sexy dress. She shimmied across the dance floor. II. mainly UK (US usually shin, shinny) to climb smoothly up, down, or along something by holding it tightly with your arms and legs: He could shimmy up 爬上, 爬下, 攀爬 a drainpipe with ease. Workers on the roof shimmied down ladders. III. to move up and down and from side to side with small, quick movements, especially in order to put on or take off clothes: Every woman has had that moment of elation when she shimmies into something a size smaller than usual. She shimmied out of that brown dress while her daughter was still fiddling with buttons. IV. US If a car shimmies, it makes a very light shaking movement that is not the usual movement of the car. 14. translucent I. 透光的. If a material is translucent, some light can pass through it. The building is roofed entirely with translucent corrugated plastic. II. You use translucent to describe something that has a glowing appearance, as if light is passing through it. She had fair hair, blue eyes and translucent 晶莹剔透的 skin. The sky was changing from translucent blue to thicker grey. This china is so fine and delicate that it's translucent. Laura's skin has a translucent quality. moribund [ˈmɒr.ɪ.bʌnd] 无生气的，停滞不前的，失败的 不温不火的, 平淡的 formal disapproving (especially of an organization or business) not active or successful. used to describe a business, market, etc. that is not active or successful. If you describe something as moribund, you mean that it is in a very bad condition. ...the moribund economy. ...the moribund housing market. The figures show a moribund remortgage market. How can the department be revived from its present moribund state? 15. manoeuvre = US maneuver [məˈnuː.vər] I. a movement or set of movements needing skill and care. to turn and direct an object: Loaded supermarket trolleys are often difficult to manoeuvre. This car manoeuvres well at high speed. perform a manoeuvre 操作 Reversing round a corner is one of the manoeuvres you are required to perform in a driving test. easy/difficult to manoeuvre 好操作, 车好开 The machine is compact and easy to manoeuvre and store. II. MILITARY OPERATION 军事行动 a planned and controlled movement or operation by the armed forces for training purposes and in war: military manoeuvre 军事行动 The two sides have launched a series of military manoeuvres in the past week. naval manoeuvre Plans for naval manoeuvres were abruptly cancelled. on manoeuvres We saw the army on manoeuvres in the mountains. III. a cleverly planned action that is intended to get an advantage: A series of impressive manoeuvres by the chairman had secured a lucrative contract for the company. IV. to try to make someone act in a particular way: manoeuvre someone into something/doing something The other directors are trying to manoeuvre her into resigning. This manoeuvre has the effect of rewarding those shareholders who sell at the expense of those who remain. room for manoeuvre = room to manoeuvre = freedom of manoeuvre 回旋的余地, 周旋空间, 周旋余地 the opportunity to change your plans or choose between different ways of doing something. the opportunity to change your plans or choose between different ways of doing something: The law in this area is very strict and doesn't allow us much room for manoeuvre. The law in this area is very strict and doesn't allow us much room for manoeuvre. 16. Beefsteak plant 紫苏 (shiso 日语, Chinese basil ) 越南米粉里常见 (basil:罗勒, 兰香. thyme: 百里香. rosemary: 迷迭香. lemongrass: 香茅): Perilla frutescens var. crispa, also known by its Japanese name shiso (紫蘇) from Chinese zisu, is a cultigen of Perilla frutescens, a herb in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is native to the mountainous regions of China and India, but is now found worldwide. The plant occurs in several forms, as defined by the characteristics of their leaves, including red, green, bicolor, and ruffled. Shiso is perennial and may be cultivated as an annual in temperate climates. Different parts of the plant are used in East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine. In English, it is sometimes called the "beefsteak plant", because purple-leaf varieties resemble the blood-red color of meat. Other common names include "perilla mint", "Chinese basil", and "wild basil". 17. penny dreadful a cheap, sensational comic or storybook. A cheap paperback book, particularly those concerning lurid depictions of crime in the Victorian era. "penny dreadful comics". The point is, the fakes on offer were from blue-chip companies or promising high-tech start-ups – there were no penny dreadfuls anywhere in the mix. wiki: Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular serial literature produced during the nineteenth century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typically referred to a story published in weekly parts, each costing one penny. The subject matter of these stories was typically sensational, focusing on the exploits of detectives, criminals, or supernatural entities. genre fiction 体裁小说|通俗小说 fiction (= books or stories about imaginary characters and events) that is written according to a particular model or style, for example crime fiction, romantic fiction, or science fiction: These stories will be enjoyed by readers of both genre fiction and literary fiction. Genre fiction is usually written with a specific audience in mind. wiki: In the book-trade, genre fiction, also known as formula fiction, or commercial fiction, encompasses fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre. These labels commonly imply that this type of fiction places more value on plot and entertainment than on character development, philosophical themes, or artistic depth. This distinguishes genre fiction from literary fiction. Popular genres include crime, fantasy, romance, science fiction and horror—as well as Western, inspirational and historical fiction. Slipstream is sometimes thought to be in between genre and non-genre fiction. pulp magazine 低俗杂志: an inexpensive magazine printed on poor quality paper. Pulp magazines (often referred to as "the pulps"), also collectively known as pulp fiction 低俗小说, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long. Pulps were printed on cheap paper with ragged, untrimmed edges. Fiction is any form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary and invented by its author(s). Although fiction often describes a major branch of literary work, it is also applied to theatrical, cinematic, documental, and musical work. In contrast to this is non-fiction, which deals exclusively in factual events (e.g.: biographies, histories). pulp noun. I. If an object is pressed into a pulp, it is crushed or beaten until it is soft, smooth, and wet. The olives are crushed to a pulp by stone rollers. II. 果肉. In fruit or vegetables, the pulp is the soft part inside the skin. the soft, slightly wet part of a fruit that contains juice and that you can eat: Most fruit juice, unless it has pulp, has no fibre. The seeds of a pomegranate are embedded in a tough, white pulp. Make maximum use of the whole fruit, including the pulp which is high in fibre. to a pulp Mash the bananas to a pulp and then mix in the yogurt. III. Wood pulp 木浆 is material made from crushed wood. It is used to make paper. IV. the soft tissue inside a tooth: These infections arise as a complication of inflammation of the dental pulp. The inner pulp of the affected tooth can become irritated by bacterial toxins. adj. I. People refer to stories or novels as pulp fiction when they consider them to be of poor quality and intentionally shocking or sensational. ...lurid '50s pulp novels. verb. I. If paper, vegetables, or fruit are pulped, they are crushed into a smooth, wet paste. Onions can be boiled and pulped to a puree. ...creamed or pulped tomatoes. II. If money or documents are pulped, they are destroyed 销毁. 压成纸浆. This is done to stop the money being used or to stop the documents being seen by the public. to destroy books, magazines, newspapers, etc. , for example because they cannot be sold or contain mistakes: Sales were low last year and the publishers had to pulp over half of the 10,000 copies they printed. The decision to pulp the magazine was nothing less than censorship. Millions of five pound notes have been pulped because the designers made a mistake. 18. give someone to understand (that) = give someone to believe (that) (A more formal, sometimes old-fashioned, alternative) =  was made to understand... (I was informed/led to believe). = I was led to understand... (Often implies a more subtle, indirect, or softer approach than "made to"). to tell someone something or cause someone to think that something is true: I was given to understand she was staying at this hotel. We were given to understand that the money would be distributed evenly between the surviving children. Her comments that evening gave me to understand that they lived separate lives, but perhaps I was mistaken. I was given to understand that the information was confidential, which is why I didn't share it when asked. At the hospital, I was given to understand that home care would be provided for two weeks after my discharge. He had been given to believe that there may be a future for the two of them together. If someone is given to understand that something is the case, it is communicated to them that it is the case, usually without them being told directly. I am given to understand that he was swearing throughout the game at our fans. make (oneself) understood To make others understand exactly what one is trying to convey. make your meaning clear, especially in another language: He doesn't speak much Japanese but he can make himself understood. Since they spoke only Swahili, we used signs and gestures to make ourselves understood. I want all of this cleaned up right now, or I'll take away your video games for the weekend. Have I made myself understood? I tried explaining the directions to the tourist, but my Japanese is so limited that I couldn't make myself understood. They have to be made to understand that Nyumbani will only provide up to 50 percentnt support while the rest is upon them. understand someone/something to mean something  (错误地)理解, 误解, 误读, 以为 to think, especially wrongly, that someone means or something is about a particular thing: When he said three o'clock, I understood him to mean in the afternoon. I agree that she was unkind, which is what I understood you to mean. She talked about food from a cow, and by that I understood her to mean beef, not milk. When he talked about his house, I understood him to mean the one in London. She talks about her religious life, by which I understand her to mean her ideas about reincarnation, not her Judaism. The book was advertised as being about the war, which I understood to mean the Second World War, not the First World War. 19. veracity [vəˈræs.ə.ti] 真实性 the quality of being true, honest, or accurate. Veracity is the quality of being true or the habit of telling the truth. We have total confidence in the veracity of our research. He was shocked to find his veracity questioned. Doubts were cast on the veracity of her alibi. veracious [vɛˈreɪʃəs] honest and not telling or containing any lies: a veracious and trustworthy historian. voracious [vəˈreɪ.ʃəs] 贪得无厌的, 贪婪的, 饥渴的, 如饥似渴的 very eager for something, especially a lot of food. If you describe a person, or their appetite for something, as voracious, you mean that they want a lot of something. Joseph Smith was a voracious book collector. ...the band's voracious appetite for fun. He read voraciously. Wolves are voracious eaters. As a child, I had a voracious appetite for books. He has a voracious appetite (= he eats a lot). He's a voracious reader of historical novels (= he reads a lot of them eagerly and quickly). vivacious [vɪˈveɪ.ʃəs] 有活力的, 活力四射的 (vibrant) [written, approval] If you describe someone as vivacious, you mean that they are lively, exciting, and attractive. (esp. of a woman or girl) full of energy and enthusiasm: Judy Garland was bright and vivacious, with a vibrant singing voice. He brought along his wife, a vivacious blonde, some 20 years his junior. She's beautiful, vivacious, and charming. vibrant [ˈvaɪ.brənt] energetic, exciting, and full of enthusiasm. energetic, bright, and full of life or excitement: The city is youthful, vibrant – an exciting place. Flowers of vibrant colors were on each table. a vibrant young performer. a vibrant personality. a vibrant city. The hope is that this area will develop into a vibrant commercial centre. a vibrant democracy/economy/market Ireland went from a vibrant economy to virtual collapse in the space of a decade. Any credible financial centre has to have a big futures market, so a vibrant futures exchange is an absolute necessity. II. Vibrant colour or light is bright and strong: He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. mendacity [menˈdæs.ə.ti] 撒谎, 不说实话 the act of not telling the truth: ...an astonishing display of cowardice and mendacity. Politicians are often accused of mendacity. mendacious [menˈdeɪ.ʃəs] 谎话连篇的 is the adjective form of mendacity, meaning untruthful, dishonest, or given to deception. It describes people who habitually tell lies or statements that are false and misleading. A mendacious person is someone who tells lies. A mendacious statement is one that is a lie. State officials have issued mendacious denials of any political dimension to the row. Some of these statements are misleading and some are downright mendacious.

1. Sand pagodas 沙塔 ( known as sand stupas [ˈstuːpə]), are temporary pagodas or stupas erected from mud or sand as a means of cultivating Buddhist merit. The practice is common to Theravada Buddhists throughout mainland Southeast Asia, primarily in Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Thailand. In Northern Thailand, sand pagodas are constructed during Songkran. The largest such festival in Chiang Mai is held at Wat Chetlin; the resulting pagoda has five tiers, stands about 8 metres (26 ft) tall, and uses 700 cubic metres (25,000 cu ft) of sand. A stupa is a dome-shaped, often solid, South Asian Buddhist monument created to house sacred relics and for circumambulation ( circumambulate [ˌsɜːkəmˈæmbjʊˌleɪt] 围着走, 绕着走, 转圈 I. to walk around (something). To walk around something in a circle, especially for a ritual purpose. II. (intransitive) to avoid the point. ). A pagoda is an evolution of the stupa—a, multi-storied tower with, projecting roofs found in East/Southeast Asia. While both serve as reliquaries, pagodas often have, vertical, tiered, designs, and sometimes, interior, spaces. Burmese sand pagodas are typically of graduated five tiers, tapering to the top, with each tier flanked by bamboo masts. The five tiers represent five layers of Mount Meru, the legendary peak of Buddhist cosmology. Devotees offer fruits, flowers and other offerings, and circumambulate the sand pagoda thrice before paying homage. On the full moon day of Tabaung, the sand pagoda's umbrella crown or hti is removed. 2. The Yakshas 夜叉 (Sanskrit: यक्ष, IAST: Yakṣa, Pali: Yakkha) are a broad class of nature spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, as well as ancient and medieval era temples of South Asia and Southeast Asia as guardian deities. The feminine form of the word is IAST: Yakṣī or Yakshini (Sanskrit: यक्षिणी, IAST: Yakṣiṇī; Pali: Yakkhini). The Yakshas are a broad class of nature spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. In Hindu, Jain and Buddhist texts, the yakṣas have a dual personality. On the one hand, a yakṣa may be an inoffensive nature-fairy, associated with woods and mountains; but there is also a darker version of the yakṣa, which is a kind of (bhuta) that haunts the wilderness and waylays and devours travellers, similar to the rakṣasas (Rakshasa 罗刹 (Sanskrit: राक्षस, pronounced [ɾɑːk.ʂɐ.s̪ɐ], romanized: rākṣasa; Pali: rakkhasa; lit. 'demon' or 'fiend') are a race of usually malevolent beings prominently featured in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Indonesian folk Islam. They reside on Earth but possess supernatural powers, which they usually use for evil acts such as disrupting Vedic sacrifices or eating humans. The term is also used to describe asuras, a class of power-seeking beings that oppose the benevolent devas. They are often depicted as antagonists in Hindu scriptures, as well as in Buddhism and Jainism. The feminine form of rakshasa is rakshasi (राक्षसी, IPA: [ɾɑːk.ʂɐ.s̪iː], rākṣasī). In the world of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, Rakshasas were a populous race. There were both good and evil rakshasas, and as warriors, they fought alongside the armies of both good and evil. They were powerful warriors, expert magicians and illusionists. As shape-changers 变身, 变形, they could assume different physical forms. As illusionists, they were capable of creating appearances which were real to those who believed in them or who failed to dispel them. Some of the rakshasas were said to be man-eaters and made their gleeful appearance when the slaughter on a battlefield was at its worst. Occasionally, they served as rank-and-file soldiers in the service of one or another warlord. Aside from their treatment of unnamed rank-and-file Rakshasas, the epics tell the stories of certain members of these beings who rose to prominence, sometimes as heroes but more often as villains. Thapar suggests that the Rakshasas could represent exaggerated, supernatural depictions of demonised forest-dwellers who were outside the caste society.). 3. Saraca asoca, commonly known as the ashoka tree 无忧树 (asoke 曼谷地铁站) (lit. "sorrow-less"), is a plant belonging to the Detarioideae subfamily of the Fabaceae family of plants (also referred to as the legume, pea, or bean family). The ashoka tree is used as a traditional medicinal plant. It is considered sacred throughout the Indian subcontinent, especially in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. This tree has many folklorical, religious and literary associations in the region. Highly valued as well for its handsome appearance and the color and abundance of its flowers, the ashoka tree is often found in royal palace compounds and gardens as well as close to temples throughout India. The ashoka tree is closely associated with the yakshi mythological beings. One of the recurring elements in Indian art, often found at gates of Buddhist and Hindu temples, is the sculpture of a yakshini with her foot on the trunk and her hands holding the branch of a flowering ashoka tree. As an artistic element, often the tree and the yakshi are subject to heavy stylization. Some authors hold that the young girl at the foot of this tree is based on an ancient tree deity related to fertility. Yakshis under the ashoka tree were also important in early Buddhist monuments as a decorative element and are found in many ancient Buddhist archaeological sites. With the passing of the centuries the yakshi under the ashoka tree became a standard decorative element of Hindu Indian sculpture and was integrated into Indian temple architecture as salabhanjika, because there is often a confusion between the ashoka tree and the sal tree (Shorea robusta) in the ancient literature of the Indian subcontinent. 4. 湿婆(Shiva)是印度教三大主神之一，与梵天 (Brahma)、毗湿奴 (Vishnu)并称，被湿婆派信徒奉为最高神。他兼具毁灭与再生、苦行与舞蹈、恐惧与慈爱等多重矛盾属性，额头上的第三只眼能释放灭世之火。作为毁灭之神，他通过“舞王”姿态演绎宇宙的毁灭与循环。Ganesha 象头神, the elephant-headed Hindu deity, is revered as the remover of obstacles, patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the Lord of Beginnings, he is honored at the start of new ventures, rituals, and ceremonies. He signifies wisdom, prosperity, and the ability to overcome life's challenges. Ganesha 是湿婆的儿子. The three supreme gods in Hinduism, collectively known as the Trimurti (Sanskrit for "three forms"), are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. They represent the cosmic functions of creation, preservation, and destruction/transformation. Together, they embody the continuous cycle of life, existence, and rebirth. Ganesh in Thailand Ganesha is revered in Thailand as Phra Phikhanet or Phra Phikanesuan, primarily worshipped as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences, and the deity of success, wisdom, and prosperity. Despite Thailand being a predominantly Buddhist country, Ganesha is integrated into Thai culture through historical Hindu influences and a, syncretic approach to spirituality that honors Hindu deities. Shiva 湿婆 is a principal deity in Hinduism, known as the "Destroyer" within the Trimurti, alongside Brahma and Vishnu, and as the Supreme Being in Shaivism. As the lord of meditation, yoga, and arts, he is often depicted with a third eye, a trident (trishula), and a serpent. He represents the auspicious, infinite, and non-physical nature of the cosmos. Brahma 梵天 is the Hindu god of creation, serving as the first member of the Trimurti trinity alongside Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva (destroyer). Known as the "Creator" and "grandfather" of all beings, he is depicted with four heads holding the Vedas, symbolizing supreme knowledge and the origin of the universe. Vishnu 毗湿奴 is a principal deity in Hinduism, revered as the "Preserver" (Sattva) within the Trimurti, which includes Brahma (Creator) and Shiva (Destroyer). As the Supreme Being in Vaishnavism, he upholds cosmic order (Dharma) and incarnates on Earth in various avatars—most notably Rama and Krishna—to restore balance during times of crisis. Usually depicted with blue skin (symbolizing the sky/ocean) and four arms, which hold a conch (sound), discus (mind/power), mace (strength), and lotus (purity). 5. King Naresuan the Great (颂德·帕·纳黎萱·玛哈拉, 讪佩二世，暹罗阿瑜陀耶王国国王（1590年－1605年在位），中兴雄主，传说为泰拳的开创者。后世尊称为纳黎萱大帝) (1555–1605) is associated with chickens—specifically fighting roosters—because his favored bird won a legendary cockfight against a Burmese prince, which bolstered his morale and is said to have paved the way for Siam's independence. Today, thousands of chicken statues are offered at his shrines to symbolize victory and request good fortune. Naresuan (1555/1556 – 25 April 1605), commonly known as Naresuan the Great, or Sanphet II was the 18th monarch of the Ayutthaya Kingdom and the 2nd of the Sukhothai dynasty. He was the king of the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 1590 and overlord of Lan Na from 1602 until his death in 165. Naresuan is one of Thailand's most revered monarchs as he is known for his campaigns to free Ayutthaya from the vassalage of the First Toungoo Empire. During his reign, numerous wars were fought against Taungoo Burma. Naresuan also welcomed the Dutch. The Legend of the Fighting Cock: According to legend, while held as a hostage in Burma in the 16th century, Prince Naresuan (later King) was involved in a cockfight with the Burmese Prince. Naresuan’s rooster won, humiliating the Burmese and helping to ignite his drive to win freedom for the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Throughout Thailand, particularly in Ayutthaya, thousands of chicken and rooster statues are placed at shrines and temples dedicated to King Naresuan. Devotees offer these statues in gratitude after a wish or blessing asked of the warrior king comes true. 6. Mangrai 孟莱王 (Northern Thai: ᨻᩕ᩠ᨿᩣᨾᩢ᩠ᨦᩁᩣ᩠ᨿ; Thai: มังราย; c. 1238–1311) was the 25th king of Ngoenyang (r. 1261–1292) and the first king of Lan Na 兰纳王国 (r. 1292–1311). He established a new city, Chiang Mai, as the capital of the Lan Na Kingdom (1296–1558). King Mangrai the Great was born on 23 October 1238, in Ngoen Yang (present day Chiang Saen), Thailand, on the Mekong River, a son of the local ruler Lao Meng and his wife Ua Ming Chom Mueang, a princess from the Tai Lue city of Chiang Rung, which is now called Jinghong, in Sipsongpanna (Xishuangbanna), China. In 1259, Mangrai succeeded his father to become the first independent king of the unified Tai city states in northern Lanna and what is now northern Laos. Seeing the Tai states disunited and in danger, Mangrai quickly expanded his kingdom by conquering Muang Lai, Chiang Kham and Chiang Khong and initiating alliances with other states. In 1262, he founded the city of Chiang Rai as his new capital in the Kok River basin. He also seems to have been operating around this time in the area of Fang in the Upper Kok Valley. 兰纳（兰纳语： 发音：[ʔaː.naː.tɕǎk.láːn.naː]；泰语：อาณาจักรล้านนา，皇家转写：Anachak Lan Na 发音：[ʔāːnāːt͡ɕàk láːn nāː]），是泰国历史上的一个曾经控制泰北地区的王国。其国名在兰纳语中意思是“百万（亩）稻地”。中国元代称之为八百媳妇国，明代称为八百，又有八百大甸、小甸之区别，清代常称之为景迈、整迈。7. The Thai New Year is from 13 to 15 April. Occurring after the rice harvest, it is a time when people reunite with their families and pay their respects to older adults, ancestors, and sacred Buddha images. Pouring water is a significant act during Songkran, symbolizing cleansing, reverence, and good fortune. Other activities include bathing Buddha images, splashing water on family and friends, folk plays, games, music, and feasting. The white powder used during Songkran is Din Sor Pong, a traditional, limestone-based, soft clay paste that symbolizes blessings, protection, and good luck for the Thai New Year. Mixed with water, it is applied to cheeks and faces to offer cooling relief and good wishes. The tradition emphasizes friendly, respectful, and gentle application. The tradition of applying talcum powder or a powdery paste to faces during Songkran, the Thai New Year festival, has deep cultural and symbolic roots. Originally, this practice evolved from the ritual of applying blessed water and scented powder to Buddha statues as a gesture of respect and merit-making. Over time, this respectful act transformed into people applying the powder to each other's faces as a symbol of friendship, good wishes, and blessings for the New Year. The powder used is typically a natural white talcum or limestone-based substance known as 'din sor pong', traditionally sourced in Lopburi Province, which is often mixed with water and sometimes food colouring or fragrance. The colours carry symbolic meanings: white powder represents purity, while black powder is thought to protect from evil. Traditionally, 'din sor pong' was valued not only for its ritual significance but also for its health and beauty benefits, such as treating skin irritations and acne, and cooling the skin during the hot season. In rural and traditional contexts, the powder was associated with auspiciousness and protection, and its use was a polite and meaningful part of Songkran celebrations. Farmers used it for skin care, and parents sometimes applied it to children for health benefits. The powder also played a role in other ceremonies, such as weddings and blessings. However, in recent years, especially in urban and tourist-heavy areas, the use of the powder during Songkran has sometimes been misused or become less respectful. Some revellers use it excessively or inappropriately, which has led to concerns about safety, skin irritation, and the dilution of the tradition's original meaning. Authorities in some places have even banned or restricted powder use in certain Songkran hotspots to prevent abuse and maintain decorum. In summary, the background of applying talcum powder to faces during Songkran is rooted in Buddhist and cultural practices of blessing, respect, and good wishes, combined with traditional health and beauty uses of 'din sor pong'. It symbolises purity, friendship, protection, and renewal for the New Year. 8. Making merit 积德, 积功德, 福德 (puñña in Pali) is a fundamental Buddhist practice of accumulating positive karma through virtuous actions, thoughts, and speech. It is aimed at securing good results in this life and the next, contributing to happiness and enlightenment. Common acts include generosity (offering food to monks), morality (observing precepts), and meditation. Merit (Sanskrit: puṇya; Pali: puñña) is a concept considered fundamental to Buddhist ethics. It is a beneficial and protective force which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts, or thoughts. Merit-making is important to Buddhist practice: merit brings good and agreeable results, determines the quality of the next life and contributes to a person's growth towards enlightenment. In addition, merit is also shared with a deceased loved one, in order to help the deceased in their new existence. Despite modernization, merit-making remains essential in traditional Buddhist countries and has had a significant impact on the rural economies in these countries. Merit is connected with the notions of purity and goodness. Before Buddhism, merit was used with regard to ancestor worship 祖先崇拜, but in Buddhism it gained a more general ethical meaning. Merit is a force that results from good deeds done; it is capable of attracting good circumstances in a person's life, as well as improving the person's mind and inner well-being. Moreover, it affects the next lives to come, as well as the destination a person is reborn. The opposite of merit is demerit 造孽 (pāpa)( 嗔心 (嗔恨心)：佛教有云“一念嗔心起，火烧功德林”，愤怒和怨恨会摧毁积攒的功德. ), and it is believed that merit is able to weaken demerit. Indeed, merit has even been connected to the path to Nirvana itself, but many scholars say that this refers only to some types of merit. Karma 业障 = 孽障 ([ˈkɑːrmə]) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect 因果, often descriptively called the principle of karma, wherein individuals' intent and actions (cause) influence their future (effect): Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and worse rebirths. In some scriptures, however, there is no link between rebirth and karma. 9. Dharma 法, 音译为达摩 is a foundational, multifaceted Sanskrit term in Indian religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism) referring to cosmic law, duty, righteousness, and the natural order that sustains the universe. It signifies "that which upholds", encompassing ethical behavior, religious duties (svadharma), and "life's purpose". In its most commonly used sense, dharma refers to an individual's moral responsibilities or duties; the dharma of a farmer differs from the dharma of a soldier, thus making the concept of dharma dynamic. As with the other components of the Puruṣārtha, the concept of dharma is pan-Indian. The antonym of dharma is adharma. 10. A mantra ([ˈmæntrə] 译为真言、咒、神咒、密咒、禁咒、秘密語、梵頌, Pali: mantra) or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) believed by practitioners to have religious, magical or spiritual powers. Some mantras have a syntactic structure and a literal meaning, while others do not. Dictionary: mantra I. (especially in Hinduism and Buddhism) a word or sound that is believed to have a special spiritual power. A mantra is a word or phrase repeated by Buddhists and Hindus when they meditate, or to help them feel calm. repeat a mantra A personal mantra is sometimes repeated as an aid to meditation or prayer. II. a word or phrase that is often repeated and expresses a particular strong belief. You can use mantra to refer to a statement or a principle that people repeat very often because they think it is true, especially when you think that it not true or is only part of the truth. Listening to customers is now part of the mantra of new management in public services. The British fans chanted that familiar football mantra: "Here we go, here we go, here we go...". tantric [ˈtæn.trɪk] 密宗的, 密教的 (chan 禅宗) based on ancient Hindu or Buddhist texts. Related to Vajrayana Buddhism. Related to any of several branches of yoga or esoteric traditions rooted in India. tantric Buddhism. wiki: Tantra ([tʌntrə]; Sanskrit: तन्त्र, lit. 'expansion-device, salvation-spreader; loom, weave, warp') is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed in the Indian subcontinent, beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, initially within Shaivism and Shaktism, and subsequently in Mahayana Buddhism and Vaishnavism. Tantra presents complex cosmologies, viewing the body as divine and typically reflecting the union of Shiva and Shakti. Tantric goals include Siddhi (supernatural accomplishment), bhoga, and Kundalini ascent; while also addressing states of possession (āveśa) and exorcism. In Buddhism, the Vajrayana traditions are known for tantric ideas and practices, which are based on Indian Buddhist Tantras. They include Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, Japanese Shingon Buddhism and Nepalese Newar Buddhism. Although Southern Esoteric Buddhism does not directly reference the tantras, its practices and ideas parallel them. In Buddhism, tantra has influenced the art and iconography of Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism, as well as historic cave temples of India and the art of Southeast Asia. Sexual yoga, often linked to Tantra or Kundalini practices, involves using breathing, movement, and meditation to cultivate, channel, and transform sexual energy for deeper intimacy, healing, and spiritual connection. It focuses on enhancing sensation, boosting libido, and releasing emotional blockages, rather than focusing solely on orgasm. 11. Kundalini yoga (IAST: kuṇḍalinī-yoga), (Devanagari : कुण्डलिनी योग) is a 20th century, spiritual practice in the yogic and tantric traditions of Hinduism, centered on awakening the kundalini energy. This energy, often symbolized as a serpent coiled at the root chakra at the base of the spine, is guided upward through the chakras until it reaches the crown chakra at the top of the head. This leads to the blissful state of samadhi, symbolizing the union of Shiva and Shakti. Most yoga schools use pranayama, meditation, and moral code observation to raise the kundalini. In normative tantric systems, kundalini is considered to be dormant until it is activated (as by the practice of yoga) and channeled upward through the central channel in a process of spiritual perfection. Kundalini yoga as a school of yoga is influenced by Shaktism and Tantra schools of Hinduism. It derives its name through a focus on awakening kundalini energy through regular practice of mantra, tantra, yantra, yoga, laya, haṭha, meditation, or even spontaneously (sahaja). In the Buddha's first discourse, he identifies craving 贪念, 欲望 (tanha) as the cause of suffering (dukkha). He then identifies three objects of craving: the craving for existence; the craving for non-existence and the craving for sense pleasures (kama). Kama is identified as one of five hindrances to the attainment of jhana according to the Buddha's teaching. Throughout the Sutta Pitaka the Buddha often compares sexual pleasure to arrows or darts. So in the Kama Sutta (4.1) from the Sutta Nipata the Buddha explains that craving sexual pleasure is a cause of suffering. If one, longing for sensual pleasure, achieves it, yes, he's enraptured at heart. The mortal gets what he wants. But if for that person — longing, desiring — the pleasures diminish, he's shattered, as if shot with an arrow. The Buddha then goes on to say: So one, always mindful, should avoid sensual desires. Letting them go, he will cross over the flood like one who, having bailed out the boat, has reached the far shore 到达彼岸. The 'flood' refers to the deluge of human suffering. The 'far shore' is nirvana, a state in which there is no sensual desire. The meaning of the Kama Sutta is that sensual desire, like any habitual sense pleasure, brings suffering. To lay people the Buddha advised that they should at least avoid sexual misconduct (See Theravada definition below). From the Buddha's full-time disciples, the ordained monks and nuns, strict celibacy (called brahmacarya) had always been required. 12. Indra 因陀罗 ([ˈɪndrə]; Sanskrit: इन्द्र, IPA: [in̪d̪rɐ]) is the Vedic god of weather, considered the king of the devas and svarga in Hinduism. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. Indra is the most frequently mentioned deity in the Rigveda. He is celebrated for his powers based on his status as a god of order, and as the one who killed the great evil, an asura named Vritra, who obstructed human prosperity and happiness. Indra destroys Vritra and his "deceiving forces", and thereby brings rain and sunshine as the saviour of mankind. Indra's significance diminishes in the post-Vedic Indian literature, but he still plays an important role in various religious accounts. He is depicted as a powerful hero. Indra is also depicted in Buddhist (Pali: Indā) and Jain texts. Indra rules over the much-sought Devas realm of rebirth within the Samsara doctrine of Buddhist traditions. However, like the post-Vedic Hindu texts, Indra is also a subject of ridicule and reduced to a figurehead status in Buddhist texts, shown as a god who suffers rebirth. Indra's iconography 标志 shows him wielding his vajra and riding his vahana, Airavata. Indra's abode 居所住所 is in the capital city of Svarga, Amaravati, though he is also associated with Mount Meru (also called Sumeru). The vajra 金刚 (Sanskrit: thunderbolt or diamond) is a ritual object and symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism representing indestructibility, irresistible force, and ultimate reality. As a weapon, it is Indra's thunderbolt in Hindu mythology, while in Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana), it symbolizes enlightenment, clarity of mind, and the union of wisdom and method. Vajra is a legendary and ritualistic tool, symbolizing the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force). It is also described as a "ritual weapon". The use of the bell and vajra together as symbolic and ritual tools is found in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The vajra is a round, symmetrical metal scepter with two ribbed spherical heads. The ribs may meet in a ball-shaped top, or they may be separate and end in sharp points. The vajra is considered inseparable from the bell, and both are sold in dharma stores only in matching sets. The bell is also metal with a ribbed spherical head. The bell also depicts the face of Akasadhatvisvari, a female buddha and the consort of Vairocana. The vajra has also been associated as the weapon of Indra, the Vedic king of the devas and heaven. It is used symbolically by the dharmic traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, often to represent firmness of spirit and spiritual power. 

 The Middle East war depleted US weapons. Rebuilding will require China's cooperation. Beijing has a stranglehold on the critical minerals the U.S. needs to rebuild its weapons cache following five weeks of war. The Middle East war has depleted a key part of the United States' missile defense system in the region. To rebuild, the U.S. needs to go through China. In just over a month of war, Iran has targeted several U.S. radar units spread across the region, cutting-edge defensive weapons that are used to detect and shoot down incoming missiles and drones. Military experts believe many have been damaged, if not destroyed. A key component of those interceptors is gallium, a critical mineral that is also used in other high-tech products like semiconductors. China has a near total monopoly over the processing of gallium. And it has already proven willing to limit access. Increased U.S. demand for the metal to rebuild its interceptors — a process that will take years — only strengthens Beijing's hand in the upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “Broadly does it make us more vulnerable? Yes, I think so,” said Mikhail Zeldovich, an investor focused on critical minerals. “I don’t think there’s any doubt there.” Already, prices for gallium have increased by 32 percent in the past month, after months of lower prices following an Oct. 30 agreement between the U.S. and China. The negotiations were sparked in part by China’s near total control over the processing of critical minerals, including gallium, leverage the country used to cut off supply and force the U.S. to the negotiating table. If the demand for critical minerals increases as the U.S. attempts to restock its weapons cache, it would only strengthen China’s hand. “The minute you look like a demander and there’s things you want, then this relationship is at that point where the other side, then, is smelling leverage, right?” said Wendy Cutler, a former USTR negotiator. “And so [Beijing] can up their demands.” In addition to a range of consumer products, including semiconductors, electric vehicles, wind power generators and smartphone and laptop chargers, critical minerals are a key component of U.S. weapons systems and other defense technologies. Not only do interceptors rely on gallium for accurate threat detection, other heavy rare earth metals like terbium and dysprosium are key components in the missile targeting. China controls more than 90 percent of heavy rare earth metal processing. “Disrupting those supply chains can create new bottlenecks in the defense industry supply chains, which we already have enough challenges in meeting demand within our defense industry,” said Brian Hart, is the deputy director and fellow of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “So adding on critical mineral bottlenecks there just complicates things a lot.” As the U.S. regroups during the two-week ceasefire with Iran the president announced Thursday night, the military will be able to assess the damage to its weapons cache and what it will take to rebuild them. In the early days of the war, Iran launched strikes at seven U.S. military sites, aiming at communications and radar systems, according to The New York Times. Weakening those systems requires the U.S. and its allies to shoot more missiles to take out an incoming threat, at times using 10 or 11 interceptors to take down one missile, rapidly depleting U.S. supplies, according to an analysis by the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines. The conflict in Iran adds further urgency to the federal government’s efforts to build alternative supply chains for critical minerals independent of China. “President Trump’s top priority is safeguarding America’s national and economic security, and the Trump administration is taking unprecedented action to shore up America’s critical minerals supply chain,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said via email. “This is a robust, nimble, and multi-faceted strategy, and no tool is off the table — from direct investments into mining projects to international dealmaking.” In just the past year, the U.S. trade representative has set out to negotiate a plurilateral critical minerals trade agreement with multiple countries, the administration requested $1.1 billion for a critical minerals office in the Department of Energy and it has directed the State Department to work with allies to help secure the critical minerals supply chain. Last July, the Pentagon became the largest shareholder in MP Materials, which owns the only operational rare earth mine in the country, buying $400 million in preferred stock. In October, the White House announced a critical minerals deal with Australia, in which both countries plan to spend $3 billion on critical minerals projects, including a Defense Department investment in a gallium refinery in Western Australia that will produce 100 metric tons per year. “We are making large strides in the United States in regards to domestic self sufficiency 自给自足 for rare earths,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute, a conservative-leaning D.C. think tank, on Tuesday. “We’re working with partners on this, talking about stockpiling, doing deals, not just mining facilities, but processing, refining, manufacturing and talking about pricing mechanisms to make sure it would be economically sustainable.” Minerals experts say gallium is one of the most promising areas for the U.S. to increase its supply. Not only is the market small, the metal is often a waste product from the refining of other metals, like aluminum and zinc. That means a company with the ability to capture gallium in its smelting process could help increase the global supply. But those efforts take time, much longer than it takes for the U.S. to deplete its weapons supplies. Alcoa, the U.S. company looking to mine in Australia as part of the Defense Department’s gallium effort, declined to comment for this article, saying it does not yet participate in the gallium supply chain. “In the medium to short term, I think we’re still going to be in a position where China can leverage this dominance in some of these critical minerals,” said Hart. “And I think that Beijing has been successful in doing that. That was clearly their biggest bargaining chip in bringing the Trump administration to the negotiating table and getting to the Busan agreement last year.” That trade truce has remained relatively stable over the past five months, as the Chinese have followed through on their promise to loosen export controls on critical minerals. But any efforts to alter that status quo could instantly swing the two countries back into a series of trade escalations that carried significant consequences for the U.S. economy — at one point erecting what was essentially an embargo between the two countries. It remains to be seen whether China will seek to use any new leverage from the Middle East War to its advantage. Ahead of Trump’s visit to the country in mid-May, Greer said the relationship between the two countries is stable. The Chinese, who seek predictability from Trump, may not want to disturb that balance. “I don’t see a reason for them to upset the apple cart(upset the apple cart = tip/knock over the applecart, overturn the applecart, rock the applecart to disrupt a procedure, spoil someone's plans, etc. to cause trouble or spoil something: The state-run media is hardly likely to upset the applecart and criticize the government. He is not very happy with how things are but he doesn't want to upset the apple cart. The occasional unexplained event is hardly enough to overturn the applecart of science. ),” said Derek Scissors, the chief economist for the China Beige Book, which tracks the Chinese economy. “Things are going fine. We’re alienating our allies, which is like a high priority for China internationally. So why mess with it for a small amount of leverage?”