用法学习: 1. cubby n. A small, confined space. Wendy house 玩具屋 A toy house in which children can play. cubby house A child's play house. doll's house = dollhouse (UK) A miniature house used by children as a toy for recreating domestic settings. cubbyhole I. A small, cramped room. II. A small compartment; a pigeonhole. A cubby-hole, cubby-house or cubby is a small, snug place, which may be considered and used as a place of safety for children. This may be constructed by the children themselves and used as a place of play. Autistic children are especially fond of such places. Children may have a small shed, play-house or tent which they use as a cubby-house. A child might build their own in various places in the house or garden, or have a pre-fabricated cubby. 2. Hong Kong inflatable duck冲气鸭, 大黄鸭(An inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflatables depend on the presence of a gas to maintain their size and shape.). catch someone in the act (of doing something) 当场抓获, 抓现行 to discover someone doing a [bad] deed at the very moment when the deed is being done. I caught her in the act of stealing the coat. He was caught in the act of taking money from the cash box. 3. Pisces ['paisi:z 'pi-] Also called the Fishes the twelfth sign of the zodiac, symbol ♓, having a mutable water classification and ruled by the planets Jupiter and Neptune. The sun is in this sign between about Feb. 19 and March 20. fix someone up (with something) 安排, 准备, 提供, 收拾好 to supply someone with something. to rehabilitate someone or something. to arrange something for someone. The doctor said he could fix me up with a few pills. The doctor fixed up the injured hunter and sent him home. I will fix you up with some alcohol and bandages. The clerk fixed up the lady with what she needed. Larry wanted some film and the clerk fixed him up with the best. If they want to work, I can fix them up. I thought you didn't like her and had fixed her up with your friend Paul. fix up I. 修理, 修补. To repair or refurbish. I've been fixing up the boat for the holidays. The mechanic soon fixed up the machine. The old machine was fixed up and put to work again. II. 安排, 确定, 安排好. To prepare or provide (something). His mother went off to fix up a snack. We fixed up a trip. They've fixed up to visit us next month. III. 为(某人)提供. To provide (someone) (with something); to furnish. Can you fix me up with a date for Saturday night? Ask your brother to fix you up with a nice girl. IV. 安顿, 照应. He fixed us up in a good hotel. We were fixed up for the night in a hotel. tinker v. I. 摆弄. To fiddle with something in an attempt to fix, mend or improve it, especially in an experimental or unskilled manner. II. To work as a tinker. n. I. 修补匠. an itinerant tinsmith and mender of household utensils made of tin. II. (dated, chiefly UK and Ireland, offensive) A member of the travelling community. A gypsy. III. (usually with "little") A mischievous person, especially a playful, impish youngster. IV. 修补匠, 修修补补的人. Someone who repairs, or attempts repair on anything mechanical (tinkers) or invents. V. The act of repair or invention. VI. (military, obsolete) A small mortar on the end of a staff. VII. Any of various fish: the chub mackerel, the silverside, the skate, or a young mackerel about two years old. VIII. A bird, the razor-billed auk. tinker's damn a worthless amount. not give a tinker's damn To be uninterested in something. I don't give a tinker's damn about your opinions, I'm doing it my way. not give a tinker's cuss(诅咒, 粗话, 骂人) (intransitive, chiefly UK) to be uninterested in something. I don't give a tinker's cuss about your opinions, I'm doing it my way. tinker, tailor (games) A children's counting-out game. eeny, meeny, miny, moe A children's counting-out game. ip dip, duck, duck, goose, nievie-nievie-nick-nack. 4. pry I. To raise, move, or force open with a lever. II. To obtain with effort or difficulty: pried a confession out of the suspect. III. to look or inquire closely, curiously, or impertinently: was always prying into the affairs of others. prying adj. 爱打听的, 窥探的 Insistently or impertinently curious or inquisitive. impertinently or unnecessarily curious or inquisitive. offensively curious or inquisitive; "curious about the neighbor's doings"; "he flipped through my letters in his nosy way"; "prying eyes"; "the snoopy neighbor watched us all day". ignored the prying journalists' questions. The tinfoil-hat-friendly drive, available in Q2 for $149, automatically encrypts all the data stored on it, keeping it away from prying eyes if lost or stolen. pry into something to snoop into something; to get into someone else's business. Why are you prying into my affairs all the time? I wish you wouldn't pry into my personal life. inquisitive I. 探究的, 过分好奇的, 过于爱一探究竟的, 过于八卦的, 爱打听的, 爱窥探隐私的. excessively curious, esp about the affairs of others; prying. Inclined to investigate; eager for knowledge. Unduly curious and inquiring. II. eager to learn; inquiring. They had got to know each other well over the long qualifying campaign and the intensive overseas training of the past six months. Successive training camps in Spain, Germany and several in South America were designed to drill them into a close knit亲密无间的 team that would make the Motherland, as the North Koreans term their nation, proud. "Everyone keeps saying this about Rooney!" Jong said with a laugh as he trotted小跑, 急步 to the sidelines to have his picture taken with inquisitive Swiss kids. drill something into someone 深深引入 Fig. to force knowledge into someone or something. to have something repeated very frequently. Learn this stuff! Drill it into your brain. Drill in this information so you know it by heart! You learn vocabulary by having it drilled into you. hammer something home Fig. to try extremely hard to make someone understand or realize something. o keep repeating an idea or opinion so it is understood. Politicians seem to think voters won't understand even a simple message unless it is hammered home in speech after speech. The boss hopes to hammer the firm's poor financial position home to the staff. I tried to hammer home to Anne the fact that she would have to get a job. Etymology: based on the meaning of hammer home a nail (to hit a nail deep into the wood). bring something home (to somebody) to make something more clearly understood. Her visit to the war memorial brought home to her the suffering the war had caused. Usage notes: usually said about something that is difficult or unpleasant. probing 探寻的, 探究的, 好奇的( exploring, investigating, questioning ) Of something that investigates or explores deeply. "a probing inquiry"; "an inquiring mind". "a searching investigation of their past dealings". He was unsettled坐立不安的, 寝食难安的 by her probing questions. probe something for something to poke around in something for something. He probed his memory for some clue as to where he had been on that date. Sam probed the darkened space for the tool that he had mislaid. probe into something to investigate something. The police will probe into the matter and report to the commissioner. We will take some time and probe into that for you. 5. sink to such depths 无耻至此, 如此无耻 to behave very badly. I find it hard to believe that human beings could sink to such depths. sink to (doing) something Fig. to lower oneself to doing something bad or mean. I never thought he would sink to doing that. There is nothing that Max wouldn't sink to. sink or swim 半死不活的状态, 生死由天, 生死由命 to fail or
succeed. (Alludes to the choices available to someone who has fallen
into the water.) After I've studied and learned all I can, I have to
take the test and sink or swim. It's too late to help John now. It's
sink or swim for him. The government doesn't want to force inefficient firms to sink or swim too quickly. sinking feeling the feeling that everything is going wrong; a bad feeling in the base of one's stomach. (get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) I get a sinking feeling whenever I think of the night of the accident. get/sink one's teeth in(or into sth) Fig. to begin to do something; to get completely involved in something. I can't wait to get my teeth into that Wallace job. Here, sink your teeth into this and see if you can't manage this project. He'll find it easier when he sinks in his teeth. Loose lips sink ships. 话多没好处. Don't talk carelessly because you don't know who is listening. (From wartime. Literally, "Don't reveal even the location of a loved one on a ship, because the location could be communicated to the enemy by a spy.") You never know who is going to hear what you say and how they will use what they hear. Remember, loose lips sink ships. sink in I. Lit. to sink, submerge, or descend into something. How long will it take the water to sink in? It might take days for the oil to sink in, so you have time to clean it up. II. Fig. [for knowledge] to be understood. I heard what you said, but it took a while for it to sink in. I pay careful attention to everything I hear in calculus class, but it usually doesn't sink in. sink into despair陷于绝望 to become depressed; to become completely discouraged. After facing the hopelessness of the future, Jean Paul sank into despair. Mary sank into despair upon learning of the death of her grandmother. sink into oblivion Fig. to fade into obscurity. She may be famous now, but in no time she will sink into oblivion. In his final years, Wally Wilson sank into oblivion and just faded away. 6. He has many years' experience of the criminal mentality犯罪心理. This explanation fits the facts符合事实 and is psychologically plausible符合心理. Boys mature more slowly than girls, both physically and psychologically心理上的. He never married because he had so many hang-ups心理障碍 about women. He has some mental problems心理问题. The coach psyched(psych = psyche [saik]) the team心理准备 before the game. He psyched it all out心理分析出来 by himself. Educators sure have a different mentality心理 from ordinary people! He forced himself to subdue and overcome his fears克服恐惧心理. I can't understand that man's psychology心理逻辑, 心理. hang-up 心理障碍, 心结 Informal I. A psychological or emotional difficulty or inhibition. a preoccupation, fixation, or psychological block; complex. II. An obstacle to smooth progress or development. mental block (against something) 心理障碍 Fig. to have some psychological barrier that prevents one from doing something. (get ~; have ~; give someone ~.) Perry has a mental block against speaking in public. "Julie, brought you a shooter on the house." "Oh, thanks, Max, but you know what? I have this mental block. I can't get past 克服不了 the slime粘粘的东西. 7. treacherous ['trɛtʃərəs] adj I. betraying or likely to betray faith or confidence. II. unstable, unreliable, or dangerous. Marked by unforeseen hazards; dangerous or deceptive. treacherous weather treacherous ground. treacherous waters. a treacherous climb. The sunset boulevard is winding多弯的, 曲折的 and treacherous危险的 in some areas. It is at least four lanes wide along its entire route. Sunset is frequently congested with traffic loads beyond its design capacity. ABC presenter leaving: This morning he told listeners his last broadcast will be on December 6. "I'll be hanging up the headphones for the last time, to let someone else take over what I feel to be the best job, in the best city in the world," he said. The former JJJ presenter says the wanderer流浪者 in him is "keen to go a-wandering again" and the 3.20am starts are beginning to catch up with him( catch up I. 缠在一起. 搅在一起. To entangle. The speaker wires have got caught up with the wires from the lights. II. 变得难以忍受. To finally reach something inevitable. To have unpleasant consequences for, especially after a period of quiesence: mistakes that caught up with him when he ran for President. III. Do something that should have been done earlier. I'm going home to catch up with my sleep.). "You never cease to amaze me with your honesty, brains and lovable feistiness." 8. dead on 太对了 exactly right; on target. That's a good observation, Tiffany. You are dead on. Your criticism is dead on!
Steven Soderbergh's 'Too-Gay' Liberace Movie Has Arrived at Cannes: Michael Douglas plays Liberace and Matt Damon plays his longtime lover in Behind the Candelabra, which lives up to its buzz不负众望. Sometimes at Cannes, certain films in competition go almost unnoticed, overshadowed by a festival scandal or lost in the hype surrounding another movie in the line-up. Such was the fate of Valéria Bruni Tedeschi's Un chateau en Italie (A Castle in Italy), the third French film in the main slate主竞赛单元 (after Ozon's Jeune et jolie and Desplechin's Jimmy P.) and the only one made by a woman. The movie is fine: an ambitious, capably directed autobiographical chronicle of a wealthy French-Italian family facing financial decline. It's by turns enlivened and bogged down (enliven To make lively or spirited; animate. bog down 陷入泥沼, 陷入停顿 to cause someone or something to stop developing or moving forward. to become encumbered and slow. (As if one were walking through a bog and getting stuck in the mud. Often preceded by a form of get.) The process bogged down and almost stopped. The truck got bogged down in the mud soon after it started. The film bogs down after a really great beginning. Etymology: based on the idea of being trapped in a bog (area of soft, wet earth) ) by the kind of furious narcissism that is a trademark of French ensemble/relationship/family dramas. Wispy-voiced( wisp I. A small bunch or bundle, as of straw, hair, or grass. II. a. One that is thin, frail, or slight. b. 稀薄的, 若有若无的. 若隐若现的 一束, 一片. A thin or faint streak or fragment, as of smoke or clouds. III. A fleeting trace or indication; a hint: a wisp of a smile. IV. A flock of birds, especially snipe. v. To twist into wisps or a wisp. To drift in wisps 轻飘飘的: smoke wisping from chimneys. wispy wisplike; delicate, faint, light, etc. ) writer-director Bruni Tedeschi, the sister of former French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, stars in the film alongside her former real-life love, the dashingly spaced-out ( 游离在外的, 不再状况的, 神游天外的. 不知所云的. I. dazed or stupefied by narcotic drugs. Stupefied or disoriented from or as if from a drug. II. dreamily or eerily out of touch with reality; disoriented, forgetful, or dazed. space out to become giddy or disoriented. Judy spaced out during the meeting and I didn't understand a word she said. I have a tendency to space out at the end of a hard day. The circus clowns just spaced me out. The hilarious spectacle spaced out the entire audience. ) Louis Garrel, and mother Marisa Bruni Tedeschi. But not even the promise of juicy tidbits 八卦新闻 from the private life of one of France's most famous families could compete with the prospect of Matt Damon and Michael Douglas locking lips—and horns ( lock horns (with someone) Fig. to get into an argument with someone. if two people lock horns, they argue about something (often + over ). Let's settle this peacefully. The mayor and her deputy locked horns over the plans for the new road. I don't want to lock horns with the boss. The boss doesn't want to lock horns either. )—in fact-based gay romance Behind the Candelabra, U.S. director Steven Soderbergh's final film (if he sticks to his word about retiring, which I hope he doesn't). The movie, which screened上映 early Tuesday morning before an enthusiastic press, traces the tumultuous ( [tju:'mʌltjuəs] I. uproarious, riotous, or turbulent a tumultuous welcome. II. greatly agitated, confused, or disturbed a tumultuous dream. III. making a loud or unruly disturbance tumultuous insurgents. ) relationship between flamboyant Vegas pianist Liberace (Douglas) and one of his much younger boyfriends, Scott Thorson (Damon). Soderbergh, with his typically seamless camerawork, punchy editing, and pleasure in recreating kitschy 1970s and '80s clothes and décor without ever veering into kitsch ( kitsch [kɪtʃ] n. 庸俗俗气的, 投大众所好的. =corny. tawdry, vulgarized, or pretentious art, literature, etc., usually with popular or sentimental appeal. Art, decorative objects and other forms of representation of questionable artistic or aesthetic value; a representation that is excessively sentimental, overdone, or vulgar. a kitsch plaster bust of Beethoven. ) himself, frames the material as a sort of same-sex Sunset Boulevard: Douglas plays the vampiric Norma Desmond role to Damon's more vulnerable version of William Holden's Joe Gillis. The love story evolves in a rather standard way, with the aging Liberace scooping up ( scoop something up 收起 to gather and remove something by scooping, dipping, or bailing. Karen scooped the nuts up and put them in a bag. Jill scooped up all the money she had won and left the poker table. ) parentless beefcake ( beefcake (lady-killer) n. (informal, uncountable) Imagery of one or more muscular, well-built men. II. (informal, countable) Such a male, especially as seen as physically desirable. cheesecake I. (countable and uncountable) A pie made of sweetened and flavoured cottage cheese or cream cheese, eggs and milk on a crunchy base. Cheesecake is an especially delicious dessert. II. 衣着暴漏的美女照. (uncountable) Imagery of one or more scantily clad, sexually attractive persons, especially young women; pin-ups. Company policy forbids displaying cheesecake in the locker rooms. beefy I. Similar to, or tasting like beef. II. Containing beef. III. 肌肉男的, 壮实的. (informal) Strong or muscular. Her boyfriend is a pretty beefy guy. The barman was a big, beefy guy with his sleeves rolled up and tattoos on his arms. IV. (informal) Sturdy; robust. The software slows down even a beefy computer. ) Thorson to be his new trophy boy( A boy a girl will get with because it will make her look good. A trophy boy is a boy a girl will hook up or sleep with because although she may not have feelings for him, he is extremely hot and it will look good on her reputation. A term used to describe a guy who has the total package, or seemingly the perfect guy. A guy who possess all of the traits that a particular girl could want in a guy (good looking, great body, athletic, intelligence, great personality, sense of humour, ambitious, talented, etc.). David Beckham, Justin Wrubel, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp are all examples of a trophy boy.) and showering him with sexual, emotional and material attention before they slip into the usual cycle of distance, drugs, jealousy, and deception. What gives their bond a real shudder of dysfunction( send shudders/a shudder down your spine to cause you to feel extremely worried or frightened: When I think of what might have happened in the accident, it sends shudders down my spine.) is the perverse extent to which Liberace's own narcissistic impulses and implicit 含蓄的 fear of death drive and shape the relationship( implicit I. not explicit; implied; indirect there was implicit criticism in his voice. II. absolute and unreserved; unquestioning. Having no doubts or reservations; unquestioning. you have implicit trust in him ). In an effort to mold Thorson into a more accurate reflection of himself, Liberace sends him to a plastic surgeon (played by a hilarious Rob Lowe), who redoes the younger man's face to resemble his mentor's. Liberace also talks of legally adopting Thorson, citing his long-simmering desire to be a father. I wish Soderbergh had occasionally slowed down to linger on the hints of horror in the romance. Behind the Candelabra, like much of the director's work, is witty, briskly paced and consistently entertaining, but it never truly delves into the darker implications of the bond it explores. Ever the prodigiously skilled craftsman, Soderbergh does a bang-up job ( bang-up Very good; excellent: did a bang-up job on the test. ) without necessarily pushing himself. What he does do, fascinatingly, is cover a key decade in gay male history and identity: The love story between Liberace and Thorson unfolds from the late '70s to the late '80s, from the confines 禁锢 of the closet to the excess and freedom of pre-AIDS-era sex and drugs, to the obsession with muscled torsos and youthful-looking faces, to the AIDS crisis, and even looking ahead to the same-sex marriage debate (there are several references to Liberace and Thorson being like a married couple, but with no legal standing). That said, there is nothing in Behind the Candelabra that explains why Soderbergh was unable to secure funding from the studios, which, according to the director, deemed the project "too gay." Consequently, the movie will air on HBO May 26, but not on American movie screens. Douglas, who shot the film right after undergoing treatment for throat cancer, plays the role with relish( with relish 兴高采烈的, 很高兴的 with pleasure or enjoyment. John put on this new coat with great relish. We accepted the offer to use their beach house with relish.), giving us a Liberace who is almost as much of a performer in his most intimate moments as he is onstage. The Hollywood executives who turned down the film should be ashamed of themselves (didn't Brokeback Mountain already break this barrier?), and will soon feel foolish for missing out on two performances that would surely have been remembered come awards season—and are now frontrunners for a potential joint Best Actor prize at Cannes. Damon, meanwhile, has the less flashy job, but the character cuts deeper. Playing a sweet-natured young stud who is initially self-conscious about starting a relationship with an older man ("I'm bisexual," he warns), the actor gradually reveals layers of tenderness, need, and panic. You sense the agonizing pull of dependence in his portrayal of Thorson, and when Liberace's eyes start wandering toward newer flesh, Damon makes you feel the sting of betrayal. One of the least fussy, most versatile, and effortlessly convincing American actors working today, Damon has never won a major acting prize. Could Steven Spielberg (who directed the actor in Saving Private Ryan) and his jury remedy that?
Did Pope Francis perform an exorcism( 驱魔, 辟邪. I. the act or process of exorcising. II. the ceremony or the formula used in exorcising. exorcise = exorcize ['ɛk sɔr,saiz, -sər] I. To expel (an evil spirit) by or as if by incantation, command, or prayer. II. To free from evil spirits or malign influences. exorcise something out of someone to remove or cast out evil from someone. We saw a movie about a priest who exorcised a demon out of a young girl. )? Is Pope Francis an exorcist? The question has bubbled up ever since Francis laid his hands on the head of a young man in a wheelchair after celebrating Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square. The young man heaved ( heave I. (tr) to lift or move with a great effort. to heave a heavy ax. II. (tr) to throw (something heavy) with effort. to heave a stone through a window. III. to utter (sounds, sighs, etc. or breathe noisily or unhappily to heave a sigh. give somebody the (old) heave ho (informal) to make someone leave a job, or to end your relationship with someone (usually passive) When sales fell, most of the staff were given the old heave ho. heave in(to) sight Fig. to move into sight in the distance. As the fog cleared, a huge ship heaved into sight. After many days of sailing, land finally heaved in sight. ) deeply a half-dozen times, convulsed and shook, and then slumped in his wheelchair as Francis prayed over him. Fuelling the speculation is Francis' obsession with Satan, a frequent subject of his homilies( homily ['homili] I. a sermon or discourse on a moral or religious topic. A sermon, especially one intended to edify a congregation on a practical matter and not intended to be a theological discourse. II. moralizing talk or writing. ), and an apparent surge in demand for exorcisms among the faithful despite the irreverent treatment the rite often receives from Hollywood.
pogo stick: A pogo stick is a device for jumping off the ground in a standing position, through the aid of a spring, or new high performance technologies, often used as a toy, exercise equipment, or extreme sports instrument. The pogo stick is currently undergoing a renaissance[rə'neisəns (US also) 'rɛnəˌsons] through its accelerated entry into the world of extreme sports via the new sport of extreme pogo or "Xpogo". It consists of a pole with a handle at the top and footrests near the bottom, and a spring located somewhere along the pole. The spring joins two sections of the pole, which extends below the footpads. The pogo stick can be steered by shifting one's weight off the centerline of the spring in the desired horizontal direction thus producing horizontal locomotion. 意外事故: The death of a seven-year-old boy whose parents said hit his head after falling off a pogo stick is now being treated as a potential homicide. Paramedics were called to the home on Mulga Road at 6am on Tuesday after receiving a triple-0 call that the boy was unconscious and not breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency services were told that the boy went to bed that night but did not wake up. Police had interviewed the boy's parents as part of their investigations, but that was routine in the death of someone so young, Chief Superintendent Shepherd said.
