用法学习: 1. class I. Best of its kind. It is the class of Italian bottled waters. University of Southern California's 7 to 0 defeat of the mighty Cardinal team ranked the victors the class of the far west. II. 优雅一点, 有风度一点, 拿出点气度来. Informal of high quality, rank, or grade. excellence or elegance, esp in dress, design, or behaviour. Admirable behavior; elegance. elegance, grace, or dignity, as in dress and behavior. that girl's got class. a class act. a class performer. Apologizing for losing your temper, even though you were badly provoked, showed real class. Nikica Jelavic shows a bit of class with nice gesture to Everton fans. Nikica Jelavic has shown a nice touch of class here, by deciding to write a letter thanking the Everton fans for their support during his two years at the club. Many players often leave on bad terms, but despite only featuring a handful of times this season, the striker has not lost any respect for the club, and he will certainly be welcomed back at Goodison Park if and when he returns. Yes he made plenty of mistakes as did many before him but as we enjoy these great times once again at Loftus Road let's as loyal supporters show a bit of class and thank the man for the positive things he achieved and not post negative issues about him and as a big club move on. 2. loopy I. having loops. A loopy rollercoaster. II. (slang) idiotic, crazy or drunk. Offbeat; crazy. slightly mad, crazy, or stupid. "a loopy grin傻笑". The movie has a certain loopy charm. describing a state of goofiness usually occurring after a long night of partying or any other activity that provokes sleep deprivation. I'm so loopy I just can't stop laughing! up in the air (about someone or something) Fig. undecided about someone or something; uncertain about someone or something. if a matter is up in the air, no decision has been made, often because other matters have to be decided first. I don't know what Sally plans to do. Things were sort of up in the air the last time we talked. Let's leave this question up in the air until next week. No cuts, no buts, no coconuts: To me, it means "no cuts" in line -- no pushing into a line/queue in front of me. "No buts" means no exceptions to the "no cuts" rule (similar to the declarative "no ifs, ands or buts" used to repel any argument). And "No coconuts" is just a goofy, rhyming ending. 3. cover [up] for someone I. 打掩护. to make excuses for someone; to conceal someone's errors. to conceal someone's wrongdoing by lying or
concealing the evidence of wrongdoing. Are you covering up for the
person who committed the crime? I wouldn't cover for anyone. If I miss class, please cover for me. If you're late, I'll cover for you. II. 照管工作. to handle someone else's work. Dr. Johnson's partner agreed to cover for him during his vacation. blow someone's cover Sl. to reveal someone's true identity; to ruin someone's scheme for concealment. The dog recognized me and blew my cover. I didn't mean to blow your cover by calling out to you. cover the territory I. Lit. to travel or deal with a specific large area. The sales manager was responsible for all of the eastern states and personally covered the territory twice each year. II. Fig. 面面俱到 (=cover a lot of ground, cover the waterfront) to deal with all matters relating to a specific topic. That lecture really covered the territory in only an hour. cover the waterfront to deal with every detail concerning a specific topic. Her talk really covered the waterfront. By the time she finished, I knew much more than I wanted to know. cover a lot of ground I. Lit. to travel over a great distance; to investigate a wide expanse of land. The prospectors covered a lot of ground, looking for gold. My car can cover a lot of ground in one day. II. Fig. to deal with much information and many facts. The history lecture covered a lot of ground today. take cover 藏身于, 掩身于 to seek shelter from gunfire or other projectiles. As soon as the firing started, we took cover behind a huge boulder. cover someone's tracks (up) to conceal one's trail; to conceal one's past activities. She was able to cover her tracks up so that they couldn't pin the charges on her. It's easy to cover up your tracks when the investigators botch their job. The robber failed to cover his tracks. 4. Dah你以为呢(我在说什么, 我在问什么)? You are quick你反应太快了(你反应可真够快的). What is the difference between please note that and be advised that? These two clauses mean basically the same thing: the reader or listener is being informed of something. The verb note in your first example is used in the sense of "take notice of." Similarly, be advised means "be informed or apprised." In both cases, the speaker or writer communicates a fact or situation. The difference lies in the level of language: be advised that is rather formal and is often encountered in commercial and legal contexts, while please note that is more informal. fit with something to harmonize with something; to go well with something. Do you think that your behavior fits with the occasion? This coat doesn't fit with these slacks. fit (somebody/something) in with somebody/something to belong with something. We must fit new buildings in with the styles and scale of buildings that have been here for two hundred years. She will fit in well with those high-powered environmental lawyers. fit in I. (transitive) To be physically capable of going into a space. To be of the right size and shape to be placed in a location. The round peg will fit into the circular hole. The plug fits in the socket. II. (figuratively, intransitive) 融入进去. To be confident in a social situation. To be of similar cultural or social status as the members of a group of people. As a retired sergeant, you should fit into the crowd at the officers' club. The recluse did not fit in at the party. slot in I. [intransitive/transitive] to fit into a narrow space, or to fit something into a narrow space. The last tile slotted in neatly. II. [transitive] to arrange a time for someone or something between other things that you have to do. We could slot you in just before our ten o'clock meeting. III. [intransitive] to fit well with a group of people or a way of life. The new members of the team slotted in easily. squeeze in I. (transitive) 挤进, 强塞进. To find time or other resources for. My appointment book is pretty full, but I can just squeeze you in. I found a time to squeeze in a meeting with you. I squeezed the meeting in. II. (intransitive) To pack tightly together. We don't have much room in this car, so everyone will have to squeeze in. III. To force in, stretch something to make something larger fit. My son was able to squeeze in the tight crawl space to retrieve the cat. 5. lose sleep over/about someone or something 失眠, 焦虑不已 Fig. to worry about someone or something a lot, sometimes when one should be sleeping. (Often used with any and the negative.) I won't be losing sleep over the national budget deficit. If I lose any sleep, it'll be more personal. Yes, Kelly is in a little bit of trouble, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over her. Don't lose any sleep over the matter. I refuse to lose sleep about it. An asteroid could hit the earth, but it's not something you should lose sleep over. James Blunt's 'You're Beautiful.': She smiled at me on the subway. She was with another man. But I won't lose no sleep on that, 'Cause I've got a plan. To be grammatically correct, the sentence should be "But I won't lose any sleep about/over that" but, as you know, songwriters invariably play fast and loose with proper grammar so that the song's rhythm and syntax can be maintained. play fast and loose with something/somebody I. (idiomatic) To ignore proper behavior or social conventions, especially when it suits one's purpose. I cannot say that there were any outright lies in the editorial, but it does play fast and loose with the truth. II. (idiomatic) To be recklessly inaccurate, inappropriate, or otherwise ignoring guidelines and conventions. to treat something or someone without enough care. Like many film-makers, he plays fast and loose with the facts to tell his own version of the story. 6. rabies [ˈreibi:z] 狂犬病; 恐水症 An acute, infectious, often fatal viral disease of most warm-blooded animals, especially wolves, cats, and dogs, that attacks the central nervous system and is transmitted by the bite of infected animals. Dogs, cats and bats can all carry rabies. Rabies, sometimes known as hydrophobia, is a deadly disease of the brain. Any animal with hair or fur (including humans) can get rabies. However, rabies is most often seen among wild animals such as raccoons浣熊, skunks and foxes. Bats are increasingly implicated in human rabies cases. Cats, dogs and livestock can also get rabies if they have not been vaccinated for rabies. You can not tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. Rabid animals show a change in their normal behavior. They may show unusual aggression, extreme depression or bizarre behavior. The virus can be contracted 感染 through the bite of an infected animal. Non-bite exposures very rarely result in rabies. People are at very low risk of getting rabies from indirect contact with an animal (such as petting( pet v. 抚摸, 宠爱 Don't be afraid to pet the dog. pat 轻拍. ) or handling animals, or contact with urine, blood or feces). If a person is exposed, contact your doctor and town health officer, and follow their instructions. Wash the bite wound throughly with soap and warm water.
新闻: 1. 勇敢女孩火中救人: Three girls will be nominated for bravery awards after they helped to evacuate a heavily pregnant woman and her young children from a burning unit block in Sydney's west. Police said the girls, aged 12, 13 and 15, showed remarkable initiative and courage(initiative I. the first step or action of a matter; commencing move: he took the initiative; a peace initiative. II. the right or power to begin or initiate something: he has the initiative. III. the ability or attitude required to begin or initiate something on one's own initiative 主动的, 自愿的 without being prompted. ) by alerting the woman who was still inside her unit in Blackett as the unit next door to hers went up in flames着火了. The girls helped the woman, who was 40 weeks pregnant, and her children, aged one, three and five, to safety before firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze, which completely destroyed the unit next door. The younger girl phoned triple-0, while the two other girls helped to evacuate the pregnant woman and her children. Paramedics treated the pregnant woman for shock, along with the owner of the burnt unit, who was taken to Blacktown Hospital for assessment. 3. 开飞机睡着: Twenty minutes later he entered Sydney airspace进入悉尼空域 north of Brooklyn Bridge without clearance, and several thousand feet higher than he should have been, prompting Brisbane Centre air traffic control to issue a safety alert that forced two inbound Sydney flights to fly higher than normal to keep sufficiently clear of the Cessna. Sydney Approach air traffic control also put an air ambulance flight and a scheduled public transport flight on notice to maintain a visual lookout for the small plane. The ATSB report noted air traffic controllers had "concerns as to the intentions of the pilot". Mr Cusato was blissfully unaware until he woke with a shock to realise he was in Sydney airspace with no memory of anything after receiving the clearance to enter Williamtown airspace. "It freaked me out," Mr Cusato said. "When I realised where I was I was well into the flight paths 飞行路线 of some of the jets." Mr Cusato, who has 3000 hours flying experience, began a descent 下降 to 2500 feet to regain his original flight path, and broadcast his position on the Warnervale common traffic advisory frequency in case the Cessna posed a risk to other traffic in the area. During the descent he listened to Brisbane, Williamtown and Sydney frequencies and was relieved 松了一口气 there did not appear to have been any issues看起来好像没有任何问题 over Williamtown airspace while he was sleeping. "I understand why they decided to ground me," Mr Cusato said. "If they know a guy's fallen asleep then that obviously has to be investigated. It happened to me, and I never thought it would." Medical tests including sleep apnoea and fatigue tests and a submission have been referred to CASA, which is assessing the material. Mr Cusato said he had had little sleep几乎没怎么睡 before he made the flight, and was feeling unwell. "I was quite lucky I did get pinged ( hit with a pinging noise. make a short high-pitched sound; "the bullet pinged when they struck the car". "The bugs pinged the lamp shade". ) in controlled airspace because I was being monitored. It was serious, and of course I am very lucky no one else was involved," he said. Mr Cusato, a country and western music fan who was elected to Port Macquarie and Hastings Council in 2012, said he could not remember the song he was listening to when he nodded off打瞌睡. 布莱德皮特突访: The actor's trip to Australia comes hot on the heels of紧跟着 the news that he'll be teaming with Oprah Winfrey to produce an upcoming biopic of American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Winfrey is taking a behind-the-scenes role for a movie titled Selma, which focuses on protest marches led by King in Alabama in the 1960s. Winfrey's new venture puts her alongside Pitt and his production company Plan B, which is currently enjoying a successful run with Oscar-nominated film 12 Years A Slave.
政府资助炒作 - Nicole Kidman accidentally appeared a beneficiary 受益者 of taxpayer money to promote The Railway Man: Screen Australia: Chief executive Graeme Mason said an error on the film agency's website made it appear that 搞的好像 (make I. (intransitive, now mostly colloquial) To behave, to act. To make like a deer caught 看起来好像是要 in the headlights. They made nice together装的好像, as if their fight never happened. He made as if to punch him弄得好像是要, 搞的好像是要, but they both laughed and shook hands. II. To construct or produce. We made a bird feeder for our yard. I'll make a man out of him yet. III. 作曲. 写遗嘱. To write or compose. I made a poem for her wedding. He made a will. IV. To bring about. make war. They were just a bunch of ne'er-do-wells who went around making trouble for honest men. ne'er-do-well 无所事事的, 闲极无聊的, 一无是处的人, 什么都干不好的人 adj&n. A worthless, good for nothing person. An idle, irresponsible person. useless; worthless: your ne'er-do-well schemes. V. (intransitive) make for/against To tend; to contribute; to have effect; with for or against. Follow after the things which make for peace. It makes for his advantage. VI. To constitute. They make a cute couple. This makes the third infraction. One swallow does not a summer make. VII. (intransitive, construed with of, typically interrogative) 怎么解释, 怎么理解. 怎么看待. 你的看法. To interpret. I don't know what to make of it. VIII. (transitive, usually stressed) To bring into success. This company is what made you. She married into wealth and so has it made. IX. (transitive, second object is an adjective or participle) To cause to be. The citizens made their objections clear. This might make you a bit woozy. Did I make myself heard? Scotch will make you a man. X. 搞的你好象. To cause to appear to be; to represent as. He is not that goose and ass that Valla would make him. XI. (transitive, second object is a verb) To cause (to do something); to compel (to do something). You're making her cry. I was made to feel like a criminal. XII. 迫使, 强迫.(transitive, second object is a verb, can be stressed for emphasis or clarity) To force to do. The teacher made the student study. Don't let them make you suffer. XIII. (transitive, of a fact) To indicate or suggest to be. His past mistakes don't make him a bad person. XIV. 铺床. (transitive, of a bed) To cover neatly with bedclothes. XV. (transitive, US slang) To recognise, identify. XVI. (transitive, colloquial) To arrive at a destination, usually at or by a certain time. We should make Cincinnati by 7 tonight. Mr Cusato said he had had little sleep几乎没怎么睡 before he made the flight, and was feeling unwell. XVII. (intransitive, colloquial) To proceed (in a direction). 掉头, 转向 They made westward over the snowy mountains. Make for the hills! It's a wildfire! They made away from the fire toward the river. XVIII. (transitive) To cover (a given distance) by travelling. I made over twenty miles that day, for I was now hardened to fatigue and accustomed to long hikes, having spent considerable time hunting and exploring in the immediate vicinity of camp. XIX. (transitive) 可以跑 To move at (a speed). The ship could make 20 knots an hour in calm seas. This baby can make 220 miles an hour. XX. To appoint; to name. Benedict XIII made him bishop of Noyon; XXI. (transitive, slang) To induct into the Mafia or a similar organization (as a made man). XXII. (intransitive, colloquial, euphemistic) To defecate or urinate. XXIII. (transitive) To earn, to gain (money, points, membership or status). You have to spend money to make money! He made twenty bucks playing poker last night. They hope to make a bigger profit. She makes more than he does, and works longer hours than he does, but she still does most of the house-cleaning. He didn't make the choir after his voice changed. She made ten points in that game. XXIV. (transitive) To pay, to cover (an expense); chiefly used after expressions of inability. So you can't make payroll. This happens. […] many business owners who have never confronted it before will be forced to deal with this most difficult matter of not making payroll. At first glance, you may be able to make rent and other overhead expenses because the business is doing well, but if sales drop can you still make rent? XXV. (obsolete, intransitive) To compose verses; to write poetry; to versify. XXVI. To enact; to establish. XXVII. To develop into; to prove to be. She'll make a fine president. XXVIII. To form or formulate in the mind. make plans. made a questionable decision. make do I. (intransitive, idiomatic, informal) to survive, get by with, or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources). There is barely enough money, so we will have to make do with what we have. II. (transitive, informal) to put into action. Make the movie do! (Put on the movie!) Brandon's makin' the grill do so we can get to eatin'. III. (transitive, informal) 将就用, 因陋就简, 勉强用. To use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose. It is not the same hide but we make it do. You work harder to make it into good leather and harder to make it into good shoes, and we get by. make it do or do without If you don't have a lot of money, extend the life of what you have. use it up wear it out make it do or do without. get by 存活, 将就, 勉强度日 (intransitive, idiomatic) To subsist; to succeed, survive, or manage, at least at a minimal level. Do you think they can get by on only one salary? eke out I. (transitive) to supplement. The old man eked out his pension by selling vegetables from his garden. II. (transitive) To obtain with difficulty or effort. He eked out a living艰难度日 selling vegetables from the garden. get along I. (intransitive, idiomatic, often followed by with) 合得来. = hit it off. To interact or coexist well, without argument or trouble. I wish the kids would get along better. She never did get along with her brother. II. (idiomatic) To survive; to do well enough. She didn't have a lot of money, but she had enough to get along. go along to get along 无可无不可的, 不挑剔的, 什么样都可以的, 怎么都行的. 听话, 顺从的 (idiomatic) To conform in order to have acceptance and security. Don invented a myth of himself, then made it a reality, and he had the
stupidity—or the intelligence—to never stop believing in the myth. Lane
Pryce, a go-along-to-get-along guy if ever there was one, doesn't
have that myth. All he has is the ability to give and give and give
until there's nothing more to take. Nobody wanted to speak out of turn. Nobody wanted to go against the prevailing wisdom 一般共识. 随大流, 不特立独行. Everyone wanted to go along to get along. That's how you got promoted in the IMF. speak/talk out of turn 谨言慎行, 别说不该说的 (slightly formal) to say something that you should not have said or that you did not have the authority to say. to say something unwise or imprudent; to say something at the wrong time. Excuse me if I'm speaking out of turn, but what you are proposing is quite wrong. Bob was quite honest, even if he was speaking out of turn. I'm sorry if I spoke out of turn, but somebody had to tell him the facts. prevailing I. generally accepted; widespread. the prevailing opinion大众意见. II. most frequent or conspicuous; predominant. the prevailing wind is from the north. We all need to think for ourselves, and question the prevailing wisdom of economists, experts and politicians. Let us be weary, be smart, and take the time to weigh the risks and rewards. The prevailing wisdom regarding how exactly one wins the Iowa caucuses has been the same for some time: plant yourself in the Hawkeye State from August until January and talk about nothing but good, old fashioned religion [...]. Since Jesus knew His time on earth would be limited, prevailing wisdom would say that He should choose religious leaders [...]. ) Nicole Kidman rather than producer Chris Brown had received a travel grant旅行资助 to launch The Railway Man, director Jonathan Teplitzky's drama about a former soldier tracking down his Japanese torturer decades after World War II. Mr Mason said Brown received $15,000 in travel grants to support the film at its world premiere, which was attended by the film's two stars, Kidman and Colin Firth, and Patti Lomax, the widow of Eric Lomax, whose autobiography was adapted for the film. "Because you had a couple of international stars and because it was in one of the three most important film festivals in the world, there was an application made to get some of those people together to do as much work as they could to promote the film." "There are hundreds of films in Toronto and a lot of them have stars. So if your stars aren't there, it can reflect badly on the film. "We are indebted to 亏欠 people like Nicole and Colin Firth to travel to support our films. That can make or break a smaller project and those people aren't getting recompensed for(recompense (ˈrɛkəmˌpɛns) vb I. (tr) 报酬. 报偿. to pay or reward for service, work, etc. II. 补偿. (tr) to compensate for loss, injury, etc. recompensed their injuries. n I. compensation for loss, injury, etc: recompensed the victims of the accident. to make recompense. II. reward, remuneration, or repayment. recompense someone for something to (re)pay someone for something. I am required to recompense Mrs. Wilson for her broken window. Can I recompense you for your expenses? ) their work in line with 相匹配的, 相当的 what they normally get. "By generating buzz and excitement, you drive sales, which drives revenue," he said. "It drives people to buy the movies then release them; it also drives audience interest." 此电影男主角的采访: "I've never felt entirely English," says the actor who received an Academy Award in 2011 for his portrayal of the king and his struggle with a stammer. Firth's had a culturally diverse life – his parents were brought up in India, as a child he lived in Nigeria and, since 1997, he's been married to Italian creative director Livia Giuggioli. "I've never felt I quite slotted in (slot in I. [intransitive/transitive] to fit into a narrow space, or to fit something into a narrow space. The last tile slotted in neatly. II. [transitive] to arrange a time for someone or something between other things that you have to do. We could slot you in just before our ten o'clock meeting. III. [intransitive] to fit well with a group of people or a way of life. The new members of the team slotted in easily.) perfectly. Perhaps that's why it [acting] all happened," he says, looking particularly British in a black jacket, smart white shirt and square-framed glasses. "You put on a mask, an identity, and it fits all too well. I might be like one of those ex-patriots who seem more British than the people who actually live in Britain." Then he starts to chuckle. Eric, played by Firth, was eventually set free but suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, which he later described in his autobiography, The Railway Man, released in 1995. While Eric had a dark past, there was one thing that always made him smile让他心情舒畅 – trains. From a young age he was fascinated with the railway. "He had such a twinkle两眼放光 when he talked about it," notes Firth of Eric, who died, aged 93, in 2012. 关于Colin Firth from wiki: Identified in the late 1980s with the 'Brit Pack' of new young British actors headed by Gary Oldman, Firth's rise to stardom 成名之路 progressed at a slower pace than many of his contemporaries同时代的人. Colin Firth plays King George VI who, to cope with a stammer(Stuttering ([ˈstʌtərɪŋ]), also known as stammering ([ˈstæmərɪŋ]), is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses or blocks阻塞 in which the person who stutters is unable to produce sounds. The term stuttering is most commonly associated with involuntary sound repetition, but it also encompasses the abnormal hesitation or pausing before speech, referred to by people who stutter as blocks, and the prolongation of certain sounds, usually vowels and semivowels. For many people who stutter, repetition is the primary problem. Blocks and prolongations are learned mechanisms to mask repetition, as the fear of repetitive speaking in public is often the main cause of psychological unease. The term "stuttering" covers a wide range of severity, encompassing barely perceptible impediments that are largely cosmetic to severe symptoms that effectively prevent oral communication.), sees Lionel Logue看医生, an Australian speech and language therapist played by Geoffrey Rush. The men become friends as they work together, and after his brother abdicates the throne, the new King relies on Logue to help him make his first wartime radio broadcast on Britain's declaration of war on Germany in 1939. Seidler read about George VI's life after overcoming a stuttering condition he endured during his youth. He started writing about the relationship between the monarch and his therapist as early as the 1980s, but at the request of the King's widow, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, postponed work until her death in 2002. Nine weeks before filming began, Logue's notebooks were discovered and quotations from them were incorporated into the script. 泰国政局谁输了?: Thailand, Southeast Asia's most developed and sophisticated economy, is teetering on the edge of the political abyss 政治深渊(abyss (ə'bis) I. (Physical Geography) a very deep or unfathomable gorge or chasm. II. anything that appears to be endless or immeasurably deep, such as time, despair, or shame. III. (Theology) hell or the infernal regions conceived of as a bottomless pit.). Yet most of the rest of Asia appears to be averting its eyes from 目光转向 the country's ongoing and increasingly anarchic ( I. a. Of, like, or supporting anarchy: anarchic oratory. b. Likely to produce or result in anarchy. II. 混乱无序的. 乱糟糟的. Lacking order or control: an anarchic state of affairs in the office; an anarchic mobile sculpture. ) unrest. That indifference is not only foolish; it is dangerous. Asia's democracies now risk confronting the same harsh question that the United States faced when Mao Zedong marched into Beijing, and again when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ousted the Shah in Iran. Who, they will have to ask, lost Thailand? Much of the world is wondering how such a successful economy could allow its politics to spin out of control. What accounts for the armies of protesters – distinguished, gang-like, by the color of their shirts – whose mutual antipathy互不同情 often borders on 近乎 nihilistic rage(nihilism (ˈnaiəˌlizəm) n. 虚无主义. 怀疑一切论, 极端怀疑论. 否定一切论. a complete denial of all established authority and institutions.)? The roots 根源 of the current unrest extend back more than a decade, to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's first electoral victory in 2001. Thaksin's triumph did not represent the normal alternation in power that one finds in a democracy. Instead, his victory heralded the political rise 政治撅起 of the country's poor, long-silenced rural majority. Bangkok's entrenched elite recoiled 蜷缩 ( I. To spring back, as upon firing. II. To shrink back, as in fear or repugnance. II. To fall back; return ) in alarm. But, instead of learning to compete with Thaksin for the votes of Thailand's rural poor, the country's urban elite (including the powerful military) sought to寻求 delegitimize his rule. When he was re-elected by an even larger majority, his government was overthrown政权推翻, his political party was banned by the Supreme Court, and he was forced to flee the country after corruption charges against him led to a criminal conviction. Yet Thaksin's supporters did not abandon him. When Thailand's military returned to their barracks, many Thai citizens voted for Thaksin at one remove, with his sister – Yingluck Shinawatra, a long-time executive at Thaksin's communications firm – becoming Prime Minister, supported by a powerful parliamentary majority. For much of her term in office, Yingluck garnered praise for her pragmatism果断, 果敢, and for seeking to ameliorate ( ameliorate (əˈmi:ljə,reit) vb to make or become better; improve. ameliorable adj. ameliorant n. ameliorative adj. ameliorator n. Usage: Ameliorate is often wrongly used where alleviate is meant. Ameliorate is properly used to mean 'improve', not 'make easier to bear', so one should talk about alleviating pain or hardship, not ameliorating it. ) the antagonism ( antagonism (ænˈtæɡə,nizəm) 对抗, 敌对. n. I. openly expressed and usually mutual opposition. II. the inhibiting or nullifying action of one substance or organism on another. ) of her opponents. But that praise and success appears to have bred a form of hubris 滋生出一种傲慢(hubris ('hju:bris) or hybris n. pride or arrogance.). She proposed an amnesty law that would have not only pardoned opposition leaders, including Abhisit Vejjajiva, her predecessor as prime minister (who faces murder charges), but allowed her brother to return to the country. And, in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling, she sought a constitutional amendment修宪 that would make the Senate, whose members are appointed, an elected body. The opposition, sensing that its moment had arrived, launched a wave of street protests. Yingluck, in an effort to defuse the situation, called for a parliamentary election in February. But the opposition has rejected this and says that it will boycott the vote. It fears – rightly, most people suspect – that the Thaksin camp will be returned to power in any free and fair vote. So, in essence, what is happening in Thailand is an attempted nullification of democracy by the opposition and the country's entrenched elite. Unable to compete successfully with Thaksin for votes, they now want to dilute Thai democracy in order to prevent the electorate from ever again choosing a government that goes against their will. If Thailand were an insignificant country with little geostrategic weight 地缘政治的重要性, its problems might not matter as much as they do to the rest of Asia. But Thailand is Southeast Asia's lynchpin economy(linchpin= lynchpin (ˈlintʃˌpin) 中枢 n. I. a pin inserted through the end of an axletree to keep the wheel on. A locking pin inserted in the end of a shaft, as in an axle, to prevent a wheel from slipping off. II. something that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together. A central cohesive element: Reduced spending is the linchpin of their economic program.). It is a key partner for Myanmar (Burma) as it makes its own political and economic transition, and it is a hub for trade with neighboring Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. But the biggest reason that Thailand matters for Asia's democracies is fierce competition for influence between a rising China and the democratic world. Until now, Thailand has been a firm member of the democratic camp. Its military is mostly trained by the United States; indeed, it was the key staging point驻军地点 for the US during the Vietnam War. Likewise, Japan and India have long regarded Thailand as a democratic bulwark ( bulwark (ˈbulwək) 防御工事, 防卫 I. A wall or embankment raised as a defensive fortification; a rampart. II. Something serving as a defense or safeguard: "We have seen the necessity of the Union, as our bulwark against foreign danger" (James Madison). III. A breakwater. IV. The part of a ship's side that is above the upper deck. Often used in the plural. bulwark, barricade, breastwork, earthwork, rampart, bastion, parapet: These nouns refer literally to structures used as a defense against attack. A bulwark can be a mound of earth, an embankment, or a wall-like fortification. Barricade usually implies hasty construction to meet an imminent threat. Breastwork denotes a low defensive wall, especially a temporary one hurriedly built. Earthwork is a defensive construction of earth. A rampart 防御工事, 防御土墙, the main defensive structure around a guarded place, is permanent, high, and broad. A bastion is a projecting section of a fortification from which defenders have a wide range of view and fire. Parapet applies to any low fortification, typically a wall atop a rampart. Of these words bulwark and bastion are the most frequently used to refer figuratively to something regarded as being a safeguard or a source of protection: "The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over its government" (Franklin D. Roosevelt). A free press is one of the bastions of a democracy.) in a neighborhood where some regimes – Cambodia and Laos – are firmly under China's hegemonic sway ( hegemony (hiˈɡɛməni) 支配, 霸权 The predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others. Usage Note: Hegemony may be stressed on either the first or second syllable, though the pronunciation with stress on the second syllable may be winning out. Seventy-two percent of the Usage Panel prefers it. ). Indeed, its government has proved to be a strong supporter of Myanmar's president, Thein Sein, as he seeks to free his country from China's tight embrace. By standing aside as Thailand's opposition and traditional elite seek to undermine the country's democracy in the name of a permanent right to rule, Asia's democracies risk driving some elements of the Thaksin camp into the arms of China, which would happily accept the role of patron to so potent a political force. But this need not happen. Thailand's military has long and respectful ties not only with the US military, but with officers in Japan as well. Thailand's opposition politicians, many of whom were educated at top Western universities, may also be open to quiet advice that they are pushing things too far, not only putting Thailand's stability 稳定, 安定, 安稳 at risk, but also jeopardizing regional security. Just as, a decade ago, the West objected to the efforts of Turkey's entrenched secular elite to rob Recep Tayyip Erdosan's mildly Islamist AKP party of its democratic victory, it needs to speak clearly today in defense of Thai democracy. The opposition's claim that it is acting in the interests of the world's democracies needs to be rebutted. Thaksin may be no saint, and some constitutional reform will be needed if political reconciliation 政治妥协 is to come about. But Thaksin's governments, like that of his sister, have kept China at one remove ( "All bankers' remuneration packages greater than the Prime Minister's — say £200,000 — should be publicly declared, just as directors' are. Like MPs and BBC executives, bankers depend, albeit at one remove, on the taxpayer and should not be allowed to hide what they earn." It is the use of 'remove' as a noun, meaning "a degree of remoteness or separation" "At this remove, the whole incident seems ridiculous." If I am a shopkeeper/hair dresser/mow lawns for a living, there is a direct exchange of the customer's cash for my goods or services. In contrast, I earn a salary, and pay my TV licence fee, and that money goes to the BBC to provide the national services...and BBC employees, including BBC executives, are paid from that money. There is a degree of separation from my paying a licence fee at a post office, to the BBC executives receiving their salaries from this. Similarly, I deposit money at a bank for safe keeping and interest earned on my capital; the bank makes money by lending the money at higher interest rates, and so is able to pay the people who work in the bank - the 'bankers'. So, the bankers depend on me, depend on people depositing money with them, but not directly: unlike handing my money directly to the man who mows my lawn for his services, I give my money to the bank, and the bank then pays their employees, the 'bankers'. So, they depend on me, but 'at one remove' - the bank as an institution stands between me and its employees. Compare, 'six degrees of separation'. Six degrees of separation is the theory that everyone and everything is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world, so that a chain of "a friend of a friend" statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps. It was originally set out by Frigyes Karinthy and popularized by a play written by John Guare. The phrase "six degrees of separation" is often used as a synonym for the idea of the "small world" phenomenon. ) from influence. That is the key strategic interest that is now at stake. Should Yingluck be ousted in a coup, or should the country's democracy be hollowed out to preclude her return to power, the Shinawatras may be left with no choice but to seek support from Thailand's giant neighbor to the north. If that happens, we will all know who lost Thailand. We did. 3. Prank goes wrong: Sam Minogue had been "living the dream事实现梦想" travelling around Queensland with two of his mates as part of a world trip. This was shattered in a moment of madness on a dirt track 60km north of Charters Towers. The trio pulled over about 9pm on Monday so Mr Minogue, 23, could urinate. Police will allege his 24-year-old mate behind the wheel of the four-wheel-drive decided to play a joke by driving forward, pretending to leave him behind. According to investigators, the prank took a tragic turn when the driver allegedly reversed, hitting Mr Minogue and leaving him with severe head injuries. With no mobile phone reception, the men drove Mr Minogue to Charters Towers Hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival. "He was always happy and his favourite saying was that he was 'living the dream' in Queensland," his sister Lauren said. Mr Minogue's father, Shane, said he could not single out a favourite memory of his son as the "whole past 23 years" stood out. Sam Minogue was making his way to Cairns having just finished a stint as a plumber at Airlie Beach. Asia was next on his agenda, while London was beckoning next year so he could meet up with his older sister. Ms Minogue described her brother as a larrikin who claimed in high school it was "time efficient" to share homework with his friends.
