用法学习: 1. go to bat for someone Fig. to support or help someone. I tried to go
to bat for Bill, but he said he didn't want any help. I heard them
gossiping about Sally, so I went to bat for her. At the risk of igniting the fury the anti-bread types (who accused me of "being in with the evil 和魔鬼交朋友, 和恶魔来往, 和恶魔交好 ( be/get in with sb 交好, 交朋友, 来往 To be on terms of friendship, familiarity, or intimacy with; to secure and retain the favor of. to be or become popular or friendly with someone: He's trying to get in with the teachers. be in good/bad odor with someone Be in or out of favor with someone: the players were in bad odor with the fans. if you are in bad odour with someone, they are angry with you because of something you have done (often + with ) He's in bad odour with his business partners for having pulled out of the deal at the last minute. ) wheat industry" the last time I had the audacity ( 有胆, 有勇气 the confidence to say or do what you want, despite difficulties, risks, or the negative attitudes of other people. have the audacity to do something: She had the audacity to tell him off. audacious done with extreme confidence, despite difficulties, risks, or the negative attitudes of other people. an audacious plan to take control of the company. a. used about people. a group of audacious young writers. ) to say I liked bread), I am going into bat for the great Australian burger. 名人儿子跌悬崖而亡: The twins had recently completed year 10 at the private St Bede's school in Hailsham. Both starred in the school's production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, starring Arthur as villainous 邪恶的, 坏人的 sidekick Borachio, which the school's website said he "played with panache( [pəˈnæʃ] an impressive way of doing something that shows great skill and confidence. The first few songs are played with typical panache.)". 2. 精英大学毕业生不一定高收入: Group of Eight executive director Vicki Thomson said the results left heads of the elite universities "disappointed and perplexed". "We absolutely question the veracity 真实性, 可靠性 ( [vəˈræsəti] truth, or honesty. ) of the methodology adopted采用的," Ms Thomson told the newspaper. Students who graduate from Australia's 'Group of Eight' elite universities will not make more money in the workforce than their peers at other tertiary institutions, a new report has revealed. The survey revealed students who attended a university that is part of the 'innovative research universities, such as La Trobe University or Griffith University had a 15 percent earnings premium 收入多 compared to the 'Group of Eight'. 搞笑视频: Whether it's a pushy dad, a berating mother or in the case of one US
parent, who kicked a giant football into his son's head - a flippant (不严肃的. 爱打爱闹的, 爱开玩笑的. 没正形的. treating a serious subject or situation in a way that is not serious, especially when this annoys other people. His flippant remarks only made the judge angrier.)
father. The bad dad ruled himself out as a candidate
for Father of the Year after flooring his toddler by lobbing the giant
ball onto the unwitting youngster's melon during a backyard kick-around
gone wrong. 3. Who split the bill (平分费用, 均摊, 分摊) 谁出钱了? "Going Dutch" is a term that indicates that each person participating in a group activity pays for themselves, rather than any person paying for anyone else, particularly in a restaurant bill. It is also called Dutch date, Dutch treat (the oldest form) and "doing Dutch".
There are two possible senses—each person paying their own expenses, or the entire bill being split (divided evenly) between all participants. In strict usage, "Going Dutch" refers to the former, paying one's own expenses, and the latter is referred to as "splitting the bill(pay the bill 买单, 埋单, 付账, 付钱)", but in casual usage these may both be referred to as "going Dutch". The Oxford English Dictionary connects "go Dutch" with "Dutch treat" and other phrases many of which have "an opprobrious or derisive application, largely due to the rivalry and enmity敌对 between the English and Dutch in the 17th century," the period of the Anglo-Dutch Wars. Another example is "Dutch courage". The gambling term "dutching" may be related to "go Dutch", as it describes a system that shares stakes across a number of bets. It is commonly believed, however, that the Dutch reference here was in fact derived from a gangster, Dutch Schultz, who used this strategy to profit from racing. The Dutch are also stereotyped as being "stingy" or "tight-fisted"( not generous with money. not willing to spend or give much money; miserly. "tight-fisted to the point of miserliness". tight-assed I. inhibited, repressed, or excessively conventional. "a tight-assed good guy who believes himself so superior that he does not want to behave badly". II. unwilling to spend money; stingy or miserly. "firms can be liberal 大方的, 不吝啬的, 不吝惜钱的, 不在乎钱的 in spending money on equipment but tight-assed regarding people". liberal I. accepting different opinions and ways of behaving and tending to be sympathetic to other people. Their views on marriage and divorce are very liberal. a. believing in social or political change if most people want it. liberal politicians. b. used about societies, institutions etc that allow people a lot of personal freedom. We live in a liberal democracy. The government has promised more liberal economic policies if it is elected. II. a liberal amount 不限量的, 大量供应的, 随便喝的 is large and generous. There was a liberal supply of food and wine. a. generous with something. liberal with (in doing sth): He was always quite liberal with his cash. III. not strict or exact. I admitted to a rather liberal 自由随意的, 不经心的 interpretation of the rules. IV. a liberal education involves learning about a wide variety of things. generous to someone 对...大方: Billy was very generous to people who had less than he did. generous with在...方面大方, 不吝时间, 不吝金钱, 不吝才华: Lawyers have been generous with their time and talents. generous of someone (to do something): That's very generous of you. I. a generous present is larger or more expensive than is usual or expected. The committee expressed thanks to everyone for their generous donations. a generous 出手大方的, 慷慨解囊的 gift. a. a generous action 花费重金的, 不吝时间的 takes more time or effort than is usual or expected. a generous gesture. II. a generous amount is larger than is usual or necessary. a generous helping of salad. a generous court settlement. There are generous discounts to groups of ten or more. III. kind, friendly, and helpful. Thank you for your generous comments. too clever/nice/generous etc. for your own good 聪明过头, 人好的过头, 慷慨过头 so clever/nice/generous etc. that it is a disadvantage instead of an advantage. Alex is a little bit too clever for his own good. you're too kind/generous used for thanking someone in a way that is very polite but not completely sincere. "There'll be a reward for you, Burton." "You are too kind, sir.".) which may have contributed to the phrase. liberal arts ( sciences 理学. college of engineering工学院, college of fine arts 艺术学院, college of science理学院, college of humanities and social sciences人文学院, 社科学院 ): Working towards a baccalaureate degree in the Arts or Sciences involves taking courses in what are traditionally referred to as the "liberal" arts. This means that your courses will be in general areas of study--philosophy, mathematics, literature, art history, economics, languages, and so on--rather than in applied or specialized fields. A liberal arts education is not intended to train you for a specific job, though it does prepare you for the world of work by providing you with an invaluable set of employability skills, including the ability to think for yourself, the skills to communicate effectively, and the capacity for lifelong learning. fine arts: Historically, the five main fine arts were painting, sculpture, architecture, music and poetry, with performing arts including theater and dance. Today, the fine arts commonly include additional forms, such as film, photography, conceptual art, and printmaking. 4. rude I. it is rude to do something: It's rude to keep people waiting. downright rude (=extremely rude): The way she stared was downright rude. a. offensive a rude word/joke/gesture 粗鲁的: He knows a few rude words in Italian. II. mainly literary used about things that happen suddenly and have a strong effect on you. a rude surprise/shock. It's been a rude shock to some of the locals (human and otherwise) but there are plenty of punters keen to have a happy frolic in the unprecedented dump降雪, which has even seen parts of Queensland blanketed in white. rude health very good health. He was seventy-five, and still in rude health. a rude awakening If you have a rude awakening, you have a shock when you discover the truth about a situation. a shock that comes from learning that what you had believed or expected is not true. They expected a friendly reception but were in for a rude awakening. 短句: According to the NYU Langone Medical Center, the fundamental reason根本原因 for the lack of published research on osteopathic treatment is the inability to employ double-blind, placebo-controlled trials(Double-blind trials are thought to produce objective results, since the expectations of the researcher and the participant about the experimental treatment such as a drug do not affect the outcome. Also called double-masked. ) when studying osteopathic manipulation, since researchers are unable to blind both the practitioner and the patient. 5. How did you scam (swindle) 骗出来的, 骗到手的 ( How to scam a free pizza from Pizza Hut! ) a free upgrade to business class? Did you trade off the show's name (trade sth off
for sth I. 牺牲掉. 放弃掉. to sacrifice
something in an exchange. They traded off a positive rate of inflation for a lower unemployment rate. You may end up trading job security off for
more money. Don't trade off your job security. II. to accept something bad in order to have something good. They are uneasy with trading off future revenue 牺牲 for easy cash
now. trade off To take turns: My roommate and I trade off washing the dishes. trade-off 牺牲 a balance achieved between two desirable but incompatible features; a compromise. Any situation in which the quality or quantity of one thing must be decreased for another to be increased. In writing, there's often a trade-off between being concise and being complete. "a trade-off between objectivity and relevance". prostitute something/yourself 出卖 to use your skills, abilities, etc. to do something that earns you money but that other people do not respect because you are capable of doing something better Many felt he was prostituting his talents by writing Hollywood scripts. How can you prostitute the name of the show to get a free upgrade? ) to get that? Did you drop the show's name? luck of the draw 中乐透了, 中大奖了 the results of chance; the lack of any choice. Why do I always end up with the luck of the draw? The team was assembled by chance. It was just the luck of the draw that we could work so well together. creed [kri:d] I. a set of religious beliefs. People of all races, colours, and creeds have to live together 宗教信仰. a. a set of beliefs about how people should live or behave. a radical political creed. pimply 疙疙瘩瘩的, 满脸青春痘的: having many pimples. 6. The will to live 生存意志, 生存欲望 is a psychological force to fight for survival seen as an important and active process of conscious and unconscious reasoning. This occurs particularly when one's own life is threatened by a serious injury or disease. The idea in which someone who is on the threshold of death may consciously or unconsciously try to stay alive through the belief that they have a reason or something to live for, along with giving up on the will to live. There are significant correlations between the will to live and existential, psychological, social, and physical sources of distress. The concept of the will to live can be seen as directly impacted by hope. Many, who overcome near-death experiences with no explanation, have described concepts such as the will to live as a direct component of their survival. The difference between the wish to die versus the wish to live is also a unique risk factor for suicide.
Friends: 1. Chandler: What? No, I want to watch this. (He turns on the television and the screen is completely covered in snow 电视雪花). Did your cable go out? Joey: No, that's VH-1. I gotta tell you, the music these kids listen to today . . . It's like a lotta noise to me. I don't know… Chandler: Joey, why is your cable out? Joey: I uh, oh! Because, uh, I haven't really paid the bill. Chandler: If you need money, will you please just let me loan 借钱 you some money? Joey: No, Chandler. Look, forget about it, okay? Look, I know things have been a little tight since Janine moved out. Oh, was she hot. 2. Monica: (laughing harder) Nothing, I'm just trying to recreate some of the fun that we had at my place the other day. (To Phoebe) Remember, when you picked Rachel over me? That was funny. Phoebe: I guess it was kinda funny. Monica: (angrily) It wasn't funny at all! Why would you do that? Why didn't you pick me? Phoebe: Fine. The reason that I was leaning a little bit more 倾向于 toward Rachel than you is just that you're … just … kinda high maintenance( Requiring a lot of attention. When describing a person, high-maintenance usually means that the individual is emotionally needy or prone to over-dramatizing a situation to gain attention. Although he was a nice boy, his low self-esteem made him high-maintenance. )—Okay let's go to lunch! Monica: That is completely untrue. You think I'm high maintenance? Okay, prove it. I want you to make a list and we're going to go through it point by point! Phoebe: No, okay, you're right. You're easy-going. You're just not as easy-going as Rachel. She's just more flexible and mellow. That's all. Rachel: (To Monica) Well, people are different. Phoebe: Ya, you know, Rachel … she'll do whatever you want. Y'know, you can just walk all over her随便欺负. Rachel: What? Wait a minute. What are you saying, that I'm a pushover 受气包? I'm not a pushover. Phoebe: Oh, okay, (laughing) you're not a pushover. 3. Ross: (showing the Playboy magazine to Gunther) Oh, hey, Gunther, check this out. (Gunther looks at the joke and laughs.) Gunther: Yeah, that Chandler cracks me up让我笑不停. 4. Chandler: So is your apron. You're wearing it like a cape. Joey: I mean, the job's easy and the money's good, you know? I guess I'm going to be hanging out here anyway. I might as well get paid for it, right? I just feel kind of weird serving you guys. Rachel: Come on, Joey, I did it and it was fine. Ross: Yeah, why would it be weird? Hey, Joey, can I get some coffee? Joey: Okay, I guess it doesn't seem that weird. Ross: Seriously, I asked you before and you still haven't gotten it. Joey: See, now it's weird again. Chandler: I think it's great that you work here. You're going to make a lot of money, and here's your first tip: Don't eat yellow snow. (He laughs, then picks up a pen, glares at Ross, and writes in his journal). Ah ha ha, 2:15, coffeehouse. Rachel: Well, you know what? This is great. Finally, I have someone I can pass on my wisdom too. Let me tell you about a couple of things I learned while working at the coffeehouse. First of all, the customer is always right. (Joey nods.) A smile goes a long way. (Joey smiles) And if anyone is ever rude to you? Sneeze muffin. Joey: Thanks, Rach. Look, you guys are just terrific. Y'know? Now, how about clearing out of here so I can get some new customers. It's all about turnover(I. [countable/uncountable] 营业额(revenue). the value of the goods and services that a company sells in a particular period of time. a company with an annual turnover of over £150 million. II. [countable/uncountable] 流转率, 流动率 the rate at which people leave a place and new people arrive. a high turnover of staff/personnel. a. business the rate at which a shop sells products. III. [countable] a sweet food like a small pie, filled with fruit. a cherry turnover.). Ross: Joey, seriously, can I get my coffee? Joey: Oh, I'm sorry, Ross. I'll get it for you right now. And since I made you wait 让你等, I'll toss in a free muffin. (He looks at Rachel and winks, she gives him the thumbs-up sign.) 5. Rachel: Phoebe. We would like to talk to you for a second. Phoebe: Okay. Monica: So, maybe I am a little high maintenance. And maybe Rachel is a little bit of a pushover. But you know what we decided you are? Rachel: Yes, we are very sorry to tell you this, but you, Phoebe, are flaky. Monica: Hah! Phoebe: That true, I am flaky. Rachel: So, what, you're just, you're just okay with being flaky? Phoebe: Yeah, totally. Monica: Well, then, I'm okay with being high maintenance. Rachel: Yeah, and I am okay with being a pushover. Phoebe: That's great. Good for you guys. Monica: I am not high maintenance! Rachel: I am not a pushover! Phoebe: Who said you were? 6. Monica: I can't be fair. You're my boyfriend. Ross: Yeah, but I'm your brother. We're family. That's the most important thing in the world. Chandler: (to Ross) Don't try to sway 影响 her. (To Monica) (Softly) I'm your only chance to have a baby. Okay, let's go. Ross: We'll each tell you how we came up with the joke and then you decide which one of us is telling the truth—me. Monica: Okay, Chandler, you go first. Chandler: Okay, I thought of the joke two months ago at lunch with Steve. Monica: Oh, wait, is he the guy I met at Christmas? Chandler: Can I finish my story?! Monica: Do you want me to pick you?! Ross: See, I would never snap at you like that. Chandler: (starts to recite a rehearsed speech) Monica is a self-sufficient 自给自足的, 自己解决一切问题的, together lady( self-sufficient 自己动手的, 万事不求人的 needing no outside help in satisfying one's basic needs, especially with regard to the production of food. "I don't think Botswana, due to the climate, could ever be self-sufficient in food". emotionally and intellectually independent. "their son was a little bit of a loner and very self-sufficient". together 清楚自己想要什么的, 知道自己在干什么的 confident, sensible, and clear about what you are doing. Jim's a really together person. ). (Pause.) Being with her has been like being on a vacation. And what may be perceived 被认为是, 被当作是, 被看作是 as high maintenance is merely attention to detail and—(He falters 支支吾吾, 开始结巴 and Monica prompts him.)—generosity of spirit. 7. Rachel: All right, it's okay. One little setback 小挫折, 小失败 is okay, just don't let it happen again, all right? Now since daddy paid for all this stuff, I should take it all away. But I'm just gonna take the pajmena(Pashmina is the finest type of cashmere wool. The textiles made from it were first woven in Kashmir, India. The name comes from Persian: پشمینه / pašmina, meaning "made from wool" and literally translates to "Soft Gold" in Kashmiri.). (Ross hands it to her.) And the uh, and the uh pants. Y'know what, I'm just gonna take it all away, 'cause that way you'll just really learn the lesson. Okay? All righty, I'm gonna run a couple of errands and I will see you at dinner. (Leaves with all of Jill's stuff.) 8. Phoebe: Umm, I think there's something you should maybe know. Rachel: Well, it'd better not be about the apartment pants, because I just pitched the idea 吹风 to my boss at Ralph Lauren and she loved it. Phoebe: No. No. It's just I was umm, I was with Ross and Jill after you left and umm, I'm pretty sure I saw a little spark between them. Rachel: What?! Phoebe: Yeah I mean it's probably nothing, but I just wanted to warn you that there might be something there. Rachel: With Ross and Jill? 9. Joey: (still singing) "…Amy! Happy birthday to you!" A Male Customer: Hey, that's weird, today's my birthday too! Joey: Yeah, not it here it isn't. Jill: (entering) Sorry I'm late, what's up? Rachel: (on the couch) Oh hi! Y'know, I just wanted to see if there were any leads 有没有什么线索 on the old job front 工作方面. Jill: Oh no! But I just walked past three sales特价 and I didn't go in. How strong am I? Rachel: That is great. Hey, y'know who doesn't have to job hunt? Ross. He works at the university. Jill: Yeah. Rachel: Oh so you know that, you guys talked about that, so you get along, so you think you're gonna go out? Jill: Me go out with Ross?! No! God no! What would make you think that你怎么会那么想? Rachel: I just, Phoebe, said y'know thought she saw something between you guys. Rachel: Oh not-not so much. Umm, what-what do you, what do you mean is there something wrong with Ross? Jill: Oh no-no-no, he's just I don't know, he's just a little bookish书呆子. Rachel: Are-are you saying he's a geek? Jill: You think so too? Rachel: No! No I, no Ross is not a geek! Jill: Fine, then let's just say he's not my type. Rachel: Yeah but, you don't want to try too much too fast. Y'know? I mean, you do remember what happened to the little girl that tried to much too fast don't you? Jill: What? Rachel: She-she died Jill.
What lies ahead for department stores 百货店, 百货业态? Six years ago when Myer floated there was much talk and optimism around plans to expand 扩张 to 100 stores across Australia by 2020. Fast forward to 2015 and former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins was nowhere to be seen as the iconic retailer announced it was actually closing stores. While most retail analysts put the closures down to cost trimming 削减成本 – with only three stand-alone speciality [ˌspeʃiˈæləti] stores 精品店(A small retail outlet that focuses on selling a particular product range and associated items. Most specialty store business operators will maintain considerable depth in the type of product that they specialize in selling, usually at premium prices, in addition to providing higher service quality and expert guidance to shoppers. speciality I. 特色食品, 特色餐点. a food or drink that a person, a restaurant, or a region is well known for and that you cannot always get in other places. The menu changes daily, though the speciality is seafood. a. [only before noun] used about something that is a speciality. speciality foods. II. a particular part of a wider subject that someone concentrates on or is an expert in. Her speciality is 16th-century English pottery. specialist [ˈspeʃəlɪst] someone whose training, education, or experience makes them an expert in a particular subject. a web design specialist. a. [only before noun] relating to learning or knowledge in a particular part of a subject or profession. specialist knowledge/training.) in Melbourne's north and an underperforming Myer in the Sydney suburb of Ryde were cut – it could be the precursor to a much bigger shift in focus. New CEO Richard Umbers seems to be signalling that a major rethink of Myer's expansion plans is underway. Few would likely question the move given the complex outlook for department stores. The challenge for large-scale retail: In the past few years large-scale retail has had to weather 遭受, 经受 sluggish consumer spending and an upsurge in the online retailing of fashion and accessories, with both David Jones and Myer showing little, if any, growth in like-for-like sales. Brian Walker CEO of the Retail Doctor Group says Australian department stores are operating in a global environment where the core proposition for general merchandise stores is highly challenged. "There will always be a place 有空间 for tourist destination stores like Harrods in London, and for focused up-market operators like Nordstrom in the US which is performing strongly. But when we look at mid-market general merchandisers like JC Penney, they are actually cutting back 减少 store numbers." Walker says the major threat is coming from large format specialists like Zara, TopShop and Uniqlo in fashion, and in the key cosmetics 化妆品 category – which accounts for 30% of department store sales – from specialists like Sephora. "To be successful, department stores need to have unique signature ranges 标志性品牌 and customer positioning 顾客定位 and the right go-to-market strategy," he says. "Otherwise they will be left vulnerable, as we can see with H&M, which took $65 million in sales in its first seven months after it opened right next to Myer's flagship store in Melbourne." How many is too many? So what is the future for department stores? "I would start with the equation that Australia probably has too many department stores given its population and it is the mid-market offering which is most susceptible([səˈseptəb(ə)l] I. easily influenced or affected by something. susceptible to: Police officers here are very susceptible to corruption. a. likely to suffer from a particular illness or condition, or to be affected by it more severely than others are. Susceptible 高危的 livestock have been separated from the herd. II. used for describing someone whose emotions are easy to influence. III. very formal able to experience something, or able to be treated in a particular way. susceptible of: The problem is not susceptible of so simple a solution.)," Walker says. "In five years' time, I would expect David Jones would have just a few less stores than it does now (39) but Myer is likely be reduced to somewhere below 50 (it currently has 67 stores). "Essentially their market is high net-worth individuals 高收入人群 and when you look at successful overseas stores, like Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, they are in the right catchment areas覆盖区, 覆盖范围 and are all about a select number of 精选的 signature offerings – rather than expansion for expansion's sake为了扩张而扩张." For the discount department stores, Walker says good operators occupying the value-conscious space should travel well over the foreseeable future. "Target has been through a challenging period while Kmart has executed quite a turnaround to a more profitable business. Both of them have used their value positioning to take bites out of抢客源, 分一杯羹 Myer's middle of the road stance." For department stores, the days of housing every conceivable item under one roof and appealing to all comers look well and truly over. Instead their future lies in fewer stores aimed at well-heeled clientele, better digital platforms and a relentless focus on exclusive offers to customers enmeshed in loyalty programs.
