用法学习: 1. serenade [ˌsɛrɪˈneɪd] If one person serenades another, they sing or play a piece of music for them. Traditionally men did this outside the window of the woman they loved. 演唱小夜曲, 唱情歌. to perform a song or a piece of music for someone, especially someone who you love. In the interval a blond boy dressed in white serenaded the company on the flute. Placido Domingo sang his serenade of love. Is it true love or just a ploy?( A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized, or set up by amateurs. promotion stunt. ): How magical is this? Justin Bieber's sweet serenade to Selena Gomez was a declaration of true love. After he sang 'My Girl' to her, you can now see in new videos that he pulled her in for a hug and kiss. HollywoodLife.com has an EXCLUSIVE eyewitness who saw everything go down 见证了发生的一切, and now you can see it too! It was a mesmerizing 乱花渐欲迷人眼的, 迷人的, 让人着迷的 sight( so attractive or interesting that you do not notice or pay attention to anything else around you. mesmerizing eyes. mesmerize to attract or interest you so much that you do not notice or pay attention to anything else around you. Grimm's Fairy Tales have mesmerized generations of readers. If you're mesmerized, you are so fascinated by something, you can't look away. The mesmerized look in your eyes reveals that watching hockey seems to put you in a trance.) that showed just how much Justin is in love with Selena. Justin appeared totally besotted with ( [bɪˈsɒtɪd] 被吸引, 被迷住 so attracted by someone or something that you are always thinking about them. The band is used to receiving hundreds of letters daily from besotted fans. besotted with: He was obviously besotted with her. The source said that Harry is "besotted" with the 35-year-old LA-based star, but they're taking their relationship slowly. "They are taking each week as it comes and just enjoying each other's company, but it's fair to say that they love seeing each other and there's a definite chemistry between them," the source elaborated. "Harry has been desperate to keep the relationship quiet because he doesn't want to scare Meghan off. He knows things will change when their romance is public knowledge but he also knows he can't keep it a secret for long." ) Selena and couldn't stop staring into her eyes as he serenaded her in song. Selena was giggling in response, and loved the attention she was getting from him, bashfully looking around the room as he sang. At one point, after he'd finished singing, he leaned into Selena and nibbled her ear ( nibble I. [intransitive/transitive] 轻咬. to bite the surface of something gently several times. The parrot was nibbling her ear. a. to eat something by taking a lot of small bites. Sheep were nibbling the grass. nibble at/on: Mel was nibbling on a chocolate cookie. II. [intransitive] to show a slight interest in an offer or idea. nibble away at something to reduce the total amount of something by gradually using small amounts of it. Beware of hidden costs that can nibble away at your budget. ) and kissed her neck. So sweet! They're getting bolder with their PDA, seen slow-dancing at the hotel bar that same night, then holding hands as they strolled through the streets of Beverly Hills. Will they go public with their rekindled relationship at the American Music Awards on November 22. "Justin was in a great mood and serenaded her. She was still a bit pouty ( 撅嘴. to show that you are angry or annoyed by pushing out your lips, especially your lower lip. Petra usually just pouts until she gets what she wants. a. 嘟嘴. to push out your lips in order to look more sexually attractive. ) and playing hard to get," the source says. "I'm never going to stop loving her," Bieber, 21, told Access Hollywood earlier this month. "I'm never going to stop checking in on her. "We always respected each other and we still respect each other. ... I think we both gotta do some soul searching ourselves, and figure out ourselves before we can just try to figure out each other." Asked on Ellen earlier this month if he and Gomez would ever get back together, he said, "We have a lot of history together, so I'm sure, I mean it possibly could happen." "But," he continued, "I think we're both just on our own journeys of just figuring ourselves out, and I think maybe once we figure ourselves out we could come together to make an awesome duo, or she'll find someone awesome, I'll find someone awesome. I just want her to be happy." 2. duck's nuts / bee's knees: expression of complete satisfaction, height of goodness, Similar to "bee's knees". the best (most awesome, most choice, most advanced) of all. I love your potato salad - it's the duck's nuts. The BMW 1 Series M Coupe is the duck's nuts. fighting fit in excellent health. extremely healthy: At 73, she's still fighting fit, walking five miles a day. "Mary had responded to treatment and seemed fighting fit". forensic cleaner, crime scene cleaner. IT'S one of the most gruesome jobs on the planet. Ms Iordanidis said she had adopted a sense of "black humour" to help her through the darkest times. "My husband won't watch horror movies with me because I pick them a part 批得体无完肤( pick something apart 大卸八块 pick holes in = pick to pieces to analyze and criticize someone or something negatively. Find flaws in something by close examination, criticize sharply. The lawyer picked apart the testimony, or He found it easy to pick holes in their argument, or The new editor picked her manuscript to pieces. You didn't review her performance; you just picked her apart. The critics picked apart the performers.) and say 'no that's not how the blood would fall'," she said. get one's head round (or around) British informal Understand or come to terms with. If you say that you can't get your head around something, you mean that you cannot understand it: OK, I can get my head around that那可以, 那个我可以做到. I just can't get my head around these tax forms. I just can't get my head around this idea. Must be something in the air 一定是见鬼了, 太诡异了: A way of explaining strange behaviour - or a portent of things to come. Everybody seems high-spirited today, must be something in the air. Must be something in the air, both our assistants resigned lately. They hate our guts( hate someone's guts informal to hate someone completely. feel a strong hatred for someone. ). 3. jet 水柱 [countable] a stream of liquid that comes out of something very quickly and with a lot of force. A jet of water fought back the flames. 土耳其打落俄罗斯飞机: Despite these diverging views on the Assad regime, Russia and Turkey had succeeded in largely compartmentalizing ( [ˌkɒmpɑ:(r)tˈment(ə)lˌaɪz] I. to keep things separate in your mind. II. 隔离开来, 分隔开来. 不混为一谈. to separate something into different types or groups. ) their differences and maintaining cordial relations, just as Ankara had done with Syria's other backer, Iran. But relations soured when Russia decided in recent weeks to actively intervene in the Syrian civil war, with troops and the country's air force working to bolster ( bolster to make something stronger or more effective. The campaign is designed to bolster the government's image as being tough on crime.) the teetering ( teeter to stand or move in a way that is not steady and makes you seem about to fall. Stephanie went downstairs, teetering on her high heels. teetering on the brink/edge (of something) in a situation in which something bad is very likely to happen. The organization is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. ) Assad regime and sparking complaints in the process that Russian operations were targeting Turkish allies rather than ISIS. Now, the shooting down of the Russian plane is likely to lead to a slow, but determined, escalation in tensions. Putin has promised retaliation, and if the world has learned one thing over the last 18 months, it is that he is a man that will follow through on a threat. The problem for Putin is that the timing could not be worse for him. After simmering out of the headlines for months, the Ukraine crisis looks set to flare up 爆发 again as explosions at an electricity power station in the Kherson region have plunged Crimea into darkness. The developments of the last 24 hours significantly complicate the chances of any meaningful rapprochement between the West and Russia. True, the odds were already long that Hollande could bridge the gaps between Moscow and Washington on key issues, but he now must factor in a NATO crisis and renewed threats in eastern Ukraine in his effort to build a grand coalition. Whatever his response to Tuesday's incident, Putin is simultaneously being tested on two fronts -- just when he thought that a unified response against ISIS could end Russia's isolation, while Turkey, for its part, might have been splashed (pour/throw cold water) with the cold water of reality as far as its grandiose ambitions in the region and beyond are concerned. All this suggests that the only winner from these latest developments is Assad. After all, one of his regime's primary antagonists (Turkey) is now starkly at odds with his most important backer (Russia), which further undermines the prospects for a grand coalition on tackling the ISIS and Syria crises. So far, no country has proposed a viable plan for how to address the ISIS threat or put Syria back together. The shooting down of a Russian plane will do nothing to change this -- and it may well have even further diminished the prospects of the major powers reaching some kind of lasting agreement to end this crisis. 4. Lane splitting is riding a bicycle or motorcycle between roadway lanes of vehicles driving in the same direction. More narrowly, it refers to overtaking slow or stopped vehicles by traveling between lanes. It is also sometimes called lane sharing, whitelining, filtering, or stripe-riding. Alternatively, lane splitting has been used to describe moving through traffic that is in motion. It is similar to filtering, or filtering forward, which is used to describe moving through traffic that is stopped. When the space used is between two lines of vehicles, this is also known as lane splitting; however, filtering can be accomplished by using space on the outside edge of same-direction traffic as well. There can be significant savings of time by bypassing what otherwise would be obstructions. 事故发生： A US man has sparked debate about the rights of bikers after being rammed from behind while waiting at a traffic light. The man, who gave his name as Richard, was riding through Sacramento, California earlier this month when he stopped at a red light. As he waits, the car behind him inexplicably 莫名其妙的, 难以解释的, 毫无缘由的 ( [ˌɪnɪkˈsplɪkəb(ə)l] impossible to explain. For some inexplicable reason, she chose that moment to break the news. ) moves forward and rear ends him, sending him off his bike. A blast injury(shrapnel 弹片, 碎片[ˈʃræpnəl] Fragments from an exploded artillery shell, mine, or bomb. fragments scattered by a bursting artillery shell, mine, or bomb. TASS correspondent Alexander Yelistratov and RT's Sargon Khadaya both suffered shrapnel injuries, while Roman Kosarev, also from RT, suffered a concussion.) is a complex type of physical trauma resulting from direct or indirect exposure to an explosion. Blast injuries occur with the detonation of high-order 高等级炸药 explosives as well as the deflagration of low order explosives. These injuries are compounded when the explosion occurs in a confined space. 5. lineage [ˈlɪniɪdʒ] 出身高贵. the people in your family who lived in the past, especially when you come from a rich or important family. Despite his lineage and qualifications, he was a modest man. pedigree[ˈpedɪˌɡri] I. [countable] the parents, grandparents, etc. of an animal, or a list of them. The dog's pedigree is first-rate. a. 血统纯正的. 纯种的. an animal whose parents, grandparents, etc. were all of the same breed (=type). Their dog is a pedigree. as a adj: a pedigree animal comes from a family whose members have been recorded for a long time and who are all of the same breed (=type). a pedigree cat. II. [countable] all the past experiences or achievements of someone or something, especially when this shows that they are good or successful. The law firm's pedigree is impeccable. III. [countable/uncountable] someone's parents and other family members from the past, especially in families of a high social class. stud I. [countable] a small piece of metal that sticks up from the surface of something, usually as a decoration. a jacket covered with metal studs. a small piece of jewelry on a short metal post that is worn through a part of your body. ear/nose/tongue stud 耳钉. II. [countable] informal a man who is admired for being sexually attractive and good at sex. He thinks he's such a stud. III. [countable] 种马. a valuable male animal with good qualities, especially a horse or a bull that people breed to produce young animals. put out/retire to stud to keep a male animal that no longer works for breeding. When Ebony grew too old to race they put him out to stud. A stretcher, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (gerni 是澳洲的一个卖压力阀的厂商, high pressure cleaner. ) (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or cart) is often equipped with variable height frames, wheels, tracks, or skids. In American English, a wheeled stretcher is referred to as a gurney.
Nirvana in Fire: The period Chinese drama Nirvana in Fire (original title: Lang Ya Bang) is all the rage ( very popular. Very fashionable and popular, like a craze. Facebook is all the rage these days for new bands. Internet shopping is now all the rage.) nowadays and – in my opinion – rightfully so 理由充分, 确该如此, 理当如此, 无可厚非, 份所应当. On top of that, the story is really interesting with revenge, political maneuverings 玩弄权术, 权谋, hidden identities, etc. So NIF is not just all eye candy, there is good substance to it as well. A fortune teller predicted that he would be the key to helping the next emperor-to-be accede [əkˈsiːd] the throne 继承王位( I. to do what someone wants or agree with what they say. accede to: They were forced to accede to all of the hijackers' demands. II. to formally take a position of authority, especially as a king, queen, or president. ). Actually, Su Zhe is a calculating 精于算计的, 有心计的 man and a formidable opponent. Oftentimes, stories portray revenge as irrational and passionate, something done in the heat of the moment. In contrast, Su Zhe has methodically([məˈθɒdɪkli] always careful to do things in a thorough and organized way. a methodical worker. a. done in a thorough and organized way. The police conducted a methodical search of the area.) planned his revenge for 12 years. He doesn't let his emotions cloud his judgment – to do so would be foolish, because then his enemies would easily defeat him. It's hard to get into his mind 看透内心, 进入内心世界. He holds himself back in most all situations and keeps a cool distance between himself and others. Since Su Zhe is nearing the end of his life, he may not want to get people's hopes up. The flashbacks回访镜头, 闪回, 回忆镜头 of Lin Shu all show that he was an outgoing, lively young man – a big contrast with who he is now as Mei Changsu. I think he can take some solace ( [ˈsɑləs] something that makes you feel better when you are sad or upset. seek/find solace in: James sought solace in religion. ) 获得些许宽慰, 安慰, 感觉好受点 in knowing that one more person from his past now knows who he really is. Definitely a cathartic and long-awaited moment. One of the interesting things about Su Zhe is that he is actually Machiavellian([ˌmækiəˈveliən] 不择手段者. ( villain [ˈvɪlən] ) using clever tricks and dishonest methods to achieve a goal, especially in politics.). Although he is working towards a greater cause–putting a competent and righteous emperor on the throne and serving justice – his methods are not necessarily ethical. The ends justify the means; Su Zhe is fully prepared to sacrifice his morals and do the dirty work so that his friends (mainly Prince Jing) won't have to. Up until now Su Zhe has been almost god-like in his power plays 权力斗争( mindgames 玩心计. 心机.). The funny thing about Meng Zhi is that he appears to be an intimidating powerful general, when in fact he's actually adorable and isn't the brightest bulb around. I also like how he welcomed back Lin Shu into his life with open arms, no questions asked. These two(Jingrui and Yujin) are the younger guys in the show, and are both bright eyed and bushy tailed( bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (idiomatic) alert and ready to do something; as alert and as active as a squirrel. Eager, alert, enthusiastic, and lively. awake and alert. (Often used ironically, as in the first example. The idea is that one is like a frisky animal, such as a squirrel.) Jill: Hi, Jane! How are you on this beautiful morning? Jane: Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, just as you might expect, since I've only had three hours of sleep. Despite the early hour, Dennis was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.). I know a lot of people are crushing on him (Prince Jing) a lot, but I'm not quite a HUGE fan (yet). I know this may sound like blasphemy [ˈblæsfəmi] 亵渎的, 不恭的(something that is considered offensive to God or someone’s religious beliefs.) to some people, but I just haven't gotten to know his character well enough to be a super Jingyan fan. It's more like, I respect that he has unyielding 不退让的(inflexible) morals 宁折不弯的, 绝不退步的 and doesn't put on any airs. Also, I like rooting for underdog characters so of course, I'm looking forward to seeing how Jingyan can catch up to the Crown Prince & Prince Yu in the fight for the crown. Although there are important female characters in NIF, the drama still feels male-dominated 男性主导的. Yes, we have some kick-butt female characters who serve as investigators (Xia Dong), generals (Nihuang) and political advisors (Banruo), but they are still in the minority. When it comes to the politics, the men are the major players, not the women. Much of women's power in NIF exists in the domestic sphere and in the Inner Palace. She intrigues me because she's hard to read and has a political agenda of her own. Although she answers to Prince Yu, she's likely using him for her own ends. I like Fei Liu since he's such a different character. You can also put me on the boat of "not a very huge fan of Prince Jing" simply because of how much his sense of self can make him inflexible and a "block-head蠢蛋, 糊涂蛋, 没脑子" which I found kind of annoying… Mei Changsu was simply a little "too perfect" in this drama for me in terms of the perfections of his calculations and everything… Yes, Fei Liu always cracks me up. And his personality is refreshing especially when he's in an environment where everyone is scheming against 谋划, 算计 ( DEPUTY Police Commissioner Catherine Burn says they have intelligence 情报
that there are people in Australia plotting to carry out a terror attack. Without doubt we have people in this country who want to do harm,’ Burn told 2GB. "We have credible information 可靠消息 that there are people who are planning attacks. Mr Turnbull said Australia had some natural advantages 天然优势 over Europe, including control of borders and restrictive 严格的 gun laws but the risk of terror attack could not be eliminated entirely. "But we can mitigate it. We will continue to thwart and frustrate many attacks before they occur," he said. ) each other. I'm looking forward to seeing Banruo playing her hand in these power plays. I want to see how she can match up against MCS. Yue Gui Fei has been consistently portrayed as the stereotypical evil concubine( concubine/consort ([ˈkɑŋkjəˌbaɪn] 王妃. consort [kənˈsɔrt] the wife or husband of a king or queen. v. to spend time with someone who is considered bad, such as a criminal or an enemy. ) so far. Marquis [ˈmɑrkwɪs] 侯爷(a man of middle rank in the nobility of a European country other than the U.K. marquess [ˈmɑrkwəs] a man of middle rank in the British nobility.) Xie says it right, "The one who succeeds is naturally just!" Everyone comes from their own viewpoint and perspectives. I realize that MCS' character is an archetype ( [ˈɑrkəˌtaɪp] a very typical example of a particular type of person or thing. archetype of: He was the archetype of a scientist.) that I'm quite partial to so his "overpowered"-ness doesn't bother me like it should. I powered through ( power through mainly journalism to move very quickly, so that you defeat others. power through/past: She powered through the last lap of the race. ) without actually fast forwarding any scenes. I mean, the Empress Dowager ( [ˈdauədʒər] 太后. I. a woman who has a title or property because her dead husband belonged to a high social class. II. informal an impressive older woman, especially one who is rich. ) even asks them about their 'marriage'. There are tons of side characters 配角, but for now I'll introduce 3 of the most important ones so far–Prince Yu, Prince Jing, and the Crown Prince. Su Zhe plans to defeat the contenders for the throne so that Prince Jing can become the next emperor. This prince is the "wild card" 不被看好的. He's not in the emperor's favor at all, and has a bad reputation for being quick-tempered and disobedient. Before Su Zhe entered the picture, Prince Jing wasn't in the running for the Crown Prince position! But, Prince Jing has strong morals unlike the Crown Prince & Prince Yu. I would say, give it a try if you like action scenes, political intrigue( [ɪnˈtriɡ] I. [transitive] to make someone very interested in knowing more about something, especially something that seems mysterious. That old house has always intrigued me. II. [intransitive] literary to plan secretly, especially in order to harm or cheat someone. n. a secret plan to harm or cheat someone, or the process of making such a plan. This movie has everything: passion, intrigue, and humor. political intrigues. 政治权谋. 政治阴谋. ), or The Count of Monte Cristo kinds of stories. Although NIF is fast-paced in eps 1-6, it could get draggy 拖沓的 in the later episodes. And lastly, if political intrigue bores you, then stay away – it seems like most of Su Zhe's revenge plan involves using palace politics! It makes me laugh whenever the Emperor gets fed up with the princes' bickering, or when he has this look on his face like "I know you're trying to suck up to me/manipulate me". I think they will get together, Su zhe and the princess are betrothed ( [bɪˈtroʊðd] be betrothed to someone 订婚的, 有婚约的 an old phrase meaning "to be engaged to be married to someone". ) before the massacre 惨案 I think. Dropping a comment here because I have to thank you for giving a quick synopsis on the drama! It is easier to follow the fast paced episodes and characters being introduced one after another since I learned their names from your post. Yeah I really need a relationship chart 关系图 to keep track of who's who! Sometimes the English subtitles get the royal titles wrong and refer to Duchess 郡主 Nihuang as Princess, but she is not directly related to Emperor's immediate family. I knew that Jingrui's story arc would be a doozy( something that is extremely unusual or special.), but I didn't know that it would be THIS intense. There are a lot of secrets revealed – Jingrui's birth secret, Li Yang and Xie Yu's dark past, and a clue to the massacre 12 years ago – thus resulting in major upheavals in the characters' lives. Truly cathartic(cathartic [kəˈθɑrtɪk] 出一口恶气的, 宣泄的, 发泄的 I. allowing you to express strong feelings that have been affecting you so that they do not upset you anymore. That releases emotional tension, especially after an overwhelming experience. II. Medicine purgative.), angsty ( angst a strong feeling of worry about what you should do, how you should behave, or what will happen in the future. angst-ridden 忧心忡忡的 always worried about things. angst-ridden adolescents. ) and life-changing for all those involved. Things will never quite be the same after this. Although I tend to dislike a lot of angst, I actually enjoyed this story arc the most out of all the other story arcs so far. I like how it shows divided loyalties, switching sides, and the consequences of Mei Changsu's schemes. The big reveal is that Jingrui is the bastard son 私生子 of Li Yang (wife of Xie Yu) and the king of another country. Xie Yu hired an assassin (who happened to be Gongyu's dad) to kill Li Yang's illegitimate child, but the assassin messed up and killed the Zhous' son instead. Li Yang knew about this but stayed silent about it and played along with the facade of sharing Jingrui. Xie Yu is so ambitious that he even uses his own sons (Xiebi & Jingrui) as pawns and forces Li Yang into marriage, so determined to achieve his goals that he kills off anyone in his path, and so unable to give up that he digs his own grave. Whether or not Mei Changsu had ulterior motives 别有企图, 另有目的 in befriending Jingrui, he is visibly affected by the incident and looks like he feels bad that Jingrui had to go through this as a result of his scheme. I wonder if Jingrui will suspect Mei Changsu's involvement, and whether their friendship will survive. Like for most popular dramas, I notice NIF fans tend to whitewash ( I. 护短. 护主. to try to stop people from discovering the true facts about something, in order to prevent someone in authority from being criticized. To cover over errors or bad actions. In his sermon, the minister didn't try to whitewash over the sins of his church. The whole affair has been whitewashed. II. mainly journalism to win a game so easily that the other player or team does not score any points. A complete victory or series of victories without suffering any losses; a clean sweep. bluewash 装好人. 装善人 To tout a business or organization's commitment to social responsibility, and to use this perception for public relations and economic gain; to present a humanitarian front in this manner. greenwash A false or misleading picture of environmental friendliness used to conceal or obscure damaging activities. pinkwash I. To promote consumer goods and services using support of breast cancer-related charities. II. (LGBT) To tout the gay-friendliness of something in an attempt to downplay or soften aspects of it considered negative. ) their favorite characters. 评论: The thing that fascinates me most about it is the thoughtful way in which it shows the decay of institutions on every level when built on deception. The rot sets into the foundations 腐败入根基 and corruption seeps into ( seep I. 渗入. 渗透. 渗进来. to flow into or out of something through small holes, usually when this should not happen. seep through 浸透, 浸入: The rain had seeped through his clothes. seep into: Poisonous chemicals from the factory are seeping into our soil. seep from/out of: The helium will slowly seep out of the balloon. seep in: Even when he closed the windows the noise of the traffic seeped in. II. if a bad feeling or idea seeps somewhere, you start to feel it or believe it. seep into: Thoughts of revenge started to seep into her mind. seep in: This kind of language allows racism to start seeping in.) the edifice ( edifice [ˈedɪfɪs] a large impressive building. A building; a structure; an architectural fabric, especially an imposing one; a large or fine building, public or private. II. An abstract structure; a school of thought. a complicated system
or policy. The whole edifice of EU environmental policy is threatened by
this bill. ). All the baddies were most probably involved in that case 13 years ago and therein began the erosion of time honoured ( (of a custom or tradition) respected or valued because it has existed for a long time. (Of a custom or tradition) respected or valued because it has existed for a long time. A time-honoured tradition, practice, or method 久经考验的, 历久弥新的, 历史久远的 is respected because it has been done or used in the same way for many years: humorous. The developers dealt with the problem in the time-honoured fashion/way, burying the industrial waste in landfill sites. the beer is still brewed in the time-honoured way. "the eldest son was named, in time-honoured fashion, after his father". ) traditions. When good men lost and evil ran amok(to go awry; to go bad; to turn bad; to go into a frenzy. (From a Malay word meaning to run wild in a violent frenzy.) Our plan ran amok. He ran amuck early in the school year and never quite got back on the track.), the very best of those institutions fell into disarray. The old guard ( Old Guard 旧势力 generally refers to a veteran or group of veterans, a conservative faction, or an older segment of a population. I. 保守派. 守旧派. A (comparatively) conservative, reactionary faction that is more unwilling to accept new ideas than their peers are. II. Collectively, the members of a team who have been a long time in a place. ) and their web of influence need to go and I think that's what Mei Chang Su is trying to dismantle bit by bit. I love how MCS outsmarts everyone and outsmart the tactics meant to outsmart him. I love the connections between the characters, the overarching (包罗万象的, 无所不包的. affecting or including everything, and therefore very important. all-embracing or overwhelming. The work attains narrative continuity, variety in its stories, and unity through the overarching idea of metamorphosis.) theme/big plot of revenge & restoring family name and the small intricacies and politics. I rather liked that MCS had his rather extensive collection of name plaques that he'd throw into his brazier ( [ˈbreɪziə(r)] 火炉. 暖手炉. 炭火炉, 炭火盆. a simple metal container with a fire in it, used outside for keeping people warm or for cooking. furnace 烧火炉(stove 炉子) a large enclosed container in which you burn fuel, used for heating a building or for an industrial process such as making metal liquid. ) from time to time. Loved the crackling sound of burnt wood portending ( portend 象征 to be a sign or warning of something that will happen. ) the doom of some corrupt official. My favourite arc has to be when MCS takes down 干掉 Xia Jiang and Prince Yu. It was gloriously beautiful in its execution. Not only because he undid the damage that they did, he used the very tactic that they used to create a rift between him and Jingyan and turned it against the original instigators( instigate 先动手, 先发作, 引起 to make something start, especially an official process. The leaders of the two factions instigated peace talks. Reforms have been introduced at the Prime Minister's instigation. ). I can watch that arc with happy abandon( with gay abandon In a happy and carefree way. ) over and over again. That niggling suspicion 隐隐怀疑 that Jingyan always had against MCS' motives was
undoubtedly something that MCS encouraged by being blunt about using
people as pawns or chess pieces. They both knew that Jingyan has no stomach for political machinations (not have the stomach for sth (also have no stomach for sth) 没胆做. 没胆量, 不敢. to not feel brave or determined enough to do something unpleasant: I didn't have the stomach for another fight. machinations [ˌmækɪˈneɪʃ(ə)nz] 智谋. 估计, 计谋. 阴谋. 计策. 阴谋诡计. secret, complicated, and clever plans and actions intended to achieve an aim. ruse [ru:z] I. N-COUNT 诡计. a plan or trick used for hiding your true intentions. A ruse is an action or plan which is intended to deceive someone. It is now clear that this was a ruse to divide them. But that too, it seems, was just another ruse. But it was a ruse and within hours he underwent the painful treatment. The request for exfiltration was a ruse, and the promised documentation and purported contact with a local dissident leader were merely bait. But that too, it seems, was just another ruse. But it was a ruse and within hours he underwent the painful treatment. I hope that Prince Yu & Co. have some more schemes 诡计, 阴谋 up their sleeves(scheme to make secret plans to achieve something, especially in a dishonest way. scheme against: She's convinced that they're scheming against her. scheme to do something: The king's enemies were scheming to 图谋 take power from him.), just for the sake of keeping things fresh and interesting. suggestion scheme 员工建言渠道, 汲取建议计划 a system in which people who work for an organization suggest ways in which it could be improved, and are given rewards for useful suggestions. colour scheme 配色 a combination of colours used together somewhere. final salary scheme a pension plan in which the amount of an employee's pension is based on the number of years that they worked for each employer and the salary they had at the end of each period of employment. a scheme to do something a plan for achieving something, especially something illegal or dishonest: It sounds like just another crazy money-making scheme. a scheme to import illegal foreign goods. in the/someone's scheme of things used for saying how a particular person, organization, event etc relates to the more general situation. Sam began to realize he had no place in Maria's scheme of things. in the grand/greater/global/overall scheme of things: It's a major business within Canada, but not very important in the global scheme of things. plot I. [intransitive/transitive] to make a secret plan with other people to do something bad. a woman who plotted the murder of her husband. He warned that they might be plotting a coup against the administration. plot to do something: The men were charged with plotting to overthrow the government. a. [transitive] to secretly plan to do something. The girls had been plotting Antonia's party in great excitement. II. [transitive] to mark on a map the way that a ship or airplane travels. plot a course for something: We plotted a course for one of the smaller islands. a. to mark points on a graph. III. [transitive] 一环套一环的, 环环相扣的. literature to invent the series of related events that make up the main story in a book, movie, etc. a densely plotted novel. plot hole 漏洞 an obvious mistake or missing element in the plot of a movie, book, TV show or play. the plot thickens 变得有意思了, 变得有趣了 used for saying that a situation is becoming more complicated or mysterious. ). No ruler is expected to know everything but they should have enough nous ( [naus] I. 够聪明. common sense; practical intelligence. "if he had any nous at all, he'd sell the film rights". II. Philosophy. the mind or intellect. ) and humility ( [hju:ˈmɪləti] a way of behaving that shows that you do not think that you are better or more important than other people. ) to find themselves the best advisors that money, power and goodwill can afford. I love how he told Jingyan he'd bear all the burden, bloodshed 流血牺牲 and darkness for Prince Jing. I was holding off on 等着 watching the ending because I wanted it to last forever until the subs were completed but couldn't hold out 忍着, 忍不住 ( hold out I. [transitive] to hold something where someone else can reach it. Gail held out her glass to be refilled. hold out your hand: She held out her hand to him. II. [intransitive] to continue to be enough or continue to exist. How long will your money hold out? I wonder whether her stamina will hold out. III. [intransitive] 坚守. 守着. 守住. to continue to defend a place that is being attacked. We can only hold out for a few more hours. IV. hold out hope [often in negatives] to think that something is likely to happen or succeed. I don't hold out much hope that they'll come. V. hold out a possibility/prospect/promise etc to say or show that something may or will happen. She held out the possibility of prisoners being released. hold out for something to not accept an offer because you want a better one. They've been holding out for an even higher price. hold out on someone/something 守密 to not tell someone something. They've been holding out on the details of the plan. hold off I. [intransitive] to deliberately delay doing something. He may decide to hold off for a few days. hold off on: How much longer can they hold off on political reform? hold off doing something: She held off calling him until the last possible moment. II. [transitive] to stop someone who is trying to attack you from coming close. I held them off with bricks and stones. III. [transitive] mainly journalism to stop an opponent from starting to win or lead. They held off a furious late challenge by Fiji to win 37–25. IV. [transitive] to stop something from happening. They can hold off the accusations until the election. V. [intransitive] if rain or snow holds off, it does not fall, although you expected it to. hold office 在任, 在位: President Mitterrand held office for 14 years.) and finally watched it last night. I don't think they really did much with the romance which is absolutely fine by me. Longing looks, knowing smiles and the odd bit of skinship( Skinship The term "skinship" (スキンシップ, sukinshippu ?) originated as a pseudo-English Japanese word (wasei-eigo), which was coined to describe the intimacy, or closeness, between a mother and a child. Use of the word "skinship" in English publications seems to focus on the notion of sharing a bath naked, an idea known in Japanese as "naked association" (裸の付き合い hadaka no tsukiai?). It is not clear why the meaning shifted to the parent–child relationship when borrowed back into English. )... basically crumbs off the rich man's table (crumbs from the rich man's table 富人家的面包屑, 九牛一毛 an unfair and inadequate or unsatisfactory share of something. The allusion is biblical, from the story of the beggar Lazarus 'desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table' (Luke 16:21). The parable of the rich man and Lazarus [ˈlæzərəs] (also called the Dives and Lazarus or Lazarus and Dives) is a well-known parable of Jesus appearing in the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel of Luke (Luke 16:19–31) tells of the relationship, in life and in death, between an unnamed rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus. The traditional name, Dives, is not actually a name, but instead a word for "rich man", dives, in the text of the Latin Bible, the Vulgate. The rich man was also given the names Neuēs (i.e. Nineveh) and Fineas (i.e. Phineas) in the 3rd and 4th centuries. Along with the parables of the Ten Virgins, Prodigal Son, and Good Samaritan, it was one of the most frequently illustrated parables in medieval art, perhaps because of its vivid account of an afterlife. Luke 16:19–31, New International Version: "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm 鸿沟 ( [ˈkæzəm] I. a very big difference that separates one person or group from another. chasm between: a widening chasm between town and country. II. a very deep crack in rock or ice. ) has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'". The Parable of the Ten Virgins 十个童女的故事, also known as the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, is one of the well known parables of Jesus. It appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament. According to the Gospel of Matthew 25:1-13, the five virgins who are prepared for the bridegroom's arrival are rewarded被奖赏, while the five who are not prepared are disowned. The parable has a clear eschatological theme: be prepared for the Day of Judgment. "Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, "Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!" Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps 剪灯花, 共剪西窗烛. The foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out." But the wise answered, saying, "What if there isn't enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves." While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us." But he answered, "Most certainly I tell you, I don't know you." Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."— Matthew 25:1-13, World English Bible.). I imagine it was there to attract a certain demographic [deməˈɡræfɪk] 人群, 观众群 into the fold and some people seem to like romance in everything they watch. To put a kinder spin to it, I daresay it was to show us that Nihuang and Lin Shu were a lost cause(lost cause 希望渺茫的事业, 没可能的事情, 徒劳的努力 someone or something that will never succeed or improve. A cause, attempt, or effort that is hopeless or futile. He has already made up his mind, and it's a lost cause to try to change it. sinking ship (idiomatic) Something which is doomed; a lost cause; an impending debacle; an ongoing disaster. forlorn hope I. (military) A small troop picked to make an advance attack, or the first attack; a storming party. II. Any dangerous or hopeless venture.).其他: What really amazes me though, is Jingrui's response: mature, understanding, gracious and forgiving 不计较的. He has no regrets, no blame, or feelings of victimization. Yes, he still takes this ordeal hard, but he knows that his birth secret, family's wrongdoings, and Mei Changsu's actions don't reflect on him. Mei Changsu and Xie Yu's actions only reflected what their priorities and values were. The Emperor walks the fine line between his various roles as a gracious yet authoritative 威严的, 威仪的 father, a doting 'husband' who is pampered in the harem ( [ˈhɑ:riːm] I. 妃嫔们. 后宫. 三宫六院. a group of women living together as the wives of a rich man in some Muslim societies, especially in the past. II. a separate part of a Muslim home in which only women live. eunuch [ˈju:nək] 宦官 a man whose testicles have been removed, especially, in the past, a man whose job was guarding women in a harem. ), and the ruler of the nation. Whenever he facepalms (I. 掩面而笑. 掩面而哭. 以手遮面. the action of covering your face with your hand to show that you are embarrassed, annoyed, or shocked about something. I just facepalmed so hard I nearly broke my nose. The team leader does a face palm after the team geek makes a particularly dorky statement. II. used in emails, social networking sites, etc. to show that you are embarrassed, annoyed, or shocked about something. Sorry, if you trip while walking and NOT paying attention to surroundings you should not claim it is the fault of someone else. ) at the princes' bickering, erupts in anger at the inept Crown Prince, or becomes suspicious of someone, the audience knows and understands why he's acting in that way. The Emperor isn't just some irrational guy who has temper tantrums. I also like how we can see that the Emperor is not invincible, nor is he heartless without a conscience. Prince Jing rises to prominence throughout episodes 24-30, thus becoming the clear rival to Prince Yu. Prince Yu, Xia Jiang, and Banruo mobilize 发动, 主动出击 to strike back 还击 once they realize that Mei Changsu is on Prince Jing's side. It was great seeing how things went into chaos with Mei Changsu falling ill, his subordinates scrambling to hold the fort ( hold the fort (for someone) to look after or do something for someone while they are busy doing something else. The Chairman resigned, and I was left holding the fort. ), and the enemy's plan going into action. In short, I loved it. Again, it's not that I want Mei Changsu & Co. 梅长苏集团 to fail, it's just that I want them to be challenged. The story wouldn't be so interesting if it were all smooth-sailing to success, right? I enjoyed seeing MCS grasping at straws(grasp/clutch/grab at straws 紧抓不放, 抓住最后一根稻草, 孤注一掷: To guess randomly at or pursue any apparent option, due to a lack of clear choices or information. to depend on something that is useless; to make a futile attempt at something. John couldn't answer the teacher's question. He was just grasping at straws. There I was, grasping at straws, with no one to help me. I've never met his mother, so I'm grasping at straws for an appropriate gift for her. trying to find reasons to feel hopeful about a bad situation She thinks he might still be interested because he calls her now and then but I think she's clutching at straws. Etymology: This idiom refers to a drowning man grabbing any floating object, even a straw, to save himself. It was first used by Thomas More in Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation (1534). straw-clutchingly 抓住救命稻草的 In a manner which involves clutching at straws.), trying to salvage 挽救 what was left of all that he had planned and worked towards. It goes to show that his plan is not unbeatable, that things can go wrong in an instant, and that the enemy is a strong opponent 强劲对手, 强有力的对手. Prince Jing's strong moral code 道德意识 is what separates him from his opponents and motivates him to do good. He represents the extreme ideal of someone who is unshaken不可动摇的, steadfast 坚定不移的 in his values of justice and loyalty. How many people, when faced with a moral dilemma, have wished to be able to confidently do what they believe to be right? To not ever consider compromising their morals? Prince Jing is able to do just that, something that most people could or would not do. Yet his extreme sense of justice is also his flaw, in that he can't see the bigger picture and the consequences of his actions. Maybe one action is 'right' (saving the Chiyan survivor Weizheng's life) but the overall outcome would be far more 'wrong' and hurtful (Prince Jing & Co.'s downfall). Jingyan has a limited foresight, is impulsive, has a big temper and is passive aggressive. But now that more people have caught on to ( I. to become fashionable or popular: I wonder if the game will ever catch on with young people? II. informal to understand, especially after a long time: He doesn't take hints very easily, but he'll catch on (to what you're saying) eventually.) Mei Changsu's identity, I understand why he decided to conceal it. Even though Jing Fei tries not to let on that she knows, even she accidentally slipped up in front of the emperor. I hope that Prince Yu & Co. have some more schemes 诡计, 阴谋 up their sleeves(scheme to make secret plans to achieve something, especially in a dishonest way. scheme against: She's convinced that they're scheming against her. scheme to do something: The king's enemies were scheming to 图谋 take power from him.), just for the sake of keeping things fresh and interesting. get brain: have oral sex performed on you. oral on a man because the tip of the penis is called the head, brain is just another word for head. have oral sex performed on you. get your brain in gear 大脑动起来 (informal) to make yourself start thinking clearly and effectively I've got to get my brain in gear for the meeting this afternoon. grow a brain 长点脑子 When it seems one has not yet developed a brain. Your thick as fuck, "grow a brain". "Brains", to me, is a synonym for intelligence, while "brain" is usually referring to the physical organ. It does seem to vary by expression, though. Of course, if you don't have a brain, you can't very well have "brains.".) These are all about intelligence: "He's the brains of the operation; I'm the brawn." "You haven't got the brains of a flea." "She has brains and beauty." "Nice kid; means well; no brains." (favorite saying of one of my college profs). These are referring to a brain (the actual organ) but still referring to intelligence: "This is a complete no-brainer." (The answer is so obvious, it doesn't even require having a brain to make the decision. "What's wrong with you? Haven't you got a brain? Use it, then!" "Caution: engage brain before putting mouth in gear." - Ashleigh Brilliant quote "Hey, brainless!".
热门( topdog, shoo-in, crowd favorite, hot favorite, the odds-on favorite, short-priced favorite )vs冷门(underdog, least favorite): 1. Of course, my other theory is this was all a setup 设计, 安排 for a "shocking"(setup I. Equipment designed for a particular purpose; an apparatus. The laboratory included an elaborate setup for measuring the energy. II. The fashion in which something is organized or arranged. The classroom setup was simple and efficient. III. 陷阱, 设计好了的. An act to frame someone; an effort or arrangement aimed at placing the blame on somebody. Trust me, that was a setup! A Setback Is a Setup for a Comeback. IV. (computing) An installer. After inserting the disk, run the setup. V. (operations) The process of arranging resources for performing a specific operation, as a run of a particular product. A simple setup on the bottling line involves reloading bottles and labels; emptying, cleaning, and reloading the tanks; and a test run. setup fee 装机费. 安装费. An initial fee that is charged by an organization to set up an account (or similar financial instrument). ) Green Mile elimination, a la Josiah Leming of "Idol" Season 7 or Jillian Jensen of "The X Factor" Season 2, when a supposed shoo-in(大热门) gets the boot 大热门倒灶( shoo-in 大热门, 热门人选 A candidate or contestant generally agreed upon as the presumptive winner; somebody who is well-liked or widely agreed upon. She's very popular and good with numbers, so I expect she'll be a shoo-in for treasurer. ). 2. The Sopranos are among some of the crowd favourites ( It won't be a killer app or a crowd favorite受大众喜欢, 受到喜爱, 受到欢迎, but these kinds of games are the reason why PS3 has the most variety in its game library. crowd pleaser someone or something that large numbers of people, especially audiences, always like or enjoy. hot favorite 大热门 the person or animal that most people expect to win something. be (a) hot favourite for something/to do something: Lewis was hot favourite to win the fight. the odds-on favourite 被看好 the person or animal that people think is certain to win a race or competition. Nicole Kidman was the odds-on favourite to win the Best Actress Oscar. crowd surf to be carried over the heads of a crowd in a horizontal position. Here's
the Democratic mayor of Minneapolis, RT Rybak, crowdsurfing with his
mother Loraine in celebration of Barack Obama's election victory. crowd in on someone I. 一哄而上, 蜂拥而上. 一窝蜂的上 if a group of people crowd in on someone, they move close to them and then surround them. Some youths he didn’t know began crowding in on him. II. if things such as thoughts or memories crowd in on you, they seem to threaten you and make you feel upset. Everything was crowding in on me 泰山压顶似的压过来 and I felt that I couldt't cope.) for Australians who are accessing from the US. 3. hot item (being in high demand, being sought after) I. n. 热门商品. 热门货. 抢手货. an item that sells well. This little thing is a hot item this season. Can you believe I am still such a hot item after getting married. Every one wants to go party with me. II. n. a romantically serious couple. Sam and Mary are quite a hot item lately. hot property usually it means something which is sought after or is heavily in demand. something that a lot of people want or would like. Cristiano Ronaldo is hot property in football. A limited edition album from U2 is hot property in music.
Of course it can also relate to houses. a very nice house in London
city centre is regarded as hot property. 词典的解释: I. person or thing
highly valued for its commercial potential; II. 时尚热门货. person or thing
that is currently all the rage; the in thing or person; III. sexually attractive person. all the rage Also, all the thing.
The current or latest fashion, with the implication that it will be
short-lived, as in In the 1940s the lindy-hop was all the rage. The use
of rage reflects the transfer of an angry passion to an enthusiastic
one; thing is vaguer. the [in] thing Something in style or vogue, the latest trend. For example, Wearing oversized clothes is the thing these days, or Vans and sports utility vehicles have been the in thing for some time now. the latest [thing] The most recent development, as in fashion or the news. For example, Wearing straw hats to the beach is the latest thing, or Have you heard the latest about the royal family? 4. The expression top dog( I. 大老板. II. 大热门. underdog. ) is an idiomatic for the boss or the leader. In a competition, it is also the favorite or the one expected to win, and the opposite of the underdog. It may be a shorthand reference for a dominance hierarchy. 5. Viola Davis, according to many bookies, is the short-priced favorite(相比较而言的热门, 并非大热门)(赛马用语. The starting price
is the horse's odds when the race actually starts. The only time I have
ever heard anyone refer to a "short price" is when saying something
like "the horse is a short-priced favorite"
meaning you wont get much return on your money if backing this horse.
Some punters will not bet on odds on horses. It must be the fact that
any winnings will be less than the stake put on the horse and this to
some punters seems 'bad value' 不物有所值. ) to walk away with the Academy Award on Monday.
