用法学习: 1. slight n. a remark or action that offends someone. It isn't a slight on my husband that I enjoy my evening class. You made it sound like a slight 被你说的好像多不堪似的. slighting graded. ...slighting references to her age. adj. I. Something that is slight is very small in degree or quantity. Doctors say he has made a slight improvement. We have a slight problem. A slight smile flickered over his face. He's not the slightest bit worried. II. A slight person has a fairly thin and delicate looking body. She is smaller and slighter than Christie. ...a slight, bespectacled figure. ...a slightly built man. v. 侮辱, 羞辱. 欺负. If you are slighted, someone does or says something that insults you by treating you as if your views or feelings are not important. They felt slighted by not being adequately consulted. put something in writing 写出来( = commit to paper/writing) to write something in order to make it official. "Oh well thank God a camera was NOT with me in Cleveland [with Tristan]!!! I won't put in writing what I did but let's just say he's LUCKY I was 9 months pregnant," she said. disinherit If you disinherit someone such as your son or daughter, you arrange that they will not become the owner of your money and property after your death, usually because they have done something that you do not approve of. He threatened to disinherit her if she refused to obey. 2. reversible clothes 两面穿的. reversible tie. convertible clothing. have a hunch (that something is the case) and have a hunch about something to have an idea about what did, will, or should happen; to have a feeling that something will or should happen. I had a hunch that you would be here when I arrived. I have a hunch about the way things will happen. Penny: Well how do you feel? Sheldon: I don't understand the question. Penny: Well I'm just asking if it's difficult to be fighting with your best friend. Sheldon: Oh. I hadn't thought about it like that. I wonder if I've been experiencing physiological manifestations of some sort of unconscious emotional turmoil. Penny: Wait… what? Sheldon: I couldn't poop this morning. Penny: You should just talk to him, I'm sure you guys can work this out 解决问题. Sheldon: It's certainly preferable to my plan. Penny: Which was? Sheldon: A powerful laxative. Penny: Okay, so you absolutely should talk to him, look, I know Leonard values 看重 you as a friend, and he told me himself that without your little idea there's no way he could have come up with this whole experiment thing. Sheldon: Excuse me, little idea? Penny: Yeah, I mean he tried to explain it to me, I didn't really understand it but… Sheldon: Of course you didn't, he said little idea? Penny: Uh, well no, no, not in… not in those words. Sheldon: In what words then, exactly Penny: Um, gee, the exact words aren't written… it's more the spirit in which it's. Sheldon: What did he say? Penny: You had a lucky hunch. 3. cut it/things fine/thin/close (美国人不说cut it thin, 其他两个美英通用) If you cut it fine, you only just manage to do something- at the very last moment. 'Cut things fine' is the same. 'Cut it a bit fine' is a common variation. to give yourself only a very short amount of time to do something. to allow very little time for something. (colloquial) To judge or finish something close to its limit. Driving 300 miles on one tank of gas was cutting it close, but we arrived safely. She got to the gate ten minutes before her flight, so she was cutting it very fine. He left the hotel at 9 am, which was cutting it fine for his 9.15 meeting. Ivy: Congratulations on winning the order! The deadline for the delivery is 30 days from now. Smith:
30 days? Wow! That's cutting it rather thin 时间太赶了, 时间太紧了. I asked for a 45-day
period. Ivy: Come on. You know we can't afford waiting for 45 days for
the material. Thirty days is the industry standard. Smith: You're right
Mrs. Ivy, but you've asked for a special design modification. That's
going to take time. I don't want to disappoint you later. Ivy: Hmm. How
soon do you think you can deliver it? Smith: Well, I like working with
you, so I am going to make an extra effort. Let's fix it at 36 days.
Ivy: Okay, Mr. Smith. That sounds reasonable. 3. life admin 日常杂物, 日常事务, 日常杂事 Most people have a list of personal tasks that need completing outside of work, commonly referred to as 'life admin'. This might include tasks such as paying bills, managing a mortgage, home improvements and maintenance, household chores, personal banking, making appointments, and shopping. Many people admit to feeling overwhelmed by the volume of activities they have on their lists and often put off tasks until the absolute last minute possible, but then spend a lot of time and energy worrying about all the tasks they haven't completed. Have you ever had to refuse a fun activity or day out, as you have too many boring admin tasks to take care of? I've been planning a wedding for about six months. I also work full-time so I've had trouble managing the wedding planning with relationships, work, keeping fit and general life admin. About three months in, I asked one of my friends to help out with some wedding planning and she said she would help... but never really followed through 光说不练, 光说不干, 动嘴不动手. She helped out a little and then dropped out. I spoke to my partner about this and he suggested I may be a little demanding 事多的, 要求多的 and that might be the reason. I'm about to make you take some very hard-to-swallow pills, Susan. I imagine the conversation with your partner went something like this: You: Hey babe, none of my friends are helping me with this wedding shiz! They agree to pitch in and then just get really slack 爱干不干的 about it and stop. What's the deal? I meant to say you're just a perfectionist. Nothing wrong with that babe. And there's nothing wrong with that – you've got your shit together and you know what you want and you expect the same level of shit-togetherness 干事得力 from your friends and loved ones. But not everybody is on that level, and if your partner is dropping words like 'demanding' and your buddies are running away the second your back is turned, then that should indicate to you that you're possibly not super fun to be around sometimes. Especially when something as epic as your wedding is involved. If your two closest friends have backed out of helping with your wedding, then yes, you are probably a Bridezilla. Since you are writing to me with this problem, I assume you have a crippling fear of confrontation, even when you have something perfectly reasonable to talk to someone about. Welcome to the club! We never have club meetings because we're all terrified of each other. If you were Scary Basic Susan, you'd just "confront this person about your expectations", but, alas, for those of us who are petrified of everything all the time, that advice just ain't gonna fly. You telling this colleague (给她买咖啡但从不付钱) to GIVE YOU SOME FUCKING CASH ALREADY is about as likely as Kim and Kanye's kids growing up well-adjusted with a healthy sense of body image. So, here's what you're going to do: you're going to utilise one of the only tools available to the socially inept to get anything done: passive aggression. Glorious, glorious passive aggression. Then tell your cheap-ass colleague there's a coffee waiting for her on your desk, so she can read your subtle message. If she isn't self-aware 不自觉 enough to get the idea after that flawless method of communication, then she is an unequivocal sociopath. There's just no doubt. I would keep buying her coffees because they are all probs all that's keeping you alive right now. 3. Marise Payne will become the first Australian Foreign Minister to visit China in three years, a sign of a thawing 消融 in the recent frosty 冰冻的 relations between the two countries. It's being interpreted as a significant step towards a warming of the friendship, after Beijing's testy 脾气大的, 脾气不好的 response to (If you describe someone as testy, you mean that they easily become impatient or angry. Ben's getting a little testy in his old age. He reacted testily to reports that he'd opposed military involvement.) the Turnbull Government's legislation clamping down on foreign interference. get on with something 着手于 to give your time to something and make progress with it. The sooner we finish the speeches, the sooner we can get on with the celebration. get on with the job/business/work of something: Our priority now is to get on with the job of developing a comprehensive test ban treaty. The Prime Minister said Ms Payne's China visit underlined the government is "getting on with business as usual with China". get on with doing something: I suppose I could get on with doing my expenses while I wait for the computer system to restart. The government must get on with addressing these long-standing issues. get on with your life to stop thinking or worrying about something bad that happened in the past and start living a normal life again. get down to business/work 开始干活, 开始做事, 开始工作 to begin to get serious; to begin to negotiate or conduct business. All right, every one. Let's get down to business. There has been enough chitchat. When the president and vice president arrive, we can get down to business. 4. in a manner of speaking: I. formal used for saying that something is partly true. You say in a manner of speaking to indicate that what you have just said is true, but not absolutely or exactly true. II. [vagueness] An attorney is your employee, in a manner of speaking 名义上, 说起来. She's his partner, in a manner of speaking.
Compliment VS Praise ( compliment 更随意, 有时候甚至是反话, 讽刺. 对被表扬者直接说. praise 表示了认真的欣赏, 佩服 可以对第三个人说. ): When you compliment someone you may be being merely courteous whereas to praise them is really extolling their virtue and/or achievement. Another difference is that when you compliment someone it is generally directed at the other person, whereas when you praise someone it could be said to a third party. Jack complimented Mary - we take it for granted that Jack was talking to Mary. Jack praised Mary - it could be that Jack was telling someone else about Mary. I don't mean this as a 'rule', just a comment on typical usage.
Airport hack: It doesn't matter if you're a seasoned traveller or a complete novice [ˈnɑvɪs], airports seem to have this magical power to get even the most calm and collected 最镇定自若的 of us into a spin 一阵忙乱. The mark up 加价 on simple H20 at the airport is bonkers([ˈbɑŋkərz] crazy. If you say that someone is bonkers, you mean that they are silly or act in a crazy way. [British, informal, disapproval] The man must be bonkers to take such a risk. I nearly went bonkers with frustration. Once, during tech week for My One and Only, when Garrett's lighting guy missed a cue for the fourth time in a row, A. J. went bonkers. drive someone bonkers to annoy someone very much. That boy is driving me bonkers with his stupid questions. ). It's more than double the price in some airports for a mere 500ml bottle, which lasts two seconds into a flight. Instead, take your own bottle and fill up at the many water fountains spotted throughout airports. Can't find one? Just ask. They're usually tucked away in little corners near the bathroom. Not only will you save cash but you'll be helping the planet by dodging an unnecessary plastic purchase. If you're old school and like to have your holiday money where you can see it, then the best bet is to wait until you arrive. We've all looked out the plane window to see some burly ( a burly man is fat and strong ) baggage handler lobbing 乱扔 suitcases like they're a sack of spuds rather than our sacred belongings! When queuing for security or border control, take the lane that veers left rather than right (if there's an option) and you'll likely save yourself some time because really, it's the most boring part of travel, right? Now, the pre-flight Champagne and nibbles at the bar is a right of passage. But M&Ms at triple the price from the airport newsagents is just daylight robbery 白日抢劫. Head to the supermarket for your in-flight treats a few days before take-off. And don't worry, taking food into an airport lounge is totally okay. Don't forget to use that extra cash for a few more champs before the flight instead. That's savvy spending right there.
The secret to your quick-witted comeback: Find yourself on the receiving end of a barbed remark 带刺的话(barbed I. barbed comments contain criticisms or insults. II. a barbed hook or arrow has a sharp curved point on one side. ) Try these retorts to win the war of linguistic acrobatics. Have you ever worked with someone who was so insecure, overwhelmed or fearful, that he or she constantly spewed negative smart-aleck remarks, off-colour comebacks or thinly veiled insults? A snide "Oh that's real smart," or "Nice try, but try again," spoken in muffled tones can catch you off guard, leaving you surprised and unable to form a clever comeback. Sometimes you think of the ultimate retort — but two days later when you've had time to fume and consider a few choice words. By then, it's too late. Timing is everything and that means your witty answer must be as fast as the words that took you by surprise. The key to coming up with a winning retort 驳斥 is to hone your listening skills so that you can respond at lightning speed. Of course, witty comebacks can't be planned. They can only be made in the moment using the unexpected material you get from the other person by listening actively and precisely, experts say. Abigail Paul, the artistic director at the Theatre Language Studio (TLS) in Frankfurt, says people think faster than others speak, giving the listener "extra time" to compose an answer, even while they give the appearance of still listening to what the other person is saying. How many times have you been on a conference call and already had an idea to share, an answer to a question or solution to a problem before the person on the line has even finished his sentence? The same listening skills and thought processes apply when a conversation turns sour 谈话变得不中听 and your defence needs to kick in. If you know your colleague has a tendency to make snide remarks, train your brain to listen to his or her words carefully. The question is how to refocus that extra time you have while you're listening, said Paul, who teaches improvisation 临场反应, 信手拈来 theatre techniques. "Most of us don't listen to the whole message, we are just waiting to make our own points. There is no magic bullet 捷径, 特效药 to ( I. 万金油. 包治百病. 完美的解决方案. a medicine designed to cure an illness quickly and completely, without affecting other parts of the body. In medicine, a magic bullet is a drug or treatment that can cure a disease quickly and completely. II. a quick and easy solution to a very difficult problem. A lot of people are looking for some sort of magic bullet that will solve this problem.) getting better at listening besides practice," she said. One strategy to hone 磨炼 listening skills is through a simple game of one-word volleyball, where two people build a story by rapidly taking turns to add a word to what the other said immediately before. The game forces players to listen actively and respond spontaneously. Try to raise the status of the other person by swallowing your pride 忍气吞声, 抬高别人. "The goal is that we let go of our own ego and our own ideas because a huge part of listening is that you really have to be willing to be changed by what's being said," Paul said. In the case of snide remarks 俏皮话(snide deliberately unkind in an indirect way. A snide comment or remark is one which criticizes someone in an unkind and often indirect way. He made a snide comment about her weight. They kept making snide remarks about each other. She couldn't tell if he was being snide, so she took the question straight. ), if you know your colleague has a tendency to make them, train your brain to listen to his or her words carefully and be prepared to remark quickly to defuse the situation 救场. "You take away the control factor," she said. If a colleague tells you, "Oh that's real smart," Paul says she might try this: "Thanks. I don't always receive praise for my intelligence." Or "That's the best you can do?" Try: "I'm afraid so. Where do we go from here?" It's not really about the text, so much as it is the tone. "Oh I'm sorry that the middle of my sentence interrupted the beginning of yours." "I'm sorry for talking while you're interrupting. Please, you go first." "I hope the rest of your day is as pleasant as you are." Let's say a manager or colleague takes a swipe at you repeatedly. Paul suggests the "status move," which is best conveyed in tone of voice. "You could respond to 'Would you suggest something better?' with 'Well, I see you've got some great ideas already, but I think we could perhaps make the whole thing work even better'" said Paul. "Of course, with the wrong tone, they would all come out nasty. It's not really about the text, so much as it is the tone." Don't stoop to the same level: There's something to be said for killing someone with kindness and often the best retorts are comebacks that are witty, take the higher moral ground, are appropriate and most importantly, positive. According to Belina Raffy, a business improvisation consultant who once worked with a condescending manager, when banter turns toxic, it means death for innovation. "It kills all ideas in the office," she said. Worse, it leaves a negative drag on other people's energy and tears teams apart. Negative comments usually come from a place of insecurity. When a negative comment is made in a work setting — where, presumably, everyone wants to see projects succeed and keep their jobs — those comments usually come from a place of insecurity, Raffy said. For example, a colleague may be unsure how to approach a particular task — he may believe that throwing the attention back to somebody else with a negative retort will remove the focus on his real or perceived ineptitude 无能. In fact, says Raffy, positive witty comments build trust among colleagues, bosses and subordinates, and they can turn a formerly harsh environment into an accepting one, where everyone's opinion matters. Negative comments increase tension and make a person feel excluded or inferior, and as though they are not in the 'in group'. Raffy recommends trying to reveal the "ridiculousness of the situation," without making the antagonist into the bad guy. Rather turn them into the "victim" of the absurd circumstances, she says. But there's one more pointer for nailing a strong comeback that will send a wave of positive energy through those around you. "The best retorts speak truth — when a person calls something that the other people didn't see," said Paul. "That's generally what makes us laugh." And usually that's the end goal of a witty comeback — to get a laugh. A shared laugh 哄堂大笑 is a great way to reduce tension, it makes people feel included and reinforces what's easy to forget — that we are all in this together.
