用法学习: 1. spruik [spruːk] 吹嘘, 打广告, 宣传 INFORMAL AUSTRALIAN speak in public, especially to advertise a show. "men who spruik outside striptease joints" promote or publicize. "the company forked out $15 million to spruik its digital revolution". The website spruiking the Opal Tower apartments promises "uncompromised quality". spook [spuːk] I. a ghost. II. NORTH AMERICAN a spy. ...as a U.S. intelligence spook said yesterday. "a CIA spook". v. 惊吓. 吓到. 惊弓之鸟 frighten; unnerve. "they spooked a couple of grizzly bears". If people are spooked, something has scared them or made them nervous. [mainly US] He was so spooked 吓破胆 that he began to believe he heard strange clicks on the telephone. But was it the wind that spooked her? Investors were spooked by slowing economies. spooky 鬼嘘嘘的, 吓人的 frightening in a way that makes you nervous because it involves things that do not seem natural and cannot be explained by science. A place that is spooky has a frightening atmosphere, and makes you feel that there are ghosts around. [informal] The whole place has a slightly spooky atmosphere. a spooky story. 2. unobtrusive [ʌnəbˈtruːsɪv] 默默地, 悄无声息的, 不为人注意的, 不声不响的 adj not conspicuous or attracting attention. If you describe something or someone as unobtrusive, you mean that they are not easily noticed or do not draw attention to themselves. The coffee table is glass, to be as unobtrusive as possible. He managed the factory with unobtrusive efficiency. They slipped away unobtrusively. Unobtrusively, the other actors filed into the lounge. "the service was unobtrusive and efficient". Very pleasant staff who were unobtrusive but made things happen. obtrusive [ɒbtruːsɪv] 特别显眼的, 敲锣打鼓的, 大张旗鼓的 adj If you say that someone or something is obtrusive, you think they are noticeable in an unpleasant way. 'You are rude and obtrusive, Mr Galbraith,' said Tommy. These heaters are less obtrusive and are easy to store away in the summer. Hawke got up and walked obtrusively out of the building. 3. polar opposite/extreme something that is the complete or exact opposite of something else. Brad wants this year's Christmas to be the polar opposite of last year's. He was so alone last year, so heartbroken and really felt like he had nothing to look forward to. Now that the custody battle is over and Brad finally has won the kids back on his terms, going on a big family trip to Missouri is on the cards. He's moving heaven and earth to make it happen – he wants all the people he loves under one roof come Christmas morning. According to our source, Jennifer is splashing out on $40,000 worth of presents for the kids and is looking forward to helping her former mother-in-law Jane with the cooking. Ortega's cheerful landscapes are the polar opposites of Miller’s dark, troubled portraits. icy I. If you describe something as icy or icy cold, you mean that it is extremely cold. An icy wind blew hard across the open spaces. His shoes and clothing were wet through 湿透 and icy cold. II. An icy road has ice on it. III. 冷淡的. If you describe a person or their behaviour as icy, you mean that they are not affectionate or friendly, and they show their dislike or anger in a quiet, controlled way. [disapproval] His response was icy. 'Have you finished?' he asked icily. The prison official is icily polite and bureaucratic. livid [lɪvɪd] I. Someone who is livid is extremely angry. [informal] I am absolutely livid about it. She is livid that I have invited Dick. II. Something that is livid is an unpleasant dark purple or red colour. The scarred side of his face was a livid red. 4. dissipate [dɪsɪpeɪt] I. 驱散疑云. 疑云消散, 消散. 散散. When something dissipates or when you dissipate it, it becomes less or becomes less strong until it disappears or goes away completely. [formal] The tension in the room had dissipated 驱赶寒意. His suspicion dissipate 怀疑尽销. He wound down the windows to dissipate the heat 散散热气, 散热. II. When someone dissipates 挥霍一空 money, time 挥霍时间, or effort, they waste it in a foolish way. [formal] He is dissipating his time and energy on too many different things. Her father had dissipated her inheritance. ...the dissipation of my wealth. gingerly 小心翼翼地 If you do something gingerly, you do it in a careful manner, usually because you expect it to be dangerous, unpleasant, or painful. [written] She was touching the dressing gingerly with both hands. I drove gingerly past the security check points. wear on 随着时间推移, 时间继续, 随着时间流逝, 随着天色渐晚 If you say that time wears on, you mean that it passes, especially when it seems to pass slowly. As the day wore on, Brand found himself increasingly impressed. The summer days wore on and life returned to its boring routine. centre around / round = centre on/ upon (= revolve around) 以...为中心, 围绕着 I. if something centres around someone or something, or if you centre something around them, they are its main subject of attention or interest. to have something as the main subjectof discussion or interest. if your thoughts, activities etc centre around something or are centred around it, it is the main thing that you are concerned with or interested in My arguments are centered around 围绕着...展开的 the hypothesis that every dog has his day. In the 16th century, village life centred around religion. The debate centred around the issue of finance. The discussion centred around reducing waste. 争议: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary observes that center aroundis objected to by some people on the grounds that it is illogical, but states that it is an idiom, and thus that such objections are irrelevant. It offers revolve around as an alternative to center around for those who would avoid the idiom. Here is Merriam-Webster's original wording: The intransitive verb center is most commonly used with the prepositions in, on, at, and around. At appears to be favored in mathematical contexts; the others are found in a broad range of contexts. Center around, a standard idiom, has often been objected to as illogical. The logic on which the objections are based is irrelevant, since center around is an idiom and idioms have their own logic. Center on is currently more common in edited prose, and revolve around and similar verbs are available if you want to avoid center around. 5. than meets the eye You say 'there's more to this than meets the eye' when you think a situation is not as simple as it seems to be. This whole business is very puzzling. There is a lot more to it than meets the eye. there's no mistaking 绝不会搞错, 绝不会看错, 绝不会认错 You can say there is no mistaking something when you are emphasizing that you cannot fail to recognize or understand it. used for saying that you cannot fail to understand or recognize something. There was no mistaking the surprise on his face when I told him the news. There's no mistaking a painting by Picasso. There's no mistaking the eastern flavour of the food. There was no mistaking Magda's sincerity, or her pain. account for I. If a particular thing accounts for a part or proportion of something, that part or proportion consists of that thing, or is used or produced by it. Computers account for 占据 5% of the country's commercial electricity consumption. II. 可以解释. If something accounts for a particular fact or situation, it causes or explains it. Now, the gene they discovered today doesn't account for all those cases. III. If you can account for something, you can explain it or give the necessary information about it. He could not account for his whereabouts 说不清楚去向. How do you account for the company's alarmingly high staff turnover? He said only 200 of the train's 600 passengers had been accounted for. IV. If someone has to account for an action or policy, they are responsible for it, and may be required to explain it to other people or be punished if it fails. The President and the President alone must account for 负责 his government's reforms. V. If a sum of money is accounted for in a budget, it has been included in that budget for a particular purpose. The really heavy redundancy costs have been accounted for. VII. If you account for an enemy or opponent, you kill, destroy, or beat them. In the first ten days of May our squadron accounted for at least seven enemy aircraft. In the final they accounted for Brentford by three goals to two. 6. deceitful (dishonest): having a tendency or disposition to deceive. a. not honest a deceitful 不老实的, 不实诚的, 不实在的 salesman. b. deceptive, misleading deceitful 欺骗性质的, 骗人的 advertising. deceptive 让人误解的, 让人误会的, 似是而非的, 误导的: tending or having power to deceive; deceptive advertising. deceptive practices. New laws against misleading or deceptive advertising The hotel looked nice but appearances can be deceptive. It's deceptive - from the outside the building looks small, but inside it's very big. He put the question with deceptive casualness. a deceptive appearance. difference: deceitful 骗人的, 欺骗性质的, 不老实的 means intended to deceive or cheat (focus on intention) while deceptive 欲以骗人的, 意在骗人的, 意欲骗人的,具有欺骗性的 means causing one to believe what is not true or likely to mislead someone (focus on effect) Appearances can be deceptive. Deceiving VS deceptive: In general, the noun-derived form (such as 'deceptive') implies a characteristic: that is, a typical attitude, behaviour or property, whereas the verb-derived form (such as 'deceiving') does not. This does not mean that the words may not in some contexts convey a very similar semantic meaning. The above is a general principle for words of this kind. looks/ appearances can be deceiving used for saying that people and things are often very different from how they appear. He's being deceitful 没说实话, 骗人的, 说谎的 all the time. deceive (deceiver 骗子): to persuade someone that something false is the truth, or to keep the truth hidden from someone for your own advantage: The company deceived customers by selling old computers as new ones. The sound of the door closing deceived me into thinking they had gone out. If something deceives you, it gives you a wrong impression and makes you believe something that is not true. His gentle, kindly appearance did not deceive me. The boys, if my eyes did not deceive me, were praying. deceive yourself 自欺欺人 to refuse to accept the truth: She thinks he'll come back, but she's deceiving herself. are my eyes deceiving me? something you say when you cannot believe what you see: Is that snow in May, or are my eyes deceiving me? cancer in remission 检测不出癌细胞: Remission means you have either little or no sign of cancer in your body. It doesn't show up on X-rays, MRI scans, or blood tests. Symptoms, like pain or fatigue, often ease up or stop. Your cancer is in complete remission when, after treatment, no cancer can be detected. The term "cure" can only be used in hindsight. Commonly, years after the cancer has gone into remission, if it has not returned (or relapsed), it is said to have been cured. However, a secondary cancer could occur if the same conditions that triggered the first are present. remission I. If someone who has had a serious disease such as cancer is in remission or if the disease is in remission, the disease has been controlled so that they are not as ill as they were. Brain scans have confirmed that the disease is in remission. After six years of remission, cancer reappeared. II. 减刑. If someone in prison gets remission, their prison sentence is reduced, usually because they have behaved well. a reduction of the term of a sentence of imprisonment, as for good conduct. he got three years' remission. With remission for good behaviour, she could be freed in a year. III. lessening of intensity; abatement, as in the severity of symptoms of a disease. IV. the process by which someone is allowed not to pay money that they owe. Scholarship students will receive full remission 减免, 全免除 of their tuition fees. 相关句子: Failure to receive an invoice does not absolve the payer of the responsibility to ensure school fees are paid prior to a student's attendance. Remission of tuition means that the cost of tuition has been waived by the University for its employee or dependent. Most Universities that offer this benefit require a minimum of service for the benefit to become effective for the employee and a little longer for it to expand to cover the dependent. remit I. Someone's remit is the area of activity 活动范围, 管辖范围, 势力范围, 工作范围 which they are expected to deal with, or which they have authority to deal with. [British] That issue is not within the remit of the working group. [+ of] The centre has a remit to advise Asian businesses and entrepreneurs. v. I. If you remit money to someone, you send it to them. [formal] Many immigrants regularly remit money to their families. II. 打回重审. In an appeal court, if a case is remitted to the court where it was originally dealt with, it is sent back to be dealt with there. [law] The matter was remitted to the justices for a rehearing. remittance I. a sum of money sent in payment or as a gift. "complete your booking form and send it together with your remittance". "complete the booking form and send it together with your remittance". II. allowance, sum of money, consideration. "he gets a remittance once every three months". III. the action of sending money in payment or as a gift. "remittance may be made by credit card". 7. fall by the wayside 半途而废, 半路返航, 倒在路上, 中道崩殂, 事业未竟身先死, 不能完成, 中途放弃, 半路放弃, 半路返回 fail to persist in an endeavour or undertaking. to cease or fail to continue doing something. of the nine starters, three fell by the wayside. Many readers will fall by the wayside as the terminology becomes more complicated. A hit has been taken out 雇凶杀人, 买凶杀人, 找杀手杀人 to kill his mother. 'And I warn you, if you back out of the doctor's visit after this, I'm going to take out a hit on you 找人杀了你.' Put a hit out on 悬赏杀人 to contract with a killer to have someone murdered. Peter: I sort of put a hit out on ya. Louis : How could you put a hit out on me!. vehemently [ˈvi:əməntli] in a forceful, passionate, or intense manner; with great feeling. "he vehemently denied any suggestion of improper conduct". to the max 做到极致 to the highest degree or level. If you do something to the max, you do it to the greatest degree possible. [informal] Everyone involved is enjoying himself to the max. Too many guys in the gym are pushing their bodies to the max and not using the weights correctly. loiter [ˈlɔɪtə] I. 闲晃. stand or wait around without apparent purpose. "she saw Mary loitering near the cloakrooms". II. 闲溜达 walk slowly and with no apparent purpose; dawdle. "the weather had tempted them to loiter along the banks of the Cherwell". to move slowly around or stand in a public place without an obvious reason: A gang of youths were loitering outside the cinema. to go slowly, stopping often: Come straight home and don't loiter, Alan. In any pass/fail exam, there is a "pass point, 及格分, 及格线 a passing grade 及格分"(passing grade: the number of points that must be achieved in order to be successful in an exam. ) the number of questions a candidate must answer correctly in order to pass the exam. ... When a candidate completes an exam, the testing software calculates a raw score—the actual number of correctly answered questions. The social work licensing exams are all pass/fail exams developed to measure minimum competence in social work practice. In any pass/fail exam, there is a "pass point," the number of questions a candidate must answer correctly in order to pass the exam. All jurisdictions that use the ASWB exams recognize the same pass point. This pass point varies, depending on the category of exam you're taking and which version ("form") of the exam you get. Generally, pass points range from 93 to 107 correct of the 150 scored questions. Remember that the test also includes 20 nonscored "pretest" questions mixed in with the scored items. Because different test takers 考生, 参考人, 考试人员 receive different sets of questions, ASWB has to account for 考虑进去 differences in the difficulty levels of individual items on different versions of the same test. When a candidate completes an exam, the testing software calculates a raw score—the actual number of correctly answered questions. Because raw scores 原始分数 can be affected by the difficulty of individual items on a particular form of an exam, these slight variations are accounted for through an equating process. passing I. A passing fashion, activity, or feeling lasts for only a short period of time and is not worth taking very seriously. Hamnett does not believe environmental concern is a passing 短时间的 fad. II. The passing of something such as a time or system is the fact of its coming to an end. It was an historic day, yet its passing was not marked by the slightest excitement. When the Fifties faded into history, there wasn't a lot of mourning for the passing 逝去 of an era. III. You can refer to someone's death as their passing, if you want to avoid using the word 'death' because you think it might upset or offend people. His passing 去世, 离世 will be mourned by many people. ...the passing of one of this century's great artists. IV. The passing of a period of time is the fact or process of its going by. The passing of time brought a sense of emptiness. The passing of the years has been kind to Dan. He looks like a man of half his age. V. A passing mention or reference 捎带的, 随便提及的, 顺便提及的 is brief and is made while you are talking or writing about something else. It was just a passing comment, he didn't go on about it. The colonies received only a passing mention. Everyone only asked a passing question 随便一问的, 随便问问的, 随口一问的 where he went, no one really cared about the answer. with each passing year/with every passing year 年复一年. 8. Pure alexia, also known as agnosic alexia or alexia without agraphia or pure word blindness, is one form of alexia which makes up "the peripheral dyslexia" group. Individuals who have pure alexia have severe reading problems while other language-related skills such as naming, oral repetition, auditory comprehension or writing are typically intact. notorious[nəˈtɔriəs] notoriety [ˌnəutəˈraɪəti] a situation in which someone or something is famous for something bad. The regime gained notoriety for its harsh treatment of political prisoners. sobriety [səuˈbraɪəti] I. the state of not being drunk. II. serious behaviour, or a serious attitude. crushed soul 不堪重负而心力交瘁的人, 伤痕累累的人 She has been a crushed soul herself, couldn't take another blow about her son. A hookah 水烟袋, also known as the ḡalyān, is a single- or multi-stemmed instrument for vaporizing and smoking flavored tobacco (often Mu'assel), or sometimes cannabis or opium, whose vapor or smoke is passed through a water basin—often glass-based—before inhalation. Health risks of smoking through a hookah include exposure to toxic chemicals that are not filtered out by the water and risk of infectious disease when hookahs are shared. ride a hobby = ride (one's) hobby-horse 滔滔不绝的说 to be excessively devoted to one's favorite pastime or subject. To frequently or incessantly talk or complain about a subject, topic, or issue in which one is excessively interested. Ah, here we go again. Once grandpa starts riding his hobby-horse about the government, there's no stopping him! hung up on/about 太过沉迷于, 沉醉于, 醉心于, 着迷于, 太当回事, 太过重视 obsessively or exclusively interested in. If you say that someone is hung up about a particular person or thing, you are criticizing them for thinking or worrying too much about that person or thing. [informal, disapproval] It was a time when people weren't so hung-up about health. [+ about/on] Are you really that hung up on her? he's hung up on modern art these days. hang back 不要一鼓作气的, 稍微缓一下 I. If you hang back, you move or stay slightly behind a person or group, usually because you are nervous about something. I saw him step forward momentarily but then hang back, nervously massaging his hands. II. If a person or organization hangs back, they do not do something immediately. They will then hang back on closing the deal. Even his closest advisers believe he should hang back no longer. hang on/upon sth to give careful attention to something, especially something that someone says: He hangs on her every word as if she were some sort of goddess. to hang on someone's every word 言听计从, 唯命是从 If you hang on someone's every word, you listen very carefully to what they are saying, because you admire or respect them. To be completely attentive to what another person is saying. Melina was hanging on his every word, fascinated. rabble-rouser 哗众取宠的人, 煽动大众情绪闹事的人 a person who speaks with the intention of inflaming the emotions of a crowd of people, typically for political reasons. A demagogue = demagog [ˈdɛməɡɒɡ] or rabble-rouser(If you say that someone such as a politician is a demagogue you are criticizing them because you think they try to win people's support by appealing to their emotions rather than using reasonable arguments. ) is a leader in a democracy who gains popularity by exploiting prejudice and ignorance among the common people, whipping up 煽动情绪 the passions ( I. If someone 煽动负面情绪, 引发情绪 whips up an emotion, especially a dangerous one such as hatred, or if they whip people up into an emotional state, they deliberately cause and encourage people to feel that emotion. He accused politicians of whipping up anti-foreign sentiments in order to win right-wing votes. Joe McCarthy whipped up Americans into a frenzy of anti-Communist activity in the Fifties. II. If a force such as the wind whips up dust or water, it makes it rise up. In 1346 a hurricane whipped up 掀起, 风卷起 the sea to destroy the town. ...clouds of smoke and sand whipped up by a strong wind. III. If you whip up something, especially a meal, you make it quickly. [informal] I used to entertain at home quite a lot, and I can still whip up a fairly decent dinner party. ) of the crowd and shutting down reasoned deliberation. Demagogues overturn established customs of political conduct, or promise or threaten to do so. Demagoguery exploits a fundamental flaw in democracy: because power is held by the people, it is possible for the people to give that power to someone who appeals to the lowest common denominator of a large segment of the population. Demagogues usually advocate immediate, forceful action to address a national crisis while accusing moderate and thoughtful opponents of weakness or disloyalty. rabble [ræbəl] I. A rabble is a crowd of noisy people who seem likely to cause trouble. He seems to attract a rabble of supporters more loyal to the man than to the cause. II. 普通民众. 普通大众. 老百姓. People sometimes refer to ordinary people in general as the rabble to suggest that they are superior to them. [disapproval] In 40 years, the Guards' Polo Club has changed, but it has managed to keep most of the rabble out. 9. 明星: The 43-year-old Blossom legend took to social media to reveal her recent status as a single woman was playing on her mind 摆脱不掉, 挥之不去, 影响情绪(prey/play on somebody's mind if a problem preys on your mind, you cannot stop thinking about it Finally, she broached the subject that had been playing on her mind for days.). She also expressed woes over the current state of American politics - and a split of peace between her pet cats. By Christmas Day, however, Mayim's fortunes where changing. She posted another selfie - this time looking more upbeat 乐观开朗的 as she shared a photo of herself smiling inside a car.
罗马尼亚国王Carol: Sisi Prince - The marriage thrust her into the much more formal Habsburg court life 宫廷生活, for which she was unprepared and which she found uncongenial(congenial [kənˈdʒiniəl] friendly and enjoying the company of others. uncongenial [ʌnkəndʒiːniəl] 不让人愉悦的, 让人不快的, 让人不舒服的, 让人不爽的, 让人不痛快的, 让人痛苦的 If you describe a person or place as uncongenial, you mean that they are unfriendly and unpleasant. He continued to find the Simpsons uncongenial bores. Hollywood was an uncongenial place to work. congenital [kənˈdʒenɪt(ə)l] 天生的, 与生俱来的, 胎里带的, 先天性的 a congenital medical condition is one that a person has had since they were born. congeal [kənˈdʒil] 凝固 if a substance such as blood or fat congeals, it becomes thick and almost solid. harem [ˈherəm] 后宫 ). Early in the marriage she was at odds with her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, who took over the rearing of Elisabeth's daughters, one of whom, Sophie, died in infancy. The birth of a male heir, Rudolf, improved her standing 地位 at court 宫里的地位提高, but her health suffered under the strain, and she would often visit Hungary for its more relaxed environment. She came to develop a deep kinship with Hungary, and helped to bring about the dual monarchy of Austria–Hungary in 1867. The death of her only son and his mistress Mary Vetsera, in a murder–suicide at his hunting lodge at Mayerling in 1889 was a blow from which Elisabeth never recovered. She withdrew from court duties and travelled widely, unaccompanied by her family. In 1890, she had a palace built on the Greek Island of Corfu that she visited often. The palace Achilleion, featuring an elaborate mythological motif, served as a refuge. She was obsessively concerned with maintaining her youthful figure 保持青春和美丽 and beauty, which were already legendary during her life. While travelling in Geneva in 1898, she was stabbed to death by an Italian anarchist named Luigi Lucheni. Elisabeth was the longest serving Empress of Austria at 44 years. 罗马尼亚国王: King Ferdinand died in 1927 and Carol's five-year-old son ascended the throne 继位 as Michael I. Carol then returned to Romania in 1930 and replaced his son and the regency that had been in place. His reign was marked by re-alignment with Nazi Germany, adoption of anti-semitic laws and ultimately evolved into a personal dictatorship beginning in 1938. On 6 September 1940, he was forced by his Prime Minister Ion Antonescu to leave the country and withdraw abroad into exile. He was succeeded by his son Michael. Carol was born in Peleș Castle. Carol grew up under the thumb of his dominating grand-uncle King Carol I, who largely excluded his parents, the German-born Crown Prince Ferdinandand the British-born Crown Princess Marie from any role in bringing him up. Romania in the early 20th century had a famously relaxed "Latin" sexual morality, and in this environment, Princess Marie pursued a series of love affairs with various, predominantly Romanian men who offered her more emotional and sexual satisfaction than her husband Ferdinand could. For his part, Ferdinand fiercely resented being cuckolded 被戴绿帽. The stern Carol I felt that Marie was unqualified to raise Prince Carol because of her love affairs and her young age, as she was only seventeen when Carol was born, whereas Marie regarded the king as a cold, overbearing 傲慢的 tyrant who would crush the life out of her son. The childless Carol I (who had always wanted a son) treated Prince Carol as his surrogate son and thoroughly spoiled him by indulging his every whim. Ferdinand was a rather shy and weak man who was easily overshadowed by the charismatic Marie, who would become a much-loved member of the Romanian royal family. Growing up, Carol felt ashamed of his father, whom both his grand-uncle and mother pushed around 呼来换取. Carol's childhood was spent caught up in an emotional tug-of-war between Carol I and Marie, who had very different ideas about how to raise him. Aspects of both Marie's and Carol I's personalities were present in Carol II. Largely as a result of the battle between the king and Marie, Carol ended being both spoiled and deprived of love. From Carol I, he certainly acquired a "profound love of German militarism" (in the words of the American historian Margaret Sankey) and the idea that all democratic governments were weak governments, but he was also influenced by the intense Francophilia (Francophobia a strong dislike or fear of France and French culture. Hitler's anti-Semitism in "Mein Kampf" is deeply entangled with his Francophobia. A Francophile 法国迷 (Gallophile) is a person who has a strong affinity towards any or all of the French language, French history, French culture or French people. That affinity may include France itself or its history, language, cuisine, literature, etc. The love or admiration of France, the French, or French culture. ) that prevailed in Romania of his day. Romania in the early 20th century was perhaps the most Francophile nation in the entire world; the Romanian elite obsessively embraced all things French as the model for perfection in everything. During his teenage years, Carol acquired the "playboy" image that was to become his defining persona for the rest of his life. Carol I expressed some concern at the direction that Prince Carol's personal development was taking. His only serious interest was stamp collecting, and the young prince spent an inordinate amount of time drinking, partying, and chasing after women. Carol rapidly become a favorite of gossip columnists around the world owing to the frequent photographs that appeared in newspapers showing him at various parties holding a drink in one hand and a woman in the other. In order to teach the prince the value of the Prussian virtues, the king had him commissioned as an officer into a Prussian guards regiment in 1913. His time with the 1st Prussian Guards regiment did not achieve the desired results, and Carol remained the "playboy prince". In November 1914, Carol joined the Romanian Senate in accordance with the provisions of the 1866 Constitution of Romania, which guaranteed him a seat in the Senate upon reaching maturity. Known more for his romantic misadventures than for any leadership skills, Carol was first married in the Cathedral Church of Odessa, Ukraine, to Joanna Marie Valentina Lambrino on 31 August 1918. Lambrino, known as "Zizi", was the daughter of a Romanian general, Constantin Lambrino. The fact that Carol had technically deserted 脱离军队, 脱队 to marry Lambrino (as he left his post at the Army without permission) caused immense controversy at the time. The marriage was annulled on 29 March 1919 by the Ilfov County Court. Carol and Zizi continued to live together after the annulment. Their only child, Mircea Gregor Carol Lambrino, was born 8 January 1920. Carol next married Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark (who was known in Romania as Crown Princess Elena) in Athens, Greece, on 10 March 1921. Helen had known Carol's indissolute behaviour and previous marriage, but was undeterred 没有被吓到, being in love with Carol. They were second cousins, both of them great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria, as well as third cousins in descent from Nicholas I of Russia. The intention behind this arranged marriage was to help organise a dynastic alliance between Greece and Romania. Bulgaria harbored territorial disputes with Greece, Romania and Yugoslavia and all three of the latter states tended to be close during the period between World War I and World War II due to their shared fears of the Bulgarians. Their only child, Michael, was born seven months after Helen and Carol's marriage, sparking rumours that Michael was conceived out of wedlock. Apparently close at first, Carol and Helen drifted apart, and he frequently engaged in extramarital affairs. The elegant Helen found Carol, with his love of heavy drinking and constant partying, rather too wild. Carol disliked women of royal and aristocratic background, whom he found too stiff and formal, and displayed an extremely marked preference for commoners, much to the chagrin of his parents. Carol found low-born 出身低贱的 women to have the qualities he sought in a woman, such as informality, spontaneity, humor and passion. The marriage with Princess Helen collapsed completely in the wake of Carol's affair with Elena "Magda" Lupescu, the Roman Catholic daughter of a Jewish pharmacist and his Roman Catholic wife. Magda Lupescu formerly had been the wife of the army officer Ion Tâmpeanu. As a result of her husband's open infidelity, Helen divorced Carol in 1928.
