用法学习: 1. But, come the end of 2018, the scrutiny was so intense that Nine buckled 屈服. The bosses threw out the baby, the bath water 因噎废食, 壮士断腕("Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater" is an idiomatic expression for an avoidable error in which something good is eliminated when trying to get rid of something bad, or in other words, rejecting the favorable along with the unfavorable.), the bath, the taps and the tiles in what is looking like a ham-fisted 蹩脚的, 拙劣的, 笨手笨脚的 ( clumsy; bungling. Lacking skill in physical movement, especially with the hands. doing things in an awkward or unskilled way when using the hands or dealing with people. If you describe someone as ham-fisted, you mean that they are clumsy, especially in the way that they use their hands. They can all be made in minutes by even the most ham-fisted of cooks. The report criticizes the ham-fisted way in which complaints were dealt with. "a ham-fisted attempt" ham-handed Some of the dishes arrived damaged after their ham-handed moving efforts. heavy-handed I. Clumsy, awkward. II. 下重手的. 下手太重的. Excessive, overdone. If someone is heavy-handed with something, they use too much of it or use it in a clumsy way. It all depends on how heavy-handed you are with the paprika. In fact she tends to be a little heavy-handed when she wears make-up. Do not be too heavy-handed with the salt. III. Extreme; unnecessarily forceful; harsh, oppressive, and cruel. IV. If you say that someone's behaviour is heavy-handed, you mean that they are too forceful or too rough. [disapproval] ...heavy-handed police tactics. The demonstration had been dealt with in a violent and heavy handed way. You can't be heavy handed. You have to make people aware that you understand their concerns. ) attempt to make it all stop. By rushing Stefanovic's departure, Today now has a line-up that is starting the year on a back foot ( on the back foot/put someone on the back foot 在防守的位置上, 不利的位置上 in a defensive posture; on the defensive; off balance; at a disadvantage. If someone is on the back foot, or if something puts them on the back foot, they feel threatened and act defensively. From now on, Labour will be on the back foot on the subject of welfare. I thought it would knock my confidence and put me on the back foot. ). 2. Grande was responding specifically to an Associated Press article published on Thursday, which quotes Ehrlich as saying, "As it turned out when we finally got the point 达到一个阶段 where we thought maybe it would work, she felt it was too late for her to pull something together 攒起来一个表演 for sure. And it's too bad. She's a great artist. And I'd love to get her in the show this year." Some of these perceived biases have been percolating ( percolate [pɜːrkəleɪt] I. If an idea, feeling, or piece of information percolates through a group of people or a thing, it spreads slowly through the group or thing. New fashions took a long time to percolate down. ...all of these thoughts percolated through my mind. percolation [pɜːrkəleɪʃən] There is no percolation of political ideas from the membership to the leadership. II. 滤清. When you percolate coffee or when coffee percolates, you prepare it in a percolator. She percolated the coffee and put croissants in the oven to warm. III. To percolate somewhere means to pass slowly through something that has very small holes or gaps in it. Rainwater will only percolate through slowly. ) for some time but especially in the last year following remarks last January by Recording Academy president Neil Portnow that women need to "step up" to gain more recognition at music events like Grammys. Curiously Drake, who is the most nominated artist and is up for three of the four marquee awards, doesn't appear on any tune-in campaigns for the Grammys. An insider says the rapper declined to allow his likeness ( I. If two things or people have a likeness to each other, they are similar to each other. These myths have a startling likeness to one another. [+ to] There might be a likeness between their features, but their eyes were totally dissimilar. II. A likeness of someone is a picture or sculpture of them. The museum displays wax likenesses of every U.S. president. [+ of] ) to be used in such a matter, "why aren't female artists offered the same courtesy?" 3. 连环杀人案审判: Prosecutors were due to argue before Justice Hall today at a pre-trial hearing why they should be allowed to use "propensity evidence ( propensity [prəˈpensəti] a natural tendency to behave in a particular way. A propensity to do something or a propensity for something is a natural tendency that you have to behave in a particular way. Mr Bint has a propensity to put off decisions to the last minute. [+ for] She hasn't reckoned on his propensity for violence. propensity to something: ways of reducing children's propensity to aggression. propensity for something: Their propensity for violence is virtually limitless. Character evidence is a term used in the law of evidence to describe any testimony or document submitted for the purpose of proving that a person acted in a particular way on a particular occasion based on the character or disposition of that person. In the United States, Federal Rule of Evidence 404 maps out its permissible and prohibited uses in trials. Three factors typically determine the admissibility of character evidence: the purpose the character evidence is being used for. the form in which the character evidence is offered. the type of proceeding (civil or criminal) in which the character evidence is offered. In the United States, character evidence is inadmissible in a criminal trial if first offered by the prosecution as circumstantial evidence to show that a defendant is likely to have committed the crime with which he or she is charged—the prosecution may not, in other words, initiate character evidence that shows defendant's propensity to commit a crime. However the prosecution may introduce character evidence for certain limited purposes after the defendant does so—after the defendant has "opened the door"—through the permissible methods and purposes explained below in "Character evidence offered by the defendant," to rebut what defendant tried showing through character evidence, and to "offer evidence of the defendant's same trait.")" in the case against Bradley Robert Edwards. "We are not talking about pornography that is beige or vanilla(beige [beɪʒ] Something that is beige is pale brown in colour. The walls are beige. ...a pair of beige shorts. ...muted shades of white and beige.), we are talking about pornography that is extreme,' she said. "There is no description that we can give … that can adequately reflect what's in that material." The 50-year-old is also accused of depriving a woman of her liberty after breaking into her Huntingdale home in 1988 – a charge the court was previously told "encompassed" an alleged indecent assault, and the abduction and rape of a 17-year-old girl in Karrakatta Cemetery in February 1995. The judge, who will hear the trial without a jury, said he would look at the pornographic material and the hearing has been adjourned until Monday.
Black leopard [ˈlepərd] 豹 spotted in Africa for first time in 100 years(The black leopard is so coloured because of melanism, the development of the dark-coloured pigment in skin and hair. Melanism provides additional camouflage. Black panthers 豹 ( a leopard with black fur. A panther is a large wild animal that belongs to the cat family. Panthers are usually black. ) are a blanket term. Black panthers are an umbrella term that refers to any big cat with a black coat.): A black leopard has been spotted in Africa for first time in 100 years and captured in a series of stunning photograhs by an intrepid 勇敢无畏的 snapper. The creature – of almost mythical status – was captured on film by Will Burrard-Lucas using specialist equipment including wireless motion sensors and high-quality DSLR cameras. In a blog post, he tells how he first encountered a black leopard after spending three days searching the Kabini Forest in India. Burrard-Lucas was then told of a black leopard at the Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya – an area not known for the creature. After finding tracks, he set up a Camtraptions Camera Trap for several nights until he captured a pair of eyes surrounded by inky darkness. These were later revealed to be that of black leopard. "Over the days that followed I moved the camera traps around as I gained a deeper understanding of the leopard's movements. The next hit I got was further down on the same game trail as the first capture," he explained. "Thereafter the black leopard disappeared and I started capturing images of a big spotty male instead – apparently he had chased away 赶走, 赶跑 the younger black leopard." Published in the African Journal of Ecology, the photos represent the first scientific documentation of such a creature in Africa in nearly a century. Most black leopards are known to exist in South-east Asia, where tropical forests offer more shade. The leopard's appearance is attributed to melanism - the development of the dark-coloured pigment melanin in the skin or hair of animals. While 11 per cent of leopards alive today are thought to be melanistic, most are found in South-east Asia where tropical forests offer an abundance of shade. Before Burrard-Lucas's picture, the only confirmed sighting of a black leopard in Africa was a photograph taken in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1909.
口语用法: 1. Our partners are asking us to prepare a draft contract. I'll do it. I am in the process of getting it done. We've got to solve this problem. I'm on it. I will take care of it. We received a technical question from our customer. We need to respond somehow. Leave it to me 交给我吧. 2. You heard my instruction, now follow it without further argument. We have to complete the job on time. Put your nose to the grindstone, guys. There might not be enough time… You heard me. 3. Our project is funded insufficiently. And we still have much to do. We are running on empty(run on empty I. to continue to work and be active when you have no energy left. To be losing enthusiasm or willingness; to lack motivation. He has been running on empty for a while. It's likely the project will be canceled. I get the impression he's been running on empty for months now. A holiday will do him good. II. mainly US and Australian English If a person or an organization is running on empty, they have no new ideas or are not as effective as they were before: The fund-raising campaign was running on empty after ten years under the same leader.). That won't work. We need better funding. Your plan is ill-conceived 计划不周的. It's not going to work. It does not have a chance of success. Do you want me to spend my time and money on your whimsical 一时兴起的 idea? It doesn't stand a chance. If government funding is withdrawn, our project is doomed. It doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell. We are not getting anywhere with this. This ill-advised scheme can't succeed. We are wasting our time. I think we need to cease our attempts to solve the problem by conventional methods. We are wasting our effort. We need a fresh approach. The boss will never approve a plan like that. You call it bold? He'll call it silly. We are wasting our energy. We are moving chaotically and senselessly 毫无意义的. We need to stop our aimless activity and get organized. We are just running around in circles 原地打转. 4. This job could hardly be called excellent. You can do better than that. I'm doing the best I can. When are we going to see some results 看到结果, 看到成果? I'm doing my best. Why are you doing it this way? Odds are you are simply wasting material. That's the way I was told to do it. Do you think that's the right way to do it? That's the way I've always done it. Do you know you could be criminally charged for doing that? I'm just following orders 听命于人. Our vehicle is not moving anywhere although its wheels are turning. We are stuck in a bog. We have been working on this problem for a year. We have accomplished nothing. We are spinning our wheels 打空转. We are trying to do what has already failed. In order to raise money for our project, we contacted several banks. We got turned down every time. Why do you think this time it will be different? We are beating a dead horse. We need private funding. 5. This plan is a failure. Throw it away. Surrender, stop trying, don't waste your time. Your analysis is inconclusive. It's a way to nowhere. Give it up. The odds are against you. It's a losing idea. Dump it. You're building your theory on incorrect assumptions. You're not going to succeed with it. Trash it. Your proposal contradicts the basic principles of mechanics. That simply won't work. Junk it. Your method is lacking systematization. You're just running around in circles. Toss it. You've already spent a good deal of time trying to prove your hypothesis. You're spinning your wheels. Finish it off. Your research is funded inadequately. It doesn't stand a chance. Get rid of it. Destroy it while it is still small. You're wasting your energy on this project. Nip it in the bud. The experimental model you are trying to build lacks solid theoretical foundation. All your results have been negative so far. Pull the plug on it. Experimental facts don't support your theoretical study. It's not late to cancel it without damaging your reputation. Pull the rug out from under it. 6. The project is cancelled and all our efforts are lost forever. They stopped financing our work. The project went down the drain. Cancellation is final. The commanding officer aborted this mission. Case is closed. There is nothing to discuss any more. Our initiative has failed. End of story. 7. Let's call it quits. I have been dealing with it long enough and now I am about to stop. I've been planting roses all day. My hands are scratched all over. So much for that. 8. We have returned to the starting point 回到起点. In our attempts to solve the problem we have exhausted all our resources. We are back to square one. We're back to basics. We have returned to essentials. We failed to achieve practical results of any significance. We are back to basics.Field testing of our new product revealed numerous errors and defects. We are back to the drawing board. 9. You've done well. I'm very pleased 非常满意 with your work. We have to do lunch sometime. I'm glad you have completed the project successfully. Good work. Thanks to you, our city is growing at a fast pace. Thank you, sir. Your appreciation means very much to me. The boss looked at my results and said, Keep up the good work 继续努力. This is so good it is worth the prize. Such a spectacular demonstration! You've done a wonderful job! That takes the cake! You are different from others. You are very good at what you are doing! Your presentation was excellent. It exceeded everybody's expectations. You are something else! 10. I submit to you and your experience. First, read the instruction manual carefully. Then, turn the machine on and get practical, firsthand experience with it. Okay. You're the boss 你是老大, 你说了算. Follow these instructions diligently. Sure. You're the doctor. 11. I'd like to have a word with you. Okay. I need a minute to complete this job. Could I see you in my office? I need to talk with you about something. You are late. The meeting has already begun. Try to be on time next time. We don't need to look sloppy 懒洋洋的, 散漫的, 懒散的 in the eyes of our business partners. You arrived late, but this is still better than your complete absence 完全不出现, 完全缺席. Don't interpret my words as directed against you 针对你 personally. Don't take it personally, but the boss is not happy about your late arrival at the business meeting. I am only concerned about business in an impersonal manner. Based on last year's financial results, we have to downsize the company by eliminating jobs. Nothing personal, strictly business. 12. The matter in hand is pretty complicated. We have to determine how to tackle it. First, what's the main problem here? If we find it, we'll solve the entire puzzle. I guess, our primary concern 最担心的 is whether the market accepts our new product or rejects it. Our grocery store is coming out with a new pie(come out with something I. to say something suddenly, usually something that surprises or shocks people. If you come out with a remark, especially a surprising one, you make it. Everyone who heard it just burst out laughing when he came out with it. What was that marvellous quote that she came out with? You never know what the children are going to come out with. II. 发布新产品. introduce a new product; launch. The company came out with a new line in just three months.). We have to somehow convince the customers that our pie is better than the pies offered by our competition. So, how can we do that? What's the crux of the matter ( the heart/crux [krʌks] of the matter The police didn’t have enough evidence against him. That's the crux of the matter.)? Any ideas? We are trying to bargain with our suppliers. It all comes down to the core issue 都归结于一个问题. They don't want to reduce their price, and we don't want to pay it. Gentlemen, we are looking for ways to build a political alliance here. But it all boils down to one question 归结于一个问题. Who's going to be our leader? Look, our project is costly while we are on a very tight budget. I don't know if we can pull it off. We've got to begin somewhere. Let's try to raise more money first. What is our starting point 从哪里开始? The goal of this project is to help families with mentally challenged children in our community. It's a noble goal. Where do we begin? This investment is not profitable anymore. What do you think we should do? Let's hold on to it for a while, and then drop it ( 放弃, 丢弃, 抛弃. toss it, trash, junk, toss, throw it away, dump, finish it off) if we see that there is no improvement. The problem here is pretty complex and hardly solvable. How do feel about that? We've got to do it anyway. Failure is not an option. Our technical and financial experts are working on a new proposal. It's gradually taking shape. I'll keep you posted. 13. I've heard about some changes in your department. Clue me in on what's going on. Fill me in on what is happening. I want to stay abreast of the recent developments in our company. Bring me up to date on the latest political news. I want to be informed. I've lost track of what's going on around here. Bring me up to speed. Tell me the news and rumors. 14. We got proper funding for our project. It's a start. Initially, the board of directors opposed 反对 our proposal. It was very hard to convince them. But we did it. We are off to a good start. The first round of negotiations with the investors went relatively well. We are headed in the right direction. The preliminary phase of our project is completed. We have laid a good foundation. The next phase is even more challenging. The space research program is huge. It will take decades of work. We have made a dent in it. The beginning of the project was difficult. Now, we've gotten over teething troubles 开始的困难阶段. Get down to business. We are pressed for time 时间不多, 时间不宽裕. There is a time limit which we have to comply with. Hurry up! Focus on your work. We have a deadline to meet. This time, we mustn't be late. The deadline is sooner than you think. No delay is allowed. The deadline is looming large on the horizon. It's getting close to the finish line. I have to turn my proposal in next month. It's getting down to the wire ( At the very end of a process or project, especially one with a fast-approaching deadline. He was almost done with the paper, but tomorrow's due date meant it would be down to the wire. until the last moment that it is possible to do something: I think the election will go right down to the wire (= be won at the last moment). down to the short strokes 收尾阶段 (idiomatic) In the final steps or decisive phase of an undertaking, especially one which has been lengthy or laborious.). 14. This order has just arrived. It's a rush job 加急工作. Fill it right away. This is a rush order. Do it right now. This is top priority. This job must be done without delay. Get on it! When are you going to finish this rush job? I haven’t got all day(we haven't got all day (idiomatic) used to hurry people up. Rachel: Make it snappy! I haven't got all day. Alice: Just take it easy. There's no rush. Henry: I haven't got all day. When are you going to finish with my car? Bob: As soon as I can. get one's skates on (informal, idiomatic) To start doing something quickly; to stop procrastinating; to hurry up. If I don't get my skates on now I'm going to be late! shake a leg (idiomatic, frequently imperative) To get busy; to get going; to be productive. Shake a leg! We haven't got all day. get a move on (informal, idiomatic) To hurry up, to get moving. I need to get a move on if I'm going to arrive before dark. ). Your presentation is scheduled for tomorrow. Start working. On the double 加倍努力( on the double = at the double If you do something on the double, you do it very quickly or immediately. [informal] I need a copy of the police report on the double. at the double at running speed; very fast. "he disappeared at the double" )! Have you heard what the boss said? What are you waiting for now? Get moving. Chop, chop! I can complete this job in a few days. In a few days? I need it yesterday! When do you need this? Yesterday wouldn't be too soon 越快越好. Don't hurry me! Don't rush me 别催我! I'm working on it. Don't put pressure on me! We are running out of stock. We need to place a new order with our supplier. Don't push me! I'll send a fax to them tomorrow. You have to finish the project as soon as possible. I'm doing my best. There are only so many hours in a day 时间是有限的. 15. Your order is being filled as we speak. All our business associates are busy at the moment. At this point in time, we cannot locate your shipment.
