用法学习: 1. A house call 出诊 is a visit to the home of a patient or client by a doctor or other professional. In some locations, families used to pay dues to a particular practice to underwrite house calls. chase shadows (wild goose chase) 追逐假想敌 Pursue illusory targets. I found that the three-day mission did little more than chase shadows. be chasing your tail 原地打转 to be busy doing a lot of things but achieving very little. To busily try to perform many tasks or to repeatedly revise one's plans, especially with inefficient use of one's time and limited results. go round in circles (idiomatic) To repeatedly do the same thing without making any progress. be back in harness 回去工作, 回去上班 UK to have returned to work after being away for a period of time. a hive of activity/industry a place where a lot of people are working very hard: The whole house was a hive of activity on the day before the wedding. Per se means 'by itself' or 'in itself', and is used when you are talking about the qualities of one thing considered on its own, rather than in connection with other things. It is not the money per se that makes them unhappy, but the single-minded pursuit of that money. There is no indication that just having a degree per se improves your chance of getting a job. 2. preoccupation I. If you have a preoccupation with something or someone, you keep thinking about them because they are important to you. Karouzos's poetry shows a profound preoccupation with the Orthodox Church. In his preoccupation with Robyn, Crook had neglected everything. II. Preoccupation is a state of mind in which you think about something so much that you do not consider other things to be important. It was hard for him to be aware of her; he kept sinking back into black preoccupation. preoccupied 心不在焉的, 有心思, 有心事的 If you are preoccupied, you are thinking a lot about something or someone, and so you hardly notice other things. thinking about something so much or spending so much time doing something that you do not notice other things or cannot think about other things. Martin was too preoccupied with his own life to notice his daughter's problems. While the government was preoccupied with the troubles on the border, rebel leaders stepped up their operations. Tom Banbury was preoccupied with the missing Shepherd child and did not want to devote time to the new murder. [+ with/by] She looked very preoccupied. premonitory 预警 ( [prɪˈmɒnɪtəri] premonition [ˌpreməˈnɪʃ(ə)n], premonish = forewarn 预警告) premonitory signs 预警信号 or symptoms 预兆 tell you that something bad and more serious is likely to happen. Equally
if not more important to preventing successful suicide is paying
attention to premonitory signs of suicidal intent and taking appropriate
action to diffuse it. admonish [æd'mɒnɪʃ, ədˈmɑnɪʃ] [formal]
I. 正告. 郑重警告. If you admonish someone, you tell them very seriously that
they have done something wrong. to tell someone that you do not approve
of what they have done. Sometimes he gave them a severe admonishment. They admonished me for taking risks with my health. She admonished him gently, 'You should rest, not talk so much.' II. to advise someone to do something. After one person tweeted that the rapper shouldn't have used African culture for such a display, admonishing 规劝 奉劝 力劝 that he should "respect our ancestors," Lil Nas X responded by tweeting, "y'all really like to pretend homosexuality didn't exist in african culture." admonition [ˌædməˈnɪʃ(ə)n] 警告 a warning about someone's behaviour. Leaking gas near that valve is admonitory for us to check those connections. premonition [ˌpreməˈnɪʃ(ə)n] bad feeling, gut feeling, foreboding, hunch, second sight 预警, 不祥预感, 强烈预感 (have a hunch, have a nagging feeling, something is nagging at him. ).
a strong feeling that something is going to happen, especially
something bad. If you have a premonition, you have a feeling that
something is going to happen, often something unpleasant. He had an unshakable premonition that he would die. ...a real, genuine premonition of bad news. have a premonition of/that: He had a premonition of imminent disaster. We're
having a premonition. Ignore that super-daddy Hugh Jackman and Shawn
hang out together, but to us Shawn looks like the perfect casting for a
young Wolverine! We're going to call it now. Shawn Mendes has to play
the rugged role in the inevitable remake. His famous smile can make fans faint, scream and hyperventilate for miles around. admonition [ˌædməˈnɪʃ(ə)n] a warning about someone's behavior. An admonition is a warning or criticism about someone's behaviour. She ignored the admonitions of her mother. preadmonition [ˌpriːædməˈnɪʃən] 预警, 预先警告 n. a forewarning, premonition; the act of admonishing in advance. intuitive [ɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv] adj. I. what one feels to be true even without conscious reasoning; instinctive. If you have an intuitive idea or feeling about 第六感, 预感 (gut feeling, hunch)(premonition [ˌpreməˈnɪʃ(ə)n] (预警. premonitory 预警的 forewarning ) a strong feeling that something is going to happen, especially something bad. It's not a premonition. It's just a dream that means nothing. have a premonition of/that: He had a premonition of imminent disaster. second sight ESP, an additional sense beyond the five normal ones, clairvoyance. I
think she must have the second sight, because she always knows where
I've been. He was seized with a fit of second-sight. Nor less availed
his optic sleight, / And Scottish gift of second-sight. ) something, you feel that it is true although you have no evidence or proof of it. He's very intuitive 神神道道的. A positive pregnancy test soon confirmed her intuitive feelings. "his intuitive understanding of the readers' real needs". II. (chiefly of computer software) easy to use and understand. predominate 占主要, 占主导地位
I. If one type of person or thing predominates in a group, there is
more of that type of person or thing in the group than of any other. In older age groups women predominate because men tend to die younger. All nationalities were represented–but the English predominated. II. When a feature or quality predominates, it is the most important or noticeable one in a situation. Much sociological research on religion was based on societies in which a single religion overwhelmingly predominated. 4. water under the bridge 陈年旧事, 陈年往事, 已经过去了 If you say that an event or incident is water under the bridge, you mean that it has happened and cannot now be changed, so there is no point in worrying about it any more. He was relieved his time in jail was over and regarded it as water under the bridge. vexatious [vɛkˈseɪʃəs] adj I. vexing. 讨人厌的. 讨人嫌弃的. causing or tending to cause annoyance, frustration, or worry. "the vexatious questions posed by software copyrights". The judge labelled her (the wife) as a vexatious client and at some stage, some lawyer should have said let's pull up here and give some proper advice as to the grounds of success. II. law denoting an action or the bringer of an action that is brought without sufficient grounds for winning, purely to cause annoyance to the defendant. (of a legal action or proceeding) instituted without sufficient grounds, esp so as to cause annoyance or embarrassment to the defendant. vexatious litigation 无根据的诉讼. "a frivolous or vexatious litigant". 5. zen [zen] 放手, 放松, 不去无畏的担心 relaxed and not worrying about things that you cannot change: Don't worry about doing the right thing with your baby - be more zen about it and you'll be happier. A credenza 厨房里的一种柜子 in US English is a term for a dining room sideboard cupboard [ˈkʌbə(r)d US 有[r], UK 无](the cupboard is bare used for saying that there is no food left or money left to buy something. The term cupboard was originally used to describe an open-shelved side table for displaying dishware, more specifically plates, cups and saucers. These open cupboards typically had between one and three display tiers, and at the time, a drawer or multiple drawers fitted to them. The word cupboard gradually came to mean a closed piece of furniture. The word cupboard is also frequently used in British English to denote what North Americans would call a closet. cabinet [ˈkæbɪnət] I. a piece of furniture with doors and shelves or drawers that is used for storing things or for showing attractive objects. a medicine cabinet. the kitchen cabinets. II. a group of members of a government who are chosen by the leader of the government to give advice and be responsible for its policies. The cabinet met today with the president. kitchen cabinet 吹枕边风 an informal group of people who give advice to the leader of a government. medicine cabinet = medicine chest a small cupboard in a bathroom in which you keep soap, toothpaste etc. A pantry is a room where beverages, food, and sometimes dishes, household cleaning chemicals, linens, or provisions are stored. Food and beverage pantries serve in an ancillary capacity to the kitchen. Kitchen cabinets 橱柜 are the built-in furniture installed in many kitchens for storage of food, cooking equipment, and often silverware and dishes for table service. Appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and ovens are often integrated into kitchen cabinetry. There are many options for cabinets available at present. 一般是不带门的衣柜. A closet (衣帽间, 一定要带有挂衣服的地方的柜子, cabinet可能就只是格子) (especially in North American usage) is an enclosed space used for storage, particularly that of clothes. "Fitted closet" are built into the walls of the house so that they take up no apparent space in the room. Closets are often built under stairs, thereby using awkward space that would otherwise go unused. A "walk-in closet" is a typically a very small windowless room attached to a bedroom, used for clothes storage. A piece of furniture such as a cabinet or chest of drawers serves the same function of storage, but is not a closet. A closet always has space for hanging, whereas a cupboard may consist only of shelves for folded garments. The word "wardrobe" 大衣柜 can refer to a free-standing piece of furniture (also known as an armoire), but according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a wardrobe can also be a "large cupboard or cabinet for storing clothes or other linen", including "built-in wardrobe, fitted wardrobe, walk-in wardrobe, etc." ), particularly one where a central cupboard is flanked by quadrant glass display cabinets, and usually made of burnished and polished wood and decorated with marquetry. The top would often be made of marble, or another decorative liquid- and heat-resistant stone. The credenza started as a rough table with a cloth draped over it. In early 14th century of Italy, it took on an architectural form with column and pilaster decorations. In modern times, a credenza is more often a type of sideboard used in the home or restaurant. In dining rooms, it is typically made from wood and used as a platform to serve buffet meals. In restaurant kitchens, made from stainless steel, it provides a side surface and storage cupboards. The name has also been coopted as a brand for companies such as Wellington's coworking office space.
Acceptable Risk: 1. Do you need a doctor? A doctor? They could give you something. Knock me out? Put me to sleep? Just when the kids are gonna need me more than ever? I've been here before 我经历过这些. Remember? Burying somebody I love. I know the ropes 我知道怎么应付, 我知道这里边的东西. 2. Your firm is one of Ireland's biggest companies. If Barry Lehane was on the track of something that connected Lee with another death, they'd want him silenced too. That's crazy, I know. But right now he's in intensive care. A heart attack. As far as we know right now. Now you are looping the loop 绕圈子, 绕进死胡同了 (to fly in the shape of a loop in the sky). What if Lee Manning had something on someone at the firm, someone who had a hand in Sarah's first husband's death? That he knew it was murder and what he knew scared him enough to carry a gun? Scared him so much, in fact, that he didn't even feel safe flying 3,000 miles away, where they still got him? Just who in the firm would have the reach 通天的本事, 通天的手眼 to pull that off( I. Someone's or something's reach is the distance or limit to which they can stretch, extend, or travel. Isabelle placed a cup on the table within his reach 伸手可及. ...a heavyweight who possesses a longer reach and more strength. ...long-handled shears, secateurs and long-reach tree pruners. II. If a place or thing is within reach, it is possible to have it or get to it. If it is out of reach, it is not possible to have it or get to it. It is located within reach of many important Norman towns, including Bayeux. [+ of] The clothes they model for this mail-order catalogue are all within easy reach of every woman. These products are normally bought and stored carefully out of reach of children. The price is ten times what it normally is and totally beyond the reach of ordinary people. [+ of])? Well, the file he was carrying. It's important to know whether he died before he could deliver it. If so, it's vital to know where it is now, whose hands it's in. 3. Where would we be safe here? Anyway, I have a funeral to arrange. What do I say? That I'm burying somebody but I can't really tell you anything about him? Who he really was, where he was from, what he did to get himself killed. So just leave the headstone blank. Would save you a few bob at the stonemason's. Ah, there's a bright side to everything. The answers are in that firm somewhere. I helped build a wall around it. It was my job. Now I have to find a way around it or under it or through it. And with Lehane in hospital, I have no idea where to start. The last people I can ask are the -- the ones who know -- Gumbiner-Fischer's merry men and women. All those people in their nice offices on the riverside, who only get to keep that view once they don't rock the boat. Who maybe really, truly believe that what's good for the firm is good for them, so it must be good for me, too. Didn't you use to think like that? I'm on the other side now. If I have to fight them, I will. You were always the one with the common sense. I was the tearaway 不听话的, 离经叛道的 ( If you refer to a young person as a tearaway, you mean that they behave in a wild and uncontrolled way. He blamed lack of parental control for the young tearaways' behaviour. ). Now you're going to war with a company worth billions, thousands of people working for them, on a hunch, an idea that Lehane planted in your head. What if you heard him wrong? What if you're jumping to conclusions? Ciaran died, my car was bugged, Lee's car was bugged, somebody searched my house, Barry Lehane is in hospital, and, um Oh, yeah -- My husband was killed. Those are facts, Nuala. 4. You want me to nobble the guards? That's what you're asking me? That's why we're here? That is not what I'm asking for at all. A job application at your place must come with a health warning. Are you enjoying this, Mr. O'Hanlon? Is that why you agreed to meet me? I want this place up and running and providing good jobs for the people who vote for me. What do you want? My staff informs me that Mrs. Manning is causing some trouble over some routine paperwork. She seems to be a little unstable. That worries me. As she casts around for answers, she might direct her anger at my firm. She's a problem? Like all good lawyers, she can make something out of nothing, twist the facts even if nothing is there. If a scandal forced Zurich to re-examine our position 重新审视 here, this field would remain as it is. I get it. You share my vision for this plant. I know that. Help me realize it, and you'll have my undying gratitude. I'll do what I can. There's a couple of people I can call without making a song and dance(to make a song and dance about 引起不必要的纷扰, 小题大做 If you say that someone is making a song and dance about something, you mean they are making an unnecessary fuss about it. [British, informal, disapproval] He used his money to help others–but he never made a song and dance about it. How did that go? Did he tell you what you needed to know? The last thing he wanted to talk about was that property stuff Lee was digging into. He made a song and dance about me even asking. Left so fast, he nearly knocked a waiter over. I don't know how right in the head he is these days. make waves informal to be very active so that other people notice you, often in a way that intentionally causes trouble. to cause problems, especially when you should not. With so many jobs already cut, he didn't want to make waves. It's probably not a good idea to start making waves in your first week in a new job. ). We both want the same thing for this country. But in view of 鉴于 the heavy loss of life and limb at your firm I'd be careful about using the word "undying. 5. They fished him out of the canal last night. He had a bash to the back of the head, which indicates he was helped on his way. 6. I was one of the first to get to high rank. I thought they'd give me a chance to prove myself. Instead, I was sent around the country inspecting accounts. Then I got saddled with ( saddle someone with something 摊上 to give someone something that is difficult to deal with. to make someone have a job or problem that is difficult or boring and that they do not want I've been saddled with organizing the whole party! Many farms were saddled with debts. The company was saddled with a huge debt last year.) a hit-and-run driver. A very rich man with powerful friends. I was told if I made waves, I'd be proving I wasn't a team player -- and that would be bad news for any other woman trying to follow in my footsteps. If I wanted to join the boys' club, I'd have to prove I understood the rules. So I took the long view 计之深远 为长远考虑 I let it slide(take the long view 长远来说, 长远来看 to think about the effects that something will have in the future instead of in the present. If you take the long view, you consider what is likely to happen in the future over a long period, rather than thinking only about things that are going to happen soon. Some investors are taking the long view. Taking a long view of the project, I began to think about rehearsal schedules. If you take the long view, of course, you can regard staff training as an investment for the company.). I went with the force instead of my feelings, and I think I was right. I paid my dues 付出代价, 交学费 ( pay one's dues to earn certain rights, privileges, etc. as by having suffered in struggle. to do something that you do not enjoy in order to have something that you want, or because you feel it is your duty. To acquire status or to earn the right to enjoy certain benefits, especially through lengthy experience, hardship, or service to an organization. ) on behalf of you and the other women that followed. Are you giving me a message? What message would that be, then? To straighten yourself out. To realize that not all the battles have been won. To understand that you have a responsibility, too, to the women who'll come after you. What? Keep my head down and my mouth shut? We didn't write the rules on policing. And at your level, you don't get to see the big picture. If something stinks? Well, cover your nose. Can I guess who the little bird was who sent you? Jimmy Nulty is one of the best friends we ever had in the guards. Look at how he forced them to give that course to you instead of to the blue-eyed boy the rest of them wanted. He'd make a fine commissioner -- maybe even a great one. 7. You saw quite a bit of Lee when he came here? I did, yes. He always had time for a word. A gentleman. Funny thing to say about a Yank, but that's what he was. He used to slip me a few quid for keeping an extra eye on the boat on the QT. "Where's the harm?" I says to myself. He gets to rest easy. I get a couple of quid in my back pocket. Did anyone ever try to get on our boat? No, but they hit the bar and the ATM once. There was ructions ([ˈrʌkʃənz] informal a violent and unpleasant row; trouble. Both activities have caused some ructions. I don't want to cause ructions, but I am intrigued. There'll be ructions when your mother hears about that! There'll be ructions if you break that glass. tumultuous [tjuːmʌltʃuəs , US tuː] I. A tumultuous event or period of time involves many exciting and confusing events or feelings. ...the tumultuous changes in the war-torn region. Shares were 1 per cent down after another tumultuous day at the bank. II. A tumultuous reaction to something is very noisy, because the people involved are very happy or excited. A tumultuous welcome from a 2,000 strong crowd greeted the champion. Delegates greeted the news with tumultuous applause. rumbustious [rʌmbʌstʃuəs] = AM: rambunctious [ræmbʌŋkʃəs] A rumbustious person is energetic in a cheerful, noisy way. A rambunctious person is energetic in a cheerful, noisy way. ...the flamboyant and somewhat rumbustious prime minister. boisterous [bɔɪstərəs] Someone who is boisterous is noisy, lively, and full of energy. ...a boisterous but good-natured crowd. Most of the children were noisy and boisterous. Her friends laughed boisterously, too. ) about that. Sorry. Uh, one more question. When did Lee last come here? He took her out about three weeks ago. There was a bit of a gale blowing, but that didn't deter him. That's not quite what I asked. When did you last see him here? Just before it was on the telly -- Montreal, what happened to him. 8. I can't understand why you didn't come straight to me three years ago. And then what? You worked for them in legal. You'd have gone straight to the company and refused to let Ciaran in on any deal we were making. You'd have had to be whiter than the snow, above reproach ( above (or beyond) reproach 无可指摘的, 没挑的 perfect; beyond criticism. such that no criticism can be made; perfect. "his integrity is beyond reproach". reproach [rɪproʊtʃ] I. 指责, 挑刺. If you reproach someone, you say or show that you are disappointed, upset, or angry because they have done something wrong. She is quick to reproach anyone who doesn't live up to her own high standards. She had not even reproached him for breaking his promise. II. If you look at or speak to someone with reproach, you show or say that you are disappointed, upset, or angry because they have done something wrong. He looked at her with reproach. Public servants and political figures must be beyond reproach. III. If you reproach yourself 自责, you think with regret about something you have done wrong. You've no reason to reproach yourself, no reason to feel shame. We begin to reproach ourselves for not having been more careful. IV. If you consider someone's actions or behaviour to be a reproach to a group of people, you consider them to be harmful or insulting to that group. The shootings and bombings were 'a scandal and reproach to all of us'.). That's who you are, Sarah. You can't help yourself. You loved that firm. That is why you're fighting it so hard, like you've been betrayed or jilted. You'd have put your job and their good opinion of you before the chance of making so much money you could paper the walls with it. 9. I want the truth. I'm gonna get it. Lots of people say that, but they don't want the whole truth. They only want the one that they can handle, the one that fits into the way they see the world, how they want to keep thinking about somebody -- especially somebody they're close to. I want to know everything -- about Lee, about the company, about why he was in danger. I want to know who you are and what gave you the right to do what you did to my family. I work for the FBI on attachment to the embassy in Dublin. The case I'm working on falls under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which authorizes us to bring charges against any firm or employee of that firm using bribery or corruption to obtain financial advantages. Gumbiner-Fischer was using Lee to do that. Do you have proof of this? I can tell you exactly what he was going to do in Montreal if he had the chance. It's what he did every time he made a trip on behalf of that firm. We had been watching Lee for some time. Every trip followed a similar pattern. LEE: I'm not here to offer anything as crude as a bribe, Minister. You're a man of the highest ethical integrity 职业道德 with an unblemished 没有污点的, 完美无缺的 reputation. So far. Your promotion to health minister in one of the German federal republics puts you in charge of the bidding process for a drug that we manufacture. We want to invest in you -- in your career, your success in that career, financial well-being. And when you leave political life, if you should choose to use your talents in the business world 商场, we'd be more than happy to talk. In public life, people make enemies. You've made them. One in particular. He'd destroy you if he could, but we'd prefer it 更喜欢, 更想 if you destroyed him first. We would regard this as a down payment on our investment with you. That's how it was meant to go down. That day, of course, it all went south. I was planning to approach him, show him the evidence that we already had, offer him a deal, get him to wear a wire. He was the last piece of the puzzle. I want to say how sorry I am that your husband was killed in a place where we couldn't intervene. Or are you just sorry you can't make your case anymore? I would like to believe that he would've cooperated willingly once I had the means to get his attention, that he could have ended up on the witness sheet instead of in the dock. When did you last see Walsh? I tried to talk to him two nights ago, see how serious he was about his threats to go public. I couldn't find him. The night he was killed? I had nothing to do with that. He had enemies too. The Drug Enforcement Agency used him as an informant in a smuggling case at Dublin Airport. I'm not holding anything back 有所保留, 全部交底. You asked me for the truth, and now I'm asking you to act on it. Your husband was a highly trained undercover intelligence officer who trusted no one, not even the firm that he worked for. If something went wrong, he might have kept a record as an insurance policy in case they tried to throw him under the bus 当替罪羊, 挡枪, 踢出去. Why should I help you blacken his name, even if I believed any of this? Because the answer to the person who killed your husband is what he was doing with that firm. Don't you want that answer? I'll make a deal with anybody to find who killed Lee, but I have to be sure I'm gonna get the right answer and not be fed another pack of lies. I am not lying to you. I have put my career in your hands by telling you all this. Let's go. I am going to get an indictment on that company one way or another. And I will include in those indictments anyone who tries to obstruct 妨碍 my investigation. You have no idea how broad 神通广大 the reach of the United States government is. Do you believe it? I didn't know your husband. Do you? If I wanted somebody to do a job like that, I'd be looking for somebody with a background like his. Somebody who could guard a secret? Keep his nerve? Look somebody in the eye and make a threat or tell a lie without blinking?
The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair: 1. I gotta close up, but I found some more that might be worth checking before you go. Thanks. Uh Okay, according to police reports, screaming could be heard coming from the Kellergan house the day the girl disappeared. However, uh, testimony from neighbors suggests that the noise was actually music being played at high volume by her father, as was his habit. He still does it. The Reverend always cranks up the volume to drown out 盖住, 淹没 the sound of ( (of a sound) to be loud enough to block the sound of something else: The sound of the telephone was drowned out by the vacuum cleaner.) his working in the garage. Maintains 坚持说 that good music is always preferable to the sound of his hammering, even if it is too loud. Right. Reverend David Kellergan confirmed that he was home at the time, working on his motorcycle, and didn't notice anything amiss until later that evening when he went into his daughter's bedroom and found her gone. Even if she'd called out for help, he wouldn't have heard her. The music was too loud. He's, uh, always blamed himself for that. Ready? Mm-hm. You should probably talk to Mrs. Quinn, too. Mrs. Quinn? Yeah, Jenny's mother. The former owner of Clark's? Just yesterday, she was ranting and raving 滔滔不绝(rant and rave Talk loudly and vehemently 激动万分的, 万分激动的, especially in anger. To complain angrily, forcefully, and at great length (about someone or something). You should spend less time ranting and raving about how unfair your professor is and spend more time actually studying the material. He was quite upset when he came home, so I let him rant and rave for a little while until he calmed down. There you go again, ranting and raving about the neighbor's car in your driveway. This idiom is a redundancy, since rant and rave mean just about the same thing, but probably survives on account of its alliterative appeal. ) I knew Harry Quebert was obsessed with that poor girl, and I had proof, irrefutable 不可辩驳的 proof, but someone someone stole it. What kind of proof? No idea. But she is given to, uh, inflating the truth 夸张事实, 夸大其辞 ( be given to (doing) something 一向好 formal to tend to do something, especially something that you should not do He was a quiet man, not usually given to complaining. inflate I. If you inflate something such as a balloon or tyre, or if it inflates, it becomes bigger as it is filled with air or a gas. Stuart jumped into the sea and inflated the life raft. Don's life jacket had failed to inflate. II. If you say that someone inflates the price of something 涨价, or that the price inflates, you mean that the price increases. The promotion of a big release can inflate a film's final cost. Clothing prices have not inflated as much as automobiles. They had to buy everything at inflated prices at the ranch store. III. If someone inflates the amount or effect of something 夸大效果, 夸大其词, they say it is bigger, better, or more important than it really is, usually so that they can profit from it. They inflated clients' medical treatment to defraud insurance companies. Even his war record was fraudulently inflated. ). 2. Sergeant Gahalowood, to what do I owe the honor of this visit? Well, I, um, I received a call from Chief Dawn about a fire Friday evening? Yeah. Yeah, he's worried. I have to admit he might have a point. Well, that's sweet. You're worried about me? No. No, not me. He is. I'm just here to make sure this thing doesn't degenerate ( degenerate verb [dɪdʒenəreɪt] adj and noun [dɪdʒenərət] verb If you say that someone or something degenerates, you mean that they become worse in some way, for example weaker, lower in quality, or more dangerous. Inactivity can make your joints stiff, and the bones may begin to degenerate 恶化. From then on the whole tone of the campaign began to degenerate. ...a very serious humanitarian crisis which could degenerate into a catastrophe. ...various forms of physical and mental degeneration. ...the degeneration of our political system. adjective [disapproval] If you describe a person or their behaviour as degenerate, you disapprove of them because you think they have low standards of behaviour or morality. ...a group of degenerate computer hackers. ...the degenerate 低劣的, 没有道德的, 卑鄙无耻的 attitudes he found among some of his fellow officers. noun. If you refer to someone as a degenerate, you disapprove of them because you think they have low standards of behaviour or morality. ) any further. Uh-huh. Why didn't you tell me you'd received an anonymous letter? Because you threw me out of your office, remember?
