用法学习: 1. cushy [ˈkʊʃi] A cushy job or situation is pleasant because it does not involve much work or effort. ...a cushy job 美差 in the civil service. He had a fairly cushy upbringing. After quitting politics, former foreign minister Julie Bishop has turned down a cushy job in favour of a more lucrative career path. Julie Bishop and Tony Abbott are both overlooked for cushy taxpayer-funded job as the US ambassador – as senior Liberal is put forward for the $360,000 gig. a cushy number (British English) an easy job; a pleasant situation that other people would like. A job that is easy, stress free, and typically well paid. Primarily heard in UK. Since I got this cushy number managing a toy store, I've gotten to sit around playing with toys all day. Since Sarah got that cushy number with the bank, she has been driving a sports car and is buying a second home! I get to work from home and spend a lot of time with my kids, so it's certainly a cushy number. Sarah's new job sounds like a right cushy number — she only has to go to the office three days a week. Cushy means 'easy' or 'pleasant' and comes from Hindi. plum I.李子. II. 好东西, 好工作, 美差An especially desirable position, assignment, or reward an ambassadorship granted as a political plum. Phillippe in the years to come, with involvement in films that consistently found dual favor with critics and audiences -- and thus helped the young actor transition from a widespread reputation as a heartthrob to a reputation as an immensely gifted dramatist graced with a succession of plum roles. sinecure [ˈsɪnɪˌkjuə(r)]美差, 轻松差事 a job that pays you a regular salary but for which you do not need to work hard. A sinecure is a job for which you receive payment but which does not involve much work or responsibility. She found him an exalted sinecure as a Fellow of the Library of Congress. ...a lucrative sinecure with a big law firm. gravy train 轻松赚大钱, 天上掉馅饼 (贬义词) a way of making money quickly, easily, and often dishonestly. used to refer to a situation in which someone can make a lot of money for very little effort. If an organization or person earns a lot of money without doing much work, you can say that they are on the gravy train. We are overworked and underpaid while they are always on the gravy train. "come to Hollywood and get on the gravy train". easy money money that is easily and sometimes dishonestly earned. be laughing all the way to the bank informal to be earning a lot of money easily: We'll be laughing all the way to the bank if this deal works out. benefits package 福利 things such as medical insurance that employees receive in addition to money. danger money = hazard pay = hazardous-duty pay extra money that is paid to someone because their job is dangerous. base pay the basic amount of money that someone is paid for doing a job, not including any extra amounts such as overtime payments or bonuses. Teachers have asked for a 5 per cent increase in their base pay. remunerative [rɪˈmjunərətɪv] 报酬好的, 薪酬高的, 收入丰厚的, 收入好的 providing payment for work. providing payment or other rewards for work that has been done. The job was enjoyable but scarcely remunerative. a highly remunerative (= well paid) job. Charity work is not very remunerative. soft option 省事的方式, 省事的路 = easy option the easiest of two or more possible choices. If you take the soft option, you do the thing that is easiest or least likely to cause trouble in a particular situation. We take the soft option. I like to keep the crowd happy because that's what they pay for. The job of chairman can no longer be regarded as a convenient soft option. The soft option is simply to say nothing for the moment. easy option a decision or choice that is easy to make: We'll have to make some tough decisions - there are no easy options. 2. In politics and government, a spoils system 分赃体系 (also known as a patronage system) is a practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government civil service jobs to its supporters, friends, and relatives as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the party—as opposed to a merit system, where offices are awarded on the basis of some measure of merit, independent of political activity. yob = yobbo = yobbo = yobo [ˈjɑboʊ] I. someone, especially a young person, who is rude, noisy, and sometimes violent. II. Someone, usually a male, who is uncouth, badly behaved and obnoxious. Loud and drunk are also characteristics, but not always present. III. (slang, Britain) A cruel and brutal fellow. give someone the slip 摆脱, 甩掉, 甩脱, 避开, 回避 informal evade or escape from someone. If you give someone the slip, you escape from them when they are following you or watching you. He gave reporters the slip by leaving at midnight. "we gave them the slip at the station". What's so urgent 到底什么事那么着急的? 2. A claw crane, toy crane or skill crane 抓玩具机器 is a type of arcade game known as a merchandiser, commonly found in video arcades, supermarkets, restaurants, movie theaters, shopping malls, and bowling alleys. The success rate of winning a prize is dependent on several factors including operator settings, player skill, type of machine, and the prizes available (size, density, and distribution). A prize may be lost due to player inexperience, player error in manipulating the claw, the weakness of the claw, or the specific crane configuration. Many modern cranes use a computer to determine an expected payout percentage based on the operator's settings. All modern claw machines incorporate some means for the owner to adjust at least the strength of the claw's grip and how closely the claw's fingers pull together, usually with screws on the mechanism or potentiometers on the PCB. Even on older machines, the grip strength 抓力 can be adjusted by adding circuit components or additional hardware. Some machines incorporate a feature called two-level claw power, which, when enabled, causes the claw to at first grip at full strength, but then gradually weaken its grip to the normal level after a brief delay. This can cause the crane to initially pick up the prize, but then drop it. 3. straight arrow 诚实善良的 noun. an honest, morally upright person. someone who is very honest and careful to behave in a socially acceptable way: Friends described Menendez as a straight arrow who rarely drank and was close to his family. "he was remembered as a loner and a straight arrow". adj. honest and morally upright. "the straight-arrow head coach found himself answering for their crimes". ...a well-scrubbed 打扮不错的, straight-arrow group of young people. scrub up well 装扮不错, 打扮了一番的 UK informal approving said about someone when they have made an effort to look nice. if someone scrubs up well, they look good when they have made an effort when getting ready to go out. He scrubs up well, don't you think? Mary scrubs up well. if a doctor or nurse scrubs up, they wash their hands and arms thoroughly before doing a medical operation. kick up your heels 想怎么玩怎么玩, 随心所欲的玩 us informal To relax; to enjoy oneself; to do as one pleases. to do things that you enjoy: After final exams we kicked up our heels and had a really good party. step up one's game (idiomatic, colloquial) To improve one's performance, or the quality of one's work. A skateboard 滑板 (skate ramp) is a type of sports equipment used primarily for the sport of skateboarding. It usually consists of a specially designed maplewood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability. Most skateboards are made with 7 plies of this wood. A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scooter, wheelchair, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes (A half-pipe 180度弧度的 is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, skating (Inline skating 旱冰) and scooter riding. ), quarter pipes, spine transfers, handrails, funboxes, vert (垂直的) ramps, pyramids, banked ramps, full pipes, pools, bowls, snake runs, stairsets, and any number of other objects. 4. engaged I. having formally agreed to marry: Debbie and Christa have just got engaged. She was engaged to some guy in the army. They're engaged to be married in June. II.[ after verb ] 参与进来. 介入. involved in something. Someone who is engaged in or engaged on a particular activity is doing that thing. They found the three engaged in target practice. [+ in] ...the various projects he was engaged on. They've been engaged in a legal battle with the council for several months. She's part of a team of scientists who are engaged on/upon cancer research. engage in something to take part in a particular activity, especially one that involves competing with other people or talking to them. He has engaged in a dispute with his former business partner. engage (one) in (something) I. To do some task or activity. In this usage, "engage in" is usually a set phrase. Dad is engaged in fixing the car, so he can't talk right now. II. To include or involve one in something. Phil is always making snide comments, but I refuse to let him engage me in an argument. III. To occupy one with a task or activity. See if you can engage the kids in a game this afternoon so that I can get some work done. engage in small talk To chat with someone, usually a stranger or acquaintance, about benign topics (such as the weather or one's employment). Because Tom and Joe had never met before, they engaged in small talk by the appetizers. If you think that girl's pretty, go over and engage in small talk with her. engage someone in conversation to start having a conversation with someone. III. formal busy doing something: I'd come to the meeting on Tuesday but I'm afraid I'm otherwise engaged (= doing something else). IV. 占线. 忙音. If a phone or public toilet is engaged, someone is already using it: Every time I call her, she/the phone/the number is engaged. UK I've been trying to call him all evening, but I keep getting the engaged tone. The sign on the toilet door said "Engaged". If a phone or a phone line is engaged, it is already being used by someone else so that you are unable to speak to the person you are phoning. The line is engaged. We tried to call you back but you were engaged. V. If a public toilet is engaged (US: occupied), it is already being used by someone else. be otherwise engaged 有别的事情, 有别的安排了 to be unable to do something because you have already arranged to do something else.
气魄, 胆识, 魄力.: 1. bumptious [ˈbʌmpʃəs] behaving in an annoying way that shows you think you are very important. plumptious plump and pretty That lady is plumptious. The baby has plumptious cheeks. The peaches are plumptious. scrumptious [ˈskrʌmpʃəs] tasting extremely nice. rumbustious [rʌmˈbʌstʃəs] = rambunctious [ræmˈbʌŋkʃəs] 闹腾的 a rambunctious person behaves in a noisy and lively way. 2. gumption [ˈɡʌm(p)ʃ(ə)n] 胆识(courage), 魄力 气魄 ( gumptious [ˈɡʌmpʃəs]) INFORMAL shrewd or spirited initiative and resourcefulness. the ability to decide what is the best thing to do in a particular situation, and to do it with energy and determination She had the gumption to write directly to the company manager and persuade him to give her a job. "the president would hire almost any young man who had the gumption to ask for a job". a. If someone has gumption, they are able to think what it would be sensible to do in a particular situation, and they do it. Surely anyone with marketing gumption should be able to sell good books at any time of year. II. If someone has the gumption to do something, they are brave enough to do it. He suspected that deep down, she admired him for having the gumption 胆识, 气魄 to disagree with her. 3. horse sense old-fashioned practical knowledge and good judgment about ordinary life. 4. acumen. 精明 英明 善于审时度势的 [ˈæk.jə.mən] [əˈkjuː.mən] skill in making correct decisions and judgments in a particular subject, such as business or politics: She has considerable business/financial acumen. 5. acuity [əˈkjuəti] the ability to hear, see, or think accurately and clearly. Acuity is sharpness of vision or hearing, or quickness of thought. We work on improving visual acuity. Tiredness also affects visual acuity. He was a man of great political acuity. 6. astute 精明强干的, 精明能干的(shrewd) [əˈstʃuːt] able to understand a situation quickly and see how to take advantage of it: an astute investor/ businesswoman. his astute handling of the situation. an astute observer of human behaviour. 7. perspicacity [ˌpɜrspɪˈkæsəti] formal approving the ability to understand things quickly and make accurate judgments: a woman of exceptional perspicacity. perspicacious [ˌpɜrspɪˈkeɪʃəs] 洞察一切的, 明察秋毫的 quick in noticing, understanding, or judging things accurately: His perspicacious grandfather had bought the land as an investment, guessing that there might be gold underground. out of the mouths of babes (and sucklings) literary saying said when a child says something that surprises you because it seems very wise. 8. sagacious [səˈɡeɪʃəs] 精明强干的 having or showing understanding and the ability to make good judgments. A sagacious person is intelligent and has the ability to make good decisions. ...a sagacious leader. a sagacious person/comment/choice. sagely [ˈseɪdʒli] in a wise way, especially as a result of great experience: He nodded his head sagely. "She was upset," Tucker sagely observed. sage wise and showing good judgment a sage decision. 9. be a victory for common sense to be a very reasonable result in a particular situation: There is no doubt that the court's decision is a victory for common sense. discerning showing good judgment, especially about style and quality: a discerning customer. no flies on sb 不好欺骗, 没那么好骗 uk If you say there are no flies on someone, you mean that they cannot easily be deceived. presence of mind 反应迅速, 竟然能想到, 头脑冷静 the ability to make good decisions and to act quickly and calmly in a difficult situation or an emergency: When the gunmen came into the bank, she had the presence of mind to press the alarm. as (if) to the manner born formal If you do something as (if) to the manner born, you do it very well and very naturally as if it is usual and easy for you. apt suitable or right for a particular situation: an apt comment/description. subtlety I. the quality of being subtle: Listening to the interview, I was impressed by the subtlety of the questions. II. a small but important detail: All the subtleties of the music are conveyed in this new recording. uptake I. specialized biology the rate or act of taking something in: Plants in their growth stage exhibit an increased uptake of nutrients. II. the rate or act of accepting something: There is a 90 percent uptake of vaccination 接种率 in this country. Uptake of places 接受度 on the training course has been disappointing. no-nonsense 没废话的 practical and serious, and only interested in doing what is necessary or achieving what is intended, without silly ideas or methods: a no-nonsense manner/leader. a no-nonsense approach to child-rearing. a few well-chosen words a short speech: He introduced the visitors with a few well-chosen words. boil away 蒸发, 烧光了 When a liquid boils away, it all turns into a gas so that none of it is left in liquid form. 10. initiative I. a new plan or process to achieve something or solve a problem: The peace initiative was welcomed by both sides. The German leadership lauded the Russian initiative. The UN called on all parties in the conflict to take a positive stance towards the new peace initiative. Joe Walker will be spearheading our new marketing initiative. The initiative has across-the-board support. He began his lecture by talking down the initiatives of a rival company. II. the ability to use your judgment to make decisions and do things without needing to be told what to do: Although she was quite young, she showed a lot of initiative and was promoted to manager after a year. I shouldn't always have to tell you what to do, use your initiative (= use your own judgment to decide what to do)! on your own initiative If you do something on your own initiative, you plan it and decide to do it yourself without anyone telling you what to do. the initiative the power or opportunity to win an advantage: to seize/take/lose the initiative.
Shetland: 1. 'Welcome aboard this NorthLink ferry service to Lerwick. 'Journey time today will be 12 hours. 'Expected arrival time is 7:00am tomorrow morning. 2. They let you and Jimmy fly together? Shetland's entire criminal justice system on a plane? Our flight's been called 航班在叫人了, 航班在呼叫了( I heard a lot of announcements for Sydney Melbourne, but not Gold Coast, I checked my time and saw that it was now 2.35 still no announcement for boarding. I went to the JS counter and asked why wasn't a final call made or call my name, she said that it would have been made but the staff member was Ssian and probably didn't pronounce my name properly. final boarding call In an airport, you hear "final boarding call" announcements. The airline staff makes this announcement when almost all of the passengers are on the plane and the gate is about to close.). We should probably go. 3. What was the ferry trip for? Oh, I'm still back and forth seeing clients. Left it a bit late to book a flight. So the boy with this big bag -- he banged into me and I told him to look where he was going 看着路. And he, well, he didn't like that at all. A few of the witnesses, they say that you pushed him and you were angry, and he was scared. Aye, by the time anyone looked over, that would be about right. You see, I'm a big man, Inspector, and the world is full of cocky wee Davids looking for a Goliath to take down. Sometimes you get sick of being in someone's ego trip. But You could see by his eyes that he'd taken something -- it speeded him up, made him quick to the draw ( be quick on the draw/trigger 反应奇快 I. to be able to pull a gun out quickly in order to shoot. II. American English informal to be good at reacting quickly and intelligently to difficult questions or in difficult situations. understanding, anticipating, or reacting to a given situation or circumstance very quickly. You have to be quick on the draw if you want to get ahead in the world of business. Faced with criticism by environmentalists, the company's PR rep was quick on the draw and pointed out its important role in job creation for the local community. John is quick on the draw to defend himself when criticized.). Hmm-mm. A better man would have walked away. What happened to your hand? Oh, I'm not sure. I think I was drunk. I must have had an altercation with a wall or something. Eejit. OK. Well, thanks for your cooperation. Will you still be around if I want to talk to you again? Um, I've a trip to Aberdeen for a few days, but otherwise, I'm all yours. 4. Company is having another person or other people with you, usually when this is pleasant or stops you feeling lonely. 'I won't stay long.'—'No, please. I need the company'. Ross enjoyed the company of his colleagues. [+ of] She would be grateful for their company on the drive back. He's not easy company 不是易相处的人, 不好相处. I'm not in the mood for company. and company You can say and company after mentioning a person's name, to refer also to the people who are associated with that person. keep someone company If you keep someone company, you spend time with them and stop them feeling lonely or bored. Why don't you stay here and keep Emma company? part company 分道扬镳 If two or more people part company, they go in different directions after going in the same direction together. The three of them parted company at the bus stop. present company excepted 在场的人除外 If you are making a general, unfavourable comment about a particular type of person, and you are with people of that type, you can say 'present company excepted' as a way of making your comment sound more polite. have company If you have company, you have a visitor or friend with you. He didn't say he had had company. in company with sb If you feel, believe, or know something in company with someone else, you both feel, believe, or know it. Saudi Arabia, in company with some other Gulf oil states, is concerned to avoid any repetition of the two oil price shocks of the 1970s. be in good company If you say that someone is in good company, you mean that they should not be ashamed of a mistake or opinion, because it is shared by many others, or by someone important or successful. If you find it difficult to cope with your family you are in good company because most people feel the same. 5. surly [sɜːrli] 爱发脾气的, 脾气不好的, 臭脾气的, 坏脾气的 Someone who is surly behaves in a rude bad-tempered way. a waiter with a surly attitude. He became surly and rude towards me. I was going to call in at the office, but I saw the car and I Sorry, I didn't realise you were quite so snowed under. Yeah, what have you done? Well, you can be a surly bastard sometimes, you know? 6. go places travel. be increasingly successful. "a pop star who's definitely going places". If you say that someone is going places, you mean that they are showing a lot of talent or ability and are likely to become very successful. You always knew Barbara was going places; she was different. 7. cock-up(balls up (mildly taboo slang), bollocks up (British taboo slang), bugger up (British taboo slang), mess up, muck up, fuck up (taboo slang), screw up (mildly vulgar)) something done badly or inefficiently. something that is done wrong or badly: Gerry's made a right cock-up with/of those figures! So it was delivered to the wrong place? What a cock-up! "we've made a total cock-up of it". To ruin (something) unintentionally; to screw up, mess up or fuck up. If you cock something up, you ruin it by doing something wrong. 'Seems like I've cocked it up,' Egan said. They've cocked up the address. If you make a cock-up of something, you ruin it by doing something wrong. He was in danger of making a real cock-up of this. This was just an administrative cock-up. 8. So, this thing at work you can not tell me about, did you at least tell Asha that's why you were passing up 谢绝 her invitation? take someone up on something I. to accept an offer or invitation from someone: I think I'll take him up on his offer of a free ticket. If you take someone up on their offer or invitation, you accept it. Since she'd offered to babysit, I took her up on it. I wondered if I could still take you up on that drink? - 'If, if you haven't changed your mind. II. If you take a person up on something, you ask them to explain something that they have just said or done, for example because you think it is wrong or strange. She was making herself unnaturally casual. But he did not take her up on it. 9. Maybe, when you're through 完事了, 做完了, we could I don't know Have a drink? I don't think that would be a good idea. 10. spiel [ʃpiːl] an elaborate or glib speech or story, typically one used by a salesperson. Someone's spiel is a well-prepared speech that they make, and that they have usually made many times before, often in order to persuade you to buy something. "he delivers a breathless and effortless spiel in promotion of his new novel". "he launched into a big spiel about the merits of the product". My father worked in these shipyards all his life. Dangerous job. Men had to look out for each other's backs. Not today. All run by people like Sarwar. Suits. Only looking out for themselves. Ah, come on, Arthur. Spare me the working-class hero spiel, yeah? The man you want to speak to is, er, Danny Torr. verb speak glibly or at length. "he solemnly spieled all he knew". "the barman spiels on the phone to his girlfriends". 11. Anne Gilborne was a single mother, she witnessed a crime while on holiday on the mainland. Her testimony could've brought down several heavy-duty targets. Despite threats, she agreed to testify. But she never gave evidence. The case collapsed on a technicality. And she was relocated from Shetland to the mainland? From what I can gather from the file, Anne didn't adjust. She killed herself. 12. Do you remember anybody using the computer? They are there for the public. Tourists mostly. We have sites of local interest bookmarked. Is there anybody stands out 特别突出, 让人印象深刻? Not really. What about an Asian woman? Not that I remember. Oh, one thing though, someone wiped the history. It was a bloody nuisance, to be honest. 13. How's the wee girl getting on? The one that got shot. Er, she's fine, she's on the mend 在恢复. Glad to hear it. She's a lovely girl. Do you know her? Aye. She was in a here a few times, before it happened. 14. hazy I. Hazy 雾蒙蒙的 weather conditions are those in which things are difficult to see, because of light mist薄雾, hot air, or dust. The air was thin and crisp, filled with hazy sunshine and frost. The floodlights were hazy behind the slanting rain. II. If you are hazy about ideas or details, or if they are hazy, you are uncertain or confused about them. My memory is hazy for that period. I'm a bit hazy about that. I have only a hazy memory of what he was really like. She had only a hazy idea of Britain's prison problems. Many details remain hazy. III. If things seem hazy, you cannot see things clearly, for example because you are feeling ill. I wandered around in a hazy, distracted, anxious mess. My vision has grown so hazy 视线模糊. It's as if I'm living in a hazy dream world. 15. poke the fire 挑一下火 to move coal or wood in a fire with a stick to make it burn better. open season I. 狩猎季(close season: a period of the year in which the hunting of a particular type of animal, for example birds or fish, is not allowed: This is the close season 禁猎期 for salmon.). the annual period when restrictions on the killing of certain types of wildlife, especially for sport, are lifted. the period in the year when it is legal to hunt particular animals. II. a period when all restrictions on an activity, especially on criticizing a particular group, are abandoned. "it's open season on public figures". a situation that allows or causes a particular group of people to be treated unfairly: To pass this legislation would be to declare open season on homosexuals. open season (on somebody) a time when a lot of people criticize someone, or a group of people It seems to be open season on politicians just now. slather [slæðər] If you slather something with a substance, or slather a substance onto something, you put the substance on in a thick layer. If your skin is dry, you have to slather on moisturiser to soften it. ...pieces of toast slathered with butter and marmalade. to put a lot of a soft thick substance on a surface, or to cover something with such a substance. slather on/over: Onion sauce is slathered over lightly boiled eggs.open season (on somebody) a time when a lot of people criticize someone, or a group of people It seems to be open season on politicians just now. slather [slæðər] If you slather something with a substance, or slather a substance onto something, you put the substance on in a thick layer. If your skin is dry, you have to slather on moisturiser to soften it. ...pieces of toast slathered with butter and marmalade. to put a lot of a soft thick substance on a surface, or to cover something with such a substance. slather on/over: Onion sauce is slathered over lightly boiled eggs. slather someone/something with something: She slathered herself with suntan oil. open slather a situation in which there are no restrictions; free-for-all. freedom to act without restriction; free rein. "you've got open slather here, lad—do what you like".
