Phrase Mix 10, early VS soon, renovate decorate, refurbish, furnish, touch up.

1. Is there anything else I can help you with today? You are at a bank. You just deposited some money into your account, and now the bank teller wants to make sure that you're finished with everything you needed to do. He asks you this. This is a set phrase that bank tellers, customer service representatives, and other workers that deal with customers say when you're finished with your conversation. It sounds very polite and formal. It's a way to make sure that the customer doesn't have any more questions. I went to see a talk last night. You went to a talk given by a writer last night at a community center in your neighborhood. Your coworker asks you what you did last night and you tell her about the event. You answer them like this. see a talk "A talk" is an event where an author, a researcher, an expert, or some other person speaks to a large audience. It's similar to a "speech", but a speech is more associated with politics, debating issues, or formal ceremonies. A "talk" is for explaining interesting ideas to people. You "see" a talk or other performance. Some other things that you can "see" include: see a dance performance, see a play, see a concert. On the other hand, for TV and movies it's more common to say that you "watch a movie" or "watch TV". Are you getting a refund? You are talking on the phone to you brother. He says that he just finished doing his taxes. You are curious to hear whether he's getting money back or will have to pay extra. You say this. get a refund This means to get back money that you paid. You can get a refund for something that you bought at a store when you return the item: I took those jeans back and got a refund. Or you can get a tax refund like in the example above. You pay money for taxes to the government from each paycheck. At the end of the year, when you figure out the exact amount of tax you're supposed to pay, you may find out that you paid too much. In that case, you get a refund. So have you done your taxes yet? The deadline for filing your tax return is April 15. Today is April 11, but you have been procrastinating 拖拖拉拉 and haven't sent yours in yet. So you've been thinking about taxes all weekend. You run into your neighbor and make small talk with her. This is one of the questions you ask her. do (one's) taxes In the U.S., money is usually taken out of your paycheck to pay for taxes. But once a year, you have to calculate the exact amount of tax you owe, and fill out paperwork to send to the IRS, which is a government agency that's in charge of taxes. Calculating your tax and filling out the paperwork is called "doing your taxes". 2. I was originally hired as an engineer, but I wound up in sales. You're giving a speech about something related to your job. You want to introduce your work history quickly so that the audience will understand why you're qualified to talk about this topic. Your history is that you were an engineer when you started working for your company, but now you are a salesperson. You explain this quickly by saying this. (someone) was hired as a (job title) To be "hired" means to get a job. Here are some of the phrases that you can make with the word "hired" You tell who got the job this way: "she was hired". You tell what person or company gave the person a job this way: "hired by XYZ Corporation". You tell the job title that the person got in this way: "hired as the V.P. of sales". (something) winds up (adjective / verb) The way something "winds up" is the way that it is in the end. We met in a bar in Mexico, kept in touch over email, and wound up getting married a few years later. You usually use "___ wound up ___" when there are a lot of details to the story that you want to skip over because they're not important and take too long to tell. (someone) is in (a field) You tell what field or industry you work in by saying that you are "in" that field or industry: I'm in accounting. Here are some examples of different fields that you can be "in": education (teachers, school principals), entertainment (actors, musicians, directors), software (programmers, testers, etc.), marketing (marketers for any company), sales (salespeople), hospitality (working in a hotel or on a cruise), accounting (accountants). At this point, I don't think there's much we can do about it. You are almost finished with a major project at work when a coworker from another department points out a problem with the original plans for the project. You agree that this is a problem, but in order to fix it you would have to go back and start over from the beginning. You don't want to do that, so this is what you tell him. at this point "At this point" means "now". But you use "at this point" when it's too late or too early for something: At this point the library is probably already closed. (too late) A this point, all I know is that we're meeting some time on Saturday. (too early). So when you use "at this point" it means "now" but also suggests that now is a bad time for whatever situation you're describing. there's (nothing / not much) (someone) can do When someone is asking for help, but you can't help them (or don't want to help them), you use the phrase "there's nothing I can do". Using this phrase makes it sound like you don't have any control over the decision to help or not help them. For example, if you are following a set of rules or if it's too late to make changes, you can say that "there's not much I can do about that". I'm keeping my options open. You're a first-year college student and you haven't decided on your major (your area of study) yet. You are talking to a professor who asks what your major is. You want to tell her that you haven't decided yet, but you want it to sound like a positive thing. keep (one's) options open To "keep your options open" means not to decide on something, so that you don't restrict yourself. It means to stay undecided so that you can still choose freely later on. A: Have you decided what you're going to study yet? B: No, I'm still keeping my options open. "Keeping your options open" is usually thought of as a positive thing. 3. Sorry, I've kind of been in my own little world lately. Your wife is angry at you because you aren't paying enough attention to her. You're always focused on work and don't spend time with her. You say this to apologize for not paying attention to her. be in (one's) own world This means to be focused only on your own thoughts, and to not pay attention to other people or events. This phrase is a metaphor. It's comparing your thoughts to being on a planet with no other people. You can add "little" to this phrase to make the thoughts you're having "in your own world" sound unimportant and selfish. I wish you'd told me sooner. Your department is working on a long-term project that is supposed to be completed two days from now. One of your employees comes to your office to tell you that there is a problem, and he thinks the project will be delayed an extra 3 or 4 days. Angrily, you say this because you think that someone should have warned you of the delay before this point. I wish (something) had (happened) This phrase is used as a polite way to complain to someone about the way that something happened in the past. "I wish" is a way to talk about the things that you want but aren't possible or likely. When you use "I wish" to talk about things that have already happened, you are saying the way that you would like to change the past: I wish Aiden had asked me before buying it. I wish you'd called me first. A similar way to criticize someone's actions or decisions is "Why didn't you ___?": Why didn't you tell me sooner? "I wish you'd ___" is more polite-sounding, but at the same time more disappointed and critical-sounding than "Why didn't you ___?" (do something) soon "Soon" and "early" are similar, but they measure time from different points. "Soon" measures the time after something. That can be after now: I'm leaving soon. Or it can be after a point in the past, like the point when the employee noticed that there would be a problem: Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? "Early" measures the time before something, like before now or before the time when something is going to start: Let's go. I want to get there early. 4. Have you noticed that Lisa's been acting a little strange lately? You are having lunch with a coworker. You saw another coworker, Lisa, yesterday and earlier today. She usually looks busy and stressed out, but yesterday and today she looked quite happy and relaxed. You wonder if your coworker also saw this. You ask this to her. (be) acting strange When a person is "acting strange" it means that they are acting differently than they normally do. People often say this about someone when they think that the person has a secret that they are hiding. That's not necessarily true. You're debating with your friend over weight loss methods. Your friend says that if you exercise 4 or 5 times per week, you'll definitely lose weight. You think that that's usually true, but you can also remember some examples of people you knew who exercised a lot but didn't lose weight, so you say this. not necessarily (adjective) 不一定是 Use the phrase "not necessarily" to show that you don't think something is completely true, although it may be true in most cases or for most of the time. For example: Larger fighters are not necessarily stronger. ... means that larger fighters are usually stronger, but sometimes they aren't. When someone says something you don't think is completely correct, you can also just reply "Not necessarily": A: It's always more expensive to fly on the weekend than on weekdays. B: Not necessarily. "Not necessarily" is a pretty safe and polite way to disagree with someone. People use this phrase when debating things at work, at school, when discussing politics with friends, and so on. You should always submit a cover letter, even if they don't ask for one. You're sending an email to a younger person who's applying for her first job out of college. She asked you if you think it's important to include a cover letter when she applies for jobs. You do think it's important, so this is what you write. submit (something) When you "submit" an application, a homework assignment, or some other official document, it means that you give it to the person or organization who has asked for it and who has authority over it. For example, you "submit" a job application to the company that might hire you. The word "submit" is a slightly formal word. In casual conversation, you can use the phrase "turn in (something) or "turn it in": Make sure to turn in your application by Friday. Are you going to be able to make the deadline? There is a school assignment due in two days. You are talking to your friend, who hasn't started working on the assignment. You are worried for your friend that she won't be able to finish it by the deadline. You ask her this. make a deadline To "make a deadline" means to finish something by or before it is due. People also use "meet a deadline" in the same way. When you use "make" it sounds like it was more difficult to finish on time. So you'd probably be more likely to see "make" in a sentence like this: I just barely made the deadline. And you'd see "meet" in a sentence like this: Aaron's usually pretty good about meeting his deadlines. I think you need to get your priorities straight. Your friend didn't go to his son's birthday party because he was working. You think that going to the party was more important than going to work. Angrily, you say this to your friend. get (one's) priorities straight 搞清孰轻孰重, 知道轻重缓急, 知道哪个优先, 知道哪个更重要 This phrase describes changing your priorities to place high value on the correct things. Your "priorities" are the things that you think are important. You can think of your priorities as a list, with the items at the top of the list being most important, the next items being less important, and the items at the bottom of the list being unimportant. Many people put their family at the top of this list, followed by friends, work, then things like their hobbies. If you act in a way that shows that your priorities match this ideal, people will say that you "have your priorities in order". If you show that you value something else, like money or fame, higher than your family and friends, people will say that you "need to get your priorities straight". Did you catch the last episode of Lost? You are in the break room at work and chatting with a coworker. You have spoken with this person before about how you both like the TV show Lost. You want to discuss what happened on the most recent show. You ask this. catch (a TV show) This is a casual way of describing watching a TV show. When you say "watch (a show)", it sounds neutral. When you say  "catch (a show)", it sounds as if the person wanted to watch it. You can also talk about "catching a show" when someone doesn't see all of it. For example: I caught the first few minutes of it, but then I had to leave. In addition to TV shows, you can "catch" things like: other people's conversations, live sporting events, concerts, songs on the radio. an episode of (a TV show) The word "TV show" can be confusing, because it can mean the entire continuing series, or just one 1-hour or 30-minute part of the series. The word "episode" is a more specific way to refer to and count the individual parts of a show. Here are some other specific words for TV shows: a season is one group of episodes that are shown in order around the same time. There's usually one season per year. a series is the entire show, from beginning to end. However, in Britain the word "series" is used to mean what we call a "season" in America. the premiere of a show is the first episode. Each series has a series premiere and each season has a season premiere. the finale is the last episode. Just like "premiere", there is a season finale, which is the last episode of a season. The series finale is the last episode of a TV show before it goes off the air. I'm in support of anything that generates new jobs 创造就业. A person you used to work with is volunteering for an organization. The organization is trying to change the law to allow foreigners to move to your country to start a business. You don't know much about this law, but you think that it might be good if foreigners start businesses in your country. You think that it might help to create new jobs, so you say this. be in support of (something) This phrase means to like an idea. It's usually used to talk about an action that people are debating on. For example, if people in the government are discussing whether to raise or lower taxes, you could say: I'm strongly in support of the idea of raising taxes if it means improving our education system. The phrase "in support of" is not really casual or formal, but it's usually used to talk about decisions so it's likely to be used in politics, classroom discussions, and in the news. generate jobs This means to create new jobs for the people of a country or region. "Generate" is a more specific word than "create", so it sounds more technical. If you want to sound smarter when discussing economics, you should use the word "generate". When you want to sound more casual and friendly when talking about the economy with your friends, use "create". Other words that fit with "generate" include: generate profits, generate interest, generate (electrical) power. You not only disobeyed me 违抗命令, 抗旨不尊, 不听话, you betrayed my trust. Your daughter wanted to go on an overnight trip with her friends to see a concert in another city. You told her she couldn't go, but she bought tickets to the concert anyway. On that day, she lied and said that she was studying late with her friend. When you find out about this, you are very angry. You yell this at her. disobey (someone) (obey an order/command/instruction: The commandos were used to obeying orders. obey the law/rules: Drivers are not obeying the new traffic laws.) This means to do something that your parents, teacher, or boss told you not to do. This phrase wouldn't be appropriate to use to describe something your friend, husband or wife, or parent did. You can only "disobey" someone if they have complete authority over you. betray (someone's) trust When someone trusts you, and you do something to hurt them, you have betrayed that person's trust. This phrase describes a very strong feeling, only used for very bad situations like this one: Sandra Bullock's husband betrayed her trust by cheating on her with another woman. 5. If only we'd just waited there, this never would have happened. You wanted to go to a certain restaurant, but the wait to get in was long. You put your name down on the waiting list, but your girlfriend wanted to see if the wait at another restaurant nearby was shorter. You went to the other restaurant, but they had an even longer wait. So you went back to the 1st restaurant, but you find out that they already passed you on the list 叫过了号 and you have to be added to the bottom of the list again. You say this because you wish you hadn't tried to leave. if (something had happened), (something) never would have happened This is a way of expressing regret or anger at how something was done. It's used when you think a mistake was made, but now it's too late to change it. The condition can be positive, as in the example at top, or negative like this: If you hadn't distracted me, the accident never would have happened. if only (someone) had (done something)... / if only (something) had (been a certain way)... "If only..." is a poetic-sounding phrase that's used to express something you wish had happened. It brings to mind an image of someone imagining how much better life would be if this imaginary event had happened. Because of its poetic tone, "if only" is not used when someone is really angry about how things happened. It's used in situations where you wish things had been different, but you accept that you can't change the past. This can be used to express what actions should have been differently, like in the example at top, or what conditions should have different: If only it hadn't rained, we could have cooked out on the grill. You can use this phrase by itself, without telling what the result would be: If only I'd listened to her.... Just a heads up - we're going to have to meet soon. You were in a meeting at work where you heard about a change in your work schedule. You're talking to an employee who wasn't at the meeting. You want to talk to her about the schedule change, but you're not ready to discuss it yet. You say this to her. just a heads up - This is a phrase that you say before warning someone of something. The phrase "Heads up!" comes from sports. You say this before throwing a ball to someone to let them know to raise their head and look for the ball, so they don't get hit. This phrase has spread to business and social situations as well, in the form "(this is) just a heads up". a change in the schedule Use "in" to express a schedule change: There's been a change in today's schedule. Come on! Did you have to bring that up? You're having a conversation with your mother and she mentions an embarrassing story about you. You wish she wouldn't tell that story, so you say this to her. bring up (a topic) This means to introduce a topic into the conversation, or to start talking about a topic. When you use "that", "it", "her" or other pronoun, the order is "bring ___ up". When you use a noun or longer phrase, use the order "bring up ___" I'm glad you brought that up. I don't know why she had to bring up the fact that we used to go out in front of all those people. People in a position of authority have a responsibility not to abuse that authority. You are writing an essay about your opinion on a scandal. The scandal involved a school principal who was spying on his students over the Internet. You want to say that it was wrong for this principal to spy on the students because of his position. You write this to say that it' also wrong for other people to do similar things. (someone) is in a position of authority A "position of authority" is a job or title that puts a person in control of other people. Some common positions of authority are: a boss or manager, a teacher, a political leader, a military leader, a doctor, a police officer. have a responsibilty to (do something) This means that you must do something because it is your job or your moral duty. You have to do this because people are relying on you: As a parent, don't you have a responsibility to keep your children safe and healthy? The example above uses the negative form: "a responsibility not to do something" abuse (one's) authority 滥用权力, 滥用权威 To "abuse" a power or a privilege means to use it to do bad, selfish things. In this case, it means to use your authority in ways that benefit you unfairly, or in ways that hurt other people. For example, here are some examples of people "abusing their authority": The admissions director for a university lets her nephew into the school, even though he didn't have good grades in high school. The head of a department makes his employees go out to get coffee for him in the morning. A junior high school soccer coach sometimes yells at the players until they cry. 6. If you promised them you'd be there, you'd really better follow through. Your husband was invited to meet his friends at a bar for drinks and told his friends that he would go. But now he doesn't want to go and is considering staying home instead. You think he should go because he told the friends that he would. You give him this advice on integrity. follow through (on a promise)(I. If you follow through an action, plan, or idea or follow through with it, you continue doing or thinking about it until you have done everything possible. The leadership has been unwilling to follow through the implications of these ideas. I was trained to be an actress but I didn't follow it through. The government needs to follow through with some very necessary reforms. He decided to follow through with his original plan. II. [intransitive] 完成动作. to continue the movement of your arm or leg after you have hit, kicked, or thrown a ball in a sport. to complete the movement of hitting, kicking, or throwing a ball by continuing to move your arm or leg in the same direction: You need to follow through more on your backhand. follow-through I. A follow-through is something that completes an action or a planned series of actions. The reality is that people's intentions are rarely matched by their follow-through. II. A follow-through is a movement that completes an action such as hitting a ball. In sports, a follow-through is the action of continuing a swinging motion of the arms or legs when making a play: My tennis instructor says I need to have a better follow-through on my backhand. Focus on making a short, firm follow-through. ) This means to do what you said you'd do, or do what you promised. You can express what you're following through by using "follow through on ___":  Are you going to follow through on your promise? You can express what the promise was using "(someone's) promise to ___"  I'm starting to think that she might not follow through on her promise to pay us back. Was this renovated recently? A real estate agent is showing you an apartment that you are considering renting. You ask him this because the building is old, but the apartment looks new. renovate 装修 (a building or structure) "Renovate" means to rebuild and make improvements to a building, a room, or other structure. It can only be used for buildings or structures, not for smaller things. Also, the changes that are made need to be major changes. For smaller changes, you could use words like "redecorate 重新装潢" (changing the curtains, re-painting, getting new lights, etc.) or "repair" (fixing something that's old or broken). refurbish [riːfɜːrbɪʃ] To refurbish a building or room means to clean it and decorate it and make it more attractive or better equipped. We have spent money on refurbishing the offices. This hotel has recently been completely refurbished. to make a building look new again by doing work such as painting, repairing, and cleaning: The developers refurbished the house inside and out. Refurbished iPhone 翻新的 means that the phone is not new but has been evaluated by Apple and any repairs that are necessary are performed to the unit and it is deemed 'like new'. The unit is completely returned to a factory fresh state. furnish I. If you furnish a room or building, you put furniture and furnishings into it. Many proprietors try to furnish their hotels with antiques. II. If you furnish someone with something, you provide or supply it. They'll be able to furnish you with the rest of the details. furnishings 家具饰品 The furnishings of a room or house are the furniture, curtains, carpets, and decorations such as pictures. touch up If you touch something up, you improve its appearance by covering up small marks with paint or another substance. to improve something by making small changes or additions: She touched up her lipstick and brushed her hair. We thought the photo had probably been touched up, because he looked so much younger in it. ...editing tools to help people touch up photos. The painting has yellowed 发黄的 but the gallery has resisted pressure to touch it up 修补一下, 修饰一下. to make a surface look better with small improvements Touch up the paint before you try and sell the house. software that lets you touch up your photos. a. to make your makeup look better by adding a little more. Ella was touching up her lipstick 补妆 in the mirror. So, I heard you're leaving us. A co-worker told you that another co-worker is leaving the company and taking a new job somewhere else. You want to talk to the person who's leaving to say goodbye. You start the conversation by saying this to her. 7. Is there any way I can convince you to reconsider 我要怎么才能说服你? You are a salesperson and one of your clients has told you that she's canceling her account and moving over to a competitor's product. You ask her this because you don't want to lose the business. convince (someone) to (do something) "Convince" means to make someone decide something based on what you say to them. You can use "convince" without "to". For example, the following can be said if it's already clear from the conversation what you have been convinced of: Use "to (do something)" to tell an action that the person was convinced to do. Use "that (clause)" to express that the person was convinced of an idea: Ed convinced me that the fastest way to get to New York was Highway 95. reconsider (something) 重新考虑, 再考虑考虑 "Reconsider" means to think about your decision again, and possibly change it. In the example sentence above, "reconsider" is used as an intransitive verb. But it's usually followed by a noun: Please reconsider my offer. In the example above, both the speaker and the listener understand what is being reconsidered, so it's left out of the sentence: Is there any way I can convince you to reconsider (cancelling your account)? I got yelled at 被吼了 for not calling. You're a teenager and you stayed out late the night before without calling your parents to tell them. They were angry and yelled at you. The next day at school, you tell your friends this. get ___ed For actions that other people do to you, you can use "got ___ed". Usually this structure suggests that the action was negative: I got yelled at. I got punished. He got thrown in jail. For positive actions, it's more common to use the "was ___ed" form: I was praised for my presentation to the board. When you use this structure, remember to include the words like "at" which go along with the verb. not (doing something) "Not doing" something is the opposite of "doing something". This is a good casual way of talking about something that you didn't do. More formal ways to describe it are "failing to (do something)" and "neglecting to (do something)."

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用法学习: 1. Mr Goddard has simple advice for people looking to invest in apartments. "Do not purchase off the plan. Don't buy over three floors if you can help it because there is no home warranty insurance to turn to if the builder disappears, which they usually do," he said. "Try and find something not less than 10 years old on the basis that if there are building defects 有缺陷, they will have surfaced and been remediated in that 10 year period." And for those who have purchased off the plan, Mr Goddard said to encourage your Owners Corporation to undertake a building survey to see if there are defects. "If there are, don't be afraid. Purchasers are comfortable with buildings that have defects that are in control. It's the being ambushed 突然袭击, 措手不及 that's the problem," he said. on that (or this) score 在那件事上, 在那方面, 就那一方面来说 so far as that (or this) is concerned. You can use on that score or on this score to refer to something that has just been mentioned, especially an area of difficulty or concern. used for referring to something that has just been mentioned. We wanted to attract new recruits, and on that score, the campaign has been successful. I became pregnant easily. At least I've had no problems on that score. If someone you know has cancer, don't let worry on this score stop you from visiting them. "my priority was to blend new faces into the team and we have succeeded on that score". on this/that subject, as/so far as this/that is/was concerned, in this/that respect, In that department, about this/that, on this/that matter, as regards this/that. "there were no complaints on that score". in that department 就这一点来说: He needs to communicate more clearly. And, in that department, Gibbs isn't helpful. He's often unresponsive and sometimes hostile to the press. His adversarial barking 敌对似的咆哮, 大喊大叫 has only heightened tensions with a press that was once lampooned for fawning over his boss. adversarial [ˌædvɜrˈseriəl] If you describe something as adversarial, you mean that it involves two or more people or organizations who are opposing each other. involving people arguing with or opposing each other. an adversarial legal system. In our country there is an adversarial relationship between government and business. ...an adversarial legal system. A well-placed Republican insider said: 'This is the most intense campaign and you have to surround yourself with experienced people. She does not qualify in that department. She's not a political person. 2. burn one's candle at both ends to work or do other things from early in the morning until late at night and so get very little rest. If you burn the candle at both ends, you try to do too many things in too short a period of time so that you have to stay up very late at night and get up very early in the morning to get them done. To work extremely or excessively hard; to work too hard for good health or peace of mind. She has been burning her candle at both ends lately, trying to put it together on time. nowhere to be seen/in sight/to be found The children were nowhere in sight. The papers were nowhere to be found. nowhere near not in any way: The operation had already been going on for eight hours, and it was nowhere near finished. God's own country script: You forgot your big coat. I'm not taking it. Well, don't come crying to me when you freeze your arse off 冻僵, 冷得要死, 冻死. I won't. At least have these. And don't go mental on that damn bike. Stinks of piss 尿骚味. You doing any work today, gypsy, or what? 3. hand sanitiser 洗手液. free-flowing I. Something that is free-flowing is able to move without anything stopping it: free-flowing rivers. free-flowing 顺畅的, 无阻碍的 traffic. II. happening or done in a continuous and natural way: a free-flowing discussion, a free-flowing 流畅的 style of playing the piano. III. easily available in large amounts: There was free-flowing champagne at the party. suppository [səˈpɑzɪˌtɔri]: a drug in the form of a small block that is put inside the rectum or vagina to treat a medical condition. A suppository is a solid dosage form that is inserted into the rectum (rectal suppository), vagina (vaginal suppository), or urethra (urethral suppository), where it dissolves or melts and exerts local or systemic [sɪˈstemɪk] ( I. Systemic means affecting the whole of something. The economy is locked in a systemic crisis. II. Systemic chemicals or drugs are absorbed into the whole of an organism such as a plant or person, rather than being applied to one area. ) effects. Suppositories are used to deliver medications that act both systemically 全身的 [sɪˈstemɪk] and locally 局部的. A suppository is another way to deliver a drug. It's a small, round or cone-shaped object that you put in your body, often into your bottom. Once it's inside, it melts or dissolves and releases its medication. Suppositories may not be the most pleasant product you'll ever use. Medicine can get into your body in a few different ways. You can swallow a pill, drink a liquid, or get a shot. A suppository is another way to deliver a drug. It's a small, round or cone-shaped object that you put in your body, often into your bottom. Once it's inside, it melts or dissolves and releases its medication. Suppositories may not be the most pleasant product you'll ever use. But they can make it easier to take medicine that you can't swallow or that your stomach or intestines wouldn't absorb well. Winter solstice [ˈsɑlstɪs] 冬至: The winter solstice, hiemal solstice or hibernal solstice, also known as midwinter, occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt away from the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the winter solstice is the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year, when the Sun is at its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky. At the pole, there is continuous darkness or twilight around the winter solstice. Its opposite is the summer solstice. 4. dunny [ˈdʌni] I. SCOTTISH an underground passage or cellar, especially in a tenement. II. INFORMAL AUSTRALIAN/NZ a toilet. butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth Be overly coy or demure; be insincere. She looked quite innocent, as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, but we knew better. used when someone looks as if they would never do anything wrong, although you feel they might. used for saying that someone looks as if they are very good and would never do anything wrong, although in fact they would Tommy looked as if butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. I. The identified person appears to be benign, mild-mannered, or calm (but with an integral suggestion that, to the contrary, he or she really is untrustworthy, disagreeable, or mean-spirited). II. (idiomatic) The identified person is prim and proper 公事公办的, standoffish 冷酷无情的, cool, or dispassionate( prim and proper (idiomatic) prudish, straight-laced. Having very traditional, morally conservative beliefs and behavior. I've never dated someone who is so prim and proper before. I'm not sure how he's going react when he meets my family! She's so prim and proper that I bet she's never even jaywalked before.). Kevin Spacey: His lawyers have denied the allegations as "patently [ˈpeɪt(ə)ntli] false," (obviously. in a way that is so obvious that no one could disagree a patently unfair law. patently clear/false/obvious/wrong: It was patently obvious that she was lying. he was patently bored. patent [ˈpeɪt(ə)nt] [ˈpæt(ə)nt] noun. an official document that gives someone who has invented something the legal right to make or sell that invention for a particular period of time, and prevents anyone else from doing so. In 1878, Edison received a patent for his phonograph. a. relating to patents or protected by a patent. a patent application. a patent printing process. ) describing the encounter as "mutual and consensual flirtation, nothing more."  5. portly [ˈpɔːtli] I. (especially of a man) rather fat. "a portly little man with a bowler hat". stout, plump, fat, overweight, heavy, corpulent, fleshy, paunchy, pot-bellied, beer-bellied, of ample build, ample, well upholstered, well padded, broad in the beam, rotund, roly-poly, round, rounded, stocky, bulky. II. of a stately or dignified appearance and manner. "he was a man of portly presence". Voluptuous 丰满的 Heavy set, stocky A stocky person has a body that is broad, solid, and often short. big burly guy (A burly man has a broad body and strong muscles. He was a big, burly man.). Impostor syndrome 自我怀疑 (also known as impostor phenomenon, impostorism, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud". Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds, and do not deserve all they have achieved. Individuals with impostorism incorrectly attribute their success to luck, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent than they perceive themselves to be. While early research focused on the prevalence among high-achieving women, impostor syndrome has been recognized to affect both men and women equally. 6. be out of your head to be unable to think clearly, especially because of having taken drugs or drunk too much alcohol. Joey was lying on the floor, out of his head on vodka. keep one's head to remain calm. off the top of your head from the knowledge you have in your memory: "What's the capital of Mauritania?" "I don't know off the top of my head, but I could go and look it up." loopy I. Having loops. A loopy rollercoaster. II. (slang) Idiotic, crazy or drunk. dandelion [ˈdænd(ə)lˌaɪən] 蒲公英 A dandelion is a wild plant which has yellow flowers with lots of thin petals. When the petals of each flower drop off, a fluffy white ball of seeds grows. discount I. 排除可能性. to decide that something or someone is not worth considering or giving attention: You shouldn't discount the possibility of him coming back. II. to decide that something or someone is not worth consideration or attention: He discounted fears about 不屑, 否认, 认为不值得一提 computer programming problems involving the year 2000 as exaggerated. rabble-rouser 煽动闹事的人 someone who speaks to a group of people and encourages them to behave in a violent way, usually in order to gain political power. a person who makes speeches that make people excited or angry, usually intentionally in order to make them act in a particular way. A rabble-rouser is a clever speaker who can persuade a group of people to behave violently or aggressively, often for the speaker's own political advantage. Johnson was unpopular with the management because he was a well-known rabble-rouser. demagogue [ˈdeməˌɡɑɡ] 煽动情绪的人 a person, especially a political leader, who wins support by exciting the emotions of ordinary people rather than by having good or morally right ideas. firebrand If you describe someone as a firebrand, especially someone who is very active in politics, you mean that they are always trying to make people take strong action. ...his reputation as a young firebrand. incendiary [ɪnˈsendiˌeri] adj. Incendiary weapons or attacks are ones that cause large fires. Five incendiary devices were found in her house. ...incendiary attacks on shops. noun. An incendiary is an incendiary bomb. A shower of incendiaries struck the Opera House. 7. After hearing that, my mind has gone to dark places 思想开始放飞了. dark I. Dark thoughts are sad, and show that you are expecting something unpleasant to happen. Troy's chatter kept me from thinking dark thoughts. Her thoughts circled darkly round Bernard's strange behaviour. II. Dark looks or remarks make you think that the person giving them wants to harm you or that something horrible is going to happen. Garin shot him a dark glance, as if in warning. ...dark threats. 'Something's wrong here,' she said darkly. They shake their heads and mutter darkly. III. If you describe something as dark, you mean that it is related to things that are serious or unpleasant, rather than light-hearted. Their dark humor never failed to astound him. Nina took a dark pleasure in being the cause of tension. The atmosphere after Wednesday's debut was as darkly comic as the film itself. Von Otter was superb both in the darkly dramatic songs, and in the lighter ones. IV. If someone has dark hair, eyes, or skin, they have brown or black hair, eyes, or skin. He had dark, curly hair. Leo went on, his dark eyes wide with pity and concern. If you describe a white person as dark, you mean that they have brown or black hair, and often a brownish skin. He's gorgeous – tall and dark. He was a slim, darkly handsome young man. V. A dark period of time is unpleasant or frightening. Once again there's talk of very dark days ahead. This was the darkest period of the war. A dark place or area is mysterious and not fully known about. The spacecraft is set to throw new light on to a dark corner of the solar system. ...the dark recesses of the mind. a shot/stab in the dark 瞎猜, 盲目瞎猜 an attempt to guess something when you have no information or knowledge about the subject and therefore cannot possibly know what the answer is. a guess that you make without having any facts or ideas to support it It was a wild shot in the dark, but it turned out to be exactly right. Every single one of those inspired guesses had been shots in the dark. pitch-dark = pitch-black It was pitch-dark in the room and I couldn't see a thing. leap in the dark If you take a leap in the dark or a leap into the unknown, you do something without having any previous experience in that activity or knowledge of it. Prudent people are not going to take a leap in the dark. Once more he's making a leap into the unknown without a plan. before dark 天黑之前 If you do something before dark, you do it before the sun sets and night begins. They'll be back well before dark. 7. pithy [ˈpɪθi] a pithy statement or piece of writing is short and very effective. A pithy comment or piece of writing is short, direct, and full of meaning. His pithy advice to young painters was, 'Above all, keep your colours fresh.' Many of them made a point of praising the film's pithy dialogue. Emily Bronte said it best when she wrote pithily: 'Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.' a pithy 简短有力的 retort. How will Abby respond? Will it be with a pithy statement about the stars? A reference to what is probably the only constellation (Orion) she knows? 前外交部长新工作: The opposition's foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said Ms Bishop had been appointed because of her global network of contacts. "Not only doesn't it pass the pub test 不符合常识, 大多数都不认可, 一般常识 ( In Australia, the Pub Test is a measurement of your general knowledge of current events, politics and sport. Australian term, often used by the media, to describe the collective opinion of the everyday Australians to the conduct and reputation of public figures such as elected officials and celebrities, or to current events. In many cases "the pub test" is a device employed by journalists to invoke the "temperature" of an issue among the general public, without actually engaging with members of the public. In other cases, journalists may canvas the patrons of a pub in order to elicit public opinion, while also providing a humorous flavour to their story by including quotes from or footage of inebriated patrons. The general consensus is that deputy prime minister's decision to leave his wife and children for a young woman on his staff, failed the 'pub test' among most Australians.), it looks on the face of it like another breach of the ministerial standards," Senator Wong told ABC News today. She said Palladium had profited more than $500 million from decisions made when Ms Bishop was foreign minister.

 Line of Duty S2E1: 1. You always wanted to try the place. I got you out in false pretences (on/under false pretenses by pretending that a certain condition or circumstance was true. if you get something under false pretences, you get it by deceiving people. If you do something under false pretences, you do it when people do not know the truth about you and your intentions. I could not go on living with a man who had married me under false pretences. Conrad had been imprisoned for a year for gaining money by false pretences. He was accused of obtaining money under false pretences. The loan was obtained on/under false pretenses. abandon all/any pretence 卸下所有伪装, 卸下面具 pretence of doing something By the end of the evening she had abandoned all pretence of being interested. pretence that… 没法装了, 装不下去了, 演不下去了 She was unable to keep up the pretence that she loved him. pretence (to something) a woman with some pretence to beauty. I make no pretence to being 装作 an expert on the subject. by/under/on false pretences 靠伪装 by pretending to be something that you are not, in order to gain some advantage for yourself She was accused of obtaining money under false pretences. call off/abandon a search 放弃搜索: Bad weather forced the rescuers to abandon their search. disguise I. 掩藏. 掩饰. 掩盖. to hide something such as your feelings or intentions. He didn't disguise his bitterness about what had happened. a thinly disguised attempt to embarrass the prime minister. II. [often passive] to make changes in the way that someone looks so that other people will not recognize them. be disguised as someone/something 伪装为: She arrived at his home disguised as a man. be disguised in something: The intruders were disguised in post office uniforms. disguise yourself as/in something 伪装为: The soldiers disguised themselves as ordinary civilians. a. to make something look, sound, or seem like something else. little tape recorders disguised as cigarette packets. penetrate someone's disguise 看破伪装, 看穿伪装, 看透, 识破 to see who someone really is, although they are dressed or behaving in a way meant to trick you. a blessing in disguise 因祸得福, 塞翁失马, 焉知非福 something that seems to cause problems, but that you later realize is a good thing. Losing my job turned out to be a blessing in disguise.)? Is that it? I didn't detect any pressing 紧迫的, 迫不得已的, 必须的 reason for keeping up appearances. I'm their boss. And picking up the bill 埋单, 买单 - that really took the prize = take the cake ( prize ( noun Price [praɪs] and prize [praɪz]) I. something valuable, such as an amount of money, that is given to someone who succeeds in a competition or game or that is given to someone as a reward for doing very good work: The critics' prize for best film was won by Marc Abbott for "Belly Laugh". I won a prize in the raffle. The first (= main) prize 一等奖 is a week for two in Miami. The prize money 奖金 for winning Wimbledon has been increased by 12.5 per cent. A prize animal, flower, or vegetable is one that has won or deserves to win a prize in a competition because it is of very good quality: a prize bull. a prize marrow. II. something important and valuable that is difficult to achieve or get. used to describe something that is a very good or important example of its type: prize assets Some prize idiot (= extremely foolish person) forgot to lock the door. The prize would be her hand in marriage. III. You can refer to someone or something as a prize when people consider them to be of great value or importance. With no lands of his own, he was no great matrimonial prize. verb. I. 当成宝贝的. to think that someone or something is very valuable or important: In parts of Asia this plant is prized for its medicinal qualities. I prize that intimacy above everything. Something that is prized is wanted and admired because it is considered to be very valuable or very good quality. Military figures, made out of lead are prized by collectors. His Fender Stratocaster remains one of his most prized possessions. II. UK also prise, US also pry 撬开 to use force to lift something off something else, for example by pressing a tool against a fixed point; to separate things using force: I prized the lid off with a spoon. The window had been prized open with a jemmy. She couldn't prize his fingers apart to get the key. If you prize something open or prize it away from a surface, you force it to open or force it to come away from the surface. He tried to prize the dog's mouth open. I prised off the metal rim surrounding one of the dials. He held on tight but she prised it from his fingers. prize sth out of sb to get something from someone with difficulty, especially information or money. If you prize something such as information out of someone, you persuade them to tell you although they may be very unwilling to. Alison and I had to prize conversation out of him. He's so secretive - you'll have a hard time prizing 撬开嘴 any information out of him. no prizes for guessing sth mainly UK something you say when it is very easy to guess something: No prizes for guessing where Daniel is. keep your eye on the prize (take your eyes off the prize) This means that you should keep your focus on achieving a positive end result. keep (one's) eye on the ball 专注, 聚精会神, 全神贯注 To keep oneself very focused on something. Despite its wording, the phrase does not have to refer to baseball or another ball game. I graduated in just three years because I was able to keep my eye on the ball and prioritize my studies above all else.)! For my benefit, was it?

Line of duty S2E2, S2E3, S2E4: 1. I've had to disclose the situation at work. Our situation? No, no, just the money. Now the whole world knows our business 我们的事. No, no. Just one executive officer, in confidence. A top man. In fact, this particular officer thinks very highly of me so I can see things getting a lot better. How so? If I was to put myself forward for promotion, when this case is finished. This particular officer more or less tipped me the wink. Right. A promotion's no small thing, love. Pay rise. Bigger pension. We need to be clear about a few things first. I'll say it again, I am deeply sorry for having not consulted you 擅自决定, 没有和你商量 (run by, check with) about the finances( run something by/past somebody [transitive] to tell someone about an idea or plan so that they can give you their opinion. You'd better run it by your manager first. check with someone (about something) 咨询 to ask someone about something. To consult or confer with someone about something. I'm the lead person on this campaign, so please check with me before making any big decisions. Check with Harold if you have any questions about this case. You should check with the concierge about the bus to the airport. Please check with your agent. check on somebody/something I. to make sure that someone or something is safe, is in a satisfactory state, or is doing what they should be doing. Honey, can you go upstairs and check on the kids?  My neighbour comes in once a week to check on things and feed the fish. II. to try to find out if something is true or correct He wanted to check on the girl's story. consult I.to go to someone for information or advice consult somebody. If the pain continues, consult your doctor. consult somebody about something Have you consulted your lawyer about this? consult with somebody (about/on something) Consult with your physician about possible treatments. II. [transitive, intransitive] to discuss something with someone to get their permission for something, or to help you make a decision consult somebody. You shouldn't have done it without consulting me. consult somebody about/on something I expect to be consulted about major issues. consult with somebody (about/on something) I need to consult with my colleagues on the proposals. III. [transitive] consult something 查了, 查询了 to look in or at something to get information synonym refer to He consulted the manual.  ). It was a mistake. I just wanted to surprise you. 2. Normal practice is that the interviewee be questioned by an officer at least one rank superior 高一级的, 高一阶的, 高阶的. However in this case that cannot happen, so Chief Constable Lightwater of the East Midlands Constabulary has kindly agreed to sit in as an observer. Is that all right with you and the ACPO? I'm ready. Let's get on with it. 3. I'm delighted that significant progress is being made. The net is closing in 收网(The legal net closing in on Donald Trump. The net closes. It's a literal phrase which can be used figuratively. The nets used by, say, commercial fishermen, can be closed by bring the two sides or two ends together. When law enforcement agencies attempt to snare a suspect, one can sometimes say the net closes. When an individual or group or nation is, or feels itself to be, trapped, one can speak of a net closing. The locution used when the closure has yet to take place is often something like, "the net is closing in on...." I can't swear to it, but I'm sure some historians, possibly even Churchill, have summarized the period in the European war from November 1943 to May 1945 as "the net closes." "It is a huge breakthrough for us and we believe it will serve as a deterrent and message to would-be smugglers that the net is closing in on their operations," police spokesperson Col Vish Naidoo told the BBC. ). I believe you. 4. Steve, I want you to contact Denton and her rep. Tell her I want her in here on a Reg 15. Any prevarication ( prevaricate [prɪˈverɪˌkeɪt] to avoid saying or doing something because you want to cause a delay or hide the truth. If you prevaricate, you avoid giving a direct answer or making a firm decision. British ministers continued to prevaricate. After months of prevarication, the political decision had at last been made. ), you arrest her. I'm telling you. She'll be wishing she never messed with you by the time we're through with her. Sir. Sure you're OK? Wounded pride 自尊心受伤害, 自尊心受挫, 打击自信心, that's all. I'll give you a lift home. Thanks, but it's best you don't. 5. She's a little princess, I bet. Aren't they all? I bet you get your own way 随心所欲, 想干啥就干啥, don't you? I bet you do. Lived here long? A year. No, it's probably closer to 18 months. Easy to lose track. This place is very cosy. I had somewhere I just had to downsize. I'm sorry, boss, I'm probably interrupting something. I'm not sparkling company( adj I. Sparkling drinks are slightly fizzy. ...a glass of sparkling wine. ...a new lightly sparkling drink. II. If a company is described as having sparkling figures or sparkling results, it has performed very well and made a lot of money. performing very well. Top retailer Marks & Spencer has romped in with another set of sparkling 令人欣喜的, 欣欣向荣的 results. Top retailer Marks & Spencer has romped in with another set of sparkling results. III. 活泼的. lively, intelligent, and witty He is sparkling and versatile in front of the camera. He is known for his sparkling wit. ). I've got a lot on my plate. Thanks for the wine. It was a nice thought. Why don't I go and have a word? No, um, please don't. A couple of minutes, she always turns it down. 6. That is a matter of great sensitivity. It's the right thing to do to keep a lid on it. Who were they? I'd rather not say, sir, I'm still gathering information. There's those two plus Akers. And Denton, of course. Of course, there may be others, sir, involved in the conspiracy, others yet to be identified. Very good. Being indiscreet for a moment, you could be looking at a promotion here, Ted assuming you want it. It's a team effort, sir. Oh, none of that false modesty 别假谦虚了(false modesty [ˈmɑdəsti] behaviour in which a person pretends to have a low opinion of their own abilities or achievements. Behavior that is intended to seem humble but comes across as fake and unflattering. Although having a large ego is considered undesirable, at times it is proper to take credit where it is due rather than display false modesty. He shows great pride in his work and has no false modesty about his success. modesty I. the tendency not to talk about yourself, your achievements, or your abilities even if you are successful Peel shrugs off the attention with characteristic modesty. false modesty 假意推让, 虚情假意 (=pretending to be modest). Although having a large ego is considered undesirable, at times it is proper to take credit where it is due 该得的奖赏 rather than display false modesty. II. behavior, especially by women, that is designed to avoid causing sexual feelings in other people. a. a feeling of being shy or embarrassed about other people seeing your body. modesty forbids/prevents me from doing something used for saying that you do not want to talk about yourself, your achievements, or your abilities. Modesty prevents me from saying what the result was. humblebrag noun. I. 名义上谦虚, 实际上吹嘘. An ostensibly self-deprecating statement made to show off. a statement that purports to be self-effacing but in fact reveals a person's wealth or importance. a statement on social media in which you pretend to be modest but which you are really using as a way of telling people about your success or achievements. It's not just celebrities minor to major filling up bandwidth with humblebrags – we're all prone to it. II. A person who makes spurious statements in order to gain the moral high ground. verb. To make a humblebrag. braggard = braggart [ˈbræɡərt] Someone who brags a lot. self-effacing [ɪˈfeɪsɪŋ] 低调的, 不张扬的, 不事张扬的 adjective a self-effacing person does not want to be noticed by other people and tends not to talk about their abilities or achievements. Someone who is self-effacing does not like talking about themselves or drawing attention to themselves. As women we tend to be self-effacing and make light of what we have achieved. ...the slightly self-effacing manner adopted by many diplomats. ). Denise said to come straight in. Absolutely. It's a shame you can't appear in front of camera, but stick around for the press conference. Press conference, sir? What did I say about false modesty? This is the breakthrough we've been desperate for. If you'll excuse us, Ted? Sir. Sorry to keep you 让你久等. Dr Kaur will see you now, and then the burns specialist will come and have a look at your hands.

talk Shakespeare to a Hershey bar 对牛弹琴

用法学习: 1. Kim Kardashian West has been quite open about her battle with psoriasis, and she continued that transparency on Instagram last night. The beauty mogul posted three deeply relatable photos of her psoriasis ( [səˈraɪəsɪs] 银屑病 a medical condition in which your skin becomes red and dry and pieces of dead skin fall off ) flare-ups 大爆发, and fans are praising her for it. "Psoriasis is the shits ( get/have the shits (vulgar, slang) diarrhoea. to have or get diarrhoea (=an illness in which solid waste comes out of your body in a much more liquid form than usual). give someone the shits (Australia, colloquial, vulgar) To annoy or frustrate someone to a great degree. Can you stop sending me text messages at two in the morning? You're giving me the shits! the shit (vulgar, colloquial, slang) Something considered to be excellent or the best of its kind. That movie was the shit! give someone the slip 逃脱, 避开 informal evade or escape from someone. If you give someone the slip, you escape from them when they are following you or watching you. "we gave them the slip at the station". )," Kardashian West captioned one selfie, which shows her flare-ups covered in an herbal healing ointment. She shared a second photo to show her followers how she's treating the issue, and a third of the flare-ups on her legs, which she jokingly captioned, "Sexy." wiki: Psoriasis, for the unfamiliar, is a condition in which skin cells build up and form scaly [ˈskeɪli], itchy dry patches on your body. They often show up as red, itchy spots and can pop up anywhere where you have skin (so that includes your scalp, eyelids, knees, face, you name it). According to statistics from the National Psoriasis Foundation, around 8 million people in the U.S. have psoriasis, and it has a greater impact on quality of life in women—especially because trying to cover it with makeup is difficult and treatment can be costly. "Sometimes the rashes are itchy, sometimes they're flaky 起屑的, 脱皮的," Kardashian West wrote on her app in 2016 about living with psoriasis. "Mine flares up from time to time for different reasons.... Scientists are constantly researching and developing new medications to help treat it, but for now, I use a topical cortisone ointment every night before bed. I'm always hoping for a cure, of course, but in the meantime, I'm learning to just accept it as part of who I am." She gets so much shit 被人诟病 from people about this & that but that's something I really appreciate about her. 2. discretionary [dɪˈskreʃ(ə)n(ə)ri] 自行决定的, 没有明文规定的, 灵活掌握的, 自发的, 因地制宜的, 自行决断的. 自己决定的.  Discretionary things are not fixed by rules but are decided on by people in authority, who consider each individual case. decided by officials and not fixed by rules. based on someone’s judgment of a particular situation rather than on a set of rules: Magistrates were given wider discretionary powers. Check whether you are entitled to a discretionary grant for your course. discretionary income 可支配收入 money that you have left to spend after you have paid your bills. discretion [dɪˈskreʃ(ə)n] I. the right or ability to make a judgment or decision. at someone's discretion 由...掌握 (=according to someone's judgment or decision): Shops will exchange unwanted goods entirely at their discretion. exercise/use discretion: Teachers must be allowed to exercise their own discretion in choosing suitable classroom materials. II. careful and sensitive behaviour that does not upset or offend people. The investigation will be carried out with the utmost discretion. Discretion is the quality of behaving in a quiet and controlled way without drawing attention to yourself or giving away personal or private information. Larsson sometimes joined in the fun, but with more discretion. He appreciated his discretion and his fidelity. discretion is the better part of valour used for saying that it is better not to take too many risks. discreet [dɪskriːt] I. If you are discreet, you are polite and careful in what you do or say, because you want to avoid embarrassing or offending someone. They were gossipy and not always discreet. He followed at a discreet distance. I took the phone, and she went discreetly into the living room. II. If you are discreet about something you are doing, you do not tell other people about it, in order to avoid being embarrassed or to gain an advantage. careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping something secret: The family made discreet enquiries about his background. They are very good assistants, very discreet - they wouldn't go talking to the press. We were very discreet about the romance. She's making a few discreet inquiries with her mother's friends. Everyone tried discreetly to find out more about him. unlikely to attract attention They followed at a discreet distance. III. If you describe something as discreet, you approve of it because it is small in size or degree, or not easily noticed. [approval] She wore discreet 低调的 jewellery. ...stately houses, discreetly hidden behind great avenues of sturdy trees. The two rooms were relatively small and discreetly lit. indiscreet [ˌɪndɪˈskrit] 不谨慎, 不小心, 不当心 saying or doing things that tell people things that should be secret or that embarrass people: In an indiscreet moment, the president let his genuine opinions be known. They have been rather indiscreet about their affair. advertent [ædˈvɜrtənt  or ədˈvɜː.tənt] 小心留意的 Paying attention; attentive; heedful. Damages may be payable if there is advertent wrongdoing. inadvertent [ˌɪnədˈvɜrt(ə)nt] 不经意的, 不注意的, 不留心的, 欠考虑的. 不当心的 adj  I. failing to act carefully or considerately; inattentive. not deliberately, and without realizing what you are doing I'm afraid I inadvertently took your purse when I left. All authors need to be wary of inadvertent copying of other people's ideas. II. resulting from heedless action; unintentional. not deliberately, and without realizing what you are doing. The government has said it was an inadvertent error 无心之过. I inadvertently pressed the wrong button. I'm afraid I inadvertently took your purse when I left. 3. have the measure of sb/sth to understand what someone or something is like and to know how to deal with him, her, or it: I don't think she's under any illusions about her husband - she has the measure of him. give (one's) two pennies (worth) 个人意见, 个人看法 To share one's opinion, idea, or point of view, regardless of whether or not others want to hear it. I find Jeff's husband a bit trying at times. He always has to give his two pennies, even when it's clear he knows nothing about what's being discussed. If I can just give my two pennies worth, I think the staff would really appreciate a bump in their pay, and productivity would increase as a result. "My two cents 个人想法" ("my 2¢") and its longer version "put my two cents in" is an American idiomatic expression,  taken from the original English idiom "to put in my two-penny worth" or "my two cents". It is used to preface a tentative statement of one's opinion. By deprecating the opinion to follow—suggesting its value is only two cents, a very small amount—the user of the phrase, showing politeness and humility, hopes to lessen the impact of a possibly contentious statement. However, it is also sometimes used ironically when expressing a strongly held opinion. The phrase is also sometimes used out of habit to preface uncontentious opinions. For example: "If I may put my two cents in, that hat doesn't do you any favors." (A polite way of saying, for example: That hat is ugly). Another example would be: "My two cents is that you should sell your stock now." 4. 酒吧之王: In the wake of a series of reports about his family that emerged this morning, the 'King of the Cross' said: 'It's a massive breach of privacy ... What purpose does it serve in the public interest except to humiliate a family?' Meanwhile, the infamous eyebrow waxing of two Ibrahim associates believed to have crossed 惹恼, 惹到 members of the clan was all a 'joke' - nothing sinister 邪恶的, he said. peg somebody/something as something = peg someone for something 没有觉得你是, 没有把你归类为 (I. A peg 小夹子 (US clothespin) is a small piece of wood or metal that is used for fastening something to something else. He builds furniture using wooden pegs instead of nails. ...the noise of the hammer striking the steel pegs. II. A peg is a small hook or knob that is attached to a wall or door and is used for hanging things on. His work jacket hung on the peg in the kitchen. verb. I. If you peg something somewhere or peg it down 钉住, 钉起来, you fix it there with pegs. ...trying to peg a double sheet on a washing line on a blustery day. Peg down netting over the top to keep out leaves. ...a tent pegged to the ground nearby for the kids. II. If a price or amount of something is pegged at a particular level, it is fixed at that level. Its currency is pegged to the dollar. U.K. trading profits were pegged at £40 million. It is difficult for banks to peg rates at record lows indefinitely. ...a pegged European currency. level pegging = level-pegging 齐头并进 adj If two opponents in a competition or contest are level pegging, they are equal with each other. An opinion poll published in May showed Mrs Yardley was level-pegging with Mr Simpson. be brought down a peg/be taken down a peg If you say that someone should be brought down a peg or be taken down a peg, you mean that they should be made to realize that they are not so important or wonderful as they think they are. We thought it was time they were brought down a peg or two. We'd have liked to see her taken down a peg, but not this way. off-the-peg 批量生产的 (US off-the-rack) Off-the-peg clothes are made in large numbers and sent to shops, not made specially for a particular person. ...an off-the-peg two-piece suit. Instead of wearing expensive suits, he likes to buy clothes off the peg. square peg in a round hole If you describe someone as a square peg in a round hole, you mean that they are in a situation or doing something that does not suit them at all. Taylor is clearly the wrong man for the job – a square peg in a round hole. peg out [British, informal] I. If someone pegs out, they are too exhausted to carry on with what they have been doing. I nipped round the corner and nearly pegged out. II. If you say that someone pegs out, you mean that they die. I thought the oldest were going to peg out. ) to believe or say that someone has a particular type of character, or that a situation has particular qualities. To believe or consider that one definitely is a certain type of person or thing. I wouldn't peg him for a gambler. I didn't peg you for the the of person who would do that. I pegged her as a total bore when she first started working here, but since getting to know her, she's actually pretty interesting. I'm disappointed, Jake—I never pegged you as a quitter. I'd had him pegged as a troublemaker. So, is this your thing, breaking and entering 破门而入? I mean, the last time I did it, I fucked a cute girl by the end of the night. So, why stop now, you know? So, do you want me to, like, take this stuff back to the studio, and I'll just, like, catch you at the the archives? Yep. I'll text you. Oh, do you want, like, a latte or something? I could keep it warm this time. No. No latte. Just, uh You can go. He's cute. He's free. Interning for college credit. Please don't fuck my intern. So what were you doin' in there? Oh This was one of the first gay bars in the state. Soon to be another fucking cryptocurrency company. I wanted to get some footage before they razed down one of the oldest queer spaces in the country, but it's all boarded up 板子挡起来了, 围起来了, 圈起来了 ( boarded-up with windows and doors covered with boards for security. the boarded-up houses and the derelict factories of Merseyside. Half the shops are boarded up on the estate's small shopping street. wiki: Boarding up is the process of installing boards on the windows and doors of a property to protect it from storm damage, to protect unused, vacant, or abandoned property, and/or to prevent unauthorized access by squatters, looters or vandals. ), so all I got was the exterior. All that law breaking for nothing, huh? Yeah. Currently, I am making a documentary about the outside of buildings. Outside an old bar, outside Barbary Lane. It's riveting ( If you describe something as riveting, you mean that it is extremely interesting and exciting, and that it holds your attention completely. I find snooker riveting though I don't play myself. ) stuff. Look, if you're fishing to 试探, 试图 get in my apartment, you really don't have to try that hard. Is it that obvious? We can walk over right now if you want. I didn't peg you for being easy, Shawna Hawkins. I'm not. Usually. peg someone 八卦 tv. to gossip about someone. Kim is always pegging Jill. What's her problem? 5. Boho-chic is a style of fashion drawing on various bohemian and hippie influences, which, at its height in late 2005 was associated particularly with actress Sienna Miller and model Kate Moss in the United Kingdom and (as "boho" chic) actress and businesswoman Mary-Kate Olsen in the United States. It has been seen since the early 1990s and, although appearing to wane from time to time, has repeatedly re-surfaced in varying guises. Many elements of boho-chic became popular in the late 1960s and some date back much further, being associated, for example, with pre-Raphaelite women of the mid-to-late 19th century. slides 拖鞋. A slider is a form of footwear. They are backless and open-toed, essentially an open-toed mule. Slides can be high-heeled, flat-heeled or somewhere in between, and may cover nearly the entire foot from ankle to toe, or may have only one or two narrow straps. They usually include a single strap or a sequence of straps across the toes and the lower half of the foot to hold the shoe on the foot. The term is descriptive in that this shoe is easy to 'slide' on and off the foot when the wearer wants to do so. Slides are currently trending because of the desire for a more comfortable shoe that still allows participation in activities and sports. have egg on one's face Look foolish or be embarrassed, as in If you ask any more personal questions, you'll end up with egg on your face. This expression possibly alludes to dissatisfied audiences pelting performers with raw eggs. right off the bat If something happens right off the bat, it happens immediately. He learned right off the bat that you can't count on anything in this business. You can't expect to be accepted in a new town right off the bat. 6. foreshadow 伏笔, 预告 verb. to act as a warning or sign of a future event. If something foreshadows an event or situation, it suggests that it will happen. The disappointing sales figures foreshadow more redundancies. The change proposed last month was foreshadowed in the March Budget. The recent outbreak of violence was foreshadowed by isolated incidents in the city earlier this year. if something foreshadows a future event, it shows or gives a warning that it will happen The storms and rains of that year foreshadowed a long period of unstable weather conditions. wiki: Foreshadowing 伏笔, 伏线 is a literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story, or a chapter, and it helps the reader develop expectations about the upcoming events. A writer may implement foreshadowing in many different ways. Some of these ways include: character dialogues, plot events, and changes in setting. Even the title of a work or a chapter can act as a clue that suggests what is going to happen. Foreshadowing in fiction creates an atmosphere of suspense in a story, so that the readers are interested and want to know more. A "red herring", is a hint that is designed to mislead the audience. However, foreshadowing only hints at a possible outcome within the confinement of a narrative, and purposely leads readers in the right direction. A "flashforward" is a scene that takes the narrative forward in time from the current point of the story in literature, film, television, and other media. Foreshadowing is sometimes employed through characters' explicitly predicting the future. Flash-forward occurs when scenes are shown out of chronological order in a nonlinear narrative, and chronology is inconsistent in a anachronist order such as to get the reader or audience thinking about the climax or reveals. The "Chekhov's gun", everything superfluous must be deleted. By analogy to foreshadowing, the literary critic Gary Morson describes its opposite, sideshadowing. Found notably in the epic novels of Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky, it is the practice of including scenes that turn out to have no relevance to the plot. This, according to Morson, increases the verisimilitude of the fiction because the audience knows that in real life, unlike in novels, most events are in fact inconsequential. This "sense of structurelessness" invites the audience to "interpret and question the events that actually do come to pass".

 Two and a half men: 1. So where's Julie? Julie we had to let go. She was playing a little fast and loose with ( play fast and loose 动手脚 If you say that someone is playing fast and loose, you are expressing disapproval of them for behaving in a deceitful, immoral, or irresponsible way. To ignore proper behavior or social conventions, especially when it suits one's purpose. I cannot say that there were any outright lies in the editorial, but it does play fast and loose with the truth. There have been people who have played fast and loose with the rules. ) the old prescription pad. I'm guessing Valium. Is there somebody else who can see him? Yeah, but not Dr. Schwartz's doctor, okay? Dr. Talmadge took over Dr. Schwartz's practice. It's a little tight right now 现在有点忙, but I could squeeze you in 插个队, 把你加进去, 加个塞. That's kind of how this happened. Oh, my. So this was a sexual injury. 2. This is really gross. Why do I have to do it? You want your toilet seat back? Yes. Then keep scrubbing 刷马桶. You know, taking it wasn't funny. I could have broke my butt. Oh, come on. How could that not be funny? Don't forget to clean on the outside. That's all you 都是你的活儿. And the floor, and the wall. Okay, okay. How in the hell did you hit the wall anyway? I don't know, it just gets away from me sometimes. After a day scrubbing toilets I'm betting you'll be able to pee through a Cheerio at 10 paces. 3. So I see you're having some back pain. That will be $100, please. Yeah, it started in my back but now it's kind of radiating out 延伸, 扩展 into a body-wide unbearable agony. You have a really cute little nose, you know that? Did the pain start in your lower back? Best I can tell it's a spasm between L4 and L5. Oh, are you a doctor? Yes, I'm a chiropractor. So no. How did this happen? Well, I slipped. On an actress. I can handle this, Alan. Okay, see, the thing is, I was in the middle of. An actress. I'm warning you. Do the details really matter? No, no, I think I got the picture. There's video if you need it. Keep it up. Okay, I see here your last visit was four years ago. A mild hernia brought about by Okay. I think I'm seeing a pattern here. He's a sexual compulsive with narcissistic tendencies. Oh, so you're a pretend psychiatrist too. So, what's the course of treatment 治疗方案, 治疗方式 here? A pill, a shot? Maybe one of those epidurals? First I'm going to get your blood pressure and take x-rays. I take blood pressure and x-rays. Your mother must be very proud. Actually, no. Someone will be in to take you to x-ray. Wait. I'm still in pain. Try and hang in there 忍者点吧. In the meantime maybe your little buddy can give you a massage. Please don't tell me you're interested in that condescending arrogant excuse for a woman( excuse If someone is excused from a duty or responsibility, they are told that they do not have to carry it out. She is usually excused from her duties during the school holidays. She was excused duties on Saturday. make your excuses to explain why you cannot be present somewhere: Please make my excuses at the meeting on Friday. make excuses to give false reasons why you cannot do something: You're always making excuses for not helping me. a pathetic/poor/sad excuse for something someone or something that is of very bad quality We have a failing economy and a pathetic excuse for a President. a poor/rotten etc excuse for something used when you think someone or something is very bad He's a rotten excuse for a lawyer. Why on earth did you hire him? ). Pardon me, Alan, but that is a condescending arrogant, hot excuse for a woman. She's just your typical obnoxious MD. I'm a doctor. I have special license plates. I can park wherever I want. I know where I wanna park. You're unbelievable. Does your penis have an off switch? A pause button? No, just a little freckle. You're always telling me I should date a better class of woman. What's classier than a doctor? Oh, please. Four years of med school, two years of internship a year of residency, and everybody thinks they're so special. 4. Don't you get it? Your entire life is about jumping from one shallow, meaningless relationship to the next. And? You're a grown man. You can't go through life drinking 一辈子做某事 and partying and humping anything that doesn't shake you off. Yes, I can. But sooner or later, it's gonna catch up to you. Eventually, you will have to pay the piper 付出代价, 交学费(to pay for one's pleasures or bear the consequences of one's actions.). Who says? Everybody says. Really? Because I'm just hearing you. If 2000 years of human history has taught us anything it's that there is karmic justice 因果报应 in the world and that when people live the way you do bad things happen to them to even things out 平衡起来, 平衡一下. Well, I don't agree. It's not up for debate 不可辩驳, 无可辩驳的. It's a law 公理, like gravity. Oh, I agree with gravity. Good, we wouldn't want you flying off the planet with nothing to hump but satellites. If it makes you feel better, something bad happened. I'm in excruciating pain. That's not enough. Trust me, Charlie. The piper has yet to be paid. The only question is how high a tab you want before the bill comes due( to reach the date by which payment is required The rent is coming due next week. due process 正当法律程序 fair treatment through the normal judicial system, especially a citizen's entitlement to notice of a charge and a hearing before an impartial judge. Due process is the legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights that are owed to a person. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual person from it. When a government harms a person without following the exact course of the law, this constitutes a due process violation, which offends the rule of law. ). Okay. I get it. Well, good. So you think I have a shot with that doctor, or what? It's like trying to talk (explain) Shakespeare to a Hershey bar 对牛弹琴. Two and a half man: If 2000 years of human history has taught us anything... ...it's that there is karmic justice 因果报应 in the world... ...and that when people live the way you do... ...bad things happen to them to even things out 公平, 平衡一下. Well, I don't agree. It's not up for debate 这是公理, 没什么好争辩的. It's a law, like gravity 无可争议的, 是事实, 是公理. Oh, I agree with gravity. Good, we wouldn't want you flying off the planet... ...with nothing to hump but satellites. If it makes you feel better, something bad happened. I'm in excruciating pain. That's not enough. Trust me, Charlie. The piper has yet to be paid 你说了不算 ( He who pays the piper, calls the tune)( pay the piper I. to pay for one's pleasures or bear the consequences of one's actions. To pay expenses for something, and thus be in a position to be in control. II. To pay a monetary or other debt or experience unfavorable consequences, especially when the payment or consequences are inevitable or a result of something one has enjoyed. Etymology Sense 1 is from the English phrase who pays the piper calls the tune; sense 2 may allude to the pied piper. pay the fiddler I. (idiomatic) To face the consequences of one's actions. The three-day party had been a lot of fun, but now it was time to pay the fiddler. II. (idiomatic) 付出代价 To contribute in order to participate. If you want to dance, you've got to pay the fiddler. ). The only question is how high a tab you want 筑多高的债务 ( tab I. [mainly US] 账单. A tab is the total cost of goods or services that you have to pay, or the bill for those goods or services At least one estimate puts the total tab at $7 million. 'I'll get my purse out of the bedroom.'—'No sweat, Mrs. Day. We can put it on your tab.' II. A tab is a metal strip that you pull off the top of a can of drink in order to open it. III. A tab is a drug, especially one that is sold illegally, which is in tablet form. [informal] He was prosecuted for possessing a hundred tabs of ecstasy. keep tabs on sb If someone keeps tabs on you, they make sure that they always know where you are and what you are doing, often in order to control you. It was obvious Hill had come over to keep tabs on Johnson and make sure he didn't do anything drastic. pick up the tab If you pick up the tab, you pay a bill on behalf of a group of people or provide the money that is needed for something. Pollard picked up the tab for dinner that night.Today any employee with back or shoulder pain can go straight to Mr Jay and the company will pick up the tab. ) before the Bill comes due( come due = become due = fall due to become payable as previously arranged. to reach the date by which payment is required The rent is coming due 到期, 该支付了 next week. ). Okay. I get it. Well, good. So you think I have a shot with that Doctor, or what? It's like trying to talk Shakespeare to a Hershey bar. Who's Piper? Oh, you poor, clueless bitch. Never trust a drifter with an eye patch. Berta(人名). What? I'm tired, and my hands are all red and pruney 干巴巴的, 皱皱巴巴的, 皱皱的( The skin on the fingers can become wrinkly or "pruney" when soaked in water. ... The skin on human fingers and toes is known as glabrous, meaning it is smooth and hairless. When it has been in contact with water for a long time, the glabrous skin on the fingers can look like a prune. prune noun A prune is a dried plum. verb. I. When you prune a tree or bush, you cut off some of the branches so that it will grow better the next year. You have to prune a bush if you want fruit. There is no best way to prune. Apples, pears and cherries can be pruned back when they've lost their leaves. II. If you prune something, you cut out all the parts that you do not need. Firms are cutting investment and pruning their product ranges. The company has pruned back its workforce by 20,000 since 1989. ). I've seen your grades 学习成绩, 见过你的成绩了. Get used to it 习惯习惯吧. How do I know when I'm done? Don't worry about that, honey, I'll tell you. Oh, for God's sakes, don't kiss him. He's your brother. I have x-rays. Oh, good. Let me see them. Oh, golly, no. Only for a Doctor. Hey, I'm a Doctor. Oh, yeah? Where you parked ( parked adj If you are parked somewhere, you have parked your car there. My sister was parked down the road. We're parked out front. )? Alan, you gotta relax. You're harboring the kind of resentment 心怀愤恨, 心怀恨意 that eats away at your insides... ...until you wake up one day peeing blood and crapping into a bag. Thanks for the advice. You know the difference between you and me? I have a functioning liver... ...and somehow, you're gonna get laid tonight. That's ridiculous, Alan. She's an educated professional. Probably gonna have to throw a few fancy meals 请客, 请吃饭 at her first. Boo-hoo, you'll have to wait a couple of weeks. Couple of weeks? Anyway, the difference between you and me... ...is that when life gives me lemons, I make lemonade. When you get lemons, you just bite into them... ...and suck them inside out. Okay. Let's see what we've got. No fractures, no dislocations. Looks like just a simple muscle spasm. Between L4 and L5? Oh, good for you. Okay, I am gonna give you a shot, which should ease the pain... ...and also allow your muscles to relax. Have you had Demerol before? No, but I've heard nice things about it. Okay, I'm just gonna pull your shorts down a little. But Dr. Talmadge, I don't even know your first name. 5. Well, statistically I'm only slightly above average. But I make up for it with enthusiasm and perseverance. No, what's amazing is that you don't remember me. Well, sure I remember you. You're the pretty woman cupping my testicles from earlier. Back when I was in medical school, you and I went out for a couple months. You wanna loosen your grip there? Then for reasons I never understood you stopped calling me, and started seeing my roommate. The grip. I always hoped I'd run into you again. Please. Just leave me one. 6. What's happening, boyfriend? Oh, you're terrible. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? So, what's up? Saturday? Let me check my book. Saturday is marvelous. How dressy? Eveningwear, or California casual? Oh, goody. An excuse to shop. Like I need one. Okey-dokey, artichokey. Ciao for now. He's the head of a big ad agency. Throws a lot of jingle work my way. He wouldn't be gay, would he? What difference does it make? A person's sexuality is a personal thing. It has no relevance in the business world. But he is gay. Oh, yeah. You know, it's okay to call them queer again. Good to know. Good to know. Would it fair to assume that you've led him to believe that you are of a similar persuasion ( Persuasion is an umbrella term of influence. Persuasion can attempt to influence a person's beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, or behaviors. In business, persuasion is a process aimed at changing a person's (or a group's) attitude or behaviour toward some event, idea, object, or other person(s), by using written, spoken words or visual tools to convey information, feelings, or reasoning, or a combination thereof. Persuasion is also an often used tool in the pursuit of personal gain, such as election campaigning, giving a sales pitch, or in trial advocacy. Persuasion can also be interpreted as using one's personal or positional resources to change people's behaviors or attitudes. Systematic persuasion is the process through which attitudes or beliefs are leveraged by appeals to logic and reason. Heuristic persuasion 启发式说服 on the other hand is the process through which attitudes or beliefs are leveraged by appeals to habit or emotion. leverage [liːvərɪdʒ , US lev-] I. 影响力. the power to make someone do what you want. Leverage is the ability to influence situations or people so that you can control what happens. His function as a Mayor affords him the leverage to get things done through attending committee meetings. II. 杠杆力. physics the power that a lever gives you to move things. Leverage is the force that is applied to an object when something such as a lever is used. The spade and fork have longer shafts, providing better leverage. verb. I. to use something that you already have in order to achieve something new or better: We can gain a market advantage by leveraging our network of partners. II. to borrow money to buy a business, hoping that the business will make enough profit to pay the interest on the money that is borrowed. To leverage a company or investment means to use borrowed money in order to buy it or pay for it. to use borrowed money to buy an investment or company or to get more money: One of the easiest ways to leverage a charitable gift is to get your employer to match it. Home equity is invaluable if you leverage it to build wealth. Leveraging the company at a time of tremendous growth opportunities would be a mistake. The committee voted to limit tax refunds for corporations involved in leveraged buyouts.)? Not deliberately. I kind of sort of backed into it. Excuse me? Okay. Poor choice of words. When we first met, I found myself falling into his, What do you call it? Futon? No, no, his manner of expressing himself. Tone, gestures. Like talking to a Southerner you start saying "y'all" and "grits" and "tobaccy. Oh, Charlie. It's harmless. He throws me work. I want him to feel comfortable with me. And how far do you go to make him feel comfortable? Don't worry. I just sparkle a little bit. I don't burst into flames. I don't know how you live with yourself 心理平衡的(to continue to believe that you are a good person after doing something bad I could never live with myself if I hit a child with my car. live with someone I. to live in the same house and have a sexual relationship with someone who you are not married to. I've been living with my boyfriend for two years. II. if something lives with you, you keep remembering it or thinking about it The memory of that day would live with her for ever. live with something to accept something unpleasant that you cannot change How does she live with the guilt? He had learned to live with her moodiness. ). Actually, I don't live with myself. I have a significant other. We're both invited to a cocktail party Saturday night. What? No. You always complain we don't hang out. I didn't mean I wanted to date you. You don't think I'm gonna go to a gay cocktail party stag, do you? The way I sparkle? I'm not going to be your gay lover so you can make a few bucks. Okay, first of all, it's considerably more than a few bucks. This man was responsible for almost half my income last year. And that's the half I didn't gamble away. And second of all, you're not just my lover you're my life partner. That makes you special. Forget it. It's immoral and deceitful, and I don't want any part of it. What's the big deal? Gay people pretend to be straight. They don't wanna be discriminated. And neither do I. The minute this guy finds out I'm a breeder, I'm history. I don't care. If you wanna engage in a fraudulent escapade have one of your oafish poker buddies be your partner. You see? You see? Right there. Escapade. Oafish. What poker buddy of mine talks like that? But you, a couple of squirts of Paco Rabanne, you're good to go. Having a reasonable command of English isn't the exclusive domain 独有的权利, 独有的特制, 禁区 of the gay community( Once the exclusive domain of women, childbirth practices are now dominated by a largely male obstetric workforce, displacing the traditionally female dominated practice of midwifery. There the defendant unquestionably chose to interfere in the victim's exclusive domain of choice, and so there is no doubt about his liability to punishment.). Listen to you. You're just making my point. Forget it. You're asking too much. Oh, really? Was it too much when you showed up on my doorstep, looking for a place? Charlie. Too much when I took in your son on weekends and holidays? This isn't fair. Too much when I set up a college fund for Jake? You set up a college fund for Jake? You bet I will. Unless, of course, my income were to suddenly decline. I can't believe you would sink so low. To actually use emotional and financial blackmail You're both in my will. First thing Monday. All right. But I want it on the record I'm doing this under protest. Noted. If we're gonna be a couple, I'm the husband. 7. Am I starting to sag? What I'm sorry, were you talking to me? Am I hanging a bit low? I don't know. Give me the blouse. I am a woman, Charles. Wanna see my nipples? No. Why not? You made me look at yours. God, you are so frisky( A frisky animal or person is energetic and playful, and may be difficult to control. His horse was feeling frisky, and he had to hold the reins tightly. ). How does Alan ever put up with you? How does his mother put up with him? Oh, boy. Charles, didn't I ask you to confine your debauchery to outlet [ˈaʊtˌlet] stores(debauchery 寻欢作乐 [dɪbɔːtʃəri] You use debauchery to refer to the drinking of alcohol or to sexual activity if you disapprove of it or regard it as excessive. [disapproval] ...scenes of drunkenness and debauchery. outlet I. An outlet is a shop or organization which sells the goods made by a particular manufacturer. ...the largest retail outlet in the city. [+ in] II. An outlet or an outlet store is a place which sells slightly damaged or outdated goods from a particular manufacturer, or goods that it made in greater quantities than needed. ...the factory outlet store in Belmont. III. 出口. 发泄口. If someone has an outlet for their feelings or ideas, they have a means of expressing and releasing them. Her father had found an outlet for his ambition in his work. [+ for] IV. An outlet is a hole or pipe through which liquid or air can flow away. ...a warm air outlet 出气孔, 排气孔, 出气口. ...an underwater outlet pipe discharging waste into the sea. V. An outlet (UK socket) 电源接口 is a place, usually in a wall, where you can connect electrical devices to the electricity supply. wiki: An outlet store, factory outlet or factory shop 工厂直销店 is a brick and mortar or online store in which manufacturers sell their stock directly to the public. Traditionally, a factory outlet was a store attached to a factory or warehouse, sometimes allowing customers to watch the production process such as in the original L.L. Bean store. In modern usage, outlet stores are typically manufacturer-branded stores such as Gap or Bon Worth grouped together in outlet malls. The invention of the factory outlet store is often credited to Harold Alfond, founder of the Dexter Shoe Company.  )? Pamela, this is my mother, Evelyn. Your son is adorable. That seems to be the conventional wisdom. I met him and his partner last night, but we immediately hit it off.

 For many Christians, Israel Folau has become the talisman in the fight for religious freedom. This week, some Australian Christians rallied behind Folau's legal battle against Rugby Australia, stepping in 介入 when the rugby star's GoFundMe campaign was shut down. On its first day, the new campaign raised more than A$1 million in donations – and counting. Some Christian leaders have urged the newly re-elected Coalition government to make religious freedom protections a priority in the wake of Folau's sacking by Rugby Australia. There's even been talk among some conservative Coalition MPs of pushing for a "Folau Law", or a new statute that would exempt religious beliefs from employment contracts. The debate is a perfect storm of race, religion, sport, politics, sex, law and rights. But for me, neither Folau himself, nor his personal faith, are the issue. Certainly, I find his use and interpretation of the Bible cavalier ( cavalier [kævəlɪər] 漠然的, 无视他人的, 不关心他人的, 冷漠的 If you describe a person or their behaviour as cavalier, you are criticizing them because you think that they do not consider other people's feelings or take account of the seriousness of a situation. The Editor takes a cavalier attitude to the concept of fact checking. Cavalry 骑士 or horsemen are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the most mobile of the combat arms. An individual soldier in the cavalry is known by a number of designations such as cavalryman, horseman, dragoon, or trooper. caviar [ˈkæviˌɑr] fish eggs eaten as food, usually spread on bread. In many countries caviar is considered to be a special and expensive food, eaten mainly by rich people.) and uninformed, disturbingly indifferent to its impact, and strikingly incurious 漠不关心的 ( not curious; indifferent or uninterested. not interested in knowing what is happening, or not wanting to discover anything new: He's strangely incurious about what goes on around him.). But beyond those issues, the question that warrants exploration is why he has so galvanised 镀锌的 ( Galvanized metal, especially iron and steel, has been covered with zinc in order to protect it from rust and other damage. ...corrosion-resistant galvanized steel. ...75mm galvanised nails. galvanise to shock or affect someone enough to produce a strong and immediate reaction. galvanize someone into (doing) something: The results of the study galvanized residents into action.) portions of the Christian community around him. For many, it doesn't seem to matter how he's used or interpreted the Bible. They support him because he's upheld 坚持 traditional Christian teaching and been prepared to take a stand on it. But there seems to be another reason behind much of the support. As some Christians see it, Folau is holding the line against the dominant beliefs ( hold the line 坚守阵地 To firmly maintain one's viewpoint, principles, or situation; to refuse to change one's practices or plans. Etymology: Probably an allusion to a line of soldiers remaining steadfastly in position during combat. stick to/by one's guns 坚持己见 (idiomatic, by extension) To maintain one's position or viewpoint when faced with opposition. to maintain one's opinions or intentions in spite of opposition. ) in contemporary Western culture on the flashpoints ( I. A flashpoint is the moment at which a conflict, especially a political conflict, suddenly gets worse and becomes violent. The immediate flashpoint was Wednesday's big rally in the city centre. There are still plenty of potential flashpoints in relations between the two countries. II. A flashpoint is a place which people think is dangerous because political trouble may start there and then spread to other towns or countries. The more serious flashpoints are outside the capital. It could become the next Balkan flashpoint. ) of gender and sexuality. And for this, some Christians especially honour him. The question remains, though – why have these issues, and not others, have become flashpoints? There are other equally provocative biblical teachings that don't generate the same passions among Christians. Imagine if a high-profile Christian sportsman, for instance, tweeted Jesus' teachings about how difficult it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God (especially if it was paraphrased as "Hell awaits you"). In this scenario, it is very easy to imagine a less fraught ( I. If a situation or action is fraught with problems or risks, it is filled with them. The earliest operations employing this technique were fraught with dangers. II. If you say that a situation or action is fraught, you mean that it is worrying or difficult. It has been a somewhat fraught day. ) response from many Christians. Instead of wholeheartedly backing his stand against wealth, the athlete's Christian supporters might demur on ( [dɪmɜːr] If you demur, you say that you do not agree with something or will not do something that you have been asked to do. Hunt asked me to take over the whole operation. At first I demurred. The doctor demurred, but Piercey was insistent. without demur If you do something without demur, you do it immediately and without making any protest. His plan was accepted without demur. )  the issue, saying how the teachings on wealth need to be "interpreted" in their context. Some Christians don't feel the need to similarly interpret biblical references to sexuality and gender. Their meaning is taken as straightforward. As always, sex, like money, does strange things to theology. As Simon Smart has argued, the changing cultural mores [ˈmɔˌreɪz] ( the traditional practices and moral values of a particular society or group of people. The mores of a particular place or group of people are the customs and behaviour that are typically found in that place or group. ...the accepted mores of British society. ...profound changes in social and sexual mores. ) around questions of sex, gender and sexuality are at the centre of the debate over Folau's social media posts and the reaction among Christians to his sacking. These new cultural mores are posing significant legal, doctrinal, and ethical challenges to Christian churches. For many, the identity of Christianity is at stake. The traditional line on sexuality and gender must be held – so it is said. But not all Christians see it that way. The line is not so sharply defined 界限并不分明. There are many other Christians who find it hard to understand how traditional teachings on sexuality and gender have been elevated to such a prominent place within some strands of Christianity. That's not to say that these Christians automatically disregard the theological arguments for traditional stances on these issues. For instance, Christian proponents of same-sex marriage can accept there are carefully worked-out arguments against it, even if they are unpersuaded by them. The puzzle, to many, is how these issues have become so definitive to Christian thinking. For these Christians, there's also a deep disquiet ( [dɪskwaɪət] noun Disquiet is a feeling of worry or anxiety. There is growing public disquiet about the cost of such policing. Verb. If something disquiets you, it makes you feel anxious. 不安分, 焦急, 焦虑 This information disquieted him.) that sexuality and gender are being held up as a test case for religious freedom in Australia. Even apart from the churches' involvement in the child sexual abuse scandals, the public's perception 认知 of Christianity has been deeply affected by the church's frequently moralistic stance on sexuality. This often obscures the other important themes of Christianity – love, hope and compassion as they are embodied in the example of Jesus. A 2017 McCrindle survey found that the church's objection to homosexuality was the biggest obstacle preventing people from becoming more religious in Australia, much more so than the role of women in Christianity and the debate over science and evolution. It's worth comparing the current angst over sexuality with the long-running debate in the church over science and evolution. There was a similar line-in-the-sand 看不见的界限, 看不见的分隔点 reaction (and there still is) by some Christians to the theory of evolution. But the willingness of many Christians to navigate that debate with care and informed theological reflection has produced deeper understandings of Christianity, especially its doctrine of creation. So why hasn't the same thing happened in the debate over sex, gender and sexuality? For one, the fault lines around these issues within Christianity are complex. There aren't simple divisions between "conservative" and "progressive" versions of Christianity, or between those who read the bible "literally" and those who read it "metaphorically.". There are deeper underlying differences between Christians over the extent to which Christianity can be open to exploring new forms of itself while staying true to its founding message. Recognising this would involve a serious discussion of the diverse theological meanings of tradition, culture and ethics. But if we're able to have this deeper discussion within Christianity, it could affect how we view those "lines in the sand" between the church and broader society – and whether religious freedoms are truly at stake. And the world at large might get better insights into the breadth of contemporary Christianity.

What I learned about myself by agreeing to peg a guy on the third date. Our first date was promising. My date, let's call him Pete, had compelling ideas about( compelling I. A compelling argument or reason is one that convinces you that something is true or that something should be done. A compelling answer was provided in the final session from two different sources. There was no longer any compelling reason to continue this line of investigation. II. If you describe something such as a film or book, or someone's appearance, as compelling, you mean you want to keep looking at it or reading it because you find it so interesting. ...a frighteningly violent yet compelling film. Her eyes were her best feature, wide-set and compelling. She wrote compellingly, with great zest. ) gender, a quirky sense of style, and finely honed 精心修炼过的, 雕琢过的 ( to improve your skill at doing something, especially when you are already very good at it. He set about honing his skills as a draughtsman. finely honed (=extremely well-developed) intuition. ) listening skills. He was tall, with broad shoulders, long sandy hair that he wore in a sloppy man bun, and a fanny pack. We shared drinks in my neighborhood, listened to live jazz and talked about deep shit like the creative process and toxic masculinity. If I'm being honest, which I always am, I'm looking for a husband. I'm 30, live in Brooklyn and work at a non-profit with an all-female staff. At night I tell jokes in dive bars ( Dive bar is a colloquial American term for a disreputable bar or pub. It may also refer to a neighborhood bar where local residents gather to drink and socialize. Individual bars may be considered to be disreputable, sinister, of poor upkeep, or even a detriment to the community. ), surrounded by guys in their early 20s. I'm not meeting eligible bachelors in my day-to-day. So like most singles in the 21st century, I date online. Pete and I met on OKCupid. On our second date, we danced in a crowded back room 黑屋 in Crown Heights. I could really like him, I thought, through a layer of whiskey. He was loose and completely comfortable on the dance floor—more of a hippie type than I'd usually go for, but his enthusiasm was infectious. When we kissed to a mash-up of Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars, I barely noticed his damp hair sticking to my forehead. Later on, we went back to his apartment where we drank whiskey out of jam jars and bullshitted for the socially acceptable amount of time before getting naked. I had barely taken my bra off when he leaned in 靠过来, 靠近 and whispered into my ear, "Have you ever pegged before?" This seemed like the feminist thing to do. But deep down, I still wasn't sure. I didn't expect to enjoy it. I certainly wasn't going to get off from it. And even as I tried to psych myself up 打气, I was stressing about the logistics. I Googled, of course. I mostly found videos of Australian women speaking in dulcet tones about the importance of lube, patience, and communication. That part's obvious, though! I wanted specifics: I was hoping for a diagram. So I brought my concerns to my roommate, one of my oldest childhood friends who also happens to be a gay man. But he couldn't give advice on how to navigate a man's backside with a plastic penis; he has the real deal. So I finally realized this is one of those things I'll have to learn by doing. Our third date had a rocky start 开局不顺. I was flustered ( in a state of confusion or agitation Marianne noted his flustered appearance. He gets all flustered and doesn't know what to say. She was so flustered that she forgot her reply. ) and running late from work. It was a sunny summer evening and 7 pm felt conspicuously early for dinner once we sat down in the Mexican restaurant. Our meals were on the table within fifteen minutes. "Sorry I suggested we meet up so early," I said. Why am I apologizing? I thought. What a stupid thing to apologize for! "Yeah, it is super early, but whatever," Pete replied. Oh, so he does care?! Dinner passed quickly. Brief answers to interview style questions were punctuated with longer and longer pauses. "So you have three sisters?" "Yes… And you have a brother?" "...Yes." The conversation improved with the gin and tonics, but I couldn't shake the feeling of tension. Time passed excruciatingly slow but it finally got dark, and we went to his place. He brought me a beer, and we sat with our knees touching on cushions on the floor. The physical contact helped ease the tension; when he kissed me I felt like we were back to the vibe we had created the week before. Then, just as I was starting to relax into the kiss, he stopped and asked me: "So, have you thought any more about pegging?" I was nervous, but with the cries of a thousand YAS QUEENs echoing in my ears, I decided to put on my big girl panties and fuck him like a man. "Yeah, ok. I have no idea what I'm doing, but let's go for it," I said. He sat up straight 坐起来 with a bright smile. "Ok great," he said. "I think we should start with regular sex, and then we can put on the strap on and take it from there." He kissed me hard and we quickly undressed. He was very thorough, not rushing the "regular" part—but I felt impatient myself. I'd spent all week gearing up for this, and I wanted to see how I handled the "not so regular" sex.  He hurried to his dresser and returned with a leather g-string harness fitted with a slim, black, six-inch dildo. I stepped into it, and he tightened the straps on my hips. I resisted the urge 抑制住冲动 to ask when it had last been used... or cleaned. Better to not know. I put it on and was surprised at how comfortable I felt. I checked myself out in the full length mirror with my sexy leather harness and its average-sized "penis" dangling and felt…confident. That confidence was about to disappear quickly, however, once I attempted to get that dick inside of a man. This wasn't even the first obstacle. This is Brooklyn, so Pete of course had a huge lofted bed accessible only by climbing. I'm not physically graceful, so pulling myself upon on his bed with my brand-new external genitalia was no small feat. But nevertheless, I persisted. After a clumsy ascent, I kneeled on the bed, slightly out of breath, my head nearly brushing the ceiling. He just kept looking at me with this eager smile, so I took a deep breath and summoned my most convincing fake-it-til-you-make-it swagger. He turned down the lights, then pushed himself onto all fours. There was nothing I found sexually attractive about this situation, but I was committed at this point. I had climbed up the goddamn bed already. I inched closer 靠近一点, 靠近一步, 走进一步, feeling totally at a loss on how to proceed. In the dark, I couldn't see well, so he reached back to guide me. I lifted my hips at an uncomfortable angle, trying to brace my arms on the ceiling for better leverage for an extra inch or two of height. I had no idea if I was hitting my target, since I couldn't feel anything but low-level panic. I experienced a brief moment of respect for men for consistently locating vaginas without a map. Hoping for reassurance or directions, I murmured an interrogative 试探性的 "hmmm?' But he stayed quiet as I fiddled with the straps, hoping that might miraculously help me find his butthole. After I gave a few more half-hearted thrusts, he suggested we change positions. I audibly sighed in relief, hoping the break in action would come with some specific instructions. He silently flipped over so that we were spooning and I was left to my own devices once again. I have no idea what I'm doing. This is ridiculous. I could hear him making small noises, but not of pleasure. It sounded like a kitten purring in an attempt to get you to pet him in the right spot. Luckily, we were facing the same direction so he couldn't see my expression flicker between grim determination and utter defeat. It took two more position changes—including him sitting on top of me while I lay on my back—for him to finally declare we were finished. As I unbuckled the harness and wriggled out of it, I searched his face for some encouragement. My 15 minutes of pegging had not been the pinnacle of feminist sexual empowerment that my friends had expected. I hadn't enjoyed it, but I was hoping that it hadn't been a total failure. I wanted him to assure me it had been ok, to kiss me gratefully, to at least give me a "you'll get ‘em next time kid!" chuck on the arm. This was my first time fucking someone! Throw me a bone! As a teenage girl, I spent a good five minutes encouraging my virgin boyfriend after our first painful—and brief—intercourse. And after the next three dozen times. He kissed me goodnight, and we each rolled over facing different directions, pulling the sheet over ourselves. At least I don't have to climb down to go pee immediately after sex, I thought. Our interaction in the morning was brief but cordial; I had to leave pretty early for work. We didn't kiss. As he closed the door, I said, simply, "see you soon." After two days without hearing from him, I was annoyed. He had mentioned a camping trip, but that doesn't prohibit a quick "Hey, thanks for the pegging, want to see a movie next week?" text. By the third day I was frustrated enough to remember that I had just fucked a guy—why do I need to wait for him to text first? He replied back within an hour, citing a busy week. I suggested we get together after he returned from camping; his response was prompt but noncommittal 不表态的, 不置可否的. When a full week passed with no additional texts, I was furious. Ghosting someone after three dates is bad enough. Three dates deserves at least the courtesy of an "I reconnected with an old girlfriend" or a "work is just too crazy right now" text. Encouraging someone to peg you for the first time on a third date and then ghosting her crosses a red line. That means either he lost interest in me during the bad third date, and decided to go for the pegging anyway. Or he thought my first-time pegging attempt was so bad that he lost interest in me after that. Neither are ok! Who is going to be good at pegging their first time?! As I refuse to live in a world in which people behave like that without getting yelled at, I texted him a final time: Hey. I don't know when you lost interest or why, it doesn't really matter. But you knew I was nervous about pegging, and you knew that I wouldn't have if I knew we'd never see each other again. That was really shitty! Don't do that to someone else, it's mean. Have a great summer. I never heard back. The next weekend after a comedy show, I had a one night stand with a handsome acquaintance. Turns out I feel more like a badass bitch when I don't have a dick.