用法学习: 1. competent [ˈkɑmpɪtənt] I. Someone who is competent is efficient and effective. He was a loyal, distinguished and very competent civil servant. ...a competent performance. The government performed competently in the face of multiple challenges. competent to do something: Is he really competent to run the switchboard? competent at: She is very competent at communicating. II. If you are competent to do something, you have the skills, abilities, or experience necessary to do it well. Most adults do not feel competent to deal with a medical emergency involving a child. III. good enough for the purpose but not especially good a competent piece of work. incompetent [ɪnˈkɑmpət(ə)nt] 能力不足的, 不称职的 adj. If you describe someone as incompetent, you are criticizing them because they are unable to do their job or a task properly. The court declared him incompetent to manage his financial affairs. I was incompetent at playing the piano. He wants the power to sack incompetent teachers. completely/hopelessly/unbelievably incompetent: I am completely incompetent; can you show me that again? incompetent at: The soldiers had four camels but were hopelessly incompetent at riding them. mentally incompetent (=not able to make decisions because of a mental illness or lack of intelligence): Her attorney said she was not guilty because she was mentally incompetent. noun. 无能的人 An incompetent is someone who is incompetent. I'm surrounded by incompetents. incompetence [ɪnˈkɒmpɪt(ə)ns] 无能 lack of skill or ability to do something correctly or well. If you refer to someone's incompetence, you are criticizing them because they are unable to do their job or a task properly. The incompetence of government officials is appalling. [+ of] ...his incompetence in failing to conduct full inquiries. economic mismanagement and incompetence. the sheer incompetence of the police enquiry. impotent [ˈɪmpət(ə)nt] I. 无能为力的. If someone feels impotent, they feel that they have no power to influence people or events. unable to do anything effective because of a lack of power The smaller nations feel politically impotent on the world stage. The aggression of a bully leaves people feeling hurt, angry and impotent. In impotent rage he got up and stalked up and down the flat. II. If a man is impotent his penis fails to get hard or stay hard. normal: offensive not mentally or physically disabled. People who are disabled consider this word offensive and it is better to describe someone who is not physically disabled as able-bodied and someone who is not mentally disabled as mentally competent. perfectly/entirely/completely normal: She's a perfectly normal messy child! under/in normal circumstances: Under normal circumstances, candidates are interviewed by the head of the department. normal practice/procedure (=what usually happens): In those days, it was normal practice to treat the disease at home. back to normal: Life is beginning to get back to normal after the fire. return to normal: It could take two weeks for your health to return to normal. it is normal for someone to do something: It was fairly normal for people to have large families then. it is normal to do something: It's normal to be nervous before an interview. your normal/usual self the type of person that you usually are, when nothing has happened to upset you. Did she seem her normal self? At home, he was his usual cheerful self. 2. anticipate [æntɪsɪpeɪt] I. If you anticipate an event, you realize in advance that it may happen and you are prepared for it. At the time we couldn't have anticipated the result of our campaigning. It is anticipated that the equivalent of 192 full-time jobs will be lost. I hadn't anticipated that Rob's team would advance that far. II. If you anticipate a question, request, or need, you do what is necessary or required before the question, request, or need occurs. What Jeff did was to anticipate my next question. Do you expect your partner to anticipate your needs? III. 预估. 捷足先登. 未卜先知. If you anticipate something, you do it, think it, or say it before someone else does. In the 50s, Rauschenberg anticipated the conceptual art movement of the 80s. More than half the show the police are made look like stupid monkeys by a serial killer which is not doing anything special to anticipate or outmaneuver them. be spoiling for a fight 安耐不住想, 忍不住想 to be very eager to fight or argue: Local councillors are spoiling for a fight over plans to close two village schools. be spoiling for 急着想要 to have an aggressive desire for (a fight, etc). intuit [ɪnˈtuɪt] 本能的以为, 本能的觉得 to know or understand something because of a feeling that you have rather than because of facts or what someone has told you. to know or understand something by feeling it, instead of by considering facts or evidence. If you intuit something, you guess what it is on the basis of your intuition or feelings, rather than on the basis of knowledge. They would confidently intuit your very thoughts. He was probably right to intuit that it was universal. He seems to intuit her dislike. He intuited that I was worried about the situation. abject [ˈæbˌdʒekt] I. complete: used for emphasizing how bad, unpleasant, or severe a situation or condition is. You use abject to emphasize that a situation or quality is extremely bad. Both have failed abjectly. Both of them died in abject poverty. This scheme was an abject failure. abject poverty. II. 没尊严的. 没自尊心的. If you describe someone as abject, you think they have no courage or respect for themselves. He sounded abject and eager to please. He looked back at the abject, silent girl and repeated his question. The term abjection literally means "the state of being cast off". The term has been explored in post-structuralism as that which inherently disturbs conventional identity and cultural concepts. Among the most popular interpretations of abjection is Julia Kristeva's. Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin Line of duty S5E2: Look. I screwed up. I got it wrong and you were right to react the way you did. Sam, it's fine. Water under the bridge 都是往事了, 都过去了. I know, I just I wanted to say it, you know. Sorry. Anyway, be nice to catch up. It's been too long. Yeah. Sure. Do you want to come up? I need to get everything together for the gaffer and Kate first thing. I'll call you. By the hairs on your chinny-chin-chin. The Three Little Pigs is a fable about three pigs who build three houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses, made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's house, made of bricks. The story begins with the title characters being sent out into the world by their mother, to "seek out their fortune". The first little pig builds a house of straw, but a wolf blows it down and devours him. The second little pig builds a house of sticks, which the wolf also blows down, and the second little pig is also devoured. Each exchange between wolf and pig features ringing proverbial phrases, namely: "Little pig, little pig, let me come in." "No, no, by the hair on my chinny chin chin." "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in." The third little pig builds a house of bricks. The wolf fails to blow down the house. He then attempts to trick the pig out of the house by asking to meet him at various places, but he is outwitted each time. Finally, the wolf resolves to come down the chimney, whereupon the pig catches the wolf in a cauldron of boiling water, slams the lid on, then cooks and eats him. 3. abscond [əbˈskɑnd] 潜逃. 逃脱. 脱逃. 逃跑 I. to suddenly leave a place and take something with you that does not belong to you. If someone absconds with something, they leave and take it with them, although it does not belong to them. Unfortunately, his partners were crooks and absconded with the funds. abscond with: One of the bank's employees had absconded with the cash. II. to escape from a place where you are being kept as a punishment. If someone absconds from somewhere such as a prison, they escape from it or leave it without permission. He was ordered to appear the following day, but absconded. A dozen inmates have absconded from Forest Jail in the past year. He was put into jail but absconded 出逃, 逃出来 within a few days. He feared they would abscond. spook noun. I. A spook is a ghost. The film was dreadful - all spooks and vampires. II. A spook is a spy. ...as a U.S. intelligence spook said yesterday. The day I tried to be an MI5 spook. So there I was inside MI5's London's headquarters and under pressure to decide where I should send the last available undercover surveillance team. And the more I agonised over which suspects they should follow, the harder it became for me to know if my decision was the right one. verb. 打草惊蛇. 惊吓到. 吓跑. to make someone suddenly feel frightened or nervous. to suddenly feel frightened or nervous. If people are spooked, something has scared them or made them nervous. But was it the wind that spooked her? Investors were spooked by slowing economies. He was so spooked that he began to believe he heard strange clicks on the telephone. Dollar Index Rebounds after Fed Member Comments Spook Short-Sellers. 4. preserve I. to keep something as it is, especially in order to prevent it from decaying or being damaged or destroyed 保存, 保管: to preserve the environment. We want to preserve the character of the town while improving the facilities. The agreement preserved our right to limit trade in endangered species. Putting varnish on wood is a way of preserving it. I need to get out of the house from time to time just to preserve (= prevent me from losing) my sanity. II. to treat food in a particular way so that it can be kept for a long time without going bad: preserved fruit. oranges preserved in brandy. well preserved 保存完善的 I. (especially of something old) kept in good condition: It was a pretty town with a picturesque harbour and well-preserved buildings 保存完整的. II. mainly uk often humorous (of an older person) not looking as old as they really are: A well-preserved 保养得宜的 male model can go on working into his forties. noun. I. a food made from fruit or vegetables boiled with sugar and water until it becomes a firm sauce: apricot preserve. jars of preserves. II. an activity that only one person or a particular type of person does or is responsible for. an activity that only one person or a particular type of person does or is responsible for: The gardening is Jeanne's special preserve. Owning racehorses is the preserve of the rich. Sport used to be a male preserve 专属, 专门给...的. conserve verb to keep and protect something from damage, change, or waste: To conserve 节省, 不浪费 electricity, we are cutting down on our heating. The nationalists are very eager to conserve their customs and language. I'm not being lazy - I'm just conserving my energy/strength 保存实力, 保存力气 for later. II. to keep and protect from waste, loss, or damage; preserve: In order to conserve fuel, they put in extra insulation. noun. a type of jam in which the fruit is whole or in large pieces: apricot/strawberry conserve. 5. "My agent calls me like, whispering, like, 'You've got to go to Disney right now. It's not working out with the other guy. You've got to go in and read with Miley again,'" he recalled. "I come in and everyone starts clapping like, 'We should have gone with 选你 you first!'" go for broke informal to take big risks when you try to achieve something At 2–0 down with ten minutes left, you have to go for broke. go for something I. British English to choose something I think I'll go for the chocolate cake. II. to try to get or win something Jackson is going for his second gold medal here. go for it spoken (=used to encourage someone to try to achieve something) If you really want the job, go for it! I could/would go for something spoken used to say that you would like to do or have something A full meal for less than five bucks! I could go for that! go for someone informal to like a particular type of person or thing Annie tends to go for older men. the same goes for somebody/something (also that goes for somebody/something too) spoken used to say that a statement you have just made is true about someone or something else too Close all doors and lock them when you go out. The same goes for windows. 6. [the] top of the morning a morning greeting regarded as characteristic of Irishmen. used as a friendly morning greeting. "top of the morning to you, Inspector". Usage notes: This term should be considered apocryphal of Irish speech and is a stereotype. While popularly used in the United States when imitating Irish people, or when celebrating one's Irish heritage (e.g. on St. Patrick's day). [at the] top/bottom of the hour The time at (or very close to) the start of the next hour of time. If not done at the top of the hour, however, the station ID should come at the next possible break in the programme. at the exact beginning of an hour. (Alludes to the big hand on a clock pointing to the 12. Often heard on television or the radio.) Every class in my school starts at the top of the hour. Our next newscast will be at the top of the hour. 7. I can get you a good rate 拿到好价格 up at the Novetel hotel. whittle [ˈwɪt(ə)l] I. carve (wood) into an object by repeatedly cutting small slices from it. "he was sitting at the tent door, whittling a piece of wood with a knife". "he sat whittling a piece of wood with a knife". If you whittle something from a piece of wood, you carve it by cutting pieces off the wood with a knife. He whittled a new handle for his ax. Chitty sat in his rocking-chair whittling wood. Twin Peaks S1E1: You know why I'm whittling? Okay, I'll bite again. Why are you whittling? Because that's what you do in a town where a yellow light still means slow down, not speed up. II. reduce something in size, amount, or extent by a gradual series of steps. "the shortlist of fifteen was whittled down to five". whittle away To whittle away something or whittle away at it means to gradually make it smaller, weaker, or less effective. They have slowly whittled away the opposition. Their approach is to whittle away at the evidence to show reasonable doubt. whittle down 删减, 筛检, 缩减, 减少 To whittle down a group or thing means to gradually make it smaller. He had whittled eight interviewees down to two. By September, they will have whittled the list down to a winner. The president has agreed to whittle down his proposal. 8. hot to trot keen to do something, especially to have sex. sexually excited and wanting to find someone to have sex with. I think she knows about us. Norma? Mm-hm. No. Fat chance 不会的, 没可能. I think she's hot to trot for you herself. fat chance If you say that there is fat chance of something happening, you mean that you do not believe that it will happen [informal, mainly spoken, feelings] 'Would your car be easy to steal?'—'Fat chance. I've got a device that shuts down the ignition.' make it snappy informal be quick about it. used to tell someone that you want them to do something immediately and to do it quickly. used for telling someone to hurry. Look at the pamphlets [ˈpæmflət], and make it snappy. Get your shoes on, and make it snappy. "into bed and make it snappy!" come to think about/of it/that 让我想起来, 这么说起来. 刚想起来, 说起来. on reflection (said when an idea or point occurs to one while one is speaking). "come to think of it, that was very daring of you". used for adding something that you have just remembered about a subject that you are talking about. I love getting her letters. Come to think of it, I haven't had one for a while. No, Bobby hasn't showed up for practice yet today. And come to think of it, as a matter of fact, he's been late every day this week. not a patch on sb/sth 差远了 If you say that someone or something is not a patch on another person or thing, you mean that they are not as good as that person or thing. [British, informal] He's not a patch on the rest of the Cabinet. Handsome, she thought, but not a patch on Alex. further to fall 没到谷底, 还要跌, 还要降, 还有空间, 进一步跌的余地, 继续跌的可能: Sydney property prices have further to fall, warns Australian central bank: Sydney property prices face "further downward pressure" due to an extended apartment construction pipeline as risks to Australian households have risen, the central bank said. 9. have one foot in and one foot out 全情投入, 半心半意的 being partially involved. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have come under fire recently for trying to keep their lives away from the public eye, reports The Sun. But unfortunately he is related to the heir, and he is going to be the son of the future King. The problem is, you can't have one foot in and one foot out, and this is the issue that's being debated at the moment. Prince Harry has long struggled with his role in the royal family, and even once confessed that he had considered giving up his title. I think it's Harry who is making a point from the outset that he wants to shield his son from the limelight and I think he's making a point that Archie will be raised as a private citizen. sing someone to sleep to make someone start sleeping by singing to them. Every night she sings the baby to sleep. sing someone's/something's praises to talk about how good someone or something is. Mary likes you. She's always singing your praises. sing for your supper to do something to help someone else in order to receive something from them, for example a meal. When you serenade someone 唱情歌, you play or sing a song, often outdoors. sing to someone or something to sing a song and direct it at someone or something. The singer sang to a man in the front row, and he was very embarrassed by it. Claire sang to an older audience and put many of them to sleep. sing it to someone else. Twin Peaks S1E2: Why do you always have to rush off 匆忙完事? It's been over an hour. I remember there was a time when 曾经 we used to take the whole afternoon. In the sweetness of passing time, this hour will soon seem like a day. Sing it to somebody else 少来那些鬼话, 花言巧语说给别人听去吧. I'm no peabrain chambermaid looking for a tumble in the broom closet. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to offend your delicate sensibilities. tumble I. If someone or something tumbles somewhere, they fall there with a rolling or bouncing movement. A small boy tumbled off a third floor fire escape. The dog had tumbled down the cliff. He fell to the ground, and the gun tumbled out of his hand. He injured his ribs in a tumble from his horse. II. If prices or levels of something are tumbling, they are decreasing rapidly. House prices have tumbled 价格暴跌 by almost 30 per cent in real terms since mid-1989. Share prices continued to tumble today on the stock market. ...tumbling inflation. Oil prices took a tumble yesterday. III. If water tumbles, it flows quickly over an uneven surface. Waterfalls crash and tumble over rocks. ...the aromatic pines and tumbling streams of the Zonba Plateau. IV. If you say that someone tumbles into a situation or place, you mean that they get into it without being fully in control of themselves or knowing what they are doing. [mainly British] The whole region seemed to be tumbling into crisis. They tumble into bed at eight o'clock, too tired to take their clothes off. rough and tumble I. You can use rough and tumble to refer to a situation in which the people involved try hard to get what they want, and do not worry about upsetting or harming others, and you think this is acceptable and normal. ...the rough-and-tumble of political combat. II. Rough and tumble is physical playing that involves noisy and slightly violent behaviour. He enjoys rough and tumble play. tumble down If a building tumbles down, it collapses or parts of it fall off, usually because it is old and no-one has taken care of it. The outer walls looked likely to tumble down in a stiff wind. If the foundations are flawed the house will come tumbling down. tumble over If someone or something tumbles over, they fall, often with a rolling or bouncing movement. The man tumbled over backwards.
几个常用单词的不同含义: 1. temperature: If you say that the temperature in a particular situation is rising, you mean that it is likely to become violent because people have become angry. the amount of excitement that people feel in a particular situation. The temperature of the meeting steadily rose. In the early days of independence the government was anxious to lower the political temperature. The temperature 热度 of the discussion started to rise as each side added its own arguments. take the room's temperature 察言观色(take someone's temperature (=measure it): She took his temperature and sent him to bed.) to get a feel for where everyone in 'the room' stands on an issue or topic. We've all been disconnected for a few weeks, so let me take a second to take the room's temperature on the progress of our initiative. Read the room/ audience/ table 有眼力劲, 识相, 看脸色 (idiomatic) to understand the emotions and thoughts of the people in the room. To use one's intuition to analyze the general mood of the people in a particular setting and act accordingly. Often used as an imperative. Why don't we all try and find some cake? It's not time for cake yet. Dear, it's high time you learned the value of reading a room 察言观色. I'll
read the room and see if it's the right time to have the conversation.
If people already seem on edge, I'll probably wait to bring it up. Read the room, James. No one here is interested in talking politics right now. Most entertainers will "read the room" (evaluate the audience) before they "take the stage." To "read the table" was meant to quickly and discretely scan all of the people around a conference table when entering a conference room for a meeting so as to gauge or assess the general demeanor of those in attendance. Similarly, to "read the room" meant to do the same thing but in a larger sense. "There
were rumors around the company that big changes in management were in
the works. I was suddenly called on the phone and told to get into the
Conference Room ASAP. Not knowing what was going on, I quickly "read the
table" (or room) when I entered to see if I could get a reading if I
was the subject of the change." 2. climate 情绪, 情况, 情形, 形势 (sentiment) the general development of a situation, or the situation, feelings, and opinions that exist at a particular time. You can use climate to refer to the general atmosphere or situation somewhere. the general situation or attitudes that people have at a particular time. economic/political/moral/intellectual climate: We are unable to increase wages in the current economic climate. climate of: The election is being organized in a climate of fear and mistrust. the climate of opinion 民意: The climate of opinion is now changing on that subject. The economic climate remains uncertain. ...the existing climate of violence and intimidation. [+ of] A major change of political climate is not in prospect. the political/social climate I don't think we should expand our business in the current economic climate. Terrorism creates a climate of fear 恐怖氛围. You can use climate to refer to the general atmosphere or situation somewhere. The economic climate remains uncertain. ...the existing climate of violence and intimidation. [+ of] A major change of political climate is not in prospect. 3. atmosphere I. A planet's atmosphere is the layer of air or other gases around it. the air round the Earth or round another planet Saturn's moon, Titan, has an atmosphere mainly made of nitrogen. the atmosphere 大气层 (=the Earth's atmosphere): The burning of fossil fuels results in the pollution of the atmosphere. ...dangerous levels of pollution in the Earth's atmosphere. Even worse, the levels of methane in the atmosphere are rising at more than 1 per cent a year. II. The atmosphere of a place is the air that you breathe there. the air inside a room or other place. She doesn't like going to pubs because of the smoky atmosphere 空气. These gases pollute the atmosphere of towns and cities. III. The atmosphere of a place is the general impression that you get of it. the mood or feeling that exists in a place and affects the people who are there After Joe left there was a more relaxed atmosphere at home. atmosphere of: There is an atmosphere of tension紧张气氛 in the city today. Pale wooden floors and plenty of natural light add to the relaxed atmosphere 放松氛围. There's still an atmosphere of great hostility and tension in the city. IV. If a place or an event has atmosphere, it is interesting. The match was lacking in atmosphere 缺少氛围. The old harbour is still full of atmosphere 情调 and well worth visiting. 4. emotion 感情, 情感 I. An emotion is a feeling such as happiness, love, fear, anger, or hatred, which can be caused by the situation that you are in or the people you are with. Happiness was an emotion that Reynolds was having to relearn. Her voice trembled with emotion. II. Emotion is the part of a person's character that consists of their feelings, as opposed to their thoughts. ...the split between reason and emotion 灵与肉的分离, 理智与情感的剥离. emotional I. Emotional means concerned with emotions and feelings. I needed this man's love, and the emotional support he was giving me. Victims are left with emotional problems that can last for life. Are you saying that you're becoming emotionally involved with me? II. An emotional situation or issue is one that causes people to have strong feelings. In an emotionally charged 充满感情的 情绪饱满, 激情四溢的 speech, he said he was resigning. We all know healthcare is an emotional issue. III. If someone is or becomes emotional, they show their feelings very openly, especially because they are upset. Some patients became very emotional 动情的. It was an emotional reunion. He is a very emotional 情绪化的 man. I don't get as emotional as I once did. wax eloquent/lyrical/emotional to talk a lot in a way that expresses emotion or enthusiasm. emotional support animal 情感支持, 感情寄托 an animal used for therapeutic purposes; also called a therapy pet. The rapid recent increase of emotional support animals in airplane cabins is an unanticipated consequence of a federal law passed with the best of intentions. In recent weeks, both United Airlines and Delta have cracked down on the wide range of creatures claimed as therapy pets. emotional intelligence the ability to understand your own personal feelings and those of other people, and to consider other people's feelings when making decisions. 5.
sentiment I. [countable/uncountable] formal a belief or an attitude toward something. a general feeling, attitude, or opinion about something: Writers learn that sentiments and ideas must serve the story, and not the other way around. Boyd tried to turn community sentiment against the program. I had considerable sympathy with the sentiments expressed in his letter. His party had encouraged nationalist sentiment. popular sentiment (=beliefs or attitudes that most people have): The proposals take no account of popular sentiment. II. [uncountable] feelings of sympathy, sadness, or love that may seem inappropriate. gentle emotions such as love, sympathy, or caring: The film wallows in sentiment 儿女情长. There was little room for compassion or sentiment in his world. my sentiments exactly 和我想的一样, 不谋而合 used for emphasizing that you agree with someone. III. people's opinions or feelings about a situation, especially the likely future direction of a financial market, the economy, etc.: Analysts and investors said market sentiment for the time being appears positive. Business sentiment is showing signs of recovery. There has been a dramatic shift in sentiment against technology stocks. positive/negative sentiment. sentimental I. relating to emotions instead of reason. Sentimental means relating to or involving feelings such as pity or love, especially for things in the past. Our paintings and photographs are of sentimental value only. Perhaps he has returned for sentimental reasons. I kept the clock purely for sentimental reasons. The stolen items were of great sentimental value to the family (=they were valuable to them for emotional reasons). II. making people experience feelings of sadness, sympathy, love, etc., especially in a deliberate and obvious way. Someone or something that is sentimental feels or shows pity or love, sometimes to an extent that is considered exaggerated and foolish. I'm trying not to be sentimental about the past. [+ about] It's a very sentimental play. Childhood had less freedom and joy than we sentimentally attribute to it. In this book there is no sentimentality. a sentimental song/book/movie. a. expressing feelings of sadness, sympathy, love etc., especially in a way that seems inappropriate. I'm just a sentimental old man.
