用法学习: 1. litmus test [lɪtməs] 酸碱度测试 (litmus 石蕊: Litmus is a water-soluble mixture of different dyes extracted from lichens. It is often adsorbed onto filter paper to produce one of the oldest forms of pH indicator, used to test materials for acidity. ) I. a test for acidity or alkalinity using litmus. II. a decisively indicative test. "effectiveness in these areas is often a good litmus test of overall quality". If you say that something is a litmus test of something, you mean that it is an effective and definite way of proving it or measuring it. Ending the fighting must be the absolute priority, the litmus test of the agreements' validity. The success of wind power represents a litmus test for renewable energy. pariah [pəˈrʌɪə] 避之唯恐不及的人, 大家都躲着的人 I. [disapproval] an outcast. If you describe someone as a pariah, you mean that other people dislike them so much that they refuse to associate with them. His landlady had treated him like a dangerous criminal, a pariah. "they were treated as social pariahs". II. historical a member of an indigenous people of southern India originally functioning as ceremonial drummers but later having a low caste. Vocabulary: A pariah is someone that has been soundly rejected by their community. Your constant gossiping might make you a pariah on campus. Pariah takes its name from a tribe in Southeast India. The pariahs were drummers, sorcerers, and servants who became untouchables in Indian society because of the unsanitary jobs they did. Pariah maintains this sense of untouchableness. Pariahs are not just unliked, they are avoided at all costs. Imagine how a once popular restaurant could gain pariah status if it fails health inspections three times in a row. 2. levity [ˈlɛvɪti] 严肃的事情幽默对待的 the treatment of a serious matter with humour or lack of due respect. "as an attempt to introduce a note of levity, the words were a disastrous flop". Levity is behaviour that shows a tendency to treat serious matters in a non-serious way. At the time, Arnold had disapproved of such levity. unspoken I. If your thoughts, wishes, or feelings are unspoken, you do not speak about them. His face was expressionless, but Alex felt the unspoken criticism. The other unspoken fear here is of an outbreak of hooliganism. II. When there is an unspoken agreement or understanding, contract 默认的, 不成文的, 大家公认的 between people, their behaviour shows that they agree about something or understand it, even though they have never spoken about it. There had been an unspoken agreement between them that he would not call for her at Seymour House. Most designers share the unspoken belief that fashion is a valid form of visual art. rezoning [riːˈzəʊnɪŋ] the action or process of assigning land or property to a different category of restrictions on use and development. "the possible rezoning of some 800 acres of land". rezone 征地, 收地, 重新划地: to change the zone or zoning classification assigned to (property) for the purposes of land use. Locals for Metro South-West (LMS) is also lobbying to fast-track high-rise rezonings in the area and has financial backing from a developer based in Sydney's leafy eastern suburbs. Documents seen by the ABC suggest LMS was set up by Double Bay-based developer CRK Properties, which owns property worth $12 million near two proposed Metro stations in Belmore and Canterbury. The State Government has declared a target of 126,000 new homes in the area — to house 325,000 extra residents by 2030, and consultation on new local planning controls is underway. 3. Hagia Sophia: Once the world's largest cathedral, for hundreds of years it was where Byzantine emperors were crowned, accepting the blessing of the Greek Orthodox Church amid ornate marble and mosaic decorations. After the fall of 消亡, 灭亡 Constantinople, which the Turks renamed Istanbul, the giant cathedral became a mosque, with Turkish builders adding the minarets which now dominate the skyline in Istanbul's ancient heart. However, after the disintegration ( disintegrate [dɪsˈɪntɪˌɡreɪt] 解体 I. to be completely destroyed by breaking into lots of very small pieces, for example as the result of an explosion. The rocket disintegrated when it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. II. if an organization or society disintegrates, it stops working effectively and fails completely. By 1688, King James' regime was beginning to disintegrate. ) of the Ottoman Empire in the wake of World War I, Turkey's new secular government decided to turn the building into a non-denominational museum and open it to tourists. Mosaics depicting Jesus, Mary and Christian saints that were plastered over in line with Islamic rules were uncovered through arduous restoration work for the museum. 4. by a long way ( be the second by a long way ) 差距太大, 遥遥领先 You can use by a long way to emphasize that something is, for example, much better, worse, or bigger than any other thing of that kind. This has been our most successful product by a long way. It was, by a long way, the worst meeting I have ever attended. Our favourite by a long way was the supermarkets' own brand. by a long shot People sometimes use the expression by a long shot to emphasize the opinion they are giving. The missile-reduction treaty makes sweeping cuts, but the arms race isn't over by a long shot 远远没有. By a wide margin; indicates a very big difference or disparity. He couldn't keep up with me, not by a long shot. He speaks better than he writes, by a long shot. not by a long shot/chalk/way 差远了, 差太多了 used for saying that something is not true at all They've achieved a lot, but they haven't finished yet – not by a long way. be a long shot I. used to say that a plan is worth trying, even though you think it is unlikely to succeed It's a long shot, but someone might recognise her from the photo and be able to tell us where she lives. II. American English if someone is a long shot, they are not likely to be chosen for a job or to win an election, competition etc Turner is a long shot to win next month's mayoral election. wide of the mark 非常不准确, 差太多 ( = off the marl = off base. 反义词: bang on, on the dot, on the money;) I. Of a projectile: missing the target. II. (idiomatic) (Very) inaccurate. Well, I suppose you could say the weatherman was wide of the mark again then! Usage notes: Not to be confused with off the mark, which has a similar meaning. Wide off the mark is generally regarded as incorrect, or at least nonstandard. off the mark (figuratively) Inaccurate; not correct or appropriate. His answers are consistently off the mark. None of them quite make sense. off base 错的离谱 [mainly US, informal] If you say that someone is off base, you mean that they are wrong. Am I wrong? Am I way off base? Because I want you to set me straight if you think I'm wrong. I. (not comparable, US) Situated or happening outside the boundaries of a military base. II. (not comparable, baseball, of a baserunner) Positioned somewhere between the bases, and hence vulnerable to being caught out. III. (comparable, figuratively, of a person) Mistaken; misguided; somewhat wrong in opinion or judgment. IV. (comparable, figuratively, of an action, belief, idea, etc) Incorrect or inappropriate; not properly executed, envisioned, or understood. 5. Sedition [sɪˈdɪʃ(ə)n] 煽动叛乱 ( seditious [sɪˈdɪʃəs] 煽动闹事的 encouraging people to oppose the government or not obey the law. Sedition is speech, writing, or behaviour intended to encourage people to fight against or oppose the government. Government officials charged him with sedition. secede [sɪˈsid] 分裂 to officially leave an organization. This word is used especially about a state or region that chooses to become independent and govern itself. If a region or group secedes from the country or larger group to which it belongs, it formally becomes a separate country or stops being a member of the larger group. Sectors of the Basque and Catalan populations would like to secede from Spain. On 20 August 1960 Senegal seceded. secession [sɪˈseʃ(ə)n] The secession of a region or group from the country or larger group to which it belongs is the action of formally becoming separate. Quebecers voted against secession from Canada. subvert [səbˈvɜrt] I. to attack or harm a government or established system of law, politics, etc. II. to make someone less loyal or less moral. ) is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion 颠覆 [səbˈvɜrʒ(ə)n] of a constitution and incitement of discontent towards, or resistance against established authority. Sedition may include any commotion, though not aimed at direct and open violence against the laws. Seditious words in writing are seditious libel. A seditionist is one who engages in or promotes the interest of sedition. Typically, sedition is not considered a subversive act, and the overt acts that may be prosecutable under sedition laws vary from one legal code to another. Where the history of these legal codes has been traced, there is also a record of the change in the definition of the elements constituting sedition at certain points in history. This overview has served to develop a sociological definition of sedition as well, within the study of state persecution. 6. ClearView AI: They partnered on an application with Schwartz paying server costs and basic expenses and Ton-That hiring two engineers who worked on software that could scrape images from Internet sources ( scrape [skreɪp] I. 刮. 擦. If you scrape something from a surface, you remove it, especially by pulling a sharp object over the surface. She went round the car scraping the frost off the windows. Young children were trying to scrape up some of the rice that spilled from the sacks. intransitive/transitive if a sharp edge or point scrapes a surface, or if you scrape it across the surface, it moves across the surface. scrape against/across/along etc. something: He felt the knife blade scrape against the back of his neck. scrape something against/across/along etc. something: She scraped her nails along the blackboard. a. 刮掉. to remove something by pulling a hard tool across the surface it is on. scrape something off/into/onto/out of etc. (something): Scrape the mud off your boots before you come inside. I scraped the bits of meat into the dog's bowl. The bottle's label had been scraped away. II. 摩擦地面. 擦着地面. If something scrapes against something else or if someone or something scrapes something else, it rubs against it, making a noise or causing slight damage. to make a rough unpleasant noise by rubbing against a hard surface. Simon's chair scraped as he pushed it back. The only sound is that of knives and forks scraping against china. The cab driver struggled with her luggage, scraping a bag against the door as they came in. The car hurtled past us, scraping the wall and screeching to a halt. There was a scraping sound as she dragged the heels of her shoes along the pavement. From the other side of the door came the scrape of a guard's boot. The house was silent but for the scraping of a branch on the slates. III. If you scrape a part of your body, you accidentally rub it against something hard and rough, and damage it slightly. to injure a part of your body or damage something by rubbing it against a rough surface. I scraped my elbow when I fell. He scraped his van while he was parking it. She stumbled and fell, scraping her palms and knees. IV. transitive computing to use a computer program to copy data from a website. scrape something from something 抠图, 抠数据: We have sophisticated tools that enable you to scrape data from the most complex websites. noun. If you are in a scrape, you are in a difficult situation which you have caused yourself. We got into terrible scrapes. to scrape a living If you say that someone scrapes a living or scratches a living, you mean that they manage to earn enough to live on, but it is very difficult. In American English, you say they scrape out a living or scratch out a living. He almost manages to scrape a living as an artist. scrape the barrel = to scrape the bottom of the barrel If you say that someone is scraping the barrel, or scraping the bottom of the barrel, you disapprove of the fact that they are using or doing something of extremely poor quality. ) to cross reference on a facial recognition algorithm. It emerged from stealth mode in late 2017 and was linked to far right/alt-right supporters such as Chuck Johnson, Mike Cernovich, Douglass Mackey, and Paul Nehlen. 7. empirical [emˈpɪrɪk(ə)l] 基于事实的, 而非理论上的, 基于科学实验的, 基于真实经历的 based on real experience or scientific experiments rather than on theory. Empirical evidence or study relies on practical experience rather than theories. There is no empirical evidence to support his thesis. ...empirically based research. They approached this part of their task empirically. It sounds like wonderful news. But there is a problem with this narrative 这种说法. Oddly enough, there is no empirical basis for the $1.90 line 贫困线的标准(1.9/天). It is an arbitrary threshold that has no grounding in actual human needs. Empirical evidence shows that $1.90 per day is not even enough for people to secure decent nutrition, to say nothing of other basic requirements. In fact, at least 3.5 billion people live on more than this, and yet remain trapped in poverty. scavenge [ˈskævəndʒ] I. to search through things that other people have thrown away in order to see if there is anything that you want. If people or animals scavenge for things, they collect them by searching among waste or unwanted objects. Many are orphans, their parents killed as they scavenged 翻垃圾, 翻垃圾箱 for food. Children scavenge through garbage. The foxes come and scavenge the bones. Cruz had to scavenge information from newspapers and journals. ...scavengers such as rats. II. if an animal scavenges, it eats anything that it can find. 8. extreme I. the largest possible amount or degree of something. an opinion or way of behaving that is as different from another as it is possible to be. at the other/opposite extreme: Louise goes to the gym every day. At the other extreme, her husband gets absolutely no exercise at all. from one extreme to the other: When it comes to eating, I go from one extreme to the other. between two extremes: The public's views on genetic engineering seem to range between two extremes. I've never witnessed such extremes of wealth and poverty. Most people I know work fairly hard but she takes it to extremes. in the extreme: used for emphasis; extremely. used for emphasizing what you are saying: It is unlikely in the extreme that she will change her mind. Some of the scenes were unpleasant in the extreme. II. a situation, feeling, etc. that is the opposite or very different from another one: My moods seem to go from one extreme to another 从一个极端走向另一个极端 (= my moods often change from very bad to very good). III. a very large or very small degree of something. Extremes of temperature are not good for your skin. The country still contains extremes of wealth and poverty. go to extremes = take/carry something to extremes to do something much more than is usual or reasonable. This is political correctness taken to extremes. 9. cleanse [klenz] I. 清洗. To cleanse a place, person, or organization of something dirty, unpleasant, or evil means to make them free from it. Straight after your last cigarette your body will begin to cleanse itself of tobacco toxins. It urged the party to cleanse its own ranks of those found guilty of human rights violations. Confession cleanses the soul. II. If you cleanse your skin or a wound, you clean it. to clean your skin by using a special liquid or cream. To have perfect skin you must cleanse, tone, and moisturize. a cleansing cream. Catherine demonstrated the proper way to cleanse the face. ...cleansing lotions. a. 清洗伤口. to clean a cut in your skin. III. [disapproval] If armed forces cleanse an area, they use violent methods to force certain groups of people to leave it and go to live elsewhere. You can also say that people are cleansed from an area. ...a sustained and systematic effort to ethnically cleanse the entire province. Many are refugees of three or four or even five other places where they've been cleansed from. IV. to get rid of someone or something bad or unpleasant. cleanse someone/something of someone/something: The mayor has promised to cleanse the city streets of crime. ethnic cleansing 种族清洗 Ethnic cleansing is the process of using violent methods to force certain groups of people out of a particular area or country. the use of violence to force people from a particular ethnic group to leave an area. In late May, government forces began the 'ethnic cleansing' of the area around the town. ...the obnoxious policy of ethnic cleansing. Irritable [ˈɪrɪtəb(ə)l] bowel syndrome 肠胃不好 ( Irritable likely to become easily annoyed or impatient She seems a little irritable this morning. ) (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the large intestine. Signs and symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. IBS is a chronic condition that you'll need to manage long term. irritable bowel? You should do a cleanse. 10. wary [ˈweri] 当心的, 小心的, 警惕的 adj. careful or nervous about someone or something because you think they might cause a problem. If you are wary of something or someone, you are cautious because you do not know much about them and you believe they may be dangerous or cause problems. People did not teach their children to be wary of strangers. They were very wary about giving him a contract. She studied me warily, as if I might turn violent. He was wary of putting too much trust in her. As ever, any DigiTimes report needs to be treated with a fair helping of wariness, as it isn’t always the most accurate source, but it has certainly proved to be on the mark (or thereabouts) a number of times in the past. a wary eye 警惕的 If you keep a wary eye on something or someone, you are cautious about them and watch them to see what they will do or what will happen to them. Bankers are keeping a wary eye on the outcome. helping I. A helping of food is the amount of it that you get in a single serving. an amount of food that is served to one person at a meal. He asked for a second helping. enough for six helpings. She gave them extra helpings 一份 of ice-cream. II. You can refer to an amount of something, especially a quality, as a helping of that thing. It took a generous helping of entrepreneurial confidence 一份信心 to persevere during this incident. budget I. Your budget is the amount of money that you have available to spend. The budget for something is the amount of money that a person, organization, or country has available to spend on it. She will design a fantastic new kitchen for you–and all within your budget. Someone had furnished the place on a tight budget. There can be more room in the budget for better foods if meat is kept to a minimum. II. The budget 收支平衡 of an organization or country is its financial situation, considered as the difference between the money it receives and the money it spends. The hospital obviously needs to balance the budget each year. ...his readiness to raise taxes as part of an effort to cut the budget deficit. III. In Britain, the Budget is the financial plan in which the government states how much money it intends to raise through taxes and how it intends to spend it. The Budget is also the speech in which this plan is announced. The Chancellor could use the Budget to bring in taxation reforms. ...other indirect tax changes announced in the Budget. verb. If you budget certain amounts of money for particular things, you decide that you can afford to spend those amounts on those things. The company has budgeted $10 million for advertising. The movie is only budgeted at $10 million. I'm learning how to budget. We have continued to exercise caution in our budgeting for the current year. budget for If you budget for something, you take account of it when you are deciding how much you can afford to spend on different things. The authorities had budgeted for some non-payment. The zoo was budgeting for 850,000 visitors this year. adj. Budget is used in advertising to suggest that something is being sold cheaply. Cheap flights are available from budget travel agents from £240. -budget -budget combines with adjectives such as 'low' and ' big' to form adjectives which indicate how much money is spent on something, especially the making of a film. They were small, low-budget films, shot on location. ...a big-budget adventure movie starring Mel Gibson. beat: To arrive or finish before (someone or something). Beating a goal means doing better than merely meeting the goal. beat the budge If the goal is accomplishing something within a specified budget, beating the goal means accomplishing the same at a lower cost. 1975 constitutional crisis: "I'm also keeping my mind open as to the constitutional issues. If the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition get into a battle in which the Senate has defeated the budget 拒绝预算, the Prime Minister refuses to recommend a dissolution, my role will need some careful thought," Sir John wrote. Sir John included a press clipping which explored the options of dismissal of the Whitlam government. "So on the 12th of September 1975, Sir John is laying this out," Mr Fricker said. The Queen's secretary Sir Martin Charteris wrote back to Sir John referring to the practice that if a parliament refused supply - legislation allowing money to pay for government - it was constitutionally proper to grant a dissolution of the parliament. 英国法制体系的预算危机: Loss of supply occurs where a government in a parliamentary democracy using the Westminster System or a system derived from it is denied a supply of treasury or exchequer funds, by whichever house or houses of parliament or head of state is constitutionally entitled to grant and deny supply. A defeat on a budgetary vote is one way by which supply can be denied. Loss of supply is typically interpreted as indicating a loss of confidence in the government. Not all "money bills" are necessarily supply bills. For instance, in Australia, supply bills are defined as "bills which are required by the Government to carry on its day-to-day business". When a loss of supply occurs, a prime minister is generally required either by constitutional convention or by explicit constitutional instruction to either resign immediately or seek a parliamentary dissolution 国会解散. Some constitutions, however, do not allow the option of parliamentary dissolution but rather require the government to be dissolved or to resign. A similar deadlock can occur within a presidential system 总统制, where it is also known as a budget crisis. In contrast to parliamentary systems, the failure of the legislature to authorize spending may not in all circumstances result in an election, because some such legislatures enjoy fixed terms and so cannot be dissolved before a date of termination, which can result in a prolonged crisis. A deadlock between a head of state and the legislative body can give rise and cause for a head of state to prematurely dismiss the elected government, requiring it to seek re-election. If a government maintains the support of a majority of legislators or the elected parliamentary representatives, the blocking of supply( In the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, the elected Senate delayed voting on a bill to authorize supply for the government demanding that the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, call an election for the House of Representatives. Whitlam was dismissed by the Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, on the basis of his refusal to either resign or request a dissolution. Unlike parliamentary systems, where a loss of supply would trigger the immediate fall of the government, a budget crisis can often lead to an extended stand-off. At the federal level in the United States, a crisis can often be averted by a continuing resolution which appropriates funding at the same level as the previous budget. A budget crisis can also occur if the legislative branch has a constitutionally mandated dissolution or suspension date and the budget hasn't been passed up to that point. The term "budget crisis" could be used for situation where the executive branch freezes certain funds (impoundment) despite the directions of the law on annual budget already passed by parliament.) by a head of state would be seen as an abuse of authority and power. Many western countries have removed or restricted the right of a head of state to block supply or veto a government budget unless there is overwhelming justification and cause for such action.
Donald Trump and Anthony Fauci's coronavirus narratives differ, but could the President really fire the top disease expert? US President Donald Trump and the nation's top disease expert, Anthony Fauci, have long offered competing narratives around the US coronavirus response. Their differences reached a head 浮出水面, 露头( come to a head = bring sth to a head If something comes to a head or someone brings something to a head, a situation reaches a point where something must be done about it: Things hadn't been good between us for a while and this incident just brought it to a head. ) this weekend after a controversial tweet and a White House memo prompted widespread speculation that Dr Fauci was at risk of being fired. Adding to the public's respect is Dr Fauci's apparent ability to both get through to the famously stubborn Mr Trump and tactfully disagree with him in public. The doctor's comments have grown increasingly pointed 直截了当, 不掩饰( pointed direct, in a way that shows you are annoyed or do not agree. The third-party candidate made pointed remarks about both of his main party rivals. a. direct, because you are determined to get information. Be prepared for some very pointed questions. ) over the past few weeks as nationwide case numbers hit 3 million and the number of deaths in the US rose above 135,000. "We have let the local public health infrastructure in our country really go into tatters 摔个粉碎," he said in an interview today as he urged states to slow down or rollback economic re-opening processes. "When we need good, local public health capability, it's not optimal. It's not as good as it should be." Contrast that to 对比 Mr Trump's comments on Friday: "We are winning the war. Our testing is far superior to anybody's … that's helping greatly, but it flared up 重现 in areas where they thought it was ending. They're going to have it under control very quickly." Over the weekend, a White House official leaked an internal memo containing a list of comments made by Dr Fauci with an aim of discrediting and damaging the doctor. Dr Fauci's supporters say his advice about coronavirus has generally evolved with consensus among US scientists. For example, he said in February that the public should not wear masks, but changed his stance by March. The White House disdain 蔑视, 鄙视 for Dr Fauci reached a peak on Sunday local time when Mr Trump retweeted controversial comments from game show host Chuck Woolery claiming that "everyone is lying" about the pandemic to "keep the economy from coming back, which is about the election". That same day, Florida recorded the highest-ever daily caseload for a single US state. Florida is one of several states, including Arizona, Texas and Georgia, seeing a spike in case numbers after an early end to lockdowns. Other states, like California, have reimposed widespread restrictions. Technically he could order his political appointees to do so, but Dr Fauci could appeal through Congress, where the doctor enjoys solid bipartisan support. On the one hand, there's a long pattern of Trump bad-mouthing experts around him before giving them the axe. Just look at his former attorney-general, Jeff Sessions, the previous national security advisor John Bolton, or any one of his former chiefs of staff. In mid-March, Dr Fauci was conspicuously absent from a Trump briefing touting an unproven anti-malarial drug as a safe COVID-19 cure. #WhereIsFauci started trending on Twitter. For now, Mr Trump appears to be downplaying his tensions with Dr Fauci. Meanwhile, US media report Dr Fauci has no plans to vacate 腾空, 腾出 his post, and all signs suggest the doctor is in it for the long haul. His post is critical to overseeing vaccine development. In the absence of daily coronavirus task force briefings, Dr Fauci has done more to spread his message through media interviews and social media.
insidious VS hideous VS heinous VS pensive: insidious adj [ɪnˈsɪdiəs] 不动声色的, 不被人注意的, 悄悄的, 悄无声息的 something that is insidious is dangerous because it seems to be harmless or not important but in fact causes harm or damage. the insidious effects of gossip. In the past week, something far more insidious than panicked stock-market selling has begun to unfold, and it threatens to unhinge the global economy and thwart efforts to repair our financial systems, writes Ian Verrender. Something that is insidious is unpleasant or dangerous and develops gradually without being noticed. Delusions are sometimes insidiously destructive. The changes are insidious, and will not produce a noticeable effect for 15 to 20 years. They focus on overt discrimination rather than insidious aspects of racism. hideous [ˈhɪdiəs]
I. very ugly or frightening in appearance. If you say that someone or
something is hideous, you mean that they are very ugly or unattractive. She saw a hideous face at the window and screamed. ...hideous new Europe architecture, and horrible metal sculptures. The corpse had a hideous grin on its face. II. informal used for emphasizing that someone or something is not attractive. I look hideous in that picture!
You can describe an event, experience, or action as hideous when you
mean that it is very unpleasant, painful, or difficult to bear. His family was subjected to a hideous attack by the gang. It's been a perfectly hideous day. heinous [ˈheɪnəs]
adj (of a person or wrongful act, especially a crime) utterly odious or
wicked. If you describe something such as a crime as heinous, you mean
that it is extremely evil or horrible. Her life has been permanently blighted by his heinous crime. They are capable of the most heinous acts. "a battery of heinous crimes". heinousness 恶心程度 [heɪnəs] adj If you describe something such as a crime as heinous, you mean that it is extremely evil or horrible. Her life has been permanently blighted by his heinous crime. They are capable of the most heinous acts. pensive 沉思的, 若有所思的 thinking in a quiet way, often with a serious expression on your face: She became withdrawn and pensive, hardly speaking to anyone. He looked suddenly sombre, pensive. He gazed pensively at the glass in front of him, lost in thought. axiomatic [ˌæksiəˈmætɪk] 公理的, 不言自明, 不用说的, 毫无疑问的, 自不待言的 self-evident or unquestionable. If something is axiomatic, it seems to be obviously true. "It is axiomatic that dividends have to be financed". generally believed to be obvious or true. vocabulary: axiom [ˈæksiəm] a statement that is generally believed to be obvious or true. The advertisements seem to prove the axiom that sex sells. An axiom is a self-evident truth. The authors of the Declaration of Independence could have written, "We hold these truths to be axiomatic," but it wouldn't have the same ring 听上去怪怪的. That is, an axiom is a proposition that we don't generally question because it seems plain enough that it's true. And axiomatic means evident without proof or argument. Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident 无可置疑的, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. unobtrusively = inconspicuous 不显眼的, 不显山不漏水的, 不引人注意的, 不为人注意的, 悄悄的, 隐秘的 ([ˌʌnəbˈtrusɪv] not attracting much attention or causing much reaction from other people. not easily noticed. not attracting much attention or causing much reaction from other people. Staff offer unobtrusive and efficient service. The staff are trained to be unobtrusive. Staff offer unobtrusive and efficient service. If you describe something or someone as unobtrusive, you mean that they are not easily noticed or do not draw attention to themselves. The coffee table is glass, to be as unobtrusive as possible. He managed the factory with unobtrusive efficiency. They slipped away unobtrusively. Unobtrusively, the other actors filed into the lounge. obtrusive [ɒbtruːsɪv] 辣眼睛的, 扎眼的 adj If you say that someone or something is obtrusive, you think they are noticeable in an unpleasant way. 'You are rude and obtrusive, Mr Galbraith,' said Tommy. These heaters are less obtrusive and are easy to store away in the summer. Hawke got up and walked obtrusively 动作夸张的 out of the building. attracting attention in a way that is not pleasant or welcome I would prefer a sign that's less obtrusive. obtrude [ɒbtruːd] 扎眼 to
be noticeable, or to attract attention to something, in a way that is
not pleasant or welcome. When something obtrudes or when you obtrude it,
it becomes noticeable in an undesirable way. A
40 watt bulb would be quite sufficient and would not obtrude. Gertrude
now clearly felt that she had obtruded her sorrow. He didn't want to
obtrude on her privacy. vocabulary: The eight-foot-tall, hot pink statue of Minnie Mouse did not belong among the beige couches of the fancy living room. The statue was obtrusive to say the least, meaning it stood out in a bad way. Something that obtrudes sticks out, like a sore thumb. Wear a leopard-print toga to a gathering of PETA supporters, or ask loudly if wine is being served at an Alcoholics' Anonymous meeting — these are examples of obtrusive behavior 让人侧目的行为, which draws attention to you and makes you stick out, but not in a good way. incongruous [ɪnkɒŋgruəs] 非常不合群的, 不和谐的. 扎眼的. strange because of being very different to
other things which happen or exist in the same situation. Someone or
something that is incongruous seems strange when considered together
with other aspects of a situation. [formal] She was small and fragile and looked incongruous in an army uniform. The Indian temple is an incongruous sight in the Welsh border country. It might seem incongruous that global markets might be so concerned about the state of an economy that barely registers on international investors' radars, and to which international investors have a very modest 非常有限的 exposure. surreptitious [ˌsʌrəpˈtɪʃəs] done or made secretly, so that others will not notice. a surreptitious glance. A surreptitious action is done secretly. He made a surreptitious entrance to the club through the little door in the brick wall. They had several surreptitious conversations. Surreptitiously Mark looked at his watch. serendipitous [serendɪpɪtəs] (Serendipity) 意外之喜 A serendipitous event is one that is not planned but has a good result. ...a serendipitous discovery.
historical VS historic: historical 有关历史的, 有关过去的 I. Historical people, situations 历史上的, or things existed in the past and are considered to be a part of history. ...an important historical figure. ...the historical impact of Western capitalism on the world. In Buda, several historical monuments 历史纪念碑 can be seen. Historically 在历史上, royal marriages have been cold, calculating affairs. II. Historical books, films, or pictures describe or represent people, situations, or things that existed in the past. He is writing a historical novel about nineteenth-century France. ...another great Eisenstein historical film 历史电影, 历史书籍. III. Historical information, research, and discussion is related to the study of history. ...historical records 历史记录. ...modern historical research 历史研究. IV. If you look at an event within a historical context, you look at what was happening at that time and what had happened previously, in order to judge the event and its importance. It was this kind of historical context that Morris brought to his work. The Telegraph puts the union in a historical perspective 用历史的眼光. Coronavirus crisis: WA records two new and two historical cases of COVID-19 as Victoria records 216.
WA has recorded two new cases of COVID-19 overnight, bringing the
State's total to 634. The Health Department has reported four
coronavirus cases this morning — two of which are new and have presented
in travellers who recently returned from overseas and are currently in
hotel quarantine. The remaining two are historical cases that emerged after testing. Both are linked to cruise ship travel. historic [hɪstɒrɪk] 具有历史意义的 adj Something that is historic is important in history, or likely to be considered important at some time in the future. King gave this historic speech the night before he was assassinated. ...a fourth historic election victory. What is the historic significance of Hagia Sophia and why is the decision causing division among religious groups? Victoria will establish Australia's first formal truth-telling process for Aboriginal Victorians in a "historic" move some community members have waited decades for. What a historic day
for Victoria and an incredible moment in time for traditional owners
and Aboriginal Victorians across the state," he told the ABC. Republican
Senator Mitt Romney blasted U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday for
commuting the prison sentence of Roger Stone, his longtime ally and
political confidant, calling the move "unprecedented, historic 历史性的, 载入历史的 corruption.". classic 经典的 VS classical 古典的: classic adj [ˈklæsɪk] I. usually before nouna classic song, book, play, television program, etc. is very good and has been popular and had a lot of influence for a long time. A classic film, piece of writing, or piece of music is of very high quality and has become a standard against which similar things are judged. ...the classic children's film Huckleberry Finn. ...a classic study of the American penal system. The record won a gold award and remains one of the classics of modern popular music. ...a film classic. William Golding's classic novel Lord of the Flies. A classic is a book which is well-known and considered to be of a high literary standard. You can refer to such books generally as the classics. As I grow older, I like to reread the classics 经典著作 regularly. II. a classic style of clothes, furniture, etc. is beautiful in a very simple way and will always be fashionable. Classic style is simple and traditional and is not affected by changes in fashion. Wear classic clothes which feel good and look good. These are classic designs which will fit in well anywhere. a classic suit. III. usually before noun completely typical. A classic example of a thing or situation has all the features which you expect such a thing or situation to have. The debate in the mainstream press has been a classic example of British hypocrisy. His first two goals were classic cases of being in the right place at the right time. It was a classic of interrogation: first the bully, then the kind one who offers sympathy. She was displaying classic symptoms of shock. a classic example/case: Their romance is a classic case of opposites attracting. IV. extremely good It wasn't a classic game, but it was pretty entertaining. classical 古典的 I. following the original or traditional standard for something. Keynes's criticism of the classical theory of full employment. II. relating to classical music. classical composers. III. relating to the languages, literature, and cultures of ancient Greece and Rome. classical mythology. a classical scholar. IV. linguistics relating to the languages of important literature in the past. Latin, Ancient Greek, Classical Arabic, and Sanskrit are classical languages.
Former exec of French firm Alstom: 'Yesterday Alstom, today Huawei, and tomorrow?' The United States uses its so-called long-arm jurisdiction 长臂管辖 as a weapon to stymie stymie 限制竞争 ( [ˈstaɪmi] to stop someone from achieving an aim, or to stop some process from continuing. Richard's attitude completely stymied her. positions that have stymied progress. If you are stymied by something, you find it very difficult to take action or to continue what you are doing. Companies have been stymied by the length of time it takes to reach an agreement. Relief efforts have been stymied in recent weeks by armed gunmen. ) competition and other countries need to join hands to counter 反抗, 对抗 such a unilateralist practice, said a former executive of French company Alstom. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Mr Frederic Pierucci recalled his personal experience with the extraterritorial reach of US laws as president of Alstom's furnace division, based on which he co-authored a book entitled The American Trap. "I hesitated a long time before publishing The American Trap, but now I don't regret it. In all modesty, I think that it contributed to a rise in awareness by employees, company leaders and politicians on this subject," he said. Mr Pierucci said the US Department of Justice (DOJ), without notifying him first, filed charges against him in 2012 for breaching America's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) for his alleged role in a corruption case involving Alstom in 2003-2004 in Indonesia. In April 2013, Mr Pierucci was arrested in New York by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. A year later, Alstom was asked to pay a huge fine of US$772 million, which eventually led to the partial acquisition of the French company by General Electric, its arch-rival. "My book describes my descent into hell, and shows how the DOJ used me to make Alstom pay the biggest fine in its history for having broken the FCPA," Mr Pierucci told Xinhua. "That facilitated the buyout of 70 per cent of Alstom by its main American competitor General Electric, blocking a potential merger between Alstom and Shanghai Electric Company," he added. For himself, the lawsuits filed by the US were a nightmare. "In total, during two 'trips' made in a three-year interval, I spent more than 25 months in prison in the United States, 14 of which in high security quarters," he said. "I could only see my wife twice through a bulletproof window, and I could not see my four children during these periods," he added. "On the request of the DOJ, I was also fired by Alstom for 'abandoning my post' while I was incarcerated. My career was destroyed." A precise and detailed analysis of the facts and of jurisprudence shows clearly that the US uses its own judiciary system as an economic weapon with the objective of weakening 削弱 competitors, going sometimes as far as to buy them up cheaply, said Mr Pierucci. "By buying out Alstom, the United States gained control of the maintenance of all the French nuclear power plants, which produce 75 per cent of the electricity produced in the country," he recalled. The United States is now using a very similar strategy against Huawei, said the erstwhile ( [ˈɜrstˌwaɪl] an erstwhile friend, employer, etc. was a friend, employer, etc. until recently but is not any more. A more usual word is former. ) Alstom executive of Washington's recent sanctions against the Chinese telecom giant. Noting that "in the background there is of course a trade war between China and the United States", Mr Pierucci said "everyone knows Huawei has taken the lead compared to its competitors" in terms of 5G technology. Now that it is widely known that the US uses law as an economic weapon of war, all other countries in the world should unite in order to counteract such US unilateralism, he suggested. Otherwise, "yesterday Alstom, today Huawei, and tomorrow?" said Mr Pierucci.
