用法学习: 1. gauche [ɡəʊʃ] 别扭的 adj. unsophisticated and socially awkward. If you describe someone as gauche, you mean that they are awkward and uncomfortable in the company of other people. We're all a bit gauche when we're young. She was a rather gauche, provincial creature. "a shy and gauche teenager". lie-down 好好休息一下 If you have a lie-down, you have a short rest, usually in bed. [British, informal] She had departed upstairs for a lie-down. lay down 规定 to state officially what someone must do or how they must do it The EU has laid down tough standards for water quality. lay down that: The rules laid down that he could not directly intervene. lay down the law to tell someone what to do or how to behave in a way that shows that you expect them to obey you completely. With kids like that you have to lay down the law and let them see you're serious. raring [ˈrerɪŋ] adj 迫不及待的 excited about something and impatient to begin it. If you are raring to do something or are raring for it, you are very eager to do it or very eager that it should happen. Sarah's here and raring to meet you. He is raring to charge into the fray and lay down the law. Baker suggested the administration wasn't raring for a fight. She's training hard and raring to run in the marathon. raring to go 等不了了, 等不及了 (=ready to start something) If you say that you are raring to go, you mean that you are very eager to start doing something. After a good night's sleep, Paul said he was raring to go. Now that he's recovered from his injuries, he's raring to go. 2. lost cause 没指望了, 没戏了, 彻底没戏了 a person or thing that can no longer hope to succeed or be changed for the better. If you refer to something or someone as a lost cause, you mean that people's attempts to change or influence them have no chance of succeeding. They do not want to expend energy in what, to them, is a lost cause. "their opposition to planning for full employment was a lost cause". Brisbane Boystown 案件: Some have launched new claims in a bid to overturn what they regard as paltry ( paltry [ˈpɔltri] I. a paltry amount or number is very small. A paltry amount of money or of something else is one that you consider to be very small. ...a paltry fine of £150. They suffered an electoral catastrophe, winning a paltry 3 seats. II. not very good, important, or valuable. You can use paltry to describe something or someone that you consider to be small or unimportant. The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns. ) out-of-court settlements 庭外和解, eroded by legal fees. Others say they were blindsided by the Queensland Government's role in the settlements. By coming on board as a respondent, the Government reduced the legal, financial and public exposure for itself and the De La Salle Brothers over BoysTown and shut off other avenues of compensation against the State. And Tom was not in the care of the State when he was sent to BoysTown."I was originally making a claim against De La Salle Brothers as the operators of BoysTown, somehow the State of Queensland became joined to this matter and I don't know how much money the State of Queensland gave me," he says. 3. frumpy [frʌmpi] 不时尚的, 土气的, 土包子味的 If you describe someone, especially a woman or her clothes, as frumpy, you mean that their clothes are dull and not fashionable. I looked so frumpy next to these women. ...bulky, frumpy clothes. renegade noun A renegade is a person who abandons the religious, political, or philosophical beliefs that he or she used to have, and accepts opposing or different beliefs. a person who has changed their feelings of support and duty from one political, religious, national, etc. group to a new one: A band of renegades 背叛者, 卖国求荣者 (turncoat) had captured the prince and were holding him to ransom. ( apostate [əˈpɑsˌteɪt] 叛党, 判教者 someone who has given up their religion or left a political party. someone who has given up their religious or political beliefs. ) adj. Renegade is used to describe a member of a group or profession who behaves in a way that is opposed to the normal behaviour or beliefs of that group or profession. used to describe someone who has changed their feelings of support and duty from one political, religious, national, etc. group to a new one: a renegade soldier/priest. The renegade spy has posted photographs taken during an undercover operation. Three men were shot dead by a renegade policeman. prerogative [prɪrɒgətɪv] ( derogatory 贬义的) If something is the prerogative of a particular person or group, it is a privilege or a power that only they have. Constitutional changes are exclusively the prerogative of the parliament. It is your prerogative to stop seeing that particular therapist and find another one. Conservatorship is a legal concept in the United States. A guardian or a protector is appointed by a judge to manage the financial affairs and/or daily life of another due to physical or mental limitations, or old age. A person under conservatorship is a "conservatee," a term that can refer to an adult. A person under guardianship is a "ward," a term that can also refer to a minor child. Conservatorship may also apply to corporations and organizations. The conservator may be only of the "estate" (financial affairs), but may be also of the "person," wherein the conservator takes charge of overseeing the daily activities, such as health care or living arrangements of the conservatee. A conservator of the person is more typically called a legal guardian. 4. unburden yourself 倾吐, 倾诉 (confide in) to tell someone about your problems so that you feel less worried about them. If you unburden yourself or your problems to someone, you tell them about something which you have been secretly worrying about. I could see that it was doing him good to unburden himself. Somehow he had to unburden his soul to somebody, and it couldn't be to Laura. These women are keen to unburden themselves of guilty secrets. James needed to unburden himself to someone. confide in someone 倾吐心声, 谈心, 吐露心事, 倾吐心事 to tell someone a secret or discuss your private feelings with them. confide in: I hope you know that you can always confide in me. confide something to someone: He confided his doubts to me. confide that: She confided to friends that she was scared of her mother. reskill 学新技能, 再培训 I. to learn new skills so that you can do a different job: Many unemployed people are forced to reskill. II. to train people to do a different job: The company plans to reskill 300 of its engineers. If you reskill, or if someone reskills you, you learn new skills, so that you can do a different job or do your old job in a different way. We needed to reskill our workforce to cope with massive technological change. You must be willing to reskill. Everyone knows that lifelong learning and reskilling are important. a quick study 学习快的人, 上手快 someone who is able to learn new things quickly: He lacked foreign policy experience but was a quick study. Netrebko, who is a very quick study when it comes to languages, speaks English with no noticeable Russian accent. assimilate [əˈsɪmɪˌleɪt] to become part of a group, country, society, etc., or to make someone or something become part of a group, country, society, etc.: The European Union should remain flexible enough to assimilate more countries quickly. You shouldn't expect immigrants to assimilate into an alien culture immediately. disseminate [dɪˈsɛmɪneɪt] I. 分发, 散发. 广泛传播. spread (something, especially information) widely. "health authorities should foster good practice by disseminating information". II. spread throughout an organ or the body. "there is a subset of these low-grade tumours that can disseminate and migrate". 5. sow [soʊ] to plant seeds in the ground Sow the seeds thinly outdoors in spring. There's still time to sow fava beans for an early crop. sow fear/doubt/confusion etc. to make people feel afraid, doubtful, confused, etc. If someone sows an undesirable feeling or situation, they cause it to begin and develop. He cleverly sowed doubts into the minds of his rivals. Instead, the session has sowed confusion. These people are terrorists who want to sow fear and panic among our people. sow your wild oats 广撒野种 if a man sows his wild oats, he has many sexual relationships, especially when he is young. reap what you sow 种瓜得瓜种豆得豆 used for saying that something happens to someone because of what they have done in the past. sow/plant the seeds of something to do something that makes a process or feeling start to develop The seeds of doubt were already planted in his mind. have one's fingers in many pies/pots (spread oneself thin, wear too many hats) (idiomatic) to be involved in many, or too many, different things. to be involved in too many things; to have too many tasks going to be able to do any of them well. I'm too busy. I have my finger in too many pies. She never gets anything done because she has her finger in too many pies. have a/(one's) finger in the pie 跟...有关系 To be involved in a situation, often in a meddlesome way. Mom is now calling me every hour, and I'm sure you had a finger in the pie—what exactly did you tell her? wear too many hats 太多头衔 business slang To hold too many responsibilities or assume too many roles at the same time. One of the pitfalls many entrepreneurs fall into when setting up a new company is to wear too many hats, which not only spreads themselves very thin, but ends up being counterproductive 起反作用的 to the operation as a whole. have a finger in every pie 什么事都插一脚 to be involved in and have influence over many different activities, often in a way that people do not approve of. meddle 干涉, 插一脚, 爱管事的 to become involved in a situation that you have no right to be involved in, in a way that is annoying. meddle-management
a management style that is stiflingly hands-on and shows no trust in
the professionalism of those being managed. If you say that someone
meddles in something, you are criticizing the fact that they try to
influence or change it without being asked. Already some people are asking whether scientists have any right to meddle in such matters. If only you hadn't felt compelled to meddle. ...the inept 怠惰的 and meddling bureaucrats. They view activists as little more than meddlers. I am trying to meet your deadlines but am having to deal with a lot of last minute changes inflicted by meddle-management / my meddle-manager. In terms of overt and covert influence-peddling 施加影响, 贩卖影响力 ( the use of position or political influence on someone's behalf in exchange for money or favours. the illegal activity of helping someone achieve their goals by using your political influence in exchange for money. He is charged with influence peddling for allegedly pulling strings to free the woman's brother. Influence peddling is the illegal practice of using one's influence in government or connections with persons in authority to obtain favours 获得好处 or preferential treatment for another, usually in return for payment. Also called traffic of influence or trading in influence. In fact, influence peddling is not necessarily illegal as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has often used the term "undue influence peddling" to refer to illegal acts of lobbying. However, influence peddling bears the stench of corruption that may de-legitimise democratic politics with the general public. undue 过于的, 过分的 If you describe something bad as undue, you mean that it is greater or more extreme than you think is reasonable or appropriate. This would help the families to survive the drought without undue suffering. It might give the Commission undue influence over the coming negotiations. It is unrealistic to put undue pressure on ourselves by saying we are the best. stench [stentʃ] 腐臭味, 难闻的臭味 I. a very bad smell, especially of decay. A stench is a strong and very unpleasant smell. The stench of burning rubber was overpowering. II. a feeling you have that something is very unpleasant. stench of: As the battle approached, the stench of fear was everywhere. legitimize [ləˈdʒɪtəˌmaɪz] 使看起来合法 I. to make something seem morally right or reasonable. To legitimize something, especially something bad, means to officially allow it, approve it, or make it seem acceptable. They will accept no agreement that legitimizes the ethnic division of the country. Images which glorify violence and cruelty, serve to legitimise such behaviour. II. to make something legal. delegitimize [ˌdiləˈdʒɪtəmaɪz] to treat as not having legal or moral authority. to make invalid, illegal, or unacceptable. crushing and delegitimizing all dissent in the region. Some attempted to exploit the tragedy in order to discredit and delegitimize their opponents. ), arm-twisting and behind-the-scenes meddling, the US leaves Russia in the shade 难以望其项背, 望尘莫及. And by hook or by crook, Washington, unlike Moscow, usually gets its way. arm-twisting 威逼利诱 an attempt to persuade, threaten, or force someone to do something that they do not want to do. He only agreed to do the film after a lot of arm-twisting. by hook or by crook 使用各种手段, 无所不用其极的, 手段使尽 by any possible means. "the government intends, by hook or by crook, to hold on to the land".
If someone says they will do something by hook or by crook, they are
determined to do it, even if they have to make a great effort or use
dishonest means. They intend to get their way, by hook or by crook. 6. antagonize [ænˈtæɡəˌnaɪz] 惹恼, 激怒 If you antagonize someone, you make them feel angry or hostile towards you. to make someone feel angry with you, so that they start to dislike you or have a negative attitude toward you. He didn't want to antagonize her. They were always careful not to antagonize rural voters. indelicate [ɪndelɪkət] 没大没小的, 唐突的, 不知轻重的, 不知深浅的, 没轻没重的 (off-putting) adj If something or someone is indelicate, they are rude or embarrassing. rude and likely to offend people. She really could not touch upon such an indelicate subject. Indelicate words or actions are not suitable for a situation and are likely to be offensive: an indelicate comment. Would it be indelicate to mention the fee at this point? vocabulary: Indelicate things are offensive or rude. If you tell an indelicate joke to your sweet, old-fashioned great-grandmother, it'll make her blush. Many people would consider the question, "How much money do you make?" to be an indelicate one — it's tactless to ask it. Dirty jokes are indelicate because they're in bad taste, likely to offend someone. The adjective indelicate uses the "not" prefix in- along with delicate, which here means "tactful and considerate." tactless [ˈtæk(t)ləs] 说话不经大脑的 someone who is tactless is not careful about the way that they speak or behave toward other people and so often upsets them. If you describe someone as tactless, you think what they say or do is likely to offend other people. Throughout his school life Darius was tactless and egocentric. He had alienated many people with his tactless remarks. a tactless remark. He was blunt in speech and could be tactless. egocentric [ˌiɡoʊˈsentrɪk] 以自我为中心的 behaving as if you are more important than other people, and need not care about them. strenuous [strenjuəs] adj A strenuous activity or action involves a lot of energy or effort. Avoid strenuous exercise 剧烈运动 in the evening. These trips were strenuous, and the couple did not enjoy them. Strenuous efforts had been made to improve conditions in the jail. Despite strenuous objections by the right wing, the grant was agreed. Exercising too much or too strenuously is just as bad as not doing it at all. The company concerned 该公司, 相关公司 has strenuously denied the accusations. 7. knell [nel] a death knell. death knell an event or situation that is a sign of the end of something. to sound the death knell 敲响丧钟 If you say that something sounds the death knell for a particular person or thing, you mean it will cause that person or thing to fail, end, or cease to exist. The tax increase sounded the death knell for the business. It's going to be the death knell of the red deer. ungainly [ʌnˈɡeɪnli] 长手长脚的, 腿长胳膊长的, 大脚蟹似的, 大虾米似的, 脚大手大的, 大而笨拙的 not moving in an attractive or graceful way. If you describe a person, animal, or vehicle as ungainly, you mean that they look awkward or clumsy, often because they are big. The dog, an ungainly mongrel pup, was loping about the road. Paul swam in his ungainly way to the side of the pool. lope 大踏步慢跑, 大跨步慢跑 means to move with a casual, striding gait. Imagine a horse cantering along with an easy lope. A pleasant image indeed. to run with long slow steps. If a person or animal lopes somewhere, they run in an easy and relaxed way, taking long steps. He was loping across the sand toward Nancy. Matty saw him go loping off, running low. She turned and walked away with long, loping steps. lope off/into/towards/along: I saw him come loping along the road. canter [ˈkæntər] (慢跑 trot, 中速跑 canter, 快跑 gallop) If a horse canters, it runs fairly fast. If it runs slowly, it trots, and if it runs as fast as it can, it gallops. 8. Senator Cotton 纽约时报文章 A senator for the state of Arkansas has described slavery as a "necessary evil" on which the American nation was built. He is introducing legislation to ban federal funds for a project by the New York Times newspaper, aimed at revising the historical view of slavery. Protesters and police in the city of Portland, Oregon, have clashed repeatedly in recent days. The confrontations have escalated since a deeply controversial decision by President Donald Trump to send federal law enforcement to the city. Under the US constitution, policing is a matter for individual states, not for the federal government. Senator Cotton has been a strong critic of the nationwide protests, describing them in an opinion piece for the New York Times as an "orgy of violence" and backing Donald Trump's threat to use troops to quell 镇压 ( [kwel] I. to cause a violent situation to end. Mounted police were called in to quell the riot. To quell opposition or violent behaviour means to stop it. Troops eventually quelled the unrest. II. to get rid of unpleasant thoughts or feelings, or to prevent them from becoming stronger. If you quell an unpleasant feeling such as fear or anger, you stop yourself or other people from having that feeling. The Information Minister is trying to quell fears of a looming oil crisis. ) unrest. Senator Cotton told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: "We have to study the history of slavery and its role and impact on the development of our country because otherwise we can't understand our country. "As the Founding Fathers said, it was the necessary evil upon which the union was built, but the union was built in a way, as [Abraham] Lincoln said, to put slavery on the course to its ultimate extinction." On Thursday Senator Cotton introduced the Saving American History Act, aimed at stopping funding for 1619, an initiative which bases US history teaching around the first arrivals of slave ships in the US in August of that year. The project won the Pulitzer prize for commentary for its founder, the New York Times journalist Nicole Hannah-Jones, but it has been criticised by many US conservatives, with Senator Cotton describing it as "left-wing propaganda". "The entire premise of the New York Times' factually, historically flawed 1619 Project… is that America is at root, a systemically racist country to the core and irredeemable 无可救药的, 改不好了的( [ˌɪrɪˈdiməb(ə)l] I. formal impossible to change or make better. irredeemable sinners. If someone or something has an irredeemable fault, it cannot be corrected. He is still, in the eyes of some, an irredeemable misogynist. The applicant was irredeemably incompetent. II. business an irredeemable debt can never be paid. a. irredeemable stock cannot be sold in return for money. )," Senator Cotton said. "I reject that root and branch. America is a great and noble country founded on the proposition that all mankind is created equal. We have always struggled to live up to that promise, but no country has ever done more to achieve it." Responding to Senator Cotton's legislation, Hannah-Jones tweeted that if slavery was justified as a means to an end 不得已而为之的, 必要的手段, 不得已的手段, anything else could be too. The article was widely criticised, and more than 800 Times employees signed a letter denouncing its publication, saying it contained misinformation.
蜷缩: 1. cower [ˈkauə] 萎缩; 蜷缩. 龟缩. 蜷缩 crouch down in fear. If you cower, you bend forward and downward because you are very frightened. The hostages cowered in their seats. "children cowered in terror as the shoot-out erupted". Shane Robertson, from Diggers Rest, pleaded guilty to bashing 29-year-old Katie Haley to death with a dumbbell as she cowered on her child's bed
in March this year. He struck Ms Haley five times to the head after an
argument ensued when she told him she was leaving the relationship. cowardice [ˈkaʊə(r)dɪs] 懦夫的行为. 懦弱. 胆小. 怯懦 behaviour that shows you are not brave enough to fight or do something difficult or dangerous that you should do. cowardly [ˈkaʊə(r)dli]
I. a cowardly person is not brave enough to fight or do something
difficult or dangerous that they should do. a. used about someone's
behaviour. a cowardly decision. II. 欺弱怕强的. 期强怕弱的. 恃强凌弱的 cruel towards someone who is weaker than you. a cowardly attack. 1.5. The clips showed children choking干呕 and vomiting, while adults writhed in agony痛苦的蜷在一起, 蜷缩起来. "There were some symptoms like numbing of the body, constricted pupils of the eye, foam coming out of the mouth, paleness of faces脸色苍白, shortness of breath," he rebel spokesman said. writhe [raið]
痛苦的扭动翻滚, 打滚. I. To twist, as in pain, struggle, or embarrassment. II.
To move with a twisting or contorted motion. III. To suffer acutely. writhe under something I. Lit. to squirm with pain from being beaten with something. The sailor writhed under the sting of the lash. The child writhed under the pain of his spanking. II. Fig. to suffer under a mental burden. I writhed under her constant verbal assault and finally left the room. Why do I have to writhe under her insults? writhe with something I. and writhe in something [for someone or an animal] to squirm because of something, such as pain. Carl writhed with pain and began to cry. He was writhing in pain when the paramedics arrived. II. [for something] to support or contain something that is writhing. The pit was writhing with snakes and other horrid things. The floor of the basement was writhing in spiders and crawly things. 2. ragdoll 蜷缩成一团 verb. I. verb, slang To crumple into a limp, lifeless form. After
getting hit in the head, he rag dolled and remained totally motionless
for almost a minute. The site of the hiker rag-dolling down the side of
the steep hill was horrifying. II. To cause someone to crumple into a limp, lifeless form. With
one mighty punch, the boxer rag-dolled his opponent and was declared
the world champion. The linebacker has become infamous for rag dolling
other players with his intense tackles. noun. 无能的人. A weak, incompetent, or irresolute person. A limp, ineffectual person. You won't get a decision from her; she's a rag doll when it comes to making up her mind. Despite
his strong promises during his election campaign, the new president has
so far been something of a rag doll when it comes to foreign policy.
His boyfriend is a bit of a rag doll, isn't he? Just kind of sits there,
going along with whatever Tony wants. A boy, already unconscious, lifted from a couch and "ragdolled" to the floor before his head was stomped on. 3. When everyone decided to hate me, all I could do was either curl up in a ball and cry 蜷成球, 蜷缩起来, or post things to make everyone more jealous of me. 4. If someone is bent [over] double 身体缩成一团, 蜷缩成一团,
the top part of their body is leaning forward towards their legs,
usually because they are in great pain or because they are laughing a
lot. In American English, you can also say that someone is bent over
double. He left the courtroom on the first day bent double with stomach pain. [+ with/in]. 5. cocoon I. 蜷缩在. 躲在. to keep someone safe by preventing them from learning to deal with problems. You cannot remain forever cocooned from the outside world. II. to cover or surround someone or something. Despite the fact that both myself and my friends felt safely cocooned in our expat bubble of all-day, alcohol-fuelled brunches and glamorous event after event; for those unlucky enough to fall foul of the law 摊上事, the consequences are severe 后果很严重. 6. coil [kɔɪl] I. transitive to wind something long and thin into a shape like a series of rings. Heavy gold chains were coiled around her long neck. If you coil something, you wind it into a series of loops or into the shape of a ring. If it coils around something, it forms loops or a ring. He turned off the water and began to coil the hose 收起来, 团起来. A huge rattlesnake lay coiled on the blanket. Once we have the wire, we can coil it up into the shape of a spring. Her hair was coiled up on top of her head. a. intransitive/transitive used about something that moves in a curve. A column of smoke was coiling slowly up into the air. b. intransitive used about a feeling that is becoming so strong you may soon be unable to control it. He felt the fear coiling 越团越大 inside his stomach. The center of the serpent is coiled 蜷缩 around Mt. Mandara. 7. huddle with: Several aides huddled with the president, discussing strategy. a. if American football players huddle, they come together during the match in order to plan their next play. II. 蜷缩在一起. 蜷缩着 (curl up, coil up). to lie or sit with your arms and legs close to your body because you feel ill, cold, or upset. get/go into a huddle to stand or sit close together in order to discuss something secretly. 8. be slumped in/over etc something 蜷缩着, 缩着身子 to be sitting still in a position that is not upright. I spent the evening slumped in front of the TV. They found him slumped over the wheel of his car. slump I. to be suddenly reduced to a much lower level. Profits slumped to under $250 million. II. to suddenly fall or sit because you are very tired or unconscious. Sam's body slumped to the floor. n. I. a sudden large reduction in amount. a sales/profits slump. slump in: a slump in prices. II. economics
经济不景气. a period when an economy is much less successful than before and
many people lose their jobs. a. a period when a player, team etc is
much less successful than before. 9. shrivel I. (intransitive) 蜷缩. To collapse inward; to crumble. I saw him shrivel on the ground in fear. II. (intransitive) 起皱折. To become wrinkled. His fingers were shriveled from being in the bath for too long. III. (transitive) To draw into wrinkles. The hot sun shrivelled the leaves.
墨尔本疫情: Fed-up, ignorant or just downright stupid( fed up with: annoyed or bored with something that you feel you have accepted for too long I'm fed up with this job. be/get fed up (with) doing something: She'd got fed up with waiting and went home. fed up of: White working class men are fed-up of being ignored. Usage note: The usual preposition following "fed-up" is "with," but among younger people, "of" is becoming increasingly common. Some people think this use is incorrect.), Melbourne may yet earn itself a new moniker as the 'covidiot state'. As Victoria reports six more deaths and another 300 new coronavirus cases, the lockdown is bringing out 显露 the worse in some its citizens who are making headlines for all the wrong reasons. From ignoring police checks and refusing to wear masks to travelling across the city for Indian takeaway, Victoria's covidiots are out in force ( be/come/go out in force 大量出动 Fig. appearing in great strength. What a night! The mosquitoes are out in force. The police went out in force over the holiday weekend. in force I. in large numbers: Volunteers turned out in force to plant pines, crab-apple trees, and lilac bushes. II. If laws, rules, or systems are in force, they exist and are being used: New regulations limiting fishing on this river are now in force. ). While fingers are pointed at Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, who has been slammed over the past two days for providing mixed messages to the public, Melburnians are doing their bit 尽自己的一份努力 to destroy any semblance (a/some semblance of something [ˈsembləns] 一丝丝的 a situation in which something only appears in a small amount. The country was finally returning to some semblance of normality. ) of 'class' and 'cool' it may have once enjoyed. As stupidity takes hold, soldiers have been deployed to walk the streets of Melbourne to help keep the population in line. When mask wearing laws went live on Thursday, most Melburnians wisely put them on.
Folklore 专辑: 0. the primer ( primer I. uncountable [ˈpraɪmər] a substance used for preparing a surface for paint. II. [ˈprɪmər] 简介 countable a book that gives very simple instructions or basic information about something. ): It started with imagery. Visuals that popped into my mind and piqued my curiosity. Stars drawn around scars. A cardigan that still bears the scent of loss twenty years later. Battleships sinking into the ocean, down, down, down. The tree swing in the woods of my childhood. Hushed tones of "let's run away" and never doing it. The sun drenched month of August, sipped away like a bottle of wine. A mirrored disco ball hovering above a dance floor. A whiskey bottle beckoning. Hands held through plastic. A single thread that, for better or for worse, ties you to your fate. Pretty soon these images in my head grew faces or names and became characters. I found myself not only writing my own stories, but also writing about or from the perspective of people I've never met, people I've known, or those I wish I hadn't. An exiled man walking the bluffs of a land that isn't his own, wondering how it all went so terribly, terribly wrong. An embittered tormentor showing up at the funeral of his fallen object of obsession. A seventeen-year-old standing on a porch, learning to apologize. Lovestruck kids wandering up and down the evergreen High Line. My grandfather, Dean, landing at Guadalcanal in 1942. A misfit widow getting gleeful revenge on the town that cast her out. A tale that becomes folklore is one that is passed down and whispered around. Sometimes even sung about. The lines between fantasy and reality blur and the boundaries between truth and fiction become almost indiscernible. Speculation, over time, becomes fact. Myths, ghost stories, and fables. Fairytales and parables. Gossip and legend. Someone's secrets written in the sky for all to behold. In isolation my imagination has run wild and this album is the result, a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness. Picking up a pen was my way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory. I've told these stories to the best of my ability with all the love, wonder, and whimsy they deserve. Now it's up to you to pass them down." 1. imagery [ˈɪmɪdʒ(ə)ri] I. pictures, photographs, or objects that represent an idea. You can refer to pictures and representations of things as imagery, especially when they act as symbols. This is an ambitious and intriguing movie, full of striking imagery. Advertising agencies sometimes use religious imagery to sell products. a. a set of images Satellite imagery indicated that dust from the Sahara is spreading westward. II. literature 意境. 意象. the use of words and phrases in literature to create an image of something. You can refer to the descriptions in something such as a poem or song, and the pictures they create in your mind, as its imagery. ...the nature imagery of the ballad. rich poetic imagery. 2. If that muted (哑巴的 mute) rollout 无声无息的发布 was an unexpected turn for a superstar whose previous efforts have been heavily promoted for months, the end product was nothing short of shocking. "Folklore" is more mellow, restrained 克制的 and mature than Swift's previous offerings, delving into darkness on more than one occasion. But the early notices are glowing -- with some publications calling it her greatest work. "Her emotional acuity ([əˈkjuəti] the ability to see or think very clearly and quickly. Acuity is sharpness of vision or hearing, or quickness of thought. We work on improving visual acuity.) has never been more assured," the Guardian wrote in an adulatory ( adulatory [ˌadʒʊˈleɪt(ə)ri] If someone makes an adulatory comment about someone, they praise them and show their admiration of them. excessively praising or admiring. showing great admiration or praise for someone, especially when it is more than is deserved: I found myself irritated by the adulatory tone of her biography. The Mother Teresa article is adulatory. "an adulatory review". ...adulatory reviews. adulation very great admiration or praise for someone, especially when it is more than is deserved: As a born performer, she loves the excitement and she loves the adulation. adultery [əˈdʌltəri] sex that takes place between a married person and someone who is not their husband or wife. They were divorced on the grounds of adultery.) five-star review. "It's hard to remember any contemporary pop superstar that has indulged in a more serious, or successful, act of sonic palate cleansing," Variety added. 3. beckon [ˈbekən] 招手示意 I. to signal to someone to come toward you. beckon to: He beckoned to the waiter to ask for another bottle of wine. beckon (to) someone to do something: She beckoned me to join her. II. if something beckons to you, it is very attractive and you feel you have to do something to get it. A bright future beckoned 招手. name-check to mention a particular product, person, business etc in something such as an advertisement or speech, or to mention them in order to thank them. publicly mention or list the name of. "he namechecks a legion of producers and DJs". name-dropping the practice of casually mentioning the names of famous people one knows or claims to know in order to impress others. "name-dropping, snobbery, and generally pathetic attempts to be seen and be admired". 4. The sun drenched 阳光灿烂的 month of August sipped away (slip away) like a bottle of wine.
Should I call out someone for breaking COVID-19 rules? The huge variances in behaviour boil down to the fact humans have difficulty responding to intangible 不可见的, 不可感知的 risks, says Ron Borland, a public health psychologist at the University of Melbourne. "It's an intellectual challenge ... we can't see or feel the virus in the air or entering our body so we have to take it on trust that there is danger there," Professor Borland says. On top of that, Australia is a society that generally encourages individualism not collectivism so people are used to doing what's right for them without much thought about others. This attitude becomes especially evident when it comes to one's willingness to wear a mask, as the science tells us masks protect others more than ourselves. Virtually everybody is concerned about their immediate circle 身边的人, but beyond that people vary in the extent to which they are concerned as those outside their circle mean less to them," Professor Borland says. Some people are incredibly conscious of how other people view them 怎么看, but others are oblivious. "It's that latter group that will be the people who ignore the rules as they don't feel bad about not being part of the group," Professor Borland says. For some, particularly those who aren't vulnerable, the mentality might be 'what's in it for me?' which is why financial penalties and community vigilantism 社会监督, 社区监督 are important strategies when it comes to compliance, he says. People may feel they can use a common goal as a reason to adopt vigilante behaviour but it must be for the right reasons, says Patrick Stokes, a professor of philosophy at Deakin University. "There is an element of coercion and policing that might be called for 应该的, 合理的, 理所应当的, 正当的 ... but that's a problem because at some point that stops being about the problem it's meant to be about," he says. Professor Stokes says Australians like dobbing on each other but they need to be careful not to pursue petty grievances 出于个人恩怨 like 'Oh, I just don't like my neighbour'." "Society really only functions against a background of trust 在信任的基础上. And that background of trust is really corroded 诚信缺失, 信任消亡 ( I. If metal or stone corrodes, or is corroded, it is gradually destroyed by a chemical or by rust. He has devised a process for making gold wires which neither corrode nor oxidise. Engineers found the structure had been corroded by moisture. Acid rain destroys trees and corrodes buildings. The investigators found that the underground pipes were badly corroded. II. To corrode something means to gradually make it worse or weaker. Suffering was easier to bear than the bitterness he felt corroding his spirit. The overwhelming guilt ultimately corrodes 消融, 噬虐 his sanity. ) when everyone is informing on each other," he says But while some people may be inclined to go too far, staying silent is not the solution. "[This] is a situation where we need people to play their bit (do their bit) 尽自己的责任 and that does sometimes involve telling others they are in fact doing the wrong thing," Professor Stokes says. While a common purpose unites some of us, it can also polarise us. Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton urged people to be understanding and not jump the gun if they see others not wearing masks. "A number ... are legitimately not able to wear masks so please don't vilify ( 指责 to criticize someone very strongly, especially in a way that is not fair and that damages their reputation. If you are vilified by someone, they say or write very unpleasant things about you, so that people will have a low opinion of you. His lawyer was vilified for representing him. He was vilified, hounded, and forced into exile by the FBI. Clare did not deserve the vilification she had been subjected to. ) individuals or don't make the assumption 武断的以为 they are simply stubborn," Professor Sutton says. "There will be people with medical, behavioural, psychological reasons ... certainly don't make an assumption that they should be the subject of your ire ( [ˈaɪr] anger. 发泄的对象. )." This is sage [seɪdʒ] advice (sage 智者的建议: someone who is wise and shows good judgment. You take it as a joke then think probably it is sage advice. There, as throughout the book, the pages contain sage advice as well as practical suggestions. When he next met Visconti he was given some sage advice. ) as the last thing we need is a toxic atmosphere when there is already so much underlying stress, Professor Leask says. "Support for compliance is actually more important than enforcement of it," she says. Going in guns blazing when you see someone not wearing a mask may actually exacerbate [ɪɡˈzæsərˌbeɪt] ( 恶化, 变得更糟糕, 激化 to make a problem worse. If something exacerbates a problem or bad situation, it makes it worse. Longstanding poverty has been exacerbated by racial divisions. ...the exacerbation [ɪgzæsərbeɪʃən] of global problems. ) inequality if they don't have access to a mask for example. Most people will react badly if they are told "do this" as opposed to "do this because...", Professor Borland says. "I personally don't like wearing a mask ... but I'm doing it because it serves a greater good ( the greater good 全大义, 全大节 a general advantage that you can only gain by losing or harming something that is considered less important Some wars are fought for the greater good. ). But if somebody told me you've got to wear a mask and I didn't understand why in the first place, I might be reluctant." This means public health messaging really has to hit the nail on the head 说在点子上, 一语中的, 说中要害, 切中要害 and show people why it's important they act in a socially responsible way. This is even more important during the second wave, Professor Borland says, as humans can easily make sacrifices in the short term (the first wave) but after that it's an effort. "We need to help people think things through and draw conclusions that even though it's not in their best interests, it's important for the community that I behave this way and it's not going to be forever," he says. If you're thinking of pointing out to someone they are acting in a risky way, here are some things to be aware of: Non-verbal communication, such as looks of disapproval or moving away, is often enough as most humans are very good at picking up on social cues; Putting too much pressure on someone can actually make them more reluctant to do something; Making someone feel guilty means they may respond aggressively. It's advisable to take a less demanding 咄咄逼人的 approach (I. a demanding person needs a lot of attention and is not easily pleased or satisfied. People who are demanding are not easily satisfied or pleased. Ricky was a very demanding child. Her boss was very demanding but appreciative of Christina's talents. Young children can be very demanding. II. needing a lot of time, ability, and energy. a demanding job. A demanding job or task requires a lot of your time, energy, or attention. He found he could no longer cope with his demanding job 高强度的. It is a demanding 要求多的 role and she needs to work hard at it. ), which can be perceived as more helpful, Professor Borland says. "For example, if you have a spare mask, you might say 'Hey looks like you forgot yours, here you go'," he suggests. "It would be very difficult for somebody to become upset at that kind of approach."
Forget Putin, it's meddling by America's evangelical enforcer that should scare us: US sheriff Mike Pompeo rode into town last week, telling whoppers ( whopper 弥天大谎 I. If you describe a lie as a whopper, you mean that it is very far from the truth. ...the biggest whopper 最大谎言 the president told. II. If you refer to something as a whopper, you mean that it is an unusually large example of the thing mentioned. something that is much larger than other things of the same type That's a whopper of a bump 大包 on your head. As comets go, it is a whopper. ) as is his wont [woʊnt] ( be wont to do something 习惯于 to have a habit of doing something This is the chair where the author was wont to sit. as is someone's wont 成习惯了一样, 习惯性的 used for saying that someone has a habit of doing a particular thing As was his wont, Barelli refused to be interviewed.). The secretary of state – Donald Trump's top enforcer 打手( I. 贯彻人. someone who is given the responsibility for making sure that a particular thing happens or is done, usually in government or business. As chief enforcer his job was to push through the highly unpopular economic reforms. II. Americana player in a game, especially hockey, whose job is to frighten members of the other team and to hurt them if they play in a rough or illegal way. ) – accused Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization chief, of cutting a secret pre-pandemic deal with China. Because of this, "you've got dead Britons," he claimed. Pompeo offered no proof. It was an outrageous smear. But Tedros is a wanted man in Washington. He verbally gunned him down. Pompeo justified January's real-life assassination of Iran's Gen Qassem Suleimani by saying he posed an "imminent" threat to US interests. Declaring the killing unlawful, the UN investigator, Agnès Callamard, ruled this month there was not a shred of evidence to support this. Iran hawk Pompeo had reportedly urged the hit for months. It was he who finally convinced Trump to order 下令 the killing. Pompeo was caught out again last year before Trump's impeachment. He initially denied detailed knowledge of the phone call in which Trump tried to persuade Ukraine's president to investigate the son of his White House rival, Joe Biden, saying he had not read the transcript. It later emerged Pompeo had listened in on the call. Democrats accused him of obstructing justice. Speaking at Texas A&M University last year, Pompeo cheerfully 很高兴的 confessed to telling lies when it suited him during a political career that began with election to Congress as a far-right Tea Party member in 2010 and took him to the CIA and state department. "I was the CIA director. We lied, we cheated, we stole. It was like we had entire training courses," he said, as if reprising ( reprise [rɪˈpriz] verb & noun to do something again. If someone reprises a role or a song, they play or sing it again. He then proceeded to play for more than two hours, reprising every one of his hits. a. to perform a part or the whole of a work again. In the movie, she successfully reprises the role she played in the stage musical. noun. an act of repeating something. reprise of: They are planning a reprise of last year's award ceremony. II. music a part of a song or other piece of music that is repeated. vocabulary: Reprise means "repeat an earlier role." If you're asked to reprise your role as "kid entertainer" at the annual family reunion, that means people want you to do it again this year. Early on, reprise was a part in a song or other musical composition that is repeated. The word still carries that meaning, but now it's more likely to be used as a verb to describe an action or part that is repeated, often a performance. For example, if you played a role in a wildly successful film that is going to have a sequel, you would reprise your role. The word comes from the French word repris, meaning "take back." ) Marlon Brando's role in The Ugly American. In a week when parliament's report into Russian interference in British life provoked deep soul-searching, the behaviour of Britain's best friend bears closer examination, too. In terms of overt and covert influence-peddling 贩卖影响力, arm-twisting and behind-the-scenes meddling 背后插一脚, the US leaves Russia in the shade 自叹不如, 自愧不如, 自愧弗如, 难以望其项背, 望尘莫及. And by hook or by crook, Washington, unlike Moscow, usually gets its way. arm-twisting 威逼利诱 an attempt to persuade, threaten, or force someone to do something that they do not want to do. The unions arm-twisted 威胁 the government into negotiating by threatening widespread strikes. He only agreed to do the film after a lot of arm-twisting. twist someone's arm 威逼, 胁迫 to persuade or coerce someone. by hook or by crook 无所不用其极的, 手段使尽 by any possible means. "the government intends, by hook or by crook, to hold on to the land".
If someone says they will do something by hook or by crook, they are
determined to do it, even if they have to make a great effort or use
dishonest means. They intend to get their way, by hook or by crook. The US government shows two faces to the world. One is benign, open, and high-minded( high-minded 道德高尚的, 高风亮节的 showing strong moral principles. having very high moral standards of behaviour. If you say that someone is high-minded, you think they have strong moral principles. The President's hopes for the country were high-minded, but too vague. low-minded 粗俗不堪的 having or showing a coarse or vulgar taste or interests. having a vulgar or crude mind and character. inclined to vulgar or unworthy things.). The other is darkly dominated by selfish calculation 算计, ultimately reliant on brute force 粗暴的暴力. Pompeo, Trump's most influential adviser and possible successor, is the undisguised 不加掩饰的, snarling face ( snarl I. 尖叫. 吼叫. 怒吼. if an animal such as a dog or a lion snarls, it makes an angry sound in its throat and shows its teeth. When an animal snarls, it makes a fierce, rough sound in its throat while showing its teeth. He raced ahead up into the bush, barking and snarling. The dogs snarled at the intruders. With a snarl, the second dog made a dive for his heel. II. intransitive/ transitive to speak in an unpleasant angry way. If you snarl something, you say it in a fierce, angry way. 'Let go of me,' he snarled. I vaguely remember snarling at someone who stepped on my foot. 'Aubrey.' Hyde seemed almost to snarl the name. His eyes flashed, and his lips were drawn back in a furious snarl. "Be quiet!" he snarled. III. snarl up transitive to make something such as traffic unable to move. IV. intransitive/transitive to become caught or twisted in something, or to make something do this. noun. A snarl is a disorganized mass of things. She was tangled in a snarl of logs and branches. A radio-link automatically advises it of traffic snarls and plots a detour. snarl up To snarl something up means to cause problems which prevent it continuing or making progress. The ensuing row snarled up the work of the joint peace commission. Snarled-up traffic is a long line of traffic that is unable to travel forward because something is blocking the road: The traffic was snarled up in both directions for two miles because of the accident. snarl-up I. 乱成一锅粥 a traffic jam. a situation in which a long line of traffic is unable to travel forward because something is blocking the road: Many roadworks have been suspended to avoid further snarl-ups on the motorways. Thousands of train drivers walked out last night causing London's worst travel snarl-up for two years. "a six-lane snarl-up". II. a muddle or mistake. a situation in which a system or organization does not work properly: A company facing snarl-ups can switch to another scheduling arrangement. Overcrowding and baggage snarl-ups at Heathrow were beginning to hit the airline's revenues. "there's a snarl-up in editing". ) of this latter form of manipulative, intrusive 无孔不入的 and mendacious ( intrusive I. interrupting a peaceful situation. intrusive 打破宁静的, 打破和谐的 noise/lights/tourists. Something that is intrusive disturbs your mood or your life 无所不在, 无孔不入到让人生厌, 干扰到生活的东西 in a way you do not like. The cameras were not an intrusive presence. Staff are courteous but never intrusive. II. becoming involved in something in a way that is not welcome. I found their question quite intrusive 涉及私人的, 探人隐私的. intrusive press photographers. mendacious [menˈdeɪʃəs] 谎话连篇的 adj not telling the truth. A mendacious person is someone who tells lies. A mendacious statement is one that is a lie. a. used about deliberately false statements, information, etc. mendacious propaganda. Some of these statements are misleading and some are downright mendacious. mendacity [menˈdæsəti] lies, lying or a tendency to lie. ...an astonishing display of cowardice and mendacity. Contradictions and even blatant mendacities go unchallenged. vocabulary A mendacious person is one who tells lies habitually and intentionally. Don't get stuck at the water cooler or bus stop next to someone you consider mendacious! People may tell "white lies" if they forgot your birthday or really don't like your new haircut, but if you catch someone intentionally manipulating you with a falsehood, that person is just plain mendacious. So think of the most deceptive, insincere, perfidious, duplicitous, false person you've ever met, and then add the word mendacious to that list. duplicitous [duˈplɪsɪtəs] 两面派的, 两面三刀的 behaving dishonestly in order to trick someone. Someone who is duplicitous is deceitful. He is a possessive, duplicitous and unreasonable man. vocabulary: That guy in the drama club who tells everyone he hates organized sports one day and then joins the football team the next? He's being duplicitous, or pretending to have feelings that his actions contradict. In duplicitous, you can see the word duplicity, which means "doubleness." Someone who is duplicitous is almost like two people, saying one thing but then doing something very different, even contradictory. Someone who is duplicitous can also be called "two-faced 两幅面孔的," a vivid way to remember that this person shouldn't be trusted or taken at face value. perfidious [pərˈfɪdiəs] 不值得信赖的, 信不过的, 不可信的, 靠不住的 not able to be trusted. If you describe someone as perfidious, you mean that they have betrayed someone or cannot be trusted. Their feet will trample on the dead bodies of their perfidious aggressors. If someone accuses you of being perfidious, you should probably be offended — it means underhanded, treacherous, deceitful — even evil. perfidy [ˈpɜrfədi] 出卖 behavior that shows that someone cannot be trusted. Perfidy is the action of betraying someone or behaving very badly towards someone. vocabulary If you shared your most embarrassing secrets with a friend who then told them to everyone he knows, his betrayal could be described as perfidy. The noun perfidy means "deceitfulness" or "treachery 奸术," so it's not just being mean, but deliberately betraying a trust. The Latin root of perfidy is made up of per, or "through," and fidem, or "faith." So in order for perfidy to happen, there has to have first been a sense of faith in place, which was then broken or betrayed. wiki: In the context of war, perfidy 使诈, 诈称 is a form of deception in which one side promises to act in good faith (such as by raising a flag of truce) with the intention of breaking that promise once the unsuspecting enemy is exposed (such as by coming out of cover to attack the enemy coming to take the "surrendering" prisoners into custody). Perfidy constitutes a breach of the laws of war and so is a war crime, as it degrades the protections and mutual restraints developed in the interest of all parties, combatants and civilians. ) American power. In less turbulent, less polarised times, the "special relationship" brought advantages for Britain. In many respects, the opposite is now true. The latest example of US pressure tactics, detrimental to the national interest, was Pompeo's hysterical appeal last week for a united front of "free nations" to battle China's "new tyranny [ˈtɪrəni]". Manufacturing a cold war with Beijing may suit Trump and the Republicans as they cling to office. It does not suit Britain. Similarly ill-judged and unwelcome is the Trump administration's attempt to destroy the International Criminal Court, a part-British creation of which the late Labour foreign secretary, Robin Cook, was rightly proud. Pompeo has imposed sanctions and launched a bogus corruption probe. The ICC's offence? It dared to investigate alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan. Pompeo and fellow hawks have done all in their power to prevent Britain and its European allies keeping lines open to Iran after Trump reneged on the 2015 nuclear deal. They now appear embarked, with Israel, on a covert war of sabotage against Tehran. If it comes to a fight, they will expect UK support. The US has dismissed British views on the climate emergency and the Paris treaty, undermined the UN and Nato, ducked its obligations in Syria and the joint fight against Isis, and sought to drag the UK into half-baked regime-change 改变政权的, 夺权的, 改天换日 plots in Venezuela and Cuba. Pompeo claims private property and religious freedom are 'foremost' human rights. None of this double-dealing will surprise those who recall Ronald Reagan's secret deployment of nuclear-armed cruise missiles in Britain in the 1980s. Clement Attlee's government quickly discovered the high cost of American friendship after 1945. The Suez humiliation confirmed it. Today, Britain is still paying for the damaging impact of the US "war on terror" and its Iraq adventurism ( adventurism [ədˈventʃəˌrɪzəm] [disapproval] a way of managing a business, government, or army that is considered dangerous and might have negative results. Adventurism is a willingness to take risks, especially in order to obtain an unfair advantage in politics or business. Lenin dismissed guerrilla warfare as 'adventurism.' adventuresome = adventurous I. 敢冒险的. Someone who is adventurous is willing to take risks and to try new methods. Something that is adventurous involves new things or ideas. Warren was an adventurous cook. II. 喜欢冒险的. Someone who is adventurous is eager to visit new places and have new experiences. He had always wanted an adventurous life in the tropics. Every day was exciting and adventuresome. ) on national security, human rights and international law. Pompeo's evangelical faith ( [ˌivænˈdʒelɪk(ə)l] I. relating to a form of Christianity in which church services are very lively and people express their religious beliefs in an open and enthusiastic way. evangelical preachers. II. someone who is evangelical is very enthusiastic about something and likes to tell other people how good it is. III. Evangelical Christians emphasize the importance of the Bible and the need for personal belief in Christ. ...an evangelical Christian. IV. If you describe someone's behaviour as evangelical, you mean that it is very enthusiastic. With almost evangelical fervour, Marks warns against deliberately seeking a tan. vocabulary: Evangelical is a word to describe anyone who is super enthusiastic about something. You might meet an evangelical Christian or an evangelical cheerleader, or even an evangelical Christian cheerleader. Evangelical is an adjective originally used to describe a relationship to a particular school of Protestantism. More generally, evangelical is used to describe a strict belief in the Christian gospel and an emphasis on personal conversion to Christianity. Outside of church, the adjective evangelical can describe someone who is an extremely enthusiastic or zealous about a particular cause. An evangelical supporter of something will speak passionately and try very hard to get you to convert to their cause. fervor = fervour [ˈfɜrvər] very strong feeling, enthusiasm, or belief. Fervour for something is a very strong feeling for or belief in it. They were concerned only with their own religious fervour. religious/nationalistic/revolutionary fervor. ) and apocalyptic "End Times" 世界末日 views help explain US efforts to thwart another long-held British aim: a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine. The support for Israel of Pompeo and fellow Christian Zionists is unconditional and uncompromising. He once told Israelis Trump was sent by God to save the Jews from the Persians. "I am confident the Lord is at work here." A recent Pompeo speech elevating religious and property freedoms over other human rights, such as on abortion, was seen in Washington as a further fleshing out of an ultra-conservative platform in preparation for a 2024 presidential bid. Pompeo is an energetic networker. He has been investigated for using taxpayer-funded state department "Madison dinners" to cultivate wealthy political donors. In London last winter, he attended an "off-the-books" meeting of the Hamilton Society, a private US-UK group of well-connected business leaders. Days before last week's UK visit, when he condescendingly praised Boris Johnson for dumping China's Huawei and again ignored calls for justice for British hit-and-run victim Harry Dunn, Pompeo was in backwoods Iowa ( the backwoods 偏远的地方, 偏僻的地方 an area that is far away from any towns, usually a place that has not yet become modern. a place in the countryside that is a long way from any town and in which not many people live: I grew up in the backwoods, with no cable TV and no Internet access. If you refer to an area as the backwoods, you mean that it is a long way from large towns and is isolated from modern life. ...the backwoods of Louisiana. ...a backwoods section of Kentucky.), a key state for any future presidency. Lauding what he called his "100% pro-life foreign policy", he declared: "This administration appreciates and knows that our rights come from God, not government. Can I get an amen to that?" Some Americans may put their hands together. But ungodly ( I. very bad, or unreasonable. If you refer to the amount or volume of something as ungodly, you mean that it is excessive or unreasonable. ...a power struggle of ungodly proportions. an ungodly mess. II. old-fashioned not believing in or respecting God. III. If you refer to a time as an ungodly hour, you are emphasizing that it is very early in the morning. ...at the ungodly hour of 4.00am. III. If you describe someone or something as ungodly, you mean that they are morally bad or are opposed to religion. ) Britons who value hard-won 辛苦得来的, not divinely conferred 天赐的, 上天赐给的, democratic rights should beware. Here was an unscrupulous 没羞耻感的, 没道德观念的, ambitious and dangerous man – far smarter than Trump – feeding the prejudices, fears and schisms 分歧 ( [ˈskɪzəm] [ˈsɪzəm] an occasion when one group divides into two groups because of a disagreement. When there is a schism, a group or organization divides into two groups as a result of differences in thinking and beliefs. ...the great schism which divided the Christian world in the 11th century. The church seems to be on the brink of schism. ) of an alien, alienated society. With friends like these, who needs Russia?
