用法学习: 1. blow/knock your socks off informal If something knocks your socks off, you find it extremely exciting or good: I'm going to take you to a restaurant that'll knock your socks off. Knock yourself out ( help oneself, suit yourself) A remark that one tells another to go to the highest extreme to achieve or accomplish a task or a challenge. To go ahead; to do as one pleases. One can feel free (to do something); go ahead; one can do something for as long and as much as one likes. If you want to go through all the files one by one, knock yourself out, but I ain't doing that. We don't get overtime, so there's no reason to stay, but if Joan wants to she can knock herself out. "These cookies are my favorite! Can I have some?" "Sure, knock yourself out" (i.e. have as many as you want). (Sarcastically, indicating lack of interest) "I'm going to the store." / "Knock yourself out." Sheldon: I need to use the restroom. Guard: Knock yourself out. don't knock yourself out 悠着点, 别累着, 别太辛苦 (idiomatic, ironic) Don't overexert yourself (in doing something that does not require much effort). I'll get round to it soonish. — Well, don't knock yourself out! knock oneself out (to do something) (for someone or something) to make a great effort to do something for someone or some group. I knocked myself out to plan this party for you! She knocked herself out for us. I don't know why I knock myself out to do these things for you. You are not at all appreciative. He knocked himself out to get there on time. 2. forsake I. [literary, disapproval] If you forsake someone, you leave them when you should have stayed, or you stop helping them or looking after them. I still love him and I would never forsake him. ...children who've been forsaken 放弃, 抛弃, 丢弃, 不管 by individual teachers. I don't want him to feel forsaken and unhappy. Sheldon: Raj? You'll be there, won't you? (Shirt plays "incorrect" quiz sound) All right, then, my so-called friends have forsaken 丢下不管 me. So, I guess it'll just be me and my eyewitness. Penny: Oh, balls. Sheldon: Please try to wear something appropriate. It won't help my case if the judge is busy trying to read the word Juicy scrawled across your buttocks. II. If you forsake something 放弃使用, 放弃权利, you stop doing it, using it, or having it. He doubted their claim to have forsaken military solutions to the civil war. But that didn't make her forsake her ideals. She forsook her notebook for new technology. III. If you forsake a place or a thing, you leave it or go away from it. At 53 he has no plans to forsake the hills. Big Bang Theory: Penny: What is this? Sheldon: I've taken the liberty of scripting your appearance on the witness stand because, let's face it, you're somewhat of a loose cannon. Now, don't worry, it's written in your vernacular. So shall we rehearse? Penny: Do I have a choice? Sheldon: Well, of course you have a choice. Although we live in a deterministic universe( [dɪˌtərmɪnˈɪstɪk] II. using or believing in the idea that everything is caused by another event or action and so you are not free to choose what you do. I. Deterministic forces and factors cause things to happen in a way that cannot be changed. Genetics is probabilistic, not deterministic. determinism 事出皆有因, 万事有因就有果, 万事皆非偶然 Determinism is the belief that all actions and events result from other actions, events, or situations, so people cannot in fact choose what to do. I don't believe in historical determinism. ), each individual has free will. Now, sit down. I call your attention to the events of November 16. Do you remember that date? Penny (reading): Darn tootin', I do, if the court will excuse my homespun, corn-fed Nebraskan turn of phrase 用词(I. simple and not learned from books. 世代传下来的. homespun ideas/philosophy/wisdom. II. homespun clothes are made from cloth that someone has produced at home. turn of phrase 表达方式 If someone has a particular turn of phrase, they have a particular way of expressing themselves in words. Rose's stories weren't bad; she had a nice turn of phrase. ...Schwarzkopf's distinctive turn of phrase. a. an expression. That's a rather unfortunate turn of phrase. II. a particular way of expressing yourself. As a letter writer he had a neat turn of phrase. vocabulary: A turn of phrase is a way of expressing something, in writing or speech, that stands out in some particular way. If you say you're "jumping out of your skin," you're using a familiar turn of phrase. You might describe a poet or songwriter as using an elegant or graceful turn of phrase — you mean that she has a way with words. And you probably won't ask your friend known for his awkward turns of phrase to give a speech at your wedding. The first known use of this phrase was in 1779 by Benjamin Franklin. Experts guess that its origin lies in the sense of words being "turned" like wood on a lathe. ). Sheldon: Excellent. Go on. Penny: The reason that date is, like, so totally fixed in my memory is that I had the privilege to be witness to one of the most heroic acts I've ever seen in, like, ever. Sheldon: And who performed that heroic act 英雄行为? Penny: Why, you did, sir. You. Dr. Sheldon Cooper, and may I add, it is a privilege to know you. Sheldon: There's no need for compliments, this court is only interested in the facts. Penny: But it is a fact that it's a privilege to know you. Totally. A teardrop rolls down my cheek? Sheldon: Only a suggestion. A catch in your throat(a catch in your voice/throat 语带哽咽 a short pause that you make when you are speaking, because you feel upset or are beginning to cry There was a catch in Anne’s voice and she seemed close to tears. throat-catching 让人哽咽到说不出话的 adj Causing the breath or voice to seem to catch in the throat; producing a sensation of tightness or pressure in the throat, especially as a result of strong emotion; characterized by this.) would work just as well. Judge: Pay the cashier. Sheldon Cooper? Sheldon: Good morning, Your Honour. Dr. Sheldon Cooper appearing in pro se. That is to say, representing himself. Judge: I know what it means. I went to law school. Sheldon: And yet you wound up in traffic court. Anyway, if it would please the court, I'd like to begin with an opening statement. Judge: The court would advise you to make it quick, as the court had a dicey-looking ( dicey [British, informal] slightly dangerous or uncertain. Something that is dicey is slightly dangerous or uncertain. There was a dicey moment as one of our party made a risky climb up the cliff wall. The company's finances look a little dicey.) breakfast burrito this morning and just took an Imodium. Sheldon: Very well, a quick opening statement. Like a milking stool, my case rests on three legs. I will demonstrate that I was improperly instructed in driving by a woman whose lack of respect for society borders on the sociopathic. I will argue that the emergency met the legal doctrine of quod est necessarium est licitum, that which is necessary is legal. But first, I will raise a Sixth Amendment issue. I'm unable to confront my accuser, a non-human entity, to wit, a camera. So, to sum up, improper instruction, quod est necessarium est licitum, Sixth Amendment. My milk stool is complete. Judge: Impressive. Sheldon: Thank you. Judge: Guilty. Pay the cashier. Sheldon: I object. You're completely ignoring the law. Judge: No, I'm following the law. I'm ignoring you. Sheldon: Really? I would point out that I am at the top of my profession, while you preside over the kiddy table 小孩过家家的 of yours. Judge: Dr. Cooper, before I find you in contempt and throw you in jail, I'm going to give you a chance to apologize for that last remark. Sheldon: I am a scientist. I never apologize for the truth. 3. entail 使成为必要, 使成为必需, 使成为必须(entrails [ˈentrəlz] 肠子, 内脏 the organs inside the body of a person or animal, especially the intestines. The entrails of people or animals are their inside parts, especially their intestines.) I. involve (something) as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence. If one thing entails another, it involves it or causes it. Such a decision would entail a huge political risk. The changed outlook entails higher economic growth than was previously assumed. The job of a choreologist entails teaching the performance of dance movements. I'll never accept parole because that entails me accepting guilt. "a situation which entails considerable risks". II. limit the inheritance of (property) over a number of generations so that ownership remains within a particular family or group. to create a legal condition that property can only be passed to particular people, for example, only to an oldest son: entail sth to sb 传男不传女 Due to a restrictive clause in an ancestor's will, the property was entailed to male-line descendants. "her father's estate was entailed on a cousin". a limitation of the inheritance of property to certain heirs over a number of generations. "the damage being done in England by entails". a property bequeathed under an entail. "the spinning mills were not part of the entail". III. cause to experience or possess (something) permanently or inescapably. "I cannot get rid of the disgrace which you have entailed upon us". necessitate [nəˈsesɪˌteɪt] to make something necessary. If something necessitates an event, action, or situation, it makes it necessary. A prolonged drought had necessitated the introduction of water rationing. Frank was carrying out fuel-system tests which necessitated turning the booster pumps off. New laws will necessitate rethinking our retirement policy. to give rise to 引起, 引发, 导致 If something gives rise to an event or situation, it causes that event or situation to happen. Low levels of choline in the body can give rise to high blood-pressure. The picture gave rise to speculation that the three were still alive and being held captive. indispensable [ˌɪndɪˈspensəb(ə)l] 必备的, 必有的, 必要的, 不可缺少的, 必不可少的, 不可或缺的 difficult or impossible to exist without or to do something without. Something or someone that is indispensable is so good or important that you could not manage without it, him, or her: This book is an indispensable resource for researchers. His long experience at the United Nations makes him indispensable to the talks. International cooperation is indispensable to resolving the problem of the drug trade. Barack Obama Offers Trump Advice In Inauguration Letter: 'American Leadership in This World Really is Indispensable. gratuitous [ɡrəˈtuɪtəs] adj I. 不必要的, 没来由的. 没头没脑的. 无缘无故的. not called for by the circumstances. not necessary, appropriate, or justified. unwarranted. done or shown without any good reason. If you describe something as gratuitous, you mean that it is unnecessary, and often harmful or upsetting. There's too much crime and gratuitous violence on TV. ...his insistence on offering gratuitous advice. They wanted me to change the title to something less gratuitously offensive. There's too much gratuitous violence in the movie. a gratuitous insult. a gratuitous assumption. a movie criticized for gratuitous violence. II. given unearned or without recompense We mistake the gratuitous blessings of Heaven for the fruits of our own industry. III. costing nothing. It was printed in France at the author's expense, for gratuitous distribution to educators and others. III. not involving a return benefit, compensation, or consideration has gratuitous permission to pass over private land. dispensable 可有可无的, 可替换的(expendable) more than you need and therefore not necessary; that can be got rid of. If someone or something is dispensable they are not really needed. All those people in the middle are dispensable. It seemed the soldiers were regarded as dispensable - their deaths just didn't matter. dispense 分发 I. If someone dispenses something that they own or control, they give or provide it to a number of people. The Union had already dispensed £40,000 in grants. The local welfare office is where government dispenses many of its services. I thought of myself as a patriarch, dispensing words of wisdom to all my children. to provide something such as a service, especially officially. dispense justice 维护正义: the failure of the country's authorities to dispense justice. II. If you obtain a product by getting it out of a machine, you can say that the machine dispenses the product. if a machine dispenses something such as food, drink, or money, it gives it to you. For two weeks, the cash machine was unable to dispense 吐钱 出钱 money. The lotion is dispensed by a handy pump action spray. III. When a chemist dispenses medicine 备药, he or she prepares it, and gives or sells it to the patient or customer. Some shops gave wrong or inadequate advice when dispensing homeopathic medicines. Four out of five prescriptions are dispensed free to people who are exempt. Doctors confine themselves to prescribing rather than dispensing. dispense with去除, 祛除, 取消, 去掉 If you dispense with something, you stop using it or get rid of it completely, especially because you no longer need it. Now supermarkets are dispensing with checkouts, making you scan your own groceries. to no longer use someone or something because you no longer want or need them. dispense with the formalities (=to not do things usually done in a social situation in order to do something more important immediately): I think we all know each other, so we can dispense with the formalities. dispense with someone's services (=stop employing them): We have reluctantly decided to dispense with Porter's services after a series of poor results. 4. Brittany Higgins to pursue complaint of rape in Parliament office with Australian Federal Police: Ms Higgins said she decided not to pursue a complaint with the police as she felt pressure that it would affect her job. "We were already coming up against so 面临着 many blocks and I realised my job was on the line. I didn't feel like I had a choice," she said. "There is a strange culture of silence in the parties … The idea of speaking out on these sorts of issues, especially around an [election] campaign, is just like letting the team down, you are not a team player.
slanted VS crooked VS titled VS lopsided: slanted [ˈslɑːntɪd] adj. I. sloping or leaning in a particular direction. Something that slants is sloping, rather than horizontal or vertical. The morning sun slanted through the glass roof. Battered pine floors slanted down to a Georgian window. ...slanting green eyes. "a slanted roof". a. If something is on a slant, it is in a slanting position. You're slightly above the garden because the house is on a slant. ...long pockets cut on the slant. II. (of information) presented or viewed from a particular angle, especially in a biased or unfair way. done in a way that gives more attention or support to a particular person, group, or idea. The station was criticized for its slanted reporting of news events. The book is heavily slanted toward American business methods. "the newspaper's slanted 偏向的 coverage could be seen in its use of emotive language". If information or a system is slanted, it is made to show favour towards a particular group or opinion. The programme was deliberately slanted to make the home team look good. The electoral system, which is heavily slanted towards the ruling party, needs to be changed. Growing angrier, Mr van der Veen accuses Zak of asking a "slanted question" and the media generally being "bloodthirsty for ratings". "When I watch the news, I watch one station and it's raining. I watch another station at the same time, and it's sunny. Your coverage is so slanted, it's got to stop," he says. slant noun. A particular slant on a subject is a particular way of thinking about it, especially one that is unfair. The political slant at Focus can be described as centre-right. They give a slant to every single news item that's put on the air. lopsided [ˌlɑpˈsaɪdəd] I. not equal. Something that is lopsided is uneven because one side is lower or heavier than the other. His suit had shoulders that made him look lopsided. not even or level because one side is larger, higher, or heavier than the other. a lopsided smile. ...a friendly, lopsided grin. II. If you say that a situation is lopsided, you mean that one element is much stronger, bigger, or more important than another element. In 1916, Georgia Tech beat Cumberland 222-0. No game since has been that lopsided 一边倒的. ...lopsided 严重不平衡的, 不均衡的 economic relations. crooked I. If you describe something as crooked, especially something that is usually straight, you mean that it is bent or twisted. ...the crooked line of his broken nose. ...a crooked little tree. II. A crooked smile is uneven and bigger on one side than the other. Polly gave her a crooked grin. III. If you describe a person or an activity as crooked, you mean that they are dishonest or criminal. ...a crooked cop. She might expose his crooked business deals to her tax inspector brother. tilt verb. I. If you tilt an object or if it tilts, it moves into a sloping position with one end or side higher than the other. She tilted the mirror and began to comb her hair. Leonard tilted his chair back on two legs and stretched his long body. The boat instantly tilted, filled and sank. II. If you tilt part of your body, usually your head, you move it slightly upwards or to one side. Mari tilted her head back so that she could look at him. The nurse tilted his head to the side and inspected the wound. She tilted her face to kiss me quickly on the chin. III. If a person or thing tilts towards a particular opinion or if something tilts them towards it, they change slightly so that they become more in agreement with that opinion or position. When the political climate tilted towards fundamentalism, he was threatened. He continued to urge the Conservative Party to tilt rightwards. The paper has done much to tilt American public opinion in favour of intervention. tilt noun I. The tilt of something is the fact that it tilts or slopes, or the angle at which it tilts or slopes. ...calculations based on our understanding of the tilt 倾斜度 of the Earth's axis. ...the abrupt tilt of the hill. The 3-metre-square slabs are on a tilt. II. If there is a tilt towards a particular opinion or position 倾向于, that opinion or position is favoured or begins to be favoured. The chairman criticised the plan for its tilt towards higher taxes rather than lower spending. III. A tilt at something is an attempt to win or obtain it. His first tilt at Parliament came in the same year but he failed to win the seat. He was determined to use his remaining year with Manchester United for one last tilt at the League title.
fortitude VS moxie VS vigour (vigor) VS rigour (rigor): 1. fortitude [ˈfɔrtɪˌtud] 埋头苦干的 [formal, approval] a brave and determined attitude. If you say that someone has shown fortitude, you admire them for being brave, calm, and uncomplaining when they have experienced something unpleasant or painful. He suffered a long series of illnesses with tremendous dignity and fortitude. She bore her long illness with great fortitude. 2. moxie [ˈmɒksi] 不服输的劲儿, 打不倒的劲头, 意志力, 不肯放弃的坚韧, 勇气, 决心 American informal courage, nerve, or vigour. force of character, determination, or nerve. "when you've got the moxie, you need the clothes to match". It took some moxie to talk Pat into making that change. Big bang theory: I feel like I've got poached testicles.
Oh, you poor thing; you're sweating. That's so much worse than having
your car stolen. Insurance is gonna buy you a new car. It's not gonna de-funk 除臭 my junk. Gentlemen, a little less bellyaching ( bellyache [ˈbeliˌeɪk] 唠唠叨叨, 默默叨叨, 抱怨 verb intransitive informal [ˈbeliˌeɪk] to complain a lot in a way that annoys other people.).
We're Starfleet officers and a member of the Borg Collective. Please,
Sheldon, I am so not in the mood. Leonard, all our lives we have dreamed
of finding ourselves inside one of the fantasy worlds we love. And look
at us. At this moment, we are, in fact, a Star Trek landing party stranded in an alien 陌生的 and unforgiving environment( I. If you describe someone as unforgiving, you mean that they are unwilling to forgive other people. He was an unforgiving man who never forgot a slight. He finds human foibles endearing, but is unforgiving of pretension.
II. If you describe a situation or activity as unforgiving, you mean
that it causes a lot of people to experience great difficulty or
failure, even people who deserve to succeed. Business is a competitive activity. It is very fierce and very unforgiving. ), relying only on our wits, our fortitude 坚毅 and our moxie ( courage, nerve, or vigour). vocabulary: If you have moxie, you won't let a minor setback stop you from trying again, because you're a determined person who doesn't give up easily. Moxie describes someone with a fighting spirit. A boxer needs moxie in order to get up after being punched in the face, and a computer programmer who spends years building a video game has a lot of moxie. The word moxie comes from a soft drink named Moxie that tastes like sugary cough medicine and claimed it would "build up your nerve." Someone who is brave enough to drink an entire can of that curious beverage clearly has moxie. 3. vigour = vigor [ˈvɪɡər] 活力, 精力, 不知疲倦劲儿 Vigor is physical or mental energy and enthusiasm. mental energy, enthusiasm, and determination. After a brief rest, she returned to the job with renewed vigor. He has approached his job with renewed vigor. Our Strategic Intelligence capabilities are purposely planned to boost your business extension and elucidate the vigor of diverse industry. We hold distinguished units of highly expert analysts and consultants according to their respective domains. We get empirical data from experts on market forecast or market current scenario from primary and secondary research report data, all under the roof. elucidate [ɪˈlusɪˌdeɪt] verb. to make something easier to understand by giving more information. If you elucidate something, you make it clear and easy to understand. Haig went on to elucidate his personal principle of war. There was no need for him to elucidate. ...Gerald's attempts at elucidation. vocabulary: If your new puppy runs all over the house, jumps on the furniture, and enthusiastically chews up your socks, you may congratulate yourself on your new pup's vigor, or lively sense of energg. Aside from mental or physical vitality, the noun vigor can be applied to an imaginative style of thought or expression and also to a forceful intensity. "The jury was not only willing to acquit the defendant, but also nominate him for sainthood, by the time his attorney had delivered, with vigor, an impassioned plea for his client's innocence." 4. rigour [UK] = rigor [ˈrɪɡər] I. 宁折不弯, 严厉程度. 严谨程度. the quality of being strict or severe. Until 1948 the law was enforced with varying degrees of rigor from district to district. If something is done with rigour, it is done in a strict, thorough way. the quality of being extremely thorough and careful. "his analysis is lacking in rigour". The new current affairs series addresses challenging issues with freshness and rigour. The 35-page independent report released last week was prompted by former player Heritier Lumumba's claims of racism. It found that Collingwood had an unhealthy culture of protecting individuals ahead of the club. Lumumba refused to participate in the report, saying he was doubtful of Collingwood's rigour in addressing the issues. II. If you refer to the rigours 高强度, 决心程度, 强度, 困难度, 高要求 of an activity or job, you mean the difficult, demanding, or unpleasant things that are associated with it. the quality of being unyielding or inflexible: Their abandonment of this terminology is part of an effort to soften the rigor of some of the rigid consequences thought to flow from the mechanical application of this dichotomy. He found the rigours 强度 of the tour too demanding. ...the rigours of childbirth. the rigors of sth the unpleasant or severe conditions of something: They survived the rigors of the winter. The very fact that the government has been in office a lot more than Labor changes the career trajectories of people working for both sides of politics, and the speed with which they are burned up and out by the rigours of government. the fact that people are made to follow rules in a very severe way: They were punished with unusual rigor. III. 突然浑身发冷. a sudden feeling of cold with shivering accompanied by a rise in temperature, often with copious sweating, especially at the onset or height of a fever. a tremor caused by a chill This young woman presented at the hospital with severe abdominal pain and signs of infection, including fever, rigor, and leukocytosis. rigor mortis [ˌrɪɡər ˈmɔrtɪs] a condition that affects the body after death, in which it becomes stiff. Dr. Cooper, if you can promise me these men share your intellect and academic rigor 学术水平, 学术能力, 才能, 能力, yeah, I suppose they can join us. Academic Rigor refers to a certain standard of excellence that professors and administrators expect of their students. These standards are sometimes made clear to students through examples, instruction and rubrics. Sometimes these standards are less defined. Academic rigor is about creating lessons that challenge students. Unfortunately, educators haven't always produced a clear definition of what academic rigor is. Some administrators answer vaguely 回答的很含糊 when prodded for examples after observing the teacher and students in the classroom. Knowing what you're looking for and being able to articulate its definition isn't easy. It breeds ambiguity. As a result, teachers may be tempted to make assignments harder or longer to create academic rigor. That's not academic rigor. It's insanity, but it happens every day in schools. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. To get the results you want, you must change your approach to academic rigor.
Cuomo brothers accused of showboating while thousands of seniors died: Embattled 陷入大麻烦的 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's catastrophic failure surrounding the state's growing nursing home scandal represents a permanent stain on a legacy tainted with deceit, chaos and thousands of deaths, critics are saying -- and he could be taking his younger brother down with him. Cuomo's nursing home controversy came under renewed focus 再度引起关注 last week when his top aide admitted that his administration had withheld the true number of COVID-19 related deaths at nursing homes to avoid federal scrutiny, as first reported by the New York Post. The state was forced to acknowledge a death toll among nursing home residents that reached close to 15,000 after initially reporting 8,500 -- a figure that excluded residents who died in a hospital. Cuomo's directive 指令 for nursing homes to accept patients who had or were suspected of having COVID-19 has since been deemed "one of the biggest scandals of the pandemic." The decision created an onslaught of COVID-19 cases that infected a large part of the state's elderly patients and resulted in thousands of deaths among its most vulnerable population. But as New York residents began to raise questions over the surging death toll in senior care facilities, the governor's little brother and most ardent ( I. feeling or showing a particular emotion very strongly, especially in support of someone or something. They remain ardent supporters of the Democratic Party. an ardent feminist. II. literary showing very strong feelings of love toward someone. ) protector, Chris Cuomo, offered him a platform on his CNN show, "Cuomo Prime Time," to appeal to viewers by conducting playful on-air conversations, largely avoiding the nursing home scandal entirely. "This isn't just a government scandal. It's a media scandal," New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz wrote in a recent column. "For while the Cuomo administration was sentencing seniors to death, the media was busy fawning over 献媚 Cuomo in a series of softball 不痛不痒的, 避重就轻的 interviews, many of them conducted by his own brother." As grieving New Yorkers angrily awaited answers, the Cuomo brothers joked on air about trivial matters, wondering aloud which of the two would be considered their mother's favorite child and even resorting to physical comedy when the CNN anchor presented a cartoonishly oversized cotton swab for his brother to use for a coronavirus test. Days after the elder Cuomo reversed course 大转变, 态度大变, 大转向 and signed an executive order on May 11 stopping hospitals from sending infected patients back to nursing homes and ramping up testing for staff, he appeared on his brother's show for a 25-minute sit-down that made no mention of the nursing home death toll. "He's my big brother. I love him. Of course, I'm not objective 客观的 ( noun. something that you plan to achieve, especially in business or work. objective of: I'm not sure I understand the objective of this exercise. main/primary/principal objective: The principal objective of the department is to identify market opportunities. achieve an objective: The team has been successful in achieving challenging objectives. adj: key, main, overriding, primary, prime, principal, ultimate. Verbs: accomplish, achieve, attain, fulfill, meet, reach. ), but let's call it straight. Look at the state, look at the numbers... Yes, he's my brother," the younger Cuomo said at the time. "There's no question. I can cry about it in a second, but the results are there for all to see. Was it perfect? No, you tell me what is, but look at the state our country's in. And if you don't think this is going to be reflected in what happens in November, then you haven't been paying attention." Along the way, Gov. Cuomo emerged as a darling of the liberal media, writing a book about his leadership throughout the pandemic. Months of glowing 热情洋溢的 coverage from his brother's network even earned him an Emmy Award for his coronavirus briefings. A bombshell development in the scandal embroiling both brothers emerged last week when the Post reported that Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, told leading Empire State Democrats during a video conference call that the administration misrepresented the true number of deaths to DOJ investigators over fears that the data could "be used against us." Since the scandal broke, a growing number of Democrats are joining calls to rescind 收回 Gov. Cuomo's emergency executive powers, blasting the administration's defense of its secrecy, as his brother remains silent. Gov. Cuomo has defended himself in the wake of the nursing home report by saying, "Everybody did the best they could." In a press conference Friday, he said the state followed federal guidance. "If you think there was a mistake, then go talk to the federal government," he said. "It's not about pointing fingers or blame, this became a political football."
Putin's patriots: Vladimir Putin wants to reclaim Russia's former glory, and he expects the support of Russians across the globe, wherever they may live. A Four Corners investigation has uncovered the activities of a cluster of dedicated pro-Russian nationalist groups operating here. Some are explicit about their mission — to wage a propaganda war to help further the Kremlin's global agenda — prompting analysts to warn Australia that it should be paying close attention. The Night Wolves are Vladimir Putin's favourite motorcycle club. Their nickname is "Putin's Angels". The Russian arm of the club has been described as a "proxy" for the Kremlin: willing to carry out or support military operations at arms-length from the Russian government. For the past six years they have been establishing a presence in Australia. The Australian chapter 分支 of the Night Wolves was founded in 2015. The club says it now has about 40 to 50 members in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. According to Mark Galeotti, an associate with London-based security thinktank the Royal United Services Institute, the presence of the Night Wolves in Australia creates a potential opportunity for the Kremlin. "It's entirely plausible that for example a new chapter gets opened because you have ethnic Russians who enjoy motorbiking," said Mr Galeotti. "Once it's present … these things become a potential bridgehead 桥头堡( I. 桥头阵地. a strong position held by an army on enemy land from which they can attack. A bridgehead is a good position which an army has taken in the enemy's territory and from which it can advance or attack. A bridgehead was established. II. a strong position from which progress can be made, for example in business. a bridge too far I. 太离谱了. 太夸张了. a step or act that is regarded as being too drastic to take. "having Botox would be a bridge too far". II. 太勉强了. 太难实现了. 不现实的. something that is very difficult to achieve. "that second goal proved a bridge too far". NSW Opposition Leader Jodi McKay denies writing letter of support for convicted paedophile: The NSW Opposition Leader says suggestions she wrote a letter of support for a convicted paedophile are "offensive", amid calls from a senior Liberal for her to resign. She said she did not advocate on the man's behalf or express support for his case and a "much respected" constituent had simply requested documentation be passed on from her electorate office. "To be honest, quite frankly, I'm outraged at the suggestion that I would write a letter of support for this person," she said. "It was not addressed to anyone, it had 'to whom it may concern'. Police Minister David Elliott has called on the Opposition Leader to resign. "Why would a member of Parliament defend anyone who has been convicted of paedophilia," he told Nine radio. "This is a bridge too far ... suggesting well 'I was just referring the letter on' well they're called official parliamentary representations, that's what she does ... she signed it." But Ms McKay, who represents the Sydney electorate of Strathfield, said she had a strict rule in her office against writing letters of support. "This is just a Government muck-raking 扒粪 ( muckraking [ˈmʌkˌreɪkɪŋ] [disapproval] the practice of looking for and publishing evidence that a famous person has done something wrong. If you accuse someone of muck-raking, you are criticizing them for finding and spreading unpleasant or embarrassing information about someone, especially a public figure. The Prime Minister accused opposition leaders of muck-raking. muck I. 尘土. Muck is dirt or some other unpleasant substance. This congealed muck was interfering with the filter. II. 动物粪便. Muck is animal faeces. He could smell muck and clean fresh hay. III. [informal, disapproval] If you refer to something as muck, you are emphasizing that you think it is of very bad quality. I can't eat this muck. The script is utterly banal. It is incredible that human minds can put such muck on to paper. banal [bəˈnɑl] [disapproval] something that is banal is boring because it contains nothing new, original, or unusual. If you describe something as banal, you do not like it because you think that it is so ordinary that it is not at all effective or interesting. The text is banal. Bland, banal music tinkled discreetly from hidden loudspeakers. The allegations ranged from the banal to the bizarre. his banal observations on the game. another banal TV sitcom. ), particularly David Elliott who is a bully and this is how he operates and I think people want better than this," she said. "If David Elliott believes this is something MPs should know then by all means release the criminal records of every person in NSW." ). It's not as if they suddenly become instruments ( I. an object that is used as a weapon. an instrument 凶器 of torture/death. II. formal someone or something that can be used in order to make something happen. Something that is an instrument for achieving a particular aim is used by people to achieve that aim. The veto has been a traditional instrument of diplomacy for centuries. The government has a number of policy instruments it can use for this purpose. instrument of: an important instrument of quality control. a. a person who someone uses to help achieve a result. instrument of: The missionaries believed they were instruments of God. ) of the Kremlin, it's that the Kremlin can potentially reach out and use them in some way." The Night Wolves have not always been Kremlin supporters. The club formed in the 1980s, as part of a cultural rebellion against Soviet rule. But under Vladimir Putin, the Russian club and its members have been "co-opted " by the Kremlin, according to Mr Galeotti. "[The Kremlin] looked at the kind of nationalist macho values that they espouse 支持 ( [ɪˈspaʊz] to give your support to an idea, principle, or belief. If you espouse a particular policy, cause, or belief, you become very interested in it and give your support to it. She ran away with him to Mexico and espoused the revolutionary cause. the policies espoused by the government of Japan. ) and said, 'Actually, those are now our values and we can do something with it,'" he said. The Russian club's president Alexander Zaldostanov is a celebrity in Russia due to his friendship with Vladimir Putin. Mr Zaldostanov is known as "The Surgeon" due to his medical training. Vladimir Putin has ridden with Zaldostanov and the Night Wolves, including in Crimea. As a result of their involvement in the 2014 conflict in Ukraine, which included fighting with and supporting pro-Russian separatists, the United States Treasury has placed financial sanctions on the Russian Night Wolves and Mr Zaldostanov. The Australian club is not sanctioned, and they insist their role is benign: that they hold rides to commemorate historical Russian military victories and do charity work 从事慈善工作 with the Russian-Australian community. "The Night Wolves is a patriotic club. We organise events to commemorate World War I, World War II, the victims who died in all these wars," said Australian national president Vladimir Simonian. National vice-president Sasha Duganov says members can't join unless they own a motorbike. "We don't do drugs, we don't do weapons, we don't do any of that stuff. We just want to show the world … that Russia has a massive history and we are trying to keep it up." When the Australian chapter was established, Mr Simonian was named by Mr Zaldostanov in a congratulatory message posted online. Mr Duganov has also posted pictures of himself with Mr Zaldostanov on social media, while members of the Russian club have visited Sydney. NSW Police say they are aware of the Night Wolves motorcycle club and their reputation in Russia, but police do not consider them an outlaw motorcycle gang in NSW. Police have noted "Night Wolves members travelling to Australia for a number of years. But there is no information or intelligence to suggest their presence relates to criminal activity." The Night Wolves are among an international network of patriots determined to remind the world that Vladimir Putin's Russia is a force to be reckoned with. The Cossacks are descendants of a group of Russian horsemen who fought with Tsarist forces during the Russian civil war. They are known for their suppression of popular protests in Russia and were one of the key pro-Russian groups fighting against Ukrainian forces in Crimea in 2014. Sydney-born Simeon Boikov is the leader of the Australian Cossacks, which styles itself as a military unit. Mr Boikov has led groups of Australian Cossacks to Russia, where they fired guns and toured a military training facility. The son of an Orthodox priest, he is unambiguous about the group's role here. "The purpose of the Cossacks in Australia is to preserve Cossack traditions, culture, values, and also to promote pro-Russian sentiment," he told Four Corners. "So our job as Russian patriots … is to be mobilised and be active in defending Russia. We believe that it's not enough just to be Russian, you must support Russia." In 2018, Mr Boikov was referring to Australia when he told a Russian media outlet that "we have a unique opportunity to support Russia from within an enemy state". He said Cossacks in Australia could "pursue a pro-Russian position, lobby politicians and members of parliament, oppose anyone who lies about Russia, attacks Russia or imposes sanctions. Basically, they can wage an information war." When Four Corners asked why he regarded Australia as an enemy state, he responded: "Australia in this context, a state which is placing sanctions against Russia and behaving in an anti-Russian manner, in that way could be perceived that the activities are not the activities of an ally." Mr Boikov talks a relentlessly pro-Russian line, including denying any Russian involvement in the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 in which 283 people died, 38 of them Australians. Just eight months after the tragedy, Mr Boikov travelled to Moscow to visit one of the pro-Russian separatist leaders accused of responsibility for the downing of MH17, Igor Girkin, aka "Strelkov". Strelkov is currently being tried in the Netherlands, in absentia, on murder charges related to the atrocity. "Igor Strelkov is a hero of Novorossia," Mr Boikov told Four Corners. "He didn't shoot down MH17, neither did anyone on the Russian side. MH17 was shot down by Ukraine, over Ukrainian territory in Ukrainian airspace. Had nothing to do with Russia. Very simple." "They can make whatever kangaroo court 装模做样的审批 ( an unofficial court held by a group of people in order to try someone regarded, especially without good evidence, as guilty of a crime or misdemeanour. "they conducted a kangaroo court there and then". ) they like. If we shot the plane down, I'm sure we would have admitted it." Mr Boikov and his fellow Cossacks have also tried to silence the local Ukrainian community, taunting parishioners and their priest outside a Ukrainian church in Sydney over the Russian military incursion into Ukraine. Also present was Vladimir Simonian, the president of the Night Wolves Australia motorcycle club. Mr Boikov (far right) was filmed taunting parishioners and their priest outside a Ukrainian church in Sydney saying Crimea is part of Russia. Mr Boikov defends his actions. "If we wanted to, we could have done something much worse, but we wouldn't do that because we don't promote breaking the law, we don't promote radicalism. That's un-Australian. "But it's good to remind other people in our physical presence, just people seeing the fact that Cossacks are there and so forth is enough to discourage anti-Russian activities." Last month, when protesters marched in central Sydney over the jailing of Russia's main opposition leader Alexey Navalny, Mr Boikov led a counter-protest. "We're here with our President … Supporting Vladimir Putin against these opposition scum," he told Four Corners during the march. Simeon Boikov tells Four Corners that Russia's main opposition leader Alexey Navalny should be 'liquidated'. Mr Boikov insists that he loves Australia and wants to improve Australian-Russian relations. He also acknowledges the opportunities presented by Australia's democratic freedoms. "Australian laws are very, very relaxed," he said. "Australia is a very good place if you want to promote a foreign agenda." Early last year, Mr Boikov helped found the newest Russian nationalist organisation in Australia, called the Double Headed Eagle Society, dedicated to spreading pro-Putin propaganda. The Double Headed Eagle Society bills itself as a Russian historical organisation, but has also been accused overseas of involvement in espionage activities. It is chaired by a powerful Russian oligarch, Konstantin Malofeev, who made his fortune in the telecommunications industry. The society's founding executive director was Leonid Reshetnikov, a former general in the Russian foreign intelligence service, the SVR. In 2019 Mr Reshetnikov and Mr Malofeev were banned from Bulgaria for 10 years over allegations they used the Double Headed Eagle Society for espionage operations involving alleged money laundering. While Mr Reshetnikov was still in charge, Russian national Valeriy Malinovskiy and Australian Cossack Simeon Boikov were appointed heads of the inaugural Australian chapter of the Double Headed Eagle Society. "The agenda of our branch is to promote Russian culture, to educate people, to [dispel] this misconception about Russia," Mr Malinovskiy told Four Corners. Mr Malinovskiy and Mr Boikov run an Australian newspaper, Russian Frontier, printed in English and Russian which publishes a determinedly pro-Putin editorial line. "With the media here in Australia ... what we hear every day is that Russia is bad, the narrative is negative," Mr Malinovskiy said. "I think we're trying to show the other side of the coin, that people can actually make their own decision." Former Australian intelligence analyst Kyle Wilson told Four Corners the Double Headed Eagle Society can be viewed in the context of "hybrid" or "new generation" warfare, whereby misinformation is used as a weapon. "The present Russian leadership makes no bones about the fact that it sees itself at war with what it calls the West," he said. "The prosecution of that information war in Australia [is] clearly designed to try to get the Australian government to change its policies … so that they would be perceived as serving Russia's interests and not being hostile to Russia." Kyle Wilson is also a visiting fellow at the Centre for European Studies at the Australian National University. Last year, Mr Wilson became a target of Russian Frontier after penning an article about Mr Boikov's pro-Russian influence activities in Australia, infuriating Mr Boikov. In the next edition of Russian Frontier Mr Wilson was branded an "enemy of Russia" and "an anti-Russian conspiracy theorist." Mr Boikov told Four Corners, "I'm not going to tolerate people like Kyle Wilson bashing our community, writing hysterical articles against Russia. We have a newspaper, and we'll use that to defend Russian interests." Mr Wilson told Four Corners this was a classic tactic used to discredit political opponents in Russia. "The abuse, the vituperation ( vituperation [vɪtjuːpə'reɪʃən] aggressively abusive language. Vituperation is language that is full of hate, anger, or insults. bitter and abusive language. "no one else attracted such vituperation from him". He was subject to constant insults and vituperation. ), the questioning of my motives, the impugning ( impugn [ɪmˈpjun] if you impugn someone's motives, you say that they do not deserve to be trusted or respected. If you impugn something such as someone's motives or integrity, you imply that they are not entirely honest or honourable. The Secretary's letter questions my veracity and impugns my motives. All I can hope is that the good name of the Bank will not be impugned in some way. vocabulary: To impugn means to call into question or attack as wrong. If your usually grumpy brother is suddenly nice and sweet, you'll impugn his motives if you're smart — he probably just wants something from you. The root of impugn is the Latin pugnare which means "to fight," so when you impugn, you are fighting or attacking, but by saying that something is false or wrong. If a candidate has a record that cannot be impugned, his or her opponent might go for a character attack. If you take pride in your work, you will be especially insulted if someone impugns your professionalism or integrity. ) of my integrity by implying that I had been commissioned to write the article and had been paid by someone ... Well, these are familiar tactics." Russia's interest in Australia is not just political. Australia is also seen as a valuable destination for investment, especially in the mining industry. One of Russia's notorious oligarchs, Oleg Deripaska, has a significant investment in Queensland. Oleg Deripaska is a billionaire tycoon who made his fortune during the violent power struggle to take over Russia's lucrative aluminium industry in the 1990s. In making his fortune, he's been accused of organising the murder of a rival, bribing an official and having Russian mafia links. The US Treasury accuses Mr Deripaska of laundering money and holding assets for Vladimir Putin. A company that Mr Deripaska has a large shareholding in, Rusal, has a 20 per cent stake in Australian company Queensland Alumina Limited. Mining giant Rio Tinto owns the remaining 80 per cent. The US Senate Intelligence Committee has found "Deripaska's companies, including Rusal, are proxies for the Kremlin, including for Russian government influence efforts, economic measures and diplomatic relations". Mr Deripaska, like other Russian oligarchs, owes his ongoing wealth and position in Russia to the Kremlin, said author and former Moscow correspondent Catherine Belton. "Putin essentially created a system, in which he has compromising information on every Russian billionaire," she said. "So it became a system … that they own their assets through remaining in the good books of the Kremlin, so that they had to carry out strategic tasks for the Kremlin." In 2018, the US government imposed sanctions on Rusal and Oleg Deripaska over his ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Mr Deripaska, via Rusal's parent company EN+, hired a top-tier Washington lobby firm to run the campaign to overturn the sanctions. The campaign sought to enlist the support of countries where Rusal had a significant investment, including Australia. The lobbyists targeted the then-Australian ambassador to Washington Joe Hockey to pressure him to support the lifting of sanctions. They sent him a briefing note that warned: "Rusal owns 20 per cent of Queensland Alumina. Therefore, the jobs and critical economic activity of this company are at risk." The lobbyists also prepared a draft letter they wanted Mr Hockey to sign and deliver to key decision-makers. It began: "On behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia, I would like to express strong support for the ... plan to restructure the EN+ Group and Rusal in order to lift the threat of sanctions against the companies." Mr Hockey told Four Corners he could not remember the letter and would not have acted on it. Documents obtained under Freedom of Information show that at the height of the lobbying campaign, senior Australian embassy staff sent more than a dozen emails to key US officials overseeing the sanctions regime. The Australian diplomats met with US State Department and Treasury representatives and raised "the importance of an early consideration by the US of an Australian company's proposal to meet the terms of the sanctions". The lobbying campaign worked. The US lifted the sanctions on Rusal and EN+ after Mr Deripaska agreed to reduce his shareholding to below a controlling level. However, Mr Deripaska remains personally sanctioned. Late last year questions were raised about Mr Deripaska's ongoing influence over Rusal and EN+, with reports that European officials have concluded that Mr Deripaska continues to control the companies in violation of the US sanctions deal. In a statement, EN+ strongly denied the allegations. Mr Deripaska is not sanctioned by Australia and remains free to conduct business here. Serena Lillywhite, CEO of Transparency International Australia, said the case highlighted a weakness in Australia's corporate governance. "No individual or company that is sanctioned, as is the case with Mr Deripaska — there are personal sanctions against him — should be allowed to do business in Australia," she told Four Corners. ″Equally no individual or company that is accused of serious crime, corruption, money laundering and misconduct should be able to conduct business in Australia." From the annexation 吞并 of Crimea and the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 by pro-Russian separatists to the poisoning of political opponents, Russian president Vladimir Putin has become a pariah in the West. In the past month he has launched a brutal crackdown to crush pro-democracy protests, and jailed political opponents. But Mr Putin's loyal supporters in Australia are determined to defend their President and to bend Australians to the Kremlin's world view. Alexey Muraviev, an associate professor of national security at Curtin University, says Australia needs to recognise that Russia does not see Australia as a friendly country. "Russia looks at Australia through the prism of our security and defence alliance with the United States," he said. "By ignoring Russia's weight, Russia's influence and Russia's international status, we allow ourselves to be caught off guard every time Russia can pull the card out of its sleeve and wants to play a game against Australia."
