用法学习: 1. sacrificial lamb 替罪羊 [ˌsækrɪˈfɪʃ(ə)l] If you refer to someone as a sacrificial lamb, you mean that they have been blamed unfairly for something they did not do, usually in order to protect another more powerful person or group. someone or something that suffers so that someone or something more important can succeed Franklin has been made a sacrificial lamb for the company's recent economic troubles. He was a sacrificial lamb to a system that destroyed him. sacrificial designed to be replaced in case of damage The new glass floor has four layers of glass with the sacrificial layer on top of that – this is installed so that it can be replaced if it is scratched or damaged. all bets are off 一切皆有可能, 谁也无法预知会发生什么 INFORMAL I. the outcome of a situation is unpredictable. Anything can happen; any previous preconceptions about what might happen are dismissed. used to describe a situation in which it is impossible to be sure about what will happen. All bets are off on the election: it's too close to call. "when they get lonely all bets are off". II. Referring to an agreement that has broken down, been reneged upon, or is no longer valid. All bets are off on the proposed tax measure, as members in congress have failed to come up with a bipartisan solution. Indicates that a future event appears uncertain, especially one that before seemed more certain. Any prior agreements are no longer valid. epidural 无痛分娩 [ˌepɪˈdʊrəl] a medical treatment in which an anesthetic (=drug that stops you feeling pain) is put into the lower back, especially of a woman who is giving birth to a baby. An epidural is a type of anaesthetic which is injected into a person's spine so that they cannot feel anything from the waist downwards. Epidurals are sometimes given to women when they are giving birth. 2. TBBT: Sheldon: I want to thank you all for coming on such short notice. Uh, in the past, I've reached out to each of you individually, but I believe my present situation requires the collective wisdom of the group, which as you can see from your commemorative T-shirts I have dubbed Sheldon Cooper's Council of Ladies. Penny: What is happening? Sheldon: I need your advice about a delicate 棘手的, 不好拿捏的 workplace situation. Uh, to protect those involved, I'll be changing their names. Bernadette: Who's involved? Sheldon: Well, a short, bespectacled colleague of mine who lives in the shadow of his brilliant roommate. Let's call this colleague Ricardo Shilly-Shally. No, no, Shilly-Shally has red hair and, uh, he briefly served in the Mexican Navy. Anyway, despite the fact that he has a girlfriend, Shilly-Shally has been the recipient of inappropriate workplace flirtations from a young lady. Penny: I'm gonna kill her. Bernadette: I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about. Leonard would never cheat on you. Amy: She's right. But say the word ( 下个命令, 一声令下 give permission or instructions to do something. used to tell someone that you will do what they want at the time they ask you: You only have to/Just say the word, and I'll come and help. ), I got a lab full of cocaine-addicted monkeys with nothing to lose. One of them could end up in the backseat of her car. Or her shower. Bernadette: Well, Alex is your employee. If she's doing something that's making Leonard uncomfortable, you should talk to her. Sheldon: Oh, no, he's not uncomfortable at all. No, he's loving it. Yeah, he's strutting around like he's five-foot-six. TBBT: Raj: I both hate you and want to be you. This is Ryan Gosling all over again. Sheldon: Ah, gentlemen, what is on the conversational menu this morning? Raj: Leonard stole my woman, and he knew full well I was only six to eight months away from making my move. Leonard: I didn't steal anyone. Raj: Your assistant is totally hitting on this jerk and he loves it. Sheldon: Well, that's not acceptable. I mean, I'm her boss. She needs to be solely focused on my needs, not distracted by your pasty, androgynous brand of sexuality. Leonard: I'm androgynous? Sheldon: Oh, please. Look at you with your pouty bee-stung lips. Leonard: What do you guys think I should do? Raj: I say you tell Alex your heart belongs to Penny, I provide her a shoulder to cry on, and then roughly half a year later I give it to her good. 3. TBBT: Leonard: I swear, that man is the most egotistical ( [ˌiɡoʊˈtɪstɪk(ə)l] 自大的, 自以为是的 thinking that you are more important than other people and need not care about them. egomaniac [ˌiɡoʊˈmeɪniˌæ] 自大狂 noun. [disapproval] An egomaniac is someone who thinks only of themselves and does not care if they harm other people in order to get what they want. someone who behaves in an unreasonable or crazy way because they think that they and their ideas are extremely important Adam is clever enough, but he's also something of an egomaniac. egotist [ˈiɡoʊtɪst] [disapproval] An egotist is someone who is egotistic. someone who thinks that they are more important than other people and need not care about them. ), insufferable human being I have ever met. Penny: Yeah, but you two make such a cute couple. Like Burt and Ernie. You guys even teach me stuff about words and numbers. Leonard: Well, I've had it. I am done. I can't, I can't live with him for one more minute. Penny: Wow. Where are you going to go? Leonard: I was thinking here with you. TBBT: Penny: This old guy was choking on his food, and I saved his life. Leonard: You're kidding. Did you Heimlich ( Heimlich maneuver = Heimlich manoeuvre [ˈhaɪmlɪk məˈnuːvə] = abdominal thrust a technique in first aid to dislodge a foreign body in a person's windpipe by applying sudden upward pressure on the upper abdomen. ) him? Penny: No. I said, oh, my God, I think that old guy's choking, and then one of the busboys Heimlich'ed him. Leonard: You're a hero. Penny: Yeah, that was the point of the story. TBBT: Sheldon: So, in conclusion, I believe the painful sensation 灼痛感 felt after passing a meal of spicy chillies is proof that the rectum does possess the sense of taste. Amy: I concur, but you changed the subject. What are we doing for Valentine's Day? Sheldon: Oh, you caught that 被你发现了, 被你抓住了, did you? 4. to get one's dair did 把头发做了 (SL.) When someone gets their hair did, it's slang for having their hair done. No matter which form of the verb, it's hair did. Justin, Alizay, Ray and I are getting our hair did (to get). Several weeks ago, Justin and Lisa had had their hair did. Having had my hair did, I know better than to bleach it. Swaddling is an age-old practice of wrapping infants with a blanket snugly around their body. It is known for helping to soothe babies. Many believe that swaddling has such a calming effect on newborns because it mimics how they felt in their mother's womb. Swaddling is an age-old practice of wrapping infants in blankets or similar cloths so that movement of the limbs is tightly restricted. Swaddling bands were often used to further restrict the infant. Swaddling fell out of favor in the 17th century. Some authors are of the opinion that swaddling is becoming popular again, although medical and psychological opinion on the effects of swaddling is divided. Some modern medical studies indicate that swaddling helps babies fall asleep and to remain asleep and helps to keep the baby in a supine position, which lowers the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, another study indicated that swaddling increased the risk of SIDS. Additionally, emerging evidence is showing that certain swaddling techniques may increase the risk of developmental dysplasia of the hip. 5. Frizz 炸窝鸡, 毛刺, 乱蓬蓬的头发( frizz I. hair that has very small tight stiff curls. II. the condition of hair that has very small tight stiff curls. frizzy [ˈfrɪzi] adj. Frizzy hair is very tightly curled. frizzy hair has small tight stiff curls Carol's hair had a slightly frizzy perm. ) is hair that does not align with the surrounding hairs, but stands up or curls independently, creating a fuzzy or irregular texture. The three main causes of frizz are genetics, hair damage, and humidity. Frizzy hair can be seen as a positive or a negative trait depending on the current fashion and one's personal preference. Many hair products, such as gels, pomades ( pomade [poʊˈmeɪd] 头发摩斯 a liquid that people put on their hair in the past. a perfumed oil or ointment put on the hair, as to make it smooth and shiny. ), and hair waxes, are designed to reduce frizz. A tuck shop 小吃店, 学校零卖店(a shop, esp one in or near a school, where food such as cakes and sweets are sold. ) is a small retailer located either within or close-to the grounds of a school, hospital, apartment complex, or other similar facility. In traditional British usage, tuck shops are associated chiefly with the sale of confectionery, sweets, or snacks and are common at private ('fee-paying') schools. Tuck shops located within a campus are often the only place where monetary transactions may be made by students. As such, they may also sell items of stationery or other related school items. In some regions, the word tuck shop may be interchangeable with a 'canteen'. dog eat dog 竞争惨烈, 竞争激烈 vs. doggy dog: The expression dog eat dog does not refer to canine cannibalism but to an intensely competitive situation: one in which people are willing to hurt each other in order to gain an advantage or win. The pain inflicted in such a situation usually isn't physical, though; you'll often hear the expression dog eat dog used to describe a particularly cutthroat business like investment banking or entertainment. Check out these examples to see how dog eat dog is used in cases where one must fight to survive or get ahead: Especially somewhere like London, it's a dog eat dog world and you've really got to fight your corner. The competition to land Amazon.com Inc.'s HQ2 operations was dog eat dog in more ways than one. Doggy dog is a simple mishearing of dog eat dog. It may owe some of its popularity to the chorus of Snoop Dogg's 1993 debut single "What's My Name," which repeats the phrase a number of times. The cartoonish, singsong quality of doggy dog sounds silly and playful, though, conveying the opposite meaning of dog eat dog, which evokes a cruel and selfish struggle. Doggy dog is not common in print, but does show up in speech and student writing fairly frequently. The examples below highlight some misuses of the phrase. In his disciplinarian moods, Harry reminds them all that life is "doggy dog," his own squirrel-lipped version of dog-eat-dog. As Ben Zimmer points out, "doggy dog world" is more of an "eggcorn," defined as a word or phrase that is used by mistake, usually because it sounds similar to the original word or phrase. If you're still barking up the wrong tree, try to visualize the image that dog eat dog evokes (yuck!) and you won't forget that it means "competitive and cutthroat." Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? 6. knick-knack 没有用的小东西 [ˈnɪknak] small a cheap ornament; trinket. worthless objects, especially household ornaments. an ornamental article of furniture, dress, etc "the room was filled with tables, knick-knacks, and a large three-piece suite". a small, decorative object, especially in a house: The shelves were covered with ornaments and useless knick-knacks. dead man walking I. 死囚犯. a condemned man walking from his prison cell to a place of execution. It's been my duty to accompany each dead man walking as he takes his last steps in this world. II. any person in a doomed or untenable situation, esp one about to lose his or her job. Someone who is about to face an unavoidable loss (though the person may not realize it). By extension, any man who is in great trouble or difficulty and is certain to face punishment, especially the loss of a job. John really screwed up that business deal; I'd say he's a dead man walking at this point. I lost all of our savings in the casino last night—I'm a dead man walking. III. Any man who is near death or certain to die. They just discovered that I've got cancer, and it's already spread to my lymph nodes—I'm a dead man walking. Don't worry about him, he's a dead man walking; we'll make sure that stool pigeon never talks. Etymology: A phrase traditionally used in U.S. prisons to announce a condemned prisoner being walked to the place of execution. Its use has expanded as a euphemism for anyone facing an impending and unavoidable loss. 7. TBBT: Leonard: Yeah. And the one thing that could make it even better is an evening with my special girl. Penny: Oh, and who's that? Leonard: What do you mean? Penny: Oh, I just didn't know if you meant me or Alex. Leonard: Um, why would I mean Alex? Penny: Because I know she hit on you and I know you liked it. Leonard: What? Penny: Don't play dumb with me, Ricardo Shilly-Shally! Leonard: I'm missing something. (Enters apartment. To Sheldon) Did you say something to Penny about Alex? Sheldon: Oh, yes. Yeah, and a fat lot of good it did me (it did me no good 一点用都没有, 没有一点用). All she did was get mad at you. Leonard: Why would you do that? Sheldon: I needed advice about a woman. I would have asked you, but if the last few years have proven anything, it's that you can't tell a uterus from a unicycle. Leonard: At least I know not to blab to ( blab 八卦, 大嘴巴 [informal] If someone blabs about something secret, they tell people about it. to tell people about things that should be kept secret. I didn't think you'd go blabbing the story all over town. Her mistake was to blab about their affair. No blabbing to your mates! She'll blab it all over the school. ) a girl about somebody flirting with her boyfriend. Sheldon: Good to know. Yeah, a few more helpful hints like that, you may find yourself on the Council of Ladies. (Answering phone) Hello. I see. Uh, what time? Very well, then. Huh. That was the Human Resources Department at the university. Apparently, my assistant Alex has filed a complaint accusing me of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace. Leonard: Oh, my God, what did you do? Sheldon: Hmm, let me think. Nothing. I'm a delight. 8. epistemology [ɪˌpɪstɪˈmɒlədʒɪ] 知识论 the theory of knowledge, esp the critical study of its validity, methods, and scope. The branch of philosophy dealing with the study of knowledge; theory of knowledge, asking such questions as "What is knowledge?", "How is knowledge acquired?", "What do people know?", "How do we know what we know?", "How do we know it is true?", and so on. Some thinkers take the view that, beginning with the work of Descartes, epistemology began to replace metaphysics as the most important area of philosophy. II. A particular instance, version, or school thereof; a particular theory of knowledge. In his epistemology, Plato maintains that our knowledge of universal concepts is a kind of recollection. epistemic [ˌepɪˈstemɪk] relating to knowledge or the study of knowledge. epistemic trespassing 领域跨界, 专业跨界 when someone passes judgement on matters outside their field of expertise We risk epistemic trespassing when we hold controversial views on the basis of evidence and skills drawn from only some of the relevant fields. Usage notes: Philosophers differentiate the meanings of epistemic and epistemological, where, broadly, epistemic means "relating to knowledge (itself)" and epistemological means "relating to the study or theory of various aspects of knowledge". Nonetheless, in general usage the terms epistemic crisis, epistemologic crisis, and epistemological crisis are synonymous, referring to a crisis of community members with an impaired level of shared perceptions of reality (an excessive level of disagreement on what is real or fake, that is, existing or illusory). 9. A letter of credence 国书 (French: Lettre de créance) is a formal diplomatic letter that designates a diplomat as ambassador to another sovereign state. Commonly known as diplomatic credentials, the letter is addressed from one head of state to another, asking them to give credence (French: créance) to the ambassador's claim of speaking for their country. The letter is presented personally by the ambassador-designate to the receiving head of state in a formal ceremony, marking the beginning of the ambassadorship. Letters of credence are traditionally written in French, the lingua franca of diplomacy. However, they may also be written in the official language of the sending state. Fighting words 激进的话, 过头话 a remark that stirs up antagonism. are written or spoken words intended to incite hatred or violence from their target. Specific definitions, freedoms, and limitations of fighting words vary by jurisdiction. The term fighting words is also used in a general sense of words that when uttered tend to create (deliberately or not) a verbal or physical confrontation by their mere usage. promulgate [ˈprɒm(ə)lɡeɪt] ( pomegranate [ˈpɑmˌɡrænət] 石榴) verb. I. promote or make widely known (an idea or cause). If people promulgate a new law or a new idea, they make it widely known. The shipping industry promulgated a voluntary code. "these objectives have to be promulgated within the organization". II. 宣布实施, 宣布施行, 宣布生效. put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation. If a new law is promulgated by a government or national leader, it is publicly approved or made official. A new constitution was promulgated last month. ...the promulgation of the constitution. "in January 1852 the new Constitution was promulgated". wiki: Promulgation is the formal proclamation or the declaration that a new statutory or administrative law is enacted after its final approval. In some jurisdictions, this additional step is necessary before the law can take effect. After a new law is approved, it is announced to the public through the publication of government gazettes ( gazette [ɡəˈzet] I. used in the names of newspapers. The Stonestown Gazette. II. British an official newspaper that publishes lists of people in government, legal, military, or university jobs. ) and/or on official government websites. National laws of extraordinary importance to the public may be announced by the head of state on national broadcast. Local laws are usually announced in local newspapers and published in bulletins or compendia of municipal regulations.
Silicon Valley's Congressman Ro Khanna says his solution to fixing social media companies would be to 'hire 100 philosophers' and 'liberal arts thinkers': Rep. Ro Khanna said he'd advise social media companies looking to make a positive change in the world to hire humanities majors and "liberal arts thinkers." "And they will help you realize the fundamental naivete of the view 观点, 想法 (take the view that) that if you just create a platform for people to come talk on and amplify everything that's said, it will somehow lead to mutual understanding, dialogue, and peace. Developing a thoughtful public sphere is so much harder," the congressman added. Khanna's comments come as social media companies like Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, face a reckoning over their wider social impact. In testimony before Congress in October, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen shed light on a wide variety of issues on the platform, including alleged failures to regulate hate speech, ties to fomenting ( foment [fəʊˈment] 滋长 If someone or something foments trouble or violent opposition, they cause it to develop. to encourage people to have angry feelings or to protest or fight. He was blamed for fomenting war in the Balkans. They accused strike leaders of fomenting violence. ) the January 6 riot at the Capitol, and internal research that found the platforms harmful to the mental health and body image of teens. Khanna said it's important for political leaders to closely study the pitfalls ( a problem that is likely to happen in a particular situation. The pitfalls involved in a particular activity or situation are the things that may go wrong or may cause problems. The pitfalls of working abroad are numerous. He also points out that forward planning can help avoid stressful pitfalls. She was well aware of the potential pitfalls of running a business. avoid a pitfall: Her advice helped me avoid some of the common pitfalls.) of tech hubs like Silicon Valley, in order to improve the future of technology companies, particularly as they spread to other regions across the country. "We have to learn the lessons of things we did poorly in Silicon Valley or in other parts of the country that have seen these tech metropolises ( metropolis [məˈtrɑpəlɪs] a big city, especially considered as somewhere that is very busy and exciting. A metropolis is the largest, busiest, and most important city in a country or region. ...the bustling 热闹的, 熙熙攘攘的, 人来人往的 metropolis of Chengdu. ) emerge," he told Morning Brew.
Facebook paid GOP firm to malign (run campaign against, push message ) TikTok The firm, Targeted Victory, pushed local operatives across the country to boost messages calling TikTok a threat to American children. "Dream would be to get stories with headlines like 'From dances to danger,'" one campaign director said. Facebook parent company Meta is paying one of the biggest Republican consulting firms in the country to orchestrate a nationwide campaign seeking to turn the public against TikTok. The campaign includes placing op-eds and letters to the editor in major regional news outlets, promoting dubious stories about alleged TikTok trends that actually originated on Facebook, and pushing to draw political reporters and local politicians into helping take down its biggest competitor. These bare-knuckle = bare-knuckled tactics( I. 赤手空拳的. without boxing gloves. a bare-knuckle fight. II. 无底线的. aggressive and without reservations. with no scruples or reservations. "bare-knuckle political tactics". a bare-knuckle confrontation. ), long commonplace in the world of politics, have become increasingly noticeable within a tech industry where companies vie for cultural relevance and come at a time when Facebook is under pressure to win back young users. Employees with the firm, Targeted Victory, worked to undermine TikTok through a nationwide media and lobbying campaign portraying the fast-growing app, owned by the Beijing-based company ByteDance, as a danger to American children and society, according to internal emails shared with The Washington Post. Targeted Victory needs to "get the message out that while Meta is the current punching bag 出气筒, TikTok is the real threat especially as a foreign owned app that is #1 in sharing data that young teens are using," a director for the firm wrote in a February email. Campaign operatives were also encouraged to use TikTok's prominence as a way to deflect 转移注意力 from Meta's own privacy and antitrust concerns. "Bonus point if we can fit this into a broader message that the current bills/proposals aren't where [state attorneys general] or members of Congress should be focused," a Targeted Victory staffer wrote. The emails, which have not been previously reported, show the extent to which Meta and its partners will use opposition-research tactics on the Chinese-owned, multibillion-dollar rival that has become one of the most downloaded apps in the world, often outranking even Meta's popular Facebook and Instagram apps. In an internal report last year leaked by the whistleblower Frances Haugen, Facebook researchers said teens were spending "2-3X more time" on TikTok than Instagram, and that Facebook's popularity among young people had plummeted. In one email, a Targeted Victory director asked for ideas on local political reporters who could serve as a "back channel" for anti-TikTok messages, saying the firm "would definitely want it to be hands off." Meta spokesperson Andy Stone defended the campaign by saying, "We believe all platforms, including TikTok, should face a level of scrutiny consistent with their growing success." Targeted Victory worked to amplify 夸大 negative TikTok coverage through a Google document titled "Bad TikTok Clips," which was shared internally and included links to dubious local news stories citing TikTok as the origin of dangerous teen trends. The firm worked to use both genuine concerns and unfounded anxieties to cast doubt about the popular app. One email outlining recent negative TikTok stories mixed reasonable questions, largely about TikTok's corporate ownership and practices, with more exaggerated stories about young users recording themselves behaving badly — the kinds of social media panics that have long bedeviled( bedeviling, bedeviled If you are bedevilled by something unpleasant, it causes you a lot of problems over a period of time. His career was bedevilled by injury. The development has been bedevilled with problems. ...a problem that has bedevilled service industries for decades. ) big social networks, including Facebook. The agency was working at the same time to get "proactive 先发制人的, 采取主动的, 主动出击的 ( Proactive actions are intended to cause changes, rather than just reacting to change. taking action and making changes before they need to be made, rather than waiting until problems develop In order to survive the competition a company should be proactive not reactive. Industry must adopt a much more proactive approach to formulating environmental policy. ) coverage" about Facebook into local newspapers, radio segments and TV broadcasts, including submitting letters and opinion pieces speaking glowingly of Facebook's role in, for instance, supporting Black-owned businesses. Those letters did not mention the Meta-funded firm's involvement. Targeted Victory has contracted with dozens of public relations firms across the United States to help sway public opinion against TikTok. In addition to planting local news stories, the firm has helped place op-eds targeting TikTok around the country, especially in key congressional districts. A very similar letter to the editor, drafted by Targeted Victory, ran that same day in the Des Moines Register. The piece linked to negative stories about TikTok that Targeted Victory had previously sought to amplify. The letter was signed by Mary McAdams, chair of the Ankeny Area Democrats. Targeted Victory touted McAdams' credentials in an email on March 7. "[McAdams's] name on this [letter to the editor] will carry a lot of weight with legislators and stakeholders," a Targeted Victory director wrote. The email then encouraged partners across other states to look for opportunities to add to the campaign, "especially if your state AG suddenly joins on." The emails show how the firm has effectively promoted its anti-TikTok messaging without revealing that it came from a firm working on Meta’s behalf. None of the op-eds or letters to the editor were published with any indication that the Meta-funded group had been involved. In 2020, the firm said it was expanding its "crisis practice and corporate affairs offerings" because of its clients' growing need for "issues management and executive positioning," adding that it would focus its efforts toward "authentic storytelling" with a "hyper-local approach." In a 2019 speech at Georgetown University, during which he invoked the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and championed Facebook's role in promoting free speech, Zuckerberg criticized TikTok for reports it had banned discussion of topics deemed subversive by the Chinese government, saying, "Is that the Internet that we want?" The anti-TikTok campaign follows in a long line of Facebook-funded advocacy groups working to boost its standing in the public eye. In 2018, Facebook worked with Definers Public Affairs, another Washington consulting firm founded by Republican political veterans, to lash out at critics and other tech companies, including Apple and Google, during the Cambridge Analytica scandal that sparked global outrage over Facebook's privacy rules. And in 2019, as the company faced antitrust scrutiny over its gargantuan impact, Facebook drove the creation of a political advocacy group, American Edge, designed to persuade Washington lawmakers that Silicon Valley was critical to the U.S. economy — and that overt regulation could weaken the country's competitiveness in a technology race against China.
The Ukraine – a decisive transfer of the balance of power from west to east: Most of the debate and coverage of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war in Australia and the Western world is decidedly banal [bəˈnɑl] ( something that is banal is boring because it contains nothing new, original, or unusual. his banal observations on the game. another banal TV sitcom. ). It is characterised by the simplification of an extremely complex situation to generate a narrative that can be summarised as Putin and Russia are evil and Ukraine is good. This gross simplification 粗暴的简化 is not helpful in either understanding the causes of the war, the nature of the war, its broader implications and most importantly of all, how it can be ended with the least number of additional deaths and injuries and damage to Ukraine's infrastructure. The preponderance ( preponderance [prɪˈpɑnd(ə)rəns] 大多数的, 多数的人和事 most of the people or things in a group. If there is a preponderance of one type of person or thing in a group, there is more of that type than of any other. ...a preponderance of bright, middle-class children in one group. ...Bath, with its preponderance of small businesses. A preponderance of the students in the program came from overseas. ) of human-interest ( human interest 绘声绘色的, 细节生动的 the part of a true story, usually in the news, that interests people because it is about someone's life or experiences. If something such as a news story has human interest, people are likely to find it interesting because it gives interesting details about the person or people involved. ...a human interest story. ) reporting of the conflict in lieu of coverage of the war itself is illustrative [ɪˈlʌstrətɪv, ˈɪləˌstreɪtɪv]( If you use something as an illustrative example, or for illustrative purposes, you use it to show that what you are saying is true or to make your meaning clearer. an illustrative example, fact, document, etc. helps to explain something more clearly or show that something is true A second illustrative example was taken from The Observer newspaper. The following excerpt is illustrative of her interaction with students.). The heartbreaking examples of families torn asunder ( asunder [əˈsʌndər] apart. If something tears or is torn asunder 撕碎, 分开, 撕裂, it is violently separated into two or more parts or pieces. ...a dress rent asunder from shoulder to hem. The debate is tearing Wall Street asunder. ) along with the brave exploits ( exploit verb [ɪkˈsplɔɪt] noun. [ˈekˌsplɔɪt] I. 利用. to treat someone unfairly in order to get some benefit for yourself. If you say that someone is exploiting you, you think that they are treating you unfairly by using your work or ideas and giving you very little in return. Critics claim he exploited Black musicians for personal gain. ...the plight of the exploited sugar cane workers. Extra payments should be made to protect the interests of the staff and prevent exploitation. Children are being exploited in many of these factories. II. [disapproval] to use a situation so that you get benefit from it, even if it is wrong or unfair to do this. If you say that someone is exploiting a situation 利用时机, 借机, you disapprove of them because they are using it to gain an advantage for themselves, rather than trying to help other people or do what is right. The government and its opponents compete to exploit the troubles to their advantage. ...the exploitation of the famine by local politicians. We need to exploit every opportunity for media coverage. A lot of ads just exploit our insecurities. an investment designed to exploit a tax loophole. III. If you exploit something, you use it well, and achieve something or gain an advantage from it. You'll need a good aerial to exploit 充分利用 the radio's performance. Cary is hoping to exploit new opportunities in Europe. So you feel that your skills have never been fully appreciated or exploited 充分发挥专长? IV. To exploit resources or raw materials means to develop them and use them for industry or commercial activities. I think we're being very shortsighted in not exploiting our own coal. ...the planned exploitation of its potential oil and natural gas reserves. noun. 冒险. 探险. something unusual that someone does that you think is brave, exciting, or entertaining. notable deeds or feats, esp ones that are noble or heroic. If you refer to someone's exploits, you mean the brave, interesting, or amusing things that they have done. His wartime exploits were later made into a film. his wartime exploits. Regaling us with tales of his youthful exploits. Her amazing exploits include walking across Antarctica.) of Ukrainian soldiers or allegations of war crimes by Russia, whilst important, tends to trigger an emotional response rather than provide an accurate depiction of the course of events. Partly this is because very few mainstream Western reporters, if any, appear to be located where the bulk of the fighting is, namely in the Donbass and around Mariupol. The resulting vacuum is filled by claims, many unverified and unverifiable, from the Ukrainian side, the aforementioned human-interest stories or the impact of missile strikes in and around the major cities. Truth has long been described as the first casualty of war. It would be unwise to think that this conflict is an exception. We should thus take a healthy dose of scepticism about the media reporting and analysis of the war – from all sides. The influence of Western powers is dwindling 衰减, 衰退, 势颓, 势衰, 减弱( 贬低, diminish, belittle, degrade) around the world. The leaders of the UAE and Saudi Arabia have refused to accept calls from President Biden – unthinkable even a few years ago. It seems clear that the Western powers have overestimated the impact that the sanctions would have on Russia, had not fully thought through the implications, were unprepared for the consequences and have no feasible way of reversing their actions. Meanwhile the majority of the world's countries will continue to trade and maintain their relationship with Russia for the simple reason that it is in their interests to do so. Kishore Mahbubani predicted that it will be an Asian 21st century. Prior to 24 February 2022 the progress of the transition of the balance of power from West to East was progressing as a drawn-out process occurring over a decadal timeframe. However, the Western response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine is rapidly accelerating this process – an own goal 自己助攻, 自己的乌龙球, 自己打自己. There is a good chance that 2022 will in hindsight be viewed as the decisive 决定性的 tipping point. Unfortunately, the penny has not yet dropped with Western governments and their compliant media of what their actions have triggered. Enlightened self-interest suggests that a major change in direction is required in the West, Australia included, to make the best of a bad situation.
