用法学习: 1. sleuth [sluθ] someone who tries to solve crimes or mysteries. A sleuth is a detective. someone whose job is to discover information about crimes and find out who is responsible for them. sloth [sləʊθ] 树懒 I. countable an animal that lives in trees and moves very slowly. It lives in South and Central America. A sloth is an animal from Central and South America. Sloths live in trees and move very slowly. II. uncountable mainly literary lazy behavior. Sloth is laziness, especially with regard to work. He admitted a lack of motivation and a feeling of sloth. reductive [rɪˈdʌktɪv] [formal, disapproval] describing or explaining something in such a simple way that you miss important details. If you describe something such as a theory or a work of art as reductive, you disapprove of it because it reduces complex things to simple elements. tending to present a subject or problem in a simplified form, especially one viewed as crude. "such a conclusion by itself would be reductive". ...a cynical, reductive interpretation. Progressives can learn from Rishi Sunak – be less reductive when engaging with migrant communities: Engagement with people of colour is too often reduced to a decision to have the campaign materials translated, as if migrant communities are made up exclusively of non-English speaking elderly grandparents here on a family reunion visa, or – more recently – trite social media posts ( trite [traɪt] 习惯性的说法, 一贯的, 惯有的, 惯用说辞 a trite remark is not interesting or original because it is what people usually say in that situation. If you say that something such as an idea, remark, or story is trite, you mean that it is dull and boring because it has been said or told too many times. The movie is teeming with obvious and trite ideas. The simple concepts he had been taught now sounded trite and naive. ) about religious and cultural festivals ("But she's wearing a saree, she MUST understand us!"). The days when people of colour could be relied upon to vote Labor because of Whitlam or Hawke are well and truly over. hilarity [hɪˈlerəti] 哄堂大笑 a situation in which people laugh a lot. Hilarity is great amusement and laughter. I grew up in an era when the most significant representation of brown people in our cultural life was Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on The Simpsons. Regrettably, I worked in a convenience store at the time, so obviously hilarity ensued [ɪnˈsu] 紧跟, 接踵而至 at every party I attended. These days the joke might extend to your Uber delivery guy. illuminate [ɪˈlumɪˌneɪt] I. 照亮. to make a place bright with light, or to shine a light on something. To illuminate something means to shine light on it and to make it brighter and more visible. No streetlights illuminated the street. The black sky was illuminated by forked lightning 闪电(forked lightning lightning that is visible in the form of a zigzag or branching line across the sky. "a flash of forked lightning"). Brilliant sunshine illuminated the scene. Her face was dimly illuminated by the reading lamp beside her. II. to decorate something by putting or shining bright lights on it. a beautifully illuminated Christmas tree. III. to make something clear and easier to understand. If you illuminate something that is unclear or difficult to understand, you make it clearer by explaining it carefully or giving information about it. They use games and drawings to illuminate their subject. His autobiography provides an illuminating insight into his mind. His comments can illuminate aspects of a writer's work unforgettably. People from migrant communities make up a big and often invisible part of Australia's working class, to be sure. Last year's lockdowns in western Sydney intensely illuminated that fact. 2. avowed [əˈvaʊd] publicly claimed or promised. an avowed aim/intention. a. If you are an avowed supporter or opponent of something, you have declared that you support it or oppose it. She is an avowed vegetarian. He remained for some years avowedly radical in his political outlook. b. An avowed belief or aim is one that you have declared formally or publicly. ...the council's avowed intention to stamp on racism. egalitarian [ɪˌɡælɪˈteriən] 人人平等 supporting a social system in which everyone has equal status and the same money and opportunities. Egalitarianism is used to refer to the belief that all people are equal and should have the same rights and opportunities, and to actions that are based on this belief. a society run on egalitarian principles. For many of us on the progressive side of politics, however, Sunak's private school education, work history and bank balance sits a little uncomfortably – although not as uncomfortably as his ultra-conservative politics, including the cringeworthy clip of a young Sunak protesting his egalitarianism and failing: "I have friends of all classes. I have middle class friends, I have working-class friends. Well, not working class". protest [prəˈtest, ˈproʊˌtest] verb. I. intransitive/ transitive to disagree strongly with something, often by making a formal statement or taking action in public. students marching to protest the war. protest against: Workers are protesting against high unemployment and inflation. 搭配: Adverbs: loudly or strongly: loudly, strongly, vehemently, vigorously. Why didn’t people protest more vigorously against such treatment? in a peaceful way: peacefully. We are determined to continue peacefully protesting outside parliament. II. transitive to try to make other people believe that something is true. To this day she still protests 表白, 试图证明 her innocence. protest that: He protested that he had no knowledge of their criminal activities. under protest 被逼无奈 if you do something under protest, you say that you do not think it is right or fair The office admitted that they had approved the budget under protest. noun. I. a strong complaint or disagreement protest at/against: The organization has made a formal protest against the nuclear testing. in protest: She resigned in protest against the company's unfair policies. without protest 没有抗争: He left the building without protest after the police arrived. raise/provoke a storm of protest: The decision raised a storm of protest among farmers and agricultural workers. II. countable something such as a meeting or public statement by people who strongly disagree with a policy, law, etc. peaceful protests against the war. Students will hold a protest this weekend at the federal building. 3. hysteresis [ˌhɪstəˈriːsɪs] 迟滞现象 the lag in a variable property of a system with respect to the effect producing it as this effect varies, esp the phenomenon in which the magnetic flux density of a ferromagnetic material lags behind the changing external magnetic field strength. The compressor 压缩机 cools until the desired temperature is reached, minus a hysteresis of 1 degree. The hysteresis is intended to prevent the actual temperature from fluctuating too much around the temperature setpoint, which would result in the compressor constantly switching itself off and on. overriding [ˌoʊvərˈraɪdɪŋ] 压倒一切的, 最主要的 adj. I. more important than anything else. more important than any other considerations. In a particular situation, the overriding factor is the one that is the most important. My overriding concern is to raise the standards of state education. The government recognized the overriding need to maintain a stable currency. "the overriding concern of the organizers was the financial crisis". an overriding concern for fairness. My overriding memory of it is that I had had pizza and garlic dough balls beforehand and all I could think about was my garlic breath while Taylor was dying in my arms and I was trying to show emotion. II. TECHNICAL extending or moving over something, especially while remaining in close contact. "oceanic lithosphere beneath an overriding continental plate". 4. Ride or die 刎颈之交, 生死之交, 同生共死的朋友 is a term used to describe a person (usually a woman) that is willing to do anything for their partner, friend, or family, even in the face of danger. a colloquial expression of extreme loyalty to someone or something. A "ride-or-die chick" is a neologism of 'biker culture' origin referring to a "woman willing to support her partner and his risky lifestyle despite how this might endanger or harm her." The woman may even take an active role as an accomplice and manifests a "willingness to help men in dangerous situations" and "a sense of shared risk." And finally, she thanked Kyle, her co-host of 22 years, saying: "He is my ride or die. I know what you're gonna say before you even say it". relax I. intransitive to rest and allow yourself to become calm. If you relax or if something relaxes you, you feel more calm and less worried or tense. I ought to relax and stop worrying about it. For the first time since his arrival he relaxed slightly. Do something that you know relaxes you. Just sit down and try to relax for half an hour. II. transitive to make your muscles or a part of your body feel less tight and more comfortable. When a part of your body relaxes, or when you relax it, it becomes less stiff or firm. Massage is used to relax muscles, relieve stress and improve the circulation. His face relaxes into a contented smile. Relax your stomach muscles; then repeat the exercise. III. intransitive to become less tight and more comfortable. I felt my shoulders relax a little. IV. transitive to make rules, controls, conditions, etc. less strict (things to relax: constraint, control, regulation, restriction, rule). If you relax a rule or your control over something, or if it relaxes, it becomes less firm or strong. Rules governing student conduct relaxed somewhat in recent years. How much can the President relax his grip over the nation? Some analysts believe that the government soon will begin relaxing economic controls. Some companies have relaxed their restrictions on unpaid leave. V. transitive to make curly hair straight using chemicals. relax your grip/hold 放松管制, 放松管控 I. to hold something less tightly. If you relax your grip or hold on something, you hold it less tightly than before. He gradually relaxed his grip on the arms of the chair. II. to control something less strictly. Critics feel the government has been slow in relaxing its grip on TV and radio broadcasting. 5. black swan an event that is extremely rare and unexpected but has very significant consequences. The problem with black swan events is that very often they are never repeated. Note: Contemporary use of the expression black swan in reference to an unexpected but influential event is attributed to former market trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb, who first introduced it in his 2001 book Fooled by Randomness – The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets. Taleb argued that the stock market was unpredictable and could be influenced by rare events or black swans, a controversial view which turned out to have some substance in the light of the economic crisis that followed. The expression later gained further popularity after Taleb went on to use it in the title of his 2008 book The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. Word History: When Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh first saw black swans in Western Australia in the 17th century, Europeans believed that all swans were white, so a black swan seemed an impossibility. The term came to be used for an event that happens even though it seems impossible. 6. predicate [ˈpredɪkət] noun. In some systems of grammar, the predicate of a clause is the part of it that is not the subject. For example, in 'I decided what to do', 'decided what to do' is the predicate. verb [ˈpredɪkeɪt]. [usually passive] If you say that one situation is predicated on another, you mean that the first situation can be true or real only if the second one is true or real. to base an action or decision on the existence or truth of something else. predicate something on/upon something: The new tax cuts are predicated on future surpluses. Financial success is usually predicated on having money or being able to obtain it. predate [ˌpriˈdeɪt] to exist or happen earlier than someone or something else. It's a tradition that predates the 20th century. turn your nose up 瞧不起, 看不上眼, 瞧不上, 不屑一顾 to not accept something because you do not think it is good enough for you. to refuse to take or accept something because it is not good enough I offered the cat some food, but it turned its nose up and walked away. My children turn their noses up at home cooking. They turned their noses up at the only hotel that was available. enticing ( alluring, beguiling, tempting, inviting. ) adj. Something that is enticing attracts you to it by offering you advantages or pleasure. attractive or tempting; alluring. Something that is enticing is extremely attractive and makes you want to get it or to become involved with it. A prospective premium of about 30 per cent on their initial investment is enticing. ...many enticing illustrations. "an enticing prospect". an enticing smile. an enticing job offer. to dig one's heels in 坚持己见, 固执己见 If you dig your heels in or dig in your heels, you refuse to do something such as change your opinions or plans, especially when someone is trying very hard to make you do so. to refuse to change your plans or ideas, especially when someone is trying to persuade you to do so It was really the British who, by digging their heels in, prevented any last-minute deal. draw out I. If you draw out a sound or a word, you make it last longer than usual. Liz drew the word out carefully. II. If you draw someone out, you make them feel less nervous and more willing to talk. Her mother tried every approach to draw her out. III. to make something continue longer than usual. This action could draw 拖长 the dispute out for another six months. People with southern accents tend to draw out their vowels 拖长音, 拉长音 ( Drag out. Stretch). IV. to move out of a place Slowly the train drew out of the station. V. to encourage someone to talk more by making them feel more relaxed and confident. It wasn't easy to draw him out. VI. INTRANSITIVE when the days draw out, it remains light for longer because it will soon be spring. VII. 掏出. 拿出. to take out. Suddenly he drew out a gun. VIII. to withdraw (money from a bank account) Depositors drew so much money out of the bank that it was forced to close down. IX. to make someone or something show a quality that they have The incident at the staff meeting drew out the worst in the staff members. 7. land someone with something If someone or something lands you with something, he, she, or it causes problems for you: I hope you don't mind me landing you with the kids at such short notice. Alan's gone off on holiday and I've been landed with the job of cleaning up his mistakes. land someone in it British English spoken informal to cause problems for someone, especially by talking about what they have said or done. to get someone into trouble by telling other people that they did something wrong Geoff landed me in it by saying I should have checked that the door was locked. Dean's really landed me in it by saying that I didn't mind helping. land on (someone) 落在...头上 I. Literally, to descend from the air and set down on top of someone or something. The wasp landed on me, so I had to stand perfectly still until it flew off again. II. To become the burden or responsibility of someone, especially very suddenly, unceremoniously, or without prior notice. It always lands on me to deal with the boss's stupid mistakes. Blame for their loss has to land on the team's coaching staff. land on (something) To descend from the air and set down on top of someone or something. The wasp landed on my arm, so I had to stand perfectly still until it flew off again. His ball landed on Mrs. Thomson's rose bush, ruining dozens of the flowers. land on someone to criticize someone severely. He really landed on me for being late. mistrial [mɪsˈtrʌɪəl,ˈmɪstrʌɪəl] (call/declare a mistrial) I. a trial rendered invalid through an error in the proceedings. a trial that cannot be completed or whose result has no legal value, usually because a legal mistake has been made: The judge declared a mistrial after newspapers printed a juror's name. He went on trial for the second time after the first case ended in a mistrial. "the judge dismissed the charge and declared a mistrial". A mistrial is a legal trial that is conducted unfairly, for example because not all the evidence is considered, so that there must be a new trial. The past has been scarred by countless mistrials and perversions of justice. pervert justice to try to stop the police from learning the facts about a criminal case She was convicted of perverting justice for lying to the police. Perverting the course of justice 妨害司法公正 is an offence committed when a person prevents justice from being served on themselves or on another party. In England and Wales it is a common law offence, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Statutory versions of the offence exist in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, and New Zealand. The Scottish equivalent is defeating the ends of justice, while the South African counterpart is defeating or obstructing the course of justice. A similar concept, obstruction of justice, exists in United States law. pervert [pərˈvɜrt] I. to affect something good or right in a negative way so that it becomes bad or wrong. If you pervert something such as a process or society, you interfere with it so that it is not as good as it used to be or as it should be. Any reform will destroy and pervert our constitution. an attempt to pervert the meaning of an innocent story. II. to influence someone to behave sexually in a way that is considered to be wrong or not normal. pervert [ˈpɜrˌvɜrt] an insulting word for someone whose sexual behavior you consider to be wrong or not normal. If you say that someone is a pervert, you mean that you consider their behaviour, especially their sexual behaviour, to be immoral or unacceptable. to pervert the course of justice If someone perverts the course of justice, they deliberately do something that will make it difficult to discover who really committed a particular crime, for example, destroying evidence or lying to the police. He was charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice. II. an inconclusive trial, such as one in which the jury cannot agree on a verdict. 8. street urchin (Britain, obsolescent) A child who lives, or spends most of his or her time, in the streets; sometimes a petty thief or pickpocket. a child who is poor and does not have a home, living and sleeping on the streets of a city: They are street urchins living alone in an abandoned car under an expressway. sparse 稀少的 adj. Something that is sparse is small in number or amount and spread out over an area. existing in small amounts, or a large distance apart Higher up the mountain, houses became sparse. Many slopes are rock fields with sparse vegetation. He was a tubby little man in his fifties, with sparse hair. Traffic was sparse on the highway. injured I. An injured person or animal has physical damage to part of their body, usually as a result of an accident or fighting. She's got the injured leg. The other injured man had a superficial stomach wound. Many of them will have died because they were so badly injured 受伤严重. The injured are people who are injured. Army helicopters tried to evacuate the injured. II. If you have injured feelings, you feel upset because you believe someone has been unfair or unkind to you. ...a look of injured pride. ...compensation for injured feelings. injured pride (=feeling of embarrassment): He walked away suffering from nothing more than injured pride. the injured party someone who has not been treated fairly. 9. cop to something 承认, 坦承, 老实交代 [US, informal] to admit to something embarrassing or something you have done wrong. If you cop to something bad or wrong that you have done, you admit that you have done it. I left, but you told me to. I'd appreciate it if you'd cop to that. ambidextrous [ˌambɪˈdɛkstrəs] adj. I. 双手互博的. 双手都好用的. able to use the right and left hands equally well. "few of us are naturally ambidextrous". II. 不分左右手的. (of an implement) designed to be used by left-handed and right-handed people with equal ease. "an ambidextrous tile gauge". dexterous [ˈdɛkst(ə)rəs] adj. showing or having skill, especially with the hands. Someone who is dexterous is very skilful and clever with their hands. As people grow older they generally become less dexterous. ...a dextrous blues pianist. "a dexterous keyboard player". Pumice ( [ˈpʌmɪs] pumice stone), called pumicite in its powdered or dust form, is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough-textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals. It is typically light-colored. Scoria is another vesicular volcanic rock that differs from pumice in having larger vesicles, thicker vesicle walls, and being dark colored and denser. A pumice stone is formed when lava and water mix together. It's a light-yet-abrasive stone used to remove dry, dead skin. A pumice stone can also soften your calluses and corns to reduce pain from friction. You can use this stone daily, but it's important to know how to properly use it. If you're not careful, you can remove too much skin, cause bleeding, or increase your risk of infection. 10. hurty [ˈhəːti] 伤人的 adjective INFORMAL I. (of a part of the body) affected with pain. hurting; painful. "he has a hurty spot on his leg". II. causing physical pain. "hurty new shoes". III. causing emotional distress. "she starts saying hurty words". shart [ʃɑːt] 屎屁, 屁带屎 verb expel faeces accidentally when breaking wind. noun. an instance of accidentally expelling faeces when breaking wind. chide verb. If you chide someone, you speak to them angrily because they have done something wicked or foolish. Cross chided himself for worrying. He gently chided the two women. For the bulk of my teaching career, I was not a mother. I have more empathy now that I am one, and the last thing I want is to be another chiding voice. fallopian tube [fəˌləʊpɪən ˈtjuːb] 输卵管 (in a female mammal) either of a pair of tubes along which eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus. 印度塌桥: The colonial-era bridge over the Machchhu River was packed with sightseers enjoying holiday festivities when it ruptured 断裂 on Sunday evening, sending people plunging about 10 metres into the water. Senior police official Ashok Kumar Yadav said nine people had been arrested, including managerial staff, ticketing clerks 售票员, 卖票的 and three security guards, for failing to regulate crowds before the bridge crumpled. 11. Mills and Boon used to denote an idealized romantic situation of the kind associated with the fiction published by Mills & Boon Limited. "the Mills and Boon tall, dark stranger". a company that publishes romantic novels about relationships between men and women. Mills and Boon novels are known for the strong emotions that their characters feel, for being easy to read, and for always having a happy ending. of or relating to novels by the British publisher Mills and Boon, esp in being romantic or sexual in nature. a Mills-and-Boon romance. a slushy Mills-and-Boon heroine.
TBBT: 1. Penny: Guess who? Howard: What are you doing back 怎么回来了? Bernadette: That's an excellent question. Amy? Amy: Uh, well, when we were going through security, I got pulled out of line for a pat-down. The, uh, TSA agent got a little handsy ( handsy 手脚不干净的, 动手动脚的 [ˈhan(d)zi] adj INFORMAL tending to touch other people, typically in a way that is inappropriate or unwanted. "another participant is getting a bit handsy". ). I may have broken her nose with my elbow. Bernadette: Long story short, she's on the No Fly List and we might have been followed here by a drone. Amy: I'm sorry. I feel like such an idiot. Penny: Oh, it's not so bad. You lost money, you're filled with shame and you got groped by a stranger. I mean, that's Vegas, you nailed it. Amy: You guys enjoy your evening. I'm gonna go before I ruin anybody else's weekend. Sheldon: Ah, that's my girl. Leonard: No, no, no, Amy, wait. I know it's not the night you had in mind, but why don't you guys stay and play with us? It'll be fun. Sheldon: It would? Fun? Okay, three weeks ago you bought crunchy peanut butter, now you want the girls to play D&D? Do you have a drug problem? Leonard: What's the big deal? Raj bailed 不去了, 不玩了, 跑了 ( I. transitive usually passive to allow someone to stay out of prison while they wait for their trial, after money has been paid as bail. Three of the youths were bailed and another was detained. If someone is bailed, they are released while they are waiting for their trial, after paying an amount of money to the court. He was bailed for probation reports. He was bailed to appear before local magistrates on 5 November. II. intransitive informal to leave a project, situation, or relationship. bail on someone: Many people would have bailed on Renee but he stood by her. I had a travel partner but he bailed and then I didn't want to go any more. III. If you bail, you use a container to remove water from a boat or from a place which is flooded. We kept her afloat for a couple of hours by bailing frantically. A crew was sent down the shaft to close it off and bail out all the water. The flood waters have receded since then, but residents are still bailing out. ), so we could use some extra players. 2. Leonard: I was reading about this jellyfish that never dies. Instead, it reverts to its asexual state and then grows up again. Howard: We thought my 90-year-old grandfather had reverted to an asexual state, but the lawsuit from his Jamaican caregiver proved us all wrong. Leonard: My point is, immortality is not only a possibility, it is real. Raj: Only if you're this jellyfish which periodically reverts to a mass of undifferentiated protoplasm. Sheldon: If I could keep my Gmail account, I'd be okay with that. Barry: – Hewwo, fewwas. All: Hey. Barry: Remember when we were trying to figure out what that smell coming from Professor Tupperman's office was? Howard: Yeah? Barry: Turns out it was Tupperman. Dead at his desk for two weeks. Howard: That's terrible. Leonard: Oh, my God. Barry: In lieu of flowers, the department chair is asking that everyone donate a bottle of Febreze. Sheldon: If we're going to change the topic from jellyfish, I'd be okay with brine shrimp or the history of the unicycle. Howard: Show a little compassion, a man died. Barry: And turned into a puddle of goo 肉酱. Now, we can either sit around and cry over spilt professor, or we can rejoice in the knowledge that a tenured position has just opened up. I choose to do the latter. Sheldon: Excuse me, the whole tenure system is ridiculous. A guaranteed job for life only encourages the faculty to become complacent. If we really want science to advance, people should have chips implanted in their skulls that explode when they say something stupid. Raj: Well, I believe people do their best work when they feel safe and secure. Sheldon: Pchew! Barry: If you need my nose, you'll find it firmly wedged up the rectum of the tenure committee. Howard: You Ph.D's gonna go suck up like Kripke? Leonard: No. I mean, I'll apply, but I'm not gonna stoop to playing politics. Raj: Yeah, me neither. It should be about the work. And if I can't get tenure, I'd like to see you or Sheldon get it. Sheldon: Raj, don't dangle false hope in front of Leonard like that. Leonard: Excuse me, but I think I'm just as qualified as you are. 3. Sheldon: While I disagree with the premise of tenure, if they gave it to me, it wouldn't diminish my output. You know, I'm like the sun. Can't turn this off. Amy: Are Rajesh and Leonard competing for it as well? Sheldon: Mm-hmm. Amy: Do they know they don't stand a chance 'cause you're so great? Sheldon: Well put. You know, I must say I go back and forth on this boyfriend-girlfriend thing, but those moments when you worship me really keep you in the running. 4. Penny: So, who do you have to schmooze to get this deal? Leonard: I'm not gonna schmooze anybody. I'm gonna let my work speak for itself. Penny: That's great. That shows a lot of integrity. Leonard: Thank you. I'm a naive idiot, right? Penny: Oh, good, you heard me. Amy: You know, if you really want tenure, maybe you should cozy up to (suck up, shmoozle) the people making the decision. Sheldon: Sheldon Cooper does not do cozy. Amy: You don't say. Sheldon: But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to know who's on the committee. Let's see. Oh, Janine Davis. Oh, dear. Amy: Is that a problem? 4. Leonard: I've got what my father used to call furniture disease. My chest is falling into my drawers. I'm not, uh, familiar with this model. How do I make it start? Janine: You push start. Leonard: Right. This one might be broken. Janine: You have to move. Leonard: Got it. Oh. There. Oh, yeah. Yeah, now I'm feeling it. Oh, this is great. I could do this for the rest of my life. Hey, speaking, speaking of things you do for the rest of your life, uh, did I read that you're on that-that tenure committee? Janine: Yep. I got to get a home gym. Leonard: Well, I'm sure you have a lot of good applicants, I just wanted to say hi and let you know that I'll be throwing my hat in the ring. Janine: All right, I'll keep an eye out for that. Leonard: Yeah. Barry: Hey, Hofstadter. Funny seeing you here for the first time in… ever.
Halloween crowd surge (事件应叫: crowd surge or crowd crush, not stampede. Stampede 指有地方可跑. ) in Seoul leaves more than 151 dead and dozens injured: Another survivor in his 20s said he avoided being trampled 踩踏(stampede 踩踏事故) as he luckily got into a bar whose door was open at the alley, Yonhap news agency reported. At least 151 people have been killed and 82 injured after being caught in a crush by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities in the South Korean capital Seoul. Officials said it was believed people were crushed to death 挤死, 压死 after a large crowd began pushing forward in a narrow alley near Hamilton Hotel, a major party spot in Seoul. A large number of people fell down 跌倒 in the alley during the festivities, Mr Choi said, with many of the party-goers wearing masks and Halloween costumes. TV footage and photos from the scene showed ambulance vehicles lined up in streets amid a heavy police presence and emergency workers moving the injured in stretchers. Police, who were restricting traffic 限制交通 in nearby areas to speed up the transportation of the injured to hospitals across the city, also confirmed that dozens of people were being given CPR on Itaewon streets. One eyewitness said a makeshift morgue 临时停尸房 was set up in a building adjacent to the scene. Some witnesses described the crowd becoming increasingly unruly and agitated as the evening deepened. Here's what causes crowd crushes like the deadly one in Seoul: On Saturday — in what appears to be one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea since 2014 — nearly 150 people were killed in a crowd crush during Halloween celebrations in Itaewon, the first large-scale partying for the holiday since the pandemic began. The event can be described as a crowd crush or surge, but not a stampede, said G. Keith Still, a crowd safety expert and visiting professor of crowd science at the University of Suffolk in England. A crush or surge happens when people are packed together in a confined space and there's movement such as pushing that causes the crowd to fall over. Essentially, Still said, a "domino effect." A stampede implies that people had space to run, which was not the case in Itaewon, he said. The more people that are in the crowd, the greater the force of the crowd crush is. "The whole crowd falls over as one, and if you're in a confined space, people then can't get up again," Still said. In a Twitter thread on Saturday, one person who said they were in the crowd described people "falling like dominoes and screaming." "I really felt like I would be crushed to death 被压死," they said in another tweet. "And I breathed through a hole and cried and thought I am dying." The person continued, writing that they were near the top of the crowd, crying, "Please save me!" and people nearby pulled them up. During a surge, the pressure from above and below people in the crowd makes it hard to breathe because their lungs need space to expand. It takes about six minutes to go into compressive or restrictive asphyxia, the probable 最可能的, 多数的 cause of death for people killed in a crowd crush, Still said. People can also injure their limbs and lose consciousness when they are struggling to breathe and escape the crowd. It takes about 30 seconds of compression to restrict blood flow to the brain and for people in a crowd crush to get lightheaded. Crowd surges can be triggered by many tight situations, for example when people push others or if someone trips, Still said. But the events are not usually caused by people in distress or pushing to get out of a crowd. Those reactions typically come after the crowd starts collapsing, Still said. "People don't die because they panicked," he said. "They panic because they're dying. So what happens is, as bodies fall over, as people fall on top of each other, people struggle to get up and you end up with arms and legs getting twisted together." Similar events have happened around the world, including this month at a soccer stadium in Indonesia, which left 130 dead, and last year at the Astroworld Festival in Texas, which left 10 dead. Most of the dead Astroworld victims were in one highly packed area, video timeline shows. At Astroworld, most of the fans who died were near one another in the venue's south quadrant. The venue had metal barriers surrounding it, which would have compressed people if a crowd had surged 人潮汹涌 near them, allowing no way to regulate the flow of people. Although the crush in Itaewon happened on a street, the crowd was so densely packed that movement was extremely restricted and there was no way for people to exit vertically, said Norman Badler, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who has researched crowd compression. Over the past year, crowds have been gathering more frequently since pandemic restrictions have been widely relaxed, another factor in recent crowd surges. More people are probably attending events such as the Halloween celebrations in Itaewon, Still said, because they've been restricted for so long. He added that the increase in mass gatherings that are now allowed underscores the need for crowd-management training, which tapered off when the pandemic hit because large events were uncommon. Martyn Amos, a professor at Northumbria University in England who studies crowds, said those large events need proper planning and people who are trained to manage crowds. "The general point is that these incidents will keep happening so long as we don't put in place proper crowd-management processes that anticipate, detect and prevent dangerously high crowd densities," Amos said in a statement to The Washington Post.
