用法学习: 1. broadside I. a strong written or spoken attack (on someone): The candidate fired/launched yet another broadside at the president. II. military specialized the action of firing all the guns on one side of a navy ship at the same time. ScoMo is censured: Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been censured by the nation's parliament for giving himself secret powers while in office. The historic motion follows a damning report which said his actions were "corrosive of trust in government". "A censure 谴责 motion like this is as rare as it is grave. The fact that it has become so necessary constitutes a profoundly sad moment in the life of our national Parliament. A censure is the parliament's way of formally expressing disapproval in an MP. Such motions are rare and largely symbolic, but they can have political consequences. Less severe than expulsion, a censure (sometimes referred to as condemnation or denouncement) does not remove a senator from office. It is a formal statement of disapproval, however, that can have a powerful psychological effect on a member and his/her relationships in the Senate. 2. boom noun. I. If there is a boom in the economy, there is an increase in economic activity, for example in the amount of things that are being bought and sold. An economic boom followed, especially in housing and construction. The 1980s were indeed boom years. ...the cycle of boom and bust which has damaged us for 40 years. II. A boom in something is an increase in its amount, frequency, or success. The boom in the sport's popularity has meant more calls for stricter safety regulations. Public transport has not been able to cope adequately with the travel boom 出行增长, 出游暴增. III. On a boat, the boom is the long pole which is attached to the bottom of the sail and to the mast and which you move when you want to alter the direction in which you are sailing. IV. A boom is a large floating barrier that is used for stopping oil that has spilled from spreading. verb. I. If the economy or a business is booming, the amount of things being bought or sold is increasing. When the economy is booming, people buy new cars. Sales are booming. It has a booming tourist industry. II. When something such as someone's voice, a cannon, or a big drum booms, it makes a loud, deep sound that lasts for several seconds. 'Ladies,' boomed Helena, without a microphone, 'we all know why we're here tonight.' Thunder boomed like battlefield cannons over Crooked Mountain. Music boomed out from loudspeakers. A megaphone 大喇叭(loudhailer 扩音器 an electronic device used to amplify the sound of a person's voice so that it can be heard at a distance; a megaphone.) boomed out, 'This is the police.' He turned his sightless eyes their way and boomed out a greeting. The stillness of night was broken by the boom of a cannon. 3. play out If a dramatic event is played out 逐渐发生, 一点点发生, it gradually takes place. Her union reforms were played out against a background of rising unemployment. The film has eerie parallels with the drama being played out in real life. II. To do something to completion; to conclude or finish (something). to play something, such as a game, to the very end. I was bored with the game, but I felt I had to play it out 完成. She played out the rest of the game. She was determined to play out the game, even though she could barely see out of her right eye. It's anyone's guess who will win at this point. We'll just have to see how the election plays out. III. To use something until it is finished or has become depleted. Typically used in a passive construction. Be sure to pace yourself, or your energy will be played out 消耗殆尽 before you come close to finishing the race. IV. ( = pay out 放松绳子, 释放绳子 (pay in 收紧绳子)) To slacken and extend a line, as of rope or wire that has been coiled up. to unwind, unfold, or unreel something. Please play some more rope out. They played out many feet of cable. Would you mind playing the twine out so I can lash the tree to the hood of my car? Make sure you play out enough rope for us to moor the boat. be played out 玩得没意思了, 成茧, 长茧了, 太多了 No longer relevant, interesting, or exciting, especially due to being overdone or overexposed. It was cute at first, but that whole "quirky nerd" vibe you're going for is totally played out at this point. That song was played out two years ago—why is it still on the radio? pay out I. To give or disburse money to someone for a service or as a fee. The utility paid one hundred dollars out to everyone who had been overcharged. They paid out money to every customer. We've already paid out nearly $20,000 in legal fees—I don't think we can afford for this to drag on much longer! They paid a hefty sum out to their customers after a computer error drained their accounts. II. To let out a length of wire, rope, etc., by unraveling or unwinding it. Would you mind paying the twine out so I can lash the tree to the hood of my car? Make sure you pay out enough rope for us to moor the boat. to unravel or unwind wire or rope as it is needed. One worker paid the cable out, and another worker guided it into the conduit. The worker paid out the cable. 4. The talking stick 发言权, also called a speaker's staff, is an instrument of aboriginal democracy used by many tribes, especially those of indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast in North America. The talking stick may be passed around a group, as multiple people speak in turn, or used only by leaders as a symbol of their authority and right to speak in public. Akan chiefs in Western Africa have a tradition of speaker's staffs capped with gold-leafed finials. These emerged in the 19th century as a symbol of the holder's power. Carved ceremonial talking sticks called tokotoko in Maori are used as symbols of authority in formal public speaking events throughout New Zealand. 5. extant [ˈekstənt] 仍存的, 现存的, 存活下来的 still existing, usually despite being very old. If something is extant, it is still in existence, in spite of being very old. Two fourteenth-century manuscripts of this text are still extant. The oldest extant document is dated 1492. Extant species. tepid [ˈtepɪd] 温吞的, 不凉不烫的(该凉却热的, 该烫缺温吞的) I. warm when it should be hot. Water or another liquid that is tepid is slightly warm. She bent her mouth to the tap and drank the tepid water. tepid bathwater. II. warm when it should be cold. tepid beer. III. not very excited or enthusiastic. If you describe something such as a feeling or reaction as tepid, you mean that it lacks enthusiasm. His nomination, while strongly backed by the President, has received tepid 不热衷的, 不热情的 support in the Senate. a tepid response. consensus 共识 A consensus is general agreement among a group of people. agreement among all the people involved. We are still hopeful that further talks will result in a consensus. general consensus 一般共识: The general consensus is that we should all get some sleep. reach a consensus: It will be difficult to reach any sort of consensus on this issue. by consensus: All good decisions are made by consensus. The consensus amongst scientists is that the world will warm up over the next few decades. The question of when the troops should leave would be decided by consensus. unremitting never relaxing or slackening; incessant. "unremitting drizzle". Something that is unremitting continues without stopping or becoming less intense.
continuing for a long time without stopping or ever getting better unremitting pain/opposition/hostility 不可不停地, 没完没了的, 无休无止的. I was sent to boarding school, where I spent six years of unremitting misery. He watched her with unremitting attention. The weather was unremittingly awful. astringent [əˈstrɪn(d)ʒ(ə)nt] I. 收敛的, 紧绷的. 紧致的. causing the contraction of skin cells and other body tissues. "an astringent skin lotion". II. 苦涩的. 酸涩的. (of taste or smell) slightly acidic or bitter. "fresh blackcurrants have a rather astringent flavour". For instance, excessive tea polyphenols, caffeine, and theanine in a cup of tea would lead to a undesirably strong 浓茶的 and astringent tea soup. noun an astringent lotion applied to the skin to reduce bleeding from minor abrasions or as a cosmetic to make the skin less oily. Over-steeping 泡茶过火 Over-steeping might be the most common reason why a tea becomes too strong. As we all know, longer the steeping time, stronger the taste. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you must know that good quality teas never require steeping. A premium tea is able to produce the aroma, the color, and the taste instantly. However, if we force-steep a good tea, tea leaves will suffocate and release an excessive amount of tea polyphenols and caffeine. Even for green tea, a tea category that's commonly steeped, over-steeping can cause a bitter and astringent taste. To steep food in a liquid means to put the food in the liquid for some time so that the food gets flavour from the liquid. It's a drink made by steeping pineapple rind in water. ...green beans steeped in olive oil. 6. A diplomatic cable 外交信报, also known as a diplomatic telegram (DipTel) or embassy cable, is a confidential text-based message exchanged between a diplomatic mission, like an embassy or a consulate, and the foreign ministry of its parent country. A diplomatic cable is a type of dispatch. Other dispatches may be sent as physical documents in a diplomatic bag. The term cable derives from the time when the medium for such communications was telegraphs travelling along international submarine communications cables, though over time they have progressed into other formats and pathways. The term cablegram is also sometimes used. Due to the importance and sensitive nature of the subject matter, diplomatic cables are protected by the most elaborate security precautions to prevent unfettered access by the public or unauthorized interception by foreign governments. Generally digital in format, they are always encrypted, frequently by unbreakable one time pad ciphers using key material distributed using diplomatic couriers. 7. Belgium knocked out (crashed out) of World Cup: "For Belgium's golden generation this has been a World Cup of pure base metal ( A base metal 卑金属, 普通金属 is a common and inexpensive metal, as opposed to a precious metal such as gold or silver. In numismatics, coins often derived their value from the precious metal content; however, base metals have also been used in coins in the past and today. In contrast to noble metals 贵金属, base metals may be distinguished by oxidizing or corroding relatively easily and reacting variably with diluted hydrochloric acid (HCl) to form hydrogen. Examples include iron, nickel, lead and zinc. Copper is also considered a base metal because it oxidizes relatively easily, although it does not react with HCl. )," Burt wrote. The Guardian's Andy Hunter believed the absence of cohesion 凝聚力, evident right up until the dying minutes when it seemingly dawned on Belgium's players of what they stood to lose, was a clear sign this team was not what they once were. "The sun has set on 太阳已经落山, 尘埃落定 a trophyless generation that has given a clear sense here of growing tired of each other," Hunter wrote. A team trying to demonstrate unity 团结 in response to numerous allegations of fractures 分歧, 分裂 within the squad - from dressing-room bust-ups to star names not speaking to one another - had a strange way of showing unity. But given the reported infighting amongst the squad over a star man claim the team was "too old" to win in Qatar, disjointed tactics and a lack of fully-fit players, perhaps the exit shouldn't come as a shock. Granted, a 31-year-old De Bruyne isn't exactly old and his performances with club side Manchester City are clear evidence he is not over the hill 英雄末路, 美人迟暮, 日薄西山( [informal, disapproval] If you say that someone is over the hill, you are saying rudely that they are old and no longer fit, attractive, or capable of doing useful work. He doesn't take kindly to suggestions that he is over the hill. ) by any means. 8. Her brother Malcolm Clifton said his younger sister had always acted like she was the oldest and supported everyone in the family. "She is our rock 依靠, 心灵依靠 but now I've got to be everyone else's rock," he told 6PR radio on Thursday before her death. in someone's hour of need 在最需要的时候 at a time when someone really needs help: She helped me in my hour of need. when you are in trouble and need someone to help you How could she abandon her father now, in his hour of need? no room/space for something 没有...的余地 If you say there is no room for a feeling or type of behaviour, you mean it is not acceptable: In a small company like this, there is no room for laziness. grifter [ˈɡrɪftə] noun INFORMAL NORTH AMERICAN a person who engages in petty or small-scale swindling. a person who swindles another out of money Of course, like any grifter after our money, this one appears legit on the sunny surface of things 表明上看. One of the first lessons a grifter learns is never to trust anyone. "I saw him as a grifter who preys upon people". 9. Bishop wore a slinky black gown for the occasion while her acquaintance looked dapper in a suit and bow tie.
TBBT: 1. Bernadette: For what it's worth 管不管用再说, 是不是有用搁一边 ( If you add for what it's worth to something that you say, you are suggesting that what you are saying or referring to may not be very valuable or helpful, especially because you do not want to appear arrogant. For what it's worth, I see that song as being really positive. I've brought my notes, for what it's worth. used when you are telling someone something and you are not sure how useful it is. This is sometimes shown in e-mails as FWIW For what it's worth, I don't think we can do anymore until we get more training. ), you're a great liar. Penny: Oh, that's what Amy said. So what's going on with the research project? Are they gonna let you run it? Bernadette: Well, my boss said he hadn't decided yet, so I gently reminded him that he's an old rich white guy, and I'm a sweet little pregnant lady who's not afraid to crying front of a jury. Penny: You threatened to sue? Bernadette: Hey, I learned a long time ago, when you're four feet eleven and eye level with 正对着, 眼睛平齐 every guy's crotch, that's where you punch. Penny: That's funny. I learned something totally different. Bernadette: Do you know what? It's just a research project. The most important job in the world is gonna be raising this child. It's all I need to give my life meaning 给我生命意义. Penny: Oh, that's so beautiful. Bernadette: You believe me? Oh, good. 11 more chumps 蠢猪, 白痴, 笨蛋( [informal, disapproval] If you call someone who you like a chump, you are telling them that they have done something rather stupid or foolish, or that they are always doing stupid things. a foolish or easily deceived person. "I was left feeling a bit of a chump". The guy's a chump. I could do a better job myself. ) like you, I'll have the jury eating out of my hand.
黔驴技穷, 无计可施, 穷途末路, 没招了: 1. blow/shoot one's wad
I. (idiomatic) 花光所有钱财. To spend all of one's money. II. (idiomatic) 词穷.
没词了. 无话可说了. 黔驴技穷. To expend all of one's resources or efforts; to
express all the arguments or ideas which one has. III. (idiomatic, vulgar) To ejaculate, to cum. shoot one's load (idiomatic, vulgar) To ejaculate; to cum. shoot one's bolt (idiomatic) To use up one's resources, especially a singular one or one not readily restored. We were playing checkers and, although I'd started off well, I seemed to have shot my bolt too soon. 2. And our weakening economy over the past two years has forced the Reserve Bank to exhaust almost all its ammunition 手无寸铁的, 弹尽粮绝, 黔驴技穷, 穷尽所有弹药武器. 3. I was at my wits' end 没辙了, 无计可施, 黔驴技穷, 绞尽脑汁 trying to figure that out! They took me in the back room and interrogated me. 4. Exactly, I am saying things I don't believe I am doing things I don't understand. I am trying so hard to get your attention, but I'm out of plays无计可施, 黔驴技穷了( play out 呈现, 展现 When a situation plays out, it happens and develops: The debate will play out in the media over the next week or two.). 5. box someone in 逼上绝路, 无路可退, 骑虎难下, 没有台阶下, 无计可施 I. Fig. to put someone into a bind; to reduce the number of someone's alternatives. I
don't want to box you in, but you are running out of options. I want to
box in the whole staff, so they'll have to do it my way. II. 禁锢. Don't fence me in. Give me room to breathe. If you want to keep a girl,
just have fun with her, give her no restrictions, don't box her in,
don't demand anything of her, don't take anything too seriously. 6. You spent years becoming my main prime (broker). You're losing me now. I'm pulling my business. My hands are tied 我无计可施, 我也没有办法, 我也束手无策, 爱莫能助. If you don't make the borrow on the stock by opening bell 开市 tomorrow, I've been instructed to buy you in on your entire position. 7. have your back against/to the wall 无路可退, 逼到死角, 无计可施, 只能防守. to have very serious problems which limit the ways in which you can act With rising labour costs, industry has its back to the wall. When his back was against the wall he became very aggressive. with your/its back to/against the wall in a serious situation with few ways to react to it Many
of these schools find themselves with their backs against the wall, and
unless they get more funding, they'll have to fire some teachers. Usage notes: sometimes used in the form have your/its back against the wall: The Mexican team has its back against the wall and must win tonight's game. have one's back to the wall 处于防守位置. Fig. to be in a defensive position. He'll have to give in. He has his back to the wall. How can I bargain when I've got my back to the wall?. 8. It's a bit of a low blow ( 卑劣, 攻下三路, 低级, 下三滥. 下流手段. (boxing) an unlawful blow that lands below an opponent's waist. To totally destroy and cause to explode. "the referee hadn't seen the low blow and declined to call a timeout". a comment or tactic regarded as unfair or unkind. A rhetorical attack that is considered unfair or unscrupulous. "his mockery of Elizabeth's work seemed like a low blow". blow something sky-high I. 牛皮吹破天. to completely spoil a situation or cause a lot of problems. If he speaks to the press, he'll blow this whole operation sky-high. II. To totally destroy and cause to explode. to completely destroy something in an explosion. Someone was threatening to blow the building sky-high. high-blown 自大的, 吹牛皮的 (archaic) inflated, as with conceit. ), but legally speaking Trump can't do too much about it 无计可施, 没辙. 9. Andy Xie says this country is running out of policy options 无计可施, 束手无策 in its attempt to maintain an impossible position. 9. off one's game 不在状态, 表现欠佳 playing badly. "too many players have been off their game". out of the game 出局 no longer active or able to succeed in something. "the politician's been out of the game for five years". game out I. 玩游戏玩厌倦了. (slang) To play games to such an excessive degree that one is unwilling to play more. To no longer have a desire to play video games, especially as a result of playing for an excessive amount of time. Usually used in passive constructions. We played Mario Kart and Call of Duty until we were gamed out, then we stayed up watching Schwarzenegger films. Best sleepover ever. A: "I've just been feeling kind of gamed out recently." B: "Why don't you go read a book or go to the gym instead?" II. (idiomatic) To run through scenarios to determine what will happen given certain decisions; to play out possibilities; to examine several ideas to come up with their likeliest end results. To examine or investigate various possible scenarios, strategies, possibilities, etc., as to how something could be accomplished or may pan out. We gamed the attack out from every conceivable angle. Analysts are gaming out the fallout from the senator's actions. (Someone or something) called, they want their (something) back! Used to disparage something that someone says, does, wears, possesses, etc., as being more appropriate for some other person, group, time period, etc. Nice bell bottoms 喇叭裤, doofus. The '60s called, they want their fashion choices back! A: "I just think certain groups of people shouldn't be allowed to move in to this neighborhood." B: "Wow, Uncle Fred, the 1950s called, they want their racist bigotry back." You're seriously going to wear blue eyeshadow? I think the '80s called, they want their makeup back!
Australian chicken meat industry fighting to dispel pervasive hormone myth: From a hatched egg to the table in just six weeks, today's meat chickens grow much faster and bigger than the birds that were eaten in our grandparents' youth — but it's not because of added hormones. The Australian Chicken Meat Foundation (ACMF) has been battling to convince people that selective breeding, improved nutrition and animal husbandry ( Husbandry 精心培育 is farming animals, especially when it is done carefully and well. the care, cultivation, and breeding of crops and animals. "all aspects of animal husbandry". ...soil-conserving methods of good husbandry. Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. II. management and conservation of resources. careful management of your money and other necessary things. "low borrowing demonstrates astute husbandry of resources") are behind the change. But a recent survey showed that battle was yet to be won, with nearly six in 10 of the respondents incorrectly attributing the dramatic change in meat birds to added hormones and steroids. Free range chicken meat is advertised in Australia as hormone-free, but ACMF deputy executive director Kylie Hewson said the reality was hormone use in meat chickens was outlawed in Australia decades ago. "A really long time ago, back in the 50s and 60s, some people in the industry did trial using steroids or hormones to grow chickens bigger," Dr Hewson said. "What they quickly realised was that it was a lot more effective to use selective breeding to breed the traits they wanted in meat chickens." Dr Hewson said steroids and hormones had not been used in Australia's meat chicken industry for more than 60 years and antibiotic treatment was kept to an absolute minimum. Each year, Australians eat more than double the amount of chicken compared to any other meat, and by 2023 the average consumption is expected to reach 49 kilograms per person per year. University of Queensland meat scientist Louw Hoffman said the industry, valued at $3.063 billion, was able to meet that demand by developing crossbreeds specific for meat production. Groups opposed to the chicken farming system have labelled it "factory farming", but Dr Hewson said intensive Australian chicken production was nothing like "horrendous" systems in some countries overseas. "Factory farming is an aversive term, honestly it's a bit of an insult to the industry and all of the work that it puts into maintaining and optimising the welfare of our chicken flocks," she said. Despite opposition to broiler farms in some communities, the ACMF said the system had a lower environmental footprint and the industry had adopted a sustainability roadmap. The favoured breed for meat chickens is the Cornish cross and not all of them are raised in barns. There is strong demand for "pasture-raised" meat chickens. "Because they aren't very active, they are very susceptible to predators and that's why we use these sheds to keep them protected." The Carr's sheds are moved daily to fresh grass, with the meat chickens serving a dual purpose. "We haven't put any synthetic fertiliser on this pasture, it's all done with the chickens," Mr Carr said.
