用法学习: 1. sharpen up I. to become better, smarter, more skillful, etc. You'd better sharpen up if you want to keep your job. II. to improve (something). I took a course to sharpen up my computer skills. If you sharpen something up, or if it sharpens up, it becomes smarter or better than it was. The fashion designers have sharpened up their act in the last few years. If he really wants to sell his product, he'll have to get his marketing boys to sharpen up. to perform better, or to improve the performance of something: If the company doesn't sharpen up soon, it will go out of business. brush up [on] sth improve one's existing knowledge or skill in a particular area. to improve your knowledge of something already learned but partly forgotten: I thought I'd brush up (on) my French before going to Paris. "these private lessons will give them a chance to brush up on their technique". A funeral director, also known as an undertaker or mortician 入殓师, is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming [ɪmˈbɑm] and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the arrangements for the funeral ceremony. woeful [woʊfʊl] adj. I. 悲伤的. 悲哀的. If someone or something is woeful, they are very sad. feeling very sad. The dog gave a long woeful howl. ...a woeful ballad. He said woefully: 'I love my country, but it does not give a damn about me.' II. 糟糕的. You can use woeful to emphasize that something is very bad or undesirable. used for emphasizing how bad something is The library is closing due to a woeful lack of funding. Such attitudes are the product of woeful ignorance. ...the woeful state of the economy. 2. blow smoke up someone's arse/butt/backside/rear/skirt/shorts 奉承, 曲意逢迎(offensive) a rude phrase meaning to lie to someone in a way that flatters them (= makes them feel praised and important, successful, etc.): I'm not a person with a big ego. I don't need people to blow smoke up my arse. Add up all the comments above, and it seems a lot of folks are blowing smoke up a lot of other folk's rears. beta [ˈbiːtə] I. the second letter of the Greek alphabet ( Β, β ), transliterated as 'b'. denoting the second of a series of items, categories, forms of a chemical compound, etc. modifier noun: beta "beta carotene". II. a second-class mark given for a piece of work or an examination paper. short for beta test, the second stage of testing before a product is sold to the public Mr. Cane has invented the special candy, which is in the beta stage. beta-blocker [ˈbiːtə ˌblɒkə(r)] a drug that makes your heart work more slowly, used for treating high blood pressure. These drugs are often used to treat high blood pressure when other medications haven't worked. Beta blockers, also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, are medications that reduce blood pressure. Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. Beta blockers cause the heart to beat more slowly and with less force, which lowers blood pressure. Beta blockers also help widen veins and arteries to improve blood flow. confident I. feeling or showing confidence in oneself or one's abilities or qualities. "we require outgoing, confident people able to approach large groups". II. 确凿. 确定无疑的, 确知的. feeling or showing certainty about something. "this time they're confident of a happy ending". If you are confident that something is true, you are sure that it is true. A confident statement is one that the speaker is sure is true. If you are confident about something, you are certain that it will happen in the way you want it to. I am confident that everything will come out right in time. Mr Ryan is confident of success. Management is confident about the way business is progressing. I can confidently promise that this year is going to be very different. She is confident that everybody is on her side. Bet you I can,' comes the confident reply. We can confidently say we've found a new species. 3. a blessing in disguise 塞翁失马 something that seems to cause problems, but that you later realize is a good thing. Losing my job turned out to be a blessing in disguise. ill wind something bad that happens and makes you think other bad things will happen. The ill wind of financial crisis was sweeping across Asia. it's an ill wind (that blows nobody any good) 祸福相依, 塞翁失马焉知非福, 天下无绝对的坏事, 万事有坏就有好
used for saying that even when something bad happens, someone will get
an advantage from it. You can describe an unfortunate event as an ill
wind if someone benefits from it. The expression occurs in the proverb
'It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good'. But it's an ill wind; I recovered and married one of my nurses from that hospital. They lost everything when that old shed burned down, but they got rid of a lot of junk as well—it's an ill wind. ill wind 阴风 something bad that happens and makes you think other bad things will happen The ill wind of financial crisis was sweeping across Asia. it's an ill wind (that blows nobody any good) 失之东隅收之桑榆, 塞翁失马焉知非福
used for saying that even when something bad happens, someone will get
an advantage from it. A loss or misfortune usually benefits someone.
said to show that even a very bad situation must have some good results.
said to point out that unpleasant events and difficult situations often
have unexpected good effects It's an ill wind, of course, and what is bad for the oil companies is good for the consumer and inflation. They lost everything when that old shed burned down, but they got rid of a lot of junk as well—it's an ill wind. 4. Thermos [ˈθɜː(r)məs] = Thermos flask 保温瓶 a container that keeps liquids hot or cold. cuticle Your cuticles are the skin at the base of each of your fingernails. a layer of hard skin at the base of a nail on a finger or toe. vocalize [ˈvoʊk(ə)lˌaɪz] 说出来, 表达出来, 发声 I. to express something in words. If you vocalize a feeling or an idea, you express it in words. Archbishop Hunthausen also vocalized his beliefs that women should be more active in the church. I find it difficult to vocalize my feelings. Do you vocalise that, or just keep it secret? II. to sing or say something with your voice. When you vocalize a sound, you use your voice to make it, especially by singing it. In India and Bali, students learn to vocalize music before ever picking up instruments. 5. subtitles 字幕风潮: For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, using subtitles and closed captions on video content is a helpful way to consume content. But if you are not hearing-impaired and find yourself switching on the subtitles while watching a movie or TV show in your own language, you are not alone. "I think there [are] issues with disjunct 脱钩, 脱节 ( noun. The state of being disjointed; disjointedness; a disconnect. adj. Separate; discontinuous; not connected. disjunction [dɪsˈdʒʌŋkʃ(ə)n] lack of a connection between things that should be connected. ) between production processes, particularly the way sound is recorded, and especially mixed, and the many different devices people use to watch and listen." An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, but the term is generally agreed to mean a bona-fide part-time faculty member in an adjunct position at an institution of higher education. An adjunct professor may also be called an adjunct lecturer, an adjunct instructor, or adjunct faculty. Collectively, they may be referred to as contingent academic labor. The rank of sessional lecturer in Canadian universities is similar to the US concept. 6. viscera [ˈvɪs(ə)rə] 内脏 the internal organs in the main cavities of the body, especially those in the abdomen, e.g. the intestines. visceral [ˈvɪs(ə)rəl] I. relating to the viscera. "the visceral nervous system". II. relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect. "the voters' visceral fear 发自肺腑的, 心灵深处的, 生理上的, 不受理智控制的, 肉体上的 of change". canard US [kəˈnɑrd] UK: [ˈkænɑː(r)d] A canard is an idea or a piece of information that is false, especially one that is spread deliberately in order to harm someone or their work. a false story or piece of information, especially one that is intended as a joke or to make someone stop respecting someone. The charge that Harding was a political stooge may be a canard. innards [ˈɪnərdz] I. the organs inside the body of a person or animal. The innards of a person or animal are the organs inside their body. II. 内部构造, 内部结构. the working parts inside a machine or piece of equipment. A machine's innards are the parts inside it. entrails [ˈentreɪlz] 内脏 ( internal organs ) the organs inside the body of a person or animal, especially the intestines. The entrails of people or animals are their inside parts, especially their intestines. bowels [ˈbaʊəlz] innards; entrails. the part of your body where feces (=solid waste) are formed. This word is usually used in the plural, except in medical language. cancer of the bowel. Your bowels make up part of your lower digestive tract and consist of your intestines, rectum and anus (bottom). Your rectum is where stools (poo) are stored. Your brain sends messages to your rectum when it is full and needs to be emptied. intestine [ɪnˈtestɪn] 肠子 Your intestines are the tubes in your body through which food passes when it has left your stomach. This area is always tender to the touch if the intestines are not functioning properly. This vitamin is absorbed through the walls of the small intestine. guts I. the bowels or entrails, esp of an animal The entire carcass - hide, guts, and bones - was devoured. By the time they finish, the crewmen are standing ankle-deep in fish guts. II. courage, willpower, or daring; forcefulness. It takes guts to stand up to her. The new Chancellor has the guts to push through unpopular tax increases. It takes more guts than I've usually got to go and see him. III. the essential part. the guts of the problem. She has a reputation for getting at the guts of a subject and never pulling her punches. The guts of the reactor have to be hauled out of the pressure vessel. 7. express [ɪkˈspres] I. An express command or order is one that is clearly and deliberately stated. very clear, so that there can be no mistake about what is intended. Against the woman's express wishes, the media publicized her story. express permission/consent: You must not leave this house without my express permission. The ship was sunk on express orders from the Prime Minister. He has expressly forbidden her to go out on her own. 搭配: agreement, consent, order, permission, wish: Nouns frequently used with express permission: agreement, authorisation, consent, permission. We will not use your contact details for any other purpose without your express permission. wish or request: aim, intention, order, provision, purpose, wish. The society was formed with the express aim of encouraging the writing of poetry. II. 专门的. 特意的. deliberate. If you refer to an express intention or purpose, you are emphasizing that it is a deliberate and specific one that you have before you do something. I had obtained my first camera for the express purpose of taking railway photographs. ...projects expressly designed to support cattle farmers. The scriptwriter had written the role expressly for this actor. You came here with the express purpose of causing trouble. III. an express train, bus, etc. makes a particular trip more quickly than ordinary trains, buses, etc. IV. an express service delivers mail or packages more quickly than the ordinary service. a package sent by express mail. an express delivery. verb. I. If an idea or feeling expresses itself in some way, it can be clearly seen in someone's actions or in its effects on a situation. She is obviously unhappy, and misery often expresses itself as anger. II. In mathematics, if you express a quantity or mathematical problem in a particular way, you write it using particular symbols, figures, or equations. We can express that equation like that. It is expressed as a percentage. commit I. transitive to do something illegal or morally wrong. commit a crime/an offense: The study aims to find out what makes people commit crimes. commit murder/a robbery etc.: conspiracy to commit murder. commit adultery: He had admitted to committing adultery. commit suicide: Reports suggest that the singer committed suicide. II. transitive to make someone agree or promise to do something. commit someone to (doing) something: The agreement commits them to a minimum number of performances per year. a. intransitive to promise to do something. commit to (doing) something: He would have to commit to spending several thousand dollars. I do not want to commit to any particular date. III. transitive to say that you will use available things or people for a particular purpose. commit something to something 投入: If you commit money or resources to something, you decide to use them for a particular purpose. They called on Western nations to commit more money to the poorest nations. The government had committed billions of pounds for a programme to reduce acid rain. He should not commit American troops without the full consent of Congress. They'll have to commit more money to the project if they want it to succeed. IV. transitive to say officially that someone must go to prison. V. intransitive to decide to have a permanent relationship with someone. He's not ready to commit. VI. transitive usually passive to officially state that someone is mentally ill and should go to a hospital to be treated. If someone is committed to a hospital, prison, or other institution, they are officially sent there for a period of time. Offenders would be committed to 丢入监狱, 住进医院 these prisons by the local courts. VII. transitive formal to give someone or something to someone else to take care of. VIII. In the British legal system, if someone is committed for trial, they are sent by magistrates to stand trial in a crown court. He is expected to be committed for trial at Liverpool Crown Court. commit yourself I. to agree to do something important. If you commit yourself to something, you say that you will definitely do it. If you commit yourself to someone, you decide that you want to have a long-term relationship with them. They could not commit themselves to any definite course of action. I'd like us to be closer but I don't want to commit myself too soon. You don't have to commit to anything over the phone. He said the government remained committed 致力于 to peace. ...a committed socialist. Take a little time to think before committing yourself. commit yourself to (doing) something: I have committed myself to the job for at least the coming year. II. to decide to have a permanent relationship with someone. commit yourself to: It was the first time in his life that he had committed himself to a woman. III. to give a definite opinion or make a definite decision. If you do not want to commit yourself on something, you do not want to say what you really think about it or what you are going to do. It isn't their diplomatic style to commit themselves on such a delicate issue. She didn't want to commit herself one way or the other. She won't commit herself either way. non-committal [ˌnɒnkəˈmɪtl] adj. not expressing or revealing commitment to a definite opinion or course of action. "her tone was non-committal, and her face gave nothing away". commit something to paper/writing to write something on paper. committed and committing双写T: The reason why the t is doubled in the -ed and -ing forms is that the stress falls on the final syllable of the verb in its infinitive form: commit. The same rule applies to other verbs ending in "t" where the stress falls on the final syllable, such as permit, submit, admit. When the stress does not fall on the final syllable, the -ed and -ing forms are spelled with one "t", such as limit, edit, prohibit. 8. get some strange I. Sex outside of one's current relationship. to have sex with a different woman after being with someone for a length of time. Man, I got some strange last night. II. to have a one-night stand or anonymous sex. to have sex with a different person than one is having sex with regularly. Johnny! Let's you and me leave Sally and Terri at home, and get us some strange. 利率上升: They're also worried about that interest rate outcome, and how much damage it could inflict on the economy. "We are getting more concerned, though, that the RBA is raising rates too far in response to inflation which is a lagging indicator and is not paying enough attention to the lagged flow through 效应, 效果 ( flow through to sb/sth to affect someone or something: So far price rises in commodities and other materials used in production have not flowed through to consumers. ) of rate hikes to the economy and signs of slowing demand and improving supply which will push inflation down," AMP's chief economist Shane Oliver said. "This is increasing the risk of a recession that we don't have to have and with that a bigger rise in unemployment and a bigger fall in home prices." That's the other thing that's changed. The unemployment rate is now edging up( To approach or move toward a target little by little, or furtively. The charity fund edged up toward its goal as more and more people donated. It was almost too dark to see, but I edged up to the light-switch and turned it on. ). There was a bit of statistical "noise" in the numbers but the Treasurer drew the conclusion it was a sign that higher interest rates were now causing a degree of economic damage. Economist David Bassanese said it showed the economy was beginning to "buckle". This week MPs asked the Reserve Bank governor if this evidence would influence his interest rate decisions in the coming months and the answer was a resounding 响亮的, 掷地有声的 ( I. complete: used for emphasizing how successful or unsuccessful someone or something is. You can refer to a very great success as a resounding success. The good weather helped to make the occasion a resounding success. They resoundingly support government programs for the poor. International trading remains resoundingly successful. a resounding success/victory/defeat. II. a resounding sound is very loud and continues for a long time. A resounding sound is loud and clear. There was a resounding slap as Andrew struck him violently across the face. She got a resounding round of applause. a resounding burst of applause. The answer, Segal says, was a resounding yes! Leatherdale was hit resoundingly on the side of the head. ) "no". In short, he said the labour market was still "very tight" — meaning plenty of Australians still have the capacity to spend and drive inflation higher. That is, the RBA governor is still proceeding on the basis that there's "strong demand" in the Australian economy. Lowe told MPs this week that all income segments 收入段 are driving inflation, but wealthy households more so, and low-income families are disproportionately feeling the pain of rate rises. This was new in terms of what we know about the "demand" landscape and a harsh reminder of the reality of a rising interest rate environment with low levels of wage growth and high levels of household debt. There's been some talk this week about alternative ways of reducing inflation, outside the limitations of monetary policy 金融政策. Fiscal policy 财经, 财政政策 has a role to play. The RBA governor said a much-reduced budget deficit would assist him in his role. "If fiscal policy was tightened a lot, that would have implications for [interest rates], it's true," he told the House Economics Committee. But there's one aspect of monetary policy that's not yet being fully implemented, and it would make some inroads into reducing its inequity and increasing its potency — deposit rates 存储利率. We know this aspect of monetary policy is not functioning as it should. Its weak flow-through 效应 is potentially pushing mortgage rates higher than they need to be. The Commonwealth Bank's record profit was generated in part due to growing its deposit base to 75 per cent, where it pays less to depositors 储户 than it charges out to borrowers.
TBBT: 1. go halfsies (childish, idiomatic) To share something by splitting it in half. go halves To divide equally between two parties. Would you like to go halves on the grocery bill? Let's go halves on this big watermelon. Sheldon: That's odd. Penny: Um, what? Sheldon: There are takeout containers in the trash can. Penny: So? That's my dinner from last night. Sheldon: What's odd is they're in the trash can. Penny: Okay. Look, honey, I promise there's no one's here. I've had a long day. I just want to have a quiet dinner by myself. Sheldon: Oh, very well. I'm no stranger to enjoying the pleasures of solitude. Oh! Penny: What? Sheldon: Have you gotten Leonard a welcome-home gift yet? Penny: No. Sheldon: Oh, great. Do you want to go halfsies on a two hundred dollar squirt gun? 2. Leonard: You bought my mom's book? Penny: Yeah. It's on the recommended reading list for my psychology class. Leonard: Oh, come on. Not that book. It, it's got, like, every horrible story from my childhood in it. Penny: Oh, cool. Are there pictures? Leonard: Seriously, please find another book. Penny: Oh, come on. Why? How bad could it be? Leonard: There, there's chapters about potty training, and bed-wetting and masturbation. Basically, if something came out of me, she wrote about it. You know what? Do whatever you want, just don't talk to me about it. Penny: Not even the chapter on the breast-feeding crisis? Leonard: It was not a crisis. Apparently, I favoured the left one, she got a little lopsided 一边大, 一边小的, 偏沉的( I. ( crooked ) not even or level because one side is larger, higher, or heavier than the other. Something that is lopsided is uneven because one side is lower or heavier than the other. His suit had shoulders that made him look lopsided. ...a friendly, lopsided grin. a lopsided smile. II. 一边倒的 If you say that a situation is lopsided, you mean that one element is much stronger, bigger, or more important than another element. In 1916, Georgia Tech beat Cumberland 222-0. No game since has been that lopsided. ...lopsided economic relations. crooked I. If you describe something as crooked, especially something that is usually straight, you mean that it is bent or twisted. ...the crooked line 不直的, 歪的, 偏的 of his broken nose. ...a crooked little tree. II. A crooked smile is uneven and bigger on one side than the other. Polly gave her a crooked grin. Nick was smiling crookedly at her. III. If you describe a person or an activity as crooked, you mean that they are dishonest or criminal. ...a crooked cop. She might expose his crooked business deals to her tax inspector brother. ). Penny: Oh, my God, you still go left. 3. Raj: Which celebrity would you say I look like the most? Howard: Halle Berry. Why? Raj: Stuart and I are putting dating profiles online, and it's one of the questions. And thank you, I'd kill for that woman's bone structure 骨架. Raj: Come on. One more time. Yeah, it's, it's a little blurry, but I think that works in your favour. Do you want a beer? Stuart: Sure. Hey, have you finished writing your profile yet? Raj: Almost. Oh, what did you put as the one-word description of yourself? Stuart: I put unobjectionable( acceptable; approved of unobjectionable person/behaviour/clothing. objectionable unpleasant and offensive It's his attitude that I find particularly objectionable.). But now that I hear it out loud, it just seems like I'm being cocky. What did you put for your best feature? Raj: My parents' money. Uh, what did you put for your best feature? Stuart: I put: not applicable. Raj: Come on, dude, you're being too hard on yourself. You've got a lot of good stuff going on. 4. Bernadette: You were really quiet during dinner. Is everything okay? Howard: Yeah. I guess I was just thinking about my mom, and how sad my childhood was. Bernadette: Yeah, I bet it sucked. I'm gonna take a bath, you do the dishes. Howard: How about I take a bath with you and see what happens. Bernadette: Here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna take a bath, and you're gonna do the dishes. Howard: That's it? No compassion 不同情的? 5. Amy: Sheldon, I have some exciting news to tell you. Sheldon: That makes two of us. My new cuticle scissors will be here in one to two business days. Come on, one. Amy: I've been invited to consult on an experiment at your university for a few months. Isn't that great? We could have lunch together. We could carpool. Sheldon: You know, riding with Leonard has gotten a little tedious lately. The only car game he ever wants to play is the Quiet Game. And he's terrible at it, I always win. Amy: So, you're okay with this? Sheldon: Well, why wouldn't I be? Amy: Well, this project would have us working in close proximity to one another. And there's the vulgar adage [ˈædɪdʒ] that one should not defecate where one eats. Sheldon: My father used to say that all the time. That and, um, who does one have to orally gratify to get a drink around here? But what does that have to do with you working at the university? Amy: Sheldon, don't defecate where you eat means don't have a romantic relationship in the workplace. 6. Penny: Sheldon, I don't understand. I thought you said you were fine with it. Sheldon: Well, I was. But that was before Howard explained to me how awful it would be if he had to work with his significant other. Bernadette: He said what? Sheldon: Now, don't be insulted. He just thinks too much of you would be mind-numbingly tedious. Bernadette: Excuse me, I need to have a chat with my husband. Sheldon: Yeah, well, now, well, keep it short. From what I gather, brevity ( [ˈbrevəti] I. the use of only a few words. the brevity of her letter. II. the fact that something only lasts for a short time. the brevity of their romance. The brevity of something is the fact that it is short or lasts for only a short time. The bonus of this homely soup is the brevity of its cooking time. The brevity of the letter concerned me. ) is your friend. So, are we good here? Amy: No, we're not good here. I am working on this project. Penny: Yeah, and you can't tell her what she can and cannot do. Sheldon: Last week, you told Leonard he couldn't wear his Wookie jacket out in public. Penny: That's different. I'm not going to the mall with someone dressed like a dumb space bear. Amy: Sheldon, you don't have to worry about me bothering you. I'll be in a different building. And we don't even have to have lunch together. Sheldon: Really? Amy: Yes. Before all things, I'm a scientist. I'm just there to do my work and, with a little luck, scare the living crap out of some monkeys. 7. Look at him, just standing in line like he wasn't moderately famous 小有名气的 30 years ago. Let's go say hello. Oh, maybe we shouldn't bother him. I'm not going to bother him, I'm going to talk to him.
