用法学习: 1. foolproof 完全可靠的, 十足的证据, 十足把握的 (of a plan or machine) so simple and easy to understand that it is unable to go wrong or be used wrongly. a synonym for idiot-proof, an assurance, meaning a device that can't be damaged by improper use I don't believe there's any such thing as a foolproof system for making money. This new recipe is supposed to be foolproof. Foolproof means infallible, or so simple or well-made that nothing can go wrong. It's synonyms are reliable, sure, guaranteed, and flawless. There's no such word as fullproof. The extra safety measures are designed to make people feel safe, but Snyder acknowledges they are not foolproof. indolent [ɪndələnt] 非常懒惰的, adj Someone who is indolent is lazy. Habitually lazy, procrastinating, or resistant to physical labor. The indolent girl resisted doing her homework. ...indolent teenagers who won't lift a finger to help. jackknife intransitive verb If a truck that is in two parts jackknifes, the back part swings around at a sharp angle to the front part in an uncontrolled way as the truck is moving. Traffic on the Pacific Highway near Yatala was delayed early yesterday after a semi-trailer jackknifed and left the road. Jackknifing is the folding of an articulated vehicle ( An articulated vehicle 带拖挂的车 is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were sometimes articulated so the driving wheels could pivot around corners. ) so that it resembles the acute angle of a folding pocket knife. If a vehicle towing a trailer 拖挂 skids, the trailer can push the towing vehicle from behind until it spins the vehicle around and faces backwards. This may be caused by equipment failure, improper braking, or adverse road conditions such as an icy road surface. In extreme circumstances, a driver may attempt to jackknife the vehicle deliberately to halt it following brake failure. 2. otherwise engaged/occupied 忙于其他事, 有事, 有其他事 (have other commitments) busy doing something else He won't be able to attend because he's otherwise engaged. occupied: Something that's occupied is being used or is unavailable. If the sign on the restroom door says occupied, it means there's someone in there and you're just going to have to wait. If every seat on the subway is occupied, you'll have to stand, and if the apartment you were hoping to rent is occupied, you'll have to start your search all over again. When you're busy with work, you're occupied — you're engaged, or distracted by it. And when a country is occupied 被占领, it's been invaded and taken over by a foreign power — this last meaning was first used during World War II, referring to German-occupied France. 如何拒绝别人: If you have another appointment, you can say "I've got another commitment at that time" or "I'm not available at that time." If something unexpected happens that means you have to say no, you can say "Something has come up 忽然有事了, 忽然有急事." If you are just too busy, you can say "I've got too much on at the moment" or "I've got a lot on my plate at the moment 太忙了". Sometimes, you might have to say no simply because you aren't very good at a particular thing. If this is the area, say "That's not my strong suit 强项" or "I'm not very strong in that area." Then you can move on to suggest someone who might be in a better positions to help. If you don't want to give a specific reason, that's fine, too. If you simply don't like what you have been asked to do, you can say "That's not really my cup of tea" or "I don't really enjoy that kind of thing 不感兴趣." After that, it's time to continue to the next stage. 3. commit I. transitive to do something illegal or morally wrong. 犯下, 实施. Perpetrate or carry out (a mistake, crime, or immoral act). he committed an uncharacteristic error. 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. [ after verb ] 许诺, 答应 having promised to be involved in a plan of action: We are committed to withdrawing our troops by the end of the year. III. transitive to say that you will use available things or people for a particular purpose. 舍得花时间. 投入时间. 舍得投入精力的. loyal and willing to give your time and energy to something that you believe in: a
committed 全身心投入的 socialist/Christian/teacher. The whole family are committed 忠实的, 十足的, 虔诚的
vegetarians. We are committed to the ideal of equality. The prime
minister has said that the government is committed to the preservation
of the country's national interests. A committed socialist, he upheld
the rights of the voiceless and the underprivileged. We are firmly
committed to reducing unemployment. The whole family are committed
nudists. They are committed 致力于 to democracy, human rights and pluralism. Pledge or bind (a person or an organization) to a certain course or policy. they were reluctant to commit themselves to an opinion. [with object and infinitive] the treaty commits each party to defend the other. [no object] try it out before you commit to a purchase. a. Be dedicated to (something). we are committed to the fundamental principles of democracy. b. Pledge or set aside (resources) for future use. manufacturers will have to commit substantial funds to developing new engines. c. Resolve to remain in a long-term emotional relationship with (someone). she didn't love him enough to commit herself to him 托付终身, 托付终生. [no object] once I commit I tend to get scared. d. Be in a long-term emotional relationship with (someone). she loved a man who was committed to another woman. 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 收监, 入狱, 入院, 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. Transfer something to (a state or place where it can be kept or preserved). he composed a letter but didn't commit it to paper. she committed each tiny feature to memory. a. Consign (someone) officially to prison, especially on remand. he was committed to prison 入狱, 投监, 收监, 收押 for contempt of court. b. Send (a person or case) for trial in a higher court. the magistrate decided to commit him for trial. c. Send (someone) to be confined in a psychiatric hospital. you guys would have had me committed. d. Refer (a parliamentary or legislative bill) to a committee. commit oneself to someone or something 致力于 to devote oneself to someone or something; to be faithful to someone or something. He committed himself to his wife. She settled down and committed herself to her job. 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. commitment I. a promise or firm decision to do something. a promise or firm decision to do something, or the fact of promising something: He was encouraged by the commitment of car manufacturers to improving dealer profitability. The mayor also pleaded for a commitment to the city's request for $250 million in federal funds. We will set an example to the rest of the public sector and business by making a commitment to buy recycled goods. a strong/firm commitment. We can arrange for you to trial the equipment without commitment to buy. Players must make a commitment to play for a full season. Can you give a commitment that the money will be made available? The government reaffirmed 重申 its commitment to the peace process. The company has failed to honour its commitments. II. willingness to give your time and energy to a job, activity, or something that you believe in: I'd like to thank the staff for having shown such commitment. They don't want to promote me because they think I lack commitment. She is known chiefly for her commitment to nuclear disarmament. III. something that you must do or deal with that takes your time: family/work commitments. I've got too many commitments at the moment to do an evening class. Having a dog is a big commitment. committed I. loyal and willing to give your time and energy to something that you believe in: a committed socialist/Christian/teacher. very willing to give your time and energy to something: The level of the bid shows we are very committed and serious. Endowment savings plans are for the committed, long-term investor. in or denoting a long-term emotional relationship. "a committed relationship". II. having promised to be involved in a plan of action: We are committed to withdrawing our troops by the end of the year. III. money that has been committed to a particular project, investment, etc. is spent on that project: He had raised committed financing of £10.4bn. committed capital. 4. Very upset: perturbed tormented, distraught. Very happy: elated, exultant, ecstatic [ekstætɪk] 狂喜的(I. If you are ecstatic, you feel very happy and full of excitement. His wife gave birth to their first child, and he was ecstatic about it. They were greeted by the cheers of an ecstatic crowd. We are both ecstatically happy. II. You can use ecstatic to describe reactions that are very enthusiastic and excited. For example, if someone receives an ecstatic reception or an ecstatic welcome, they are greeted with great enthusiasm and excitement. They gave an ecstatic reception to the speech. The production received ecstatic reviews and had audiences weeping.). Very expensive: exorbitant ( [ɪgzɔːrbɪtənt] adj. If you describe something such as a price or fee as exorbitant, you are emphasizing that it is much greater than it should be. Exorbitant housing prices have created an acute shortage of affordable housing for the poor. ...exorbitantly high salaries. ), rapacious ( [rəpeɪʃəs] 贪婪的, 贪得无厌的. Voracious; avaricious. If you describe a person or their behaviour as rapacious, you disapprove of their greedy or selfish behaviour. He had a rapacious appetite for bird's nest soup. ...a rapacious exploitation policy. voracious a. wanting or devouring great quantities of food. "a voracious appetite". b. engaging in an activity with great eagerness or enthusiasm. "she's a voracious reader". avaricious [ævərɪʃəs] An avaricious person is very greedy for money or possessions. showing an extremely strong wish to get or keep money or possessions: The idea is to shift the bad debts of the avaricious and the greedy onto the shoulders of middle-class people. She turned out to be a crafty and avaricious politician. He sacrificed his own career so that his avaricious brother could succeed. ), extortionate ([ɪkstɔːrʃənət] adj If you describe something such as a price as extortionate, you are emphasizing that it is much greater than it should be. ). Very cheap: thrifty economical, dirt cheap. Very loved: beloved. doted on, adored. Very hated: abhorred, abominated, loathed. Very rich: opulent affluent, loaded. Very poor: destitute, penniless. Very rude: boorish churlish vulgar. Very polite: genteel well-mannered courteous. 5. 避孕套, 安全套: dinger (Australia, slang). franger (Australia, slang), rubber (slang, US, Canada). dweeb [dwiːb] a person who is physically and socially awkward and has little confidence. A boring, studious, or socially inept person: What a dweeb! Why doesn't she dump him? Usage notes: Although dweeb frequently involves some more sense of boring studiousness than dork, dweeb does not carry the connotations of actual intelligence or mastery of an (unimportant) subfield frequently intended by the similar nerd and geek. dork 社恐人士(和dweeb类似. dorky = dorkish): (derogatory, slang) A quirky, silly and/or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends and typically has unfashionable hobbies. Often confused with nerd and geek, but does not imply the same level of intelligence. dorky socially inept or awkward. "he teases all the dorky kids". unfashionable. "why would anyone wear such dorky glasses?" readily available 容易得到的, 容易找的, 现成的 easy to obtain or easy to find Blue jeans are readily available, but purple jeans are more difficult to find. If the ingredients for Thai dishes were more readily available, I'd cook Thai food more often. perseverance [ˌpəːsɪˈvɪərəns] 不服输, 不放弃, 坚韧不拔 noun persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. "his perseverance with the technique illustrates his single-mindedness". How to act in a group setting 众多人的环境里, 和一群人在一起: Talk to someone in the group who's also a little excluded. Start your own side conversation. 6. go ham go Hard As a MotherF*cka, putting forth a lot of effort. I go ham when I'm playing ball...I give it all I got. Going Ham has been around a lot longer then the Jazy Z song. Perhaps the use of it has changed to hard as a mother fucker. But before that it was used as just like Going in with force (giggity) Like say you're playing a first person shooter and you go in HAM. You're just going in blasting and shooting and brute forcing your way to victory with no use of finesse. To go ham is to go all in on something, in a raging, aggressive manner, pushing all obstacles aside. There are several definitions and interpretations to the expression, ranging from an Urban Dictionary entry, that defined going ham as "doing something, that isn't kosher for somebody" to the widely popular and embraced explanation; "go Hard As a Motherfucker." The latter meaning has appeared, however, years after the phrase has been used widely in the English language. abscond [æbskɒnd] I. 越狱, 逃跑, 逃脱. If someone absconds from somewhere such as a prison, they escape from it or leave it without permission. He was ordered to appear the following day, but absconded. A dozen inmates have absconded from Forest Jail in the past year. II. If someone absconds with something, they leave and take it with them, although it does not belong to them. Unfortunately, his partners were crooks and absconded with the funds. play for laughs 让人发笑 To do, act, or perform with the express intention of being funny; to do something for comedic effect. A noun or pronoun can be used between "play" and "for laughs." I do like getting dramatic roles, but if I'm honest, I prefer playing for laughs when I act. While many took offense at the rather unsavory theater piece, I can't help feeling like the whole thing was, at heart, being played for laughs. I wish he hadn't played the role for laughs, since there was the potential for some real dramatic weight in his performance. to act in a funny way that makes people laugh She's fantastic in serious roles, but she also knows how to play for laughs. Most performers would have taken a serious tone during the scene, but he decided to play it for laughs. 7. A pill 起球, 小球球, colloquially known as a bobble, fuzzball, or lint ball, is a small ball of fibers that forms on a piece of cloth. Pill is also a verb for the formation of such balls. Pilling is a surface defect of textiles caused by wear, and is generally considered an undesirable trait. It happens when washing and wearing of fabrics causes loose fibers to begin to push out from the surface of the cloth, and, over time, abrasion causes the fibers to develop into small spherical bundles, anchored to the surface of the fabric by protruding fibers that have not broken. The textile industry divides pilling into four stages: fuzz formation, entanglement, growth, and wear-off. Pilling normally happens on the parts of clothing that receive the most abrasion in day-to-day wear, such as the collar, cuffs, and around the thighs and rear on trousers. Philips Fabric Shaver: EFFECTIVE AND QUICK PILL REMOVAL - Large blade surface for covering a large area at once and up to 8800 rounds/min blade rotation for effective removal 3 SIZES OF HOLES - 3 sizes of holes in the mesh to tackle all sizes of pills. deviate [diːvieɪt] 偏离, 离经叛道, verb. I. To deviate from something means to start doing something different or not planned, especially in a way that causes problems for others. to change from the usual way, or to go in a different direction: He never deviated from his strict vegetarian diet. We need to know when the bus deviates from its scheduled route. They stopped you as soon as you deviated from the script. He planned his schedule far in advance, and he didn't deviate from it. He was determined to become a doctor and never deviated from that ambition. deviate (from something) to be different from something; to do something in a different way from what is usual or expected. The bus had to deviate from its usual route because of a road closure. He never deviated from his original plan. II. to do something that is different from the usual or common way of behaving: The recent pattern of weather deviates from the norm for this time of year. III. to go in a different direction: The path follows the river closely, occasionally deviating around a clump of trees. If something turns off course or is diverted, it deviates from the expected or the norm. Deviating from explicit recipe directions is never a good idea, unless you want inedible food or a kitchen fire. The verb deviate can refer to divergence from a predicted path or road ("the airplane's route deviated from the flight plan"), but it can also refer to a divergence from normal behavior or expectations. When women demanded the right to vote, their behavior was considered shocking and deviated from the expectations of the time. deviant [ˈdiːviənt] a person who behaves differently from what most people to consider to be normal and acceptable. sexual deviants. deviant [ˈdiːviənt] different from what most people consider to be normal and acceptable. deviant behaviour/sexuality. the slammer prison: He's doing five to ten years in the slammer. She spent several years in the slammer for forgery and prostitution. Like a prisoner released after too long in the slammer, he couldn't cope with life outside the pen. 8. hang-up 心里的疙瘩, 心结, 念念不忘 an emotional problem or inhibition. An emotional difficulty or a psychological inhibition; a complex. a source of mental or emotional difficulty "people with hang-ups about their age". He's in for a long time, so it wasn't like he could hunker down until he got out. But there was a very simple, easy solution. All he had to do was get over his hang up about sucking cock. shiv a small usually improvised pointed or bladed weapon. With nothing but time on their hands, the prisoners craft weapons from available resources: shivs are made from toothbrushes or pieces of metal bunks. Some created makeshift weapons by fashioning "shivs" out of sharpened spoons and toothbrushes. A shiv, also chiv, schiv, shivvie, or shank 自治小刀, is a handcrafted bladed-weapon resembling a knife that is commonly associated with prison inmates. Since weapons are highly prohibited in the prison environment, the intended mode of concealment is central to a shiv's construction. An especially thin handle, for instance, makes it easier to conceal in available cracks or crevices in the prison's construction, or in stacks of objects, such as books, permitted to the prisoners; however, this can also render the shiv difficult to grip and wield. Routine body searches in prison makes it difficult to conceal a shiv on one's person on a continuous basis. Beyond the prison authorities, it is also desirable to conceal possession of a shiv from members of rival prison populations. The word is recorded from the 1670s in the spelling chive as cant for knife, whose pronunciation is reflected in the spelling shiv recorded in underworld slang from 1915 and possibly used since the 1890s or earlier. The cant word probably came from the Romani word chiv for "blade" (compare Romani chivomengro "knifeman"). The derived verb shiv means "to stab someone", and a shivver is an archaic or rarely used term for a criminal who attacks victims with a knife. usage note: The word is prison slang for an improvised knife. The word generally applies to both stabbing and edged weapons. A shiv can be anything from a glass shard with fabric wrapped around one end to form a handle, to a razor blade stuck in the end of a toothbrush, to a simple toothbrush handle, filed 磨成, 磨出 into a sharp point. 9. the thing of it is 问题是 The important point to consider. The main or fundamental issue or element (of what's being discussed). A longer variant of "the thing is." I agree with your point, but the thing of it is, if we agree to increase spending for education, then all sorts of other public utilities will go underfunded as a result! Usage notes: In casual speech, and occasionally in casual writing, the verb be following this phrase is doubled, as "The thing of it is, is ..." or "The thing of it was, was ...". tight script, tight writing 紧凑的剧情, 紧凑的: Like what does a "tight" script entail? How does a reader know if a script is as tight as can be? Are there ways the writer can tell in their own work if the script is as tight as can be? Currently editing my own work, so yeah, much help would be appreciated. Tight writing has its place and purpose in all forms of writing, but more so in a screenplay. When writers leave more "white space" on a page, there is less clutter to distract our eyes, which means a clearer and faster read. Most writers understand that tight writing means by using as few words as possible. While there are no rules in screenwriting, conventions and expectations need to be respected: page count, pace, and plot points for genres must tell a clear, well-flowing narrative. 9. When the Allans and their friend Hugh Atherton bought the roadhouse in 2005, the Peninsula Development Road was unsealed and the corrugations 沟沟坎坎, 坑坑洼洼 on the road rattled off car parts and filled every nook and cranny with red bulldust ( Bulldust or bull dust is a fine, soft and powdery red aeolian dust that is common across Australia, especially in the Outback and desert. Bulldust is a type of fugitive dust that when disturbed can have dangerous effects. ). Now, much of the road is bitumen-sealed, opening it to more freight and travellers including organised tour groups and caravaners. A roadhouse 驿站, 休息站 (Australia and the United States) or stopping house (Canada) is a small mixed-use premises typically built on or near a major road in a sparsely populated area or an isolated desert region that services the passing travellers, providing food, drinks, accommodation, fuel, and parking spaces to the guests and their vehicles. The premises generally consist of just a single dwelling, permanently occupied by a nuclear family, usually between two and five family members. A nuclear family, elementary family, atomic family, cereal-packet family or conjugal family ( Conjugal [kɒndʒʊgəl] means relating to marriage or a married couple's relationship, especially their sexual relationship. ...partners deprived of their conjugal rights. Conjugal visit: This visitor is usually the legal spouse of the inmate, but it can also be other members of their family or even friends. In Australia, conjugal visits are permitted only in Victoria. Conjugal visits are not allowed in New South Wales or anywhere else in the country. A conjugal visit is a scheduled period in which an inmate of a prison or jail is permitted to spend several hours or days in private with a visitor. The visitor is usually their legal spouse. ) is a family group consisting of parents and their children (one or more), typically living in one home residence 居所. It is in contrast to a single-parent family, the larger extended family, or a family with more than two parents. Nuclear families typically center on a heterosexual married couple which may have any number of children. 10. clear the decks 扫清障碍, 清除障碍, 扫除障碍 prepare for an event or course of action by dealing with anything that might hinder progress. If you clear the decks, you get ready to start something new by finishing any work that has to be done or getting rid of any problems that are in the way. If you clear the decks, you get ready to start something new by finishing any work that has to be done or getting rid of any problems that are in the way. The hostage release could clear the decks for war. Clear the decks before you think of taking on any more responsibilities. The hostage release could clear the decks for war. Clear the decks before you think of taking on any more responsibilities. "the company's sale of Australian investments cleared the decks for expansion in the UK". duty call 公事, 为了工作, 工作访问 (social visit = social call 私事) a visit made for reasons of obligation rather than for social reasons. He accepted a drink, but at first made it clear that he considered this to be a duty call rather than a social visit. a pleasant trip away combined with a duty call on someone in the family. social call: A social call is a nice way to say that a prostitute is going to have sex with a client. She's going on a social call. Or he's busy taking a social call. the call of duty 使命的召唤 the feeling that you must do something because it is your duty. beyond the call of duty (=more than you need to do): His efforts frequently went beyond the call of duty. 11. Word Economy 言简意赅 In writing, word economy refers to careful management of the words that end up in your text. In the simplest of terms, it means keeping sentences, paragraphs, and chapters as short as they can be without degrading your storytelling or rhetoric. fraught I. (of a situation or course of action) filled with or likely to result in (something undesirable). If a situation or action is fraught with problems or risks, it is filled with them. The earliest operations employing this technique were fraught with dangers. "marketing any new product is fraught with danger". II. causing or affected by anxiety or stress. If you say that a situation or action is fraught, you mean that it is worrying or difficult. It has been a somewhat fraught day. "there was a fraught silence". The increasingly fraught negotiations over how to characterise Ukraine's membership application threaten to expose divisions over the limits of support for Kyiv and fears in the US and Germany that NATO could be pulled into the war. Point of contact 接口人, 接洽人: A point of contact (POC) or single point of contact (SPOC) is a person or a department serving as the coordinator or focal point of information concerning an activity or program. A POC is used in many cases where information is time-sensitive and accuracy is important. 12. 长肺炎效应: For some people, however, this doesn't seem to be happening, leading to prolonged COVID infections and higher chances of repeat infections 重复感染. People who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed, say from cancer treatment, are at particularly high risk. Does DNA play a role? While some parts of our immune system are malleable and able to strengthen over time, there's another layer that's more ingrained. This is often called "innate immunity" and it's the first line of defence responsible for holding viruses and pathogens at bay 挡住, 挡在门外 while the rest of the immune system kicks into gear. "With hardwired immunity, we have a selection of receptors that don't change," Dr Turvill says. "They're really great in the short-term of hampering the progression of a virus — and in some cases, they do such a good job that the virus doesn't go any further." Research is currently underway to understand whether genetic differences in how these receptors operate influence how susceptible [səseptɪbəl] we are to COVID infections and how serious the illness is. 13. Oxidation ponds 氧化池, also called lagoons or stabilization ponds, are large, shallow ponds designed to treat wastewater through the interaction of sunlight, bacteria, and algae. Algae grow using energy from the sun and carbon dioxide and inorganic compounds released by bacteria in water. trigger-happy I. disapproving ready to react violently, especially by shooting, on the slightest provocation. ready to use violence or force immediately, without careful thought: He deplored the behaviour of his trigger-happy, hot-headed son. "territory controlled by trigger-happy bandits". II. Someone who is trigger-happy often uses his or her gun, shooting with very little reason: Some have accused the police of being trigger-happy. introspective 自我审视的, 自省的, 反思的 characterized by examination of one's own thoughts and feelings. thoughtfully reflective. employing, marked by, or tending to introspection. As a student, he was very quiet and introspective. … encouraging a balance between the fast, upbeat songs and a band's more introspective side. There's an interesting literature that suggests that when people are sad, they tend to pay attention to themselves. They become withdrawn and introspective and very aware of their body and their mind and not very aware of the external world. examining and considering your own ideas, thoughts, and feelings, instead of talking to other people about them. Introspective people spend a lot of time examining their own thoughts, ideas, and feelings. Someone who is introspective spends considerable time examining his own thoughts and feelings. If you take to your diary after an unhappy break-up, you are being introspective. She is famous for her introspective songs about failed relationships. The Latin word introspicere means to look inside, and that's what an introspective person does, metaphorically speaking. It's different from meditative and pensive in that they can refer to contemplating anything, whereas introspection involves specifically contemplating yourself. dawdle 磨磨蹭蹭的人, 磨磨唧唧 I. If you dawdle, you spend more time than is necessary going somewhere. Eleanor will be back any moment, if she doesn't dawdle. They dawdled arm in arm past the shopfronts. II. If you dawdle over something, you spend more time than is necessary doing something. He got fed up as bank staff dawdled over cashing him a cheque. ...pals who dawdle over coffee. dawdler noun someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind. jump/leap out of your skin 吃一惊, 吓一跳 to be extremely surprised by something: The loud noise made me jump out of my skin. the gory details HUMOROUS the explicit details of something. the interesting and usually personal pieces of information about a person or event: Come on, I want to know all the gory details about your date with Jon. "she told him the gory details of her past". clear the table 清理桌子 To remove plates, etc. from a table after a meal. set the table = lay the table 放桌子 To arrange plates, etc. for a meal. synonym, antonym (figuratively) To make a future outcome possible.
worthy VS worth VS worthwhile: worthy ( trustworthy, creditworthy, newsworthy ) I. 有价值. 有意义. deserving respect, admiration, or support: a worthy goal/project. It was a worthy cause, and we were glad to make a contribution. She soon proved herself worthy of the trust we placed in her. He is unlikely to succeed in getting his bill through Congress, however worthy it is. Every year she makes a large donation to a worthy cause. worthy of attention, notice, etc. II. deserving to be given attention, noticed, etc.: Two points in this report are especially worthy of notice. If a person or thing is worthy of something, they deserve it because they have the qualities or abilities required. The bank might think you're worthy of a loan. The Minister says the idea is worthy of consideration. I hope he was worthy of 值得, 配得上, 配得起 her. I have not become chief constable, a rank I know I could have worthily held. Some people are afraid to take risks because their belief in their own worthiness is so low. III. Something that is worthy is not very interesting but should be admired for its good and useful qualities: a worthy book. I'm glad she's going into medicine. It's a very worthy calling. He does a lot for worthy causes. Such incoherent ramblings are hardly worthy of notice. Such dedication is worthy of our respect. IV. suitable or deserving to receive a particular thing: used to describe a boat, aircraft, or vehicle that is suitable to be used safely in a particular substance or environment. seaworthy. roadworthy. deserving or suitable for 配得上, 当得起: Each of the ten chapters is worthy of a separate book. After viewing the damage, the president decided that the area was worthy of federal disaster relief. worthy of something suitable for or characteristic of something: He threw a party worthy of a millionaire. a person who is important, especially in a small town. You can refer to worthy people as worthies. A group of local worthies began to plan their own exhibition. The front row of chairs was reserved for local worthies 大人物. V. A worthy person or thing is approved of by most people in society and considered to be morally respectable or correct. ...worthy members of the community. worthwhile = worth your while adj. I. worth the time, money, or effort spent; of value or importance. "extra lighting would make a worthwhile contribution to road safety". II. If something is worthwhile, it is enjoyable or useful, and worth the time, money, or effort that is spent on it. The President's trip to Washington this week seems to have been worthwhile. ...a worthwhile movie that was compelling enough to watch again. It might be worthwhile to consider your attitude to an insurance policy. "worthwhile" describes something that is worth spending time on or making an effort to do. It is worthwhile to do the dishes now instead of later. It is worth your while to study English with VOA Learning English. worth: "Worth" can be a noun. As a noun, it is an expression of value. It can mean an amount of money or something equal to a specific amount. The Hope Diamond's worth is estimated to be between 200 and 300 million dollars. I was short on cash, so I put $20's worth of gas in the car. "Worth" can mean "value" measured by qualities, morals, excellence or wealth. Knowing your worth can help you get a better salary. The house’s worth has increased over the past few years. "Worth" can also operate like a preposition or an adjective meaning "equal in value to" or "deserving of." The necklace is worth $200. I hope the food at this restaurant is worth standing in this long line! Worth usually follows the verb to be and is often used with a preparatory it. It can then be followed by an -ing clause: It was definitely worth making the effort to watch this documentary. It is always worth fighting for your freedom and independence. Note that with this construction, it can be used to refer to an action mentioned in the previous sentence: Shall we have this car repaired? ~ No, it's not worth repairing. I shall never have any independence. ~ It's worth fighting for, you know. This car is not worth repairing. With this structure the object of the -ing clause is made the subject of the sentence and the preparatory it becomes superfluous: This documentary was definitely worth watching. This documentary was definitely worth making the effort to watch. Freedom and independence are always worth fighting for. Be worth a lot of money Worth is also often followed by a noun phrase when we are discussing the monetary value of something or somebody and saying how much it or they are worth. With this construction the question forms how much and what are often used: What / How much do you think this violin is worth? ~ It must be worth a fortune. It's a stradivarius. He bought me earrings worth two thousand pounds. ~ Gosh, how much is he worth? ~ He's a dollar millionaire! be worth a lot / a great deal /etc With these expressions we are saying how good, useful or reliable something or someone is: She's always there for me. Her companionship is worth a great deal to me. She's worth her weight in gold. The government's promises and policies are not worth very much. The policies are not worth the paper they're printed on. Note that to be worth your weight in gold and not worth the paper they are printed on are both idioms. Word order cannot be changed. be worth somebody's while If you say it will be worth your while to do something, it means that you will get some (financial) advantage or benefit from it, even though it may take some time or trouble: It would be well worth your while to invest in shares now while the stock market is low. It's not really worth my while to spend the whole day on my feet behind the counter for as little as fifty pounds. Note from the above example that worth can also be modified by well to make the expression well worth. worthwhile: If something is worthwhile it is well worth the time, money or effort that you spend on it: It was a worthwhile journey - he got to see everyone on his list. The meeting was so worthwhile and all the arguments about profit margins have now been sorted out. Sometimes, worthwhile simply means of value and can be used in a similar way to worth with preliminary it. Compare the following: It may be worth comparing this year's profit margins with last year's. It may be worthwhile to compare this year's profit margins with last year's. It may be worth your while to compare this year's profit margins with last year's. worthless: Note that if something is worthless, it has no value or use: The guarantee will be worthless if the company goes out of business. With hyperinflation the local currency has become virtually worthless.
Big Bang Theory: 1. I call this meeting of the Council of Sheldons to order. Let's take roll 点名. Science Sheldon? Present. Texas Sheldon? Howdy. Fanboy Sheldon? Greetings. Germaphobe Sheldon? Say it, don't spray it. Where's Jock Sheldon? Not the time, Humorous Sheldon! Okay, new business. Do we grant Laid-Back Sheldon a seat on the council? Hey, whatever you guys want. I'm just chillin' like Bob Dylan. Negative. Heck, no! I don't feel well.
