the third degree VS quiz VS grill VS debrief VS cross-examine VS interrogate;

用法学习: 1. come to light /be brought to light if new information comes to light, it becomes known. in the sense of be revealed. to become known or visible. Nothing about this sum has come to light. This evidence did not come to light until after the trial. The mistake was only brought to light some years later. bring (or come) to light make or become widely known or evident. "no new facts came to light". mack on ​I. to hit on or flirt with someone. He intends to go to the club to mack on ladies. to make a sexual proposition to someone. You try to mack on anything that wears a skirt!  II. to eat. I macked on some food. munch If you munch food, you eat it by chewing it slowly, thoroughly, and rather noisily. Luke munched the chicken sandwiches. Across the table, his son Benjie munched appreciatively. Sheep were munching their way through a yellow carpet of leaves. III. to make out with someone. Sam is in the back room macking on Mary. mack on with someone. a little peck on the lips.. to feel obliged to do = to feel obligated to do It was raining, so I felt obliged to invite him into the house. be/feel obligated to do something to feel that you must do something because it is right or because someone has done something for you. if you are obligated to do something, you must do it because it is your duty or it is morally right. The committee are then obligated to take any comments into consideration. be​/​feel obligated to someone 亏欠, 欠某人的 to feel that you owe someone something because of what they have done for you She felt obligated to him because of what he had done for her. Ava felt obligated to help her mother, even if it meant leaving college. Watson felt obligated to him for the loan. 2. be of the opinion (that) to think that something is true I was firmly of the opinion that we should not give Jackson any more money.

 Herd immunity: Herd immunity means that a large portion of a population becomes infected with a disease, but many recover and are then immune to it. An outbreak eventually fizzles out because there are fewer viable hosts 宿主 for the virus to infect. Scientists have pointed out that if COVID-19 is allowed to spread, there will be fewer younger people to look after the vulnerable. "Intentionally allowing the virus to spread requires accepting that people will die in the short term, in part due to hospitals and the health system being overwhelmed," Dr Silva says. British virologist Professor John Oxford from Queen Mary University of London said letting the virus spread also takes governments into murky ethical waters. "As a virologist, I'm totally unnerved ( unnerve 担心不已 to make someone nervous or frightened. If you say that something unnerves you, you mean that it worries or troubles you. The news about Dermot had unnerved me. Tony was unnerved by the uncanny familiarity [fəˌmɪlɪˈerəti] of her face. unnerved deprived of courage, strength, confidence, self-control, etc. ) by it. I don't like it, I say it's got a touch of eugenics 优选, 优生优育 ( [juˈdʒenɪks] the idea that society can be improved by allowing people to become parents only if they are likely to produce healthy and intelligent children. Eugenics is the study of methods to improve the human race by carefully selecting parents who will produce the strongest children. Eugenics is the practice or advocacy of improving the human species by selectively mating people with specific desirable hereditary traits. It aims to reduce human suffering by "breeding out" disease, disabilities and so-called undesirable characteristics from the human population. Eugenics ([juːˈdʒɛnɪks]) is a set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population, typically by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior 低等的, and promoting those judged to be superior 高等的, 高级的. The eugenics movement became associated with Nazi Germany and the Holocaust when the defense of many of the defendants at the Nuremberg trials of 1945 to 1946 attempted to justify their human-rights abuses by claiming there was little difference between the Nazi eugenics programs and the U.S. eugenics programs. In the decades following World War II, with more emphasis on human rights, many countries began to abandon eugenics policies, although some Western countries (the United States, Canada, and Sweden among them) continued to carry out forced sterilizations. While ostensibly about improving genetic quality, it has been argued that eugenics was more about preserving the position of the dominant groups in the population. Progressive-era US eugenics is now generally associated with racist and nativist elements, as the movement was to some extent a reaction to a change in emigration from Europe, rather than scientific genetics. ), which I'm frightened about," he says. "I feel nerve-wracked about it, I think it's kind of a huge experiment when you're indulging letting the virus go like this, rip through the community. People will die. What will their relatives say? "The whole thing is a bit of a farce 闹剧, 荒唐剧 — and a dangerous farce." "With any infectious disease, particularly respiratory ones such as coronaviruses, a primary public health goal is herd immunity," says Dr Silva. But Dr Silva says a vaccine, which could be 18 months away, is one of the best and safest ways to do that. "One thing is to introduce a vaccine to build up community resistance with an eye toward herd immunity. The other is to let a gnarly ([ˈnɑrli] I.  ​American ​informal complicated and difficult to deal with. gnarly problems. II. ​American​ informal old-fashioned very good and exciting. III. 满是皱纹的, 老手 = gnarled old and twisted and covered in lines. gnarled hands. a gnarled old apple tree. gnarly roots. IV. risky, extreme and radical The surfer really hit that gnarly wave! ) virus happily spread about," he says. "With a vaccine, there isn't the element of sacrificing a segment of your people." "This pandemic is a serious health threat. The protection of the most vulnerable, now, should be the highest priority, not some future theoretical benefit." Social distancing to protect vulnerable people helps to flatten the curve of the pandemic, spreading the number of infections over a longer period of time. Not only does this help ensure the healthcare system doesn't become overwhelmed, but it builds up herd immunity in a controlled way over time.

 Brideshead Revisited: In 2015, The Telegraph listed it at number 1 in its list of the greatest television adaptations, stating that "Brideshead Revisited is television's greatest literary adaptation, bar none. It's utterly faithful to Evelyn Waugh's novel 忠实于原著 yet it's somehow more than that, too." Evelyn Waugh's 'Brideshead Revisited' is, I think, the quintessential and the finest novel of the twentieth century - English literature at its highest form. And this 1981 miniseries does the novel great justice: its episodes give us television's finest hours. The splendid cast makes the most of the rich script, which is as faithful to a novel as a script can be. My favorite is Phoebe Nicholls as Lady Cordelia: her performance is disarming 让人卸下心防的, 让人坦然的 ( making someone feel less angry or unfriendly because of the way you behave or talk to them. If someone or something is disarming, they make you feel less angry or hostile. Leonard approached with a disarming smile. When you meet him, he is disarming as he talks about himself. He is, as ever, business-like, and disarmingly honest. She looked at him directly and occasionally smiled disarmingly at him. disarming honesty. ), utterly charming. And Nickolas Grace plays to the hilt ( (up) to the hilt 到极致, 到最高峰, 最大可能的 as much as possible or to the highest level possible. Mike's colleagues were prepared to defend him to the hilt. The estate was mortgaged up to the hilt. Something that is done (up) to the hilt is done completely and without any limits: The government is already borrowing up to the hilt. ) the sybaritic 会享受的, 生活奢华的 ( [ˌsɪbəˈrɪtɪk] a sybaritic person likes pleasure, a comfortable life, and beautiful expensive things. Someone who has a sybaritic way of life spends a lot of time relaxing in a luxurious way. sybarite [ˈsɪbəˌraɪt] a devotee of luxury and the sensual vices. hedonist [ˈhid(ə)nɪst] someone who believes that pleasure is very important, and who tries to spend all their time doing things that they enjoy. hedonistic [hiːdənɪstɪk]. ), viper-tongued 毒舌的 ( viper [vaɪpər] A viper is a small poisonous snake found mainly in Europe. speak with a forked tongue 说谎成性的, 说谎不打草稿的 to tell lies or say one thing and mean something else. A forked tongue is a tongue split into two distinct tines at the tip; this is a feature common to many species of reptiles. silver-tongued 能言善辩的, 能说会道的, 会说的, 巧舌如簧的, 能言善辩的 adj A silver-tongued person is very skilful at persuading people to believe what they say or to do what they want them to do. ...a silver-tongued lawyer. ...the luckless lady who fell for his silver-tongued charm. ) Anthony Blanche. Diana Quick was a bit too old to play convincingly the debutante ( debutante [ˈdebjuəˌtɑnt] a young woman who appears for the first time at a ball and officially becomes part of fashionable society. A debutante is a young woman from the upper classes who has started going to social events with other young people. ) Lady Julia of the early episodes, but in the later ones Quick hits perfectly every disillusioned, jaded, repentant note. The miniseries follows the novel closely, beginning near the end of World War II as Charles Ryder (Jeremy Irons) grows disdainful of military life, which he finds a study in futility [fjuˈtɪləti] ( a lack of purpose, importance, or effectiveness. His efforts were accompanied by a sense of futility and doubt. be a study in something to show a particular emotion or quality by your appearance. His face was a study in dejection. to be a perfect example of something His face was a study in fear. dejected [dɪˈdʒektəd] 人生幻灭的, 没有热情的, 没有希望的 someone who is dejected has lost all their hope or enthusiasm, especially because they have failed at something. They sat in silence, looking tired and dejected. a quick study 快刀手, 学习快手 someone who learns new things quickly. )--and then flashes back twenty years as Ryder recalls his relationship with the aristocratic 贵族的 Marchmain family, a relationship that begins when he becomes friendly with Marchmain son Sebastian Flyte (Anthony Andrews) while the two are students at Oxford. The miniseries captures perfectly a golden moment of youth--and then the gradual disillusionment brought by the passage of time 随着时间流逝而带来的幻灭感. Like all great works, BRIDESHEAD REVISITED--both book and film--touches on a great many themes, most specifically an innocent type of homoeroticism, loss of innocence, alcoholism, adultery, and changing society; ultimately, however, the story is about spiritual values and how they survive in even the most unlikely of circumstances--and how God works through individuals in the most unexpected ways. The performances here are truly fine beyond description. Jeremy Irons has seldom surpassed his work here, and neither Anthony Andrews nor Dianna Quick (as Julia, Sebastian's sister) have ever bested their performances in this film. In addition to the three leads, the miniseries offers an incredible array of superior performances by John Gielgud, Claire Bloom, and Laurence Olivier; the cinematography and art design is flawless; and the score by Geoffrey Burgon is exquisite. Mortimer's script is remarkable in that it not only manages to recreate the novel, it also manages to capture the intangible, spiritual elements upon which the book plays but seldom directly references. A must-own work for any one who appreciates the best of the best; strongly, strongly recommended. Sebastian's family are Roman Catholic, which influences the Flytes' lives as well as the content of their conversations, all of which surprises Charles, who had always assumed Christianity was "without substance or merit". Lord Marchmain had converted from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism to marry his wife, but he later abandoned both his marriage and his new religion, and moved to Venice, Italy. Left alone, Lady Marchmain focuses even more on her faith, which is also enthusiastically espoused ( espouse [ɪspaʊz] 拥抱, 支持 verb. If you espouse a particular policy, cause, or belief, you become very interested in it and give your support to it. She ran away with him to Mexico and espoused the revolutionary cause. ) by her elder son, Lord Brideshead ("Bridey"), and by her younger daughter, Cordelia. Sebastian, a troubled young man, descends into alcoholism, drifting away from the family over a two-year period. He flees to Morocco, where his drinking ruins his health. He eventually finds some solace ( [ˈsɑləs] something that makes you feel better when you are sad or upset. seek/find solace in: James sought solace in religion. ) as an under-porter and object of charity at a Catholic monastery in Tunisia. Meanwhile Charles finds success as an architectural painter and visits Latin America to paint the buildings there. He is commissioned by Brideshead to paint Marchmain House, the Flytes' London house, before its demolition 拆毁. Sebastian's drifting leads to Charles's own estrangement from the Flytes. Charles marries and fathers two children, but he becomes cold towards his wife, and she is unfaithful to him. He eventually forms a relationship with Sebastian's younger sister, Julia. Julia has married but separated from the rich but unsophisticated [ˌʌnsəˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtəd] 粗鄙的, 粗陋的, 没修养的 ( I. not knowing much about things such as art, literature, and music that educated people usually like. a. not owning fashionable and expensive things. II. 粗陋的. 简单的. used for describing simple tools and pieces of equipment that are not advanced. An unsophisticated method or device is very simple and often not very effective. ...an unsophisticated alarm system. III. Unsophisticated people do not have a wide range of experience or knowledge and have simple tastes. It was music of a rather crude kind which unsophisticated audiences enjoyed listening to. She was quite unsophisticated 涉世未深的, 没有社会经验的 in the ways of the world. ) Canadian–born businessman and politician Rex Mottram. This marriage caused great sorrow to her mother, because Rex, though initially planning to convert to Roman Catholicism, turns out to have divorced a previous wife in Canada, so he and Julia ended up marrying without fanfare in the Savoy Chapel, an Anglican church that accepts divorced people. Cordelia returns from ministering 布道 to the wounded in the Spanish Civil War with disturbing news about Sebastian's nomadic existence and steady decline over the past few years. She predicts he will die soon in the Tunisian monastery. On the eve of the Second World War, the ageing Lord Marchmain, terminally ill, returns to Brideshead to die in his ancestral 祖传的 home. Appalled by the marriage of his elder son Brideshead to a middle-class widow past childbearing age, he names Julia heir to the estate, which prospectively offers Charles marital ownership of the house. However, Lord Marchmain's return to the faith on his deathbed changes the situation: Julia decides she cannot enter a sinful marriage with Charles, who has also been moved by Lord Marchmain's reception of the sacraments.

 Tom Brady's Patriots split exposes cruel NFL reality: It didn't have to come to this 不一定非要搞成这样, 不一定非要走到这一步, and for that both Bill Belichick and Tom Brady deserve some blame. Patriots owner Robert Kraft does, too, but he's been blamed for so many things that maybe we should give him a pass. The greatest quarterback of our time - OK, make that all time - is parting with the team he led to six Super Bowl titles. That alone should make football fans sad, even if their Sundays were usually spent rooting against Brady and his curmudgeon ( curmudgeon [kərˈmʌdʒən] 老倔驴, 臭脾气老头儿 someone who gets annoyed easily, especially an old person. If you call someone a curmudgeon, you do not like them because they are mean or bad-tempered. ...such a terrible old curmudgeon. ) coach. But the NFL is a cold, hard place 冷酷无情的. There's no room for a 42-year-old quarterback with declining skills and the huge contract he would want to stay in New England. Turns out everyone is expendable 没有非谁不可的事情, 地球离了谁也照转. Even the GOAT. And now the question is, what becomes of 会怎样 ( what has​/​will become of 怎么样了 used for asking what has happened to someone or something, because you have not seen them for a long time, or what will happen to them, because you are worried about them. If she is sent to prison, what will become of her children? Whatever became of the painting that used to be in your grandfather's library? If you ask what became of someone or something, you want to know where they are and what happened to them: Whatever became of that parcel you sent? And Mickey Adams - I wonder what became of him. ) an ageing quarterback who still thinks he has what it takes to lead a team to a Super Bowl? Does Brady find the perfect fit and go out in grand style with another team like Peyton Manning did with his Super Bowl win with the Broncos four years ago? Or is he a Joe Namath throwing wobblers ( throw a wobbler To suddenly become very upset or intensely angry and make a big display of it. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. John threw a wobbler at work after the boss criticized his report. Needless to say, he won't be coming back in on Monday. wobbly ​adj I. 摇摇晃晃的(unstable, shaky, unsafe, uneven). moving from side to side in a way that is not steady. a wobbly chair/table/wheel. 摇椅. a. not held firmly in place. Something that is wobbly moves unsteadily from side to side. I was sitting on a wobbly plastic chair. ...a wobbly green jelly. ...wobbly teeth. a wobbly tooth. 牙松动了. 牙齿松了. II. feeling weak and having trouble standing or walking, especially because you are sick or tired. She still felt a little wobbly on her feet. If you feel wobbly or if your legs feel wobbly, you feel weak and have difficulty standing up, especially because you are afraid, ill, or exhausted. She could not maintain her balance and moved in a wobbly fashion. Ryan was exhausted by the flight and walked off with wobbly 站不稳的, 打颤的, 颤抖不已的 legs to find Clark. III. not strong, confident, or certain. If you describe an organization, economy, or plan as wobbly, you think it is not very good or will not be successful. ...cheap deals on wobbly 不靠谱的, 不牢靠的 airlines. Both countries suffer from large budget deficits and wobbly financial sectors. IV. if your voice is wobbly 声音颤抖, 颤抖着说, it goes up and down, usually because you are frightened, not confident, or are going to cry. If a person's voice is wobbly, it sounds weak and keeps varying in pitch, for example because the person is about to cry. 'So that's why I want to go home,' he said in a wobbly voice. ) in front of fans in Los Angeles who thought they were getting the quarterback who won the most significant Super Bowl years earlier? In a world that's suddenly uncertain, the one certainty is that there is a team desperate enough to sign Brady for the kind of contract his fellow 40-something quarterback Drew Brees got Tuesday from the New Orleans Saints. A cool $US50 million for two years, a sum the Patriots weren't willing to part with even if it would keep Brady in the fold until retirement. Proof again that sentimentality 多愁善感是没有用的, 不是多愁善感之地 has no place in the NFL. Everybody's expendable, even the quarterback who began his pro career as a sixth-round pick and will end it as the best quarterback in the 100-year history of the league. The NFL - along with other major sports - is a business 是门生意, as we're constantly reminded. Management is free to do as it wishes, and players like Brady who are eligible for free agency are free to do as they wish. Still, imagine Derek Jeter hanging up the pinstripes and playing his final two seasons with the Marlins. Or Kobe Bryant testing the waters to see what other teams might offer after winning five NBA championships for the Los Angeles Lakers. Some players are so identified with franchises that they're almost as big as the franchise. Teams need to make decisions now and they are, despite the fact sports everywhere have been shut down by the coronavirus and there's no certainty the NFL will be playing in the fall. That Brady can still play at a high level really isn't debated 没有争议的, 没有讨论的. Give him enough protection, a good possession receiver and a deep threat, and he'll complete enough passes to make any team competitive. His experience and leadership will also be a welcome addition to any locker room. But ageing players always think they have more left to give than they actually do. They remember the ease of which they did things in their prime and believe they can still do it - even if reality suggests otherwise. In a perfect world, Brady would play one last season with the Patriots and then retire with all the pageantry and glory that should go to a player who made Kraft's franchise way more valuable than it was when he arrived.

 Big Bang Theory: 1. Sheldon: Raj, you're probably wondering why Amy and I aren't showing any affection to one another. Raj: Didn't even crack the top ten. Sheldon: Well, you should know that she recently broke up with me. Amy: I said I needed time to think. Raj: I'm sure you guys will figure something out. Sheldon: You hear that? Raj is devastated. Bernadette: Sheldon, shh. The wedding's starting. Sheldon: I see what's happening. Sides are forming 开始站队了. Well, if Bernadette's on Amy's team, I pick Howard. Howard: I'm not taking sides. Sheldon: Fine, I guess I'm stuck with Raj. Raj: Really? Stuart: At least you got picked. 2. Sheldon: Amy, I don't understand, are we broken up or not? It's like you can't make up your mind. Amy: It's because you're not giving me any space to think 给我时间想想. Sheldon: Well, you should think fast, because men can sire offspring their entire lives, but those eggs you're toting around have a sell-by date. Amy: You know what, Sheldon, you've made this really easy. You're immature, you're selfish, you just insulted me to my face 当面羞辱我. I don't need any more time to think. We're broken up. 3. Leonard: Hey, uh, buddy, can we have some privacy? Sheldon: Oh, of course. Wouldn't want to intrude. This is yours. Penny: Okay, when I'm done with him, I'm gonna need more information. Sheldon: Nothing odd. I just wanted to rub Amy's nose in it. Penny: Okay, look, I might be overreacting, but how am I supposed to get past this when I know tomorrow you're gonna go to work and see this woman? Sheldon: Now, forgive me for eavesdropping, but as I see it 对我来说, 在我看来, there's a simple solution. Leonard: Wake up, wake up, wake up. Sheldon: Bring Penny to meet Mandy. Leonard: What? Why? Sheldon: Well, right now, Penny's imagination is running wild, but if they meet, that will eliminate the mystery 丢掉神秘感 and alleviate 减缓 her fears. Like when that Sparkletts guy let me look under his eye patch. Leonard: Uh, first of all, you made that guy cry. Sheldon: And we learned that you don't need an eyeball to do that. Leonard: Secondly, I can't think of a more horrible idea than Penny meeting Mandy. Penny: Really? Why is that? Leonard: What, you actually want to meet her? Penny: No, but now that you're being weird about it, maybe I should. Leonard: I'm not being weird. Am I being weird? Sheldon: Yes. And that's coming from me. Leonard: Fine, you want to meet her? Penny: No, I just want to know that when you're at work, there's nothing going on. Leonard: How many times do I have to tell you? I have no interest in this woman. Penny: Yeah, well, maybe she has interest in you. Sheldon: In Leonard? Oh, even the Sparkletts guy could see that's unlikely. 4. Sheldon: Wait a minute. I know this may sound far fetched, but I'm on the market now. You know, if I dated Mandy, that would teach both Leonard and Amy a lesson. Penny: That's ridiculous. Sheldon: Oh, you're right. I could never be with a woman whose self-esteem was so low she'd be with Leonard. Penny: I'm with Leonard. Sheldon: Yeah, I know. Forever. Who would have believed these things would happen to us? 5. Amy: Thank you for doing this. Bernadette: Our pleasure. You feeling okay? Amy: We were together for so long, I honestly don't know what I'm feeling. Howard: Well, that's understandable. You forgot. It's called happy. Bernadette: Howard. Howard: I'm not saying anything bad. Just that she was in love with her captor and somehow managed to escape from his dark and crazy dungeon. Stuart: I know what you're going through. My, my, my last breakup was pretty tough. Amy: Oh. What was her name? Stuart: Hey, it's a true story. I don't need the third degree ( the third degree 诘问, 盘问, 拷问 informal asking serious questions and/or giving someone rough treatment to get information: I got the third degree when I got home last night. The third degree is a euphemism for torture ("inflicting of pain, physical or mental, to extract confessions or statements"). In 1931, the Wickersham Commission found that use of the third degree was widespread in the United States. quiz verb. to ask someone a lot of questions, often in an urgent or angry way. If you are quizzed by someone about something, they ask you questions about it. He was quizzed about 追问 his income, debts and eligibility for state benefits. Sybil quizzed her about life as a working girl. quizzing someone for more information. quiz noun 知识问答 a competition in which you answer questions. A quiz is a game or competition in which someone tests your knowledge by asking you questions. We'll have a quiz at the end of the show. debrief When someone such as a soldier, diplomat, or astronaut is debriefed, they are asked to give a report on an operation or task that they have just completed. to get information from someone who has just finished an important job, especially for the military or the government. The men have been debriefed by British and Saudi officials. He went to Rio after the CIA had debriefed him. grill noun. I. (BrE grill. AM broiler) A grill is a part of a stove which produces strong heat to cook food that has been placed underneath it. Place the omelette under a gentle grill until the top is set. II. A grill is a flat frame of metal bars on which food can be cooked over a fire. III. A grill is a restaurant that serves grilled food. grill verb I. When you grill food, or when it grills, you cook it using very strong heat directly above or below it. Grill 烤肉 the meat for 20 minutes each side. Apart from peppers and aubergines, many other vegetables grill well....grilled chicken. The breast can be cut into portions for grilling. II. If you grill someone about something, you ask them a lot of questions for a long period of time. Grilled 查问 about the friends she had to sacrifice, she replied, "I've gotten rid of a lot of people." Grill your travel agent about the facilities for families with children. The police grilled him for hours. The pop princess will receive a grilling about her life and career. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are wellknown to be anxious to preserve as much privacy as they can but if they take the sex therapy case to court they could leave themselves open to being cross-examined about all sorts of intimate details they may not want aired in public." interrogate [ɪnˈterəˌɡeɪt] 审问, 审讯 I. to ask someone, for example a prisoner or criminal, a lot of questions in an angry or threatening way, in order to get information. If someone, especially a police officer, interrogates someone, they question them thoroughly for a long time in order to get some information from them. I interrogated everyone even slightly involved. I was well aware of what my interrogators wanted to hear. The suspects were interrogated by the police. II. ​computing to get information from a computer by using a special program. ). Bernadette: For God's sake, Sheldon, what are you doing? Sheldon: I didn't want to come in. I was told it would make everyone feel uncomfortable. So I'll just stay out here and pretend that I don't have to go to the bathroom. 6. Sheldon (singing): Buddy you're a boy, make a big noise playin' in the street, gonna be a big man someday. You got mud on your face, you big disgrace, kickin' your can all over the place. I have an eidetic [aɪˈdɛtɪk] memory (photographic memory). Sometimes it's a curse. 7. Amy: Anybody can make a mistake in a weak moment 一时不察, 一不小心. Penny: What do you think? Bernadette: I don't know what to think. But then again, I just found out about it. Penny: You know, I fell in love with Leonard because he wasn't anything like the guys I was used to dating. I mean, I knew those guys weren't above cheating ( not be above doing something to not be too proud to do something. Lady Travers was not above helping with the housework when necessary. too good or important for something: No one is above suspicion in this matter. He's not above lying (= he sometimes lies) to protect himself. ) because that's usually how we met. Amy: Come on, you know Leonard's not like that. Penny: I want to believe you. I really do. Am I being naive? Bernadette: Oh, I don't know. This is all so new to me. I'm still processing. Penny: You know, he never would've done this when we first met. He's cockier now. Amy: That's because you made him more confident. Bernadette: You know, if you think about it, without you, he never would've grown into the person he is now. I mean, sure, more women might notice him, but I think it's better to have a guy be with you because he wants to be and not because he thinks he doesn't have any other choice. Penny: I never thought about it like that. Bernadette: Oh, me neither, not until just now. 8. Leonard: Look at all these activities the university has. Rock climbing club, archery, flag football. Sheldon: Had me at flag, lost me at football. Penny: Yeah, I think it's great you guys want to get more exercise, but do you really think sports is the right choice for you? Leonard: What are you saying? We're not coordinated 身体不协调 enough to play sports? Penny: Okay, Leonard, sweetheart, you twisted your ankle playing Scrabble. Leonard: I got a triple-word score with a double letter Q. If that's not a time to bust out the scrabble dance, what's the point of having one? Hey, Barry Kripke started a fencing club. Sheldon: Interesting. Sword fighting does hold a certain elegant appeal. And I would imagine it meets many of our personal criteria for a sport. Leonard: It's indoors, so no sunscreen. Sheldon: No throwing, no catching, no running. Leonard: No gym shorts that can be yanked down. Sheldon: Or worse, up. Leonard: Preach ( preach ​I. intransitive/transitive to talk about a religious subject at a religious meeting, especially in church. preach a sermon: The Reverend Hugh McKeag preached the sermon. preach to: That afternoon he preached to three thousand people. preach about/against: People flocked to hear him preach about Jesus. II. intransitive ​showing disapproval to give people advice, or to tell them how to behave, in a way that annoys them. I don't mean to preach, but I think it’s time to get serious about your relationship. III. transitive to express a strong opinion and try to persuade other people to accept it. Both my parents have always preached tolerance and moderation. preach [about] the values/virtues/evils of something 说好话, 说坏话: He preaches the virtues of hard work. a. to give a moral or stern discourse on something. Please don't preach about the evils of fried food. I like the stuff, and people eat it all the time and don't die! She was preaching about the value of 倡导, 提倡 a fat-free diet.  To offer a stern, moralistic, typically condescending lecture about something. The priest preached about the sin of coveting other people's possessions. He was preaching about God's message of love and peace. I wish you would stop preaching about being fiscally responsible, Dad. I get it. My mother always preaches about 说教, 唠叨个不停, 灌输 the dangers of drugs and drinking, so I've never wanted to try them. preach the gospel 宣扬, 宣传 I. to tell people about Jesus. II. to try to persuade people to accept something that you believe in very strongly. They preach the gospel that inequality is neither right nor inevitable. preach to the choir to try to persuade people to accept opinions and beliefs that they already have, and that they do not need to know. practice what you preach to behave in the same way that you try to persuade other people to behave. Sometimes it's hard as a parent to practice what you preach. ). Sheldon: And as an added bonus, the word touché comes from fencing. It would be our only opportunity to use it in a non-metaphorical sense. Leonard: What about a game of tag on a French schoolyard? Sheldon: Ah, touché. 9. Sheldon: But I met with 11 people, and they all walked out. And that Hollywood phoney 骗子 Chris Pratt never tweeted me back. Amy: I'm sure you'll find somebody else. Sheldon: I suppose. What happened to me, Amy? Years ago I was completely disengaged from my feelings. I'd say it was a happier time, but I was disengaged from my feelings, so who can tell? Amy: I don't know how to help you. You know, feelings are a part of life. Sheldon: They didn't used to be. You and Leonard and Penny, you all poisoned me with emotions. I was like the Tin Man, perfectly content until that evil wizard gave him a heart. Amy: I don't think that was the point of the movie. Sheldon: Fine, then I was like Pinocchio before that jerk Geppetto went and made him a real boy. Amy: There you go. 10. Stuart: I like all kinds of music, but my favourite genre is free. Raj: Hey, we've always talked about playing together. Howard: Well, it could be fun to try a little acoustic thing. Raj: Oh, we could play filk music. Stuart: What's that? Raj: It's been around for years. It's like folk music, but with a sci-fi/fantasy theme. Stuart: I like it. It sounds exactly like something I shouldn't be expected to pay for. Raj: Dude, if we do this, we're gonna need a cool band name. Howard: You know, I've actually had one I've been sitting on 早就取好了 for years. Raj: Really? Howard: It was for this power trio I tried to put together in junior high, but I was short 缺了, 差了, 少了 two friends. Raj: What is it? Howard: Footprints on the Moon. Raj: I just got chills. Howard: So did I. Stuart: Me, too. But I, uh, might have Lyme Disease. 11. Sheldon: Thank you for letting me come speak with you. Bernadette: Of course. Sheldon: As my relationships with Penny and Amy are currently strained 关系有变, 关系变差, 关系出现裂痕, I'm turning to you for female comfort and encouragement. Bernadette: Aw. I'm honoured 很荣幸. Sheldon: I tried reaching out to my mother, but she was in Bible study. Leonard's mother is on a book tour. My Mee-Maw was taking a nap, and after a while Siri started repeating her answers. Bernadette: So, I'm your seventh choice. Sheldon: Yeah, I know, top ten, pretty exciting. Bernadette: How can I help you? Sheldon: Well, in addition to Amy leaving me, Leonard's moving in with Penny. It's difficult not to feel abandoned. Bernadette: Well, why don't you look at this as an opportunity? You had other roommates before Leonard. Maybe this is a chance to find someone new. Sheldon: Perhaps I could find someone better than Leonard. Someone I can rub in his face. Chris Pratt's all the rage 正当红, 红的发紫 right now. I wonder how he'd feel about taking the smaller bedroom. Stuart: Hey. Bernadette: Hey. You know who would be the perfect roomie? Sheldon: Gandalf, but he's a smoker.

pax; cosmic justice 因果报应;

用法学习: 1. 睾酮素的作用: So revered is the role testosterone plays in defining masculinity that it's often described as the "fountain of youth青春源泉". Males thrive on testosterone, but what about females? So far, the research is unclear – we know that females produce a small amount of testosterone naturally, but currently there isn't sufficient data to say that low testosterone in women is harmful. It's a common myth that those with "large balls" have higher amounts of testosterone, although the testicles are the primary produces of the androgen 雄性激素. "Testosterone is mainly made in the testes. A small amount of testosterone is also made by the adrenal glands, which are walnut-sized glands that sit on top of the kidneys," says Allan. It's important to recognise that testosterone isn't just responsible for how you perform in the bedroom – it also deeply affects your body composition, including how quickly you can recover from exercise. "It helps the growth of bones and muscles, and affects mood and libido [lɪˈbi:dəu] ( dildo [ˈdɪlˌdou]), sex drive. Some testosterone is changed into oestrogen, the female sex hormone, and this is important for bone health in men." For many men who feel like they are on the cusp on having low testosterone, or want to gain added performance in the gym, supplements to improve testosterone are a common avenue. If you're looking to be as testes-filled as possible, there are ways you can naturally and healthily improve your testosterone levels – but they are as common-sense as they come. "Maintaining overall good health and most importantly avoiding obesity is the best way for a man to optimise his own testosterone levels," says Allan. 2. Guerrilla marketing is an advertisement strategy concept designed for businesses to promote their products or services in an unconventional way with little budget to spend. This involves high energy and imagination focusing on grasping the attention of the public in more personal and memorable level. Some large companies use unconventional advertisement techniques, proclaiming 自称是 to be guerrilla marketing but those companies will have larger budget and the brand is already visible. The main point of guerrilla marketing is that the activities are done exclusively on the streets or other public places, such as shopping centers, parks or beaches with maximum people access so as to attract a bigger audience. Unlike typical public marketing campaigns that utilize billboards, guerrilla marketing involves the application of multiple techniques and practices in order to establish direct contact with the customers. One of the goals of this interaction is to cause an emotional reaction in the clients and the final goal of marketing is to get people to remember brands in a different way than they are used to. The technique involves from flyer distribution in public spaces to creating an operation at major event or festival mostly without directly connecting to the event but using the opportunity. The challenge with any guerrilla marketing campaign is to find the correct place and time to do the operation without getting involved in legal issues. 2. The best one was a young lass ([læs] a girl, or a young woman. ) jumping onto part of a temple people shouldn't go and doing a sexy dance in way too short shorts while someone blared pop music from their phone ( blare to make a loud and unpleasant noise. Huge trucks rushed past with their horns blaring. blare out: The radio has been blaring out that dreadful music all day. ) and another filmed it. We didn't go back into the pool after that. We mentioned it to the staff but they just seemed resigned to the whole thing(习以为常的, 见怪不惊的, 熟视无睹, 不当回事. 无可奈何了. accepting that something unpleasant must happen and that you cannot change it. a resigned shrug/sigh. be resigned to (doing) something: He is now resigned to 接受现实 playing for a minor league team.). They appear to be all mouth and no trousers ( be all mouth (and no trousers) 吹牛, 说大话, 敢说不敢做, 敢做不敢当, 光说不做. 光吹牛逼 informal (Britain, idiomatic) Superficial, engaging in empty, boastful talk, but not of real substance. tend to talk boastfully without any intention of acting on one's words. "He thought Francis was all mouth". Etymology: mouth, meaning "talk" rather than action and trousers, presumably at the time of origin a reference to masculinity, either as trousers as a male item of clothing, or a reference to the genitals, being for some reason required in order for effective action to be taken. In the context of the time of origin it was perhaps a somewhat sexist term. The phrase originated in Northern England. all hat and no cattle (US, idiomatic) Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.) though, they back down very quickly if challenged by a westerner/Thai etc. All you have to do is talk or stare them down. Which is good as in a Buddhist country like Thailand, it saves you face. I've never had to manhandle the pushy Chinese (which is good as I cant tell between a Chinese Thai and Chinese Chinese). 3. Whirlpool let this one slide 放任不管, 放纵? It's literally inciting hate against a race. 警方: After receiving a call about a car doing burn-outs in a shopping centre car park, officer Ash Bowden finds the man in his bashed up motor with the window down. The rest is comedy gold(a piece of entertainment, joke, situation or person that is extremely funny The concept had potential to strike comedy gold, but the result is bland and unoriginal.) as the drunk 醉鬼 initially fails to notice any crash, then denies any involvement before repeatedly saying: "I'm just waiting for a mate." your mileage may vary [ˈmaɪlɪdʒ] 你的情况可能不同, 你的情况可能不一样 I. (idiomatic) It may work differently in your situation, or be different in your experience. Those batteries last nine hours in my laptop, but your mileage may vary. For me mindless bludging (eg surfing social media) gets boring really quickly, that's why I always pursue hobbies and interests or some side projects. But your mileage may vary. Do whatever floats your boat. II. (idiomatic) To express a possible difference in taste, "this is just my opinion, your opinion may be different". That red dress looks really good on you, but your mileage may vary, of course. Etymology: In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency requires a set of standard emissions tests on all new vehicles which simulate city and highway driving. Part of the test measures estimated city and highway gas mileage estimates. Since no test can exactly simulate all driving habits and conditions, actual gas mileage of each vehicle will vary. As a result, when these estimated mileage claims from automobile manufacturers appear in advertisements, they are almost always accompanied with the standard disclaimer "your mileage may vary." vary according to/depending on: Car taxes will now vary according to the amount of carbon dioxide a particular car emits. vary with: Fees vary with the size of the job. vary considerably/ greatly /widely/ enormously: People's reactions to the drug can vary widely. vary from... to...: The planning laws vary from town to town. vary in size/degree/length etc: Rooms vary in size but all have television and telephone. vary between: Attitudes vary between individuals, societies, and cultures. 4. 澳内阁部长因私访中国辞职: Labor yesterday called for action as pressure mounted on Mr Turnbull to make a decision about Mr Roberts' future. Mr Robert's contention 分辨, 辩词, 辩解 that he was not in China in an official capacity because he took the self-funded trip while on leave has failed to wash with ( wash with 说服, 无济于事, 无助于结果 have an effect on (a person), persuade. something does/will not wash 不被接受, 不可以 used for saying that you do not believe or accept a particular idea, excuse, or way of behaving. Such a careless attitude regarding safety will not wash any more. wash your mouth out (with soap) 刷牙漱嘴去 used to tell off someone who has just said something inappropriate such as cuss words.  if a feeling washes over or through you, you feel it very strongly and unexpectedly. She felt anxiety wash over her. ) many voters, especially given that his claims have been undermined by a Chinese report that makes it clear the government did not seem to view his visit as informal. Despite refusing to respond, Mr Robert took a hammering from 被敲打, 被问个不停, 被连番追问 the Opposition for the entirety of Question Time yesterday. A review from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet has reportedly determined that the August 2014 trip was inconsistent with 不符合ministerial standards. Mr Shorten said. Mr Robert came under fire earlier this week, when it was revealed he made an off-the-books 非公开的, 非正式的 visit to China with Melbourne millionaire and major Liberal Party donor Paul Marks last year. "Not only did he fortuitously ( fortuitous [fɔ:(r)ˈtju:ɪtəs] 巧合的, 碰巧的, 刚好的, 非常巧的, 无巧不成的. 无巧不成书的. 非常凑巧的. 非常巧的. happening by chance, especially in a way that is lucky or convenient. Happening by chance; coincidental or accidental. Happening by a lucky chance; lucky or fortunate. The timing of her departure was entirely fortuitous. ) meet the donor, Paul Marks — 'what a surprise meeting you here' – then he happens to stumble across a signing ­ceremony 签字仪式 in his personal ­capacity," Mr Shorten said.

 Kim Kardashian on struggling with two kids, hiding from North in a closet: Kim Kardashian West has finally figured out that motherhood isn't just about playing dress-up with mini-designer duds ( dud n. I. informal someone or something that is very disappointing. II. a bomb or other explosive object that fails to explode. adj. broken, useless, or not working correctly. dud fireworks. dud cheque a cheque that is worth nothing because the person who wrote it does not have enough money in their bank account. ). In a new blog post shared to her app, Kim, 35, revealed what her life is like now that she has two tiny ones vying for her attention. "I'm up at 4am, pumping and delirious(delirious [dɪˈlɪrɪəs] I. Being in the state of delirium. talking or thinking in a confused way because you are ill. Someone who is delirious is unable to think or speak in a sensible and reasonable way, usually because they are very ill and have a fever. 神智昏迷的. 神志不清的. 半睡半醒的. 迷迷糊糊的. I was delirious and blacked out several times. II. Someone who is delirious is extremely excited and happy. Having uncontrolled excitement; ecstatic. 极度兴奋的. A raucous crowd of 25,000 delirious fans greeted the team at Grand Central Station. Dora returned from her honeymoon deliriously happy. raucous [ˈrɔkəs] I. rude, noisy, and violent. a raucous gang of teenagers. II. a raucous voice or noise is loud and sounds rough. Raucous laughter came from inside.), hiding in my daughter's closet because if she sees I snuck out of her bed, she will start to cry," she wrote. "And I think she gave me a cold so I figure no better time to write a #StraightUp than now! "My mom would always say, about having kids: One is like one, and two are like twenty.' I never really understood that until now. It really is so hard! "When I had North, all I did was feed and sleep. This time around 这一次, I get no sleep. Every waking second that I'm not with the baby, I'm with North." The reality star, who gave birth to her son Saint in December, admitted that North, two, is the one who requires the most attention. "I actually think the harder parts aren't with the newborn but with the toddler!" she wrote. "I feel like I go into overdrive to give my daughter attention and make her feel loved. "Kanye is super helpful, taking North out to dinners (just them!), and I'm so lucky North looks up to Penelope a lot. She also has a baby brother so she gives North the best advice." Kim added that it's been difficult to fit in adult activities with the challenges of juggling two little kids - and her big one, husband Kanye West, 38. "I've attempted to work a few times or enjoy our Christmas Eve party, but it's definitely been challenging feeding the baby in between getting myself ready and getting my daughter ready," she wrote. "Being late and running behind gives me anxiety, but I know we will soon get into the perfect groove 进入正常轨道, 完美轨道 and just figure it out. My mom did, my sister did - and I will, too." 

 被大牌拒掉的歌曲大红: reject: the verb and noun are pronounced differently. The reject [ˈriˌdʒekt] pile 废品堆( rejected [rɪˈdʒekt] pile 废弃不用的废品堆) (['ridʒɛkt] - stress on the first "e") is indicating a pile of rejects (noun again, stress on the first e). If you altered the text to rejected pile you would be referring to the pile as a whole, as in the pile that was rejected. The author isn't trying to say that the pile itself was rejected, they are saying that it was a pile of rejected entries. A pile of rejects, or a reject pile. reject [rɪˈdʒekt] 被排斥的, 被抛弃的, 被放弃的, 不入流的, 不被人喜欢的, 没有人待见的 n. someone or something that is not accepted because they have not reached the necessary standard. Don't think you are a reject just because your parents divorced. It's so cheap because it's a reject. The players were all rejects from other teams. v. I. to not agree to an offer, proposal, or request. It is almost certain that our offer will be rejected. reject something out of hand (=reject something completely): The administration has rejected the Democrat's plan out of hand. a. to disagree with an idea, argument, or suggestion. The court rejected the argument and found the defendant not guilty. II. to refuse to take something, for example because it is damaged or is not what you wanted. The company rejected the entire shipment. a. to refuse to accept someone for a job or a course of study. Local universities now reject as many as 15,000 students per year. III. to behave in an unkind way to someone who wants kindness or love from you. He had rejected his daughter for marrying a Christian. IV. 抗拒反应. 排斥反应. medical if someone's body rejects an organ after a transplant operation, they become sick because their body has a bad reaction to the organ. flatly refuse/deny/reject: He flatly denied being near the scene of the crime. refuse/reject a request: Three banks have already refused his request for a loan. 音乐界的弃品: Success in music means knowing when to say no…even if it's to another pop superstar. Beyonce had to do the grim deed with her Super Bowl 50 halftime stage partner Chris Martin when he wrote a song for her called 'Hook Up'. "I really like you – but this is awful," she told the Coldplay frontman in (his words) "the sweetest way possible". But rejection is rejection, and 'Hook Up' might never make it onto anyone's Spotify list. Or perhaps Chris will take it over to Kelly Rowland and Beyonce's fellow former Destiny's Child will finally have the solo blockbuster that's eluded her for years. It wouldn't be the first time a rejected song became a massive hit. Keep scrolling for more pop smashes that started off in the reject pile. 'Alive' by Sia: Sia wrote her 2015 single 'Alive' for Adele, who recorded a version of it for 25. "I thought: Do I like it, or do I like a million dollars?" Sia told Apple Music's Beats 1. "She cut it and it was so amazing. I'm a huge fan of her voice." Alas, Adele nixed ( to refuse or say no to something. ) it for inclusion on 25, so Sia presented it to Rihanna, who took it...then gave it back. "I was relieved," said Sia, adding that she'd felt "seller's remorse.(When this happens, the seller panics and decides not to sell when a prospective buyer makes an offer. In real estate, seller's remorse happens because sellers aren't truly ready to part with their home, perhaps because they feel it may be a bad decision or they're under the impression that they have to sell. You've probably heard the term "buyer's remorse," a feeling of regret 后悔的感觉 after a substantial purchase, but sellers can also get cold feet..)" In the end, she cut it and scored herself a Top 10 ARIA hit. 'We Found Love' by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris： Nicole Scherzinger had first dibs on the song that would become Rihanna's biggest hit and totally slept on it(delay making a decision until the following day. "Although she said she would sleep on it, she was virtually certain to resign".). "I passed on 'We Found Love'," she told Notion Magazine. "I've got the demo of that song and I was busy at the time." Too busy getting 'Wet'? Yeah, that Nicole flop was released one month before 'We Found Love'.

 路怒的现世报: The driver of a luxury BMW who flagrantly 肆无忌惮的, 狗胆包天的, 大胆包天的 tailgated another car at high-speed before swerving towards it became the architect of their own demise, losing control and ending up ditched in the median strip 隔离带. Doing nothing to dispel the perception that people who drive certain types of vehicles tend to have a sense of entitlement 有某种特权, the ignominious ( [ˌɪɡnəˈmɪniəs] 丢人现眼的. 让人脸红的. 让人汗颜的. very embarrassing, especially because of making you seem very unsuccessful or unimportant. an ignominious defeat. ) end was likely rather satisfying to those who witnessed it. All except the victim of the aggressive driver, whose nerves were no doubt badly jangled ( jangle I. [intransitive/transitive] 金属撞击声. to make a noise by hitting small metal objects against each other. II. [transitive] if something jangles someone's nerves, it makes them feel very nervous. ) after the ruthless粗暴的 display on a freeway near Durban, South Africa, which began with the BMW forcing the small car out of the right lane. Although cosmic justice 因果报应 (cosmic [ˈkɑzmɪk] I. relating to the planets, stars, space, and the universe in general. cosmic materials/explosions. II. often humorous 莫名其妙的. very big, important, or difficult to understand. He treated his approaching death as a sort of cosmic joke. Cosmic justice is the belief that the universe is in some sense just世界是公平的, and that in some way the consequences of actions for human beings (or the effects of human nature generally) are rigged 结果是注定的, 结果是预定好了的 so as to ensure that they reflect the good or bad moral attributes of our actions or our nature. This belief is widespread, and takes a variety of forms, some of which may be more obvious than others. Whatever form it takes, cosmic justice needs to be decisively rejected as a metaphysical belief 形而上学的观点 ( meta- I. outside what is real or usual: used with some adjectives and nouns. metaphysical (= relating to life beyond the physical world). II. relating to change: used with some adjectives, verbs, and nouns. metamorphosis (=the process of changing into something completely different). meta adj. used about creative works that refer to other examples of the same type rather than anything external. Whether you appreciate Leon's grumbling, Sandra's shrieking or the wisdom of the Siddiquis, TV's most meta show is easy to love. grumble (whinge, whine) I. [intransitive] to complain, especially continuously and about unimportant things. grumble about something: Children always grumble about school dinners. grumble at: She grumbles at her employees over the slightest thing. grumble that: He grumbled that it was Saturday night and he had nothing to do. a. [transitive] to say something in a complaining way. 'This house is a mess,' grumbled his mother. II. [intransitive] 轰鸣的. 轰隆隆的. to make a low continuous sound. grumbling subway trains. (I) mustn't/shouldn't grumble 没什么好抱怨的, 没什么好不满意的 used as a reply to someone who asks you whether you are well, for saying that you feel all right. 'How did you sleep? ' 'Oh, not too bad. Mustn't grumble.' metaphysical I. (有点像唯心论的, 唯心主义的) 心灵世界的. 灵的.  形而上学的, 超自然的 relating to ideas about life, existence, and other things that are not part of the physical world. metaphysical speculation about God. II. 玄学派诗歌的 relating to a group of 17th century English poets who used complicated images to express ideas. Metaphysics 行上学, 形而上学. Metaphysics is a traditional branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world that encompasses it, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms: Ultimately, what is there? What is it like? A person who studies metaphysics is called a metaphysician. The metaphysician attempts to clarify the fundamental notions by which people understand the world, e.g., existence, objects and their properties, space and time, cause and effect, and possibility. A central branch of metaphysics is ontology本体论, the investigation into the basic categories of being and how they relate to each other. Another central branch of metaphysics is cosmology 宇宙学, the study of the origin, fundamental structure, nature, and dynamics of the universe. Some include epistemology as another central focus of metaphysics, but others question this. The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic Samuel Johnson to describe a loose group of English lyric poets of the 17th century, whose work was characterized by the inventive use of conceits, and by speculation about topics such as love or religion. These poets were not formally affiliated; most of them did not even know one another or read one another's work. Given this lack of coherence as a movement and the great diversity of style between poets, it has been suggested that calling them Baroque poets after their era might be more useful. ) that undermines the Middle Way. Belief in cosmic justice prevents us adequately understanding and engaging with specific conditions, because it interposes ( interpose [ˌɪntərˈpoʊz] I. 介入, 插进来. to put someone or something in a position between two other people or things. Police had to interpose themselves between the two rival groups. The work interposes a glass plate between two large circular mirrors. He swiftly interposed himself between his visitor and the door. II. to say something that interrupts a conversation. If you interpose, you interrupt with a comment or question.  'He rang me just now,' she interposed. Jacob was silent so long that Livvy interposed. ) a dogmatic 武断的 prior belief about the way that conditions operate. Beliefs in cosmic justice create a widespread influence in favour of the over-assertion of sweeping universal beliefs (at an extreme, think of the 9/11 hijackers, who believed they would be rewarded for 得到好报 their actions. ), or the under-assertion 犹豫m 不确定, 没自信, 犹豫不决, 犹犹豫豫 ( assertion: a definite statement or claim that something is true. a bold statement/ assertion 大胆宣示, 大胆宣称: They issued a bold statement calling for an immediate end to nuclear testing. overassertive adj excessively assertive, esp in an unpleasant way. The bully hides feelings of inadequacy by engaging in overassertive and overaggressive behaviour. assert I. If someone asserts a fact or belief, they state it firmly. Mr. Helm plans to assert that the bill violates the First Amendment. The defendants, who continue to assert their innocence, are expected to appeal. Altman asserted, 'We were making a political statement about western civilisation and greed.' There is no concrete evidence to support assertions that the recession is truly over. II. If you assert your authority 宣示主权, you make it clear by your behaviour that you have authority. After the war, the army made an attempt to assert its authority in the south of the country. The people have asserted their power and that will be very difficult to reverse. The decision is seen as an assertion of his authority within the company. III. If you assert your right or claim to something, you insist that you have the right to it. The republics began asserting their right to govern themselves. These institutions have made the assertion of ethnic identity possible. IV. If you assert yourself, you speak and act in a forceful way, so that people take notice of you. He's speaking up and asserting himself confidently. self-assertion 自我肯定, 自我认可.) of beliefs about specific conditions that appear to conflict with cosmic justice (e.g. Soviet denial of the existence of unemployment in socialist society). These poets were not formally affiliated; most of them did not even know one another or read one anther's work. Given this lack of coherence as a movement and the great diversity of style between poets, it has been suggested that calling them Baroque poets after their era might be more useful. 关于cosmic justice: It isn't easy living in reality. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. And sometimes bad people not only get away with being bad, they are rewarded for it 有好报, 得到回报. It is very comforting 让人心安的 to think that there might be some form of cosmic justice that would cause all these bad people to get their comeuppance [kʌmˈʌpəns] 报应 ( punishment that someone deserves for having done something wrong or unfair. If you say that someone has got their comeuppance, you approve of the fact that they have been punished or have suffered for something wrong that they have done. The central character is a bad man who shoots people and gets his comeuppance. ) eventually. Our desire for justice is so strong, that almost every religion in the world has apologia and theodicy to explain away this problem and reassure 让...放心, 担保, 保证 the faithful that justice will be done, eventually. Naturalists 自然论者 (唯物论者 (materialism), 科学论者, 唯心论者 idealism, metaphysics ) have no such comfort. We have to accept the stark reality that sometimes the bad guys win. There is no cosmic justice. But does the lack of cosmic justice have to depress us? No. It can empower us. And it should empower us. I am a Humanist which means, among other things, that I believe in the power of human agency. We humans don't have to accept the status quo if the status quo sucks. And when bad people win, it definitely sucks. We have agency which means we can change things if we want to, but we have to work at it and take responsibility to do it. This is why the absence of cosmic justice is so empowering to me. The universe is not sentient( [ˈsenʃ(ə)nt] 有感知的. capable of feeling things through physical senses. sentient creatures. ). It isn't concerned with justice. It just is. This means the universe 上天, 老天爷 isn't capable of taking on the job of punishing bad people no matter how much we might want it to. If bad people are going to be brought to justice, it will be because good people stood up and did something. Cosmic Justice is a bad idea: I find the idea of cosmic justice disempowering precisely because it takes the tools of justice away from us. Knowing that the only way justice will be served is if I make it my responsibility to do something empowers me. So the next time you find yourself lamenting the lack of justice in the world, remind yourself that if justice is to be found, it will be through the actions of your fellow humans. Then come and join us and commit to making a difference. THE QUEST FOR COSMIC JUSTICE: When you try to condense 浓缩 a book representing years of thought and research into a half-hour talk, a certain amount of over-simplification is inevitable. With that understood 理解了这一点, let me try to summarize the message of The Quest for Cosmic Justice in three propositions which may seem to be axiomatic, but whose implications are in fact politically controversial: The impossible is not going to be achieved; It is a waste of precious resources to try to achieve it; The devastating costs and social dangers which go with these attempts to achieve the impossible should be taken into account. Cosmic justice is one of the impossible dreams which has a very high cost and very dangerous potentialities. What is cosmic justice and how does it differ from more traditional conceptions of justice-- and from the more recent and more fervently sought "social justice"? Traditional concepts of justice or fairness, at least within the American tradition, boil down to applying the same rules and standards to everyone.  This is what is meant by a "level playing field"-- at least within that tradition, though the very same words mean something radically different within a framework that calls itself "social justice." Words like "fairness," "advantage" and "disadvantage" likewise have radically different meanings within the very different frameworks of traditional justice and "social justice." John Rawls perhaps best summarized the differences when he distinguished "fair" equality of opportunity from merely "formal" equality of opportunity. Traditional justice, fairness, or equality of opportunity are merely formal in Professor Rawls' view and in the view of his many followers and comrades. For those with this view, "genuine equality of opportunity" cannot be achieved by the application of the same rules and standards to all, but requires specific interventions to equalize either prospects or results. As Rawls puts it, "undeserved inequalities call for redress.".) doesn't always show up on time, when it does it is rarely less than ( exquisite 和风细雨的, not exquisite: 来个狠的, 不含蓄的 [ˈekskwɪzɪt] I. 精致的, 精细的. 细致的. extremely beautiful and delicate. Especially fine or pleasing; exceptional. They sell good coffee and pastries, but their chocolate is exquisite.‎ Sourav Ganguly scored an exquisite century in his debut Test match.‎ an exquisite hand-painted vase from China. II. showing excellent judgment. Exceeding; extreme; keen, in a bad or a good sense. exquisite pain or pleasure‎. The furnishings show exquisite taste. III. 细微的. 观察入微的. Of delicate perception or close and accurate discrimination; not easy to satisfy; exact; fastidious. exquisite judgment, taste, or discernment‎. fastidious [fəˈstɪdiəs] I. 注重细节的. 细心的. 要求高的. 爱较真的. caring a lot about small details and wanting everything to be correct and neat. Excessively particular, demanding, or fussy about details, especially about tidiness and cleanliness. II. 爱干净的. 有洁癖的. keeping your clothes, possessions, and property very clean and neat. Overly concerned about tidiness and cleanliness. III. 难伺候的, 难以取悦的. Difficult to please; quick to find fault. meticulous [mɪˈtɪkjələs] 事无巨细的, 一点不能疏忽大意的, 精细认真的 ‎Characterized by very precise, conscientious attention to details. very thorough and with careful attention to detail. Everyone agreed that it was a piece of meticulous research. pedantic [pəˈdæntɪk] 咬文嚼字的. 死扣字眼的, 较真的. 强调不重要的细节的. 过于注重形式礼仪规则的. giving too much importance to details and formal rules, especially of grammar. Like a pedant, overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning. I'm responsible for all slip ups手滑, but I'm also pretty pedantic. Without being pedantic about a slight exaggeration, do you have any useful advice? II. Being showy of one's knowledge, often in a boring manner. III. Being finicky or fastidious, especially with language. pedant [ˈped(ə)nt] someone who gives too much importance to details and formal rules, especially of grammar. letter-perfect 绝对完美的, 一个字都不能错的 Exactly correct, correct in every letter. He was able to write out the speeches of Hamlet, letter perfect. It was impressive to see how exactly he knew the wording. punctilious [pʌŋkˈtɪliəs] I. 小心翼翼的. 注意言行的. 规规矩矩的. 不肯逾矩的. 不敢逾越雷池一步的. Strictly attentive to detail; meticulous or fastidious, particularly to codes or conventions. With a punctilious slap of the gloves, the duel was now inevitable. very careful to behave well, and to follow the details of rules or instructions. II. Precise or scrupulous; finicky or nitpicky. finicky [ˈfɪnɪki] ‎I. (informal) Fastidious and fussy; difficult to please; exacting, especially about details. The baby was finicky until her diaper was changed. II. (informal) Demanding, requiring above-normal care. The lawnmower is a bit finicky in cold weather. Usage notes: The forms finickier and finickiest also exist, but are quite rare, and perhaps nonstandard. The forms more finicky and most finicky are much more common, and certainly standard. inquisitive [ɪnˈkwɪzətɪv] I. 好奇心重的. eager to learn about a lot of different things. an intelligent and inquisitive young man. Baby animals, just like baby humans, are inquisitive and playful in equal measures. This is part of the reason they're so darned cute. Such zest for life! Kabelo is trying to get his carers to partake in a little play-time. Half dance and half charge 冲撞, the adorkable calf is as excited as any toddler who sees their parents at the school gate. II. 穷追不舍的, 穷追猛打的. asking a lot of questions about things, especially things that people do not want to talk about. an inquisitive reporter. slapdash 匆匆忙忙的. 不小心的 ‎Done hastily; haphazard; careless. ). 同一事件的其他报道: Polo teaches BMW X5 a lesson in handling as Durban ramming 撞 attempt backfires. A BMW X5 driver tried to ram a VW Polo on a Durban four lane highway - but the Polo managed to nip away from the crazed BMW driver, who promptly lost control of his own vehicle and crashed into the grassy verge. This is the dramatic moment a bout of road rage turned very nasty when a BMW driver attempted to shunt ( I. 丢到一边. 丢开. 丢下不管. to move someone or something to a different place or position, especially to avoid dealing with them. We can't just shunt patients off to other hospitals. The children are constantly shunted around to various relatives. a. 导开. to cause something to move along a path that is different from the one it normally uses. shunt something onto something: Traffic will be shunted onto other roads. b. to move a train to a different track. ) another motorist off the highway. Instant karma 现世报 came for the driver following the act of aggression however, as only moments later the 4x4 skidded off the road and onto a grass verge 隔离带(A road verge (澳洲话: 人行道和车道之间的隔离带) (also besidewalk, boulevard, city grass, devil strip, government grass, hellstrip, island strip, nature strip, neutral ground, out lawn, parking strip, parkway, planting strip, road reserve, sidewalk buffer, tree belt, tree lawn, utility strip, verge, etc.) is a narrow strip of grass or plants and sometimes also trees located between the carriageway (roadway) curb (or road surface edge or shoulder) and the boundary of a road.). The shocking incident was captured on a dashcam by a vehicle travelling along the stretch of motorway in Durban, South Africa. The video shows a silver Volkswagen Polo, which is being tailgated by the BMW x5, overtaking the filming car in the outside lane. The driver of the larger car, which has its hazard lights on, appears to want the Polo to move over into the middle lane. And as the two vehicles continue down the motorway, the Polo does indeed pull over to allow the BMW x5 to overtake. But this action does not seem to defuse the situation as instead of overtaking, the BMW driver decides to cruise alongside the Polo. The two cars continue down the motorway next to one another for a couple more feet until suddenly the road rage boils over. Pulling in 冲进 and out of 冲出 the middle lane with a jerk reaction, the BMW comes within inches of colliding with the Polo. The manoeuvre appears to try and intimidate the driver of the Polo, who reacts by moving over to the left hand lane to avoid a crash. The video maker can be heard sounding his horn at the dangerous driving in front as suddenly the BMW begins to skid off the road. Unable to correct such a dramatic manoeuvre, the car veers onto the grass verge along the side of the motorway and ploughs into a ditch before coming to a stop in front of a crash barrier. Since appearing online a number of people have commented on the dramatic footage. One viewer wrote: 'I don't care if that dude in the BMW crashed already, he still needs to be found and charged for his actions. 'Despicable that people like this are allowed on our roads. They think they own them, but they don't even deserve to be on them.'

 Pax stands for passenger and passes: Essentially, pax means people/persons/occupants, as succinctly 简洁的 [səkˈsɪŋkt] expressed by Callithumpian's answer (apparently it was used as early as the 40s; it became a standard term in the UK Passenger Transport industry in the 70s). I worked in the bus industry for many years. Pax isn't exactly shorthand for Passengers. It's short for Passengers and Passes. In which context, Passengers is short for Paying Passengers. The reason being that from a bus company's point of view it's crucial to distinguish between Passengers (who pay the fare when boarding), and Passes (using a Season Ticket, or some other pre-paid authorisation to travel). In the UK, Local Authorities routinely pay for passes used by pensioners, for example. They may also pay a bus company a flat sum simply to run a Service that the company would otherwise have considered uneconomic 不划算的, 不经济的. In such a context, the bus company needs to analyse Pax totals to ensure their buses aren't being overloaded, and Pass totals because the Local Authority wants to know their money was well spent 花的值. And they need (Paid) Passenger totals because those are the real 'customers' who might use a different bus company if they don't like the service or the price. It may help to point out that one of the reasons for using Pax is simply to make report layouts easier. I was coding up those reports in the 70's, when things were a bit more constrained than today. Managers couldn't just run off a report when they wanted it; they got standard reports run overnight by computer operators. These were often very long printouts, so page space was at a premium( I. 抢手的. 热门货. scarce and in demand. if something is at a premium, a lot of people want it and so it is difficult to get. Space was at a premium here. "space was at a premium". II. above the usual or nominal price. if someone sells something at a premium, they charge extra money for it because a lot of people want it. "touts sell the tickets at a premium". ) and columns were as narrow as could still fit the data in. Instead of a single column showing just 'traveller' totals, managers obviously wanted the breakdown. So we gave them Psg Pas Pax, being Paying Passengers, Pass Users, and Total Travellers. Finally I've never actually seen pax used outside the transport industry, but it's worth pointing out that a dog, for example, probably wouldn't count as a pax, even if a fare was payable. That's because a dog doesn't occupy a seat. By the same token 同样的原因, a baby in a portable cot probably wouldn't count as a pax in an apartment, because it wouldn't occupy 'bed space'. As several people have commented, the usage has been extended - particularly in the Far East, and most particularly in the hospitality industry. So whereas originally pax was always travellers (live human bodies that need to be transported) it's often now more generally applied to any "customers, people, bodies" occupying space (usually, seats or beds), who must be entertained, accommodated, fed, etc.