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用法学习: 1. lumber 跌跌撞撞的走, 一瘸一拐的走 to move slowly and awkwardly. If someone or something lumbers from one place to another, they move there very slowly and clumsily. Large parts of its war effort are now unmanned, the robots, drones, and remotely piloted tanks giving it a sudden, albeit fragile, edge over a lumbering and strained Russian invader. He turned and lumbered back to his chair. The truck lumbered across the parking lot toward the road. He looked straight ahead and overtook a lumbering lorry. In the distance, we could see a herd of elephants lumbering across the plain. lumber someone with something 丢给...处理 [British, informal, disapproval] mainly UK informal If you are/get lumbered with something, you have to deal with something or someone that you do not want to. If you are lumbered with someone or something, you have to deal with them or take care of them even though you do not want to and this annoys you. I was lumbered with the job of taking charge of all the money. I hope no-one ever gets lumbered with you. I always seem to get lumbered with the job of clearing up after a party. pockmarked = pocked I. 满脸痘印的. 满脸麻子的. marked with pockmarks: a pockmarked face. II. 坑坑洼洼的. A pockmarked surface has a lot of holes or low areas in it: The old barn was pockmarked with bullet holes. Across the battlefield, control over location data is paramount, and sometimes they must feel their way using daytime recorded drone feeds and painstaking research of the best route over a pockmarked farming field. pock I. 水痘. a spot on the skin that contains pus (= thick yellowish infected liquid), caused by a disease such as chickenpox or smallpox, or a small hollow place that is left when the spot has healed: His face was covered in pocks and cysts. In rare cases the pock may reappear in the same place after it is apparently healed. II. a small hollow place or hole on a surface: Twenty-foot bomb craters pock the roads. The chickens have left little red pocks all over her legs. There are pocks left by hooves and shoes in the soft ground. verb. I. to create holes or raised areas on a surface: Heavy rain is pocking the roads with large potholes. Prairie dogs pock the golf course with their mounds, and take golf balls and hide them in their burrows. II. (of holes) to be all over a surface: Bulletholes pock the entrance to the tunnel. The scars of the trenches still pock the land. pockmark 痘印, 麻点, 麻子 a small hollow on your skin that is left after a spot caused by a disease, such as chickenpox or smallpox, has healed: a face covered with pockmarks. incurious [ɪnˈkjʊə.ri.əs] 不好奇的, 没有好奇心的. 司空见惯, 习以为常的 ot curious; indifferent or uninterested. not interested in knowing what is happening, or not wanting to discover anything new: incurious about He's strangely incurious about what goes on around him. One load is delivered in a non-descript farmhouse, where five boxes of ammunition are strapped onto a robot. It whirrs 嗡嗡着 to life as its remote pilot takes control from a bunker miles away, and trundles down the tiny mud path between two cottage fences, past incurious locals, beginning its 10-hour journey to the frontline. whirr = whir 嗡嗡叫, 嗡嗡着 verb. When something such as a machine or an insect's wing whirrs, it makes a series of low sounds so quickly that they seem like one continuous sound. The camera whirred and clicked. ...the whirring sound of the film projector. He could hear the whirr of a vacuum cleaner. Whirr, click, whirr, click–step by step the scan probed deeper. The silence was broken by the whirring of a helicopter. trundle 晃悠悠的走, 慢悠悠的游走 verb. I. If a vehicle trundles somewhere, it moves there slowly, often with difficulty or an irregular movement. The truck was trundling along the escarpment of the Zambesi valley. A few horse-drawn carts still trundle through the dilapidated mining villages. The train eventually trundled in at 7.54. II. If you trundle something somewhere, especially a small, heavy object with wheels, you move or roll it along slowly. (to cause something) to move slowly on wheels: She trundled the wheelbarrow down the path. Hundreds of trucks full of fruit and vegetables trundle across the border each day. The old man lifted the barrow and trundled it away. They trundled his mowers outside and dumped them. III. If you say that someone is trundling somewhere, you mean that they are walking slowly, often in a tired way or with heavy steps. Girls trundle in carrying heavy book bags. trundle something out mainly UK informal to produce in a boring way something that has often been seen or used before: They seem to trundle out the same old films every Christmas. 2. Puck bunny(Off Campus references the derogatory slang "puck bunny", which is used to describe female ice hockey fans who are more interested in the players than the game itself.) is a term used to describe a female ice hockey fan whose interest in the sport is purported to be primarily motivated by sexual attraction to the players rather than enjoyment of the game itself. Primarily a Canadian term, it gained popular currency in the 21st century, and in 2004 was added to the second edition of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary. The term is somewhat analogous [əˈnaləɡəs] 可类比的 to the term groupie as it relates to musicians. Sociological studies of the phenomenon in minor league hockey indicate that self-proclaimed "puck bunnies" are "'proud as punch' to have sex with the [players]", as it confers social status on them. However, these transitory 短期的, 短时间的 relationships are often contrasted with those of girlfriends, with whom players have more stable, long-term relationships. In similar terminology, a female fan who hangs around rodeo cowboys is called a "buckle bunny", in reference to large belt-buckles given as awards. false dawn 落空的希望 I. something that seems to show that a successful period is beginning or that a situation is improving when it is not. a situation in which you think that something is finally going to improve but it does not. National elections are scheduled for next year, but this country has seen many false dawns before. Is it really heading for democracy and peace this time? The increase in sales at the end of the year proved to be a false dawn. We know the couple will end up in love, but the screenplay structure requires a false dawn before the real happy ending. There have been false dawns. First, the Membreys were told by police the killer had been found. But he was cleared. And now, police have reason to believe there is a new suspect. II. a time in which something such as the economy seems to be getting better but in fact it is not: In Japan, the concern is that the latest pick-up in activity will be another false dawn and that the economy will suffer a relapse. 3. incorporate I. to include something as part of something larger. to include something within something else: incorporate a component/an element/a feature 加入特色, 融入新特色, 新部件 Mobile phones incorporate features of desktop computers, personal digital assistants, and landlines. incorporate a concept/an idea/a theme Working with colleagues from other countries gives us the opportunity to incorporate new ideas and methods. incorporate sth into sth We've incorporated the hydraulic central heating into the floor tiles. incorporate sth with sth 融合 Thirty years ago, the idea that a phone could be incorporated with a computer and be held in one hand was the stuff of comic books. be incorporated into The European Convention of Human Rights has been incorporated into Irish law. be incorporated in Suggestions from the survey are incorporated in the final design. This aircraft incorporates several new safety features. But Frontier has been incorporating service upgrades. It restored call-in customer service for passengers in Spring 2024 after discontinuing it in 2022. It also recently started offering wider first-class seats, and Wi-Fi should be available by 2027.  II. business, law specialized to make a company or organization into a legal corporation (= a particular type of company). to legally make a company into a corporation or part of a corporation (= a large company or group of companies that is controlled together as a single organization), or (of a company) to become a corporation: The company was incorporated in 2008 and is privately owned. It was an offshore company incorporated in Nicosia, Cyprus. He set up a jewellery design business and incorporated it five years later. When a company incorporates, the articles of incorporation state how many shares are authorized and can be issued. the incorporation of black soldiers into Union ranks.  incorporate an association/a business/a company The association was incorporated in 1970. Our company was incorporated in Delaware after World War I. 4. low slung adj. I. lower or closer to the ground than usual: a low-slung convertible. a low-slung modern building. a low-slung sofa. The modern type of camper is very low slung and close to the road. I've always been intrigued by Jimmy Page's low-slung guitar position. The Luce does not have the low-slung profile 重心低, 底盘低 of a typical Ferrari. Powered by electric motors, it also does not have the distinctive engine noise. II. worn lower on the body than is usual: A beach town in the US state of New Jersey is passing a ban on the wearing of low-slung pants 低腰裤 or jeans on its boardwalk. 5. ham I. A ham is a person whose hobby consists of using special radio equipment to talk to other people with the same hobby, often people who are in other countries. I became a ham radio operator at the age of eleven. II. A ham actor 只会张牙舞爪的演员, 龇牙咧嘴的演员, 演技差的演员 is someone who acts badly, exaggerating every emotion and gesture. be a ham To exaggerate a performance or act in an overstated or over-the-top manner, often to the level of being irksome or inappropriate. This is a serious play, so please don't be a ham out there. My toddlers are always real hams whenever we have company over. That actor is such a ham in every role—he always ends up annoying me. go ham I. (intransitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular, often with on) 发疯. To enter an enraged and uncontrollable state; to go berserk. If you use her fabric scissors, she's going to go ham on you. II. (intransitive, slang, originally African-American Vernacular, often with on) 竭尽全力. To do something with the maximum possible effort; to go all out. go the whole hog, full send, put one's whole pussy into. My costume last Halloween was pretty lame, but this time I'm really going to go ham. I ordered a couple burgers and just went ham on them. Etymology: Uncertain; the earliest use of the term in the idiomatic sense appears to be in the 2007 song "Go Ham on 'Em" by Soulja Boy (see quotation below), although isolated usage goes back earlier. "Ham" is often thought to be an acronym of "hard as a motherfucker" (with go ham then parsing as go hard as a motherfucker), although this may be a backronym. Alternatively, it could be a phonetic clipping of mayhem. The term was popularized by the 2011 song "H.A.M." by Jay-Z and Kanye West. The fact that go the whole hog and go ham have senses that are synonymous at least raises the question of whether the pig-portions connection is wholly coincidental or not. ham sth up 夸大, 做给人看, 演技夸张 (ham it up) I. If actors or actresses ham it up, they exaggerate every emotion and gesture when they are acting, often deliberately because they think that the audience will be more amused. To act in an exaggerated way, typically in order to be funny. Thrusting themselves into the spirit of the farce, they ham it up like mad. Your daughter loves to ham it up for the camera—you might have a little actress on your hands! This is a serious play, so please don't ham it up out there. My toddlers always seem to ham it up whenever we have company over. ham-fisted = ham-handed 笨手笨脚的, 笨拙的 I. Uncoordinated or clumsy with one's hands. My mother does beautiful calligraphy, but I'm so ham-fisted that I can barely hold the pen. No, I'm too ham-fisted to repair that delicate figurine. What were you thinking, letting John hold that priceless antique? You know that boy's ham-fisted! II. 反应太慢的. Inept in one's personal interactions. Tommy is so ham-fisted that he'll never be able to mediate this situation. Please, you're too ham-fisted—you'll never be able to sweet-talk the neighbor to help you out with this. Geez, you need to use some finesse! You can't be so ham-fisted if you're hoping for a reconciliation here. ham-handed In a clumsy manner; lacking care and skill. The candidate's ham-handed attempts to woo voters just ended up annoying them. Sorry for all the typos—I'm too ham-handed to hit the right keys on this tiny keyboard. Geez, you need to use some finesse! You can't be so ham-handed if you're hoping for a reconciliation here. 6. stupid is as stupid does Stupid behaviour indicates stupidity. One's actions indicate one's level of stupidity (or intelligence). The phrase was popularized by the film Forrest Gump. Of course that fool backed his car into own house! Stupid is as stupid does! Stupid is as stupid does, so judge her on her actions, not your first impression. Etymology: Apparently modeled on handsome is as handsome does. Attested since at least 1862, but popularized (perhaps independently) by the 1994 film Forrest Gump. handsome is as handsome does Handsomeness is defined by actions, not by appearance. bug out I. (slang, intransitive, originally military) To leave (a place) hastily. It's time I bugged out of this town: it ain't safe no more. II. (slang, intransitive) To abandon someone without warning. I'm not gonna bug out on you, I promise. III. (slang, intransitive) To miss school, play truant, play hooky. I go to Stockton High, but normally I bug out . IV. 躲一阵子. 躲避一下. (slang, intransitive) To leave civilization to live off the grid; to escape an apocalypse or emergency by leaving the area. to leave a place or situation quickly, especially because of danger: The position gave us good cover and the capacity to bug out in an emergency. When it all goes down, you're gonna want to bug out. V. (slang, transitive, of one's eyes) To cause to bulge. (of someone's eyes) to stick out or open very wide: When I tell people, their jaws drop and their eyes bug out 瞪出眼珠子, 凸眼. Kim Goodman holds the world record for bugging out her eyes. VI. (slang, intransitive, of eyes) To bulge; to protrude. The 3D imagery will make your eyes bug out. VII. (slang, intransitive) To freak out, to go crazy, e.g. from worry. to behave or think in a strange way, especially because of being very worried, frightened, or angry: It's month two of production on the show, and everyone involved is sweating and bugging out. I started kind of bugging out about the whole thing. VIII. (intransitive, slang, computing) To crash or glitch. My PC keeps bugging out and rebooting for no reason. bug-out bag A portable kit containing items needed for short-term survival. Peter Thiel appears to have found a new bug-out 避世, 世外桃源 spot. He isn't alone in looking beyond America's shores. 7. incessantly 无休止的, 不停的 [ɪnˈses.ənt.li] in a way that never stops, especially when this is annoying or unpleasant: She talked incessantly about the most trivial things. He checks his phone incessantly. incessant never stopping, especially in an annoying or unpleasant way: incessant rain/noise/complaints. To chamber a round 上膛 ( chamber 枪膛), you load a live cartridge from the magazine into the barrel's firing position, making the firearm ready to shoot. Safety and Procedural Standards: Understanding how a firearm functions is a matter of rigorous safety and professional training. The process involves mechanical components working in synchronization to move a cartridge from a storage source, like a magazine, into the chamber. distinguishable 有区别的, 可区分的, 易辨别的 different or separate from other things or people in a way that is easy to notice or understand: There are at least 20 distinguishable dialects of the language just on the south island. distinguishable from His days were barely distinguishable from one another. A few words were distinguishable among the slurred muttering. 8.  印度极热: By 6am, the sun over Banda had already forgotten it was morning. The light had the hard glare 炽热的阳光 of a summer afternoon. Shadows were shrinking before breakfast. Thirty kilometres from the district headquarters, the vegetable market at Atarra was already winding down before most cities had properly woken up. Farmers arrived at dawn with tomatoes, gourds, chillies, lemons and melons. Everyone wanted to sell their wares quickly and get home before the heat intensified. Where trading once bustled until late morning, activity now faded by 8am. By 10am, the market was almost deserted. Between the blazing 酷热的 sky and the scorched 烤人的 ground, people do what Polish journalist Ryszard Kapuściński once observed in another furnace-hot 熔炉一样热的 landscape in Africa: devote their energies to "the search for shade and a breeze". Sand mining 挖沙 and groundwater depletion 地下水干涸 have weakened the Ken river's ability to cool the surrounding landscape. Nearby, an 80-year-old woman named Chunubadi sat beside a repaired table fan held together with string and improvisation. The fan worked, but only just. It blew air that was dry and relentlessly hot. "The sweat dries," she said, watching the blades turn, "but these gusts are hard for an old body to bear." Then came a darker reflection. "In my 80 years, I've never seen heat like this. Old people die in extreme cold or extreme heat. I don't know whether I'll be able to endure this one." Like everyone else in Banda, Yadav had adapted 适应. But adaptation and relief are not the same thing. 9. Jodi Knott suffered 'gratuitous cruelty': Black and his partner Constable Timothy Trautsch stomp on Jodi as she lays on the road. Black kicks her in the head, and at one point drags her by the hair along the bitumen( Bitumen 沥青 (UK: [ˈbɪtʃʊmɪn] BIH-chuum-in, US: [bɪˈtjuːmɪn, baɪ-] bih-TEW-min, by-) is an immensely viscous constituent 成分 of petroleum. Depending on its exact composition, it can be a sticky, black liquid or an apparently solid mass that behaves as a liquid over very large time scales. In American English, the material is commonly referred to as asphalt. Whether found in natural deposits or refined from petroleum, the substance is classed as a pitch. Pitch is a viscoelastic polymer which can be natural or manufactured, derived from petroleum, coal tar, or plants. Pitch produced from petroleum may be called bitumen or asphalt, while plant-derived pitch, a resin, is known as rosin in its solid form. Tar 焦油 is sometimes used interchangeably with pitch but generally refers to less viscous substances, including some derived from coal production, such as coal tar, and some from plants, such as pine tar.), leaving her back red and raw. He later points his can of pepper spray directly at grazes 擦伤伤口 on her body and sprays them. Jodi is also sprayed at close range in the face, something that is forbidden because of the risk of eye injuries. "Get it in her eyes, get it in her eyes," one officer can be heard saying in footage, recorded by Black's police-issued body-worn camera. By the end, both men have emptied their pepper spray canisters. "We need a taser," Black tells his partner. "God, please. I'm strong God, but not without you," Jodi yells in fear. Trautsch can be heard laughing. "Oi, is there a long baton in the car?" Black later asks. "Yeah, that'll settle her down 干死, 干倒, 撂倒," Trautsch replies. "They chose to continuously brutalise her and attack her every step, at every moment. She was down on that ground and they just continued to lay into ( lay into someone 痛打, 殴打, 狂批评 to attack someone physically, or to criticize someone in an angry way: In the middle of the meeting she suddenly laid into him for no apparent reason. ) her. It's horrific." The incident that landed Jodi in prison happened two days earlier. Jodi had tried to fill a prescription but the chemist called police after she started shouting. "Both OC (pepper spray) cans emptied on her. Was f***ed." The next day, Black sent another message. "She was f***ed, the whole body-worn is so good, shows her being f***ed. Nurses are lodging a complaint. [A senior officer] is investigating because we caved her, but she had a hold of 抓住, 抓着 the cuffs, and we had no other options," he wrote. 

Movie - Reptile: 1. Uh, our bad. We made a mistake, but, uh, don't worry. It's going to come out of our end 由我来支付, 由我们埋单. We'll, uh, get it fixed. 2. Excuse me, sir. Zoom in. Is it missing a hubcap? Right there, huh? It's a good catch 观察细致, 发现的好, 好眼力. 3. Let me ask you something. Does that look like a bite mark 咬痕 to you? 4. Heard of knives getting stuck before. First time I've ever seen it. We had to cut into the bone and pull it out. That's how hard it hit. Thirty-three and a half stab wounds in total. Semen in her vaginal [vəˈdʒʌɪnəl, US: ˈvædʒ.ən.əl] cavity, wrists were bound 绑着 by rope. Checked with the lab, there weren't any fingerprints anywhere. No bruises sustained below the waist. No sign of forced sexual contact. Well, we still can't rule out r*pe, home? No, that's right. We can't. We also recovered blond hair that doesn't belong to the victim. Can I show you something strange? See this on the edge 边边上, 边缘 of her left palm? It's not blood. It's paint. It's called calcimine. They used it in old houses. They don't make it anymore. Found traces of it in the rug. What are these from? Bruises. Probably a defensive wound. 5. I just wanna air it out ( air out something 晾晾, 晾晒, 晒晒, 透透气 I. To expose something to fresh air (often to improve its scent). After I spilled water on the blanket, I put it on the back porch to air out. She opened all of the windows to let her house air out on the first day of spring. You need to air out your goalie pads before the next game—they stink! II. (by extension) To discuss in the open; to address an issue or conflict that has long been avoided. She's been nursing a grievance for a while now. It's time to air it out 公之于众, 让大家都知道. III. (by extension, African-American Vernacular) To shoot up a location, particularly inside a building. IV. (American football, slang) To throw passes, especially long and high passes.). I love you. 6. Uncle Allen had a scare ( scare I. a sudden feeling of fear or worry: I got/had a scare 吓死人了, 吓死我了 (= I was very worried) when I looked at my bank statement this morning! You gave us a real scare (= frightened us) when you fainted, you know. II. an occasion when a subject receives a lot of public attention and worries many people, often when there is no real danger: a bomb/health scare. After his health scare, he started exercising more. The government are accused of employing scare tactics (= ways of frightening people in order to persuade them to do something). The papers have been publishing scare stories (= newspaper reports which make people feel unnecessarily worried) about the mystery virus. verb. I. to feel frightened, or to cause someone to feel frightened: Snakes scare me 我怕蛇. Jesse doesn't scare easily 不是胆小的人. Sudden noises scare her. She's very brave - she doesn't scare easily. He scared me out of my wits (= made me extremely frightened) by driving so fast. Meeting new people scares me stiff/to death (= makes me extremely nervous and worried). She scared the hell/life/living daylights out of me (= frightened me very much) when she fell out of the tree. scare something up US informal to find or get something despite difficulties or limited supplies. to find or obtain something that is not easily available: She's campaigning hard, trying to scare up votes. I'll scare up something for us to eat. There's hardly any food in the house, but I'll scare something up from these leftovers.). What do you mean? He was in the hot tub and he couldn't get out. He couldn't move. Deena had to pull him out all by herself. How is he now? He's fine. Deena should've called us. 7. I still feel bad though. I lied. About knowing that she was still sleeping with her ex. We all get fleeced ( fleeced [fliːst] To "get fleeced" means to be cheated, swindled, or ripped off, especially by being overcharged or deceived out of money. fleece verb to take someone's money dishonestly, by charging too much money or by cheating them: That restaurant really fleeced us! He was fleecing investors by setting up bogus companies and then manipulating the price of their stocks. They are fleecing their customers with poor value products. fleece sb out of sth A man was convicted for using bogus web pages to fleece Americans out of $500,000. noun. I. the wool of a sheep, or a soft, artificial material that looks like wool: Polyester fleeces are especially popular to provide warmth in coats. a type of cloth, usually made of polyester (= an artificial material), that is thick and soft on one or both sides, often used for making warm clothes: Fleece is warm and durable, and dries faster than natural fibres. II. a jacket made from artificial fleece material: wear a fleece He was wearing a green fleece and hiking boots. III. (also horticultural fleece) a very thin artificial material that allows some light to pass through, and that is used by gardeners to protect plants during cold weather: Place some fleece over the bulbs to help them get established more quickly. In severe weather, cover the plants with a sheet of horticultural fleece. fleecy soft and like a sheep's wool, or looking like this: fleecy cloud The sky over the campus was blue, dotted with fleecy clouds. fleecy top. ). 8. Where can I find the drug-related civil asset forfeitures ( forfeiture [ˈfɔː.fɪ.tʃər] 罚没, 没收, 充公, 赃物, 赃款 the loss of rights, property, or money, especially as a result of breaking a legal agreement. Forfeiture is the loss of money, rights, property, or privileges without compensation as a penalty for breaking a law, violating a contract, or failing to fulfill an obligation. It acts both as a punishment and a deterrent. He was deep in debt and facing forfeiture of his property. the loss of rights, property, or money, especially because you have not obeyed a rule or law: Properties are planted with drugs and then commandeered via civil asset forfeiture. forfeiture of sth I had been told that my client would face 40 years in prison and a forfeiture of his assets. forfeiture action/proceedings/suit If rent remains outstanding for 21 days after the due date, forfeiture proceedings may be brought against a tenant. Prosecutors are also seeking forfeiture of an undisclosed amount relating to the conspiracy. )? White Fish isn't active anymore. Do you have anything on it? All I got is an old PO box. That's it. 9. Hey, Allen, you're in? No, deal me out. Deal me out ( deal something out to someone I. 分发. to give something, especially a part of something that is being divided between many people, to someone: She dealt out a card to everyone in the room. We have only a small amount of food and clothing to deal out to each refugee. II. to say or do something, especially something bad or unpleasant, fairly equally to different people: He would deal out brutal punishments to any child who misbehaved. She routinely dealt out insults to the other members of her family. deal someone out 算进去, 不算进去, 不计算在内, 排除在外 To deal someone out means to exclude or omit someone from a particular activity, game, plan, or conversation. The phrase originated in card games, where it means to skip a player when distributing cards (the opposite of "dealing them in"). It is now commonly used in everyday life and business to indicate that someone is no longer involved or has removed themselves from a project. "If you don't have time to help with the project this weekend, just deal me out." "They decided to deal him out of the new business venture." ). You gotta take care of yourself.

matrimonial;

用法学习: 1. matrimonial [ˌmæt.rɪˈməʊ.ni.əl] related to marriage or people who are married. Matrimonial means concerning marriage or married people. ...the matrimonial home. matrimonial troubles. The 33-year-old model and actor had been married for just five months to lawyer Samarth Singh when she was found dead in her matrimonial home 婚房. marital vs matrimonial: Marital is the everyday, neutral adjective for anything relating to marriage or the relationship between spouses. Marital is about the lived experience of being married. Matrimonial is more formal, ceremonial, or legal in tone — often used in official, religious, or juridical contexts. Matrimonial is about the institution, legal status, or ceremony of marriage. Marital: "They sought marital counselling" — the relationship between spouses. "Marital problems" — everyday issues in a marriage. "Marital status" — whether someone is married or not. "Marital bliss" — happiness in marriage. Matrimonial: "Matrimonial law 婚姻法" — legal field dealing with marriage and divorce. "Matrimonial home 婚房" — legal term for the family home in divorce proceedings. "Matrimonial assets 婚后共同财产" — assets subject to division upon divorce. "Matrimonial vows 婚姻誓言, 誓约" — formal, ceremonial language. 印度新娘惨死案: Police say they are also trying to find Samarth who is absconding 在逃 - a cash reward has been announced for any information on him and a lookout notice(Look out circular (LOC) is a circular letter used by authorities in India to check whether a traveling person is wanted by the police. It may be used at immigration checks at international borders such as international airports or sea ports. ) has been issued to ensure he does not leave the country. A court in Bhopal has given anticipatory bail to Giribala Singh but rejected Samarth's bail application. He's been asked to surrender by 23 May. 2. "Be at someone's service [of someone] = be at someone's service 服务某人, 准备好给某人用" emphasizes total availability and readiness — you are positioned to serve, waiting to be called upon. To be at the service of a person or organization means to be available to help or be used by that person or organization. ready or available for someone's use I am happy to be at your service if you have any questions. They made sure there was a car at her service when she got there. The intellectual and moral potential of the world's culture must be put at the service of politics. "I am entirely at your service" — formal offer of help, hotel/butler tone. "Our team is at your service 24 hours a day". "Please let me know — I am at your service". "Be of service to someone 帮助, 帮上忙, 对某人有用" emphasizes the act or value of helping — you are useful or beneficial to them. to help someone. to be helpful or useful to someone. That is, after all, the primary reason we live–to be of service to others. If I can be of service to you, please let me know. I'd really like to help you if I can. "Thank you so much for that." "I'm glad to have been of service.". "I hope I was of service to you today". "How can I be of service?". "It's rewarding to be of service to the community". "At your service" has a slightly old-fashioned, formal or even submissive ring to it — think butlers, concierges, and formal hospitality. "Of service to someone" feels more professional and reflective, focusing on whether genuine value was delivered rather than on the posture of serving. 3. give away the farm = give away the store/shop 太大的代价, 给的太多, 花的太多 (informal, idiomatic) To pay more than one should have; to pay more than fair market value. To transact, trade, or negotiate badly, by paying, providing, or conceding too much to the other party. To give another party all or the majority of the benefits in a deal or transaction. You were so eager to sign a contract with a manufacturing partner that you ended up giving away the farm. Now they're going to be the ones to get all the profits from sales! Make sure you don't give away the farm during negotiations. You don't want to find yourself at a disadvantage by the end of things. My lawyer sure gave away the farm in our divorce proceedings. I have very little left to my name! Joe has made a career of giving away the farm. Rachel: Show time! Phoebe: Okay, Rachel, get me perfume! Rachel: Okay! (She runs to get some.) Phoebe: And Joey, get me a bottle of wine and glasses? (He begrudgingly does so.) (In the meantime, Rachel has returned with the perfume and sprays a mist out in front of Phoebe who walks through the mist and does a little spin.) [Cut to Chandler, Joey, and Ross's, Monica is getting Chandler ready for his half of the plan.] Monica: All right, it'll be great! You just make her think you wanna hɑvе sеx with her! It'll totally freak her out! Chandler: Okay, listen, how far am I gonna have to go with her 做到什么地步? Monica: Relax, she's gonna give in way before you do! Chandler: How do you know?! Monica: Because you're on my team! And my team always wins! Chandler: At this?! Monica: Just go get some! (Kisses him.) Go! (She runs to hide in the bathroom.) [Cut to the hallway, Phoebe is outside getting some last minute instructions from Rachel.] Rachel: (handing her the wine) Okay honey, now I'm gonna try to listen from right here! Phoebe: Okay. Rachel: Okay? Whoa, wait! (She undoes one button on Phoebe's dress.) Phoebe: Good idea! Rachel: Yeah, oh wait! (She goes for another one.) Phoebe: Oh now, don't give away the farm! 4. severity [sɪˈvɛrɪti] 多严重, 严重程度, 严重性 I. seriousness. The degree of something undesirable; badness or seriousness. The severity of the offence merits a long prison sentence. Even the doctors were shocked by the severity of his injuries. I don't think you quite understand the severity of our financial problems. Amy: So, after I started dating Sheldon, I met Leonard, and then everybody else, and they've all been so wonderful to me. Lucy: That's really nice to hear. Amy: Maybe next week, we could all get together. Raj: Oh, Lucy, you don't have to answer that. Don't put her on the spot. She hates that. Am I right? Tell her how much you hate being put on the spot. Go ahead, tell her. Amy: Ignore him. He's a little nervous 'cause he doesn't think I understand the severity of your social anxiety. Raj: What the? Are you crazy? You can't talk about social anxiety to someone who has social anxiety. It makes them socially anxious! Amy: Excuse me, but I'm a neurobiologist. I think I'm a little more qualified than you to understand what's not working in your girlfriend's brain! II. the quality of being very unkind or unpleasant: He spoke with great severity. The severity of the punishment should match the seriousness of the crime. III. the quality of being extremely painful, difficult, etc.: You can't imagine the severity of the heat here during the summer. 5. extenuating circumstances 情非得已, 情不得已, 情有可原, 是有原因的, 减罪情节: A situation or condition that provides an excuse for an action. reasons given to cause a wrong act or bad performance to be judged less seriously: She was found guilty of theft, but because of extenuating circumstances was not sent to prison. You might want to mention any extenuating circumstances that could have affected your performance. Although Nancy missed three crucial rehearsals, there were extenuating circumstances, so she was not dismissed. This expression was originally legal terminology, denoting circumstances that partly excuse a crime and therefore call for less punishment or damages. Sheldon: It's an iCal download, she can put it right in her phone. And I thought we agreed that you'd have your conjugal [ˈkɒndʒʊɡl] visits in her apartment. Leonard: We did, but there were extenuating circumstances. Sheldon: I see. Did her abysmal housekeeping skills finally trump her perkiness? extenuate to represent (an offence, a fault, etc) as being less serious than it appears, as by showing mitigating circumstances. to cause a wrong act to be judged less seriously by giving reasons for it: He was unable to say anything that might have extenuated his behaviour. extenuating [ɪkˈstɛnjʊeɪtɪŋ] adj (of a factor or situation) serving to lessen the seriousness of an offence. She was found guilty of theft, but because of extenuating circumstances was not sent to prison. The lack of other options was an extenuating factor. "library staff will waive fines where there are genuine extenuating circumstances". Exigent circumstances 刻不容缓的情况, 迫在眉睫的情况: circumstances that are of such urgency as to justify a warrantless entry, search, or seizure by police when a warrant would ordinarily be required. They are urgent, sudden emergencies that demand immediate action. In legal contexts, this exception allows authorities to bypass standard procedures—such as securing a warrant prior to entering a home—to prevent imminent danger, stop a crime in progress, or preserve critical evidence. In criminal procedure law of the United States, an exigent circumstance allows law enforcement (under certain circumstances) to enter a structure without a search warrant, or if they have a "knock and announce" warrant, allows them to enter without knocking and waiting for the owner's permission to enter. It must be a situation where people are in imminent 迫近的, 迫在眉睫的 danger, evidence faces imminent destruction, or a suspect's escape is imminent. Once entry is obtained, the plain view doctrine applies, allowing the seizure of any evidence or contraband discovered in the course of actions consequent upon the exigent circumstances. exigent [ˈɛksɪdʒ(ə)nt] 千钧一发的, 情况危急的, 迫切的, 刻不容缓的, 迫不及待的 Exigent is an adjective that means requiring immediate aid, action, or attention. It describes situations or demands that are urgent, pressing, or critical and cannot be delayed. needing urgent attention, or demanding too much from other people: an exigent problem. an exigent manager. 6. knock and announce rule: a rule of criminal procedure requiring that police announce their authority and purpose before entering a premises in execution of a search or arrest warrant unless special circumstances (as risk of harm to the police) warrant unannounced or forcible 强行的 entry. no-knock search warrant 硬闯进去, 破门而入: a search warrant allowing law enforcement officers to enter premises without prior announcement in order to prevent destruction of evidence (as illegal drugs) or harm to the officers. rendition warrant: a warrant issued by an official (as a governor) in one jurisdiction (as a state) for the extradition of a fugitive in that jurisdiction to another that is requesting the extradition. 7. the call is coming from inside the house 问题出在自身 I. (idiomatic) A problem is the result of internal factors or agents, and is not the result of outside influence or interference. a threat, problem, or source of danger is not coming from the outside, but is already present within your own immediate environment or group. The government has blamed the recent unrest on foreign agitation, but they'll soon realize that the call is coming from inside the house. II. (idiomatic, informal) Used to accuse someone of being hypocritical; look who's talking! You're always complaining that she's too self-centred. Dude, the call is coming from inside the house! note: A classic horror-movie cliché. The line was first used in the horror film Black Christmas (1974). The babysitter and the man upstairs—also known as the babysitter or the sitter—is an urban legend that dates back to the 1960s about a teenage babysitter who receives telephone calls that turn out to be coming from inside the house. The basic storyline has been adapted a number of times in movies. tie someone (up) in knots I. to completely perplex or confuse someone. to confuse someone and make them unable to explain something clearly: He could tie her in knots 搞糊涂, 搞得莫名其妙, 摸不到头脑 in an argument and never once missed an opportunity to prove his intellectual superiority. He had easily tied her up in knots, cleverly casting serious doubt on her mental faculties. The Director of Studies tied me up in knots 弄糊涂, 百思不得其解, 百思不解 by asking tricky questions. As well as having a stammer, I'd feel constantly worried that the press could tie me in knots. II. 让人愁肠百结. to make someone upset, worried, or confused: Start watching the way his guilt ties him up in knots. Thinking too much just leaves you tied up in knots. She ties herself in knots trying to reconcile the dad who rarely visits with the dad who delights in her company. in knots 紧张万分, 胃因紧张或兴奋紧缩的, 痉挛的 = someone's stomach is in knots used to say that a person has an unpleasant and tight feeling in the stomach, usually from nervousness. If your stomach is in knots, it feels tight and uncomfortable because you are nervous or excited. 8. A running list 还在变化的列表 is an ongoing, dynamic document or collection of items that is continuously updated. As tasks are completed, checked off, or become obsolete, new items are added to keep the list active and relevant. A list of items that you start and then continuously keep on adding or updating to as new items come up. It is called a running list because it is continuously moving along i.e. increasing in length and this is what runners do, they keep going-on and on. Keep a running list of what worked, what didn't , and how to do it better net time. running order 演出日程安排, 会议议程 the order in which the parts of an event, meeting, etc. have been arranged to happen: We sat down with the show's producer to go through the running order. in running order 正常运行的状态 a machine that is in running order is operating in the way that it should: The transit authority spends $16 million to keep the old buses in running order. 9. languorous [ˈlæŋ.ɡə.rəs] 慵懒的(表现富贵的)(More sensual and indulgent — a pleasurable slowness. Almost always carries a positive or dreamy connotation. Evokes warmth, luxury, ease. ) mentally or physically tired or not active, in a way that feels or looks pleasant. If you describe an activity as languorous, you mean that it is lazy, relaxed, and not energetic, usually in a pleasant way. ...languorous morning coffees on the terrace. I felt warm and languorous. His dark eyes were languorous and heavy-lidded. languid [ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪd] 懒散的, 懒洋洋的, 慢吞吞的, 有气无力的(General low energy, weak, or slow-moving. Can be neutral or even slightly negative. Often physical — tired limbs, slow movements. ) moving or speaking slowly with little energy, often in an attractive way. lacking energy, or causing a lack of energy or enthusiasm: He sat on the porch enjoying the delicious, languid warmth of a summer afternoon. a languid manner/voice. If you describe someone as languid, you mean that they show little energy or interest and are very slow and casual in their movements. To his delight a familiar, tall, languid figure lowered itself down the steps of a club. Time spent at Jumby Bay can be as energetic or as languid as you wish. We sat about languidly after dinner. 10. pomp and circumstance 盛大仪式, 盛典, 冠盖云集, 冠盖如云 Formal and impressive ceremony. This comes from Shakespeare's play Othello and refers to the impressive clothes, decorations, music, etc. that are part of an official ceremony. "For many people, the red carpet is synonymous with prestige, status, celebrity, ceremony, and a whole lot of pomp and circumstance." Every spring for about 35 years, he has traveled to Indianapolis to meet up with his American relatives, enjoy the lead-up of race morning, soak in the pomp and circumstance, and talk to people with a beer in hand. He's been known to easily spend $10,000 on these annual weeklong trips. vocabulary: A ceremony full of pomp and circumstance is one with lots of flashy, grand displays. Think presidential inauguration or the crowning of a queen. Pomp itself usually means "a flashy, grand ceremony," but circumstance used to mean "fuss made about something," a sense we've mostly lost except in this phrase. In Othello, Shakespeare referred to "pride, pompe, and circumstance of glorious warre." The English musical composer Edward Elgar produced a series of marches called the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, and their popularity probably make this phrase an enduring part of the English language. 11. attain [əˈteɪn] I. to reach or succeed in getting something. If you attain a particular state or condition, you may reach it as a result of natural development or work hard to attain this state. ...attaining 达到, 达成 a state of calmness and confidence. He has attained the highest grade in his music exams. We need to identify the best ways of attaining our objectives/goals 达到目的, 达成目标. India attained independence in 1947, after decades of struggle. But across Australia, some Muslims say the journey is becoming increasingly unattainable 难以实现的 as the cost of living crisis collides with soaring travel prices, currency fluctuations and a complex online booking system that some pilgrims say has added to the stress. II. If you attain something, you gain it or achieve it, often after a lot of effort. to achieve something difficult to do or obtain: Jim is halfway to attaining his pilot's licence. You need financial security in order to attain emotional well-being. You need to set goals that are clear and attainable. Abiola pledged his life to the attainment of justice. 12. bastion [ˈbæs.ti.ən] 坚守阵地, 顽固坚守之地, 堡垒, 稜堡(城墙上凸出的部分, 用来放大炮或者枪) something that keeps or defends a belief or a way of life that is disappearing or threatened. If a system or organization is described as a bastion of a particular way of life, it is seen as being important and effective in defending that way of life. Bastion can be used both when you think that this way of life should be ended and when you think it should be defended. ...a town which had been a bastion of White prejudice.  ...a bastion of spiritual freedom. The army was still one of the last male bastions. British public schools are regarded as one of the last bastions of upper-class privilege. vocabulary: A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the flanks being able to protect the curtain wall and the adjacent bastions. Compared with the medieval fortified towers they replaced, bastion fortifications offered a greater degree of passive resistance and more scope for ranged defence in the age of gunpowder artillery. As military architecture, the bastion is one element in the style of fortification dominant from the mid 16th to mid 19th centuries. linchpin ['lintʃ,pin] = lynchpin 核心, 最重要的部分, 主心骨, 中坚力量. 定海神针, 定盘星. 车轴销子 I. a pin placed transversely through an axle to keep a wheel in position. II. a person or thing regarded as an essential or coordinating element the linchpin of the company. If you refer to a person or thing as the linchpin of something, you mean that they are the most important person or thing involved in it. He's the lynchpin of our team and crucial to my long-term plans. the linchpin of the most important member of a group or part of a system, that holds together the other members or parts or makes it possible for them to operate as intended: Consumer spending is the linchpin of the economy. The city’s River Park is the linchpin of its efforts to sell itself as a vacation destination. Woodford is the linchpin of the British athletics team. rock noun. I. If someone is your rock, you feel that you can depend on them and that they will always support you. "He's always been my rock," said his lifelong friend and teammate. get your rocks off UK slang to have an orgasm. on the rocks I. likely to fail soon: I think their marriage is on the rocks. II. If you have an alcoholic drink on the rocks, you have it with pieces of ice: I'll have a whisky on the rocks, please. He drinks his Scotch on the rocks. be (caught) between a rock and a hard place to be in a very difficult situation and to have to make a hard decision. verb. I. 摇晃. to (cause someone or something to) move backwards and forwards or from side to side in a regular way: rock someone to sleep He picked up the baby and gently rocked her to sleep. rock back and forth She rocked back and forth laughing. If you rock back on that chair, you're going to break it. His body rocked from side to side with the train. He stood a few moments, rocking back and forwards on his heels. She sat on the porch and rocked the baby. II. If a person or place is rocked by something such as an explosion, the force of it makes the person or place shake. If an explosion or an earthquake rocks a building or an area, it causes the building or area to shake. You can also say that the building or area rocks. Three people were injured yesterday when an explosion rocked one of Britain's best known film studios. ...a country that's rocked by dozens of earthquakes every year. As the buildings rocked under heavy shell-fire, he took refuge in the cellars. The explosion, which rocked the city, killed 300. III. If an event rocks a group of people or society, it causes feelings of shock. If an event or a piece of news rocks a group or society, it shocks them or makes them feel less secure. His death rocked the fashion business. ...the latest scandal to rock the monarchy. Wall Street was rocked by the news and shares fell 4.3 per cent by the end of trading. The managing director's resignation rocked the whole company. III. slang, mainly US WEAR SUCCESSFULLY. to wear a particular style of clothing, etc. and look good or fashionable. to impress by wearing (an item of clothing) or playing (a musical instrument). not everyone can rock a tight T-shirt. he rocks a guitar like nobody's business. There are celebrities over 40 years old who can still rock a tattoo. someone/something rocks used to show that you like or approve of someone or something a lot: "Do you like him?" "Yeah, he rocks!" rock the boat 找事, 惹事 If you rock the boat, you do or say something that will upset people or cause problems: Don't rock the boat until the negotiations are finished. rock out I. to perform rock music loudly and enthusiastically: The singer and his E Street Band played their longest ever concert in Helsinki, Finland, in 2012, when they rocked out for four hours and six minutes. II. to listen to and enjoy rock music, for example by dancing: rock out to Audience members were transported back to the days of roller skates, disco lights, and smoke machines as they rocked out to the music of the Bee Gees. rock up = show up to arrive somewhere: They rocked up two hours late, dressed in ball gowns. ballast [bæl.əst] I. 压载. Ballast is any substance that is used in ships or hot-air balloons to make them heavier and more stable. Ballast usually consists of water, sand, or iron. heavy matter such as sand, stone, or water that is used at the bottom of a ship or a hot-air balloon to make it heavier, or the small stones on which railways and roads are made: The weed may have been accidentally imported in soil used as ship ballast. A ship sailing with an empty hold will have filled its ballast tanks at its source port. II. 精神依靠. 精神支柱. 定海神针. 中流砥柱. 顶梁柱. 主心骨. 定盘星 something that helps someone or something to succeed, especially by keeping them or it under control, or making them or it more serious: He needed his platoon mates around him. They were his ballast. The team is struggling because of a shortage of the ballast that senior players provide. wiki: Ballast is dense material used as a weight to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within a boat, ship, submarine, or other floating structure that holds water is called a ballast tank. Water can be moved in and out from the ballast tank to balance the ship. In a vessel that travels on the water, the ballast will be kept below the water level, to counteract the effects of weight above the water level. The ballast may be redistributed in the vessel or disposed of altogether to change its effects on the movement of the vessel. 13. scintilla [sɪnˈtɪlə] I. A scintilla is a tiny trace, spark, or scarcely detectable amount of something. The word stems directly from the Latin word for a spark and is most commonly used in everyday English within negative phrases to emphasize the complete absence of a quality. a scintilla of something( iota (small amount), shred (SMALL AMOUNT), smidge, smidgen informal, not a whit formal, a trace, a spark of. ) a very small amount of something: There's not a scintilla of truth in what he says.  not a scintilla of doubt. II. The "scintilla of evidence" doctrine is a historical common-law rule regarding summary judgments. It dictates that a case must go to a jury if there is even the smallest, barest shred of relevant evidence supporting a claim, though it is rarely used in modern U.S. courts. spark I. a very small piece of fire that flies out from something that is burning, or one that is made by rubbing two hard things together, or a flash of light made by electricity: Sparks were flying out of the bonfire and blowing everywhere. You can start a fire by rubbing two dry pieces of wood together until you produce a spark. Flame, smoke, and sparks climbed into the dark sky. Sparks from the old wiring started the fire. fig. No one can light the spark 点燃火花 that will make you a writer (= the thing that causes you to write). II. a first small event or problem that causes a much worse situation to develop: That small incident was the spark that set off the street riots. III. a feeling or quality that causes excitement: They kept running into each other and eventually realized there was a spark between them. The music is mediocre because there's no spark, no thrill, no unpredictability. IV. = sparks, an electrician (= a person whose job is to put in and repair electrical wires and equipment): You need a brickie and a sparks. V. A spark of something is a small amount of it: When students show a spark of interest, I try to give them extra encouragement. verb. 引起, 燃气, 点燃. 引发. to cause the start of something, especially an argument or fighting: This proposal will almost certainly spark another countrywide debate about immigration. The recent interest-rate rises have sparked new problems for small businesses. The visit of the G20 leaders sparked off (= caused the start of) mass demonstrations. sparks fly 争论不休, 火星四溅, 唾沫星子乱喷 I. If sparks fly between two or more people, they argue angrily. there is an angry argument. If sparks fly between people, they discuss something in an excited or angry way. They are not afraid to tackle the issues or let the sparks fly when necessary. The sparks flew when he arrived late for her special dinner. The sparks really fly when my mother and her sister get together. When they get together in a meeting the sparks really fly. II. used to say that two people are sexually attracted to each other Sparks flew when they met for the first time. 14. think long and hard 好好想想, 认真想一下 to take the time needed to understand something before making a decision about it: I thought long and hard about it, and decided that I wouldn't have the operation. You have to think long and hard about whether you're ready to do this. greener pastures 美好前景, 更好的机会, 更好的新地方, 更好的职位 a new situation that is better than the previous one: Many scientists working for the government have left for greener pastures in the private sector. I was frustrated at home, and dreaming of greener pastures elsewhere. Keep your CV and contacts up to date so you can always carry out your threat to move on to greener pastures. So many people in the community ended up leaving for greener pastures. Staff are demoralized by years of cost cutting and many have departed for greener pastures. Mohammed Salim, CPI (M)'s West Bengal secretary, sees a larger historical tide at work. Since the 1990s, he argues, the rise of Hindu nationalism and market liberalisation produced a "religious, political and economic onslaught" that squeezed 挤压 the Left from all sides. "The middle class was shown this green pasture," he says. "Development, modernisation, infrastructure - you will get a slice of it. Aspiration was generated." stand your ground = hold one's ground to refuse to be pushed backwards, or to continue in your beliefs in an argument. If you stand your ground or hold your ground, you do not run away from a situation, but face it bravely. She had to force herself to stand her ground when she heard someone approaching. The battalion stood its ground in the face of repeated attacks. Clare stood her ground in the meeting and refused to be intimidated even when Michael got angry. 14. front and centre very easy to see or notice, or getting the most attention in a situation: He's a natural collaborator, someone who's happy to be part of an ensemble [ɒnˈsɒmbl] without feeling the need to be front and centre. E-health and telemedicine was front-and-centre at the debate. in or to a position that is very easy to see or notice, or that gets the most attention: With the leader's popularity falling, his handling of the crisis has moved front and centre. We put taking care of our customers front-and-centre in every part of our business. Others noted how hard it could be to discuss sex with parents or to find accurate information online. But Professor Power said those conversations, as well as education programs like that at Lakeview, needed to be front and centre. whipsaw verb. I. to move, or to make something move, quickly between two directions: The rope whipsawed back and forth. II. to influence shares, etc. in a way that makes their value change very quickly, so that it is difficult to know what will happen next: Fluctuations in world energy prices have whipsawed the fortunes of oil companies for decades. be/get whipsawed 高低振荡, 忽高忽低 New York shares were whipsawed, with an early recovery giving way to a short-lived bloodbath at midday. Prices on the stock exchange whipsawed wildly. Until WA's battery boom its main grid had been experiencing wild price volatility as it turned towards renewable energy. Behind the whipsawing was an occasional over-abundance of clean power, particularly from largely uncontrolled rooftop solar panels. At times of such abundance, typically in the middle of the day, he says wholesale prices were crashing or even turning negative, meaning generators were having to pay someone to take their output. Equally, Mr Dixon says renewable energy producers were also simply paring back or switching off their plants in a process known as curtailment. H notes there were just as many of scarcity when the sun was not shining and the wind might not have been blowing enough. At these times wholesale prices skyrocket and it is this volatility, Mr Dixon says, that batteries are helping to tame. In 2025, batteries reduced price swings on the energy spot market by shifting daytime supply to meet evening demand. II. to defeat or affect someone badly, especially in two ways at the same time: Families are being whipsawed by high prices and low wages. III. to cut something with a whipsaw. noun. a long saw (= tool for cutting wood) with a handle on each end, which is pulled back and forth between two people. 15. Batteries are the key to unlocking an energy revolution, and one state is racing ahead: Synergy's two remaining coal plants had been deteriorating financially for years, explains Ms Sanderson. Driving that deterioration was rooftop solar which was squeezing out 挤占, 挤出 coal( squeeze sb/sth out to make it impossible for a person or company to continue to do business or be successful: Some investors found themselves squeezed out because their bids were too low. squeeze sb out of sth Foreign competition is squeezing domestic suppliers out of the market. be/get squeezed out of sth Thousands of real estate agents are getting squeezed out of the business, casualties of one of the worst housing slumps in history.) during the day and hollowing out 挖空 the revenue earned by the plants. Given the runaway 一发不可收拾的, 一飞冲天的, 势不可挡的 take-up 应用率 of solar, Ms Sanderson says it was obvious something had to give ( something has (got) to give 总有一方要输, 有一方必须要放弃抵抗 used to say that someone or something has to stop trying to resist or oppose something. a situation is under so much pressure that it can't be sustained. Something has to change, break, or be sacrificed to relieve the stress. For the strike to be settled, something has (got) to give! something fierce very badly or very much. I need a cold drink something fierce. I miss her something fierce. I need a vacation something fierce. )." We saw the impact of household solar, not only on reducing people's energy bills but in exporting that solar into the grid. "It was challenging for the grid, but also a great opportunity for us to be able to harness that capacity and then discharge it back out into households during peak times." The minister says WA's needs had also driven the state's heady embrace 一股脑的扎进去, 一头扎进去 ( heady rush In the heady rush to embrace the possibility of change and activism, we are also witnessing an attendant slide away from cinematic artistry. Think of the heady rush of anticipation that prompted you to make those new year's resolutions. heady 头脑容易发热的, 不顾一切的 A heady drink 上头的, atmosphere, or experience strongly affects your senses, for example by making you feel drunk or excited. having a powerful effect, making you feel slightly drunk or excited: a heady wine/perfume. heady days. In the heady days of their youth, they thought anything was possible. heady mix. heady brew. heady stuff. ...in the heady days just after their marriage. I felt heady and euphoric. headlong = headfirst 想都没有想 I. with great speed or without thinking. very quick or quickly without considering what you are doing: plunge headlong The car skidded and plunged headlong over the cliff. headlong rush In the headlong rush to buy houses, many people got into debt. When you break up with someone, the temptation is to rush headlong into a new relationship. II. Headlong also means moving forward with your head first: a headlong plunge into the lake. ) of battery technology. Unlike the Eastern States, which are interconnected and can trade electricity between themselves, she notes, WA sits alone as an energy island. Mr Loosen says Australia is among the world's hottest markets for batteries and the subject of intense interest from storage companies. He says a major part of that interest is self-explanatory. Australia is rushing headlong towards renewable energy which needs to be backed up by flexible sources such as batteries. "It is a very significant market," Mr Loosen says. "And Australia is clearly also leading the worldwide agenda and being a lighthouse 参照物, 灯塔 basically regarding the renewables transition." Big spinning machines, such as the turbines in coal and gas plants, have traditionally provided the frequency and inertia that keeps the electricity system stable, notes Mr Loosen. And countries, including Australia, have been reluctant to move completely away from this long-standing technology. Mr Loosen says battery technology is evolving so quickly, and becoming so sophisticated, it is arguably better placed to provide those services already. "When you think about these spinning machines and their reaction times, you're at least talking minutes basically," he says. "On the other hand the synthetic inertia that can be provided by grid-forming batteries is something that can react within milliseconds. "You can really absorb energy very quick and you can inject energy at the same moment basically within seconds. And that is something that no other technology can do." And so long as renewable energy continues to replace coal-fired power, he says the need for batteries and gas to complement the transition will endure. "The lowest cost energy in the system in WA moving forward is renewables firmed up 固化 by batteries and flexible gas," Mr Baker says. "Those batteries are critical to that picture and that combination of plant moving forward. "They will continue to be a feature of the energy system here in WA." 16. defenestrate [ˌdiːˈfen.ɪ.streɪt] 推出窗外 I. to throw or push someone out of a window: They threatened to defenestrate him. II. UK humorous to force someone, especially a leader, out of his or her job. It would not be a good time to defenestrate the Prime Minister. defenestration I. the action of throwing or pushing someone out of a window: his death by defenestration. He opened a window for the defenestration. II. UK humorous the action of forcing someone, especially a leader, out of his or her job: He has governed so badly as to deserve automatic defenestration 驱逐, 赶下台. If he loses the election, expect a few defenestrations in the Republican Party. note: Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window. By extension, the term is also used to describe the forcible or summary removal of an adversary. vocabulary: The verb defenestrate describes throwing someone or something out of a window. Drivers who defenestrate gum wrappers may not think they're littering, but they are. The Latin word for window, fenestra, is the origin of defenestrate, as well as a historical incident in 1618 in which some Protestants threw Catholics out a window, starting the Thirty Years War and becoming known as the "Defenestration of Prague."If you're so furious that you throw your television out the window of your house, you can put an impressive spin on it when you later explain, "I felt the need to defenestrate my television." enshittification [enˌʃɪ.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən] (enshittify, enshittified) 越来越烂 offensive when a digital platform is made worse for users, in order to increase profits. the process of a product or service, especially one connected with the internet, social media, or technology, becoming or being made worse, more unpleasant, less useful, etc.: That rage you feel as you deal with every single piece of tech in your life is caused by enshittification. As the platform acquires millions more users, its CEO has promised to protect it from "enshittification". Enshittification is an informal word used to criticize the degradation in the quality and experience of online platforms over time, due to an increase in advertisements, costs, or features. It can also refer more generally to any state of deterioration, especially in politics or society. Similar forms include enshittify and enshittified. wiki: Enshittification, also known as platform decay, is a process in which two-sided online products and services decline in quality over time. Initially, vendors create high-quality offerings to attract users, then they degrade those offerings to better serve business customers, and finally degrade their services to both users and business customers to maximize short-term profits for shareholders. 17. nickel-and-dime 管的细, 细碎的折磨, 折磨人, 一点点累死人, 滴水穿石似的摧毁..., 蚕食 [US, informal, disapproval] verb. to damage someone or something either by taking away many small amounts of money or by giving too much attention to details. If you accuse a person of nickel-and-diming someone or something, you are criticizing that person for weakening or exhausting them, for example, by continually taking small amounts of money away from them, or by continually making small changes or requests. Western governments are too busy nickel and diming essential services and private corporations are too focused on short term shareholder returns to understand the big picture. The banks nickle and dime you to death with all the little fees they charge you. A bad contractor may hide mistakes or blame someone else and nickel-and-dime you with extra charges. If you try to nickel-and-dime people, they are not going to be co-operative. Nobody wants to get on an airline that literally wants to nickel and dime passengers 榨干, 一点点逼死. I wouldn't get on Frontier unless I had to. If they had the last flight out of Saigon, I'd still reconsider. adj. If you describe someone or something as nickel-and-dime, you mean that they are not very important or they only function on a small scale. ...a number of nickel-and-dime 零零碎碎的 jobs – janitor, pastry chef, window washer. 

TBBT: 1. You know, I like the way my hair looks. I'm done tiptoeing around him. We're all guilty of it. But why? 'Cause we were afraid to upset him. Which happens anyway. Well, that's over. I'm done enabling him. Like, this is his spot and the thermostat has to be set to his comfort level, even though he doesn't even live here anymore and I'm always chilly. Is that why you wear a hoodie all the time? Why would-- Yes! To accommodate Sheldon! And what about this-this thing? Why is it here? I'll tell you why. Because it was here when I moved in, and, for no earthly reason, he forbade me to touch it. Well, if you don't like it, get rid of it. Put it in the closet. 2. I see you haven't changed one bit. Thank you, that is a nice thing to say. Hey, I'm Leonard. I'm here for no reason. What do you want, Sheldon? Why aren't you returning my phone calls? You're supposed to be the smart one; you figure it out. He's not that kind of smart. You might want to give him a hint. We haven't talked in over ten years, and now that you need something, you think you can just show up at my store? Well, let's just drop everything to accommodate Sheldon. Nice try, but I am not a gullible little boy anymore. I can recognize sarcasm. 3. Where's Mom? Uh, she wanted to stop by the hotel and freshen up, and then call her pastor to pray for Missy's soul. 4. Sheldon: I was going to get my mail. Penny: Okay. Are, are you hoping to get it telepathically ( telepathically [ˌtel.ɪˈpæθ.ɪ.kəl.i] 心灵感应 I. in a way that uses telepathy (= the ability to know what is in someone else's mind, or to communicate with someone mentally, without using words or other physical signals): communicate telepathically Our neighbour insists that she is able to communicate telepathically with her cat. My sister and I are so close that often I can almost telepathically pick up on what she is thinking.)? Sheldon: I think you mean telekinetically( telekinetically [ˌtel.ɪ.kɪˈnet.ɪ.kəl.i] 心灵控制, 意识控制 in a way that uses telekinesis (= the ability to move objects, or to make them change shape, using only the power of the mind): He claimed that he had lifted the pack of cards from the table telekinetically. If I concentrate, I believe I can turn off the lights telekinetically from where I am sitting. ). And no, I just wasn't sure of the proper protocol now that you and Leonard are no longer having coitus. Penny: God, can we please just say no longer seeing each other? Sheldon: Well, we could if it were true. But as you live in the same building, you see each other all the time. The variable which has changed is the coitus. Penny: Okay, here's the protocol, you and I are still friends, and you stop saying coitus. 5. Sheldon: What took you so long? Leonard: Just sit down and eat. Sheldon: Fine. Leonard: Alright, it's shredded, what do you want me to do? Sheldon: I want you to check before you accept the order. Leonard: Sorry. Sheldon: Were you distracted by the possibility that Koothrappali might have intercourse with Penny tonight? Leonard: He's not going to have intercourse with Penny. Sheldon: Then there's no excuse for this chicken. You know, this situation with Koothrapali brings to mind 让我想起 a story from my childhood. Howard: Oh goody, more tales from the panhandle. Sheldon: That's Northwest Texas, I'm from East Texas, the Gulf region, home to many Vietnamese shrimpers. Leonard: Do the shrimpers feature in your story? Sheldon: No. Anyway, when I was eight, a Montgomery-Ward delivery van ran over our cat, Lucky. Howard: Lucky? Sheldon: Yes, Lucky. Leonard: He's irony impaired, just move on. Howard: Okay, dead cat named Lucky, continue. Sheldon: While others mourned Lucky, I realised his untimely demise provided me with the opportunity to replace him with something more suited to my pet needs. A faithful companion that I could snuggle with at night, and yet would be capable of killing upon telepathic command. Howard: So, not a puppy? Sheldon: Please, no, nothing so pedestrian. I wanted a griffin. Leonard: A griffin? Sheldon: Yes, half eagle, half lion. Leonard: And mythological. Sheldon: Irrelevant. See, I was studying recombinant DNA technology and I was confident I could create one, but my parents were unwilling to secure the necessary eagle eggs and lion semen. Course my sister got swimming lessons when she wanted them. Howard: Sheldon, not that we don't all enjoy a good lion semen story, what's your point. Sheldon: My point is, if Koothrappali is moving on to a new life of shallow, undeserved fame, perhaps this is an opportunity to create a better cohort. Leonard: You want to breed a new friend? Sheldon: That's one option, but who has the time? But consider this, the Japanese, they're doing some wonderful work with artificial intelligence, now, you combine that with some animatronics from the imagineers over at Disney, next thing you know, we're playing Halo with a multi-lingual Abraham Lincoln. Howard: Sheldon, don't take this the wrong way, but, you're insane. Leonard: That may well be 有可能, 虽然是没错, but the fact is, it wouldn't kill us to meet some new people. Sheldon: Uh, for the record, it could kill us to meet new people. They could be murderers, or the carriers of unusual pathogens, and I'm not insane, my mother had me tested. Leonard: If we do get a new friend, he should be a guy you can trust. A guy who has your back. Howard: And he should have a lot of money, and live in a cool place down by the beach where we could throw parties. Sheldon: He should share our love of technology. Howard: And he should know a lot of women. Leonard: Yeah, let's see, money, women, technology, okay we're agreed, our new friend is going to be Iron Man. 5. Howard: 'm Peter Pan! And I've got a handful of pixie dust with your name on it. Penny: No you don't. Oh, hey, what's Sheldon supposed to be. Leonard: Oh, he's the Doppler Effect. Sheldon: Yes. It's the apparent change in the frequency of a wave caused by relative motion between the source of the wave and the observer. Penny: Oh, sure, I see it now, the Doppler Effect. Alright, I've got to shower, you guys um, make yourselves comfortable. Leonard: Okay. Sheldon: See, people get it. Raj: Mmmm, by Odin's beard ( Odin ([ˈoʊdɪn]; from Old Norse: Óðinn) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Odin is widely regarded as a god of the dead and warfare.), this is good, Chex Mix. Howard: No thanks, peanuts, I can't afford to swell up in these tights. Sheldon: I'm confused. If there's no costume parade, what are we doing here? Leonard: We're socialising. Meeting new people. Sheldon: Telepathically? 6. Leonard: You'll never guess what just happened. Sheldon: You went out in the hallway, stumbled into an interdimensional portal which brought you 5,000 years into the future, where you took advantage of the advanced technology to build a time machine, and now you're back to bring us all with you to the year 7010 where we are transported to work at the thinkatorium by telepathically controlled flying dolphins? Leonard: No. Sheldon: Aw. Leonard: Penny kissed me. Sheldon: Well, who would ever guess that?

Supreme Court Justices Clash Over Oral Argument Format: Grumbling over the court's oral argument sessions has increasingly slipped into public view. "Way too long," Chief Justice John Roberts complained at a recent conference of judges and lawyers in Pennsylvania, vowing to look into the matter. Justice Samuel Alito echoed the sentiment days later, calling for "less speechifying ( speechify 滔滔不绝, 没完没了 informal disapproving to give a speech, especially in a boring way or in a way that shows you think you are important.) and more real questions." While legal experts have long viewed oral arguments as only marginally important to case outcomes, the sessions do allow justices to test one another's theories — and can influence the reach of a decision. For the public, the debates offer a rare glimpse into how nine of Washington's most powerful jurists think about consequential appeals. "It's very important for the court's legitimacy," said Tonja Jacobi, a law professor at Emory University. "It can help reassure people that at least some of this is law." The impact of shortening the sessions could fall heaviest on 影响最大 the court's liberal wing, if only because in recent terms, those three justices tend to speak the most on average. During the pandemic, when the court switched to virtual arguments, the justices would ask questions in order of seniority rather than the free-form 自由发问, "hot bench" style used for decades. But the format has made it harder to keep advocates and justices on the clock. When the court returned to in-person arguments in 2021 after pandemic-era virtual sessions, justices compromised on a hybrid format: an initial free-form exchange followed by a round of a round of "seriatim" ( seriatim [ˌsɪəriˈeɪtɪm] 按顺序来的 Seriatim is a Latin term meaning "in a series" or "one after another". It is used to describe the act of dealing with items, issues, or events individually in a specific, consecutive sequence.) questioning. But the format has made it harder to keep advocates and justices on the clock. This stands in sharp contrast to the era of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who kept such rigid time discipline that he would sometimes cut advocates off mid-sentence. Not everyone objects to the current pace. Justice Clarence Thomas — who famously said nothing during oral arguments for years — is content with the extra time. "The current approach may run on a bit long, but you cannot say you have not had a chance to say your piece," he said at a recent conference. It's unclear whether longer sessions actually affect outcomes. By argument day, justices have read hundreds of pages of briefs and often have a preliminary view of the case. "Inevitably, I have a tentative idea of how a case will turn out before arguments," Alito acknowledged. Justice Elena Kagan put it more charitably: "Sometimes it really makes a difference. Sometimes maybe a little bit less so." The format has created some uncomfortable dynamics. Members of the three-justice liberal bloc, operating on a court where conservatives hold a six-justice supermajority, are often struggling against the tide and, it turns out, talk more than their colleagues. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, in particular, are among the most loquacious (loquacious [lə(ʊ)ˈkweɪʃəs] 话多的 Someone who is loquacious talks a lot. If you describe someone as loquacious, you mean that they talk a lot. The normally loquacious Mr O'Reilly has said little. ). Because seniority determines speaking order, junior justices like Jackson get the last word — a dynamic Alito openly resented in a March argument. "She will have the right to surrebuttal [sʌrɪˈbʌtəl] ( A surrebuttal is a legal or adversarial response to an opposing party's rebuttal. In essence, it is a rebuttal to a rebuttal. It allows a party to present new evidence or arguments specifically to counter the points raised in the immediately preceding rebuttal)," he said of Sotomayor. "I won't have a chance to answer under this questioning regime."