The economist学习社区不合格粉丝一名,以前只听每周课堂而忽视每日一词
officious
释义,盛气凌人地彰显权威,尤其是在无关紧要或琐碎地事情上
近义,peremptory,high-handed,commanding
Everyone can appreciate a quip about the cramped commuter trains, the officious security guard, the sluggish lifts or the dodgy canteen food.
有些玩笑大家听来都心领神会,比如讲通勤火车如何拥挤,保安如何嚣张跋扈,电器永远等不来,食堂的饭有多难吃。
ambivalent
释义,对某物或某人怀有矛盾的感情或想法,前缀ambi-代表“两个”,而valent源自拉丁语valentia(力量),意味着同时被两种情绪拉扯
搭配, ~ about/towards sb/sth;~ attitude/feelings
近义,equivoval, uncertain, unsure
Despite his whistle-blowing, Mr Rodchenkov himself remains ambivalent about steroid use.
尽管他最终成了揭发内幕的吹哨人,罗琴科夫本人对使用类固醇的态度仍然模棱两可。
unseemly
释义,(行为或做法)不合适或不得体的,seemly(合适的、得体的),注意词性,形容词。强调的是对于当时的情境而言不够恰当、冒犯无礼、有失品味。
近义,indecorous, improper, inappropriate
While some consider it unseemly for judges to overrule a jury, others would like to entrust them with more authority.
尽管有些人认为法官推翻陪审团的裁定有失体统,但另一些人愿意赋予他们更多的权力。
That increases the temptation to resort to unseemly practices.
这更会诱使它们去走歪门邪道。
platitude
释义,(尤指谈论道德的)说法或言论,被使用太多而不再有趣或有思想。
词源,法语,plat,平的、枯燥的,它指的就是陈词滥调,老生常谈
近义词,cliché, truism(注意区别altruism), commonplace
That is not just a platitude: the patients of sympathetic physicians have been shown to fare better.
这并不是陈词滥调:研究显示,富有同情心的医生负责的患者恢复得更好。
Yet China's growth debunks that platitude.
然而中国的增长驳斥了那种陈词滥调。
martinet
释义,严格执行纪律的人,尤其是在军队中
词源,法国路易十四委任的步兵总监、陆军中校Jean Martinet。他以训练纪律严格著称。
近义,disciplinarian, taskmaster
This young British opera director is known for being a martinet, demanding millisecond precision in co-ordination between sight and sound.
这位年轻的英国歌剧导演以精细严格著称,要求视觉和声音之间的协调精度达到毫秒级。
It is true that Mr Cote occasionally comes across as a bit of a martinet.
的确,高德威偶尔会让人觉得太过一板一眼。
hew
释义,conform or adhere to
词源,德语,本意为砍劈,后来有了说法“hew to the line”,就是沿着木头上画线的地方砍开,以把木头做成长度合适的梁柱。引申为遵循、依照(某种特定思想、方法、规则)的意思
China might yet hew more closely to rich-country trade rules, and intervene less in its economy and foreign-exchange markets.
中国还是有可能进一步遵守富国的贸易规则,并减少对经济和外汇市场的干预。
insipid
释义,来源于拉丁语insipidus,in否定-sipidus有滋味的,可口的
近义,vapid,dull,boring
Insipid economic growth and moribund trade liberalisation play their part; so too do shifts in manufacturing.
经济增长低迷及贸易自由化的进程停滞都加深了问题,制造业的转变也是一个因素。
"A Midsummer Night's Dream", once seen as insipid, is now the most performed.
《仲夏夜之梦》一度被认为寡淡无味,如今却最常上演。
prolific
释义,(艺术家、作家)高产的,作品丰富的;(动植物)多产的,丰茂的;泛指,众多的,大量的
词源,拉丁语proles(后代)
近义,productive,creative,inventive
To their credit, Huawei and ZTE are among the world's most prolific generators of new patents.
华为和中兴在这方面值得赞赏,它们的新专利申请量已经位居世界前列。
altruism
释义,关心他人需求和幸福胜过自己
词源,法语altruisme,又可拉丁语alter(其他人)
搭配,out of ~,出于无私的考虑
近义,selflessness,compassion,goodwill
eschew 961th
释义,刻意避免使用
词源,法语eschiver,德语scheuen(躲避)
搭配,~ politics,~ publicity,用法偏正式
近义,abstain from,refrain from,give up
Or perhaps Sino-American rivalry will make American and other Western manufacturers eschew the use of a system so closely linked with the military power of a potential enemy.
又或者,中美之间的对抗可能会让美国和其他西方世界的制造商避开一个与潜在敌国的军方密切关联的系统。
temperate
释义,温度,也能指气候温和的,人或行为心平气和、温和得体
近义,restrained,moderate
In matters of finance, if not climate, Canada is usually temperate.
如果不谈论天气,只论金融,加拿大通常是温和平稳的。
augment
释义,to make sth. greater by adding to it
近义,supplement,increase
augment one's income 补充收入
And if brain implants are performed not for therapeutic purposes but to augment people's abilities, will that make the world an even more unequal palce?
如果使用大脑植入物不是为了治病而是为了增强人的能力,那么世界是否会变得更不平等?
laconic 937th
释义,(人、讲话或写作风格)极为简练的,甚至让听着感到冷漠或粗鲁的
词源,希腊语,古国Laconia的首都斯巴达,当地人讲话非常简短
近义,brief,concise,terse
Laconic and unadventurous in print, she was better at getting the story than telling it.
她的文字凝练而中正,她更善于捕捉故事而不是讲述它们。
例句均来自经济学人,每周商论学习社区
感谢商论老师们的辛苦付出