Day 15: Words & Phrases

- strip

**~ sth (off) | ~ A (off / from B)/~ B (of A) **
to remove a layer from sth, especially so that it is completely exposed

• Deer had stripped the tree of its bark.
  鹿啃掉了樹皮。
• After the guests had gone, I stripped all the beds (= removed all the sheets in order to wash them).
  客人走后,我把鋪的牀單全都撤了下來。

- delusion

a false belief or opinion about yourself or your situation

• the delusions of the mentally ill
  精神病患者的妄想
• Don't go getting delusions of grandeur (= a belief that you are more important than you actually are).
  不要變得妄自尊大。

- marvel

to feel or express great surprise or admiration at something, especially someone’s behaviour:

• marvel at/over
• I marvelled at my mother’s ability to remain calm in a crisis.
• Visitors to Rome marvel over the beauty of the city.
• marvel that
• I marvelled that anyone could be so stupid.

- tremor

1. a small earthquake in which the ground shakes slightly

• an earth tremor 地動

2. a slight shaking movement in a part of your body caused, for example, by cold or fear

• There was a slight tremor in his voice.
  他的聲音略微有點兒顫抖。

- clarity

Clarity means clearness. Clean water running down a mountain has clarity. So does a lovely singing voice: it's clear and pure.
If you bring clarity to a situation, you help people see what really happened by clearing up misunderstandings or giving explanations. Sometimes people talk about having moments of clarity when suddenly everything about a particular situation or even about life itself comes into focus. People also talk about good writing having clarity when it is precise, clean, and easy to understand.

- flavor

If you think that something or someone is very popular at a particular time, you can say that they are flavour of the month.

• Hats were very much flavour of the month…
  帽子在當(dāng)時是時尚熱寵。
• Middlesex cricketers Gatting and Emburey are hardly flavour of the
  month.
  米德爾塞克斯郡板球選手蓋廷和恩伯里很難說是當(dāng)紅人物。

- misplaced

1. not appropriate or correct in the situation

• misplaced confidence / optimism / fear
  不應(yīng)有的信心/樂觀精神/恐懼

2. (of love, trust, etc.) given to a person who does not deserve or return those feelings

• misplaced loyalty
  無謂的忠誠

- unnerve

If you say that something unnerves you, you mean that it worries or troubles you.

• The news about Dermot had unnerved me…
  關(guān)于德莫特的消息讓我很擔(dān)心。
• Tony was unnerved by the uncanny familiarity of her face.托尼對她的樣子異常熟悉，這很讓他煩惱。

- hamper

Use the verb hamper to describe an action that slows progress or makes it difficult to do something but not shut down completely.
Hamper often describes travel during bad weather, like icy conditions that could hamper holiday travel. Hamper means "slow going."
You may have heard of noun form of hamper, a container for holding dirty laundry: If your hamper is full, the need to do laundry could hamper your plans of going out and having fun.

- tragic

1. A tragic event or situation is extremely sad, usually because it involves death or suffering.

• It was just a tragic accident...它只是場不幸的事故。
• …the tragic loss of so many lives…這么多人的不幸喪生

2. Tragic is used to refer to tragedy as a type of literature.

• //...Michael Henchard, the tragic hero of 'The Mayor of Casterbridge'.
  邁克爾·亨察德，《卡斯特橋市長》的悲劇主人公

【拓展】tragically

• Tragically, she never saw the completed building because she died before it was finished...
  可嘆的是，她在大樓竣工前就去世了，無緣見到它的落成。
• My father died very suddenly and very tragically.
  我父親的死非常突然，非常不幸。

- stature

Stature is the another way to say "height of a person," like the surprising stature of the movie star who seems so much taller in his action movies.
Stature comes from the Latin word statura, meaning "height, size of body, growth," but today, it also means "a high level of respect gained by achievement." For example, after you win a Nobel Prize, your new stature will bring new fans, more sales of your book, invitations to many exclusive dinner parties, and maybe even your picture on magazine covers all over the world.

- conviction

1. ~ (that ...) a strong opinion or belief

• strong political / moral convictions
  堅定不移的政治/道德信念
• a conviction that all would be well in the end
  最終一切都會好起來的堅定信念

2. the feeling or appearance of believing sth strongly and of being sure about it

• 'Not true!' she said with conviction.
  "不真實！"她肯定地說道。
• He said he agreed but his voice lacked conviction.
  他說他贊同,但語氣不堅定。

- virtue

Virtue is the quality of being morally good. If you're writing a screenplay and you want it to be a real tearjerker, make sure your hero is full of virtue.
The word virtue comes from the Latin root vir, for man. At first virtue meant manliness or valor, but over time it settled into the sense of moral excellence. Virtue can also mean excellence in general. One of your virtues might be your generous willingness to help out your friends. The phrase by virtue of means "as a result of" or "by authority of." You will achieve success by virtue of hard work (or by virtue of inside connections).

- totem

an animal or other natural object that is chosen and respected as a special symbol of a community or family, especially among Native Americans; an image of this animal, etc.
(尤指美洲土著的)圖騰；圖騰形象

- amulet

An amulet is a small object that you wear or carry because you think it will bring you good luck and protect you from evil or injury.

- pin

1. to attach sth onto another thing or fasten things together with a pin, etc.

• She pinned the badge onto her jacket.
  她把徽章別到外衣上。
• A message had been pinned to the noticeboard.
  布告牌上釘著一條消息。
• Pin all the pieces of material together.
  把這些材料都釘?shù)揭黄稹?/li>

2. to make sb unable to move by holding them or pressing them against sth

• They pinned him against a wall and stole his wallet.
  他們把他擠在墻邊,偷走了他的錢包。
• They found him pinned under the wreckage of the car.
  人們發(fā)現(xiàn)他被卡在汽車殘骸下。

【拓展】
**pin (all) your hopes on sb / sth | pin your faith on sb / sth **
to rely on sb / sth completely for success or help

• The company is** pinning its hopes on** the new project.
  這家公司對此新項目寄予厚望。

- nonplussed

If a conversation with someone leaves you scratching your head and wondering what point they were trying to make, you are nonplussed: bewildered, puzzled, often speechless.
Interestingly, there is no word plussed. You can only be nonplussed. People are nonplussed when they’re astounded, exasperated, or at a loss.

• "I'm nonplussed," you say when your mother tells you she's marrying her 25-year-old personal trainer.
• "I'm nonplussed," you say when your boss fires you, even though he tells you you’re the best employee he's ever had.
• Since so many things are confusing and odd, there’s a lot in life that can leave you nonplussed.

- crucifix

a model of a cross with a figure of Jesus Christ on it, as a symbol of the Christian religion
? (十字架)苦像；耶穌受難像

- at best

used for showing that something is not very good by emphasizing that your description of it is the best thing you can say about it

• His chances of victory are, at best, uncertain.
• The government’s response seems to have been at best confused and at worst dishonest.

- credential

A credential is something that’s proof of a claim you make about yourself or your skills. You might earn a credential in computer networking that lets employers know that you’re qualified to do the job.
A credential can be a particular qualification that you earn or it can refer more generally to achievements or qualities that you’ve acquired over time. You’ll most often see the word credential used in its plural form: credentials. You typically refer to your credentials to show that you're qualified to do something. Your strong academic credentials might qualify you to work as an assistant at a hip magazine during the summer.

- platitudes

The English language contains many old, worn-out clichés, or platitudes. Phrases like "ants in your pants" and "as American as apple pie" are so overused that they've almost lost their meaning. People rely on these tired old remarks when they can't think of anything original to say. Be warned:** if you throw too many platitudes into your conversations, people are eventually going to get tired of listening to you.**

- notwithstanding

1. (also used following the noun it refers to) without being affected by sth; despite sth

• Notwithstanding some major financial problems, the school has had a successful year.
  雖然有些重大的經(jīng)費問題,這所學(xué)校一年來還是很成功。
• The bad weather notwithstanding, the event was a great success.
  盡管天氣惡劣,活動還是取得了巨大的成功。

2. despite this
   【SYN】 however , nevertheless

• Notwithstanding, the problem is a significant one.
  然而,這個問題仍很重要。

- deception

Deception is the act of deceiving someone or the state of being deceived by someone.

• He admitted conspiring to obtain property by deception...
  他承認曾與人合謀騙取財產(chǎn)。
• You've been the victim of a rather cruel deception.
  你是一場相當(dāng)殘忍的騙局的受害者。

- well-lit

a place that is well-lit is bright because there electric lights, so it is easy for you to see what you are doing:

• I always try to park in a well-lit area at night.
• To avoid eye problems, make sure that your desk is well-lit.

- alley

(also alley way ) a narrow passage behind or between buildings

• a narrow / dark alley
  狹窄的/黑暗的小巷

- assignation

An assignation is a secret meeting with someone, especially with a lover.

• She had an assignation with her boyfriend.她和男友有個約會。

- count

~ (for sth) (not used in the progressive tenses) to be important

• Every point in this game counts.
  這場比賽每一分都很重要。
• The fact that she had apologized counted for nothing with him.
  她已道歉,但他認為這是沒有用的。
• It's the thought that counts (= used about a small but kind action or gift).
  貴在心意。

- shuffle

1. to walk slowly without lifting your feet completely off the ground

• He shuffled across the room to the window.
  他拖著腳走到房間那頭的窗戶跟前。

2. to mix cards up in a pack / deck of playing cards before playing a game

• Shuffle the cards and deal out seven to each player.
  洗洗牌,然后給每人發(fā)七張。

3. to move paper or things into different positions or a different order

• I shuffled the documents on my desk.
  我胡亂翻動桌上的文件。

- flashy

(informal, usually disapproving)

1. (of things) attracting attention by being bright, expensive, large, etc.

• a flashy hotel
  奢華的旅館
• I just want a good reliable car, nothing flashy.
  我只要一輛性能可靠的轎車,不要華而不實的那種。

2. (of people ) attracting attention by wearing expensive clothes, etc.
3. intended to impress by looking very skillful

• He specializes in flashy technique, without much depth.
  他就會些沒有深度的花招。
• flashily dressed
  穿著艷俗的

- dismal

1. causing or showing sadness

• dismal conditions / surroundings / weather
  悲慘的狀況；凄涼的環(huán)境；陰沉的天氣

2. not skilful or successful; of very low quality

• The singer gave a dismal performance of some old songs.
  那歌手唱了幾首老歌,唱得也不怎么樣。
• Their recent attempt to increase sales has been a dismal failure.
  他們最近努力提高銷售量,全是白費勁。

【拓展】 dismally

• I tried not to laugh but failed dismally (= was completely unsuccessful).
  我想盡量忍著不笑,但根本忍不住。

- interminable

lasting a very long time and therefore boring or annoying; endless :

• an interminable speech / wait / discussion
  無休止的講話/等待/討論
• The drive seemed interminable.
  這次開車好像沒有盡頭。

【拓展】interminably

• The meeting dragged on interminably.
  會議沒完沒了地拖延著。

- documentary

1. a film or a radio or television programme giving facts about sth

• a television documentary about / on the future of nuclear power
  關(guān)于核武器前景的紀(jì)實電視片

2. consisting of documents

• documentary evidence / sources / material
  書面證據(jù)；文件來源；文獻資料

3. giving a record of or report on the facts about sth, especially by using pictures, recordings, etc. of people involved

• a documentary film about the war
  關(guān)于那場戰(zhàn)爭的紀(jì)錄片

footage

part of a film showing a particular event

• old film footage of the moon landing
  一段登月的老影片

- splice

If you splice two pieces of rope, film, or tape together, you join them neatly at the ends so that they make one continuous piece.

• He taught me to edit and splice film...
  他教我剪輯和粘接膠片。
• The film will be spliced with footage of Cypress Hill to be filmed in America.
  這部電影要和將在美國拍攝的柏樹山樂隊的音樂片段粘接在一起。

- X

1. X can be used to represent the name of a person when you do not know their real name, or when you are trying to keep their real name a secret.

• //...Dr. X.某醫(yī)生

2. You can use X or x to refer to a number or amount when you do not know exactly how much it is, or when this information is not important.

• You can only make X amount of dollars a year.你一年只能賺那么多錢。

- muff

(informal, disapproving) to miss an opportunity to do sth well

• He muffed his lines (= he forgot them or said them wrongly).
  他忘了臺詞。
• It was a really simple shot, and I muffed it.
  這確實是一記簡單的射門,而我竟然沒接住。

- counting up

~ (sth) (up) to calculate the total number of people, things, etc. in a particular group

• She began to count up how many guests they had to invite.
  她開始計算他們得邀請多少位客人。

- sin

The most common definition of sin is religious: it's an immoral act against God or divine law. Any serious offense, even if it's not religious, can be called a sin, and so can something less serious if you're talking about it in a joking way, as in, "You've got to buy those shoes — it would be an absolute sin not to." In math, sin is the abbreviation of sine, the trigonometric function.

• to commit a sin
• Confess your sins to God and he will forgive you.
  向上帝懺悔,上帝就會寬恕你。

- cowardice

fear or lack of courage

- miss the point

if you miss the point, you think you understand what someone says or what is important about a situation, but in fact you are wrong:

• I soon realised that he had completely missed the point.
• He’s so caught up in the rules that he’s missing the point of the game, which is just to have fun.

- superstition

(often disapproving) the belief that particular events happen in a way that cannot be explained by reason or science; the belief that particular events bring good or bad luck

• According to superstition, breaking a mirror brings bad luck.
  按照迷信的說法,摔碎鏡子會帶來噩運。

- ambivalent

~ (about / towards sb / sth) having or showing both good and bad feelings about sb / sth

• She seems to feel ambivalent about her new job.
  她似乎對她的新工作憂喜參半。
• He has an ambivalent attitude towards her.
  他對她懷著矛盾的心情。

- reconciliation

1. ~ (between A and B) | ~ (with sb)
   an end to a disagreement and the start of a good relationship again

• Their change of policy brought about a reconciliation with Britain.
  他們的政策改變促成了與英國的和解。

2. ~ (between A and B) | ~ (with sth)
   the process of making it possible for two different ideas, facts, etc. to exist together without being opposed to each other

• the reconciliation between environment and development
  環(huán)境保護與發(fā)展之間的和諧統(tǒng)一

- accommodation

(formal) an agreement or arrangement between people or groups with different opinions which is acceptable to everyone; the process of reaching this agreement

• They were forced to reach an accommodation with the rebels.
  他們被迫與叛亂分子達成調(diào)解協(xié)議。

- adultery

Adultery is a word for cheating —** cheating on your spouse with another person**. Adultery isn’t a crime, but some people consider it a sin.
If two people are dating, and one fools around with someone else, it's not adultery. Only married people can commit adultery. If you commit adultery — and your spouse finds out — then you’ve got a lot of explaining to do. Although it's still highly frowned upon, cultural attitudes toward adultery have changed a lot: the classic book The Scarlet Letter shows how harshly women were once treated for committing adultery.

- excess

1. ~ (of sth) more than is necessary, reasonable or acceptable

• Are you suffering from an excess of stress in your life?
  你生活中的壓力太大嗎？
• The increase will not be in excess of (= more than) two per cent.
  增加幅度不會超過百分之二。

2. an amount by which sth is larger than sth else

• We cover costs up to ￡600 and then you pay the excess.
  我們最多支付 600 英鎊的費用,超過的部份由你支付。

- absolution

(especially in the Christian Church) a formal statement that a person is forgiven for what he or she has done wrong

- wrong

If someone wrongs you, they treat you in an unfair way.

• You have wronged my mother...........// 你冤枉了我媽媽。
• She felt she'd been wronged.............//她覺得受委屈了。

- unduly

more than you think is reasonable or necessary
【SYN】 excessively :

• He did not sound unduly worried at the prospect.
  他的口氣聽上去對前景并不十分擔(dān)憂。
• The levels of pollution in this area are unduly high.
  本地區(qū)的污染程度過高。

- lose ground

to go into a position where you are less strong, advanced, or successful than someone else

• He led from lap one but then lost ground after several pit stops.
• Thesaurus: to fail, or to stop being successfulsynonym

- homely

1. (BrE, approving) (of a place) making you feel comfortable, as if you were in your own home

• The hotel has a lovely homely feel to it.
  那家旅館給人一種賓至如歸的感覺。

2. (approving, especially BrE) simple and good

• homely cooking
  家常烹調(diào)

3. (BrE, approving) (of a woman) warm and friendly and enjoying the pleasures of home and family

• His landlady was a kind, homely woman.
  他的房東太太心地善良,待人親切。

4. (NAmE, disapproving) (of a person's appearance) not attractive
   【SYN】 plain :

• a homely child
  相貌普通的孩子

- instill/instil

~ sth (in / into sb) to gradually make sb feel, think or behave in a particular way over a period of time

• to instil confidence / discipline / fear into sb
  逐步使某人樹立信心/守紀(jì)律/產(chǎn)生恐懼

- intangible

1. that exists but that is difficult to describe, understand or measure

• The old building had an intangible air of sadness about it.
  那座舊建筑籠罩著一種說不出的悲涼氣氛。
• The benefits are intangible.
  好處是難以計算的。

2. (business ) that does not exist as a physical thing but is still valuable to a company

• intangible assets / property
  無形資產(chǎn)/財產(chǎn)

- admirable vs remarkable

• Someone who deserves your admiration can be described as admirable. Your friend who saves homeless kittens in his spare time? An admirable person.

• Something remarkable is unusual, exceptional, interesting, or excellent. Remarkable things get your attention.

- emigrate

If you move to a different country, you emigrate. For example, if you are Canadian and you emigrate to Italy, you aren't on vacation — you are making Italy your new home. Benvenuti!
The words emigrate and immigrate both mean that a person has decided to permanently live in a foreign country, but to emigrate is to leave your country, and to immigrate is to come into a new country. To emigrate is to exit.

- incident

something that happens, especially sth unusual or unpleasant

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident.
  他的不良行為只是個別事件。
• One particular incident sticks in my mind.
  有一件事我總忘不了。

- hostile

~ (to / towards sb / sth) very unfriendly or aggressive and ready to argue or fight

• The speaker got a hostile reception from the audience.
  演講人遭到了聽眾喝倒彩。
• She was openly hostile towards her parents.
  她公然對抗她的父母。

- donnée

Etymology: French, from feminine past participle of donner

1. the main assumption or set of assumptions (as a social situation or set of personal relationships) upon which a work of literature or drama proceeds
2. a basic fact, condition, or notion offering the chief source of dependence in shaping an action at a particular moment or juncture

- guise

Guise, a noun, is the art of pretending to be something you aren't, like when, in the guise of an invited guest, you fake your way into the party of the century.
No doubt you’ve noticed the similarity between guise and disguise. Both involve the art of deception: it’s the methods that differ.

• Guise is about trying on new attitudes and mannerisms, such as speaking and acting in the guise of a native in a place where you are actually a tourist.
• Disguise involves hiding your real identity, disappearing in the new role.

- liaison

Employ the French-sounding word liaison to refer to a relationship, a link between people or groups who aids communication.
There are two main definitions for liaison that stem from Old French and before that, the Latin word for "to bind." The first definition refers in general to a connection or a relationship that serves effective communication. The second definition refers more specifically to an illicit relationship, or an affair, and can have a negative connotation.

- odds

(usually the odds) the degree to which sth is likely to happen

• The odds are very much in our favour (= we are likely to succeed).
  我方勝算的幾率極大。
• The odds are heavily against him (= he is not likely to succeed).
  他成功的幾率很小。
• The odds are that (= it is likely that) she'll win.
  她有可能會贏。
• What are the odds (= how likely is it) he won't turn up?
  他不會露面的可能性有多大？

- coax

When you coax someone, you try to convince him gently, with pleasant words and maybe a little flattery. You’ll have to be patient, as you can’t rush someone you’re trying to coax.
When you coax, you have to be nice about it – you can’t threaten or force. You put on a little charm and gently urge, so that the person or thing is happy about being coaxed. You might coax the runaway elephant back into the zoo by patting her gently and talking into her ear. If you wake up with a terrible bedhead, you might coax your hair back into place with the help of a little hair gel and a comb.

- antidote

An antidote is a remedy that relieves. So if you get headaches from long bus rides, it's best to travel equipped with the key pain alleviating antidotes: Tylenol, lots of water and soothing music.

- sound

A sound is a noise, something you can hear if you're in the right spot and it's loud enough. A doorbell, a fire alarm, a cat's meow, or your brother's snoring — they’re all sounds.
Long Island Sound is another kind of sound — it’s a branch of the Atlantic Ocean that runs between Connecticut and Long Island, New York. When you don’t know a word, you might sound out the syllables — say them aloud — to figure out the pronunciation. Sound can also mean "solid or good." Sound advice is good advice. Sound investments are secure. When you have a sound sleep, it's restful and uninterrupted — at least until your alarm sounds.

- swoon

To swoon is to faint, due to lack of blood to the brain. Illness, fear, stress, and even happiness can cause people to swoon.

- commiserative

feeling or expressing sympathy

• "made commiserative clicking sounds with his tongue"- Kenneth Roberts

- carnal

Carnal is an adjective meaning "of the flesh." This makes carnal relations a subject that kids want to know more about, but one that both kids and parents may be embarrassed to talk about with each other.
Another use for carnal is to describe something that is worldly (as opposed to spiritual) — "He didn't have much use for religion, preferring the more carnal pursuits of gambling, drinking, and partying." The phrase "carnal knowledge" is often used euphemistically to refer to sexual relations, but the phrase has also been used in the legal sense to describe a specific sex crime.

- insofar

Use insofar to mean "as much" or "to the extent." You might, for example, say, "I will get my math homework done insofar as I can.
The adverb insofar is somewhat old fashioned and uncommon these days, but it's a good way to talk about doing something to a certain degree or extent. The British form of insofar is in so far.

• You might accuse your boss of treating her employees well only insofar that it improves her business, or decide that math is only interesting to you insofar as it seems useful in daily life. The British form of insofar is in so far.

- pointless

having no purpose; not worth doing

• We searched until we knew it would be pointless to continue.
  我們搜索又搜索,直到覺得繼續(xù)下去也枉然時才罷手。

- despise

(not used in the progressive tenses) to dislike and have no respect for sb / sth

• She despised gossip in any form.
  她對任何形式的流言蜚語都嗤之以鼻。
• He despised himself for being so cowardly.
  他為自己如此怯懦而自慚形穢。

- consort

If you keep company with someone, you are consorting with them. "The students tended to consort only with other students from similar backgrounds. The staff wanted to break them out of their comfort zone, so they organized games to force them to mingle and meet new people."

- thrall

in (sb's / sth's) thrall | in thrall to sb / sth
(literary) controlled or strongly influenced by sb / sth

- untenable

(formal) (of a theory, position, etc.) that cannot be defended against attack or criticism

• His position had become untenable and he was forced to resign.
  他的地位已難以維持,因此他被迫辭職。

- flatter

When you flatter someone, you praise and compliment him or her — but you aren't totally sincere. You flatter your friend by telling her she's the best driver in the world. Because you want her to offer you a ride.

- empathy

~ (with sb / sth) | ~ (for sb / sth) | ~ (between A and B)
the ability to understand another person's feelings, experience, etc.

• the writer's imaginative empathy with his subject
  作者把想像中的感情投入到筆下的人物
• empathy for other people's situations
  對他人所處境況的同情

- ludicrous

unreasonable; that you cannot take seriously
【SYN】 absurd , ridiculous :

• a ludicrous suggestion
  荒謬的建議
• It was ludicrous to think that the plan could succeed.
  認為此計劃會取得成功是荒唐的。

- at the mercy of

in a situation that is controlled by someone or something with the power to harm you

• Workers are entirely at the mercy of dishonest employers.

- contempt

~ (for sb / sth)
the feeling that sb / sth is without value and deserves no respect at all

• She looked at him with contempt.
  她輕蔑地看著他。
• His treatment of his children is beneath contempt (= so unacceptable that it is not even worth feeling contempt for).
  他對待自己子女的那種行徑為人所不齒。
• Politicians seem to be generally held in contempt by ordinary people.
  一般百姓似乎普遍看不起從政者。

- doomed

1. If something is doomed to happen, or if you are doomed to a particular state, something unpleasant is certain to happen, and you can do nothing to prevent it.

• Their plans seemed doomed to failure...
  他們的計劃好像注定要失敗。
• He knew that if he lived, he would be doomed to spend the war as a prisoner.
  他知道如果他活下來，他將注定以戰(zhàn)俘的身份度過戰(zhàn)爭。

2. Someone or something that is doomed is certain to fail or be destroyed.

• Fireman battled through the smoke in a doomed attempt to rescue the children...
  消防隊員奮力穿過煙霧企圖去救孩子們，而這注定是要失敗的。
• I used to pour time and energy into projects that were doomed from the start.
  我過去常常將大量時間和精力投入到從開始就注定要失敗的計劃中。

- despair

Despair is the feeling that everything is wrong and that nothing will improve.

• I looked at my wife in despair......// 我絕望地看著妻子。
• //...feelings of despair or inadequacy........// 絕望或無能的感覺

- devine

If you divine something, you discover or learn it by guessing.

• //...the child's ability to divine the needs of its parents and respond to them...孩子猜測父母的需要并作出回應(yīng)的能力
• From this he divined that she did not like him much.
  他依此猜到她不太喜歡他。

- alienation

An easy way to experience alienation from your nice-smelling friends is to go a month without bathing. Alienation is a state of being cut off or separate from a person or group of people.
The noun alienation describes the feeling that you're not part of a group. Your political views might cause you to feel a sense of alienation from the rest of your family, or your vegetarianism could result in alienation from your meat-eating friends. The Latin word for alien is alienus, "belonging to another." That idea of not belonging, or not fitting in, gave rise to the Latin verb alienare, "to estrange," which alienation comes from.

- self-reproach

the act of blaming yourself

• For Ray, there was also bitterness to choke back; bitterness and self-reproach and a sense of spoiling time.
• It is the familiar alcoholic pattern: the moroseness, the destructiveness, the self-reproach – what he calls "my mad moods".

- alien

Something that's alien is different or foreign. In science fiction, space aliens come from other planets. In reality, illegal aliens come from other countries.

- encounter

1. An encounter with someone is a meeting with them, particularly one that is unexpected or significant.

• The author tells of a remarkable encounter with a group of South Vietnamese soldiers.
  作者講述了和一群南越士兵的奇遇。

2. An encounter is a particular type of experience.

• //...a sexual encounter.
  性體驗
• //...his first serious encounter with alcohol.
  他第一次正兒八經(jīng)喝酒的經(jīng)歷

- the spectre of something

something that people are afraid of because it may affect them badly:

• The recession is again raising the spectre of unemployment.

- out of the question

If an idea or suggestion is out of the question, it is completely impossible or it cannot be allowed:

• Is a tax increase still out of the question?
  增加稅收仍然是不可能的事嗎？

【拓展】it’s out of the question for somebody (to do something)

【區(qū)別】out of question
unquestionable, without doubt

• My ability to write and speak English is out of question.
  我的英文的寫和說的能力是毫無疑問的。

Day 16: Classical Allusions

Classical Allusion.jpg

- Phi Beta Kappa

The Phi Beta Kappa Society (ΦΒΚ) is the oldest honor society for the liberal arts and sciences in the United States, with 286 active chapters. Widely considered to be the nation's most prestigious honor society, Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and to induct the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at American colleges and universities. Founded at The College of William and Mary on December 5, 1776, as the first collegiate Greek-letter fraternity, it was among the earliest collegiate fraternal societies and remains the oldest existing American academic honor society. Phi Beta Kappa (ΦΒΚ) stands for Φιλοσοφ?α Β?ου Κυβερν?τη? or in Latin letters Philosophia Biou Cybernētēs, which means "Love of learning is the guide of life" or "Philosophy is the governor of one's life."

- Stanford-Binet scale

The Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scales (or more commonly the Stanford-Binet) is an individually administered intelligence test that was revised from the original Binet-Simon Scale by Lewis M. Terman, a psychologist at Stanford University. The Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale is now in its fifth edition (SB5) and was released in 2003. It is a cognitive ability and intelligence test that is used to diagnose developmental or intellectual deficiencies in young children. The test measures five weighted factors and consists of both verbal and nonverbal subtests. The five factors being tested are knowledge, quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial processing, working memory, and fluid reasoning.

- Rhett Butler & Scarlett O’Hara

Gone with the Wind.jpg

Scarlett O'Hara is the main character in the 1970 musical Scarlett and the 1991 book Scarlett, considered a vastly inferior sequel to Gone with the Wind written under contract by Alexandra Ripley and adapted for a television mini-series in 1994. Initially, author Margret Mitchell referred to her heroine as "Pansy" until just before publication. Upon advice from her editor, who felt readers would relate to the fiery character better under a more dramatic name, she changed the name to "Scarlett".
Rhett Butler is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.

- Eden

Garden of Eden, biblical Paradise, the "garden of God" described in the Book of Genesis
伊甸園是地上的樂園，根據(jù)《圣經(jīng)·舊約·創(chuàng)世紀(jì)》記載，神·耶和華照自己的形像造了人類的祖先男人亞當(dāng)，再用亞當(dāng)?shù)囊粋€肋骨創(chuàng)造了女人夏娃，并安置第一對男女住在伊甸園中。

Eden.jpg

伊甸園在圣經(jīng)的原文含有樂園的意思。圣經(jīng)記載伊甸園在東方，詩人阿利蓋利·但丁的《神曲》則將伊甸園置于煉獄山的頂點。有四條河從伊甸之地流出并滋潤園里，這四條河分別是幼發(fā)拉底河、底格里斯河、基訓(xùn)河和比遜河。
人類的祖先因偷吃禁果而犯下原罪，被上帝流放，這一事跡被稱為失樂園（Paradise Lost）。相應(yīng)的，經(jīng)過末日審判之后的人類獲得救贖，重新回歸樂園，這被稱為復(fù)樂園（Paradise Regained）

- Appointment in Samara

Appointment in Samarra.jpeg

Appointment In Samarra, published in 1934, is the first novel by American writer John O'Hara (1905 – 1970). It concerns the self-destruction and suicide of the fictional character Julian English, a wealthy car dealer who was once a member of the social elite of Gibbsville (O'Hara's fictionalized version of Pottsville, Pennsylvania). The book created controversy due to O'Hara's inclusion of sexual content.
In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Appointment in Samarra 22nd on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

- The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of West Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922. The story primarily concerns the young and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his quixotic passion and obsession for the beautiful former debutante Daisy Buchanan. Considered to be Fitzgerald's magnum opus, The Great Gatsby explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess, creating a portrait of the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream.

- Jordan Baker

Reference: http://www.shmoop.com/great-gatsby/jordan-baker.html
A character in the 1925 novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

jordan.png

- Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of the intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine s father. After Mr Earnshaw s death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine s brother Hindley and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated, leaves Wuthering Heights, only to return years later as a wealthy and polished man. He proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries. The action of the story is chaotic and unremittingly violent, but the accomplished handling of a complex structure， the evocative descriptions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic grandeur of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature.

- Raskolnikov

Crime and Punishment.jpg

A fictional character in Dostoevsky's novel “Crime and Punishment”; he kills old women because he believes he is beyond the bounds of good or evil.
這是陀斯妥耶夫斯基《罪與罰》的男主人公，中文音譯為“拉斯柯爾尼科夫”。小說描寫窮大學(xué)生拉斯柯爾尼科夫受無政府主義思想毒害，認為自己是個超人，可以為所欲為。為生計所迫，他殺死放高利貸的老太婆阿廖娜和她的無辜妹妹麗扎韋塔，制造了一起震驚全俄的兇殺案。經(jīng)歷了一場內(nèi)心痛苦的懺悔后，他最終在基督徒索尼雅姑娘的規(guī)勸下，投案自首，被判流放西伯利亞。作品著重刻畫主人公犯罪后的心理變化，揭示俄國下層人民的苦難生活。

- Francesca da Rimini & Paolo Malatesta

Francesca was the sister-in-law of Paolo Malatesta, and both were married, but they fell in love. Their tragic adulterous story was told by Dante in his Divine Comedy, Canto V of the Inferno, and was a popular subject with Victorian artists and sculptors, especially with followers of the Pre-Raphaelite ideology, and with other writers.

Dante_Gabriel_Rossetti_-_Paolo_and_Francesca_da_Rimini_(1855).jpg

“Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta are punished together in hell for their adultery: Francesca was married to Paolo's brother, Gianciotto ("Crippled John"). Francesca's shade tells Dante that her husband is destined for punishment in Caina--the infernal realm of familial betrayal named after Cain, who killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:8)--for murdering her and Paolo. Francesca was the aunt of Guido Novello da Polenta, Dante's host in Ravenna during the last years of the poet's life (1318-21). She was married (c. 1275) for political reasons to Gianciotto of the powerful Malatesta family, rulers of Rimini. Dante may have actually met Paolo in Florence (where Paolo was capitano del popolo--a political role assigned to citizens of other cities--in 1282), not long before he and Francesca were killed by Gianciotto.

Day 17: Logical lines Ⅰ

Self-respect 邏輯導(dǎo)圖.png

篤師邏輯圖.jpg

邏輯導(dǎo)圖思路總結(jié)：

• 根據(jù)安妮講座中兩種邏輯導(dǎo)圖第一種畫法，第一次嘗試了這種比較抽象式的概括方法。
  整篇文章的內(nèi)容全都是圍繞著自我尊重self-respect這個話題展開的。作者以一個自己的自身經(jīng)歷來開頭，引發(fā)了后面的一系列的思考。
• 主要分為幾個板塊，自我尊重的定義（它與什么有關(guān)，與什么無關(guān)），自我尊重的一些表現(xiàn)（有會怎么樣，沒有會怎么樣），然后就是自我尊重的幾種演變形態(tài)，接著提到自我尊重的構(gòu)成要素，最后，講到了自我尊重能夠給人們帶來什么，或者能夠讓人們發(fā)生哪些改變。
• 這種邏輯導(dǎo)圖的畫法，其實感覺上要比第二種畫法難一些，因為有的時候很難提煉出抽象的概念，然后貫穿成作者的邏輯，對我這種不擅長概括總結(jié)的人來說，其實是有一些難度的，印象最深的就是有關(guān)于renewable energy 那篇經(jīng)濟學(xué)人的文章了，當(dāng)時花了有好幾個小時的時間，都沒抽象出啥概念來，最后都要奔潰了，然后只能老老實實的按照行文邏輯來畫（就是安妮說的第二種方式）。
• 不過，通過畫這種邏輯圖，感覺對文章的理解會更加深一些，畢竟按照作者的行文思路來畫邏輯圖，有的時候會讓人有一種“按圖索驥”的感覺，而抽象式的總結(jié)，則可以鍛煉讀者和作者一起思考，從而更好的理解作者的脈絡(luò)發(fā)展。所以我覺得這種方式很適合我這種不擅長概括總結(jié)的人用來鍛煉自己的總結(jié)能力。
• 當(dāng)然，對照篤師的邏輯圖，我的還不夠簡潔，而且其實細節(jié)上概括的不夠到位，所以還有很大的進步空間。

Day 18: Logical lines Ⅱ

Self-respect 行文邏輯圖.png

Day 18 篤師示范-行文思路邏輯導(dǎo)圖.jpg

行文邏輯圖思路總結(jié)：

• 首先，文章的開頭先引入了一個背景，就是作者沒有被Phi Beta Kappa這個組織錄取，而打破了作者原來的一些innocence或者是conviction，即，作者從前一直認為，自己的人生永遠是一帆風(fēng)順，那些passive virtue 能夠保證自己能夠得到榮譽，快樂，和自我價值，但是這些都被打破了，所以，作者開始思考，她所失去的self-respect，是怎么的。
• 接著，作者開始反思，開始思考什么是self-respect。它與什么有關(guān)系？作者提到了很多，比如，那些不是出于善意的善意的舉動，沒有付出多少努力就取得的貌似很輝煌的成功，那些自己內(nèi)心感覺很羞愧卻被人們認為是英雄一般的行為。這些行為都不是擁有self-respect的表現(xiàn)，因為它與他人的認可無關(guān)，與名譽無關(guān)。
• 接著作者開始講述，self-respect的內(nèi)涵。她通過描述人們的行為，來讓讀者體會self-respect的意義。如果沒有self-respect，人們會怎么樣呢？人們會一直看著自己的失敗，一直細數(shù)著自己曾經(jīng)犯下的過錯而無法自我救贖。而有self-respect的人是怎么樣的呢？他們有勇氣面對自己的過錯，有著自己的性格和毅力，明白事物的價值。所以，作者得出一個結(jié)論，self-respect是一個人自我的協(xié)調(diào)與統(tǒng)一。
• 接著，作者講到了self-respect不同時期的發(fā)展形態(tài)。在從前，在grandparents那一代人中，self-respect是一種自我的約束，是對自我的一種克制，是懂得權(quán)衡的一種能力。而接著，self-respect成為了一種思維習(xí)慣，然后得以發(fā)展和訓(xùn)練。而現(xiàn)在，作者認為，self-respect是一種尋找自我內(nèi)在價值的儀式。
• 最后，作者講到了self-respect能夠?qū)崿F(xiàn)或者給人們帶來的一些意義。能夠讓人們不再活在別人的期待之下，能夠回歸自我。
• 由于前一天畫邏輯圖時充分鍛煉了自己的概括總結(jié)，所以這一次畫行文邏輯圖時畫的比較快，就是感覺不太美觀，感覺安妮畫的圖每次都很好看。（唔。。。自己還有很大提升空間）

Day 19: Summary & Feelings

有關(guān)于學(xué)習(xí)任務(wù)

• 第一天看到這篇文章，我當(dāng)時真的一臉蒙圈狀態(tài)，只能大概看懂講的是什么主題，但是文章中的那些典故，人名，和各種斜體（書名），看得我真心非常奔潰。整理生詞的時候，整理了大概有80個左右，因為真心好多文學(xué)類的詞匯。一遍完了之后再看，仍然很蒙。。。接著，第二天開始查典故，然后我興致勃勃的去查資料，想著，總算能把你們這些奇奇怪怪的東西搞懂了，然而，naive。。。。。。先不說有些書我都沒聽說過，那些我聽說過，看過的書，作者寫在文章里，我仍然一片茫然，完全get不到作者的點在哪兒？想表達什么？雖然安妮在講解中說，這些典故并不影響文章的閱讀和理解，但總是看不懂作者在講什么，感覺顯得自己很沒有文化。。。。所以把安妮講解的音頻聽了好幾遍，然后才稍微有點了解了作者的意圖。但是，還是有很多的疑惑，我覺得這些疑惑估計只能自己真的去看過，讀過那些著作之后，才會有比較深刻的共鳴，所以，我也就不糾結(jié)了，把經(jīng)歷放在文章的理解和感悟上。
• 其次，就是關(guān)于兩種邏輯導(dǎo)圖的繪制。前幾個主題的學(xué)習(xí)中，我一直感覺篤師的邏輯導(dǎo)圖和自己的有很大的區(qū)別，直到安妮講座之后，才發(fā)現(xiàn)，原來，邏輯導(dǎo)圖不是只有一種畫法。我一直用的就是行文思路邏輯導(dǎo)圖，而篤師用的基本就是第一種邏輯導(dǎo)圖了。而第二種畫法，對我來說是一個挑戰(zhàn)，因為我不擅長總結(jié)概括，所以在提取文章的版塊上有很大的障礙，有的時候可能要花費很長的時間，才能很好的概括總結(jié)出文章的結(jié)構(gòu)。但是第二種畫法，因為是按照作者寫作的順序來畫的，所以相對來說，不那么的困難。對于我來說，應(yīng)該多練習(xí)畫第一種邏輯圖，鍛煉自己的抽象概括能力，每次對比安妮的邏輯圖，都能很明顯看到自己的不足之處，的確還有很大的進步空間。

有關(guān)于文章的感悟和體會

• 這篇文章，真的有很多有共鳴的地方，感覺作者寫的非常的真實。關(guān)于自我尊重，我其實并沒有認真的思考過這個話題。但是，通過作者的描述，還是能夠想出很多自己從前或者現(xiàn)在仍然在做的傻事。
• 在小的時候，父母總是會指著別人家的乖乖女，說著有多好多好，學(xué)習(xí)多么認真，又有禮貌，你怎么不和人家多學(xué)一學(xué)呢，諸如此類的話。所以，小的時候，也曾經(jīng)偷偷的抹過眼淚，討厭自己為什么不夠好，不能和“別人家的孩子一樣”，讓自己的父母也能夠夸一下自己，也成為別人口中的，“別人家的孩子”。
• 到初中高中的時候，開始靜下來學(xué)習(xí)，整顆心都撲進學(xué)習(xí)中，又開始進入了老師的比較當(dāng)中。成績，名次，成了我們的標(biāo)碼，好想漸漸的忘記了，除了這些，我們還可以有別的追求。所以，漸漸的為自己考試的失利，成績的起伏而自卑，開始變得虛榮，懦弱，漸漸的好像忘記了純粹的，學(xué)習(xí)帶來的快樂。
• 進入大學(xué)，終于不再被老師束縛，可以有自己的生活，可是，活在別人的期待中，似乎已經(jīng)成為了一種習(xí)慣，我們自己束縛住了自己。出國，考研，找工作，戀愛等等，似乎總會有各式各樣的問題絆住我們，對未來的茫然，對現(xiàn)狀的不滿足，無法改變的脫力感，來自親戚朋友的壓力，越來越多。
• 而這一切的關(guān)鍵，似乎都在于，我們習(xí)慣了without self-respect的生活。正如作者說的那樣，without self-respect，我們會一直看著自己的失敗，和曾經(jīng)犯下的過錯，沒有辦法掙脫這些束縛，而讓我們自己越來越不自由，越來越不快樂。但是其實，所有的人都是一樣的。每個人都會犯錯，也都會失敗。而每個人的生活之所以不一樣，在于，人們對待生活的態(tài)度。正如作者說的，有self-respect的人，他們有勇氣面對自己的錯誤。他們清楚每件事的價值所在，有相應(yīng)的勇氣和毅力來承受，也有自己的性格。
• 要有自己的性格，這一點真的很重要。勇于接受自己的本來的面貌，而不是在別人眼光中那個別人期待我們成為的樣子。不刻意的去迎合別人，取悅別人，敢于對自己不愿意接受的要求說“不”，丟掉那些無謂的負罪感，從而找到真正的自己。我覺得這樣，我們的人生會變得更加的自由和有意義。
• 要學(xué)會平衡自我。正如作者所說的，“Every encounter demands too much, tears the nerves, drains the will, and the specter of something as small as an unanswered letter arouses such disproportionate guilt that answering it becomes out of the question". 我們有的時候總是希望能夠通過某一次的經(jīng)歷，能夠達到我們希望達到的目的，我們想要的太多，一旦沒有達到，便會使得我們的意志消磨，而陷入無限的自我罪惡感中。所以要正確對待所得與所失，不要總是注視著自己失去的東西，而應(yīng)該珍惜自己擁有的。既然做出了決定，就要能夠承擔(dān)結(jié)果，承擔(dān)隨之而來的失敗或者是成功。只有這樣，我們才真正的是一個成熟的人了吧~
• 總之，希望自己能夠保持積極的生活態(tài)度，努力的過好每一天~

最后推薦一部自己非常喜歡的電影---** Front of the Class **，希望能夠給大家?guī)ジ袆觺