流非嫣的石头斋

 

UNIT1

 

apprehensively ---- 忧虑地，害怕地，不安地  eeling alarm; afraid, anxious or fearful about the future; uneasy, or worried

·         The captain felt apprehensive for the safety of his passengers during the storm at sea.

 

glaring ---- 显著 

·         The student made a glaring error in spelling.

 

hector ---- 威吓 to bluster at; to browbeat; to bully; to intimidate; to threaten; (Here) to annoy

·         He hectors his children, bewilders his friends. (New York Time)

 

irksome ---- 令人厌烦的，令人烦恼的 annoying; tiresome  (SYN) wearisome

·         Washing dishes all day would be an irksome task.

·         Company was irksome to me. (Mary W. Shelley)

 

contortion ----扭曲，走样 twisted condition; distorted form or shape

·         The acrobat went through various contortions.

 

Contort ----扭曲，走样

·         a face contorted with pain

 

unobtrusive ---- 不太显著的，不引人注目，不招摇，谨慎的  

·         Poetry should be unobtrusive, a thing which enters into one’s soul and does not startle it.

 

head-on ---- with the head or front first; in a direct manner; headlong

·         His car was involved in a head-on collision. It collided head-on with a truck.

·         Some lawmakers currently are meeting conservative opposition head-on.

 

unconscionable ---- 昧着良心的，不合理，过分

·         Sometimes the unconscionable editors will clip our paragraphs. (Washington Irving)

 

bellicose ---- 好斗的，好站，寻衅

·         There have been disturbances from time to time, but these are put down largely to the bellicose and rapacious nature of the tribes in the frontier areas.

 

gird ---- 准备行动 to get ready for action; to prepare (oneself) for action to gird oneself to face an examination

·         The soldiers girded themselves for battle.

 

showdown ---- 最后的较量 any action or confrontation that brings matters to a climax or settles them

 

Milquetoast ---- MILK&TOAST  a timid, shrinking, apologetic person, after Caspar Milquetoast, character of this sort in a comic strip by H. T. Webster, U.S. cartoonist.

 

fortify ---- 防卫，强化 to give support to; strengthen physically, emotionally, etc.

·         They fortified each other against the coming ordeal.

·         To fortify herself for the task ahead she allowed herself a little more brandy.

·         The assurance of Tains Judique’s friendship fortified Babbitt’s self-approval.

 

resolve ---- v.决定，决心a thing determined on

·         He kept his resolve to do better.

 

settle for ----勉强认可某事物                  

·         But neither the star nor the composer was willing to settle for that kind of routine triumph.

 

telltale ---- 搬弄是非者

·         the telltale mud on his shoes

·         Careful examination will reveal the telltale nits attached to the hairs.

·         Children stealing raspberries with telltale signs round their mouths.

 

impervious ---- adj.无动于衷  not affected by

·         Because he was impervious to our hints, we finally told him it was time to go.

·         impervious to pity

 

telepathic ---- telepathy n心灵感应.

 

brazen ---- 厚颜无耻  showing no shame; bold; impudent

 

brazen it out ---- to act in a bold way as if one need not be ashamed

 

rare (rared, raring) ---- [Colloq.] to be eager, enthusiastic, etc., used in prp.

     raring to go

raring ----adj.渴望

 

… and I experienced the mortification I always feel when I an the center of centripetal shafts of curiosity, resentment, perplexity. ---- I felt uneasy as I always do whenever I am the center of attention, with everyone staring at me with curiosity, resentment, perplexity on their face.

 

mortification ---- 难堪，羞辱 a feeling of shame; humiliation; chagrin; loss of self-respect   

·         mortification at having spilled food on the tablecloth

·         There’s no virtue in any mortification, either of the flesh or the spirit.

·         His mortification and grief at failing in his resolve knew no bounds.

·         He had the mortification of being ordered to retire from the bench.

 

centripetal ---- 同心性 moving or tending to move toward a center

 

deferential ----恭敬 full of respect

 

whisk ---- 挥，甩 to move something or someone quickly

·         She whisked the letter out of sight.

·         After his speech, the senator was whisked out of the building into his car.

 

reversal ---- n. 反转，倒向，颠倒

·         a reversal of attitude

·         a reversal in the weather

·         The high court’s opinion was a reversal of the lower court’s decision.

 

unctuous ---- 油腻，油腔滑调  

·         the hypocrite’s unctuous manner

·         an offensively unctuous speech

 

“If there is anything I or Miss French can do for you to make your trip more enjoyable, please let us …”  I have run out of paper. ---- Direct students’ attention to the rhetorical device aposiopesis used here. Aposiopesis: 顿绝，话语中断（指说话人在没有办法或不愿意把话讲完的情况下突然中断句子的修辞手法）Other examples of aposiopesis: His behavior was ．．．but I blush to mention that.

 

assert oneself ---- 坚持sb.的权利to insist on one’s rights, or on being recognized; to put forward oneself; make demands

·         A leader must assert himself sometimes in order to be followed.

 

apathy ---- 冷淡lack of interest in or desire for activity; indifference  

·         The apathy of the lazy boy was annoying.

·         The citizen’s apathy to local affairs resulted in poor government.

 

vast reservoirs 权力中心---- centralization of power

 

dispensation ---- 分配，特许rule; management

·         From 1558 to 1603 England was under the dispensation of Elizabeth I.

 

stance ---- 站立姿势，观点attitude; point of view

·         to adopt the stance of the Tammany politician to whom nothing matters but victory              (Saturday Review)

·         Both men adopted the classic stance that they must be free to criticize.

 

plenipotentiary ----全权代表 having or giving full power and authority

·         The United States has either an ambassador or a minister plenipotentiary in most important countries.

 

When Premier Khrushchev first came to this country late in 1959, he was primed, we were told, to experience the bitter resentment of the American people against his tyranny. ---- Ask the students to pay attention to the typical cold war sentiment as expressed here in this paragraph.

 

prime ----首要的 to equip (a person) with information, words, arguments, or the like to prime a person with a speech

 

UNIT2

New Words

campus

n. the grounds of a university, college or school; a university 大学校园，学校校园；大学

piercing

a. (of voices, sounds, etc.) very sharp, esp. in an unpleasant way （声音等）尖厉的，刺耳的

pierce

vi. make a hole in or through (sth.) with a sharp point 刺穿，戳穿

presumably

ad. it may be supposed; probably 假定；可能

* presume

v. believe sth. to be true without direct proof but with some feeling of being certain; suppose （没有根据地）相信；推测

grave

n. the place where a dead person is buried 坟墓

a. serious or solemn in manner; (of a situation) serious and worrying 严肃的，庄严的；（形势）严重的

gravity

n. 1. 严肃，庄严；严重

2. 重力；地心引力

grip

n. a firm hold; control 紧握；控制

vt. 1. take a very tight hold (of) 握紧，紧握

2. take hold of the attention or feelings of 吸引；引起

* segment

n. a part of sth. 部分

preparation

n. arrangement for a future event 准备

glorify

vt. praise highly 颂扬，赞颂

glory

n. great fame, honor, and admiration 光荣；荣誉

potent

a. powerful, strong, forceful or effective 强有力的；有权势的；有效力的

self-induced

caused or brought about by oneself 自己导致的

* induce

vt. lead or cause (sb.) to do sth.; persuade or influence (sb.) to do sth. 导致；劝使，诱导

* incidentally

ad. by the way 顺便说一句

commencement

n. 1. (AmE) a ceremony at which university or college students are given their degrees or diplomas （美）毕业典礼；学位授予典礼

2. beginning of sth. 开始

commence

v. begin; start 开始；着手

commencement ceremony

(AmE) a college or university graduation ceremony （美）毕业典礼

reckoning

n. settlement of an account or a bill; (fig.) punishment 结帐；（喻）算帐，惩罚

reckon

vt. 1. calculate; add up (an amount, cost, etc.) 计算；算出（数量、费用等）

2. consider, regard 认为，把…看作

day of reckoning

(a Biblical reference) the time when one must eventually be punished for what one has done wrong （源自《圣经》）清算日，最后审判日

equip

vt. prepare (sb.) for dealing with a particular situation by providing necessary tools, education, etc.; suply (sb./ sth. with what is needed for a particular purpose) （智力、体力上）使有准备；配备，装备

inevitably

ad. 不可必免地；必然发生地

inevitable

a. which cannot be avoided or prevented from happening; certain to happen 不可避免的；必然发生的

intertwined

a. joined tightly together; very closely connected 互相缠结的，缠绕在一起的

premedical

a. preparing for the study of medicine 医学预科的

* dentist

n. a doctor trained to take care of people's teeth 牙医

cheerful

a. in good spirit; causing a happy feeling 兴高采烈的；使人愉快的

conviction

n. a firm opinion or belief 深信，确信；把握

typewriter

n. 打字机

* bug

vt. 1. (AmE) (infml) trouble (sb.) continually （美俚）烦扰，纠缠

2. (infml) fit with a secret listening apparatus （口）在…装窃听器

n. (AmE) a tiny insect, esp. one that causes damage; (infml) a fault or difficulty （美）虫子；（口）故障；毛病

fearful

a. afraid, anxious 惧怕的，忧虑的

goal-obsessed

a. extremely eager to realize one's goals 一心要实现目标的

arrange

vt. 1. plan in advance; prepare 安排，准备

2. set in good or pleasing order 整理；排列

* slot

n. 1. a place or position in a schedule, list or series （口）（在机构、名单、程序等中的）位置，职位

2. a narrow opening in a tool or machine 狭长孔；狭槽

a mixed bag

a group of people or things of different kinds and different qualities （人或物的）混合体；大杂烩

circuitous

a. indirect 迂回的，绕行的

circuit

n. 1. 环行；环行道

2. 电路；线路

circular

a. 1. 环行的，圆形的

2. 循环的

trail

n. a path, often through a forest or across rough ground （荒野中的）小径，小道

Phrases and Expressions

in the dead of night

in the quietest part of the night 夜深人静之时

get through

complete successfully; manage to live through (a difficult experience or period of time) 完成；消磨，度过（时间）

in itself

considered as a complete thing or experience, without thinking of effects, consequences, etc. 本身，实质上

in the presence of sb.

in the place where sb. is; with sb. there 在某人面前，当着某人的面

work on

affect; influence 对…起作用；影响

go forth (into)

set out 出发

under pressure

influenced by need or necessity; suffering stress 被催逼；在压力下

bug out

(AmE sl.) become mentally unbalanced （美俚）烦恼，困惑

be bound for

intending to go to; going to 准备到…去；开往

fit into

be the right size or shape for; be suitable for 与…相符，与…相适应

all along

all the time; from the beginning 一直，始终；从一开始就

conceive of

think of 构想出；设想

UNIT3

damn -- blame or strongly criticize

·         No matter what decision you make, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t (= criticized whatever you decide).

·         The inquiry into the disaster damns the company for its lack of safety precautions.

 

up hill and down dale –〖dated〗everywhere

·         Where have you been? We’ve been searching up hill and down dale for you.

 

rogue – 流氓〖dated〗a dishonest or immoral person

·         He was known as being a bit of a rogue who had left his wife and run off with his secretary.

 

vagabond ---- 流浪者〖old use or literary〗

·         A series of laws in 16th century England specified how idle vagabonds were to be

·         dealt with.

 

fraud ---- 骗子a person who is not that they are claimed

·         He told people that he was a serious and well-known musician, but he was a fraud really.

 

scoundrel ---- 无赖〖dated or humorous〗

·         He’s an absolute scoundrel – he took out antique vase to get it valued and we haven’t seen him since.

·         ‘Every man over forty is a scoundrel.’

 

I often expect too much of them.

---- I often require them to so too much (because I believe it’s their duty to do this or that).

 

the intellectually underprivileged 被剥夺基本社会权利的

---- those who lack intelligence and their own mind, and are consequently easy to be enchanted (the common American People)

 

crooner ---- 歌手a singer, esp. a man, who sings slow love songs

 

take on ---- (something) develop/assume a new appearance or quality

·         His voice took on a new note of uncertainty.

·         The word ‘profession’ is taking on a new meaning.

 

austere ---- 苦行的，严格，简朴plain and without decoration

·         The room with its white walls is bare, austere and beautiful.

·         She has an austere elegance in her plain grey and black clothes.

 

respectability ---- 可敬  

·               The country has restored its diplomatic relations with its neighbors in an attempt to gain international respectability.

·               Her ideas gained respectability when they were taken up by a well-known member of the council.

·               The company operates out of modern offices and expensive hotel suites to create an air of respectability.

 

identical ----同一的 be exactly the same, or very similar

·               My son has got three identical school uniforms.

·               The interests of the two parties may not the identical, but they do overlap considerably.

 

statecraft ---- 治国才能，权术the skill of governing a country

 

adamantine ---- adj.坚固，坚定very solid (like adamant)

 

integrity ---- 诚实，完全

·               No one doubted that the president was a man of the highest integrity.

 

a glamor girl ---- 魅力女子a girl who is attractive, fashionable, pretty, admirable, and, above all, sexual

 

dipsomaniac ----饮酒狂 a person who has an uncontrollable need to drink alcohol

 

but by turning him loose on the stump ---- but by letting him be at large and campaign for the election of their own will

 

enterprising ---- 有进取心good at thinking of and doing new and difficult things

·               The business was started by a couple of enterprising young women.

·               That was very enterprising of you, Jack.

 

hooey ---- 真傻，胡言乱语〖informal〗nonsense

 

boob ---- 呆(also booby) a silly or stupid person  〖old-fashioned〗

 

disquiet ----n.v.使不安 make (someone) feel anxious; worry

·         Her unpredictability disquiets me

·         The son’s criticism greatly disquieted the mother.

·         The intensity of his anger disquieted them.

 

indistinguishable ---- adj.完全相同，无法辨认

·         These foreigners are so good that they are more or less indistinguishable from the originals.

·         Which of these indistinguishable candidates are you voting for?

 

larval ---- 幼虫，涉世未深immature

 

taps a more human keg ---- says something more human/reasonable/appealing to the general public

 

hallelujah ---- 哈利路亚the word is used to express praise, joy, thanks, etc.

… and when the returns came in the candidate is on his way to the White House

---- The consequence of talking nonsense to the voters was that the statesman was winning the presidency election.

 

Darwinian ---- 进化论者

 

… I’d trust with my diamonds, my daughter or my liberty ---- Diamonds, daughter and liberty belong to different notions, and they are never put under the same catalogue. The forced analogy makes one feel that ironic and humorous. The latter part of the sentence reinforces the effect.

 

itch for/to do sth. ---- 渴望want to do something very much and as soon as possible

·         By four o’clock I was itching for the meeting to end.

·         I itched to tell her what I had heard.

 

incumbent ----n.任职者，adj.义不容辞a person who officially holds a particular post at a particular time

 

… and I testify freely that

---- The word ‘testify’ is a formal word. Its meaning is to make a solemn statement:  He testified his faith in Christianity openly.  And a serious person will not testify ‘freely’.

 

… and quite as honest as any American can be without being clapped into a madhouse

---- If any other American is as honest as him, they would be considered crazy and immediately sent to a madhouse. (A statesman is an exception, and the reason is that he is a statesman.)

 

prodigy ---- 天才

·         The 16-year old tennis prodigy is the youngest player ever to reach the Olympic finals.

 

appreciable ---- 相当可观的large or noticeable enough to have an important effect

·         These has been an appreciable drop in the number of unemployed since the new government came to power.

 

sagacity ----睿智 wisdom; intelligence

·         It requires a statesman’s foresight and sagacity to make a decision.

 

refrain (from) ---- 抑制，克制avoid or not let oneself do something

·         They refrained from talking until they knew that it was safe.

·         The sign on the wall said “Please refrain from smoking”.

 

alienate ---- 离间，使异化make (someone) become unfriendly or unsympathetic (to yourself)

·         All these changes to the newspaper have alienated its traditional readers.

·         If they go on strike, they may alienate public support for their pay claim.

 

… any of the huge packs of morons who now cluster at the public trough, wallowing in the pap that grows thinner and thinner

---- A large crowd of people foolishly gathered around the statesman to listen to him. They seem to take in every word form the tall tales offered by the statesman.

 

hope against hope 对某事仍抱一丝希望

---- hope (although one knows that it’s unlikely)

·         She was hoping against hope that she would arrive in time.

·         She continued to hope against hope that her son had survived the shipwreck.

·         Their cat had been missing for six weeks but they were still hoping against hope that it would come back to them.

 

resort to ---- 求助于，诉诸

·         They had to resort to violence/threats to get the money.

·         When she didn’t answer the telephone he resorted to standing outside her window and calling up to her.

 

demagogy ---- 蛊惑民心的策略和手段a method of political rule which involves appealing to people’s emotions rather than by rational arguments 

 

rove ---- 徘徊，周游各地move, travel or look around esp. a large area; wander

·         He spent most of his life roving the world in search of his fortune.

·         And now a live report from our roving reporter Martin Jackson.

 

succor ---- 救济help (those who are in trouble/suffering)

·         Students of all kinds should be encouraged, supported and succored.

 

unscramble ---- 解读，使复原discover the meaning of (information given in a secret or complicated way); decode

·         You need a decoding device to unscramble some of the signals sent out by satellite.

·         The author has spent 12 years unscrambling a continent’s history.

 

pay off ---- give (someone) total amount of money that you owe them so that you are no longer in debt

·         He had used the company’s money to pay off gambling debts.

·         So she fell into debt and had pay it off by selling her house.

 

divest of ---- 脱去，解除，使摆脱take (something) off or away from (someone)

·         There is a growing movement to divest the monarchy of its remaining constitutional power.

·         She was unable to divest herself (= get rid) of the guilt she felt about her husband’s death.

 

be bent on (doing something)--- 专心致志，决心采取be determined to do it)

·         There’s always a proportion of the crowd bent on harrying the speaker.

 

collar ---- 抓住领口catch and hold

·         She was collared by the police at the airport.

 

apply oneself (to something) – 集中精力做，专心concentrate hard (on it)

·         He applied himself energetically to looking for work.

·         She could not entirely apply herself to the arrangements of her wedding.

 

full of fire ---- full of strong emotion ( The fire in her speech inspires everyone to carry on campaigning in spite of the recent setbacks.)

 

stupendous ---- 巨大的，惊人的，极好的

·         The main character is a girl of stupendous beauty with a liking for fast cars.

·         Stupendous news! We’ve won the first prize.

 

pretence ---- n. 假装，自吹a way of behaving that is intended to deceive people

·         They kept up a pretence of normality as long as they could.

·         The army has given up any pretence of neutrality in the war.

 

howl ---- 嚎叫make a long, high crying sound

·         In the silence of the night, a lone wolf howled.

·         Is there someone outside, or is it just the wind howling (= blowing loudly) through/in the tree?

 

derision ----n. 嘲笑 attitude of contempt that you have for someone/something

·         They treated his suggestion with derision

·         Her speech was met with howls of derision.

 

wow ---- 激发（某人）仰慕或惊喜If a person or thing wows you, you like and admire them or it greatly.

·         The movie has been a surprise hit and has wowed audiences throughout the country.

 

Gallup Polls ---- 盖勒普民意调查

 

how the cat was jumping

---- From ‘see which way the cat jumps’, which means ‘to wait and see what is going to happen before making any definite decision or statement about one’s own position.

He always waits to see which way the cat is going to jump before committing himself to anything.

 

idealist ----理想主义者 a person who believes that the world can be made a better place

 

in the Bible country ---- in the south part of America

 

hullabaloo ---- n. 喧嚣，骚扰a loud noise made by people (whom are angry/annoyed/excited)

·         There’s a crowd of people making a real hullabaloo outside the Houses of Parliament in protest about the planned hospital closures.

·         The minister resigned after all the hullabaloo

·         (= public expression of anger or annoyance) about his affair with an actress.

 

gabble ---- 急而不清地说speak quickly and not clearly so that it is difficult to understand

·         He gabbled his speech – I found parts of it quite difficult to understand.

·         She started gabbling away at me in Spanish, and I could understand nothing.

 

upbraid ---- 责骂，训斥

·         In newspaper articles she consistently upbraided those in authority who overstepped limits.

 

hokum ---- 废话，胡说〖American slang〗nonsense

 

 

work off ---- 除去，解决get rid of (by work); finish

·         I hope to work off most of the urgent letters by tomorrow.

·         The contract has been worked off.

 

preposterous ---- 反常的，荒谬的very foolish or ridiculous

·         The idea is preposterous!

 

Bile beans ----- 灵丹妙药

 

rook ---- 索取高价cheat (someone) out of some money

·         He feels the garage rooked him of about $100.

 

Apostolic times ---- the early age of the Christian religion

 

Utopia ---- 乌托邦a perfect social system in which everyone is satisfied and happy

 

pass ---- happen

·         What passed at the meeting?

 

share-cropper ---- 佃农

 

coffin-varnish ---- 蹩脚威士忌a kind of strong liquor

 

(the) dole ---- 救济金the money given that the government gives to people who are unemployed

·         Young people on the dole are often bored and frustrated.

 

Moses ---- 摩西

 

interlocutor ---- 对话者〖formal〗someone who is involved in a conversation

In conversation he lacks any trace of self-importance, and defers constantly to the interlocutor.

 

 

… to rise above principle

---- not to be confined by any principle; not to have any principle

 

drive in ---- 强调emphasize

·         The speaker tried to drive in his points.

 

follow the rats ---- 船沉鼠先逃From ‘a rat in a sinking ship’, meaning ‘When a ship is sinking, the rat will desert it first’. The rat refers to dishonest/disloyal rascal.