New Words and Expressions

Some Words and Expressions for Text  A

threaten  vi.      (of sth. bad) seem likely to happen 似将发生，可能来临

e.g.  1. This dispute between the two leaders threatens to split the party.

        2. The fighting is threatening to turn into full-scale war.

        这场战斗有可能会演变为全面的战争。

       3. Plants must be covered with a leaf-mould or similarly protected if frost threatens.

         如果霜冻来临，植物必须盖上腐叶土或用类似方法加以保护。

threaten, menace         这两个动词均有“威胁，恐吓”之意。

threaten： 侧重扬言要对不服从者给予惩罚，有时指某种情况所预示的恶兆。

menace： 系正式用词，着重以脸色或某种意志给以威胁，而不用语言明白表示出来。

collapse  vi.

1. fold into a shape that takes up less space 折叠（起来）

e.g.  1) Since the room is so small, you need a chair that collapses for easy storage

        2) Collapse the table and put it away, please.

           请把桌子折叠起来放在一边。

2. To cause to break down, fold, or fall down or inward倒塌，塌下，内陷，(用具等)毁坏

e.g.  1) Numerous houses collapsed as a result of the Tangshan Earthquake in 1976.

         在1976年，无数的房屋因唐山地震而倒坍。

        2) The roof collapsed under the weight of snow.

          房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

collapse, fall           这两个动词都含有“倒塌”之意。

collapse： 通常指房屋等突然倒塌。

fall： 一般指由于失去平衡等原因而倒塌，也可作引申用。

motion    vt.     direct (sb.) with a movement, usu. with the hand 

               向…作手势，以动作向…示意

e.g.  1. He motioned us into his room.

        2. She motioned for the locked front doors to be opened.

            她示意把锁着的前门打开。

valid  a.        (of a ticket or document, etc.) that can legally be used for stated period or 

                       in certain conditions（票据或文件等）有效的

e.g.  1. Your return ticket is valid for three months.

        2. For foreign holidays you will need a valid passport.

                出国度假需持有效护照。

       3. This guarantee is valid for one year.

                这份保证书有效期为一年。

not give/care a damn (about sb./sth.)      infml        not care at all 〖非正式〗毫不在乎

e.g.  1. I don't give a damn about such gossip.

        2. McCluskey won't give a damn who know where he's going.

            麦克罗斯基根本不在乎谁知道他到哪儿去。

        3. I don't care a damn what he does.

             他干什么我一点儿也不在乎。

reserve    vt.      [(for)] set apart, set aside, or keep for a special purpose

                          [常与for连用]保留

e.g.  1. She spoke to me in a tone of voice that should be reserved for dealing with 

              officials.

        2. A double room with a balcony overlooking the sea had been reserved for him.

            特地为他预留了一间带阳台的海景双人房。

        3. We should seek common ground and reserve differences on this issue.

            在这个问题上，我们应当求同存异。

keep, retain, reserve, preserve, conserve, withhold

            这些动词均有“保持，保存”之意。

keep： 最常用词，指长时间牢固地保持或保存。

retain： 指继续保持。

reserve： 正式用词，指为了将来的用途或其他用途而保存、保留。

preserve： 主要指为防止损害、变质等而保存。

conserve： 一般指保存自然资源，保全人的精力、力量等。

withhold： 指扣住不放，暗示有阻碍。

dare      vt.          try to persuade (sb.) to do sth. dangerous as a way of proving their bravery; challenge向…挑战，激（将）

e.g.  1. The big boy dared the smaller one to climb to the very top branch of the tree.

        2. I dare you to sit through forty-five minutes with someone like Vincent!

             我想你绝不敢和文森特这样的人一起坐上 45 分钟！

        3. I dare you to jump over the stream.

             我谅你不敢跳过这条小河。

venture, chance, dare, hazard, risk     这些动词均含有“敢于冒险”之意。

venture： 指冒风险试一试，或指有礼貌的反抗或反对。

chance： 指碰运气、冒风险试试。

dare： 可与venture换用，但语气较强，着重挑战或违抗。

hazard： 主要指冒险作出某个选择，隐含碰运气意味。

risk： 指不顾个人安危去干某事，侧重主动承担风险。

in question         in doubt; uncertain           有疑问的，成问题的

e.g.  1. The conclusions of the report are in question, as the findings have not been 

             confirmed yet.

        2. His sincerity is not in question.            他的真诚不容置疑。

in retrospect  thinking about a past event or situation, often with a different opinion of it from the one you had at the time 回顾，回想

e.g.   1. In retrospect, it was the wrong time for me to set up a new company.

         2. In retrospect, this battle was a turning point in the war.

             事后看来，这场战役是战争的转折点。

         3. One's school life seems happier in retrospect than in reality.

             学校生活回忆起来显得比实际上要快乐。

on/in behalf of       AmE    for, in the interests of, or as the representative of (sb. else)                                    〖美〗为了…的利益；代表

e.g.  1. On behalf of the department I would like to thank you all for your support.

        2. He gave witness on behalf of an accused person.

            他为被告作证。

       3. The legal guardian must act on behalf of the child.

             法定监护人应该维护这个孩子的利益。

character  n.     [U] a combination of qualities that are regarded as valuable or admirable, such as high principles, honesty, etc. （人的）品德，品质；性格

e.g.  1. Diligence and thrift is/are part of the Chinese character.

        2. She has resilient character and will soon be cheerful again.

            她有达观的性格，不久便会振作起来。

       3. He has something in his character that draws people to him.

            他的性格有些吸引人的地方。

temper, character, nature, personality, disposition, complexion

               这些名词均有“性格，气质，性情，习性”之意。

temper： 指从感情方面体现出来，决定处理问题或应付形势的方式的性格或性情，这种性情可以是暂时的也可以长久的。

character： 指对个性或人格所作出的客观评价，常常与道德有关。

nature： 指天生的、不可改变性格。

personality： 主要指一个人稳定的心理特征。

disposition： 书面用词，指人的主要爱好或思想、精神方面的重要习性、气质。也可指短暂的情绪。

complexion： 指由思维方式、态度和情绪所决定的本质特征。

enforce     vt.         cause (a rule or a law) to be obeyed or carried out effectively 

                  执行，实施（法律），使生效

e.g.  1. It's the job of the police to enforce the law.

        2. The teacher will enforce the rules of the school.

           教师要厉行学校的规则。

        3. Neither of us seeks to enforce the political obedience of our neighbours                         through military force.

           我们两国都不寻求通过军事力量迫使邻国在政治上就范。

consideration     n.     [U (for)] thoughtful attention to or care for the wishes, needs, or feelings of others        [常与for连用] 体谅；体贴；照顾；关心

e.g.  1. Have some consideration for those jobless people and make a donation, please.

        2. Peter was severely lectured for lack of consideration to his mother.

           彼得因毫不体贴母亲而受到严厉训斥。

        3. It was all carried out without any consideration for the susceptibilities of the      

            bereaved family.

            这样做全然没有考虑到死者家人的感受。

Collocation：

take into consideration 考虑到，顾及

under consideration 在考虑中，在研究中

e.g.  The abolition of the House of Lords was under consideration.

废除贵族院一事正在研究中。

in consideration of

1. 考虑到；由于

e.g.  We turned back in consideration of the worsening weather.

我们考虑到正在恶化的天气而返回。

2. 对…的回报

e.g.  An honorarium was given in consideration of her contributions to the project.

因为她在这项工程中作出的贡献而颁发给她酬金。

undermine  vt.         weaken or destroy gradually            逐渐损坏(削弱) 

e.g.  1. This tragic accident has undermined his position as director of the Bureau of 

              Mines.

        2. The President's enemies are spreading rumors to undermine his authority.

            总统的敌人在散布谣言以逐渐破坏他的威信。

        3. A mole can undermine the strongest rampart.

             一只田鼠能毁坏最坚固的堡垒。

characterize sb./sth. as (being) sth.        

describe or portray the character of sb./sth. as (being) sth. 

将某人[某事物]的特点描述或刻画成…

e.g.   1. The group was characterized as being well-educated.

         2. Both companies have characterized the relationship as friendly.

           两家公司都认为彼此之间关系友好。

        3. This play is characterized as a comedy.

           这出戏被认为是喜剧。

traditional      a.       of or in accordance with tradition 

                    传统的；习俗的；惯例的；因袭的；守旧的

e.g. 1. The old lady likes everything traditional—traditional dresses, traditional dishes, 

            traditional paintings and traditional music.

       2. With technological changes many traditional skills have become obsolete.

            随着技术的革新，许多传统技艺已被淘汰。

      3. Pumpkin pie is a traditional American dish served on Thanksgiving.

            南瓜馅饼是美国传统的感恩节食物。

recommend     vt.     advise or suggest as a correct or suitable course of action 

                     劝告，建议

e.g.  1.   I have some serious trouble with my left eye. Can you recommend me an eye 

              specialist?

        2. We strongly recommend reporting the incident to the police.

                 我们强烈建议报警。

       3. We recommend that you take out travel insurance on all holidays.

                 我们建议您为所有假期都购买旅行保险。 

recommend, advocate, propose, suggest, prescribe

           这些动词均含“劝告，主张，建议”之意。

recommend： 指向对方提出公开的建议或规劝。

advocate： 指公开表明对某事或某行为的完全赞同，语气强于recommend。

propose： 多指较正式地提出建议。

suggest： 语气较委婉，指提出不成熟的建议或参考意见。

prescribe： 多指医生对病人在用药或饮食等方面的建议。

electronic     a.          of, using, or produced by equipment, such as radios, televisions, computers, etc., that works by means of an electronic current passing through chips, transistors, or valves          电子的

e.g.  1. This dictionary is available in electronic form.

           本词典有电子版。

        2. His desk is covered with electronic gadgetry.

           他的书桌上摆满了各种电子装置。

       3. The airplane has a sophisticated electronic guidance system.

           这架飞机有一套尖端的电子导航系统。

Collocation:

electronic computer 电子计算机,电脑

electronic device 电子仪器

electronic organ 电子琴

the electronic data processing 电子资料处理

the electronic music 电子音乐

electronic mail〔E-mail〕 电子邮件

electric, electrical, electronic          这些形容词均有“电的”之意。

electric:   强调与电有直接的关系。一般而言，凡表示产生电的或由电开动、操纵的机器或装置要用electric，如electric motor(电动机)，electric batteries(电池)、electric fan(电扇)等；或表示“本身带电的”，“由电产生的”要用electric，如electric current(电流)、electric wave(电波)等。

electrical:   强调与电的关系是间接的。凡指电气性质，同电有关的或涉及电气科学技术研究的多用electrical，如electrical test(电气试验)、electrical engineering(电气工程)、electrical engineer(电气工程师)等。

electronic:    是electronics(电子学)的形容词，指与电子装置有关的或使用电子装置的。

reduction     n.     (a case of) making or becoming smaller; the amount taken out in reducing sth.           减少；减低；减轻；简化；减少量；削减数

e.g. 1. The reduction in the number of hospital beds caused a heated argument among 

            the doctors and nurses.

       2. Many companies have announced dramatic reductions in staff.

            许多公司已经宣布大幅裁员。

      3. The reduction in white blood cell counts lowers resistance to disease.

            白细胞总数的减少，会降低对疾病的抵抗力。

render     vt.             fml   cause to be          〖正式〗使成为；致使

e.g.  1. His rudeness rendered me speechless.

        2. The complex administrative arrangements render the decision-making process 

             somewhat opaque.

              复杂的行政协商使决策过程透明度不高。

       3. It contained so many errors as to render it worthless.

              它错误太多,所以毫无用处。

make, cause, get, have, render      这些动词均有“使，使得”之意。

make： 普通用词，指强迫或劝诱他人做某事。

cause： 正式用词，侧重指使某事发生的原因。

get： 侧重指劝某人做某事，或指使某事物处于某种状态或产生某种结果。

have： 普通用词，指让某人做某事。

render： 书面用词，多指因外界因素而使某人或某物处于某种状态。

capable     a.          [(of)] able; having the power, skill, or other qualities needed  

                               [常与of连用]有能力的；有本领的；有力量的

e.g.    1.  I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself. Thank you all the same.

          2. She's a very capable speaker.     她能说会道。

         3. They built a robot capable of understanding spoken commands.

              他们制造了一个能懂口头指令的机器人。

able, capable, competent          这些形容词均含有“有能力的，能干的”之意。

able：最常用词，多用于褒义，着重指多方面的，经常性的，或潜在性的能力。有时也指高超、非凡的能力。

capable：语气弱于able，指有能力、有潜力或有条件做某事，常与of连用。

competent：强调具有能胜任某项工作的足够技能或其它所需的条件。

conscience     n.          an inner sense that is conscious of the moral rightness or wrongness of one’s behaviour or intentions, and makes one know whether one is doing right or wrong        良心，道德心；是非观念

e.g.  1. After she had committed the crime, her conscience was troubled.

        2. I have battled with my conscience over whether I should actually send this letter.

               我备受良心的煎熬，不知是否真的应该把这封信寄出去。

       3. I could go away with a clear conscience.

               我可以问心无愧地离开。 

Collocation：

in (all) conscience 凭良心；公正地

e.g.  How can we in all conscience justify the charging of fees for such a service?

我们怎么才能凭良心证明为这种服务收费是合理的？

on one’s conscience 令人感到内疚；受到良心谴责

e.g.  An act of providence had prevented him from having a death on his conscience.

天意阻止了他因良心谴责而自杀。

possibility     n.        [C] sth. that is possible           可能（发生）的事

e.g.  1.   She prepared for all possibilities by taking a sunhat, a raincoat and a woolly 

              scarf with her.

       2. There were several possibilities open to each manufacturer.

             每个制造商都可以有几种不同的选择。

      3. There is one possibility of changing jobs.

             换工作是有可能的事。

short of         not quite reaching; up to but not including           不及，未达到

e.g.  1.    That vicious man tried every means possible to get money short of robbing 

                the bank.

        2.     We stopped a mile short of the top.     我们在离山顶一英里的地方停了下来。

       3.     It's three days short of a month .     欠三天就是一个月了。

vehicle     n.           esp. fml or tech sth. in or on which people or goods can be carried from one place to another, esp. sth. that moves on wheels, such as a bicycle, car, bus, truck, etc.            〖尤正式或术语〗 交通工具；车辆；机动车

e.g.  1. Are you the driver of this vehicle?

        2. Was the vehicle insured?      那辆车上保险了吗？

        3. The policeman waved the vehicle on.   警察挥手示意那辆车继续前进。

resist       vt.       oppose; fight against (sth.)    抵抗，抗御

e.g.  1. During his term of office, he resisted all kinds of temptations and remained (as) 

             an upright, honest and clean official.

        2. The man was shot outside his house as he tried to resist arrest.

              该男子在其住宅外拒捕时被击毙。

       3. I couldn't resist peeking in the drawer.

              我不由得偷看了一下抽屉里面。

 object, oppose, resist, protest          这些动词均含“反对”之意。

object： 多指因厌恶或反感而反对，但不一定明显地表露出来。

oppose： 普通用词，含义广，语气强于object。多指反对一些较重大的事，隐含其正当性。

resist： 指用力量或意志抵抗、制止对方的入侵或诱惑、影响等。

protest： 一般指通过言语或文字或行为表示出的强烈抗议、反对。

oppose, defy, withstand, resist

这些动词均含有“反抗，抵抗”之意。

oppose： 普通用词，可表不同程度的抵抗。

defy： 指公开地、勇敢地反对或抵抗，有时含公然挑衅之意。

withstand： 较正式用词，指坚强地抵抗攻击或压力，有时也指抗住影响或吸引力。

resist：指积极地反抗一种攻击或暴力，或诱惑。