Day 20: Words & Phrases

- ring out

a voice, bell etc that rings out is loud and clear:

• The sound of a shot rang out.

【拓展】ring out the Old Year
to celebrate the end of the year

- slate

1. If something is slated to happen, it is planned to happen at a particular time or on a particular occasion.

• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture...
  布罗姆菲尔德被确定为美国农业部长。

2. If something is slated, it is criticized very severely.[JOURNALISM]

• Arnold Schwarzenegger's new restaurant has been slated by a top food critic...
  阿诺德·施瓦辛格的新餐馆受到了一位顶级食评家的恶评。
• Slated by critics at the time, the film has since become a cult classic.
  尽管在当时备受评论家的非议，这部影片后来却成了一部有关异端邪教的经典之作。

3. If you start with a clean slate, you do not take account of previous mistakes or failures and make a fresh start.

• The proposal is to pay everything you owe, so that you can start with a clean slate.
  建议你还清所有的债务，这样你就能够重新开始了。

- gravestone

a stone that is put on a grave in a vertical position, showing the name, etc. of the person buried there
--› compare tombstone headstone
A headstone is a grave marker, usually inscribed with the dead person's name. You might visit your grandfather's grave each year, leaving flowers beside his headstone.
Another name for a headstone is a tombstone or a gravestone. True to its name, a headstone is often made out of a large piece of stone, frequently slate, granite, or marble. The meaning of headstone was originally "cornerstone," or the stone at the corner of the base of a building, but by the 1700s it came to mean "stone at the head of a grave."

- hoary

1. (old-fashioned) very old and well known and therefore no longer interesting

• a hoary old joke
  老掉牙的笑话

2. (literary) (especially of hair) grey or white because a person is old

- timing

1. the act of choosing when sth happens; a particular point or period of time when sth happens or is planned

• The timing of the decision was a complete surprise.
  选择那个时间做决定,完全出人意料。
• Please check your flight timings carefully.
  请仔细核对航班时间。

2. the skill of doing sth at exactly the right time

• an actor with a great sense of comic timing
• Your timing is perfect. I was just about to call you.
  你来得正是时候。我刚想要给你打电话。

3. the repeated rhythm of sth; the skill of producing this

• She played the piano confidently but her timing was not good.
  她钢琴弹得很自信,但是节奏掌握得不好。

- obituary

An obituary is the notice of someone's death. It is placed in the newspaper to alert others to the death. It gives a background about the deceased's life, usually listing survivors and giving funeral information.

- fold

If a business or organization folds, it is unsuccessful and has to close.

• But as other shops fold, the march of the superstores continues...
  但在其他商店纷纷关门倒闭之时，大型超市的强劲扩张势头却依旧不减。
• 2,500 small businesses were folding each week.
  每周有2,500家小企业关张。

- emerge from

~ (from sth) to survive a difficult situation or experience

• She emerged from the scandal with her reputation intact.
  她在丑闻中安然无恙,名声丝毫未受影响。
• There is growing evidence that the economy is at last emerging from recession.
  有越来越多的证据表明经济终于开始摆脱萧条。

- lock-out

a situation when an employer refuses to allow workers into their place of work until they agree to various conditions
闭厂,停工(雇主在工人答应各种条件前不准其入厂等)

- philharmonic

A philharmonic orchestra is a large orchestra which plays classical music.

• The Lithuanian Philharmonic Orchestra played Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
  立陶宛爱乐交响乐团演奏了贝多芬的《第九交响曲》。

Philharmonic is also a noun.

• He will conduct the Vienna Philharmonic in the final concert of the season.
  他将在演出季闭幕音乐会上指挥维也纳爱乐乐团演奏。

- spasm

~ (of sth) a sudden strong feeling or reaction that lasts for a short time

• a spasm of anxiety / anger / coughing / pain, etc.
  突然一阵焦虑、愤怒、咳嗽、疼痛等

- morbidity

The noun morbidity means "the quality of being unhealthful". If you can't watch your sister's morbidity get any worse, you might sign her up with a nutritionist and a personal trainer.

- bring on

If something brings on an illness, pain, or feeling, especially one that you often suffer from, it causes you to have it.

• Severe shock can bring on an attack of acne...
  严重的惊吓会造成痤疮突发。
• Bob died of a heart attack, brought on by his lifestyle.
  鲍勃死于由他的生活方式引起的心脏病突发。

- fixated

If you accuse someone of being fixated on a particular thing, you mean that they think about it to an extreme and excessive degree.

• But by then the administration wasn't paying attention, for top officials were fixated on Kuwait.
  但在那之前，当局并没有特别注意，因为高层官员们都一门心思扑在科威特上。

Fixated is also a combining form.(亦可用于构词)

• //...a pop-fixated music journalist.
  痴迷于流行乐的音乐记者

- supposedly

according to what is generally thought or believed but not known for certain

• The novel is supposedly based on a true story.
  据说这部小说是以一个真实的故事为依据的。

- imminent

(especially of sth unpleasant) likely to happen very soon

• the imminent threat of invasion
  迫在眉睫的入侵威胁
• The system is in imminent danger of collapse.
  这个体制面临着崩溃的危险。

- demise

1. the end or failure of an institution, an idea, a company, etc.

2. (formal or humorous)** death**

• his imminent / sudden / sad demise
  他死到临头；他的猝死；他悲惨的死亡

- eloquent

1. able to use language and express your opinions well, especially when you are speaking in public

• an eloquent speech / speaker
  雄辩的演讲/演讲人

2. (of a look or movement) able to express a feeling

• His eyes were eloquent.
  他的眼睛很传神。

♦ eloquence

• a speech of passionate eloquence
  热情洋溢的演讲
• the eloquence of his smile
  他意味深长的微笑

♦ eloquently

• She spoke eloquently on the subject.
  她讲起这个题目来滔滔不绝。
• His face expressed his grief more eloquently than any words.
  他那张脸比任何言语都更清楚地表达了他的忧伤。

- context

1. the situation in which sth happens and that helps you to understand it

• This speech needs to be set in the context of Britain in the 1960s.
  这篇演说需要放到 20 世纪 60 年代的英国这一背景之下来看待。
• His decision can only be understood in context.
  只有了解来龙去脉才能明白他的决定。

2. the words that come just before and after a word, phrase or statement and help you to understand its meaning

• You should be able to guess the meaning of the word from the context.
  你应该能从上下文猜出这个词的含义。
• This quotation has been taken out of context (= repeated without giving the circumstances in which it was said).
  这条引语是断章取义。

- infographic

信息图（ information+graphic的组合，透过图像的力量让生硬的数据显出趣味与生命力，也让读者可以轻松的理解并在脑海中留下印象。）

• This infographic provides a clear explanation of how to use these symbols.
  这张信息图对如何使用这些符号给出了一个清晰的阐述。

- discord

1. (formal) disagreement; arguing

• marital / family discord
  夫妻/家庭不和
• A note of discord surfaced during the proceedings.
  事件进程中出现了意见分歧。
  **【OPP】 concord **

2. (music) a combination of musical notes that do not sound pleasant together
   • 不协和和弦

- superfluous

more than you need or want
【SYN】 unnecessary

• She gave him a look that made words superfluous.
  她看了他一眼,这已表明一切,无须多言了。

- kick the bucket

When you kick the bucket, you die. Kick the bucket is an extremely informal way to describe death.
If you're looking for a delicate way to talk about someone dying, kick the bucket isn't the right way to do it — it's a blunt and casual, almost joking way to say "die." The origin is a little blurry, though most experts think it stems from the Old French buquet, a trébuchet or beam from which slaughtered — and possibly still kicking — animals were hung.

- creepy

1. causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or slight horror
   【SYN】 scary

• a creepy ghost story
  令人毛骨悚然的鬼故事
• It's kind of creepy down in the cellar!
  地窖里真令人有点不寒而栗！

2. strange in a way that makes you feel nervous

• What a creepy coincidence.
  多么离奇的巧合！

- bloodlust

a strong desire to kill or be violent

- monger

1. someone who sells a particular thing:

• a fishmonger

2. someone who says unpleasant things

• rumour-monger / gloom-monger/doom-monger etc

- autopsy

an official examination of a dead body by a doctor in order to discover the cause of death

• an autopsy report
  验尸报告
• to perform an autopsy
  进行尸体剖验

- commentator

A person who analyzes and discusses topics in politics and sports is called a commentator. If you want to hear opinions on the news rather than the news itself, listen to commentators.
A reporter delivers the news and a commentator analyzes it, sometimes within the same news program. If you're a top sports commentator, you may become an even bigger household name than the players you are discussing, and you may pull in just as much money too. Political commentators, who often offer more opinion rather than analysis, are also sometimes called pundits or talking heads.

- ensemble

1. An ensemble is a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who regularly perform together.

• //...an ensemble of young musicians...
  青年音乐家乐团
• He has also formed an exciting ensemble from his dancers.
  他还将他的舞蹈演员们组成了一个人们非常喜欢的舞蹈团。

2. An ensemble of things or people is a group of things or people considered as a whole rather than as separate individuals.

• The state is an ensemble of political and social structures.
  国家是一个政治结构和社会结构的组合体。

- profile

1. the outline of a person's face when you look from the side, not the front

• his strong profile
  他轮廓清晰的侧影
• a picture of the president in profile
  总统的侧面画像

2. a description of sb / sth that gives useful information

• a job / employee profile
  工作/雇员简介
• We first build up a detailed profile of our customers and their requirements.
  首先,我们建立起我们的客户及其需求的详细资料。

3. the general impression that sb / sth gives to the public and the amount of attention they receive

• The deal will certainly raise the company's international profile.
  这宗交易肯定会提高这家公司的国际形象。

4. to give or write a description of sb / sth that gives the most important information

• His career is profiled in this month's journal.
  这期月刊概述了他的工作生涯。

【IDIOMS】a high / low profile
the amount of attention sb / sth has from the public

• This issue has had a high profile in recent months.
  近几个月来,这个议题一直是关注的焦点。
• I advised her to keep a low profile for the next few days (= not to attract attention).
  我建议她未来几天保持低姿态。

- purported

(formal) that has been stated to have happened or to be true, when this might not be the case

• the scene of the purported crime
  传闻中的罪案发生地点

♦ purportedly

• a letter purportedly written by Mozart
  一封据传是莫扎特的亲笔信

- comatose

1. (medical) deeply unconscious; in a coma

2. (humorous) extremely tired and lacking in energy; sleeping deeply

- greying

In AM, use 美国英语用 graying
If someone has greying hair, there is a lot of grey hair mixed with the person's natural colour.

• //...a stern woman with greying hair...
  头发花白的严厉女人
• He was a smallish, greying man, with a wrinkly face.
  他是一个满脸皱纹、头发灰白的小个子男人。

- contempt

Reserve the noun contempt for an extreme lack of respect: a food snob has nothing but contempt for mass-produced burgers and fries at a fast-food joint.
Contempt has nothing to do with the verb condemn, despite the similarity in sound and meaning; it is from Latin temnere "to despise," and if you despise someone, you have contempt for them. It's a harsh term and should be used with care; it's stronger than either disdain or scorn. It suggests you find someone or something utterly worthless. That food snob might say the words "Big Mac" or "Whopper" with a voice dripping in contempt.

- stake

~ in sth an important part or share in a business, plan, etc. that is important to you and that you want to be successful

• She has a personal stake in the success of the play.
  这出戏成功与否对她个人有重大利害关系。
• Many young people no longer feel they have a stake in society.
  很多年轻人不再觉得他们与社会休戚相关。

- concern-troll

a person who disingenuously（not sincerely） expresses concern about an issue with the intention of undermining or derailing(disturb) genuine discussion: he is regarded among climate scientists as a concern troll.

- barb

Whether it is the spikes on the wire atop a security fence or a mean remark someone said about you, barbs can hurt. When you encounter either kind of barb, you should stay away. Barb comes from the Latin word barba, which means “beard”. Beards offer protection from things like cold and wind, but as Mommy found out when she kissed Santa Claus, they can also be quite scratchy. Perhaps this is why, when it comes to talking about beards, some people speak nothing but barbs.

- abstruse

(formal, often disapproving)difficult to understand

• an abstruse argument
  玄奥的论点

- grasp

1. to understand sth completely

• They failed to grasp the importance of his words.
  他们没有理解他的话的重要性。
• It took him some time to grasp that he was now a public figure.
  他过了些时候才意识到自己已是个公众人物了。

2. a person's understanding of a subject or of difficult facts

• He has a good grasp of German grammar.
  他德语语法掌握得很好。
• These complex formulae are beyond the grasp of the average pupil.
  这些复杂的公式是一般小学生不能理解的。

3. the ability to get or achieve sth

• Success was within her grasp.
  她有把握获得成功。

- savagery

behaviour that is very cruel and violent
【SYN】 violence

• The police were shocked by the savagery of the attacks.
  警察对这些惨无人道的袭击感到震惊。

- maniacal

If you describe someone's behaviour as maniacal, you mean that it is extreme, violent, or very determined, as if the person were insane.[disapproval]

• He was almost maniacal in his pursuit of sporting records...
  他近乎发疯般地追求着打破体育纪录。
• She is hunched forward over the wheel with a maniacal expression.
  她弓身伏在方向盘前，表情像疯了一样。

maniacally

• He was last seen striding maniacally to the hotel reception.
  最后一次看见他的时候，他正发疯般地大跨步走向饭店的前台。
• //...maniacally abrasive guitar pop.
  刺耳难听的流行吉他乐

- reflect

~ (on / upon sth) to think carefully and deeply about sth

• Before I decide, I need time to reflect.
  在作出决定以前,我需要时间认真考虑考虑。
• She was left to reflect on the implications of her decision.
  由她负责考虑她这个决定会牵扯哪些问题。
• On the way home he reflected that the interview had gone well.
  回家的路上,他琢磨着这次面试非常顺利。

【IDIOMS】
reflect well, badly, etc. on sb / sth
to make sb / sth appear to be good, bad, etc. to other people

• This incident reflects badly on everyone involved.
  这一事件给所有相关人士都造成了恶劣影响。

- oblivious

~ (of / to sth) not aware of sth

• He drove off, oblivious of the damage he had caused.
  他车开走了,没有注意到他所造成的损害。
• You eventually become oblivious to the noise.
  你终究会变得不在意吵闹声的。

- pundit

a person who knows a lot about a particular subject and who often talks about it in public 【SYN】 expert

- stats

1. Stats are facts which are obtained from analysing information expressed in numbers. Stats is an abbreviation for 'statistics'.

• //...a fall in April's retail sales stats.
  4月零售总额的下降

2. Stats is a branch of mathematics concerned with the study of information that is expressed in numbers.

- jeremiad

(formal)a very long sad complaint or list of complaints

- implicit

~ (in sth) suggested without being directly expressed

• Implicit in his speech was the assumption that they were guilty.
  他话语中的言外之意是设定他们有罪。
• implicit criticism
  含蓄的批评

- aberration

An aberration is a noun that means something that is not normal or is very typical at all. An example of an aberration is when the temperature hits 90 degrees in January — it's nice and warm, but it's really strange.

- trappings

~ (of sth) (formal, especially disapproving) the possessions, clothes, etc. that are connected with a particular situation, job or social position

• They enjoyed all the trappings of wealth.
  他们享有所有象征财富的东西。

- agitator

If you describe someone involved in politics as an agitator, you **disapprove of them because of the trouble they cause in organizing campaigns and protests. **

• //...a famous actress who was accused of being a political agitator.
  被指控为政治煽动者的著名女演员

- secure

~ sth (for sb / sth) | ~ sb sth (formal) to obtain or achieve sth, especially when this means using a lot of effort

• to secure a contract / deal
  订立合同；达成协议
• The team managed to secure a place in the finals.
  球队拚得了决赛的一席之地。
• He secured himself a place at law school.
  他取得了法学院的学籍。

- bust

1. A company or fund that is bust has no money left and has been forced to close down.

• It is taxpayers who will pay most of the bill for bailing out bust banks.
  是纳税人将支付大部分的账单以解救面临倒闭的银行。

2. If a company goes bust, it loses so much money that it is forced to close down.

• //...a Swiss company which went bust last May.
  一家去年5月倒闭的瑞士公司

- inherently

The adverb inherently means in a natural or innate manner. Some people enjoy your inherently cheerful nature, but it drives other people crazy because they find you annoyingly perky.
Synonyms for inherently include intrinsically and essentially. If you do something inherently, it is so well ingrained in you that it's become part of who you are. If you are inherently late to every meeting, you should probably set your watch 15 minutes early.

- palpable

that is easily noticed by the mind or the senses

• a palpable sense of relief
  如释重负
• The tension in the room was almost palpable.
  屋子里的紧张气氛几乎能感觉到。

♦ palpably

• It was palpably clear what she really meant.
  她的本意是什么,那是一清二楚的。

- apathetic

showing no interest or enthusiasm

• The illness made her apathetic and unwilling to meet people.
  疾病使她冷漠,不愿见人。

- devotee

1. a person who admires and is very enthusiastic about sb / sth~

• a devotee of science fiction
  科幻小说的狂热爱好者

2. a very religious person who belongs to a particular group

• devotees of Krishna
  (印度教)黑天的虔诚信徒

- acumen

the ability to understand and decide things quickly and well

• business / commercial / financial acumen
  生意上/商业上/理财精明强干

- industrialist

a person who owns or runs a large factory or industrial company

- sitcom

(also formal situation comedy) a regular programme on television that shows the same characters in different amusing situations

- mockery

1. comments or actions that are intended to make sb / sth seem ridiculous

• She couldn't stand any more of their mockery.
  她再也无法忍受他们的愚弄了。

2. (disapproving) an action, a decision, etc. that is a failure and that is not as it is supposed to be

• It was a mockery of a trial.
  这次审判实在可笑。

- pretentious

(disapproving)trying to appear important, intelligent, etc. in order to impress other people; trying to be sth that you are not, in order to impress

• He's so pretentious!
  瞧他那副自命不凡的样儿！

- snob

1. a person who admires people in the higher social classes too much and has no respect for people in the lower social classes

• She's such a snob!
  她竟是这样一个势利眼！

2. a person who thinks they are much better than other people because they are intelligent or like things that many people do not like

• an intellectual snob
  自命知识渊博的人
• There is a snob value in driving the latest model.
  开最新款式的车能满足一种庸俗的虚荣心。

- granted

You use granted or granted that at the beginning of a clause to say that something is true, before you make a comment on it.

• Granted that the firm has not broken the law, is the law what it should be?
  的确，这家公司没有违法，但这样的法律是否合理呢？

Granted is also an adverb.

• Granted, he doesn't look too bad for his age, but I don't fancy him.
  以他的年龄来说他看起来确实还算不错，不过我并不喜欢他。

- blare

~ (sth) (out) to make a loud unpleasant noise

• police cars with lights flashing and sirens blaring
  警灯闪烁、警笛刺耳的警车
• Music blared out from the open window.
  喧闹的音乐从敞开的窗口传出。

- exalted

1. (formal or humorous) of high rank, position or great importance

• She was the only woman to rise to such an exalted position.
  她是唯一高升到如此显赫地位的女人。
• You're moving in very exalted circles!
  你这是出入于显贵要人的圈子呀！

2. (formal) full of great joy and happiness

• I felt exalted and newly alive.
  我感到兴高采烈,充满新的活力。

- ascendent

If someone or something is in the ascendant, they have or are getting more power, influence, or popularity than other people or things.

• Radical reformers are once more in the ascendant...
  激进派改革者再度占据了统治地位。
• Why are Geography, Drama, Art and English in the ascendant?
  为什么地理、戏剧、艺术和英语逐渐受宠？

- superpower

one of the countries in the world that has very great military or economic power and a lot of influence, for example the US

- oppression

Oppression is the cruel or unfair treatment of a group of people.

• //...an attempt to escape political oppression.
  企图逃避政治压迫的努力
• //...the oppression of the 19th-century poor by the rich.
  19世纪富人对穷人的压迫

- flex

exhibit the strength of

• The victorious army flexes its invincibility

【IDIOMS】
flex your 'muscles
to show sb how powerful you are, especially as a warning or threat

- benchmark

something which can be measured and used as a standard that other things can be compared with

• Tests at the age of seven provide a benchmark against which the child's progress at school can be measured.
  七岁时进行的测试为孩子在学校中的学习发展提供了一个测量基准。

- expanse

~ (of sth) a wide and open area of sth, especially land or water

• a wide / vast expanse of blue sky
  广阔/无垠的蓝天

- profess

1. If you profess to do or have something, you claim that you do it or have it, often when you do not.

• She professed to hate her nickname...
  她自称痛恨自己的外号。
• Why do organisations profess that they care?...
  为什么机构都谎称自己对此很关心？
• //...the Republicans' professed support for traditional family values.
  共和党人自称的对传统的家庭价值观的支持

2. If you profess a feeling, opinion, or belief, you express it.

• He professed to be content with the arrangement...
  他对这个安排表示满意。
• //...a right to profess their faith in Islam.
  表明他们的伊斯兰教信仰的权利

- cursory

(often disapproving)done quickly and without giving enough attention to details
【SYN】 brief , perfunctory

• a cursory glance / examination / inspection
  匆匆的一瞥；粗略的审查/检查

- hover

If something such as a price, value, or score hovers around a particular level, it stays at more or less that level and does not change much. - In September 1989 the exchange rate hovered around 140 yen to the dollar...
1989年9月，日元对美元的汇率一直在140比1的水平上下浮动。

• His golf handicap hovered between 10 and 12.
  他的高尔夫球差点一直在10杆到12杆之间徘徊。

- niche

(business) an opportunity to sell a particular product to a particular group of people

• They spotted a niche in the market, with no serious competition.
  他们看到市场上一个竞争不激烈的商机。
• a niche market
  有利可图的市场
• the development of niche marketing (= aiming products at particular groups)
  针对某群体的产品营销开发

- polyglot

(formal)knowing, using or written in more than one language
【SYN】 multilingual

• a polyglot nation
  多语种民族

- reigning

The reigning champion is the most recent winner of a contest or competition at the time you are talking about.

• //...the reigning world champion.
  现世界冠军

- supreme

1. highest in rank or position

• the Supreme Commander of the armed forces
  武装力量的最高统帅
• It is an event in which she reigns supreme.
  这个比赛项目她所向无敌。

2. very great or the greatest in degree

• to make the supreme sacrifice (= die for what you believe in)
  做出最大牺牲(为信仰牺牲生命)
• a supreme effort
  最大的努力

- doomsayer

a person who says that sth very bad is going to happen

- cherry-pick

If someone cherry-picks people or things, they choose the best ones from a group of them, often in a way that other people consider unfair.

• The club is in debt while others are queuing to cherry-pick their best players.
  这家俱乐部债台高筑，其他俱乐部则排着队等候挑选它最优秀的球员。

- crisis-ridden

-ridden combines with nouns to form adjectives that describe something as having a lot of a particular undesirable thing or quality, or suffering very much because of it.

• //...the debt-ridden economies of Latin America...
  拉丁美洲负债累累的经济
• Too many women are like me, guilt ridden about the kids.
  很多女人都像我一样，对孩子充满了内疚。

- generalise

~ (about sth) to make a general statement about sth and not look at the details

• It is dangerous to generalize about the poor.
  对穷人一概而论是危险的。

- lineage

(formal) the series of families that sb comes from originally
【SYN】 ancestry

- snuff

~ sth (out) to stop a small flame from burning, especially by pressing it between your fingers or covering it with sth

【拓展】snuff sth∽out
to stop or destroy sth completely

• An innocent child's life has been snuffed out by this senseless shooting.
  这胡乱一枪就要了一个无辜孩子的命。

- vibrant

Someone or something that is vibrant is full of life, energy, and enthusiasm.

• Tom felt himself being drawn towards her vibrant personality...
  汤姆感觉自己被她充满朝气的个性所吸引。
• //...Shakespeare's vibrant language...
  莎士比亚鲜活的语言

- marginalize

To marginalize a group of people means to make them feel isolated and unimportant.

• The effect of this has been to increasingly marginalize the local authority sector...
  这件事的影响是使地方当局越来越受到排斥。
• We've always been marginalized, exploited, and constantly threatened.
  我们总是遭到排挤、剥削和不断的恐吓。

- declinist

one who theorizes that a particular nation or society is in or is headed for a state of economic, political, or social decline

- uncanny

strange and difficult to explain
【SYN】 weird

• I had an uncanny feeling I was being watched.
  我有种被人监视的奇怪感觉。
• It was uncanny really, almost as if she knew what I was thinking.
  真是不可思议,她好像知道我在想什么似的。

♦ uncannily

• He looked uncannily like someone I knew.
  他酷似我认识的一个人。

- earnest

very serious and sincere

• an earnest young man
  非常认真的年轻人
• Despite her earnest efforts, she could not find a job.
  尽管她已尽心竭力,但是仍然找不到工作。

【IDIOMS】
◘ in earnest

1. more seriously and with more force or effort than before

• The work on the house will begin in earnest on Monday.
  这栋房子的修建工作将在星期一正式开始。

2. very serious and sincere about what you are saying and about your intentions; in a way that shows that you are serious

• You may laugh but I'm in deadly earnest.
  你可以笑,不过我可是正经八百的。
• I could tell she spoke in earnest.
  我看得出她是郑重其事地说的。

- unveil

1. to remove a cover or curtain from a painting, statue, etc. so that it can be seen in public for the first time

• The Queen unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening of the hospital.
  女王主持揭幕式,标志着医院正式启用。

2. to show or introduce a new plan, product, etc. to the public for the first time
   【SYN】 reveal

• They will be unveiling their new models at the Motor Show.
  他们将在汽车大展上首次推出自己的新型汽车。

- excerpt

1. n. ~ (from sth) a short piece of writing, music, film, etc. taken from a longer whole

2. v. ~ sth (from sth) If a long piece of writing or music is excerpted, short pieces from it are printed or played on their own.

• The document was excerpted from an unidentified FBI file.
  此文件摘自来源不明的联邦调查局档案。

- oratorio

a long piece of music for singers and an orchestra , usually based on a story from the Bible

- rousing

1. full of energy and enthusiasm

• a rousing cheer
  热情的欢呼
• The team was given a rousing reception by the fans.
  球队受到了球迷的热烈欢迎。

2. intended to make other people feel enthusiastic about sth

• a rousing speech
  使人振奋的讲话

- throes

violent pains, especially at the moment of death

• The creature went into its death throes.
  这小生命到了临终疼痛阶段。

【IDIOMS】
◘ in the throes of sth / of doing sth
in the middle of an activity, especially a difficult or complicated one

• The country was in the throes of revolutionary change.
  国家正处于革命动荡中。

Day 21: Logical Lines

行文思路逻辑图

Classical music isn't dead 行文逻辑图.png

行文思路总结：

• 作者在文章开头提到了美国Slate杂志上的一篇文章，文章中说到了“The classical music in American is dead.”，而美国的很多媒体也开始大肆的报道，对这个话题有着非常大的兴趣，由此引发了作者的一系列的反驳和理论。
• 首先，作者指出了，古典乐本身就在不断的“死亡”。这已经是古典乐的一种传统。作者列出了一张信息表，描述了古典乐从1324年开始，直到现在的2014年，一直在面临着很多的挑战和危机，已经持续了将近700年的历史，现在才说它会在2014年走向死亡，这本身就是非常多余的一种说法。因为这种情况已经持续了快700年了，根本就不足以说明问题。
• 接着，作者开始批判或者列举那些坚持认为古典乐将走向灭亡的人或者论断所存在的谬误。
• 第一，就是这些人根本就没有足够的证据，或者说，根本没有深入实际情况去了解和探究---他们没有对那些作曲家或者音乐团做实际的调查和详细的报告，也没有采访过那些机构里的人，更没有和古典乐的观众有过深入的交谈。他们只知道攥着手里的所谓的“数据”，言之凿凿的说着结论。然后强迫人们去接受“古典乐将要灭亡”这个结论。
• 第二，就是concern-troll发出的负面的barbs，这些人一味地指责古典乐的business和culture，却不了解整体的运行机制，不了解实际情况。他们指出，古典乐的市场份额在不断的减少，已经与成本不相符的销售份额，同时他们也指出了，古典乐是美国文化中的异端，是与美国文化不相符合的，纯粹为了满足一些阶级“附庸风雅”的东西，所以，它注定要消亡。这些现象确实存在，但是想要通过这些而得出这个结论，那是行不通的。
• 接着，作者开始做出自己的反驳和解释。
• 首先，个体机构的失败不代表整个体系的崩坏。虽然市场份额确实在减小，但是古典乐在美国文化中的重要性确实在不断地上升的，而且，有许多的educators和musicians仍然在孜孜不倦的为此做出奋斗，所以古典乐不会就此灭亡。
  -第二，古典乐已经融入了美国的文化当中，已经历经了很长时间的历史的洗礼。它曾经的辉煌地位是由全球政治环境和中产阶级的喜好所决定的，虽然古典乐现在不再居于中心地位，但是这并不意味着它是不成功的。
• 第三，虽然现在古典乐不再是像从前一样有着统治地位的，绝对的至高无上的地位，却不意味着它将不再存在。虽然市场份额只有2.8%，但是古典乐一直维持着稳定的市场占有，这本身是一种十分健康的发展状态，而且，不管是哪一种音乐形式，这种niche market 的状态都是非常正常的，所以Slate杂志中所说的所谓的“消亡前的阵痛”是不准确的。
• 此外，作者还提出了Slate文章中所存在的一些错误。
• 第一，那些doomsayers所选择的研究对象都是一些本身就充满危机的机构，这种调查所选取的样本本身缺乏代表性，所以怎么能用这样的数据来概括整个古典乐的发展状况呢~
• 第二，就是美国的各个媒体刻意的排斥和边缘化行为。这种行为本身反映出的，就是缺乏客观性，所以得出的结论是非常具有主观性色彩的，不足以作为有效的结论。
• 第三，就是没有考虑到古典乐的内在价值所在。Slate杂志上的那篇文章中，作者一直在列举一些数据和萧条的现状，但是却忽视了古典乐存在本身所存在的一些价值，这些价值远比所谓的“数据”---所谓的市场份额，销量等等，更加具有价值。但是那个作者并没有深入研究过这些，但其实古典乐的价值在美国文化中有着很深的渊源，不是简简单单的数据能够说明的。
• 最后，作者得出自己的结论，“Those are not the sounds of death throes you hear; they are a steady heartbeat. ”

逻辑图

Classical music isn't dead 逻辑图.png

作者的论证角度：

• 我认为作者的论证角度主要是两个：
  第一，是从研究对象本身出发，即古典乐本身的一些特性和人们对它的一些误解。
  第二，是从反驳对象本身所存在的一些问题出发，比如，论证方法，逻辑错误等等。
• 首先，作者对“Classical music in America is dead”这一结论给予了部分的肯定，即古典乐本身就是不同的消亡发展的过程，“The death of classical music is perhaps its oldest continuing tradition”，先让人们的一些观念得以扭转，即这种言论或者现象是一直存在的，所以没有什么好大惊小怪的。
• 接着，就是对反驳对象的问题提出批判。作者指出了这些人所犯的一些错误。第一，就是缺乏实地考察的证据；第二，就是那些concern-troll所发出的barbs；第三，就是在这个过程中，人们所犯的一些错误，比如样本缺乏代表性，论证缺乏客观性，研究缺乏深入性。
• 然后，就是作者针对上面的那些问题提出的一一的反驳和解释。一点一点的指出其中的逻辑错误，并且提出了正确的认识角度和历史大背景。然后作者做出自己的结论。

笃师逻辑图

Day 21 笃师逻辑图.png

Day 22: Summary

逻辑图小结

• 这次的两个逻辑图相对来说思路会比较清晰一些。这篇文章给我的感觉就是一篇“驳论文”。在经历过GMAT考试的摧残之后，感觉对驳论文有着难以言喻的情节。这就是实践版的“Critical Reasoning”啊~~~所以，作者的整体的思路比较快的就整理出来了，主要是在每个小点上的总结花了比较多的时间。安妮虽然说了不要加太多的细节，但是在做的时候，总是感觉不加细节就说不清楚的感觉（好崩溃。。。），当然，这也反映出自己的概括能力有待加强，这一次安妮的逻辑图又刷新了我的认知，感觉真心，前方有着无法逾越的高峰。。。尤其是每一小块的逻辑块后面的小总结，结合起来真的非常棒，像我那样总结，虽然内容上基本上都涵盖到了，但是总感觉不够简洁，也不够清晰，所以同志还需努力！！！
• 说到驳论文，印象最深刻的，就是鲁迅先生的《拿来主义》那篇文章了，非常典型的驳论文。

驳论文往往破中有立，边破边立，即在反驳对方错误论点的同时，针锋相对地提出自己的正确观点。批驳错误论点的方法有三种: 驳论点；驳论据；驳论证，

但归根结底是为了驳论点。

• 直接驳斥对方的论点。先举出对方的荒谬论点，然后用正确的道理和确凿的事实直接加以驳斥，揭示出谎言同事实、谬论与真理之间的矛盾。有的文章，首先证明与论敌的论点相对立的论点是正确的，以此来证明论敌的论点是错误的。

• 通过批驳对方的论据来驳倒对方的论点。论据是论点的根据，是证明论点的。错误和反动的论点，往往是建立在虚假的论据之上的，论据驳倒了，论点也就站不住脚了。

• 通过批驳对方的论证过程的谬误（驳其论证）来驳倒对方的论点。驳倒了它的论证中关键问题，也就把谬论驳倒了。

• 所以，如果对驳论文比较了解的话，其实这篇文章的反驳思路还是比较清晰的。先是反驳了作者的论点（The classical music in American is dead），指出了这只是古典乐一个一直以来的传统，不足为奇；接着反驳了作者的论据（没有实际的深入调查，没有实际的证据；那些concern-troll所提出的barb也不足以提供足够的证据来支持作者的观点）;最后，就是论证过程中所存在的谬误（即样本缺乏代表性，论证缺乏客观性，研究缺乏深入性），所以文章的思路可以说是非常清晰地，不过作者在论证过程中会有彼此的穿插说明一些历史背景，所以使得文章在总结起来会比较的花时间。

对文章的一些感悟与小结

• 其实我刚开始看文章的时候，有点蒙。。。因为第一段中说“The classical music in American is dead”，倒不是这个观点让我很吃惊，而是我很吃惊美国居然有classical music。。。。。。因为在我的印象中，古典乐是欧洲那边兴起的，像那些大师，比如莫扎特，贝多芬，巴赫等等的人，全都来自于欧洲国家，所以我很诧异。不过后来我又想了一下，又觉得自己好像想太多了，因为文章中国说的古典乐，应该是古典乐在美国的市场或者美国的古典乐流派，所以和古典乐是否有美国起源没有太大的关系。

• 然后我就被全文作者那种慷慨激昂，奋笔疾书，马上就要“揭竿而起”的气势给镇住了，感觉隔着屏幕都能感受到文章满满的愤怒之情。相比于经济学人那种带有英伦式的“嘲讽”和有时有点莫名的“上帝视角”，New Yorker整体都感觉要“活泼”得多，总之感觉很有趣。而且作者在这篇文章中对于“The classical music in American is dead”这一观点的驳斥，真心觉得非常的生动写实，而且驳斥的角度也很全面，从论点到论据，再到论证，都涉及到了，可以说把那一个观点批判的“体无完肤”。在批判之余，还不忘走温情路线，“卖弄一下”情怀，在看得过程中，感觉真心有趣。也不得不佩服作者的写作功力。就是一点，作者在批判过程中用了大量具有嘲讽意味的词，和许多文学性的词汇，当时在整理生词的时候感觉分分钟要奔溃。。。感觉自己的词汇还需要多多掌握，要不然总是没办法很好的理解文章，就不用谈深入的去欣赏文章了。所以扩充自己的词汇量，还是非常有必要的。

• 最后，就讲一讲自己对于古典乐的一些想法和认识吧。我最初开始接触古典乐，是起源于一部音乐剧《The Phantom Of the Opera》（歌剧魅影），它是音乐剧大师安德鲁·劳埃德·韦伯的代表作之一。
  

  《The Phantom Of the Opera》.jpg

• 在音乐剧中，每当剧中那个魅影的男声独唱响起的时候，真的浑身的鸡皮疙瘩都起来了，真的非常好听。其中，“Think of me”，“The Phantom of Opera”以及“The Music of the Night”，已经成了音乐剧的经典名曲。直到现在，我仍然对这些曲目印象深刻，可以说，开启了我对古典音乐的世界大门。

• 古典乐其实是非常有魅力的音乐，也难怪在美国历史上，它曾经是用来“附庸风雅”的工具。虽然不是人人都喜欢或者欣赏的，但是它一直占据着一席之地。

• 之后，让我印象深刻的，就是1997年，冲破纪录成为百老汇历史上最长演不衰的剧目的歌舞剧---《猫》。
  

  《Cats》.jpg

• 由英国作曲家安德鲁·劳埃德·韦伯（Andrew Lloyd Webber）根据诺贝尔文学奖得主T·S·艾略特的长诗《擅长装扮的老猫精》改编谱曲。整个故事很简单：杰里科猫族每年都要举行一次舞会，众猫们会在一年一度的盛大聚会上挑选一只猫升天。于是，形形色色的猫纷纷登场，尽情表现。最后，当年曾经光彩照人今日却无比邋遢的猫格里泽贝拉以一曲《Memory》（回忆）打动了所有在场的猫，成为可以升上天堂的猫。
  

  <Cats>.jpg

• 因为这两部音乐剧的影响，我第一次知道，原来音乐中所表达出来的情感可以那么的浓厚，有的时候，你去听，去感受之后，所明白的东西，远比别人唱出来，告诉你的要多得多。这也是为什么，我一直偏爱钢琴曲等乐曲的原因。有的情感，有的话，一旦说出来，就丧失了原来的味道，中国人讲究含蓄，那种欲说还休，朦朦胧胧的情感，有时带给人的冲击，才是最大的。

• 当时，在学习苏轼的词的时候，曾经讲到过一首他写给他妻子的悼亡诗，叫做《江城子·十年生死两茫茫》。在词中，有一句叫做，“相顾无言，惟有泪千行”。当时只觉得这句词写的真好，写的很真实。现在再回过头去看，不禁要叹服，苏轼的遣词用句真的是字字如金。他在梦中看见了自己的亡妻，心中止不住的思念喷涌而出，有太多的话想说，有太多的情感想要表达，可是文章中却没有一句是直接将自己的话说出来的，全篇都在描绘着苏轼自己从前的回忆，在描绘着自己脑海中的妻子，那种欲说还休，无处宣泄的情感，都在那一点一滴的回忆中铺成开来，真的是闻者心碎，听者流泪。而这种情感表现形式，在古典乐中，可谓是表现的淋漓精致。杰奎琳·杜普雷一首大提琴曲《殇》，不管什么时候听来，都是那么的愁思缠绕，像是在低低的诉说着什么；莫扎特的《土耳其进行曲》，那灵动的钢琴声，不管什么时候，都是那么的欢乐，充满希望；还有巴赫的小提琴回旋曲等等。

• 古典乐在我们的印象中，可能就是一大群人拿着乐器，然后一个人在前方“投入”的指挥，然后听众们一个个正襟危坐，穿着西装领带，在音乐厅中听着交响乐。但其实现在古典乐正慢慢的融入我们的生活中，我们可以尝试着去欣赏，听一听小提琴曲，听一听钢琴的声音，慢慢的，也许会喜欢上呢~