外刊精读学习计划

学习笔记

E1: Stephen Hillenburg, ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ Creator, Dies at 57

Notes

1. <<海绵宝宝>>: SpongeBob SquarePants
2. 首映: premiere
   (fr) premier/première: first
3. 完全原创: utterly original
   He created a utterly original character in this cartoon.
4. 快节奏的, 激动的: frenetic
   The series have frenetic 11-minute episodes.

Reviews

I feel very sorry to hear the sad news these days that several celebrities have passed away, especially for the obituary of the creator of Spongebob SquarePants, Stephen Hillenburg, who died of ALS on Monday with an age of 57. SpongeBob is such a classic cartoon that it has been translated into dozens of languages in the last decades since it premiered in 1999. I was charmed by Hillenburg’s creativity that he can combine a sequence of hilarious plots with the knowledge of marine biology, as well as make us laugh, think, and to be inspired.

My childhood has surely passed when I couldn’t watch cartoons with my family at lunchtime or innocent friends at weekends. But the passion with imagination generated from the happy past is a concomitant of my life. Stay curious, stay young.

E9: Trouble in the cockpit: Ryanair

Notes

1. rosy: rose 的形容词形式, 表示美好的, 有希望的, 玫瑰色的
2. 工会: trade unions
3. 正在罢工的: striking
4. 极速逼近: snapping at its heels
5. 单位成本: unit cost

la critique

Les compagnies aériennes à bas prix expliquent que l’existence est rationnelle.

E10: Who on earth? “Doctor Who”

Notes

1. shatter the glass: 打破玻璃
   WordForWord: shutter n.&vt. 快门&快速关闭
2. incarnation: n. 化身
   词根 carn 肉: carnivore 食肉动物
3. air: vi.公映, 播放
4. extraterrestrial: 地球外的
   词汇升级: of the land/Earth–>terrestrial
   WordForWord: celestial 天空的
5. PC brigade: PC(Political Rightness)大军

Reviews

It doesn’t matter whether our doctor is acted by a man or woman. It is indeed a science fiction show so just let the imagination fly. To prevent the contradiction with the happened events, however, it is inappropriate to change the gender of historical personages in the audience’s mind. If omitted, it will draw giggles by the public. So does a Tencent’s game called Glory of Kings.

E11: Detention of Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou sparks fury in China

Notes

1. chief financial officer: CFO 首席财务官
2. extradition: 引渡
3. make sb/sth the subject of attention: 让…成为了焦点
4. draw on: 引用, 凭借, 利用
   eg: draw on the experience of other people
5. do away with: 废除, 终结, terminate
   eg: do away with unpleasant memory

La critique

On a indignation, et laissez-la aller!

E12: Brief encounter: Victoria’s Secret

Notes

1. tune in to: 收看电视频道/收听广播电台
2. an extravaganza of …: 使用of连接并列名词对华丽场面进行铺陈式的描述
3. 内衣的表达: briefs; knickers; lingerie; underwear
4. viewership: 收视率
5. sag: vi. 下降, 下垂
6. halve: v. 减半
   eg: halve the cost
7. a better fit with: 和…更配
   eg: Chocolates are a better fit with music in rainy days.

Reviews

New brands selling briefs stress the comfortability and applicability of underwear which conform to the trend of today’s feminism, competing to the legacy brand like Victoria’s Secret. It suggests that contemporary women gain confidence in their own rather than their underwear.

E13: Yellow fever: France’s riots

Notes

1. gilets jaunes: Fr. “黄马甲”
2. rise up (against sth): 奋起反抗. 揭竿而起
3. infiltrate: vt. 潜入
   同义词: permeate, penetrate
4. Macron: 马克龙
5. grass-roots: 基层的, 一般群众的
6. style .. as ..: 把…设计为…风格
   eg: style himself as a rigorous leader

la critique

J’ai peur.

E14: In ‘The Rape of Nanking’ Iris Chang deconstructs the horrors of war

Notes

1. deconstruct: 解析, 解构, analyse. (不是 construct 的反义词)
2. faint-hearted: 胆小的
3. 毁誉参半: equally applauded and criticized
   类似表达: a mixed response
4. creative efforts: 又聪明又努力
5. 大屠杀: slaughter, carnage, massacre, Holocaust
6. 归功于: be credited with / 归罪于: put the blame on
   eg: put the blame of an academic cover-up for Nanking on Japan

Reviews

The Rape of Nanking should never be forgotten. Its author called Iris Chang, an American-born Chinese journalist, died in the age of 36 due to both the suffering of depression and consistent disturbance from right-wing Japanese. We should remember the brave-hearted women when memorizing the dead compatriots. Even if I have some insight into the massacre happened 81 years ago that was regarded as the National Humiliation, it is still impossible to comment without any strong feelings when I just read about the words in her book. Chinese people prefer forbearing pain and avoiding quarrel and smoothing things over, so the world-shocking slaughter was not publicized until 1997, the publication of ‘The Rape of Nanking’. On the other hand, Yamato nation has more strongly than other ethnic groups of survival crisis and selfishness. The more self-united a nation is, the crueler it is to the surrounding nations. Never forget it. Never forget the past. Never forget the national humiliation. Strive for the rise of China.

E15: ‘Aquaman’ is Already a Box Office Titan

Notes

1. box office: 票房
2. Warner Bros: 华纳兄弟
3. collect $ in tickets: 获得了 $ 票房
4. moviegoer: 电影观众
   TV-viewer: 电视观众
5. crapshoot: 有风险的事业
6. have grown more selective about: 逐渐对…越来越挑剔
7. flop: vi. 对失败的一种时髦表达, 扑街, 糊了
8. leave a stink on: 给…留下了不好的影响
9. rollout: 大范围铺开

la critique

Je veux voir le film, mais je n’ai pas le temps récemment.

E16: Most Powerful Women In Tech In 2018: With Greater Power Comes Greater Responsibility

Notes

1. So 引导的倒装句和前半句共享一个动词, 用于连接同向意思的表达, 显得更加简洁和地道
   eg: As night falls, so does the temperature.
2. battering ram: (中世纪的)攻城槌, 用来比喻披露Facebook问题的Sheryl Sandberg
3. on an apology tour: 生动形象的说法, 指四处奔波着给人道歉
4. overhaul: (车或机器的)彻底大修, 全面检查
5. goliath: Goliath是《圣经》中被男孩大卫用石子射杀的巨人, 引申为巨人；强大的人（或物）
   词汇升级: giant, tycoon–>titan–>goliath, behemoth

Reviews

Several cases of murder have taken Jean Liu to an apology tour recently. From a macro perspective, I hold an opinion that this uprising company with ten thousand employees is going through ups-and-downs. Whether it’s drivers killing passengers or vice versa, the cause underlying it is lacking consideration of security. Experience in designing a large system tells us that security is always the second issue to consider, so are the operating systems, computer network, and autonomous vehicles. However, Is there any way to prevent accidents on a personal level? Yes, there exists a farsighted solution than feedback. That is feedforward. When we feedforward an objective, we collect all the prerequisites as much as possible and then prepare for every one of them before we start. That actually classifies individuals.

E17: What the World Googled in 2018

Notes

1. trending: 非常潮的, 非常有热度的
2. play host: 做东道主
3. trophy: 奖杯
4. lead-up to the final: 一路杀进决赛
5. captivate: 使…为之倾倒
6. bright spot: 亮点, 和不好的消息形成对比
   eg: There were some birght spots in the misery.
7. spotlight: 凸显
8. Story of Yanxi Palace: 延禧攻略
9. 成为榜单第一, 上头条的表达
   was the most …; took the crown for; top the list for
10. spike: n. sharp increase

la critique

Je n’aime pas les feuilletons, mais c’est un bon signe d’exportations culturelles.

E18: Why we love pantomime (‘Oh no we don’t’… ‘Oh yes we do’…)

Notes

1. Pantomime: Panto, 一种有观众互动的童话剧
2. fairy tales: 童话故事
3. skewed: 有偏差的, 有失偏颇的
4. to the uninitiated: to the people who don’t have experience; unintiated 缺乏经验的, 不知情的
5. be flummoxed by: be confused by; flummoxed 狼狈的

Reviews

Panto is a part of British cultural DNA. Children like it because it is funny and crazy. Adults like it because it reminds them of their childhood at Christmas during their childhood. If you still do not understand, just watch it.

E19: Double 12: more Alibaba magic

Notes

1. frenzied gorging: 饕餮大餐; frenzied 疯狂的, 狂热的
2. clock up + 数字: 达到了
   eg: clock up three billion dollars
3. magic过去式 magicked
   以-ic结尾动词的时态变形时要加k, 类似: mimic, panic, traffic
4. mom-and-pop store: 夫妻小店
5. trample on: 碾压
   eg: big companys trample on small stores
6. put up for auction: 送去拍卖
   eg: put up the house for auction

la critique

Alipay est tellement pratique par rapport aux cartes bancaires qu’un antique homme comme moi aime l’utiliser.

E20: O shopping spree: Christmas markets

Notes

1. spice: 含香料的
2. scented: 有香味的
3. be laden with: 满载…
4. Christkind: 圣婴, an angel-like child
5. spin: 旋转, 有倾向性的描述
   eg: He put a positive spin on the situation.
6. 欢乐: n. merriment; a. jolly
7. medieval: 中世纪的
   word power: ancient, medieval, modern
8. perennial favorite: 长期以来所喜欢的东西

reviews

As Christmas is coming, so is Chinese New Year. Before embracing the winter vacation, I must remember to complete the tasks of this term. Two compulsory courses and tow extra-courses to finish, one driving test to take, and one plan to prepare. It’s a season to be wary as well as jolly.

E21: Eastern time: China’s rise

Notes

1. premature: 过早的, 仓促的
2. be responsible for: 是…的原因
3. account for: 占比, 多用于图表的描述
4. tenfold: adv. 以十倍地
5. at the height of: 在…的鼎盛时期
6. tug: drag

Reviews

Reform and opening up is a long-term and arduous cause, and we, the people, need to work on it generation after generation. At the stage of the 40th anniversary, we have gone through three main periods. The leading reform took place in agriculture. The liberation of the primary industry also revives the private sector. The second big step came from 1992 when Deng Xiaoping inspected Southern China. He said poverty is not socialism. Therefore what followed are the legalization of marketing, admission to the WTO, and the very high-speed development of private sectors. From 2012 to now, the Party has entered New Epoch and conducted deeper-level reform. We will move forward because the future will be created by the doers and makers, rather than criticizers or complainers.

E22: Chinese bike-sharing start-up Ofo on verge of bankruptcy

Notes

1. cash flow: 现金流
2. exemplify: 作为一个典型的例子, 展现了…
   eg: The news exemplifies the poor conditions of the company.
3. burn through cash: 烧钱
4. dissolve: vt. 解散
5. apply for refunds on their deposits: 申请退押金
6. in the virtual queue: 网络上的排队

Reviews

The beginning sentence of the passage stresses the support from Alibaba. The writer does it partly because Financial Times services readers from all over the globe, where Ofo don’t have such fame as much as its supporter. This arrangement can arouse the readers’ desire for reading. Besides, as a contrast, even such a powerful supporter cannot remedy Ofo’s current poor situation.

Although I am an idealist who approbates bike-sharing service, I still got the deposit back last week with a little pity. The prisoner’s dilemma might explain the anticlimactic interests of users. After all, no one could get out of the Theory of Game and Psychology.

E23: Rapper Lil Pump in racism storm over new video mocking Chinese

Notes

1. 新闻第一句话呼应标题. infuriate 呼应 in storm, anti-Chinese 呼应 mocking Chinese
2. in a reference to: 提及, 提到
3. eyelid: 眼皮
4. the second verse: 歌词的第二段
5. derogatory: pejorative
6. rise form social media fame to huge main-stream success: 从网红出道获得主流意义上的成功
7. tabloid: 报刊, 小报

Rip Lip Pump

Lip pump is a dump
buy some preme and bape
surprise me the gossip
say nothing gripe

You’re not a rapper
You’re a trash smoker
died in cancer
F**k you Gucci gang
Take the L, take the L
young young young

E24: Global pay gap will take 202 years to close

Notes

1. workplace: 工作场所, 职场
2. take on: 承担, 接受, 面对
3. managerial: 管理性质的

Reviews

I am skeptical about the accuracy and dependability of the results according to the WEF. Because efforts in predicting stocks, weather, politics, and so on, have exemplified that long-term estimation for mankind now still remains a puzzle. Any organization who dears to claim what would happen in 202 years after now is approximately a charlatan.

In my opinion, the gap will reach a balance rather than an equivalence. This is for three reasons. First, I saw a girl leaning slightly against his boyfriend’s shoulders in the school library. That is common. But that must be weird when a boy would do it. To a greater extent, men usually and naturally undertake more responsibility and thus get more paid. Secondly, women in the professional workplace will sacrifice time with their family. It is unfair for their children even if it might be fair in incomings. Thirdly, I do not know the algorithm for getting the above results. But the mathematical concept of series teaches us that the whole sum of all the items is a constant, which means the upper limit does exist. Therefore, I still hold the opinion that the gender equality does not mean the male and female should work as the same. Rather, they are supposed to play their respective strengths so that each gender earns equal respect.

E25: Presents, Bickering and Boozing

Notes

1. milestone: an important event
2. booze: n. alcoholic drinks; v. drink alcohol
3. Expressions describing arguing
   bicker < row < flare-up, bust-up
4. kick off: to begin
5. Christmas dinner in British: the lunch having in 25th December
6. resurface: reoccur
7. truce: if you have a truce, you agree to stop arguing for a period of time
8. board game: any game that played on a board, such as chess, mahjong, Checkers, etc.
9. draw to a close: come to the end
10. supersede: (formal) follow
11. hang-over: n. ; hung-over: a. drunk
12. Boxing Day: 26th December

Reviews

Traditionally, British people celebrate Christmas by praying in the church and tuning in to the Queen’s Speech. But the lately investigation shows that the family is bickering and boozing before sunset. It is an illustration of the modern family relationship. The cause of the flare-up probably comes from the uncomfortableness of suddenly spending much time in one house where they seldom do in busy workdays. So we must cherish the festivals that give us a precious chance to sooth conflictions and boost intimacy with our family by arguments.

E26: Nature journal nominates its Top 10 people for 2018

Notes

1. 提名: nominate, name
2. capture global attention: capture用得妙
3. movers and shakers: 很有影响力的人
4. dub sb sth: 给某人某个称号
5. graghene: 石墨烯
6. sth preoccupy sb: 满脑子都是sth的sb

Reviews

I am really inspired by the bravery that the Nature’s editor mentioned to cope with difficult questions about who we are, where we have come from, and where we are going. Likewise, confronting myself is a critical step towards a healthy personality. Whether rich or poor, young or old, able or disable, I am a unique creature living on the earth with efforts to make a better life and better world. Wish you will find out, face, and finally overcome the drawbacks in your life. Wish you will merry Christmas.

E27: Social fretwork: life online

Notes

1. fret: 烦恼, 焦虑
2. psychiatric: 精神病学的
   psychiatric illnesses 精神疾病
3. a body of: 大量的
   A growing body of evidence support his conclusion.
4. give sb scope for: 给 sb … 的机会
5. exacerbate: 加剧
6. body image: 身体意象, 个人眼中的自己
7. substance abuse: 导致成瘾的物质滥用
8. the other way around: 相反地

Reviews

As a computer major college student, my life is full of electronic screens. So I deliberately avoid the unnecessary touch of these goods, including social software. What makes me a little shocked is the resemblance of brain actions between Facebook and drug addiction. In fact, those activities will exacerbate anxiety after leaving them and return real life. But the network surely has incomparable advantages because it cuts a body of expenses of connections and communication. Thus the point is utilizing it and no being addicted to it.

E28: The Queen’s Christmas message: Monarch preaches conciliation

Notes

1. For sb, nothing says A like B: 对于某人, 没有什么比 B(具体) 更贴合 A(抽象) 的了 = for sb, A is B
   For some travellers, nothing says miraculous quite like aurora in the Artic.
2. reigning: 现任的, 在任的
3. overarching: a. 包罗万象的
4. rooming: a. 迫近的
5. Her Majesty: (尊称)女王陛下
   His/Her/Your 陛下
6. Brexit: 英国脱欧

Reviews

Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in Britain’s history. Even more astounding, I perceived that she seems to be in as good health as ever after I watched her majesty’s annual Christmas broadcast. Many construe her longevity as the stable relationship, healthy diet, and near-perfect lifestyle. Needless to say, I agree. What’s more, I would like to add some own opinions that the public might dismiss. Studies have shown that positive thinkings help people live longer. The Queen never express her political stance, which means she owns authority but never abuse it. In the changing and turbulent surroundings, she sticks on the constancy of traditional values including the belief, family, and friendship. So I believe, that positive outlooks over relationship and aging can have tremendous effects on a person’s life expectancy.

E29: Japan to Resume Commercial Whaling, Defying International Ban

Notes

1. defiant: a. 反抗的, 违抗的
2. 文化意义: cultural significance
3. plummeting: a. 骤降的
4. moratorium: n. (活动的) 暂停, 暂禁
5. annual quota: 年度份额
6. minke whales: 小须鲸
7. nationalist appeal: 民族主义诉求
8. imposition: n. 强加

Reviews

Whaling fishing, as an important part of Japanese history and culture, provided not only whales meat as food to people but also economic benefits. Moreover, as a coastal country, Japan has always been pursuing to have a voice in the development of both marine economy and politics which are, in my opinion, the real intention for Japan to restart whale fishing. Last but not least, the act of resuming commercial whaling mixed a tinge of nationalist appeal against the imposed western values. Those are exactly the narrow and limited Japanese view of the world.

E30: Michelle Obama Ends Hillary Clinton’s Run as Most Admired

Notes

1. other than: instead of / besides
2. be named by sb as: 被sb冠以什么名号
3. sb2 be/finish second, with sb3 and sb4 next. 用来带出第二第三第四的表达
4. open-ended question: 开放性的问卷调查
5. record: a. 创纪录的
   a record 50th time 创纪录的第50次
6. on 14 occasions: for 14 times

Reviews

Whatever your opinion about them, you have to admit that it is the place for strong persons. Compared to them, my comments are no as much as influential, trivial, indeed. Hence, I turn to talk about the aspects of surveys. When people are doing a survey, there is a lot more to care about despite the results and rankings. That is to say, we need to pay special attention to the methods that the survey is conducted. Because they determine the reliability of the results, so do the chosen participants. Moreover, those names on the top list deserve a more thorough inquiry into the details. Last but not least, we have a duty to leave an ear to the voices of the masses.

E31: Chinese scientists turn copper into “gold”

Notes

1. Science Advances: 一家隶属于 Science 的线上电子期刊
2. alchemist: 炼金术士
3. gateway: 通道, 途径, 敲门砖
4. instant riches: 一夜暴富
5. prove lucrative: 系表结构, 经过实际考验证明是有利可图的
   Tip: “prove” is a linking verb here

Reviews

According to Wikipedia, Chemical physics is the branch of physics that studies chemical processes from the point of view of physics. I am writing this, fond of the idea of modifying abundant copper to a state identical with precious metals in chemical properties, proud of our Chinese researchers who finally realize those dreams used to be fantastic but now put into the ground, also ashamed of my poverty-brain state in which I still have a long way to go. As Sun Jian said, “It is like a warrior with golden armour in a battlefield, capable of withstanding any enemy assault.” Yes, it is out of expectation, but it is within understanding. The new method injects an abundant body of energy into copper at the atomic level, so that the electrons are more dense and stable. Research outcomes demonstrate the stage of development of a modern nation. Yet, we are still on the way. So I should pick myself up, dust myself off, and begin again the work of reproving a man. All in all, the endeavour is by itself a kind of happiness.

E32: Why Brits Love Spain

Notes

1. siesta: (Spanish) a nap in the afternoon
2. get by: 过得去; 尚可
   eg: – So you can speak Spanish?
   – I can get by.
3. monarchy: n. 君主政体; 君主政治
4. top the list: 名列第一
5. expat: 移居国外者
6. in droves: 成群结队地
7. retiree: 退休人员

Reviews

In light of the essay, a vast flock of British pick Spain as their tourist destination each year. Though it might seem a little weird, I must confess that I used to regard four things as temptations and distractions, which are the decadent music, womanizine, travelling, and hunting. However, Teacher Mat’s audio collaborated with his mom has altered my view of them after I felt a sense of rituals and an atomosphere of happiness by their travelling. Approaching the New Year, people’s actions, say travelling overseas, watching films, skiiing, skating, having dinner together, etc., represent a sense of rituals aside their sophisticated world. Because that is one of the easiest way to control oneself life and thus provides an outcome of happiness. Besides, a ceremony prepares us better biding farewell to the past and embracing the future. So wish all of you were having a special ceremony, and wish all of you a Happy New Year.

E33: The Impossibility of Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

Notes

1. unachievable: 无法完成的 = unattainable
2. admirable: (重读在第一个音节) 极好的, 值得称颂的
3. ensuring: 随之而来的
4. set sb up: vt. 导致, 安排, 设计 vi. 陷害
5. fuel our anxiety: fuel用的好
6. start right away: 立刻开始

Reviews

If I set myself a goal, I am always keeping in mind that everything has a begin, a process, and an end, though today’s society tends to be against my rules, eliminating one of the three steps. I strongly resist the takeaway industry because the begin, which used to be preparing food or moving to the places for eating, is left out, as well as the end which is represented by washing dishes after dinner. The work left simplifies to opening your mouth, chewing the food, and swallow it. So you see, usually, the process is interesting, while the begin and end are not. But skipping the dislikes here is not a universal policy at all. In order to change the world by making things happen, we must take all those barriers of the beginning, setbacks in the process, and pieces afterward as a normal. Finally handling difficulties will become a habit that you enjoy facing it every day.

E34: The year ahead: indigenous tongues

Notes

1. peril: 危险
   peril > danger
2. Inuit: 因纽特人
3. Métis: 梅蒂人
4. Balinese: 巴厘语
5. champion: v. 支持, 捍卫 n. 冠军, 捍卫者
   He is a champion of human rights.
6. kick-start: vt. start

Reviews

In the background of globalization, thousands of indigenous tongues are in peril now. A language provides not only the efficiency of learning knowledge and communicating with each other but also a special view of seeing the world. After reading the news article, I find some former videos saying my hometown dialect, i.e. Yixian dialect and Shexian dialect. They are interesting and bringing up my memories. I hope there would be laws and regulations protecting the rights of dialects of the south of Yangtze River. Technology can also help to save the rare languages from the risk of extinction. Last but not least, there should be people like me willing to listen and speak them.

E35: Tech has the power to help the underprivileged, says Pony Ma

Notes

1. as A penetrate every corner of the world, B is/are changing many aspects of our daily life: 随着A, 发生B
2. In someplace, this evolution is happening even faster and going even further than it is in other parts of the world. 介绍evolution在某地区的影响力
3. order takeaways: 点外卖
4. pay utility bills: 支付生活杂费(水电煤气取暖费)
5. pay fares for public transport: 支付交通费
   Word Power: base fare 起步价
   flat fare 统一价
6. book a medical appointment: 挂号
7. deploy: vt. 有效利用, use
   eg. deploy technology to alleviate the toil and hardship for the disadvantaged
8. launch/initiate a campaign: 发起一项运动
9. first-ever: first, 前所未有的, unprecedented
10. philanthropic: 慈善的, phi- 爱, anthrop- 人类
11. be woven into: 融入
    weave vt. 编织

Reviews

As Internet companies penetrate every corner of society, network technologies and web services are changing many aspects of our daily lives. However, in the dark side, I am a little afraid that these high-technology giants were slightly proceeding to control people’s vision, mind, and actions. If true, a new center of authority will follow.

E36: Karaoke for one: Japan’s surging singles give rise to solo business boom

Notes

1. rendition: 演绎, 诠释, 呈现, render的名词形式
2. booth: 小亭子, 售货棚
3. singledom: n. 单身状态
4. spawn: vt. 催生, 产卵

Reviews

I understand the mental states of the single persons surrounding me. A single person can think individually, do it himself/herself, no longer need others in the living, even be far away from peer-pressure – all with a spirit of independence and freedom. But loneliness will hit them when festivals approach. How do I know a lot of things about them? Because I am one of them.

E37: China lands spacecraft on the far side of the moon, a historic first

Notes

1. 辨析: historic & historical
   有历史性的, 前无古人的 & 和历史(学)相关的
2. the far side of the moon: 月背
   类似, 月面: the near side of the moon
3. bona fide: a. (源自拉丁文) 真正的, 真实的, 名副其实的, 不折不扣的
   bon- 好(取自法语词根)
   fid- 信念, 信仰 (fidelity)
4. 航天大国: space power
5. rover: n. 巡视器
   Land Rover: 路虎
6. landing craft: n. 着陆器
7. dispatch: (formal) send, 发出, 发送
8. relay: 中继设备
9. orange-tinted: 略显橙色的
   a tint of green: 一抹绿色
10. high-definition: 高清的
11. pock-marked: 坑坑洼洼的, 有麻子的
12. force: n. 非常有影响力的人/事物
13. a percentage of: a part of

Reviews

This era is moving forward irresistibly. China’s landing craft, Chang’e 4, has been the historic first to successfully land on the far side of the moon. It is known that the far side of the moon cannot face the Earth all year round. Consequently, the landing has made a big step for a more effective way of observing the universe. Besides, the reservation of resources is thus more abundant without the shielding effect of its planet. However, everyone knows the hardship that no direct communicating connections can be established because of the block of the solid sphere. Special thanks and gratitude must be dispatched to all the staff in our nation’s aerospace industry. Also, we cannot forget our family members and all works of life who are serving for us silently in our daily life. Thanks to all those surrounding ordinary people as well as great.

E38: Apple drops iPhone bombshell on already reeling stock market

Notes

1. waning: wane的进行时, 表示减少, 减弱, 月亏
   wax and wane: 阴晴圆缺, ups and downs
2. lost luster: 失去光芒
3. reckoning: n. 判断, 看法, 估计
   by my reckoning, we have 2000 customers.
   I reckon that …
4. fall well below: 下降到远低于
5. top-of-the-line: 顶级的, 顶配的

Reviews

I first heard about Apple and iPhone from a classmate and friend of mine when I was studying in Middle School. At that time, I could perceive how he was marvelous about the design and functions of the products of Apple. At that time, a common person used to hold a Nokia which was famed for its throw-proof characteristic. So at that time, Apple was leading the trend of smartphones. But the competition is cruel. Apple didn’t launch many designs as amazing as before in the latest years. On the other hand, this company has put too much into the stock market to return to its investors. At these circumstances, such a high price is unacceptable. So the decline is inevitable. That is the rule for high-tech industries.

E39: Why the Dutch Are So Good At English

Notes

1. respondent: n. 回答者; 调查对象
2. dub: 配音
3. These results beg the question: beg 用得妙

Reviews

Today’s episode made me laugh around the 12th minute when I heard Oscar was talking about Chinese food with his father in Chinese. To be honest, we Chinese people have spent too much effort studying English but with a relatively modest effect. We could actually improve the way of learning English by taking the lessons from Dutch people. First, try your best to expose yourself to English media and reading materials in order to get emerged in the English surroundings. Secondly, choose the learning materials that you are interested so that you are willing to spend more time learning. Thirdly, be brave to use English, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and take them as a normal. Remember not to restrict yourself to a narrower world.

E40: This coffee company thinks it can beat Starbucks in China

Notes

1. outlets: 门店, 零售店
2. take it ahead of: 领先
3. luring: 引诱 lure 的进行时
4. savvy: 聪明的, 有见识的, 会利用实际情况的
5. up its game: 升级竞争
6. 合作: team up with; tie-up with

Reviews

I slightly doubt that it is an advertorial from Luckin Coffee. Just one cup of coffee will make me unable to sleep for a whole day and night with a stuck mind. So I hardly ever take it as daily drinks. Behind the competence of two coffee companies is the rivalry between two of China’s top-three internet companies. But customers are happy because they make profits from cheap prices.

E41: Radical Changes in Children’s Lives

Notes

1. 翻天覆地的变化: radical change, 指涉及本质的, 彻底的变化
   radical 还有激进(pejorative)的意思
2. 四处溜达, 到处玩耍: out and about
3. 谓语并列句中可以共用一个 will, 在第一个分句中使用 will + verb, 后面的分句省略 will 直接使用 verb
   排比句可以在最后一个分句通过加插入语等手段产生一些变化, 使句子更加生动
4. 与sb建立联系/打交道: engage with sb
   文中使用 engage with a screen 暗指儿童常常不是和人打交道, 而是和电子产品打交道
5. 最好是更好: and preferably better
6. 高智商高情商的一种形象化表达: good grades and social graces
7. wherewithal: 必要的资金
8. 某事将会发生: be set to do = be ready to do

Reviews

The radical changes in childhoods from different generations stem from the social vicissitude nationwide, emphasis on early education, and the march of digital technology. It seems that children’s education is an international issue. Investing a body of time, money and energy in their children is statistically useful. But smarter approaches are equally important in order for less work and better results. We have no choice because as Yuyuan said, the market is generally becoming a situation that winners take all.

E42: Elon Musk’s China Factory – Now a Field, Soon a Plant – Aims to Pump Out Its First Tesla This Year

Notes

1. 外商独资的: wholly foreign-owned
2. 扩大生产: scale up production, pump out, rev up
3. well-to-do: well-off, 小康的, 富裕的
4. 着迷于, 倾心于, like: be enamored of/with, be captivated by, be fascinated by, be charmed by, be enchanted by
5. 对…很重要: be central/crucial/vital to
6. 从 A 转变为 B: graduate from A to B
7. 小众的/主流的: niche/mainstream
8. bellwether: 领头羊; 风向标
9. 权衡利弊: weigh the costs and benefits

Reviews

Tesla! Tesla! Tesla!
Seeking fun is man’s nature since time immemorial. This nature inherited in man’s mind and is illustrated by toys in childhood, sports in youth, and fancy vehicles in adulthood. I am captivated by the design and performance of Tesla Model series despite the jokingly high price. Though the significance of the piece of news is that Tesla will be the first wholly foreign-owned car plant in our country, which is a signal of Deep Open policy. I am motivated to own such a car before my thirtieth birthday.

E43: Golden Globes 2019: Sandra Oh Gets Emotional About Hollywood Diversity

Notes

1. 对某事感到很激动/变得情绪化: get emotional about
2. 费尽心思地去做某事: go out of the/one’s way to do
3. 成为焦点: in/under the spotlight
4. 以…为特色; 主要呈现了: feature
5. 小表演, 小桥段: bit

Reviews

Golden Globes, plus Academy Awards(Oscars) and Emmy Awards(Emmys), are considered as the top three prestigious awards in film and television industries. Everyone has a group of concentric circles in their heart, centered by himself/herself, and in turn enlarged by their families, relatives and neighbors, friends, compatriots, foreigners, then the animals, livings on the earth, and finally, all beings in the universe. So the success of Sandra indicates a more open, well-off, and developed industry in spite of her personal efforts. By the way, ‘Whitewashing’ is a term that I first heard from Xiao, which proves again that he is really a film connoisseur.

E44: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and wife divorcing after 25 years

Notes

1. 定语从句最重要的功能是用来建立关联的, 而不是修饰先行词
2. vow: n. 誓言 vt. 发誓
3. 症结, 难点: sticking point
4. 积累财富: amass assets/fortune/wealth
5. 对…有所有权: hold a claim to sth, claim的核心含义是所有权
   eg: The earthquake claimed 100 victims.
6. 对冲基金: hedge fund
7. upstart: a. 新兴的, 初创的
8. merchandise: 商品

Reviews

This is not a vulgar story about a gold owner and a gold digger, but a touching story about the spouse starting up together, cherishing each other but finally have to divorce. Jeff and MacKenzie make this vow which is seeking to exert the influence as small as possible. Both are decent persons. Both are sharing a common conception. And yes, both are rich.

E45: Broadcasting from Deep Space, a Mysterious Series of Radio Signals

Notes

1. 外面 & 这里: out there & down here
2. 使困惑: baffle, completely confuse
3. 来无影去无踪: occur randomly and disappear immediately
4. 矮人: dwarf
5. 天体物理学家: astrophysicist

Reviews

The second-time discovery of “fast radio bursts” has evoked more attention by astronomers as well as intrigued the folk scientists. But they do not share the same concern. The folk science tends to be hypothetical and arbitrary. There is an insight quoted from Chris French into their conspiracy theory, “We have what is called an intentionality bias. It’s the assumption that whenever something happens, something or someone made it happen for a reason. In the context of space, that someone is always going to be aliens.” While academic science is often cruel and realistic. Different from those who are afraid of the approach of the hypothetical alien ships, now astronomers want more data of this phenomenon to study in search of a detailed explanation.

E46: How hard is English? How weird?

Notes

1. provide with an index: vt. index
   eg. She has indexed the book by author, by age, and by illustrator.
2. 声调: intonation
3. 疑问的, 质问的: interrogative

Reviews

In computer science, it is very common to see the rankings, which are regarded by programmers as the source of fun, about the comparisons of different programming languages. For linguists and language teachers, it also takes a lot of fun comparing thousands of languages from all over the world. According to the recent study mentioned in this article, the weirdness of a language is judged by how many common features and unusual features are used which are shared by other languages. When it refers to Chinese, the study found that it is weird for so many restrictions for the ending sound of a Chinese character. For example, Chinese does not allow the words ending with the sounds of ‘m’ ‘f’ ‘b’ ‘p’ ‘t’ ‘k’ ‘d’. The weird ranking of English is a little lower than Chinese. What are weird about English are briefly the forms of plurals, the ‘do/did’ in questions and negatives, and the use of the English sound ‘th’. But personally speaking, native speakers take the weird parts for granted because they were born to learn and receive them. So we can also receive them as a symbol of culture.

E47: Are Male and Female Brains Biologically Different?

Notes

1. pop: popular
   pop neuroscience: 指当下神经科学中比较流行的理论
2. innately: 内在的, 呼应标题的biologically
3. rarely fail to = almost always
4. 激怒某人: get sb riled by
5. 不分男女的, 中性的, 无性别差异的: unisex
   eg. unisex clothes
6. (部分)责怪某人某事, 把某事归咎于某人: blame sb (in part) for sth
   另见E14 put the blame of sth on sb
7. 学术界: academia
8. 上头条: make headlines = make the list(上榜单)
   另见E17/E32 top the list
9. 性别差异: differences between men and women = gender disparities
10. sb的动机是A, sb利用B, 做了C
    Because sb know that B, sb, A, do C
    eg. Because smart merchants know that people value health more than wealth, the capitalists, desperate for incoming and cash flow, launch lots of gyms anxiously covering every corner of the city.

Reviews

I am now preparing for a final exam so I just quote a passage from Lise Eliot which I really agree, “We live in a gender-binary world, The default assumption is that these differences are hard-weird … But male and female brains are not much more different from each other than male or female hearts or kidneys.”

E48: Forget me not: Google v France

Notes

1. advocate-general: 欧洲法院的佐审官
2. 使得A和B竞争/发生冲突: pit A against B
   pit friends against friends 让朋友反目成仇
3. 所讨论问题中最重要/关键的是: At issue is …
4. 反驳, 反击: counter
5. 从清单中移除: delist
6. sth预计某时公布: sth is not due until sometime
7. 长短句搭配的写作风格中, 短句往往含含有重要的信息.

Reviews

The exam of Economics and Managements are less than 24hours to go. Exciting. And this is Sundar Pichai’s quotes, “Google is all about information. So the notion of using and presenting information in the right point at the right time to users is what, in essence, describes Google.”

E49: Losing it: the Brexit vote

Notes

1. 英国议会: parliamentary
   MP (member of parliament): 议员
2. 执政党: ruling party
   反对党: opposition party
3. 使用最高级的时候加上时间或范围的限定, 避免主观
4. 预计/应该/可能: be expected/supposed/likely to
5. seek changes/advice/assistance/help
6. 布鲁塞尔(指代欧盟): Brussels

Reviews

Theresa May is seeking to persuade all, but failed. It’s literally impossible to keep everyone pleased. You can’t do it. You can try – and fail miserably – but you will never succeed. Wishes of citizens may not be convoluted into a policy decision without firm leadership of a ruling party. In my perspective view, This article implies the socialist democratic dictatorship.

E50: Hollywood at war as Oscars organisers accused of bullying stars

Notes

1. 冷落: snub
2. 表退出的动词短语: pull out
3. -phobia 恐惧症 -phobic 患恐惧症的
   claustrophobia: 幽闭恐惧症
   nomobilephobia: 无手机恐惧症
   homophobia: 同性恋恐惧症
4. 发掘: unearth
5. amid表示处在一个…状况下, 通常包含两层关系, 一层是因果关系, 一层是让步关系
6. 使通俗易懂: dumb down
7. 达到历史最低点: hit an all-time low

Reviews

The organizers of Oscars has its own reason for restricting stars. That biggest night in cinematics hit an all-time low not only because it is losing the suspense in the process and the popularity of winning films, but also young people have grown less enthusiastic about television shows. The emergence of the division of labors designates the development of society. Likewise, such a kind of division has increasingly played a common role in the movie industry. Under the disadvantageous environment background, the Academy Awards shouldn’t give up innovation of manifestation in order to keep pace with the time.

E51: Burberry is running its first Lunar New Year ad - but some people are calling it creepy

Notes

1. 发起…活动: launch a campaign doing/in noun of
2. 合家团圆, 团结友爱: togetherness
3. 全家福: a family portrait
4. 细思极恐的: creepy
5. 舞台幕布, 世界背景: backdrop
   eg. a story against a backdrop of WWII
6. 重塑, 重新思考: reimagine
7. 将两件事情肩并肩地放一块进行对比, 并列: juxtapose
   justa- 表示 next, 邻近
   eg. justapose the best and the worst, the wise and the foolish
8. 正在做某事: in the middle of
9. 重新定位: reposition
10. 正在实现某事的路上, to be likely to achieve the result you want: is on track to

Reviews

Since I started the reading program, I have been acquainted with an increasing body of luxury brands. Once in Madame Tian’s français class during this term, she ever told to us boys that it is just really common and economical to send your girlfriend(if you have one) lipsticks as a gift because there are actually so many make-ups and luxury goods which can be much more expensive than a Dior or Mac or YSL lipstick. It surely does. Yet, a lot of foreign luxury companies don’t understand Chinese culture. Their product-promotion campaigns, making an advertisement pretending to please Chinese customers by inviting some famous Chinese actresses to act from a western perspective, is just a disguise of stealing money from your pocket. Anyone with discerning eyes can easily see that it is a capitalist conspiracy.

E54: Netflix show sparks wave of ‘Tidying Up’

Notes

1. 降落, 降临: alight on
2. 好的交流, 不是仅抛概念, 而是负责概念加解释

Reviews

E55: Faking it: how selfie dysmorphia is driving people to seek surgery

Notes

1. dysmorphia: …上瘾综合征
   clock-punching dysmorphia 打卡上瘾综合征
2. 在某人群中非常流行: be prevalent among/in sb
   The sharing action is prevalent among foreign languages beginners.
3. 否定词加上比较级表示最高级
   I have never spent a more worrying day.
4. 肉毒杆菌素: Botox
   美容手术用的一种药品
5. 坏事的先兆/前兆: harbinger
   The thaw is a harbinger of spring.
6. 模糊混淆现实与幻想的界限: blur the line of/between reality and fantasy
   This science fiction blurs the line between reality and fantasy.
7. 对…念念不忘, 痴迷于: be fixated on
   be fixated on losing weight

Reviews

Since modern social apps can easily beautify a person’s electronic images, those who have caught Selfie Dysmorphia blur the line between modified images in the app and realistic images in the mirror, so that they seek the surgery to smooth the discrepancies.

In reality, the behavior of seeking surgery due to selfie dysmorphia is really flippant. It is a one-sided thought that just because you don’t possess beauty and fame but you want them so that you don’t care about any others. However, the petit elder sister is likely to avoid selfies from appearing in social networks. They take the born of beauty as granted, so they are on the way of seeking other forms of beauty.