12 Flashcards
serenity
晴朗，風和日麗[U]
He was always a cool man; nothing could disturb his serenity.
他總是非常沉著；沒有什麼東西能打亂他的平靜。
equanimity
（尤指處於震驚、失望或困境時的）鎮靜，沈著，冷靜
He received the news of his mother’s death with remarkable equanimity.
他接到母親去世的噩耗時表現得異常鎮靜。
compatible
可共存的；協調的；相容的
It was when we started living together that we found we just weren’t compatible.
等到開始生活在一起時，才發現我們根本合不來。
revere
尊敬；崇敬
Nelson Mandela is revered for his brave fight against apartheid.
納爾遜．曼德拉與種族隔離制度進行了無畏鬥爭，贏得了世人的崇敬。
avarice
貪得無厭；貪婪
Her business empire brought her wealth beyond the dreams of avarice (= an extremely large amount of money).
她的商業帝國帶給她的財富之巨是做夢都不敢想像的。
insatiable
（尤指慾望或需求）無法滿足的，貪得無厭的
Like so many politicians, he had an insatiable appetite/desire/hunger for power.
和許多政客一樣，他對權力貪得無厭。
nadir
最糟糕的時刻；最消沉的時刻；最失意的時候；最低點
The defeat was the nadir of her career.
那次挫敗是她職業生涯的谷底。
irrational
不理智的，沒有理性的
It’s totally irrational, but I’m frightened of mice.
這很荒唐，但我的確害怕老鼠。
moribund
（尤指組織或公司）無生氣的，停滯不前的，失敗的
How can the department be revived from its present moribund state?
怎樣才能使該部門從目前的停滯狀態中恢復生氣？
adherent
黏性的；黏著的；附著的
an adherent surface
黏性表面
lithe
柔韌而優雅的，輕巧自如的
He had the lithe, athletic body of a ballet dancer.
他的身體像芭蕾舞演員一樣柔韌優雅。
pathetic
令人憐憫的，可憐的
The refugees were a pathetic sight - starving, frightened and cold.
難民看起來實在可憐——飢寒交迫，擔心受怕。
obese
肥胖的，臃腫的
She was not just overweight; she was clinically obese.
她不僅只是體重偏高，而是醫學定義上的肥胖。
bliss
極樂，狂喜；天賜之福
Lying on a sunny beach is my idea of sheer bliss.
我認為躺在沙灘上曬太陽是最大的幸福。
apathy
無興趣，懈怠；（尤指對重要事情的）漠不關心，無動於衷
widespread apathy among students
學生中普遍的懈怠情緒
exhort
激勵；規勸；督促
The governor exhorted the prisoners not to riot.
獄長告誡犯人不要騷亂。
inebriate
酒鬼，酒徒，酗酒者
It’s not a crime to be a chronic inebriate.
長期酗酒並不是犯罪。
fracas
高聲爭吵；激烈打鬥
He was injured in a Saturday-night fracas outside a disco.
他星期六晚上在一家迪斯可舞廳外的一次鬥毆中受了傷。
adversary
對手，敵手
He saw her as his main adversary within the company.
在他眼中，她是他在公司中的頭號對手。
gusto
（尤指對參加表演的）興致勃勃，熱情
Everyone joined in the singing with great gusto.
每個人都興致勃勃地加入到合唱中。
banal
平庸的，陳腐的
He just sat there making banal remarks all evening.
他整晚只是坐在那裡，說些老套的話。
platitude
陳腔濫調；老生常談
He doesn’t mouth platitudes about it not mattering who scores as long as the team wins.
他不會說這樣老掉牙的話；只要球隊贏了，誰進球都不重要。
indolent
懶散的；懶惰的
an indolent wave of the hand
懶懶的揮手
garrulous
（尤指對雞毛蒜皮的事情）喋喋不休的，絮叨的，饒舌的
dilettante
一知半解者；半吊子；業餘愛好者
He’s a bit of a dilettante as far as wine is concerned.
就對酒的研究而言，他只是有點愛好而已。
atypical
非典型的；異常的；不同尋常的
The sociable behaviour of lions is considered atypical of the cat family.
獅子的群居習性被認為是貓科動物中的特例。
nondescript
平常的；平庸的；平淡無奇的
Their offices are in a nondescript building on the edge of town.
他們的辦公室在城郊一座不起眼的建築內。
wane
衰減；減弱
By the late 70s the band’s popularity was beginning to wane.
上世紀70年代末，這個樂團的人氣開始下滑。
pique
（尤指因自尊心受損而產生的）不悅，生氣
He stormed from the room in a fit of pique, shouting that he had been misunderstood.
他怒氣沖沖地衝出房間，大嚷著他被誤解了。
gaudy
俗麗的；花哨的；過於鮮艶的
gaudy plastic flowers
俗麗的塑膠假花
encumbrance
累贅，障礙物
When you’re walking 30 miles a day, the fewer encumbrances the better.
你若每天要走30哩路，就儘量輕裝上陣。
extinct
滅絕的；絕種的；消失的
There is concern that the giant panda will soon become extinct.
有人擔心大熊貓很快就會絕種。
idyllic
田園詩般的，田園風光的，恬靜的
an idyllic childhood/summer
恬靜愉快的童年／詩情畫意的夏天
galvanize
激起；使震驚；使振奮
Western charities were galvanized by TV pictures of starving people.
饑民的照片在電視上播出後，西方的慈善組織倍感震驚，馬上行動了起來。
condescend to do sth
屈尊做…，俯就做…，降格做…
I wonder if Michael will condescend to visit us?
我不知道麥可是否會屈尊造訪我們？
malign
惡意的；邪惡的；有害的
Foreign domination had a malign influence on local politics.
外國統治對當地政治造成了不良的影響。
jocose
滑稽的；幽默的；詼諧的
His jocose manner was unsuitable for such a solemn occasion.
他滑稽的舉止不適合這個嚴肅的場合。
candor
（尤指對棘手或難堪話題的）坦白，直率，坦誠
“We really don’t know what to do about it,” she said with surprising candour.
「我們確實不知道該如何應付，」她以令人吃驚的坦率說道。
mortify
使（某人）很尷尬
The thought of the incident still mortified her.
一想起這件事情還是讓她很尷尬。
zenith
頂峰；鼎盛時期
In the 1860s, Tolstoy was at the zenith of his achievement.
1860年代，托爾斯泰處於創作巔峰時期。
omnipotent
全能的，萬能的，無所不能的
How can a loving, omnipotent God permit disease, war and suffering?
慈愛、萬能的主怎會允許疾病、戰爭和苦難的存在？
precedent
先例，前例
There are several precedents for promoting people who don’t have formal qualifications.
提拔沒有正式學歷的人是有幾個先例的。
fledgling
新的，剛開始的；缺乏經驗的
The current economic climate is particularly difficult for fledgling businesses.
目前的經濟氣候對剛起步的公司來說特別艱難。
peremptory
不容置辯的；專橫的，霸道的
He started issuing peremptory instructions.
他開始下達一些強制性的命令。
wheedle
哄騙；用花言巧語說服；誆騙
She’s one of those children who can wheedle you into giving her anything she wants.
她這個孩子，可以用甜言蜜語哄得你給她任何她想要的東西。
charlatan
冒充內行的人；騙子；（尤指）江湖醫生
rustic
粗製的；鄉村的，鄉村特色的；質樸的
a rustic bench/cabin
粗製的長椅／簡陋的小木屋
decorum
穩重，端莊
As young ladies we were expected to act/behave with proper decorum.
人們認為我們年輕女子的行為舉止應該沉穩端莊。
jubilant
（尤指因成功而）歡欣的，喜氣洋洋的
The fans were jubilant at/about/over their team’s victory.
球迷為他們的隊伍獲勝而歡欣雀躍。
fervid
強烈的；熱情的，熱誠的
a fervent supporter of the communist party
共產黨的熱烈擁護者
