18 Flashcards
mercenary
唯利是圖的，貪財的
He had some mercenary scheme to marry a wealthy widow.
他有個斂財的詭計，想娶個有錢的寡婦。
criterion
（作出評判、決定或處理的）標準，準則
The Health Service should not be judged by financial criteria alone.
公共醫療衛生服務不應僅僅以財務狀況的好壞爲標準來評判。
mollify
使平靜；撫慰
I tried to mollify her by giving her flowers.
我試圖送花來撫慰她。
repent
後悔；悔過，懺悔
He repented (of his sins) just hours before he died.
在臨死前數小時，他才（對自己的罪孽）做了懺悔。
vestige
殘餘；遺跡
These old buildings are the last vestiges of a colonial past.
這些舊建築是殖民歷史最後的痕跡。
pariah
為社會所拋棄者；受蔑視的人；不被信任者
aloof
不友善的；冷漠的
She seemed rather aloof when in fact she was just shy.
她看似孤傲不群，可實際上只是靦腆。
guise
（尤指為了欺騙而裝出的）外表，表現形式；偽裝
The men who arrived in the guise of drug dealers were actually undercover police officers.
以毒販身份到來的人實際上是臥底員警。
pragmatic
講究實際的，重實效的；實用主義的
In business, the pragmatic approach to problems is often more successful than an idealistic one.
在商界裡，用實際的方法來解決問題往往比空想更有成效。
futility
無益，徒勞[U]
the futility of their attempts
他們的嘗試無效
technology
工藝學；工藝；技術；科技[C][U]
Many people call the age we live in the age of technology.
許多人把我們生活的時代叫做工業技術時代。
nullify
使無效；廢棄；取消
He has no right to nullify laws.
他無權廢除法律。
carnage
大屠殺
In history, whenever the army forces conquered a new city, the result is invariably carnage.
歷史上，每當軍隊攻佔一座城池，結果都是大屠殺。
deluged
（洪水般）湧至；大量泛濫[C][（+of）]
a deluge of visitors
蜂擁而至的參觀者
canard
謬傳（尤指惡意編選的）
defamatory
破壞名譽的；誹謗的
plaintiff
【律】起訴人，原告[C]
The plaintiff accused the defendant of fraud.
原告指控被告欺詐。
libel
【律】（利用文字、圖畫等的）誹謗（罪）[U]
commit libel
犯誹謗罪
deprecate
聲明不贊成；反對；輕視
excoriate
痛責；撻伐
The Ambassador of Iran excoriated the United States in the U.N. general assembly.
伊朗大使在聯合國大會中撻伐美國。
frail
身體虛弱的
Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.
華納太太已經九十六歲了，身體虛弱，不便獨居。
易損壞的；不堅實的
The bridge is a frail wooden structure.
這座橋的木質結構，很不結實。
渺茫的
He has only a frail chance of winning the prize.
他獲獎的可能極小。
potent
強有力的；有權勢的；有影響的
He is a potent ruler.
他是一個強有力的統治者。
（藥等）有效力的，有效能的
A new potent antibiotic will shortly be available.
一種新的高效抗生素不久將在市面銷售。
（議論等）有說服力的
Mr. Adams produced his potent argument at the meeting.
亞當斯先生在會上提出了有說服力的論點。
reputed
據說的；普遍認為的；號稱的
She is reputed to be 25 years younger than her husband.
據說她比丈夫小25歲。
devout
虔誠的，忠實於某宗教的
a devout Buddhist/Christian/churchgoer
虔誠的佛教徒／基督教徒／教徒
impromptu
無準備的，即興的
an impromptu party/performance
臨時晚會／即興表演
malevolent
惡意的；惡毒的；有害的
The central character is a malevolent witch out for revenge.
主角是一個想復仇的惡毒女巫。
profuse
極其豐富的，充沛的
She was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital with profuse bleeding.
她因大量出血被送入聖瑪麗醫院。
diminutive
微小的，矮小的
He’s a diminutive figure, less than five feet tall.
他身材矮小，不足五英尺高。
dulcet
柔和動聽的，輕柔悅耳的
raiment
衣服
go off the rails
舉止怪異；越過道德底線，行為不軌
He went off the rails in his first year at university.
他剛上大學一年級行為就很出軌。
corpulent
肥胖的，臃腫的
a corpulent gentleman
肥胖的紳士
wistful
傷感的；留戀的
a wistful smile
嚮往的微笑
brigand
（攜帶武器的）盜賊；（尤指在鄉野地區襲擊旅人的）強盜，土匪
rift
（地面或岩石上的）裂縫，裂口
The stream had cut a deep rift in the rock.
溪流在岩石上沖刷出一條很深的溝。
raconteur
善於講故事的人
He was a brilliant raconteur.
他非常善於講故事。
sullen
慍怒的；悶悶不樂的，繃著臉的
His daughters stared back at him with an expression of sullen resentment.
他的幾個女兒也滿臉慍怒地狠狠回瞪他。
emissary
使者；特使；密使
He flew to China as the personal emissary of the President.
他以首相的私人特使的身份搭機前往中國。
ruminate
沈思，長時間思考
She ruminated for weeks about whether to tell him or not.
幾個星期她一直在反復考慮是否要告訴他真相。
livid
狂怒的，暴怒的
He was livid when he found out.
他發現真相後非常氣憤。
taut
拉緊的，繃緊的 a taut rope 拉緊的繩子 He kept his eyes on the road ahead, his face taut with concentration. 他眼睛盯著前方的道路，神情專注，臉緊繃著。
martinet
嚴格執行規章制度的人
yen
渴望，熱望
I have a yen for travelling.
我渴望出去旅行。
bagatelle
小玩意兒，小事；（尤指款項）小數目
A thousand pounds is a mere bagatelle to him.
1000英鎊對他來說根本不算甚麼。
decapitate
把…斬首，砍…的頭
penchant
偏好，傾向，嗜好
a penchant for melodrama/skiing/exotic clothes
偏愛通俗劇／滑雪／奇裝異服
termagant
悍婦，潑婦
appalled
使驚駭；使震驚
I was appalled at/by the lack of staff in the hospital.
醫院裡人手之少令我震驚。
callow
（尤指年輕人）幼稚的；不自信的；不諳世事的
Mark was just a callow youth of 16 when he arrived in Paris.
馬克到巴黎的時候還是個不諳世事的16歲少年。
burgeoned
迅速發展；快速生長
Love burgeoned between them.
他們雙雙迅速墜入愛河。
