BABBLER英语积累

Question 1

plough/plow

Answer 1

犁，费力做某事：
We ploughed through the thick mud. 我们费力地穿过泥泞的地方。
I’ve got an enormous pile of papers to plough through. 我有成堆的文件要看。
plough ahead：to continue to do something in spite of opposition or difficulties

Question 2

diminutive

Answer 2

个头不高的

Question 3

shot, dribble, pass and tackle

Answer 3

射门、运球、传球和铲球

Question 4

stand behind (someone or something)

Answer 4

support (someone or something)；如果想要表达“坚定支持”, 可以写成“stand firmly behind”, 其中“firmly”由具象的“稳固”理解为抽象的“坚定”；“stand squarely behind”等同于“stand firmly behind”

Question 5

withering criticism

Answer 5

“严厉、尖刻的批评”；“strong/severe/heavy”或者“fierce/bitter/harsh/sharp”来与criticism搭配；
wither本义表示“使枯萎, 使凋谢”, 继而可以衍生为“使说不出话, 使不行动, 使目瞪口呆”, 由此衍生的withering (adj.) 就可以表示“(目光、话语等) 令人难堪的, 尖刻的, 严厉的”。

Question 6

throw/shoot someone a withering look

Answer 6

狠狠地瞪了某人一眼

Question 7

smooth ruffled feathers

Answer 7

“安抚”或者“平息” (make someone feel less angry or offended);
ruffle (v.) 表示“弄乱, 弄皱, 使起伏不平”, 比如“The wind ruffled the water.” (风吹皱了水面, 风让水面泛起涟漪), 也可以用于描述鸟类“竖起羽毛”, 比如“The birds ruffled their feathers (up) in alarm.” (鸟惊恐地竖起了羽毛), 再可衍生用于表述人“使生气, 使心烦意乱, 使紧张”.习惯用语“ruffle someone’s feathers”指的就是“annoy someone”

Question 8

legal tender

Answer 8

法定货币

Question 9

gimmick/stunt

Answer 9

噱头

Question 10

correspondent

Answer 10

记者

Question 11

adorn

Answer 11

装饰

Question 12

feat

Answer 12

n 壮举 adj 合适的

Question 13

… be the exception, rather than the norm

Answer 13

仅有少数，大部分人尚未…

Question 14

be sceptical of

Answer 14

对……持怀疑态度

Question 15

remittance

Answer 15

汇款

Question 16

diaspora

Answer 16

[daɪˈæspərə] n. 侨民

Question 17

stymie

Answer 17

[ˈstaɪmi] vt. 从中作梗；阻挠；妨碍

Question 18

intrigued

Answer 18

[ɪnˈtriːɡ] n. 阴谋；诡计 v. 激起…的兴趣；私通；密谋