Lesson 3-5 Flashcards
oscillate
來回擺動；震動；震盪
The needle on the dial oscillated between full and empty.
刻度盤上的指針在「滿」和「空」之間來回擺動。
ostensible
表面上的；假稱的，假託的
Their ostensible goal was to clean up government corruption, but their real aim was to unseat the government.
他們假稱要清除政府腐敗，可真正目的卻是要顛覆政府。
ostentatious
鋪張的，擺闊的；炫耀的，賣弄的；招搖的
They criticized the ostentatious lifestyle of their leaders.
他們批評領導們鋪張的生活方式。
ostracize
故意避開；排擠，排斥
His colleagues ostracized him after he criticized the company in public.
他公開批評公司之後，同事們對他採取了排斥態度。
palliate
減輕負面影響
They tried to palliate the hardship of their lives.
他們試圖緩解生活的艱難。
parody
滑稽模仿作品（指文章、音樂、藝術品、講話等）
He was an 18th-century author who wrote parodies of other people’s works.
他是一位18世紀的作家，專對他人的作品進行滑稽模仿。
paucity
缺乏
There is a paucity of information on the ingredients of many cosmetics.
許多化妝品沒有提供充足的產品成分資訊。
pedigree
（動物的）純種系譜
The breeder showed us the dog’s pedigree.
飼養員給我們看了這隻狗的純種系譜。
pertinent
有關的，直接相關的
a pertinent question/remark
切中要害的問題／評論
perverse
有悖常理的；任性的
Jack was being perverse and refusing to agree with anything we said.
傑克一意孤行，我們說甚麼他都反對。
phlegmatic
冷靜的，沉著的，鎮定的
As a football player, his great asset was his calm, phlegmatic manner.
作為一名足球運動員，他最大的優點是他在場上沉著冷靜的風度。
pillage
（尤指在戰爭中）掠奪，搶劫，劫掠
Works of art were pillaged from many countries in the dark days of the Empire.
在該帝國一手遮天的黑暗時期，許多國家的藝術品被肆意掠奪。
placate
平息，安撫
Outraged minority groups will not be placated by promises of future improvements.
許諾今後進行改善無法安撫憤怒的少數民族團體。
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。
plaudit
讚揚
She’s received plaudits for her work with homeless people.
她因救助無家可歸者而受到讚揚。
poignant
令人痛苦的，酸楚的；深深打動人的
The photograph awakens poignant memories of happier days.
照片喚起了對美好時光的深情追憶。
poise
沉著，泰然自若；平衡
He looked embarrassed for a moment, then quickly regained his poise.
他一時間顯得尷尬，但很快又恢復了平靜。
precarious
危險的；不牢靠的，不穩的
The lorry was lodged in a very precarious way, with its front wheels hanging over the cliff.
卡車的位置很危險，前輪懸在峭壁上面。
precipitate
促成；使突如其來地發生；加速…的發生
An invasion would certainly precipitate a political crisis.
入侵肯定會加劇政治危機。
precursor
先驅，先鋒；先兆，前兆
Sulphur dioxide is the main precursor of acid rain.
二氧化硫是形成酸雨最重要的先決條件。
prerogative
獨有的權利（或權力），特權
Alex makes all the big decisions - that’s his prerogative as company director.
所有重大決定都是由亞歷克斯作出的——這是他作為公司主管的特權。
prevaricate
支吾，搪塞，含糊其詞；顧左右而言他
He accused the minister of prevaricating.
他指責部長一味搪塞。
proliferate
激增
Small businesses have proliferated in the last ten years.
在過去的十年裡，小型企業大量湧現。
prolific
作品豐富的；多產的
He was probably the most prolific songwriter of his generation.
他可能是他這一代中最多產的歌曲作家。
promulgate
頒布，公佈（尤指新法律）
The new law was finally promulgated in the autumn of last year.
新法律最終於去年秋天頒布。
propensity
（尤指不良的）傾向，嗜好，癖好
[ + to infinitive ] She’s inherited from her father a propensity to talk too much.
她從她父親那裡遺傳了話多的毛病。
propitious
吉祥的，吉利的
With the economy in recession, it was not a propitious time to start a company.
經濟正處於蕭條時期，這可不是開公司的好時候。
prosaic
乏味的；平淡無奇的；缺乏想像力的
If only she’d been called Camilla or Flavia instead of the prosaic Jane.
要是她叫「卡蜜拉」或「弗拉維亞」而不是叫「珍」這個平常的名字該多好。
proscribe
（政府或其他權力機構）禁止
Torture and summary execution of political prisoners are proscribed by international law.
國際法禁止對政治犯嚴刑逼供或草率處理。
prosecute
起訴；檢舉
Shoplifters will be prosecuted.
商店扒手將遭到起訴。
protégé
受提攜的後進；門徒，門生
The young composer regarded himself as Berg’s protégé.
這位年輕的作曲家認為自己是伯格的門徒。
proximity
接近，鄰近；臨近
The best thing about the location of the house is its proximity to the town centre.
這棟房子地理位置最好的就是鄰近市中心。
puffy
（眼睛）腫脹的，腫大的
His eyes were still puffy with sleep.
他的眼睛因為睡覺所以還是腫腫的。
purge
清除，肅清（反對者）
Party leaders have undertaken to purge the party of extremists.
政黨領袖已採取行動清除黨內的極端分子。
quintessential
最典型的；最本質的
Sheep’s milk cheese is the quintessential Corsican cheese.
羊乳酪是最典型的科西嘉菜。
rake
搜尋；搜翻；搜索
He raked about in the drawer looking for his passport.
他在抽屜中翻來翻去找他的護照。
rebuke
斥責；指責；訓斥
I was rebuked by my manager for being late.
我因為遲到而遭到經理的訓斥。
reciprocate
回報，報答，酬答
Sadly, my feelings for him were not reciprocated.
很不幸，我為他付出的感情沒有得到回報。
recondite
深奧的；玄妙的；晦澀的
We had to work from material that was both complex and recondite.
我們不得不從那些複雜晦澀的資料著手開始工作。
redundant
（尤指詞、片語等）多餘的，不需要的，累贅的，囉唆的
In the sentence “She is a single unmarried woman”, the word “unmarried” is redundant.
在句子 She is a single unmarried woman 中，unmarried 一詞是多餘的。
reel sth off
一口氣說出；滔滔不絕地講
The old man reeled off the names of his 22 grandchildren.
老人一口氣說出了他22個孫子孫女的名字。
refute
駁斥；反駁；否認…的正確性（或真實性）
to refute a person/theory/argument/claim
駁斥一個人／理論／論點／說法
reimburse
償還；付還；補償
The airline reimbursed me for the amount they had overcharged me.
航空公司把多收的錢退還給我了。
reiterate
反復地說，反復講；重申
The government has reiterated its refusal to compromise with terrorists.
政府重申拒絕向恐怖分子妥協。
rejuvenate
使年輕；使恢復活力；使青春煥發
She felt rejuvenated by her fortnight in the Bahamas.
在巴哈馬群島度了兩週假，她覺得自己變年輕了。
relegate
貶職；使降級；降低…的地位
She resigned when she was relegated to a desk job.
因被降職做文書，她就辭了職。
relinquish
放棄；拒絕
He has relinquished his claim to the throne.
他放棄了繼承王位的要求。
reminiscent of sb/sth
使人想起…的；使人回憶起…的
That song is so reminiscent of my adolescence.
那首歌勾起了我對青少年時代的無限回憶。
remnant
殘餘（部分）；剩餘（部分）；零頭；零料
the remnants of last night’s meal
昨晚的剩飯
repertoire
（總稱某人可演出的）全部劇目，全部節目，全部曲目
The Royal Shakespeare Company also have many modern plays in their repertoire.
皇家莎士比亞劇團的演出劇目中也包括很多現代戲劇。
