Proficiency 4 Flashcards
1
Q
Erfolg haben, aufblühen
A
to thrive on (positive recognition)
2
Q
bedrängt (sein, werden)
A
hard-pressed (The organisers were hard-pressed for new ideas.)
3
Q
sich intensiv mit etw. beschäftigen
A
to get one’s teeth into sth. (The pianist enjoyed getting his teeth into challenging pieces.)
4
Q
sich selber loben
A
to blow one’s own trumpet
5
Q
andere Saiten aufziehen
A
to change tune
6
Q
alle Register ziehen, alle Hebel in Bewegung setzen
A
to pull out all the stops
7
Q
für einen Spottpreis verkauft werden
A
to go for a song
8
Q
Mittelmässigkeit
A
mediocrity (There is no room for mediocrity in the world of performing arts today.)
9
Q
Sich dem Ende zuneigen
A
to draw to the close (As the show draws to a close,…)
10
Q
kümmerlich, mickrig
A
puny (I feel incredibly puny next to the real acrobats.)
11
Q
Auffrischung, Neuanfang
A
new lease of life (The Cirque has given him a new lease of life.)
12
Q
das Handtuch werfen
A
to throw in the towel
13
Q
fällig sein
A
to be due for (release, payment, retirement)
14
Q
verpflichtet sein, etw. zu tun/bestimmt etwas tun werden
A
to be bound to do sth. (The show is bound to be a success.)
15
Q
Aufforstung
A
reforestation
16
Q
Verdunstung
A
evaporation
17
Q
ebenbürtig mit jmd.
A
on a par with sb. (The intelligence and emotional empathy of whales puts them on a par with humans.)
18
Q
Gefangenschaft
A
captivity (Whales should not be kept in captivity.)
19
Q
Befürwortung, Bestätigung
A
endorsement
20
Q
sich für etw. hingeben, sich etw. widmen
A
to devote oneself to sth.
21
Q
lindern, mildern
A
to alleviate (Agricultural development provides the only means of alleviating the situation of poverty and famine.)
22
Q
Absonderung von Treibhausgas
A
greenhouse gas emission
23
Q
ausstossen, abgeben, ausstrahlen
A
to emit sth. (smoke, radiation, heat, sound, light,…)
24
Q
Zurück nehmen, was man gesagt hat.
A
to eat one’s words (I ended up having to eat my words.)
25
Widerstände gegen etw. erheben
to take issue with sth. (I take issue with people who say the zoo's cruel.)
26
Abfall, Müll
refuse
27
irrtümlich, fehlerhaft
erroneous (Visitor to New York often gain the erroneous impression that...)
28
erhoben
levied (the amount which was levied)
29
empört
indignant (The writer's tone is indignant)
30
etw. genehmigen
to sanction sth. (to sanction major investment in...)
31
bergig, berghoch, Gebirgs-
mountainous (piles of refuse, area, country)
32
dazu neigen
to be apt (newcomers are apt to reach the conclusion that...)
33
unverhältnismässig
disproportionate (your pick-up days take on quite disproportionate significance)
34
illegal
illicit (I illicitly dumped the bags in another neighbourhood.)
35
eine Flut von
a raft of
36
Verstoss
infraction (I find a gnomic account of my latest infraction)
37
Einhaltung, Regelbefolgung, Übereinstimmung
compliance
38
Würdigkeit, Wert
worthiness
39
bürgerlich
civic (common civic values)
40
Qual, Kummer
anguish (The neighbour's eyes grew watery with anguish.)
41
schädlich, nachteilig
detrimental (effects, factors)
42
minderwertig, unterlegen
inferior (The meat was definitely inferio to what I usually buy from the market.)
43
Kleidungsstück, Gewand
garment
44
Besonderheit, Eigenart
peculiarity (We are far from comprehending the world in all its glorious peculiarity.)
45
etw. zunichte machen
to put paid to sth. (His accident has put paid to his idea of going to Africa.)
46
eine Bestellung aufgeben
to place an order
47
einen Plan in die Tat umsetzen
to put a plan into action
48
kurzfristig
at short notice (We were asked to take in our friends' pets at short notice.)
49
Aufgrund
on the strength of (On the strength of her qualifications, Lucy got the job.)
50
am Ende deiner Kräfte
at the end of your tether (If you're feeling at the end of your tether, go and have a walk by the sea.)
51
Keine Bedenken haben
to have no scruples (about) (He has no scuples about killing animals in danger of extinction.)
52
begründet durch etw.
accountet for by sth.
53
Niedergang, Untergang
demise (of an institiution, empire, creature)
54
unerreichbar, unzugänglich
inaccessible (...in a largely inaccessible area of Borneo)
55
ungeachtet
irrespective of (how she feels)
56
Unentschlossenheit
indecision
57
etwas auf/für etwas anwenden
apply sth. to sth.
58
sich das Lachen verkneifen
to refrain from laughing
59
sprunghaft, rasant
by leaps and bounds (Kevin's has improved his performance by leaps and bounds.)
60
nicht allgemein zugänglich, verboten
out of bounds (The area backstage is out of bounds to the public.)
61
eine Gelegenheit ergreifen
to leap at an opportunity (If you are invited to audition for West End, you should leap at the opportunity!)
62
Verwüstung / verwüsten
ravage / to ravage (Parts of the town were ravaged by the earthquake.)
63
einheimisch, eingeboren
indigenous (They are indigenous peoples who live in remote isolation from their national societies.)
64
Abholzung
logging
65
Sozialhilfe, Wohl, Fürsorge
welfare
66
etw. in den Vordergrund rücken
place special emphasis on sth.
67
keine Neigung dazu verspüren, etw. zu tun
to feel no inclination to do sth.
68
im jmd.'s Schlepptau
in sb.'s wake
69
Stoffwechsel
metabolism
70
fade, langweilig
bland (It would be a rather bland and predictable world.)
71
Beendigung
cessation (the cessation of thought)
72
schneller, spontaner Entschluss
snap decision
73
mit aller Sorgfalt
with utmost care (Everything was planned with the utmost care by the organisers.)
74
etw. etw. nachbilden, nachempfinden
to model sth. on sth. (Tim modelled himself on one of his heroes.)
75
von etw./jmd. genug bekommen
to tire of sth. (However often I see it, I never tire of this film.)
76
beispiellos, einmalig
unparalleled (They present an unparalleled winter paradise.)
77
etw. ungern tun, abgeneigt sein etwas zu tun
to be loath to do sth. (Travel writers are loath to be pigeon-holed.)
78
bereit, selbstsicher
poised (We was poised and well dressed.)
79
schwerfällig, mühselig
cumbersome (It goes by the cumbersome title of ...)
80
idyllisch
quaint (village)
81
schmuddelig, schmutzig
grimy (...trains were grimy and unreliable...)
82
anziehen, anlocken / Reiz, Anziehungskraft
to allure / allure (Travel has lost some of its allure for me.)
83
Knotenpunkt, Zentrum
hub (Los Angeles airport - the hub of modern travel)
84
weit verstreut, abgelegen
far - flung (Jenny loves travelling to the far-flung corners of the Earth.)
85
Spontanität
spontaneity
86
im hinterletzen Winkel
in the back of beyond (Francesco went off to the back of beyond hikin for a fortnight.)
87
Reiseplan
itinerary
88
Es genügt zu sagen, dass...
Suffice it to say that (..., it was your responsibility to read this before signing.)
89
Ähnlichkeit haben mit
to bear resemblance to (They bear resemblance to big playpens.)
90
dicht / dünn besiedelt
densely / sparsely populated
91
unabsichtlich, versehentlich
inadvertently
92
etw. aufrechterhalten, etw. einhalten
to adhere (Tourist organisations have to adhere to certain regulations.)
93
Schmarotzer
freeloader (The tourist is often seen as a freeloader.)
94
Entwicklungsländer
emerging nations (The industry is throwing an economic lifeline to emerging nations.)
95
jung, unerfahren
fledgling (economies)
96
erfahren im Umgang mit etw. sein
to be adept at doings sth. (Tour companies are adept at ensuring that their customers spend their money.)
97
den Eindruck haben, dass...
to be under the impression that...
98
parat, zur Verfügung
on hand (The tour guide was on hand to deal with the situation.)
99
erfolglos
to no avail (...but all his efforts to retrieve my luggage were to no avail.)
100
jdn. zur Verantwortung ziehen
to hold sb. accountable (Travel companies don't hold themselves accountable for what they do.)
101
verdünnen
to dilute (a drink)
102
Durchsicht, Prüfung
perusal (The perusal of the movie script.)
103
Fülle, Überfluss
plethora (The banquet included a plethora of oysters.)
104
Vorliebe
predilection (James has a predilection for eating toast with nutella.)
105
unüberlegt, überstürzt
rash (Don't make rash decisions!)
106
sanieren, renovieren
to refurbish (After being refurbished the old motorcycle commanded the price of 6000.)
107
ablehnen, zurückweisen
to repudiate (His mother repudiated the extension of his curfew.
108
auffällig
salient (One of the salient differences is that Alison is heavier than Helen.)
109
Zufallsfund, Entdeckung
serendipity (In an amazing bit of serendipity, Mark foud 50 dollars on the bus.)
110
überflüssig
superfluous (Sam had already won the campaign so her constant flattery of others was superfluous.)
111
Schleimer
sycophant (Some see the Prime Minister's closest advisors as sycophants.)
112
schweigsam
taciturn (Tom is quite taciturn)
113
trotzig, wild, aufsässig
truculent (The bouncer of this club was really truculent.)
114
Verletzung (nicht körperlich!)
umbrage (He called me a coward, and I took umbrage at the insult.)
115
ehrwürdig
venerable (The venerable judge had made several cases.)
116
ärgern
to vex (My boyfriend vexes me by pinching my bottom.)
117
lautstark
vociferous (I'm tired of his vociferous whining.)
118
schamlos
wanton (Joanna's wanton demeanor often made the guys very excited.)
119
willkürlich, planlos
haphazard (Wandering along the haphazard network of back streets,...)
120
unterdrückt
stifled (impulse, sigh)
121
rau, lärmend
raucous (The wedding party was very raucous.)
122
ein bedauerlicher Anblick bieten
to look a sorry sight
123
leichtgläubig
gullible (She was so gullible as to believe his story.)
124
das Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis
value for money (The travel agency promised to give us value for money.)
125
entlassen werden
to be laid off
126
einsparen
to economise (on) (We'll have to economise on heating or we won't be able to pay the bill.)
127
sinnlose, aussichtslose Unternehmung
a wild-goose chase (Looking for Susan in New York is simply a wild-goose chase.)
128
auf frischer Tat ertappt werden
to be/get caught red-handed
129
flöten gehen
to go down the drain (All the money I'd invested went down the drain when the company failed.)
130
besonderer Tag
red-letter day (12 June is a red-letter day for my sister. It's the day she launched her own business.)
131
etw. ausser Acht lassen
to show disregard for sth. (The employee showed total disregard for the company rules and was dismissed.)
132
entzückt, bezaubert
to be entranced by (We were totally entranced by the ballerina's dancing.)
133
Mangel in ..., arm an ...
deficient in (iron, calories, intelligence, rain,...)
134
leihweise
on loan (We have a car on loan until Friday.)
135
allem Anschein nach
by all accounts (..., he is the best basketball player in the team.)
136
sein wahres Gesicht zeigen
to show one's true colours
137
die Frechheit besitzen, etwas zu tun
to have the cheek to do sth.
138
wütend werden
to get a bit hot under the collar
139
mit Bravour bestehen
to pass with flying colours
140
sich etwas von der Seele reden
to get sth. off one's chest
141
so verschieden wie Tag und Nacht
as different as chalk and cheese
142
knapp, um ein Haar
by a close shave
143
etw. kennt keine Grenzen
there is no limit to sth.
144
mangeln an
to be devoid of sth. (That man is devoid of pity.)
145
jdm. absichtlich völlig ignorien
cut sb. dead
146
Mein Entschluss steht fest.
My mind is made up (...as far as the expedition is concerned.)
147
Kulisse
backdrop (of landscape, scenery) (Our base is set against a backdrop of cloud forest along the Andes.)
148
Kloster
monastery
149
ausbreitend, ausgedehnt
sprawling (We looked down on the sprawling city below.)
150
Verarbeitung
workmanship (This boomerang is a fine example of Maori workmanship.)
151
Gegenüberstellung
juxtaposition (The juxtaposition of two opposing viewpoints in this essay is rather interesting)
152
Wahrzeichen
landmark (The Taj Mahal is a famous landmark of India.)
153
Aufsässigkeit, Trotzigkeit
truculence (His truculence will get him in trouble.)
154
ärgerlich
vexing (My allergies are such a vexing problem.)
155
Bürokratie
officialdom (Officialdom seems to exist just to make our lives awkward.)
156
Hohn
cynicism
157
ein unvergesslicher Anblick sein
to be a sight to behold
158
Es liegt mir fern...
Far be it from me (... to judge them, but...)
159
etw. (äusserst) ungern tun
to resent doing sth. (I resent her changing all my designs.)
160
genau nach den Vorschriften
by the book (We had to do everything strictly by the book.)
161
angeboren
innate (Scientists must develop their innate talents.)
162
Eigenwert
intrinsic value (Those who write must have something of intrinsic value to say.)
163
auf etw. beschränkt sein
to be restricted to sth.
164
Aufwand, Ausgaben
expenditure (a reduction in a business expenditure caused by...)
165
sich etw. bewusst sein.
to be aware of sth. (...of the need to protect nation)
166
Angestellter
clerk
167
etw. ausprobieren
to try one's hand at sth. (Despite trying my hand at short stories, ...)
168
einen Glückstreffer landen
to strike lucky (A few writers strike it lucky with creating a bestseller.)
169
Aus Angst, dass...
for fear that (He stopped singing for fear that someone could hear it.)
170
Vermutung, Annahme
conjecture
171
schändlich, verachtenswert
nefarious (...as we learn more about Dr Potter's nefarious actions.)
172
kürzen
to truncate (the notes become more truncated and...)
173
Darstellung, Beschreibung
depiction
174
deutlich, eindeutig
distinct (the importance of distinct characters in novels.)
175
Seltenheit
rarity
176
Wahrscheinlichkeit
likelihood
177
ergänzend
complementary
178
gleicher Meinung sein
to see eye to eye (with) (Luisa and I never saw eye to eye when it came to education.)
179
für etw. / jmd. Verständnis zeigen
to sympathise with sb./sth. (Much as I sympathise with the line taken by Green Party, I don't usually vote for them.)
180
auf etw. grossen Wert legen
to set great store on sth. (Susie is setting great store on this job interview.)
181
Langlebigkeit
longevity (Should the longevity link also apply to human beings,...)
182
Vorläufer
precursor (The analysis is seen as a necessary precursor to the attempts.)
183
offenbaren
to manifest (it manifests itself through a tendency to control others.)
184
zurückkehren, wieder aufnehmen
to revert to (people will revert to an authoritarian stance)
185
autoritär
authoritarian
186
zwangsläufig, unausweichlich
inescapable (fact)
187
Ermüdung
fatigue
188
beseitigen
to eradicate sth. (She would like to eradicate the guilt.)
189
wehmütig
wistful (Harry gave a wistful look at his old school.)
190
hartnäckig, unnachgiebig
adamant (Tony was adamant that he'd been right about the problem.)
191
unterbewusst / Unterbewusstsein
subconscious
192
etw. kritiklos hinnehmen, einfach glauben
to take sth. at face value (The team did not take these recollections at face value.)
193
Heilmittel
remedy (The success rate of alternative remedies...)
194
etw. eingestehen
to own up to sth. (He realised that he had no option but to own up to his errors.)
195
beeinträchtigen
to impair (our understanding)
196
biologisches Erzeugnis
organic produce
197
Verkündigung, Ankündigung
proclamation
198
etw. wieder gut machen
to atone for sth.
199
eigentlich, im Grossen und Ganzen
to all intents and purposes (The meeting was due to carry on until 4 o'clock but, to all intents and purposes, had finised by 3, the most important decisions having been made.)
200
Fortschritt
headway (They are making real headway in the search for a cure)
201
Inbegriff
paragon (She is a paragon of virtue.)
202
keusch
chaste (It was a completely chaste conversation.)
203
anstrengend
arduous (The trek up the mountain was very arduous.)
204
unsicher
precarious (My job situation is a bit precarious at the moment.)
205
elementar
rudimentary (I have just a rudimentary knowledge of geometry.)
206
Inbegriff, Verkörperung
epitome (He is the epitome of goodness.)
207
ärgern
to exasperate (He was exasperated by the senseless delays.)
208
abschwächen
to mitigate (they mitigated his punishment.)
209
absagen, sein Wort nicht halten
to renege (He has reneged on his promise.)
210
zugänglich, offen
amenable (She was amenable to my plan.)
211
entsetzen, empören
to appall (He was appalled by the damage of the fire.)
212
stillschweigen, unausgesprochen
tacit (The director gave tacit approval of the project, but didn't openly endorse it.)
213
Vorteil
perk (You have to give up a lot for those perks.)
214
Veranstaltungsort
venue
215
gemächlich
leisurely
216
Pracht
splendor (The the full diversity of fauna and flora is revealed in all its splendor.)
217
Einheit
entity
218
schlechtmachen
to decry (they decry the speech of the younger generation.)
219
etw. ignorieren, von etw. keine Notiz nehmen
to take no notice of sth.
220
etw. an jmd. herantragen
bring sth. to sb. attention
221
vorherrschend
endemic (Malaria is endemic in many of the hotter regions of the world.)
222
leichtfertig, albern, leichtsinnig
frivolous (I feel like doing something completely frivolous today.)
223
träge, teilnahmlos
lethargic (I was feeling tired and lethargic.)
224
lustlos, teilnahmlos
listless (He's been listless and a bit depressed ever since he got his exam results.)
225
Vorwand, Vortäuschung
pretence (She made absolutely no pretence of being interested.)
226
widerrufen, aberkennen
revoke (The authorities have revoked their original decision to allow development of this rural area.)
227
Durcheinander
shambles (Our economy is in a shambles.)
228
schlau, gerissen
shrewd (She is a shrewd politician who wants to avoid offending the electorate unnecessarily.)
229
bei etw. schlecht wegkommen
to lose out on sth. (In some deals, you might lose out through wrong judgement...)
230
den Horizont erweitern
to broaden one's mind/ horizons
231
gute, gründliche Kenntnisse
sound knowledge (A translator needs sound knowledge of office software and...)
232
Wo ein Wille ist, ist auch ein Weg
Where there's a will, there's a way.
233
Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben
don't count your chickens before they hatch
234
Taten sagen mehr als Worte
actions speak louder than words
235
unbeschreiblich
undescribable
236
unerkennbar
unrecognisable
237
undenkbar, unvorstellbar
inconceivable
238
Unentschlossenheit
indecisiveness
239
beschreibend
descriptive
240
beständig, unveränderlich
invariable
241
Konkurs anmelden
to declare bankruptcy
242
risikoscheu
risk-averse
243
etw./jdm. dämpfen
to put the damper on sth./jmd.
244
ausrangiert
cast-off (clothes)
245
weitreichend
wide-ranging
246
auf den Tisch kommen (Vorschlag)
to be put forward (a proposal)
247
leistungsstark
high-powered
248
minderwertig, unterdurchschnittlich
substandard
249
jmd. austricksen
to outwit sb.
250
reinigen, säubern
purify (water)
251
Auffälligkeit, Abnormalität
abnormality
252
verbittert
embittered (The old man felt embittered)
253
auf keinen Fall
by no means
254
Beisammensein, Zusammenkunft
get-together
255
benachteiligt
underprivileged
256
Übermass
overkill
257
das geringere Übel
the lesser of two evils
258
mindestens genauso...wie...
to be every bit as...(beautiful)...as...
259
aus der Distanz betrachtet (im Nachhinein)
with the benefit of hindsight
260
Alternativplan
contingency plan
261
nicht mehr der/die Jüngste sein
to be no spring chicken
262
ausarbeiten, konkretisieren
to flesh out
263
mit jmd. ein Hühnchen zu rupfen haben
to have an axe to grind with sb.
264
dahinwursteln, sich irgendwie durchschlagen
to muddle through (an exam)
265
bis zum Gehtnichtmehr
until one is blue in the face
266
zu keiner Zeit
at no time... (did I expect)
267
hinterherhinken
to lag behind
268
greifbar, spürbar
palpable (The tension is palpable.)
269
etw./jdm. aufnehmen, einbeziehen
to incorporate (Try to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your daily menu.)
270
jmd. auf den Geschmack bringen, Appetit auf mehr machen
to whet sb.'s appetite (for fresh food)
271
quetschen, zerquetschen
to squash
272
saftig
succulent (steak)
273
streng, würzig
tangy (fruit smoothie)
274
Grundnahrungsmittel
staple food (Rice is the staple food of many Japanese people.)
275
Geschmacksnerven
taste buds
276
Hülsenfrucht
pulse
277
unausgereift
half-baked (idea)
278
das Beste vom Besten
the cream of the crop
279
in einer peinlichen Lage sein
to be in a pickle
280
einlenken, nachgeben
to relent (His dad finally relented and James set off on his adventure.)
281
Loyalität
allegiance (explanations for changes of allegiance amongst football fans)
282
abschrecken, abhalten
to deter (Hooliganism deters fans from going to football.)
283
unheilvoll, verdächtig
ominous
284
zu etw. im Widerspruch stehen
to be at odds with sth. (He found himself at odds with much of this teaching.)
285
keine Miene verziehen
to keep a straight face
286
nicht annähernd
nowhere near (Reading a thriller is nowhere near as much fun if you already know the ending.)
287
of grösster Bedeutung / Wichtigkeit
of prime importance
288
am Ende sein
to be down and out
289
es schwer haben
to have a rough ride
290
verwöhnen
to pamper
291
Zeit beiseite legen
to set aside time
292
etw. heraufbeschwören
to evoke (emotions)
293
länglich, langgestreckt
elongated (wrist bone)
294
Bedrängnis, Leiden, Krankheit
affliction (They discovered treatmens for almost every affliction prevalent at the time.)
295
etw. kurz notieren
to jot sth. down
296
Lohntüte
pay packet
297
abstossend, abweisend
repellent (It is fascinating and slightly repellent...)
298
in angemessem Raum
within reason (Within reason the more you practise, be better your chances of winning.)
299
stossweise
in fits and starts
300
gleichmässig
equable (climate)
301
Flut, Lawine
torrent (...filling the streets with torrents.)
302
Katastrophe, Unheil
calamity (The weather...you think more of nourishment than calamity.)
303
befallen, plagen
to afflict (...natural disasters that regularly afflict the nation.)
304
Unbeständigkeit
volatility (the volatility of American weather)
305
Dürre
drought
306
Verfall, Zerfall
decay (Many species of wildlife rely on the process of decay in old tree trunks.)
307
unvereinbar mit
incompatible with (I'm afraid the new computer system is incompatible with the previous one.)
308
verdorben, verunreinigt
tainted
309
makellos, einwandfrei
immaculate (The architect has designed a building of immaculate symmetry.)
310
überspannen
to overstretch (Don't do too much and overstretch yourself at the moment. You need to rest!)
311
erklärend, erläuternd
illustrative (The story is illustrative of many others we have received recently.)
312
ratsam, empfehlenswert
advisable
313
Wettbewerbsfähigkeit
competitiveness
314
fälschlicherweise (adv.)
mistakenly
315
fragwürdig, zweifelhaft
dubious
316
kentern, umkippen
to capsize (When the boat capsized,..)
317
Es bringt nichts, etwas zu tun
there's no point (in) doing sth.
318
eine Unterhaltung führen
to converse (I like to converse with Americans.)
319
vereinbaren, vorschreiben
to stipulate (The law stipulates that new cars must have seat belts for the driver and every passenger.)
320
mehrdeutig
ambiguous (His reply to my question was somewhat ambiguous.)
321
enthaltsam
ascetic (The monk lived an ascetic life.)
322
unterstützen, stärken
to bolster (She tried to bolster my confidence/morale.)
323
verzeihen, billigen
to condone (If the government is seen to condone violence, the bloodshed will never stop.)
324
Umschreibung, Beschönigung
euphemism ("Senior citizen" is a euphemism for "old person")
325
nutzlos, sinnlos
futile (My efforts to go back to sleep proved futile.)
