儒琴英语词汇选自欧美报刊文章以及英语原文小说。坚持学习英语今日词汇，有助于阅读和理解当今欧美主流媒体的新闻时事报道和英语文学作品。
儒琴英语词汇（English Words and Phrases of the Day）
another/the final nail in the coffin
an event that causes the failure of something that had already started to fail
导致失败的事件，致命打击，催命符 (Cambridge)
Such a move would be another nail in the coffin of what former Prime Minister David Cameron has cast as a “golden era” of ties with the world’s second largest economy. (Reuters)
shock absorber
something that serves to reduce or mitigate the worst effects of an unwelcome occurrence or experience.
减震器；用来减少或减轻不受欢迎事件或经历的最坏影响的东西；减缓措施
With official and academic exchanges severely restricted and traditional shock absorbers – such as trade, travel and educational links – rendered almost useless, China-US relations are unravelling at an unprecedented speed, government officials and pundits have warned. （SCMP)
ceremonial first pitch
The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual of baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game
第一个投球仪式是棒球长期以来的一个仪式，由贵宾投掷球来标志赛前庆祝活动的结束和比赛的开始
The Washington Nationals on Monday announced that Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the country’s leading voices during the novel coronavirus pandemic, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch when his two favorite teams, the Nationals and New York Yankees, open Major League Baseball’s shortened 60-game season Thursday at Nationals Park. （Washington Post）
bend (the) facts
to change facts in a dishonest way in order to deceive people
用不诚实的方式改变事实以欺骗人们; 歪曲事实
AP FACT CHECK: Trump bending facts on virus, Biden, economy. President Donald Trump clung to the false notion that the coronavirus will just “disappear,” made incorrect claims about a top government expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and again insisted that Americans are getting all the COVID-19 tests they need — all in a television interview Sunday where his answers fell short on the facts. (AP)
be caked in (with) something
To encrust or cover thickly with; to be covered in an excessive amount of something
厚厚地覆盖; 被过多的某物覆盖
be caked in make-up 浓妆艳抹
“For a man who still measures his manhood by his own TV ratings, it was a curious choice to sit outside in the humid steamer of a Washington summer, caked in his glowing orange make-up, to field the pesky questions of the best interviewer on Fox News.”
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) 强迫症
think about sth too much and doing sth persistently and repetitively without it necessarily leading to an actual reward or pleasure.
TORONTO — Many people have experienced anxiety and excessive cleaning during the pandemic, but for individuals who struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), this isn’t anything new. （CTV）
nonchalant
adjective /ˌnɑːn.ʃəˈlɑːnt/
behaving in a calm manner, often in a way that suggests you are not interested or do not care
若无其事的；漠不关心的；毫不在乎的
‘The fact is, whether he knows it yet or not, he will be leaving,’ Pelosi told MSNBC Monday morning, sounding nonchalant even as other Democrats fret about what might transpire if Trump refuses to accept the election results. （Daily Mail）
