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）
at the outside
used to say that an amount is the most possible in a situation
最多，顶多
The job will take about ten days at the outside. 这活儿顶多需要10天左右。
It would seem then that if the quarantines and shutdowns persist for another month, two at the outside, the country will indeed face this dire prospect. （The National Interest）
forgive a loan/debt
to say that money does not have to be paid back
债务无需偿还
The new program would forgive state loans to new graduates who teach in Nebraska. 在一个新的项目中，前往内布拉斯加教书的大学毕业生可免还政府贷款。
The administration has also implemented the Payroll Protection Program that extends loans to small business to keep people on payroll for as long as possible. It even forgives the loan if borrowers use it for that purpose. The Fed has extended something like it to medium-sized businesses. （The National Interest）
on a knife edge
in a difficult or worrying situation of which the result is very uncertain
岌岌可危；处境艰难的；不确定的…
The county indeed balances on a knife-edge. Perhaps the best news is that leadership—in Washington and state capitals—seems increasingly aware of the delicate balancing act it faces.
antigen
noun [ C ] biology specialized /ˈæn.t̬i.dʒən/ /ˈæn.t̬i.dʒen/
a substance that causes the production of antibodies in the body
抗原
FDA authorizes first coronavirus antigen test. The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the first coronavirus antigen test, which could be used to quickly detect cases in hospitals, doctors’ offices or even some workplaces.
shambles
noun [ S ]informal /ˈʃæm.bəlz/
a state of confusion, bad organization, or untidiness, or something that is in this state
混乱，凌乱，杂乱；混乱（或凌乱、杂乱）之物
After the party, the house was a total/complete shambles. 聚会过后，整幢房子一片狼藉。
Our economy is in a shambles. 我们的经济一团糟。
The way these files are arranged is the biggest shambles I’ve ever seen. 这是我见过的弄得最乱的档案。(Cambridge)
Almost overnight, it seems, the U.S. economy, which just two months ago boasted abundant jobs and soaring stock values, has become a shambles. Not since the government began collecting official data in 1948 has a smaller share of the U.S. population been employed.
stricture
noun /ˈstrɪk.tʃɚ/
a severe moral or physical limit
限制；约束；束缚
religious/financial strictures 宗教上的束缚／财政上的限制
the Taliban’s strictures on women’s rights and education 塔利班对女性权利和接受教育的限制
Accordingly, the massive $4 trillion in fiscal and monetary stimulus aims less at building renewed economic strength than at helping people and businesses bridge the immediate pressures of the emergency so that all can quickly get back to work as soon as progress against the pandemic allows the authorities to lift today’s strictures. （The National Interest）
outmanoeuvre
verb [ T ] UK (US outmaneuver)/ˌaʊt.məˈnuː.vɚ/
to cleverly get an advantage over someone, especially a competitor
智胜；比（对手）技高一筹
In the negotiations, he outmanoeuvred his rivals by offering a higher price. 在谈判中，他开出了更高的价码，智胜竞争对手 （Cambridge）
Perhaps young nations such as ours shouldn’t presume to outmaneuver nearly 4,000-year-old cultures through flirtation and flattery.
ground zero
noun
1. the point on the earth’s surface directly above or below an exploding nuclear bomb.
爆心投影点；归零地（美国世贸中心废墟代称）
2. a starting point or base for some activity； the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change
活动的起点或基点； 快速、激烈或剧烈活动或变化的中心或起源
Coronavirus Turns Michigan Into 2020’s Ground Zero. Michigan has nearly every ingredient going into the 2020 stew. It is a classic swing state that had been reliably Democratic blue in presidential politics until President Trump turned it Republican red in 2016. Now, Mr. Trump trails in polls there. Michigan has a Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, who is on the shortlist of potential Democratic vice presidential nominees.
cocktail hour
noun
the interval before the evening meal during which cocktails and other alcoholic beverages are often served.
鸡尾酒时间;饮酒庆祝时间
South Korea’s capital closed down more than 2,100 bars and other nightspots Saturday because of a new cluster of coronavirus infections, Germany scrambled to contain fresh outbreaks at slaughterhouses, and Italian authorities worried that people were getting too friendly at cocktail hour during the country’s first weekend of eased restrictions.
threaten
verb
If something bad threatens to happen, it is likely to happen.
预示(不好的事情)；逼近; 有可能发生……
Look at those clouds! There’s a storm threatening. 看那些云！暴风雨要来了。
From rising poverty rates to worsening hunger to renewed conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to put a halt to decades of remarkable progress for the world’s population.
antipersonnel
/ˌanˌtīˌpərsəˈnel/adjective
(of weapons, especially bombs) designed to kill or injure people rather than to damage buildings or equipment.
(武器）用于杀伤人的；杀伤性的
anti-personnel mines 杀伤性地雷 (Cambridge)
Congressional Democrats are complaining about the loosening of Obama-era restrictions on antipersonnel landmines. The Administration should not back down, and where necessary even do more with landmines to protect our troops and our allies! (John Bolton)
steadfast
adjective approving /ˈsted.fæst/
staying the same for a long time and not changing quickly or unexpectedly
长期不变的；坚定的，不动摇的
a steadfast friend/ally 忠实的朋友／盟友
steadfast loyalty 毫不动摇的忠诚
The group remained steadfast in its support for the new system, even when it was criticized in the newspapers. 这个团体始终坚定不移地支持新体制，即使在它遭到报纸批评的时候也毫不动摇 (Cambridge)
Trump’s steadfast refusal to release his tax returns — a fight that will culminate in Supreme Court arguments on Tuesday — has mushroomed into a showdown with implications well beyond his administration. (Axios)
culminate in/with sth
If an event or series of events culminates in something, it ends with it, having developed until it reaches this point.
以…告终；达到…的顶点
My arguments with the boss got worse and worse, and finally culminated in my resignation. 我和老板的争吵日益恶化，直到最终我决定换工作。
Their many years of research have finally culminated in a cure for the disease. 经过多年研究，他们终于开发出一种能治愈该病的药物。(Cambridge)
Trump’s bizarre fascination with the British royals will culminate in a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II. President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with Queen Elizabeth II on Friday marks the culmination of a long and sometimes tortured fascination with the British royal family, dating back two decades to the divorce of Princess Diana.
the bottom line
the most important fact in a situation
最重要的事实
The bottom line is that we need another ten thousand dollars to complete the project. 基本问题是我们还需要一万美元来完成这个项目。（Cambridge）
The bottom line: The progress the world has seen over the past several decades is nothing short of remarkable. But there is no guarantee that story will continue. (Axios)