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）
defection
abandonment of duty, allegiance, principles, etc; backsliding
倒戈; 背叛
“House Democratic leaders are bracing for some defections among a group of moderate Democrats in swing districts who are concerned a vote to impeach President Trump could cost them their seats in November,” the Washington Post reports.
— The Washington Post Dec 11, 2019
coalesce
verb /koʊ.əˈles/
grow together to form one thing or system
团结一致； 联合，合并
Senate Republicans are coalescing around a strategy （参议院的共和党人正团结一致，制定一项战略）of holding a short impeachment trial early next year that would include no witnesses, a plan that could clash with President Trump’s desire to stage a public defense of his actions toward Ukraine that would include testimony the White House believes would damage its political rivals.
— The Washington Post Dec 11, 2019
wild card
someone or something whose behaviour is sometimes unexpected
无法预言的人（或事物
Despite the emerging view among Senate Republicans, the wild card remains Trump.
— The Washington Post Dec 11, 2019
split the baby
To split the baby is a reference to a story in the Old Testament in Kings 3:5-14, regarding a decision of Solomon that shows his wisdom when given a difficult task. Solomon as king was often asked to judge between people with difficult problems, and his solutions were accounted very wise. The term is often used to describe an unreasonable solution that may be used as a way to find an underlying truth.
Several moderates are concerned that polling has not shown more support for impeaching Trump, despite the party’s weeks-long effort to highlight allegations they argue merit removing the president from office. Some of the members have privately pushed for other options, including a censure vote, or have even considered “splitting the baby,” voting for one article of impeachment but not the other.
— The Washington Post Dec 11, 2019
crow
verb
to talk in a proud and annoying way about something you have done
夸耀；夸口，自夸
While the House is expected to easily pass the two articles, party leaders want to limit defections to deny Republicans the opportunity to crow that members of both parties opposed impeachment while only Democrats supported taking such an action. — The Washington Post Dec 11, 2019
shoddy
adjective showing little respect, thought, or care
Republicans castigated the FBI over its investigation into the Trump campaign, declar
粗制滥造的，劣质的; 不尊重的，不关心的
Republicans castigated the FBI over its investigation into the Trump campaign, declaring that such a shoddy case should never be pursued again. — The Washington Post Dec 11, 2019
scum
If you refer to people as scum, you are expressing your feelings of dislike and disgust for them.
人渣；败类
The FBI also sent multiple undercover human spies to surveil and record people associated with our campaign,” he said. “They’ve destroyed the lives of people that were great people, that are still great people. Their lives have been destroyed by scum, okay, by scum.
