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）
back off
If you back off from a claim, demand, or commitment that you made earlier, or if you back off it, you withdraw it.
为避免问题或冲突而）后退，避让，退缩; 放弃，收回（主张、要求、承诺等 ) A spokesman says the president has backed off from his threat to boycott the conference.
After repeatedly suggesting that social distancing guidelines could be lifted – at least in some places – in time for Easter Sunday, the Trump administration appears to have backed off that timeline. During a town hall interview with Fox News and subsequent one-on-one interview with Fox’s Bill Hemmer, Trump raised the prospect, at one point saying there would be packed churches all over our country.” Trump again floated the idea during Tuesday’s press briefing.
cap off
finish or complete, as with some decisive action
He capped off the meeting with a radical proposal。
结束或完成的意思，特别是通过采取决定性的行动
Dow tanks more than 800 points following a massive 3-day bounce. Stocks fell sharply on Friday, giving back some of the strong gains experienced in the previous three days to cap off another volatile week on Wall Street.
Recorded Vote / Roll Call Vote
记录投票; 用电子投票系统进行单独公布的投票
A vote upon which each member’s stand is individually made known. In the Senate, this is accomplished through a roll call of the entire membership, to which each senator on the floor must answer “yea,” “nay” or, if he/she does not wish to vote, “present.” Since January 1973, the House has used an electronic voting system for recorded votes, including yea-and -nay votes formerly taken by roll calls.(hobnobblog.com)
Massie tweeted that he will seek a recorded vote, meaning that members would be required to show up in person and vote on the historic stimulus bill. Leadership has hoped to pass the measure by a voice-vote. (CNN)
The House will say GOP Rep. Thomas Massie does not have a sufficient second to request a roll call vote, according to three sources familiar with the matter. (CNN)
voice-vote / vote by voice. |
进行口头表决
In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin viva voce, meaning “live voice”) or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding orally.
The US House is debating the $2 trillion economic stimulus bill now. Here’s what we’re expecting next. As soon as debate ends, the House will vote by voice. Then, Thomas Massie will ask for a recorded vote (he tweeted earlier today he’d do this).
paedophile
noun [ C ] UK (US pedophile)/ˈped.oʊ.faɪl/
someone who is sexually interested in children
恋童癖患者
Fraudsters, cyber-criminals, organized crime groups and pedophiles are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to ramp up their activities across the EU, the head of Europe’s law enforcement agency warned on Friday.
fraudster (crook & con )
noun [ C ] /ˈfrɔːd.stər/
someone who gets money by deceiving people
诈骗者，诈骗犯
New measures are needed to prevent fraudsters opening bank accounts with stolen cheques. 需要采取新措施来防止诈骗分子使用偷来的支票在银行开户。
Never let a perfectly good crisis go to waste; that’s the mantra of many a skilled con artist. Twenty-five years in the FBI has taught me we’re about to see this fraudster philosophy run almost as rampant as the virus that inspires it. And just as we need to take preventive measures to “flatten the curve” of the coronavirus’ growth, so too must we all work to contain the crooks and cons who will prey on the most vulnerable among us. As with the virus, our government, our companies and our families can act now to minimize the misery later.
snag
noun [ C ] /snæɡ/ informal
a problem, difficulty, or disadvantage
麻烦，问题，困难
We don’t anticipate any snags in/with the negotiations. 我们预料谈判不会出现任何麻烦。
The drug is very effective – the only snag is that it cannot be produced in large quantities. 这种药很有效——唯一的问题就是不能大量生产。
Talks hit a snag after 97 percent of union members voted to strike. 在97%的工会会员投票支持举行罢工后，谈判陷入了僵局。(Cambridge)
House debates $2.2T virus relief bill amid last-minute snag. WASHINGTON (AP) — The House kicked off debate Friday on a $2.2 trillion package to ease the coronavirus pandemic’s devastating toll on the U.S. economy and health care system, even as a maverick conservative threatened to delay passage until most lawmakers return to Washington for a vote.(AP)
