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）
thorn in your flesh/side
a person or thing that repeatedly annoys you or causes you pain
肉中刺，眼中钉
A relentless campaigner, he was a thorn in the government’s side for a number of years. 作为一名不屈不挠的活动家，多年来他一直是政府的眼中钉。(Cambridge)
Like Johnson, Raab is a longstanding advocate of Brexit who was willing to be a thorn in his own party’s side when it had more pro-European leadership. (CNN)
steel yourself
to force yourself to get ready to do something unpleasant or difficult
下决心做；横下心
[ + to infinitive ] She steeled herself to jump out of the plane. 她心一横，跳出了飞机。（Cambridge）
Americans are being advised to steel themselves for one of the most agonizing weeks in living memory, as President Trump and his advisers predicted parts of the country were nearing a peak of cases of covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
tinge
verb [ T usually passive ] & noun/tɪndʒ/
to contain a slight amount of
（使）带有一点
Her joy at the birth of her son was tinged with sadness that her father had not lived to see him. 儿子出生带给她的欢乐中夹杂着一丝淡淡的悲伤，因为她父亲没有活到看见外孙的降生。(Cambridge)
President Donald Trump on Monday questioned whether politics tinged the findings of a newly released Health and Human Services inspector general report that found hospitals have been most concerned about a shortage of coronavirus testing supplies and long wait times for test results. (CNN)
leaning
noun [ C usually plural ] /ˈliː.nɪŋ/
a particular set of beliefs, opinions, etc. that someone prefers
（指信念、意见等的）倾向性
I don’t know what his political leanings are. 我不知道他的政治倾向。(Cambridge)
Despite his euroskeptic leanings, his qualities were noticed by that pro-European leadership, and when then-Prime Minister David Cameron won reelection in 2015, Raab was offered a job in government. At the time, Raab was seen as a rising star within the party, and his promotion was seen as a way for Cameron to bolster his own euroskeptic credentials.
deputize
verb [ I ] (UK usually deputise)/ˈdep.jə.taɪz/
to act or speak for another person, especially at work
（尤指工作上）代理…；替…发言
I’m deputizing for (= doing the job of) the director during his absence. 主任不在期间由我代理他的工作。(Cambridge)
Before British Prime Minister Boris Johnson went into intensive care on Monday evening with worsening coronavirus-related symptoms, he asked his Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State Dominic Raab to deputize for him “where necessary.” (CNN)
seamless
adjective (WITHOUT STOPPING)
happening without any sudden changes, interruption, or difficulty
顺利的；连续的
The intention is to achieve a seamless transition with a continuity of management. 目地是通过保持管理层连续性实现顺利的转变。（Cambridge）
While now is a time of great uncertainty for the British public, Johnson’s handing over of some duties to Raab should be relatively seamless and is unlikely to affect any immediate government business. （CNN）
incumbency
noun [ C ]/ɪnˈkʌm.bən.si/
the period during which someone has a particular official position
任期
During her incumbency (as commissioner), several changes were introduced. 她任职／出任专员期间进行了几项改革。(Cambridge)
While Trump may not get to run on the economy anymore, he may have been handed an even bigger benefit of incumbency: Don’t change horses in the middle of the major crisis or war.
botch
verb [ T ] /bɑːtʃ/
(UK also bodge)
to spoil something by doing it badly
笨手笨脚地弄糟
We botched (up) our first attempt at wallpapering the bathroom. 我们第一次试着给浴室贴壁纸，结果一团糟。（Cambridge）
In France, the well-meaning but sometimes muddled responses of President Emmanuel Macron and his government are under populist assault. Misinformation and conspiracy theories are running rampant on social media. In a recent survey, over 70 percent of French people said they think the government had botched its handling of the crisis.
Don’t change horses in the middle 请勿临阵换将
While Trump may not get to run on the economy anymore, he may have been handed an even bigger benefit of incumbency: Don’t change horses in the middle of the major crisis or war.
