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）
fire-breathing
(used as a modifier before a noun) Particularly ardent, vehement, or excoriating in speech or behavior. Likened to a dragon or other creature able to shoot streams of fire from its mouth.
（用作名词前的修饰语）在言语或行为上特别热情、激烈或严厉。类似于龙或其它能从嘴里射出火焰的生物。
PARIS — Once the fire-breathing leaders of Iran and the United States decide to put their missiles away and talk like adults, France is prepared to act as a broker. — Politico Europe Jan 10, 2020
reel
verb [ I ]
If you reel, or your mind or brain reels, you feel very confused or shocked and unable to act.
发蒙；感到眩晕 (Cambridge)
Canada, which had 63 of its citizens on the doomed flight — second in number only to Iran itself — is reeling from the disaster. Three British citizens were also killed and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson quickly backed Trudeau’s statement. In addition, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok, whose country has led the investigation into the 2014 downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine, deemed Trudeau’s assessment “plausible,” comparing it to directly to the previous tragedy. — Politico Europe Jan 10, 2020
even-handed
adjective
treating everyone fairly and equally
公正的，公平的，不偏不倚的 (Cambridge)
But such even-handed caution, while essential to preserving any chance of serving as a diplomatic referee, could also carry significant political risk for Macron. The Iranian regime already seems to be engaging in a cover-up or disinformation campaign.
— Politico Europe Jan 10, 2020
mind-boggling
adjective
extremely surprising and difficult to understand or imagine
令人难以想象的；十分惊人的 (Cambridge)
Tom Steyer’s campaign has long had the look of a colossal waste: Mind-boggling sums of cash dropped on a campaign that won him nothing more than a few appearances in Democratic debates. For Mike Bloomberg, who entered the race in November, the risk was the same. — Politico USA Jan 10, 2020
blowback
noun [ U ]
negative reactions or results that were not intended, such as criticism, protest, or anger
（没有预料的）负面反应或结果，如批评、抗议或愤怒
Pompeo insists Soleimani threat was ‘imminent’ despite blowback. Trump also elaborated on his claims, telling Fox News that the Iranian commander was targeting “four embassies.”
— Politico USA Jan 10, 2020
totemic
Adjective
relating to or resembling a totem or totems;
regarded as being symbolic or representative of a particular quality or concept.
关于或类似图腾或图腾的；
象征的被认为是某一特定性质或概念的象征或代表的。
Trump is “totally obsessed with not letting something like Benghazi happen to him,” the official said, referring to the 2012 attack on a U.S. facility in Libya that has achieved totemic status among Trump allies, who see it as evidence of former president Barack Obama’s alleged weakness in the face of terrorism.
— The Washington Post Jan 10, 2020
panic
verb [ I or T ]/ˈpæn.ɪk/
present participle panicking | past tense and past participle panicked
to suddenly feel so worried or frightened that you cannot think or behave calmly or reasonably
（使）恐慌，（使）惊慌失措 (Cambridge)
I feel like I would have remembered if they would have presented that kind of intel at the briefing,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in an interview Friday. “It sounds to me like the administration is panicking a little bit about the soundness of their rationale and deciding to share information with Fox News that they aren’t willing to share with Congress.”
saving grace
noun [ S ]
a good quality that something or someone has that stops it, him, or her from being completely bad
可取之处 (Cambridge)
With absolutely no irony at all, the media has proceeded to print even more vitriol in the wake of the announcement. Harry lost his mother due to the behavior of tabloid press. The saving grace of this sorry situation is that at least someone seems to have learned from history.
— The Washington Post Jan 10, 2020
frayed
adjective (ANNOYED)
used to describe someone’s mood when they are feeling worried, upset, or annoyed (Cambridge)
（心情）恼火的，焦虑的，沮丧的
Familial and sibling ties were already frayed, but with their announcement Wednesday, Harry and Meghan upended their working and family relationships.
— The Washington Post Jan 10, 2020
tone-deaf
adjective
1. If you say that someone is tone-deaf, you mean that they cannot sing in tune or recognize different tunes;
2. having or showing an obtuse insensitivity or lack of perception particularly in matters of public sentiment, opinion, or taste
麻木不仁的，麻木不仁的具有或表现出迟钝的麻木不仁或缺乏知觉的，尤指在公众情绪、意见或品味方面
Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s 93-year-old grandmother, has had bad years, but 2019 brought some complicated challenges. Prince Andrew, her second son, was once again embroiled in questions about his relationship with financier Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. Just as stories about the friendship were fading from headlines, the prince gave an interview in November that was so tone-deaf the queen quickly retired — translation: fired — him from public life.
— The Washington Post Jan 10, 2020
