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）
meritocracy
noun [ C or U ]/ˌmer.əˈtɑː.krə.si/
a social system, society, or organization in which people have power because of their abilities, not because of their money or social position
精英领导体制；精英管理的社会
This agenda was created by highly educated elites who excelled in a meritocracy environment. It is not reflective of the working class and middle-class culture and objectives that stress the dignity of livable wage jobs. Further, it is not a formula that will attract their votes. Meritocracy Democratic liberals have simply lost touch with the working and middle class. （The Hill）
war chest
noun [ C ] informal /ˈwɔːr ˌtʃest/
money that has been collected or saved to pay for something, especially a long fight to achieve something
（为需要经过漫长斗争而取得成功而筹集的）资金，款项
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden outraised President Trump in May for the first time, outpacing Trump by nearly $7 million as he ramped up his high-dollar fundraising capacity, new figures show. But Trump’s reelection committees maintain a significant war chest, entering June with $265 million of cash on hand, according to his campaign. (Washington Post)
lump sb/sth （together or in ）
— phrasal verb with lump verb informal /lʌmp/
to put different groups together and think about them or deal with them in the same way； put in an indiscriminate mass or group; treat as alike without regard for particulars.
一视同仁，不考虑细节;不分青红皂白地组成一群或一群
The European Union is preparing to ban American travelers from entering the bloc when it reopens its borders to the outside world on July 1, lumping the U.S. in with Russia and Brazil in terms of countries that have failed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, according to the New York Times.
bring to its knees
If a country or organization is brought to its knees, it is almost completely destroyed by someone or something.
如果一个国家或组织brought to its knees，它几乎被某人或某事完全摧毁了
A US public health chief told Congress on Tuesday that coronavirus has “brought this nation to its knees” as America struggles with more than 2.3 million confirmed cases and more than 121,000 deaths so far. (The Guardian)
abattoir
noun [ C ]/ˈæb.ə.twɑːr/
(US usually slaughterhouse)
a place where animals are killed for their meat
（牲畜）屠宰场
The use in the United States of federally inspected abattoirs on wheels should expand, but limited inspector numbers hold them back, said Patrick Robinette, owner of Micro Summit Processors, a North Carolina abattoir. “With COVID, mobile slaughter is going to be an integral tool,” said Robinette. “It’s time to redesign how we’re getting food from the field to the plate.” (Reuters)
barring
preposition /ˈbɑːr.ɪŋ/
except if a particular thing happens
除非，除…之外
Barring a landslide for either candidate, that scenario could invite an unprecedented test of the country’s faith in its elections: an extended period without a declared winner. Amid that uncertainty, few expect Trump, who has said repeatedly that he thinks mail voting could cost him the election, to soothe voter anxieties. (Wshington Post)
