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）
name-drop
verb [ I or T ] disapproving /ˈneɪmˌdrɑːp/
to talk about famous people that you have met, often pretending that you know them better than you really do, in order to appear more important and special
谈论你见过的名人，常常假装比你真正了解他们，以便显得更重要和特殊：
The company likes to name-drop famous clients, including the US and Russian presidents.
When they weren’t attacking each other on race, several candidates found ways to name drop Rep. Jim Clyburn, the House majority whip and the most influential Democrat in the state. Clyburn is expected to endorse a candidate Wednesday.
weigh on sb/sth
— phrasal verb with weigh verb
If a problem or responsibility weighs on you, it makes you worried or unhappy.
（问题、责任等）使（某人）焦虑不安，使（某人）担忧 （Cambridge）
He’s under huge pressure at work and it’s really weighing on him. 他工作压力很大，内心负担很重。
She knew she had been unfair to him and it weighed heavily on her mind for a long time. 她知道自己以前对他很不好，这件事压在她心头已经很长时间了。（Cambridge）
Japan stocks fall almost 2% as investors withdraw amid coronavirus fears . Shares in Asia declined in Wednesday morning trade as concerns over the coronavirus outbreak beyond China weighed on investor sentiment.
take the heat
to take the blame for something, in order to divert it from someone else；receive and enduring intense criticism or scorn, especially for a perceived mistake or wrongdoing.
接受并忍受强烈的批评或蔑视，尤指对已察觉的错误或错误的批评或蔑视；责备为某事承担责任，以便把它从别人身上引开
Bernie Sanders takes heat in a messy debate – here are the highlights from South Carolina. In the first Democratic presidential debate since Sen. Bernie Sanders earned a big target on his back, Democratic candidates jumped into an often chaotic and uncomfortable fray.
choppy
in American English (ˈtʃɑpi )
adjective Word forms: ˈchoppier or ˈchoppiestrough with short,
1) broken waves, as the sea
2) making abrupt starts and stops; jerky; disjointed
（大海）浪花，波浪; 突然地开始和停止；抽搐；脱节
Sanders, I-Vt., took shots from his rivals early and often after weeks of strong polling and a series of key wins in early nominating states, including a landslide Nevada caucus win on Saturday. But none of the seven candidates emerged from the debate, at times a choppy affair as White House hopefuls interrupted each other and talked over the CBS News moderators, untouched by opponents’ venom.
unscathed
adjective [ after verb ] /ʌnˈskeɪðd/
without injuries or damage being caused
未受伤的，无恙的
Her husband died in the accident but she, amazingly, escaped unscathed. 她丈夫在那次事故中丧命，但她竟奇迹般地毫发未损。（Cambridge）
But almost no candidate was unscathed in the fiery Democratic debate, which took place just four days before the pivotal South Carolina primary and a week ahead of Super Tuesday. — CBC Feb 26, 2020
incarceration
/ɪnˌkɑːr.səˈreɪ.ʃən/ noun
the act of putting or keeping someone in prison or in a place used as a prison (Cambridge) 监禁，下狱，禁闭
There is no way to be certain about the veracity of this claim. The Prison Policy Initiative did a study, which found that 70% of convictions result in confinement — far more than other developed nations with comparable crime rates. It also found that the U.S. incarceration rate is about six times higher than the next NATO country, the U.K. — CBS Feb 26, 2020
overarching
adjective [ before noun ] formal /ˌoʊ.vɚˈɑːr.tʃɪŋ/
most important, because of including or affecting all other areas
首要的；包罗万象的，支配一切的
a grand overarching strategy 关乎全局的重大策略
The overarching theme of the election campaign was tax cuts. 竞选活动的首要主题是减税。(Cambridge)
The overarching themes: Sanders can rile up a crowd but can’t get things done. He is unelectable as a democratic socialist. He will drag down the Democratic House majority. — AP Feb 26, 2020
rile up
To cause someone or some group to become particularly excited and animated
使某人或某个团体变得特别兴奋和活跃
It’s a strategy designed to rile up Trump’s core supporters — and send a warning message to Republican senators who might side with Democrats as the trial proceeds. — businessinside
parry
verb [ T ] /ˈper.i/
to defend yourself from a weapon or an attack by pushing the weapon away or by putting something between your body and the weapon
挡开，避开（武器或攻击）
to manage cleverly to avoid dealing with a difficult question or some criticism
（巧妙地）回避（难题或批评）
Predictably the president parried enquiries about the arms scandal. 正如所料，总统回避了有关武器丑闻的种种调查。(Cambridge)
Sanders parried some of the blows but also got into shouting matches. Asked by a moderate how he’d play for his plans, he responded coolly, “How many hours do you have?” — AP Feb 26, 2020
heartened
adjective [ after verb ] /ˈhɑːr.t̬ənd/
feeling happier and more positive about something
感到振奋的
I was heartened to hear reports that the tickets for the show were selling well. 我听到演出门票热销的报道后感到很振奋。
We all felt heartened by the news. 这条消息使我们大家都很振奋。
Centrist Democrats who hoped the Vermont senator would come off as not electable may be heartened, but so could Sanders’ supporters who see their candidate as passionate and authentically unpolished.
grading on the Curve 曲线的评分
Grading on a curve means that grading is done according to the scores students get on a given assignment or test, versus grading on a fixed scale of 90-100 being and A, 80-90 being a B, etc. (or whatever scale is being used).
The good news for Bloomberg is this debate didn’t go as badly as the last one. The bad news is no one is grading on the curve. He ceded prime target status to Sanders, but took his share of criticism. He still got scratched and occasionally came off as brittle.
nemesis
noun [ C ] literary /ˈnem.ə.sɪs/
plural nemeses
Someone’s nemesis is a person or thing that is very difficult for them to defeat.
劲敌
(a cause of) punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided
报应，天谴；应得的惩罚；不可避免的失败
The tax increases proved to be the president’s political nemesis. 提高税收让总统自食恶果。(Cambridge)
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren continued to be his nemesis, slamming him for funding Republican senators and for accusations that women at his company were mistreated. She brought up an allegation that Bloomberg had told a pregnant woman in his employ to “kill it” — which Bloomberg heatedly denied.
make a pitch for (something)
To make a presentation to influence others to support, purchase, or agree to something; Say or do something in support of someone or something
做一个演讲以影响他人支持、购买或同意某事; 为支持某人或某事而说或做某事
Warren had to make a difficult straddle at the debate — she wanted to spotlight her liberal positions to pry voters from front-runner Sanders, but she also had to make a pitch for why they should back her rather than him.
reprise
verb [ T ] /rɪˈpriːz/
to repeat a song, performance, or set of actions
再次演唱；再次演出；再次行动
I was to play the doctor, reprising a role I’d done years earlier. 我演一名医生，重演我多年前演出过的角色。
Warren also reprised her attacks on Bloomberg, which might not help her win votes, but clearly helps her raise money. — AP Feb 26, 2020
splutter
verb [ I ] /ˈsplʌt̬.ɚ/
(of a person) to speak in a quick and confused way, producing short, unclear noises because of surprise, anger, etc., or (of a person or thing) to make a series of noises similar to this
（因惊讶、愤怒等）语无伦次地说；发出嘟囔声；发出噼啪声
The old gentleman was spluttering with indignation. 那位老先生愤怒地嘟囔着什么。
[ + speech ] “But, er … when, um, … how?” he spluttered. “但是，呃……什么时候，嗯……怎样？”他语无伦次地说道。
She took too big a gulp of whisky and started to cough and splutter. 她那一口威士忌喝得太多，开始咳嗽起来，嘴里噗噗地吐着气。(Cambridge)
Steyer spluttered after Biden accused him of investing in private prisons as a hedge fund manager. He condemned both Sanders and Bloomberg as unelectable but never was able to make a clear case for himself. — AP Feb 26, 2020
muddle
noun [ S or U ] /ˈmʌd.əl/
an untidy or confused state
混乱状态；糟糕局面
The documents were in a muddle. 文件杂乱地堆在一起。
Whenever I go to Europe I get in a muddle about/over (= become confused about) how much things cost. 我每次去欧洲，总是把钱弄得乱糟糟的搞不清 (Cambridge)
The jumble underscores the uncertainty of the race beyond the reality that Sanders is still the front-runner. He’s not a commanding one yet. But he may not have to be if the moderate muddle continues.
