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）
out of kilter
used to describe something that is not in the exactly right position or condition or is not working in the usual or proper way
用来描述某物不处于正确的位置或状态，或不能正常或适当地工作；统计、过程、机构、预算、或是日程的失常
The government’s private admissions are out of kilter with public statements last week by ministers, who said Huawei had been banned because of new security concerns raised by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is part of GCHQ. (The Guardian)
take a stab at sth
informal
to attempt to do something although you are not likely to be very successful
试图做，尝试（成功希望不大的事）
EU leaders ended a second day of heated discussions late Saturday without a deal under their belt on a shared economic stimulus package to recoup the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but agreed to take another stab after a night’s sleep. (DPA)
strings attached
If something such as an agreement has strings attached, it involves special demands or limits.
（协议等的）附加条件，限制条款
Most of these so-called special offers come with strings attached. (Cambridge)
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A European Union plan to breathe life into economies throttled by the coronavirus pandemic hung in the balance on Sunday as leaders quarrelled over the level of spending and what strings to attach to it.
breathe (new) life into sth
to bring new ideas and energy to something
带来起色；注入活力
We need some new people to breathe life into this project. 我们需要一些新人来给这个项目注入活力。(Cambridge)
Prime minister Shinzo Abe is seeking to breathe life into his flagging bromance with Donald Trump at a summit next month after Japan became the closest American ally not to win an exemption from new US steel and aluminium tariffs. (FT)
hang in the balance
To be perilously close to failing, depending on the outcome of something
未见分晓, 悬而未决; 未见分晓; 安危未定
Hope for President Trump’s second term hangs in the balance. Forecasting presidential elections is a risky business, but political prognosticator Charlie Cook says, “you can take this prediction to the bank”.
Take it to the bank
Something or an event will most definitely, securely, without a doubt, guaranteed will happen; Said to emphasize that something is known for sure; can believe a particular statement or piece of information because it is definitely true (at least according to the speaker).
某件事或某件事肯定会、安全地、毫无疑问地肯定会发生;用来强调某事是确定的;可以相信一个特定的陈述或信息，因为它是绝对真实的(至少根据说话人的说法)。
这个动词的宾语通常放在take和to the bank之间。
Trump says US will leave Syria ‘very soon’ despite promises …The first is that you shouldn’t take it to the bank. Trump has a tendency to spitball about very serious matters such as this.
The one thing we can all Take to the bank: Trump will always and only make decisions he believes serves his interests.
drive a wedge between （with） sb
to damage the good relationship that two people or groups of people have
损害…之间的关系；挑动与….的关系
China’s embassy in Myanmar on Sunday accused the United States of “outrageously smearing” the country and driving a wedge with its Southeast Asian neighbors over the contested South China Sea and Hong Kong, as tensions mount between the superpowers. （Reuters）
coast
verb
to progress or succeed without any effort or difficulty
毫不费力取得进展；轻而易举取得胜利
While I struggled, my sister coasted through school with top grades. 上学时我总觉得很吃力，而我妹妹却一路学得轻轻松松，成绩一直很优异。(Cambridge)
