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）
predilection
noun [ C ] [ˌpred.əlˈek.ʃən]
Meaning (Cambridge)
If someone has a predilection for something, they like it a lot.
偏爱，偏好
Origin (Etymonline)
1742, from French prédilection (16c.), noun of action from Medieval Latin praedilectus, past participle of prediligere “prefer before others,” from Latin prae- “before” + diligere “choose, love”
Synonyms
affection, affinity, aptitude, bent, bias, bone, devices, disposition, genius, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency
Examples
Robert O’Brien will be President Donald Trump’s fourth national security advisor in just over two-and-one-half years. Ronald Reagan had five advisors—Dick Allen, Judge William Clark, Bud McFarlane, Frank Carlucci and Colin Powell, but that was over a period three times as long. By choosing O’Brien as his next advisor, Trump reflects the reality that his national-security policy predilections fluctuate like a sine curve.
(NationalInterest.org)
Aug. 22, 2019 · Boris Johnson may be counting on the EU’s predilection for deal making but he should be more cautious.
(The conversation.com)
Donald Trump’s predilection for Twitter is well-known, and yet the president was not among the year’s top 10 most-retweeted, despite his 44 million-plus followers and his use of the platform making nearly continual headline news.(NPR)
wait in the wings
Meaning
If someone or something is waiting in the wings, they are not yet active or important, but are ready or likely to be so soon.
准备就绪；随时可使用 (Cambridge)
Origin
The “wings” are the areas just offstage, left and right, in a theatre, where actors who are not onstage get ready to enter and perform. So the phrase means to wait for one’s turn to take part, particularly the kind of waiting where a “cue” tells you it’s time to enter. It’s applied metaphorically to all kinds of patient waiting for an opportunity.
(phrases.org.uk)
Examples
Additionally, Brown will provide the latest guidance from the FTC, which is in its own state of transition as four commissioners appointed by President Donald Trump wait in the wings for confirmation from Congress. (autofinancenews.net)
Meanwhile, the Russians were waiting in the wings with a rival draft resolution, which condemned outside interference in Venezuela’s affairs.
UK contenders waiting in the wings for PM’s seat.
Theresa May is leading the dance out of the EU as Brexiteers wait in the wings.
astroturfing
/ˈæs.trəʊ.tɜː.fɪŋ/ noun
astroturfers ( people do astroturfing)
Meaning
Astroturfing is the practice of masking the sponsors of a message or organization to make it appear as though it originates from and is supported by grassroots participants. It is a practice intended to give the statements or organizations credibility by withholding information about the source’s financial connection.
Astroturfing is phony “grassroots” activity. The term refers to opinions that seem to be genuine — but, in reality, are directed by a Central Planner. (patterico.com)
它指的是一种网上的造假现象，是一种由政治团体(包括公司）所发起或操纵，但在过程中却技巧性地掩盖真正的幕后源头，让社会大众错以为是民众或社会草根基层所发起，反映民间心声和意见的“假草根现象”(伪草根舆论)
Origin
The term astroturfing is derived from AstroTurf, a brand of synthetic carpeting designed to resemble natural grass, as a play on the word “grassroots”. The implication behind the use of the term is that instead of a “true” or “natural” grassroots effort behind the activity in question, there is a “fake” or “artificial” appearance of support.
“AstroTurf”是一种人造塑料草皮的品牌，不少室内设计师爱在商场、商店或户外阳台上用，远看像修剪整齐的翠绿草地，但却是假的。
美国参议员Llyold Bentsen据说是第一个有创意地用这字眼来形容“假草根现象”。他在1985年接受华盛顿邮报访问时说，他的办公室收到堆积如山的邮件，但经他查证，其实是为了维护保险业的利益，并经由写手操刀的信件（generated mail）。
Examples
Over the weekend, we discovered two types of Astroturfing:Donald Trump Astroturfing: A letter published in multiple places from one person claiming to live in multiple cities… . (patterico.com)
Trump, during his campaign, allegedly paid actors to cheer for him at rallies … The practice of hiring paid crowds — also known as “astroturfing” … (threader.app)
Jul 19, 2017 – It is impossible to browse the site not logged in without seeing some kind of anti-Trump astroturfing on the front page.
Based on discussions with the current and former employees and examination of a large number of internal documents, the Guardian can reveal the extent of the astroturfing campaign…
Potemkin noun [pɒˈtɛmkɪn] 波将金
Potemkin village 波将金村
Meaning
Something that appears elaborate and impressive but in actual fact lacks substance (yourdictionary.com).
波将金; 波将金村 : 弄虚作假、装潢门面
Origin
The term comes from stories of a fake portable village built solely to impress Empress Catherine II by her former lover Grigory Potemkin during her journey to Crimea in 1787.
While modern historians claim accounts of this portable village are exaggerated, the original story was that Potemkin erected phony portable settlements along the banks of the Dnieper River in order to impress the Russian Empress; the structures would be disassembled after she passed, and re-assembled farther along her route to be viewed again as if another example.
Examples
The tightly controlled totalitarian country is often accused of creating a Potemkin village each time it televises some event, a meager attempt to convince the outside world that its people are happy under the thumb of the dictatorship. (Thefreedictionary)
Those who don’t wish to see Steve Bannon ever again are undoubtedly those among Trump’s Potemkin village of military and diplomatic advisers. (pmcarpenter.com)
The apparently healthy labour market, pumped up by low-paid, insecure jobs, is a Potemkin village that hides a dysfunctional economy. (theguardian.com)
