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）
uncontested
adjective
used to describe a decision or result which nobody opposes or disagrees with: 无争议的; 无人反对的
“His wrongdoing strikes at the very heart of our Constitution. Our democracy is what is at stake,” Pelosi said in a 10-minute nationally televised address just outside the speaker’s balcony.
“The facts are uncontested,” she added. “The president abused his power for his own personal political benefit at the expense of our national security.
a free ride
If you describe something as a free ride, you mean that things are going to be very easy and that people will take advantage of this; an opportunity or advantage that someone gets without having done anything to deserve it
白白得到的东西，无本获得的利益 ( Collins & Cambridge)
Notably, the Parliament gave a free ride to Josep Borrell, the Spaniard chosen by the European Council as high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, which carries with it a vice presidency of the Commission. Although the Parliament votes separately on whether to endorse the Council’s choice of Commission president (in this case Ursula von der Leyen), there is no separate vote on the Council’s choice of high representative. — Politico Dec 05, 2019
vulture
If you describe a person as a vulture, you disapprove of them because you think they are trying to gain from another person’s troubles. (Collins)
趁火打劫的人（或机构）；乘人之危的人（或机构）
Vultures pick over remains of Harris campaign. After her departure, Sen. Cory Booker and Julián Castro immediately seized on Harris’ withdrawal to lament the dearth of non-white candidates in the field — a potential late opening for their own faltering campaigns. Elizabeth Warren is also seeking an edge from Harris’ exit: In paid ads, the Massachusetts senator contrasted Harris’ experience — and that of female candidates generally — with the billionaire men still running.
test-drive
verb [ T ]
past participle test-driven | past tense test-drove
1 : to drive (a motor vehicle) in order to evaluate performance
2 : to use or examine (something) in order to evaluate performance
试驾；使用或检查（某物）以评估性能
“NATO is not a protection racket,” Biden began saying this week, test-driving the new phrase during his multi-city “No Malarkey” bus tour of Iowa.
— Politico Dec 05, 2019
dotard
noun [ C ]/ˈdoʊ.t̬ɑːrd/
an old person, especially one who is weak and confused
老糊涂, 糟老头子
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea threatened Thursday to resume insults of U.S. President Donald Trump and consider him a “dotard” if he keeps using provocative language, such as referring to its leader as “rocket man.”
— AP Dec 05, 2019
get your feet wet
to get involved in something or experience something for the first time (Collins)
熟悉新情况; 第一次参与某事或经历某事
“So if you’re going to get your feet wet in this administration, it’s only natural you would listen to someone who’s close to the president.
— Foreign Policy Nov 11, 2019 ·
throw sb under the bus
to betray a friend or ally for selfish reasons; to expose someone to an unpleasant fate, esp in order to save oneself
为了私利抛弃自己的朋友或盟友
Could President Trump throw Mike Pence under the bus to save himself?
The president may have one move left to save himself: thoroughly tar the vice president with the Ukraine scandal.
wait sth out
— phrasal verb with wait
to wait until something unpleasant has ended; to remain inactive during the course of
等到不愉快的事情结束； 安静而耐心地等待…结束;
I’d rather wait out the storm than drive home immediately.
我想等到风暴过去，而不是马上开车回家。
May 23, 2019 · Beijing should give up any
any hope that it can wait out the Donald Trump years for a less antagonistic administration, …
Iran’s slow-burn nuclear strategy: Wait out Trump and get new deal from his successor.
paint oneself into a corner
Get oneself into a difficulty from which one can’t extricate oneself.
让自己陷入困境
To “paint yourself into a corner” is an idiom or metaphor for getting oneself into a bad situation through bad planning. When painting the floor of a room, it’s important to think out where to start and finish so that the painter will not have to walk on the places he’s already painted.
The latest issue of Time magazine depicts President Donald Trump painting himself into a corner — an artistic response to Trump asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to do him a favor.
nail your colours to the mast
to state your opinions or beliefs about something clearly and publicly
明确表态；表明意图
More businesses should nail their political colours to the mast
Silicon Valley is standing up to Trump, but it’s not just tech firms that ought to show moral leadership.
by Jack Torrance
