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）
wayward
adjective/ˈweɪ.wɚd/
doing only what you want and often changing your behaviour in a way that is difficult to control
（尤指某人的行为）反复无常的，任性的，难以管束的
Wayward Trump administration ends Iranian oil waivers. The Trump administration announced on Monday the plan to bring Iran’s oil exports to zero by not renewing waivers that let countries buy Iranian oil without facing U.S. sanctions. — CGTN 22:10, 23-Apr-2019
at hand
near in time or position
（时间上）临近；在附近
“Democrats are bracing for a more emboldened President Trump now that his acquittal is at hand, beginning with Tuesday’s State of the Union address before a nationally televised audience,” the Washington Post reports.
trounce
verb [ T ] /traʊns/
to defeat a competitor by a large amount
彻底打败；击溃 (Cambridge)
Capitalism Trounces Socia(lism), Sanders Still Beats Trump. “But the poll still found Sanders, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, with a lead over Trump, earning 49% support in a head-to-head matchup compared to Trump’s 45%. Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg also led Trump.” — NBC News
nail sth down
— phrasal verb with nail verb (DECISION)
If you nail down an arrangement or decision, you decide and agree to the details of it.
敲定（协议）；最终确定（或决定）
“It’s a high level order without a lot details filled in. We are working really hard to understand the conditions,” said the official in a phone call. “There are a lot of unknowns.”
Another official at a major West Coast airport told CNN, “Everyone has been trying to nail down clarifications on the travel ban.” — CNN Feb 03, 2020
knee-jerk
adjective disapproving /ˈniː.dʒɜːk/ u
also knee-jerk reaction, response, etc.
a quick reaction that does not allow you time to consider something carefully
（来不及仔细考虑的）本能反应，自动反应
Knee-jerk censorship and downplaying of any danger by local authorities in the days and weeks which followed the first diagnoses appear to have greatly increased the spread of the virus. — CNN Feb 04, 2020
