►alone
alone不僅僅表示「孤單的」,它還可以放在動詞後修飾動詞,或用於名詞或代詞後表示「唯一,只有」
例句:
You can't blame anyone else; you alone made the decision. 你不能責怪任何人,是你一人做的決定;
alone 還可以表示「僅僅,單,只」
例句:
The shoes alone cost £200. 僅鞋子一項就花了 200 英鎊
In America alone, traffic congestion brings economic losses estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars each year.僅在美國,交通堵塞每年就會帶來數千億美元的經濟損失。除非現有運輸系統獲得急需的投資,這種成本還會上升。[經濟學人]
►afford
afford 作動詞除了「支付」,還有「提供」,搭配是afford sb sth, afford sth to sb,相當於provide sb with sth, provide sth for sb。
例句:
It’s extra tough being an international student because we didn’t get any of the student concessions afforded to local students.」 留學生的生活格外困難,因為我們不享受本地學生享受的所有學生優惠。」[金融時報]
►press
press 作動詞是「壓」,作名詞 press 還有「報章雜誌;印刷媒體」的意思
例句:
Unlike the American, the British press operates on a national scale.與美國不同,英國報刊都是行銷全國的。[經濟學人]
►bill
bill的常用意思是「貨幣,帳單」 平常去飯店「結帳,付帳」就是pay the bill。bill 還有「議案,法案」的意思
例句:
The bill was approved by a large majority. 這項法案得到了絕大多數人的支持。
►minute
minute 我們比較了解它作名詞「分鐘」,它作動詞則是「將(某事)寫進會議記錄」
例句:
I'd like that last remark to be minuted.我希望把剛才那句話記錄在案。
The amendment would require all university interviews to be recorded or minuted for transparency. 為了保證面試的透明度,修正案將會要求所有大學的面試都要記錄在案。[經濟學人]
►appreciation
appreciation 除了表示「欣賞」,也可表示「理解,體量,同情」(a full or sympathetic understanding of sth, such as a situation or a problem, and of what it involves)
例句:
I had no appreciation of the problems they faced. 我沒有體諒到他們所面臨的困難。
Now utopia has grown unfashionable, as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats facing us, from asteroid strike to epidemic flu and to climate change.隨著我們對自己面臨的一系列威脅,從行星撞地球,到流感爆發,再到氣候變化,有了更深入的認識,現在這種烏託邦式的理想已經不再流行。[經濟學人]
►sure
sure做形容詞還有「可靠的;保險的」的意思
例句:
There's only one sure way to do it. 做這件事只有一個保險的辦法。
It's a sure sign of economic recovery. 這是經濟肯定復甦的跡象。
That is the surest way to stem the plastic tide.這是遏制塑料垃圾大潮最可靠的方法。[經濟學人]
注意例句中的stem的用法也屬於「熟詞僻義」。stem作名詞指「(植物的)根莖」,例句中是做動詞「阻止;封堵」
The cut was bandaged to stem the bleeding. 傷口進行了包紮止血。
高頻搭配:stem the tide / flow / flood of sth遏制…的勢頭;抵制…潮
The measures are meant to stem the tide of illegal immigration. 這些措施旨在遏制非法移民潮。
The government had failed to stem the tide of factory closures. 政府沒有控制住工廠紛紛倒閉的勢頭。
►under
under除了」在...下面「,還有」根據,按照(協議、法律或制度)「的意思。
Six suspects are being held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.根據《防止恐怖法》,六個嫌疑人被拘押。
Under the terms of the lease you had no right to sublet the property.按租約條款的規定,你無權轉租這房產。
高頻搭配:under the rules 根據規則
China will join the competition under the rules of global game theory.中國企業將按照全球化的遊戲規則來參與競爭。
►rule
rule作動詞有」決定;裁定;判決「的意思
The court will rule on the legality of the action.法庭將裁定此舉是否合法。
Judges have declined to rule on cases such as Mr Conway’s, insisting it is the job of Parliament, not the courts, to legalise assisted dying. 法官們拒絕就類似於康威這樣的案件做出裁決,他們堅稱安樂死的合法化應該由議會而不是由法院來決議。[經濟學人]