Unit3ThePoliticianWord文档格式.docx
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intentionallyunkind)wittyessays,hederidedtheinstitutionswhichsupportedthemiddleclass.Heenjoyedcontroversyandtriedtoarousehisantagonistswithhisdirect,devastatingattacks.Hehatednarrow-mindedreligionandcommercialism,andhedidnotsupportdemocracybecauseheconsideredthemassestooignorantandgreedytoexerciseitwisely,declaringthatAmericanswere‘themosttimorous,sniveling,poltroonish[i.e.cowardly],ignominiousmobofserfsandgoose-steppersevergatheredunderoneflag…”.Hejeeredatthechurches,businessandthegovernment.
Mencken’sessayswerereceivedwithdelightorhorror,dependingonthereader’spointofview,hewasalsohighlyrespectedforhisliterarycriticismandheexertedapowerfulinfluenceonAmericanliterature.
Menckenwasalsoaleadingscholarinthefieldoflanguage.HismonumentalbookTheAmericanLanguageisconsideredanoutstandingworkofphilosophy.Init,heexaminedthedevelopmentoftheEnglishlanguageinAmerica,contrastingEnglishandAmericanexpressionsandusages,explainingtheoriginsofmanyAmericanidioms,andtracingtheinfluenceofimmigrantlanguagesonAmericanEnglish.HemadealargecontributiontothestudyoflanguageandparticularlyencouragedscholarlystudyoftheAmericanbranchofEnglish.
Menckenwrotewithverse,gustoandexaggeration.Hisexuberant,extravagantuseofthelanguagewassoamusingandstartlingthatevenhismostviolentlycriticalessaysbecameacceptabletohisreaders.Heemployedahugevocabularyandlikedtoinsertunusualorunexpectedwords,forsurpriseorcomiceffect,intootherwisenormalsentences.Althoughhisstyleisoccasionallydifficulttoread,Menckenisstillconsideredoneofthebestandliveliestessayistsofthiscentury.
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damn----blameorstronglycriticize
Nomatterwhatdecisionyoumake,you’redamnedifyoudoanddamnedifyoudon’t(=criticizedwhateveryoudecide).
Theinquiryintothedisasterdamnsthecompanyforitslackofsafetyprecautions.
uphillanddowndale----〖dated〗everywhere
Wherehaveyoubeen?
We’vebeensearchinguphillanddowndaleforyou.
rogue----〖dated〗adishonestorimmoralperson
Hewasknownasbeingabitofaroguewhohadlefthiswifeandrunoffwithhissecretary.
(Arogueisalsoapersonwhojokesandbehavesinawaywhichyoudonotapproveofbutwhomyoudonotwanttocriticizebecauseyoulikethemtoomuch:
‘Whatanoldrogueyouare,’shesaid,blushing.Arogues’galleryisacollectionofphotographsofcriminalskeptbythepolice:
(fig.)Heoccupiesaprominentpositionintherogues’galleryofthefinancialworld.)
vagabond----〖olduseorliterary〗apersonwhohasnohomeandusuallynojob,andwhotravelsfromplacetoplace,esp.inthepast,onewhowasthoughttobeoflowworth
Aseriesoflawsin16thcenturyEnglandspecifiedhowidlevagabondsweretobedealtwith.
fraud----apersonwhoisnotthattheyareclaimed
Hetoldpeoplethathewasaseriousandwell-knownmusician,buthewasafraudreally.
scoundrel----〖datedorhumorous〗aperson,esp.aman,whotreatsotherpeopleverybadlyandhasnomoralprinciples
He’sanabsolutescoundrel–hetookoutantiquevasetogetitvaluedandwehaven’tseenhimsince.
‘Everymanoverfortyisascoundrel.’
–GeorgeBernardShawinMaximsforRevolutionists,1903
Ioftenexpecttoomuchofthem.----Ioftenrequirethemtosotoomuch(becauseIbelieveit’stheirdutytodothisorthat).
lookto----expect(somebody)todo(something);
hope(thatsomeonewilldosomething)
Weshouldlooktotheeconomistsforadviceonhowtoovercomeinflation.
Healwayslookstootherstostructureeverythingforhim.
…thatistoolargeanorder----…that’satoobigrequest.
enchant----haveamagiceffecton(someoneorsomething);
fill(someone)withafeelingofgreatdelight
Tome,CentralParkhasanatmosphereofmystery,asifitwereenchantedwithfairies.
Hercharismamanagedtoenchanttheaudience.
theintellectuallyunderprivileged----thosewholackintelligenceandtheirownmind,andareconsequentlyeasytobeenchanted(thecommonAmericanPeople)
crooner----asinger,esp.aman,whosingsslowlovesongs
takeon----(something)develop/assumeanewappearanceorquality
Hisvoicetookonanewnoteofuncertainty.
Theword‘profession’istakingonanewmeaning.
austere----plainandwithoutdecoration
Theroomwithitswhitewallsisbare,austereandbeautiful.
Shehasanaustereeleganceinherplaingreyandblackclothes.
respectability----kindofsocialacceptancebecauseofhavingagoodcharacterorappearanceorbehavinginawaythatisapprovedof
Thecountryhasrestoreditsdiplomaticrelationswithitsneighboursinanattempttogaininternationalrespectability.
Herideasgainedrespectabilitywhentheyweretakenupbyawell-knownmemberofthecouncil
Thecompanyoperatesoutofmodernofficesandexpensivehotelsuitestocreateanairofrespectability.
identical----beexactlythesame,orverysimilar
Mysonhasgotthreeidenticalschooluniforms.
Theinterestsofthetwopartiesmaynottheidentical,buttheydooverlapconsiderably.
statecraft----theskillofgoverningacountry
adamantine----verysolid(likeadamant)
integrity----thequalityofbeinghonestandhavingstrongmoralprinciplesthatonerefusestochange
Noonedoubtedthatthepresidentwasamanofthehighestintegrity.
(Peopleoftenrefertosomeone’sartistic/professionalintegrityortheirintegrityasawriter,doctor,etc.,meaningtheirhighartisticstandardorstandardsofdoingtheirjobandtheirdeterminationnottolowerthem:
Keentopreservehisintegrityasadoctor,herefusedseverallucrativeHollywoodoffers.)
aglamorgirl----agirlwhoisattractive,fashionable,pretty,admirable,and,aboveall,sexual
dipsomaniac----apersonwhohasanuncontrollableneedtodrinkalcohol
butbyturninghimlooseonthestump----butbylettinghimbeatlargeandcampaignfortheelectionoftheirownwill
enterprising----goodatthinkingofanddoingnewanddifficultthings
Thebusinesswasstartedbyacoupleofenterprisingyoungwomen.
Thatwasveryenterprisingofyou,Jack.
hooey----〖informal〗nonsense
boob----(alsobooby)asillyorstupidperson〖old-fashioned〗
disquiet----make(someone)feelanxious;
worry
Herunpredictabilitydisquietsme.
Theson’scriticismgreatlydisquietedthemother.
Theintensityofhisangerdisquietedthem.
indistinguishable----impossibletojudgeasbeingdifferentwhencomparedtoanothersimilarthing
Theseforeignersaresogoodthattheyaremoreorlessindistinguishablefromtheoriginals.
Whichoftheseindistinguishablecandidatesareyouvotingfor?
larval----immature
tapsamorehumankeg----sayssomethingmorehuman/reasonable/appealingtothegeneralpublic
hallelujah----thewordisusedtoexpresspraise,joy,thanks,etc.
…andwhenthereturnscameinthecandidateisonhiswaytotheWhiteHouse----Theconsequenceoftalkingnonsensetothevoterswasthatthestatesmanwaswinningthepresidencyelection.
Darwinian----ApersonwhodoesnotbelieveinGod.Instead,hebelievesinthetheoryofbiologicalevolutiondevelopedbyCharlesDarwinandothers,statingthatallspeciesoforganismsariseanddevelopthroughthenaturalselectionofsmall,inheritedvariationsthatincreasetheindividual’sabilitytocompete,survive,andreproduce.〖ironicalhere〗
…I’dtrustwithmydiamonds,mydaughterormyliberty----Diamonds,daughterandlibertybelongtodifferentnotions,andtheyareneverputunderthesamecatalogue.Theforcedanalogymakesonefeelthatironicandhumorous.Thelatterpartofthesentencereinforcestheeffect.
itchfor/todosth.----wanttodosomethingverymuchandassoonaspossible
Byfouro’clockIwasitchingforthemeetingtoend.
IitchedtotellherwhatIhadheard.
incumbent----apersonwhoofficiallyholdsaparticularpostataparticulartime
…andItestifyfreelythat----Theword‘testify’isaformalword.Itsmeaningistomakeasolemnstatement:
HetestifiedhisfaithinChristianityopenly.Andaseriouspersonwillnottestify‘freely’.
sound----solid;
down-to-earth
soundscholarship/education
asoundbeginningforfurtherstudy
…andquiteashonestasanyAmericancanbewithoutbeingclappedintoamadhouse----IfanyotherAmericanisashonestashim,theywouldbeconsideredcrazyandimmediatelysenttoamadhouse.(Astatesmanisanexception,andthereasonisthatheisastatesman.)
prodigy----apersonwithanunusualgreatnaturalabilityforsomethingsuchasmusicormathematics,whichshowsitselfatanearlyage
The16-yea