Vocabulary

/veɪn/

adjective, having or showing an excessively high opinion of one's appearance, abilities, or worth, 虚荣的；自负的

She is very vain about her appearance.

她对自己的外貌非常虚荣。

adjective, producing no result; useless, 徒劳的；无益的

They made a vain attempt to stop the fire.

他们为扑灭大火做出了徒劳的尝试。

/hʌf/

noun, a fit of annoyance or bad temper, 怒气，生气，恼怒

He walked out of the room in a huff after the disagreement.

发生分歧后，他气冲冲地走出了房间。

verb, to blow or breathe heavily; puff, 喘气，吹气

The runner was huffing and puffing after sprinting up the steep hill.

冲上陡峭的山坡后，跑步者气喘吁吁。

/ˈtɔːdri/

adjective, showy but cheap and of poor quality, 俗丽的；花哨而庸俗的

She wore a bright dress with tawdry plastic jewelry to the party.

她穿着一件鲜艳的连衣裙，佩戴着俗气的塑料首饰去参加派对。

adjective, sordid or unpleasant; morally low, 卑劣的；下流的；不道德的

The tabloid scandal revealed all the tawdry details of his secret life.

小报丑闻揭露了他秘密生活中所有卑劣的细节。

/sæp/

noun, the fluid which circulates in the vascular system of a plant, 树液；植物汁液

Maple sap is collected in early spring to make syrup.

早春时节收集枫树汁来制作糖浆。

verb, gradually weaken or destroy (someone's strength or power), 削弱；消耗（体力或精力）

The long hot walk sapped all her energy.

漫长而炎热的步行消耗了她的全部精力。

/ˈsted.fæst/

adjective, resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering, 坚定的；不动摇的

He remained steadfast in his commitment to the team.

他对团队的承诺依然坚定不移。

adjective, loyal and constant, 忠诚的；忠实的

She has been a steadfast friend throughout all these years.

这些年来，她一直是一位忠实的朋友。

/hoʊn/

verb, refine or perfect (something) over a period of time, 磨炼；磨砺；提高

He spent years in the kitchen honing his culinary skills.

他在厨房里花了多年时间磨炼自己的厨艺。

verb, sharpen (a blade), 磨快；磨尖

The carpenter honed the chisel on a whetstone until it was razor sharp.

木工在磨刀石上磨尖凿子，直到它锋利如剃刀。

/ˈtændʒəbl/

adjective, perceptible by touch; clear and definite for real, 有形的；可触摸的；确凿的

The police have found no tangible evidence.

警方没有找到任何确凿的证据。

noun, an item that is perceptible by touch, 有形资产；有形物

The company's assets include tangibles such as property and equipment.

该公司的资产包括房产和设备等有形资产。

/reɡ/

noun, informal, short for regulation or regular, 规章；规则；常规 (常用复数 regs)

Make sure you follow all the safety regs before operating the equipment.

在操作设备之前，请确保遵守所有安全规章。

adjective, informal, regular, 常规的；普通的

He ordered a reg coffee with cream and two sugars.

他点了平时喝的普通咖啡，加奶油和两份糖。

/ˈmɑːrb(ə)l/

noun, hard crystalline metamorphic form of limestone, typically white with colored veins, used in sculpture and architecture, 大理石

The lobby floor was made of elegant white marble.

大厅的地板是由优雅的白色大理石制成的。

noun, a small spherical toy made of glass, clay, or agate, 弹珠

Children used to play with glass marbles in the schoolyard.

孩子们过去常在校园里玩玻璃弹珠。

/dɪˈstrɔːt/

adjective, deeply upset and agitated, 心烦意乱的；极度痛苦的

She was distraught with grief after hearing the sad news.

听到这个噩耗后，她痛苦万分。

/dɪˈskriːt/

adjective, careful and circumspect in one's speech or actions, especially in order to avoid causing offense or to gain an advantage, 谨慎的；考虑周到的；言行谨慎的

They were very discreet about their romantic relationship.

他们对彼此的恋情非常低调谨慎。

adjective, intentionally unobtrusive; subtle and subdued, 不引人注意的；低调朴素的

The hotel provides a discreet entrance for high-profile guests.

这家酒店为显要客人提供了一个隐蔽低调的入口。

/sæk/

noun, a large bag made of strong coarse material such as burlap, heavy paper, or plastic, used for storing or carrying goods, 麻袋；大袋

He carried a heavy sack of potatoes on his shoulder.

他肩上扛着一重重的一袋土豆。

verb, dismiss from a job, 解雇；开除

The manager decided to sack the lazy worker.

经理决定解雇那个偷懒的员工。

/dɪˈskreʃ.ən/

noun, the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information, 谨慎；明智；保密

You can rely on his discretion to keep the secret.

你可以相信他会恪守秘密。

noun, the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation, 自行决定权；斟酌决定权

The director has full discretion to make hiring decisions.

主管有全权自行决定招聘事宜。

/prɪk/

verb, make a small hole in (something) with a sharp point, 刺；扎；刺痛

He pricked his finger with a sharp needle.

他用一根尖针扎破了手指。

noun, a small hole or sharp pain made by a sharp object, 刺痛；刺孔

She felt a small prick in her arm when receiving the vaccine.

在接种疫苗时，她感觉手臂上有一点微弱的刺痛。

/dɪˈmaɪz/

noun, the end or failure of an enterprise or institution, or a person's death, 死亡；终止；败落

The sudden demise of the ancient empire left a power vacuum across the realm.

这个古老帝国的突然覆灭在整个王国留下了权力真空。

verb, convey or grant (an estate) by will or lease, 遗赠；转让

The estate was demised to his nephew upon his passing.

他去世后，这处地产被遗赠给了他的侄子。

/ˈstɪɡmətaɪz/

verb, describe or regard (something) as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval, 给……贴上耻辱标签；玷污

People with mental health issues are often unfairly stigmatized.

患有心理健康问题的人往往会被不公正地贴上耻辱标签。

/streɪ/

verb, move away aimlessly or wander from a group or proper place, 走失；偏离；漫游

The little puppy strayed away from its mother and lost its way.

那只小狗偏离了母亲，迷了路。

noun, a domestic animal that is lost or has no home, 流浪动物

They decided to adopt a stray cat that was living in their neighborhood.

他们决定收养一只生活在附近社区的流浪猫。

/diːˈfjuːz/

verb, make (a situation) less tense or dangerous, 缓解，平息（紧张局势）；化解（危机）

The police officer managed to defuse the tense situation with calm words.

警官用温和的话语化解了紧张的局势。

verb, remove the fuse from (an explosive device) so as to prevent it from exploding, 拆除（炸弹等）的引信

Bomb disposal experts were called in to defuse the bomb.

防爆专家被召来拆除炸弹的引信。

/ˈskræm.bəl/

verb, to move or climb quickly but awkwardly, using your hands and feet, 攀爬；（艰难地）爬行

The hikers had to scramble up the steep and rocky mountain slope.

登山者们不得不艰难地攀爬陡峭多石的山坡。

verb, to mix or cook things together, or to struggle hastily for something, 炒（蛋）；打乱；抢夺

She scrambled the eggs in a hot pan for breakfast.

她在大火平底锅里炒了鸡蛋作为早餐。

/dɪˈspjuːt, ˈdɪspjuːt/

noun, a disagreement or argument, 争论；纠纷

The two neighbors had a heated dispute over the property line.

邻居俩为财产界线发生了激烈的争执。

verb, argue about or question the truth or validity of something, 对……提出质疑；争论

No one can dispute the facts presented in the report.

没有人能对报告中陈述的事实提出质疑。

/ˈspektəkl/

noun, a visually striking performance or display, 精彩的表演；壮观的场面

The fireworks display over the harbor was a magnificent spectacle.

海港上空的烟花表演是一场壮观的景象。

noun, an event or situation that draws attention or interest as being unusual or notable, 奇观；引人注目的事

He made a spectacle of himself by shouting loudly in public.

他在公共场合大声喧哗，引人侧目。

/ˈʃætər/

verb, break or cause to break suddenly and violently into pieces, 粉碎；打破

The window shattered into thousands of tiny pieces when the ball hit it.

当球击中窗户时，窗户碎成了数千个碎片。

verb, upset completely; ruin (hopes, dreams, or peace), 毁碎；粉碎（希望、梦想等）

The unexpected bad news shattered her dreams of studying abroad.

这突如其来的坏消息粉碎了她出国留学的梦想。

/ɪmˈpəʊz/

verb, force (something unwelcome or unfamiliar) to be accepted or put in place, 强制实行；强加于

The government decided to impose new taxes on luxury goods.

政府决定对奢侈品征收新税。

verb, take unfair advantage of someone, 利用；妨碍；打扰

I hope I am not imposing on you by staying another night.

希望我再住一晚不会让你感到打扰。

/ˈslɒpi/

adjective, careless and unsystematic; excessively casual or loose, 蓬乱的；草率的；粗心的；邋遢的

His work was sloppy and contained a lot of basic errors.

他的工作极其草率，包含许多低级错误。

adjective, (of ground, food, etc.) semi-liquid, wet, or slushy, 泥泞的；湿滑的；稀薄的

The ground was soft and sloppy after the heavy rain.

大雨过后，地面软绵绵且泥泞不堪。

/rɪˈtɑːrd/

verb, to delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment, 阻碍；减缓

Cold weather can retard the growth of crops.

寒冷的天气会减缓农作物的生长。

noun (technical), a substance or factor that slows a process or chemical reaction, 阻滞剂；减速剂

Chemicals were added to retard the spread of the fire.

添加了化学物质以减缓火势的蔓延。

/prɪˈten.ʃəs/

adjective, attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed, 炫耀的；自命不凡的；矫饰的

The restaurant felt overly pretentious with its complicated menu and exorbitant prices.

这家餐厅复杂的菜单和过高的价格让人感觉过于矫揉造作。

adjective, making an exaggerated outward show, 虚张声势的

He avoids using pretentious language when speaking to a general audience.

他在向普通观众讲话时会避免使用自命不凡的措辞。

/swɑːt/

verb, hit or crush (something, especially an insect) with a sharp blow from a flat object, 猛击；打（蝇等）

He tried to swat the fly with a rolled-up magazine.

他试图用卷起的杂志打死那只苍蝇。

noun, a sharp slap or blow, 猛击；重打

She gave the annoying mosquito a quick swat.

她快速猛打了一下那只讨厌的蚊子。

/ˈrez.ɪ.djuː/

noun, a small amount of something that remains after the main part has gone or been taken or used, 残余；残渣

The ash is the residue of burned wood.

灰烬是木头燃烧后的残渣。

noun, a substance that remains after a chemical process such as evaporation or filtration, （化学）残渣；残留物

Pesticide residues were found on the surface of the unwashed apples.

在没洗过的苹果表面发现了农药残留。

/strænd/

noun, a single thin length of something such as thread, fiber, or hair, （线、绳、头发等的）股，缕，条

She pulled a loose strand of hair back behind her ear.

她把一缕散落的发丝捋到了耳后。

verb, leave (someone or something) in a place without transport or money; run aground, 使滞留；使困住；搁浅

The severe snowstorm stranded hundreds of passengers at the airport.

严重的暴风雪使数百名乘客滞留在机场。

/ˈkæp.tɪv/

noun, a person who is taken prisoner or an animal that is confined, 囚徒；俘虏；被关押的动物

The soldiers took several captives during the battle.

士兵们在战斗中抓获了几个俘虏。

adjective, imprisoned or confined; unable to escape, 被监禁的；受控制的；无法逃跑的

Wild animals often suffer when kept in captive conditions.

野生动物在被圈养的环境中往往会遭受痛苦。

/smʌɡ/

adjective, having or showing an excessive pride in oneself or one's achievements, 沾沾自喜的；自满的

He had a smug look on his face after winning the game.

赢了比赛后，他脸上带着自满的表情。

adjective, excessively self-satisfied or complacent, 固步自封的；盲目自满的

We should not become smug about our past success.

我们不应该对过去的成功感到盲目自满。

/spruːs ʌp/

phrasal verb, to make a person, place, or thing look smarter, cleaner, or more attractive, 整理；打扮；装饰

We decided to spruce up the living room with a fresh coat of paint.

我们决定用一层新漆把客厅打扮一下。

phrasal verb, to dress neatly or groom oneself to look presentable, （把自己）打扮得干干净净、漂亮

He spruced himself up before going out for dinner.

他在出去吃晚饭之前把自己的外表好好整理打扮了一番。

/ˈdʒʌmb(ə)l/

noun, an untidy collection or pile of things, 混乱；杂乱的一堆

The books and toys were lying in a jumble on the floor.

书本和玩具杂乱无章地堆在地上。

verb, mix up in a confused or untidy way, 使混乱；混杂

The papers were jumbled together in the drawer.

文件在抽屉里混杂成一团。

/daɪər/

adjective, extremely serious or urgent, 极其严重的；危急的

The hurricane left thousands of people in dire need of food and shelter.

飓风使成千上万的人急需食物和避难所。

adjective, warning of disaster; ominous, 预示灾难的；不祥的

She issued a dire prediction about the future of the economy.

她对经济的未来做出了可怕的不祥预测。

/ˌsen.tɪˈmen.təl/

adjective, prompted by or expressing feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia, 多愁善感的；感情用事的；感伤的

She kept all the old love letters for sentimental reasons.

出于情感方面的因素，她保存了所有旧情书。

adjective, (of an object) having value to someone because of its associations with memories or people, （物品）具有纪念意义的；承载情感的

The ring has little monetary value, but it has great sentimental value to her.

这枚戒指金钱价值不高，但对她来说却有极大的纪念价值。

/ˈpær.ə.saɪt/

noun, an organism that lives in or on another organism and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense, 寄生虫；寄生生物

The parasite lives inside the host organism and feeds on its nutrients.

这种寄生虫生活在宿主体内，以其营养物质为食。

noun, a person who habitually relies on or exploits others without giving anything in return, 依靠他人过活的人；寄生虫

He was regarded as a parasite who lived off his wealthy friends.

他被看作是一个靠富有的朋友讨生活的寄生虫。

/ˈbɑːrɡən/

noun, something bought or offered at a lower price than usual, 便宜货；划算的交易

At only ten dollars, this handmade vase was a real bargain.

这件手工花瓶只要十美元，真是个大便宜。

verb, negotiate the terms and conditions of a transaction, 讨价还价；谈判

She tried to bargain with the vendor for a better price on the fruit.

她试图与摊主讨价还价，以获得更优惠的水果价格。

/streɪ/

adjective, away from the correct path or separate from the main group; lost or homeless, 走失的；流浪的；偏离的

The family decided to adopt a friendly stray dog they found near the park.

一家人决定收养他们在公园附近发现的一只友好的流浪狗。

verb, move away aimlessly from a group, path, or main topic, 迷路；偏离正题；走神

Her attention began to stray from the lecture as she looked out the window.

当她看着窗外时，她的注意力开始从讲座上偏离。

/prɛˈstiːʒ/

noun, widespread respect and admiration felt for someone or something on the basis of a perception of their achievements or quality, 声望；威望；声誉

The university enjoys a global reputation for academic prestige.

这所大学因其学术声望而享有全球声誉。

adjective, inspiring respect and admiration; having high status, 有声望的；令人敬仰的

He was invited to speak at a prestige event in Paris.

他受邀在巴黎的一场顶级盛会上发表演讲。

/ˈvɪʃ.əs/

adjective, deliberately cruel or violent, 凶残的；恶毒的

The dog gave a vicious growl as we approached.

当我们靠近时，那条狗发出了一声凶残的怒吼。

adjective, serious or dangerous; severe, 剧烈的；严重的

He suffered a vicious attack of flu.

他患了一场严重的流感。

/ˈhɑːloʊ/

adjective, having a space or hole inside; not solid, 空的；中空的

The old oak tree has a hollow trunk.

这棵老橡树有一个中空的树干。

adjective, without real value, meaning, or sincerity, 虚伪的；空洞的

His promises turned out to be hollow.

他的承诺结果被证明是空洞的。

/kəˈrɒləri/

noun, a direct or natural consequence or result, 必然的结果；推论

Destruction of the environment is an inevitable corollary of industrial expansion.

环境破坏是工业扩张带来的必然结果。

adjective, forming a proposition that follows from one already proved; consequent, 必然的；随之而来的

The research team analyzed the main dataset and discovered several corollary findings.

研究团队分析了主数据集，并发现了几项随之而来的结论。

/ˈdrʌdʒəri/

noun, hard, menial, or dull work, 繁重沉闷的工作；苦工

He found the administrative drudgery of his job exhausting.

他觉得工作中的行政琐事繁重沉闷，令人精疲力竭。

/prɪˈkeə.ri.əs/

adjective, not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse, 不稳固的；危险的

The delicate glass vase was placed in a precarious position on the edge of the table.

精致的玻璃花瓶被放在桌子边缘一个很不稳固的位置。

adjective, dependent on chance; uncertain, 不确定的；取决于偶然因素的

Many freelancers live a precarious existence with uncertain income.

许多自由职业者过着收入不确定的不稳定生活。

/slɜːrp/

verb, to drink or eat something with a loud, sucking noise, 出声地吃（或喝）；发出哧哧声地吃（或喝）

He slurped his hot soup noisily from the bowl.

他发出很大的声音从碗里哧哧地喝热汤。

noun, a loud sucking noise made while drinking or eating, 哧哧喝水（或吃东西）声；咕噜咕噜喝的声音

She took a loud slurp of her iced beverage through the straw.

她用吸管大声地吸了一口冰饮。

/ɪnˈkæp.sjə.leɪt/

verb, to express the essential features of something succinctly, 概括；简述

The final paragraph of the report encapsulates the main conclusions.

报告的最后一段概括了主要结论。

verb, to enclose something in or as if in a capsule, 封装；把…封进胶囊

The technology encapsulates liquid medicine inside small protective spheres.

该技术将液体药物封装在小型保护球体内。

/ɪˈrætɪk/

adjective, not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable, 忽高忽低的；无常的；不规则的

Her sleep patterns have become increasingly erratic due to stress.

由于压力，她的睡眠习惯变得越来越不规律。

/kʌˈstoʊdiən/

noun, a person who has responsibility for taking care of or protecting something, 监管人；保管人；守护者

The museum custodian ensured that the rare artifacts remained safe overnight.

博物馆保管员确保珍贵文物整夜安全无虞。

noun, a person employed to clean and maintain a building; a janitor, （大楼、学校等的）看管人，清洁工

The school custodian unlocked the classrooms early every morning.

学校看门人每天清晨很早就把教室门打开。

/ɪnˈteɪl/

verb, involve (something) as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence, 使必要；需要；牵涉

The new project will entail a lot of hard work and travel.

这个新项目将需要大量的辛勤工作和出差。

verb, settle the inheritance of (property) over a number of generations so that ownership remains within a particular group, 限定继承（财产）

The estate was entailed on the eldest son.

这份产业被限定由长子继承。

/draʊt/

noun, a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water, 干旱；旱灾

The severe drought ruined crops and caused widespread water shortages across the region.

严重的干旱摧毁了农作物，并在全地区造成大范围的缺水。

noun, a prolonged absence or shortage of something, 缺乏；不足；荒

The team finally broke their ten-year championship drought with a stunning victory.

该队以一场精彩的胜利终于打破了长达十年的冠军荒。