【正文】 ing a rifle, a cartridge belt and a knapsack filled with 5 kg of sand. (TIME, June 24, 1996, )1919年，當他在軍中服義務役的時候，努爾米帶著一支步槍，腰上系著彈帶，背上背著裝有5公斤沙子的背包參加20公里行軍。blunt [bl?nt] adj. 直言不諱的Clinton’s summation was startlingly blunt: “It is better to have reached no agreement (on Japan’s opening it domestic market) than to have reached an empty agreement.” (TIME, , 1994, )最后克林頓語驚四座，直言不諱地總結說：“（在日本開放其國內(nèi)市場這個議題上）與其獲得形同一紙空文的協(xié)議，不如不要協(xié)議。t stek] 危急存亡關頭的，有可能喪失或受損的 【同】at riskAt a news conference,(. Undersecretary of Defense) Perry declared that the credibility of the international munity (NATO) was at stake. (TIME, June 5,1995, )在記者招待會上，（美國國防部長）佩里宣稱，北約這個國際組織正面臨信任危機。230。flu?nt] adj. 富裕的 【同】prosperous, wealthy【反】poorLeeson and his wife Lisa never really seemed to fit into the affluent, neocolonial lifestyle of Singapore or into the city’s multiethnic society.(available [?ˋvel?bl] adj. （物）可取得的，可買到的；（人有空）可見面的，可參加的Most of the (smart) cards available in Atlanta will be worth between $10 and $50 and will be usable instead of cash at as many as 5000 “points of purchase” throughout the city.(TIME, , 1996, )于亞特蘭大出售的IC卡大部分值1015美元，可以在全市多達5000個“商業(yè)網(wǎng)點”充當貨幣使用?！眀ull [bul] adj. （股市）看漲的，多頭的，牛市的The bull market will endbut when is the question. (TIME, , 1997, )牛市將會結束，問題是何時結束。█ stint n. （在某處從事某事的）那段時間conciliatory [k?nˋs?l???t?r?] adj. 有和解之意的The executive director of the Christian Coalition told a prominent Jewish audience, in a conciliatory speech, that calling the . a “Christian nation” is wrong… (TIME, , 1995, )在一場有意化解對立的演講中，基督教聯(lián)盟的執(zhí)行主席告訴臺下那群猶太名流說，將美國叫做“基督教國家”是不對的。dazzling [d230。str?s] adj. 災情慘重的 【同】terribleThe Kobe quake was only slightly bigger than the Northridge tremor but more disastrous.(TIME, , 1995, )神戶地震的規(guī)模僅稍大于諾斯里奇地震，造成的災情卻嚴重得多。█ augment v. 擴大，加強； to haul off 撤下； restitching n. 重新縫補eccentric [?kˋs?ntr?k] adj. 特立獨行的，行為怪異的 【同】oddThe eccentric, factbased best seller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil sparks a rush to see where it all took place. (TIME, , 1995, )這本風格特異、根據(jù)真人實事改編的暢銷書《午夜的善惡花園》，激起一股人潮，涌向故事的發(fā)生地一探究竟。extravagant [?kˋstr230。He is probably the least flamboyant of the Republican contenders. (TIME, , 1995, )共和黨各角逐者中，他大概是最不受矚目的?！?No matter how good your product, you are only 18 months away from failure. (TIME, June 5, 1995, )世界上最不可靠的，莫過于來自特許經(jīng)銷權的收入。它與華盛頓交惡，所以棒球精英也不會移民去打美國甲級聯(lián)盟。mean [min] adj. 卑劣的This bill is mean. It is downright lowdown. What does it profit a great nation to conquer the world, only to lose its soul? (TIME, , 1996, )這個提案太卑鄙了，簡直是無恥透頂。ominous [ˋɑm?n?s] adj. 不吉祥的，不詳?shù)?【同】meanacingObservers are not surprised that business is flourishing despite the ominous political situation.(TIME, , 1996, )盡管政治形勢惡劣，觀察家對經(jīng)貿(mào)如此蓬勃發(fā)展并不意外。pervasive [p?ˋves?v] adj. 遍布的The local . attorney, Eddie Jordan, has called corruption in the (police) department “pervasive, rampant and systemic.” (TIME, , 1995, )當?shù)氐拿绹蓭焼痰ぞ驮f過，該警察局內(nèi)“貪污成風，非常猖獗，而且整個警局已成貪污共同體。promising [ˋprɑm?s?n] adj. 前景看好的 【反】unpromisingOn the horizon are the remedies that may prove more promising. (TIME, , 1995, )有一些可能更被看好的療法即將問世。savage [ˋs230。sophisticated [s?ˋf?st??ket?d] adj. 1. (技術、產(chǎn)品)尖端的，先進的；2. （人）老于世故的；3. （人）精通的、老練的【同】1. advanced 2. refined 【反】unsophisticatedOnce the calling of wildeye Cassandras and 19th century writers and social scientists on the radical fringe, longrange forecasting has bee a sophisticated and quite profitable industry.(TIME, July 15, 1996, )這種“長遠預測”的工作，從前專屬于眼神狂亂的預言家，在19世紀是激進的非主流作家和社會學家，如今則成為先進工業(yè)，而且利潤相當高。n??l] adj. 大量的，重大的【同】significant 【反】insubstantial In 1994, when he was 23, he plowed his substantial savings into creating WARP, to develop and publish video games. (TIME, Apr. 14, 1997, )1994年他23歲時，他投入大筆的積蓄創(chuàng)立了WARP公司，用以開發(fā)發(fā)行電腦游戲。tricky [ˋtr?k?] adj. 棘手的 【同】awkwardGetting in and out of the fast lanes is always tricky even today. It will be even trickier when you have to change lanes and hand off control to the puter at the same time.(TIME, , 1996, )即使在今天，進出快車道仍然需要技巧；更棘手的是，變換車道的同時還得把車子的控制權交給電腦。█ spinmeister n. spin和meister的復合字。兩個字合起來就是指善于利用媒體以塑造良好公眾形象的人，類似spin doctor（指黨對媒體的發(fā)言人，替政治人物等處理媒體問題的顧問）。n?m?s] adj. 意見一致的The 1993 Supreme Court decision was not unanimous. (TIME, , 1995, )1993年最高法院的判決并非在各大法官意見一致的情況下做出。sweeping [swip??] adj. 全面的，大規(guī)模的，影響深遠的 【同】farreachingA House submittee…will vote next week on the SmokeFree Environment Act, perhaps the most sweeping antismoking legislation Congress has ever seriously considered.(TIME, , 1994, )眾議院一分組委員會將于下周就《無煙害環(huán)境法案》進行投票，這項法案是國會有史以來最看重的禁煙法案，也可能是最全面的禁煙法案。Cassandra為希臘神話中特洛伊國王之女，阿波羅為取得她的芳心，賦予她預言的能力，后來因求愛不遂又下令人們不準信其預言；fringe n. （處于）邊緣，遠離核心的位置，較不受重視的地位staggering [ˋst230。█ reminisce v. 回想，追憶sensible [ˋs?ns?bl] adj. 合理的明智的“Sensible” is not the criterion for a placard. (TIME, , 1995, )“是否合理”并非是評判宣傳標語好壞的標準。d?kl] adj. 1. 徹底的； 2. 根本的，基本的；3. 基金的 【同】fundamental 【反】conservative reactionaryMore than at any other time in the past 25 years, men are living in a state of radical disconnection from the womenandchildren part of the human race. (TIME, May 6, 1996, )過去25年來，男人完全脫離婦女兒童而獨自居住的情形以目前最為嚴重。█ net v. 捕獲； counterfeit adj. 偽造的poignant [ˋp??nj?nt] adj. 尖刻的，切中要害的；辛酸感人的 【同】movingThat’s sort of a poignant irony. (TIME, , 1995, )那段話有點尖刻的諷刺味。outspoken [a?tˋspok?n] adj. 率直的，不客氣的 【同】forthrightWhen he (Magic Johnson) tried to make a eback in the fall of ’92, the fears of some outspoken . players forced him to call it off. (TIME, , 1996, ).，但由于一些直言不諱的球員（怕被染上艾滋?。?，使他打消了這個念頭。”他說道，“他們太可愛了，讓我們沐浴在熱情中。█ to mit (oneself) to…答應，保證imminent [ˋ?m?n?nt] adj. 迫近的，即將發(fā)生的The time will e when the . will subside to bee but one of many Great Powers. It is inevitable, but it is not imminent. (TIME, , 1997, )美國終有一日會衰退成眾多強權中的一員。