1. dent
n. 凹痕
v. 使...凹下,塌陷
make a dent 产生效果，初见成效
The doctor told him to stop smoking, but it didn't make a dent.
医生让他停止抽烟，但没有引起注意。

2. on tenterhooks 
n.坐立不安

3.
scrape n/v 刮，擦，擦伤
He suffered a few cuts and scrapes.
他割破和擦伤了几个地方

(艰难地)凑集,积攒;勉强过日子[(+up/together）
According to their own accounts, they had barely managed to scrape

through.
按照他们自己的说法，他们好容易才勉强对付过去的。
He has scraped together enough money to buy a car.
他已凑足了买一辆汽车的钱。

4. on top of 除～之外
5. tide n. 潮，潮流，趋势
a crab was left stranded on the beach when the tide ebbed/receded.
退潮时，一只蟹被困留在沙滩上。
the historical tide is surging forward with great momentum.
历史洪流气势磅礴, 奔腾向前。
time and tide wait for no man.
岁月不饶人/不等人

tide over  使～ 度过难关
if they would put their heads togther, they would find ways to tide

over the difficulty.
如果他们集思广益，他们就能找到渡过困难的办法.
please give us a 90-day extension on loan repayment to help us tide

over current financial difficulty.
请给我们延长90天的贷款偿还期限，以便克服目前的财政困难。

6. get cold feet vi. 开始感到怀疑/失去勇气
he got cold feet at the last minute.
他事到临头却退缩了

7. weigh up 衡量 权衡 估量
the judge carefully weighed up all the evidence.
法官仔细考虑了所有这些证据。

察言观色  to examine a man's language and observe his countenance

8. immune adj .(有)免疫(力)的；不受影响的；免除的/immunity
A full life is immune against boredom.
充实的生活无烦腻之虞

9. 空袭几乎把这座城镇夷为平地
the bombing raid practically leveled the town.

10.divine
n. 神的，神圣的
v. 占卜，预言，推测
how can you divine the truth by mere guesswork?
你仅凭猜测怎么能发现真相?

11 wary adj. 谨慎的，小心翼翼的

12. collusion n. 勾结，串通
in collusion

13. straw poll 测验民意的投票

14. plea  n. 恳求，辩护
15. illustrious adj 杰出的
16. 步～～的后尘 
follow in the footsteps of

17.incumbent adj 成为～责任的，有义务的，现任的
it is incumbent upon/on  justice to give warnings of theri doubt about

a case.

encumber vt 拖累，妨害，阻害=impede
he is encumbered with a large family.
encumber one with sth

18.bear vt.忍受；承担；怀有；运输
bear (little) resemblance to sb
bear up against misfortunes
bear in mind
this document bore his signature 这份文件上有他的签名
her face bore signs of tears

19. bear out 证实

20.trough  n.
The lowest point of performance of the economy is called the

"trough".
经济活动的最低点被称为“谷府”。

21. ride out 安然度过，经受得起

22. officialdom n. 官场，官僚圈子，公务员
we suffer from too much officialdom.
我们深受官僚作风之害.

23.proportion
out of proportion to 与～不成比例/ in proportion 按比例
we are trying to reduce the problem to manageable proportions
我们正努力吧问题缩小到可以控制的范围内
this painting lacks proportion.
这幅画比例失调

24.endow  vt 捐赠 资助 /with  给予，赋予
endowment

25.gild  v.镀金
gild [paint] the lily  画蛇添足

26 ever-rising 不断上涨的
27 undercut   v. 廉价出售,较便宜的工资工作,从下边切球
If our two companies were to join forces we could undercut all our

competitors.
如果我们两家公司联合起来的话，我们可以削价同我们的所有竞

争对手抢生意。

28 incumbent   n  在职者,在职者

29. obstructive   adj. 妨害的,阻碍的,妨碍的  n. 妨碍物,妨碍物
The obstructive members blocked all parliamentary business by

talking against time.
那些故意捣蛋的议员以拖延发言时间来阻挠议会全部工作的进展

be obstructive to the progress of...
对…的进展构成障碍

30. in the black adj 盈利(有偿付能力的)
New production methods put the company in the black.
新的生产方法使公司开始盈利。

31. entrench  v.挖壕沟
Arguments that only entrench you more firmly in error.
那些只能使你更加坚持错误的争辩

entrench oneself.  稳固自己的地位

32. track record 记录
Hehas an excellent track record (ie has been very successful) as a

salesman.
他当推销员一向十分出色.

33. purvey  v （大量）供给，供应

34.for-profit adj. 唯利是图的，营利性的
35. ascribe..to   vt
She ascribed her success to hard work.
她把自己的成功归之于勤奋
The painting was ascribed to an unknown artist.
那幅画被认定系一不出名的画家所作。

36. negligible  adj 可忽略不计的，微不足道的
The damage to my car is negligible.
我的汽车的损坏是极轻微的

37. motive n.动机，动因，目的
Can we assign jealousy as the motive for the crime?
我们能否确定这一犯罪动机是出於嫉妒?

38. choosy adj ..好挑剔的,慎重选择的
39.every now and then 时常，不时，间或

40.blow v.
呼吸困难急促,喘气
The horse blew short after the race.
马赛跑后直喘。
He was blowing as he climbed the stairs.
上楼时他直喘气。

41.come to much  adj .很有结果
John's plan will not come to much; he hasn't got enough capital to

make a success of it.
约翰的计划不会有什么结果，因为他没有足够的资金使它获得成

功。

42.grumble vi /n 抱怨，牢骚, 隆隆声
He has everything he needs, but he is still full of grumbles.
他需要的一切都得到了，却还牢骚满腹。
They will grumble about having to do the work.
他们将为不得不干那项工作而抱怨

43.balk
n. 障碍,错误,失败
v. 阻止,突然停止,退缩
He balked me to carry out my plan.
他阻止我实施我的计划。
Many people balked at this danger.
许多人看到这种危险便畏缩不前。

44.squat vi 蹲；擅住 a.矮胖的 n.蹲姿；擅用的建筑物
Short and stout; squat.
矮胖的；短而厚的

45.modest means  中等收入
46. alternative
adj. 两者择一的
n. 替换物,取舍
v. 两者取一
There appears to be no alternative.
似乎没有别的选择。

47.recoup
v. 重获,补偿
vt. 重获(尤指钱),失而复得,赔偿,扣除
We recouped the show's expenses from ticket sales.
我们从门票收入中赚回演出的费用.

48.cut frills 削减低价
49. In economics, Veblen goods are a theoretical group of

commodities for which peoples' preference for buying them increases

as a direct function of their price, instead of decreasing according to

the law of demand.

50 colossal adj巨大的
51. onerous a.繁重的，麻烦的

52 with a straight face 绷着脸
53. out of line  不成一直线；不一致，出格

54.brainy  adj a.聪明的；精明的
55. stellar  a.恒星的  主要的;显著的

56.shove   vt.乱推；乱塞 vi.用力推，挤 n.猛推
Everybody was pushing and shoving towards the exit.
大家都在推推搡搡向出口挤去。
The surplus will shove the price down from a dollar to 60 cents.
剩余货物将会迫使价格从一美元跌到六十美分。

57. flourish  vi.茂盛，繁荣，兴旺
This type of plant flourishes in hot countries.
这种植物在热带国家生长茂盛

58. sabre-rattling  炫耀武力
sabre  n.军刀，击剑用刀

59. shy vi. 惊退,畏缩,回避
He isn't the man to shy at difficulties.
他不是在困难面前畏缩的人。
Her eyes shied away from mine.
她一见到我在看她就避开了我的眼睛。 

60. intemperate  adj. 无节制的,放纵的,激烈的

疯了，一篇文章16页～～～

红色是注释的部分，蓝色的在理解上有疑问～～