英语咬文嚼字: fixer, con man, enigma, intimate…_北京外宾旅游指南

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英语咬文嚼字 The Crazy Logophile

fixer
noun [ C ] /ˈfɪk.sɚ/ informal

someone who is skilled at arranging for things to happen, especially dishonestly
安排者（尤指精于用不正当手段来操办事情的人）；摆平麻烦事的人

According to Cohen, Trump's empire was awash in activity that needed a fixer. Cohen told the House Oversight Committee that he now bitterly regrets he blindly took that role, which will ultimately deprive him of his freedom.

con man （also conman UK）
noun [ C ] /ˈkɒn ˌmæn/

(informal) a person who swindles another by means of a confidence trick
骗子，行骗者；诈骗

Cohen accused Mr. Trump of being a racist and a con man.

enigma
noun [ C ] /əˈnɪɡ.mə/

something that is mysterious and seems impossible to understand completely
令人费解的事物，令人困惑的事物

Mr. Trump is an enigma. He is complicated, as am I. He has both good and bad, as do we all. But the bad far outweighs the good, and since taking office, he has become the worst version of himself. He is capable of behaving kindly, but he is not kind. He is capable of committing acts of generosity, but he is not generous. He is capable of being loyal, but he is fundamentally disloyal.

intimate
verb [ T ] /ˈɪn.t̬ə.meɪt/ formal

to make clear what you think or want without saying it directly
暗示，提示

In the proceedings’ most consequential developments, Cohen declined to rule out that his victory-minded former employer would work with Moscow and intimated personal involvement by the president in his former business while in office.

corroborate
verb [ T ] /kəˈrɑː.bə.reɪt/ formal
corroboration
noun

to add proof to an account, statement, idea, etc. with new information
证实，确证

Repeatedly, when asked who might be able to corroborate these allegations, Cohen mentioned two key figures in the Trump Organization: Allen Weisselberg, Trump's longtime accountant, and Alan Garten, executive vice president and chief legal officer.

hush money
noun [ U ] /ˈhʌʃ ˌmʌn.i/ informal

money that is given to someone to make them keep something secret
封口费

Cohen tells Congress Trump knew about WikiLeaks’ plans, directed hush-money payments.

catch and kill

The term is simple and refers to the practice of buying the rights to a story without ever publishing it. This practice is typically done as a favor to prominent people who wants to bury negative news and it’s frequently used in tabloid publications.
买断负面新闻权，禁止该新闻发表

Michael Cohen alleged Wednesday that President Trump and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker used catch and kill—the practice of buying rights to a story with the intent of never running it.

partisanship
noun [ U ] /ˈpɑːr.t̬ə.zən.ʃɪp/

the quality or action of strongly supporting a person, principle, or political party, often without considering or judging the matter very carefully
党派性，党派偏见

Much of the hearing was simply partisan jousting. Amid all of the yelling and partisanship, however, we did learn some things from Cohen.

infomercial
noun [ C ] /ˈɪn.foʊ.mɝː.ʃəl/ mainly us

a long television advertisement, that contains a lot of information and seems like a normal programme
商业信息电视片，专题广告片

Mr. Trump would often say, this campaign was going to be the "greatest infomercial in political history."

straw bidder

A straw bidder is a person who makes a bid or purchase on behalf of another person.
虚假喊价，虚假竞标

Mr. Trump directed me to find a straw bidder to purchase a portrait of him that was being auctioned at an Art Hamptons Event.

unseemly
adjective /ʌnˈsiːm.li/ formal

not seemly (= socially suitable and polite)
不合适的，不得体的；不礼貌的

（CNN) — Michael Cohen's quest for redemption drew Americans into the mob-like world of Donald Trump. The President's former personal lawyer has painted a cruel and unseemly picture.

dossier
noun [ C ] /ˈdɑː.si.eɪ/

a set of papers containing information about a person, often a criminal, or on any subject
档案，卷宗；汇编材料

He also testified he had never been to Prague or met with Russians in Europe, refuting a key allegation by a former British intelligence officer whose dossier sketched out a Trump-Russian conspiracy.

silver bullet
noun [ C ]

a simple solution to a complicated problem 良方，万能药

The Point: Cohen's testimony didn't provide a single silver bullet against Trump's White House that some Democrats had hoped for.

buttoned-down
adjective [ before noun ] /also button-down us

formal and old-fashioned or boring
保守的，守旧的；缺乏创造力的

Cohen's appearance offered a window into parts of the Russia investigation that the buttoned-down special counsel investigation has yet to provide. But the testimony also cast doubt on some reports that had suggested vulnerability for Trump.

chagrin
noun [ U ] /ˈʃæɡ.rɪn/ formal

disappointment or anger, especially when caused by a failure or mistake
（尤指失败或错误引起的）失望，懊丧，懊恼

At an approval rating at or north of 40 percent, and presiding over a rip-roaring economy, the president remains closer to re-election than ruination, to the chagrin of an ever-expanding list of enemies. But Donald Trump’s not going anywhere soon.

osmosis
noun [ U ] /ɑːzˈmoʊ.sɪs/

the way in which ideas and information gradually spread between people
潜移默化，耳濡目染

In Trump's world, the boss knew everything that went on, according to Cohen. Henchmen like Cohen came to know by osmosis what the big man wanted.

augur
verb [ I + adv/prep, T ] /ˈɑː.ɡɚ/ formal

to be a sign of especially good or bad things in the future
预示，是…的预兆

After the hearing, a tired Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings delivered a verdict that may augur a fateful moment in American history when he was asked whether Trump may have committed a crime in office.
"It appears that he did," the Maryland Democrat said.