独霸上海的妖怪

Question 1

say：What a controversial pastry says about China’s economy

Answer 1

指「体现，从…看出」，say作此义时有一个很地道的表达：say a lot about sb/sth，say much about sb/sth 表示「充分说明」：Your activity says so much about your intentions.

Question 2

controversial pastry

Answer 2

有争议的点心

Question 3

corruption

Answer 3

贪污腐败

Question 4

divisive treats

Answer 4

有争议的食物之一。divisive [dɪˈvaɪsɪv] 为形容词，指「造成不和的；引起分歧的」(causing people to be split into groups that disagree with or oppose each other)，与controversial互为同义替换。

Question 5

chewy

Answer 5

「需多嚼的，难嚼碎的」(needing to be chewed a lot before it can be swallowed)

Question 6

delicacy

Answer 6

[ˈdelɪkəsi] 作可数名词，指「佳肴」

Question 7

gorge on sth / gorge oneself on sth

Answer 7

「狼吞虎咽地吃，贪婪地吃」，近义词还有gobble down sth, devour sth, wolf down sth等等

Question 8

liken A to B

Answer 8

「将A比作B」

Question 9

edible

Answer 9

[ˈedɪbl ̩] 为形容词，指「可食用的」，反义词则是inedible

Question 10

hockey puck

Answer 10

「冰球」，是运动项目ice hockey 冰上曲棍球中用来当球的橡皮圆盘。

Question 11

it is heartening to know that

Answer 11

heartening [ˈhɑːtənɪŋ] 指「令人振奋的，鼓舞人心的」(making someone feel happier and more hopeful），可以完美替换我们熟悉的encouraging

Question 12

amid

Answer 12

介词，指「在…中」，一般是用在表示在纷乱、嘈杂的事件中。「疫情期间」便可以用amid the coronavirus 来表达

Question 13

fret about sth / fret over sth / fret that…

Answer 13

「烦恼，发愁」，完美替换小学生词汇worry about sth

Question 14

plump for sth

Answer 14

指深思熟虑后「选择某物」

Question 15

dismiss…as…

Answer 15

to decide that sb / sth is not important and not worth thinking or talking about。Her son’s school, one of the best in Beijing, dismissed the brouhaha as “harmless mischief between kids”. 她的孩子就读于北京最优质的学校之一，该校将这场风波归结为“孩子之间无伤大雅的玩笑”。

Question 16

judging by / from sth

Answer 16

依据…来判断」；Judging by his jovial manner, he must have enjoyed his meal. 从他愉快的样子来看，他这顿饭肯定吃得很开心。

Question 17

listed companies

Answer 17

上市公司

Question 18

vie for sth

Answer 18

「为…而竞争」