"Carry a lot of baggage” nghĩa là gì?

Photo by Ante Hamersmit on Unsplash

"Carry a lot of baggage” = carry so much baggage = mang nhiều hành lý (dang dở) -> nghĩa là tích lũy cảm xúc/vấn đề cá nhân tiêu cực, chưa kết thúc, dứt điểm.

Ví dụ

Doesn’t it feel like we all carry a lot of baggage in life? If we could just forget about all the negatives, we could live on cloud nine. What if I told you that we would be permanently (vĩnh viễn) stuck (mắc kẹt) on ground level, going nowhere in life, without all the heavy baggage of our experiences? This is what living with SMA type 1 for 38 years has taught me.

It wants to cheer and encourage those born with physical defects (khuyết tật). Ma Rainey has a nephew who has the same problem as Colin Firth's character in The King's Speech. These characters carry a lot of baggage. They've had enough of people mistreating (ngược đãi) them, and they don't intend to dance to the tunes of the white man. They live life on their terms, even if it means making minor compromises (thõa hiệp) here and there. 

Late that afternoon, Ford called and asked if he could come see Reagan. He had decided it was time to press the Kissinger issue. "Ron, I'm making a sacrifice (sự hi sinh) here,"  he said when he arrived. "And now I'm asking you to make a sacrifice. I want you to appoint Henry Kissinger as secretary of state." Reagan  was blunt  and,  he later  told aides,  annoyed. This  was going beyond the bounds  of what he had expected. "Jerry, I know all of Kissinger's strong  points,"  Reagan  told Ford. "I would use him a lot, but not as secretary of state. I've been all over this country the last several years, and Kissinger carries a lot of baggage. I couldn't  accept that. My own people, in fact, wouldn't accept it."

Anh Thư

Bài trước: "Bash his brains in" nghĩa là gì?

“Bash his brains in” nghĩa là gì?

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash

“Bash (someone's) brains in” = cú đánh mạnh vào não -> nghĩa là đánh (ai) thô bạo, thường vào đầu, có thể khiến bị thương nặng hoặc tử vong.

Ví dụ

After no longer than five minutes, my companion (đồng hành) – a famous artist – groaned: “I’m bored.” And I struggled hard not to pick up one of the chunks of quartz lying in the grass and use it to bash his brains in.

Unaware of her boyfriend's bold move, Kat runs into Jack in the café. He isn't impressed to see her after she tried to bash his brains in – and she is stunned (choáng váng) when he informs her about Kush.

She quoted one parole (đặc xá) board member who opposed release, saying that "This man was healthy enough to bash someone's brains in." Tate said that "I have lived through this horror," and that granting Beausoleil freedom "is not a gamble that the people of California would want to take."

Anh Thư

Bài trước: "Be in her element" nghĩa là gì?

“Be in her element” nghĩa là gì?

Photo by Richard Jaimes on Unsplash

"Be in (one’s) element" =  đúng trong môi trường -> nghĩa là ở trạng thái làm việc thoải mái hoặc thành thạo.

Ví dụ

John, of course, was in his element, making all the arrangements.

Beaudette tells 10/11 she’s in her element when she’s doing it, adding that it brings her joy and peace and even serves as a stress reliever, but she isn’t doing it solely (cô độc) for herself, rather for those who get to enjoy her special treats.

But while the popular German was left out of the lucrative (béo bở) season-ender, she did secure a spot in this year’s fun-filled season-opener. The ultra-social player will no doubt be in her element for the pro-am format at Tranquilo Golf Club.

Anh Thư

Bài trước: "Be in hand" nghĩa là gì? 

"Sleight of hand" nghĩa là gì?

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

"Sleight of hand" có sleight là mánh khóe -> cụm từ này nghĩa là lừa đảo, gian dối.

Ví dụ

A House of Lords committee has accused (buộc tội) the housing ministry of using a "legislative sleight of hand" by making temporary measures introduced at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to ease the functioning of the planning process permanent without any public consultation.

A few members of the Texas House have begun arguing that charter schools “cost the state more” than traditional schools. This is a rhetorical (tu từ) sleight-of-hand based on ignoring all the revenue that comes to schools from local sources.

It will reflect as capital receipts of the state governments and add to the fiscal (tài chính) deficit (tiền thiếu hụt) of the states.  Another sleight of hand by the central government intended to reduce the effective revenue deficit of theirs.

It’s striking how much of Biden’s climate executive actions reflect major elements of the Green New Deal — tackling climate change while addressing economic/racial injustice — without actually *being the Green New Deal. Some political sleight of hand.

Ngọc Lân

Bài trước: "The good is the enemy of the best" nghĩa là gì?

"The good is the enemy of the best" nghĩa là gì?

Rán trứng cũng phải đẹp nha!! Photo by Cooker King on Unsplash

"The good is the enemy of the best" = điều tốt là kẻ thù của điều tuyệt vời -> nghĩa là thay vì làm mọi việc hoàn hảo, mọi người thường chỉ làm chúng vừa đủ tốt. 

Ví dụ

“The good is the enemy of the best” is said to have been repeated in the meetings of the last months by the Chief of General Staff, proposing the “constant vigilance (cảnh giác) in the Armed Forces, since the successive crises (khủng hoảng) seem to have awakened instincts and consciences”.

As the saying goes, beggars can’t be choosy.  But you’re not a beggar (ăn xin) if you have great talents.  If you have talent, flaunt (khoe khoang) it among the best companies and let them line up before you. Be the judge of which company is worthy of your talents.  Take your time in your selection process. Often, the good is the enemy of the best. Don’t get stuck with just the good.

I always knew Giorgos would shoot Fanny Lye. Sixteen years ago, we worked together on my first feature, The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael, and Giorgos’ perfectionism (thuyết hoàn hảo) and rigour (nghiêm khắc) was a great inspiration. Giorgos’ motto is “The good is the enemy of the best”, I couldn’t put it better.

But he said he became frustrated (chán nản) in the job. He cited the quotation: ‘The good is the enemy of the best,’ adding: ‘I had a good life but I didn't think it was all it could be.

Ngọc Lân

Bài trước: "Pith of the matter" nghĩa là gì?

"Pith of the matter" nghĩa là gì?

Photo by Stephanie McCabe on Unsplash

"Pith of the matter" có pith là phần chính -> cụm từ này nghĩa là điều thiết yếu, cốt lõi, chủ yếu của vấn đề.

Ví dụ

But perhaps we should leave it there. Try to pin down influence and, inevitably, you miss the pith of the matter. “Explaining it away,” you betray (phản bội) the mysteriousness of the process, which plays out differently from artist to artist, and from day-to-day.

The pith of the matter is that Huawei products feature components (thành phần) of American technology. This means that the company and Beijing are going to have to play by US rules.

If I go back to my beginning with regard to their asking about literature, it was quite palpable (rõ ràng) to me that without a formal study of literature (văn học), the elements of literature had been in their veins. The writer wishes to project some salient (nổi bật) aspects of their genuine expressions for the readers to judge the situation. The pith of the matter is given with possible interpretations (lĩnh hội) to make a case in point why they deserve to be given a proper coaching in literature.

Ngọc Lân

Bài trước: "Issue a call for" nghĩa là gì?

Phát hiện hóa thạch dị thường

của con bọ cách đây 50 triệu năm, còn nguyên vẹn, thấy rõ cả chim :D

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Insects (côn trùng) are legion (nhiều vô số kể, nhiều đến nỗi đếm không xuể), but fossil (hóa thạch) ones are rare (hiếm) and usually in terrible condition (điều kiện tệ hại). Now a bug that lived 50 million years ago has been found in Colorado, in such an extraordinary (lạ thường; khác thường; phi thường; đặc biệt) state of preservation (bảo tồn, bảo quản) that we can still see the stripes on his little legs. And his genitalia (bộ phận sinh dục ngoài).

...Looking at the photograph, one’s eyes are drawn to the dark figure-8 seemingly attached to the insect’s middle leg – but that’s not the lad’s gonads, it’s a beetle. The genitals of the insect, sprawled (nằm dài ra, nằm ườn ra, ngã sóng soài; bò lan ngổn ngang) forever more with his six legs akimbo, are at the end of the last body segment. What we see is the sac called the pygophore (aka pygofer), which derives from the Greek word pyg for “rump” and phore for “bearer.”

Ironically, if anything, according to this picture this genital capsule looks like a vulva. But it is not.

Bài trước: Hơn người cũng chẳng sung sướng gì

"In low cotton" nghĩa là gì?

Photo by Kolya Korzh on Unsplash

"In low cotton" -> nghĩa là chán nản, thất vọng, phiền muộn.

Ví dụ 

She was in low cotton because her dress got torn. Jed is in low cotton because his favorite hound is dead.

The man in charge of the committee that helped clear the way for federal approval of two COVID vaccines admits to getting “really in low cotton” these days about the hope that these vaccines promised.

He asks parents to look at their child and evaluate their own situation. He says if your child is in low cotton but not suicidal, then speak to their main doctor or psychologist. But if the child has done self-harm or has suicidal ideation, seek help like calling EMS or using a suicidal hotline.

Thùy Dương

Bài trước : "Stretch your arm no further than your sleeve will reach" nghĩa là gì?

"Stretch your arm no further than your sleeve will reach" nghĩa là gì?

Photo by Mark Pan4ratte on Unsplash

"Stretch your arm no further than your sleeve will reach" = không duỗi cánh tay dài hơn tay áo -> nghĩa là không chi tiêu nhiều hơn số tiền kiếm được; 'liệu cơm gắp mắm'.

Ví  dụ 

This new job doesn't pay as well as my old one, so I'll really have to start stretching my arm no longer than my sleeve will reach.

It's important to learn as early as possible not to stretch your arm any further than your sleeve, or you're going to spend a lot of your life in debt.

Ander: I can get enough money for college if I take out several loans. Mark: I'd advise against it. Stretch your arm no further than your sleeve will reach.

Thùy Dương

Bài trước : "Have got it in for him " nghĩa là gì?

"You'll be late for your own funeral" nghĩa là gì?

Hy vọng sẽ kịp giờ. Photo by Donald Tong from Pexels

"You'll be late for/to your own funeral" = bạn thậm chí sẽ đến muộn đám tang chính mình -> nghĩa (hài hước) là trêu ai đó luôn đến muộn.

Ví dụ

That is the one appointment you'll keep, —though, I believe, you will be late for your own funeral.

“I believe you would manage to be late for your own funeral.” - “That would not depend quite so much upon my own volition (ý chí),” said Charley, laughing. 

His sister Tiana (whose nickname is Tee) arrived much later. She's always late and Trey has always teased her about that. “Like, I told you,” he said. “You'll be late for your own funeral.” She pushed him in the chest and smiled, then hugged him. "It's good to see you lil' bro," she said.

'Sorry Pippo, I forgot. Give me two minutes,' I said as I jumped out of bed, and reached for my trousers. I hurriedly dressed in my oldest clothes, ran into the kitchen & grabbed a piece of bread off the plate on the table. Mum saw me & pretended to aim a slap at me. 'Bruno, you'll be late for your own funeral,' she shouted to me as I ran out the door to join my waiting siblings.

Thu Phương

Bài trước: "Tougher than a two-dollar steak" nghĩa là gì?

"Issue a call for" nghĩa là gì?

Photo by Jim Reardan on Unsplash

"Issue a call for" -> nghĩa là công khai đòi hỏi hoặc yêu cầu điều gì. 

Ví dụ

Thames Valley Police (TVP) and Slough Borough Council (SBC) have joined forces to issue a call for residents to limit the spread of COVID-19 and abide by (tuân theo) lockdown rules. The force and local authority are launching the appeal as cases continue to be high in the town, with the rate of infection standing at 1,019 per 100,000 people. 

Then city staff will issue a call for proposals (đề xuất) for a service provider to construct and manage the project, and operate the housing units.

Top ultra-Orthodox rabbi Chaim Kanievsky will tomorrow issue a call for extremist (kẻ cực đoan) factions (bè phái) to stop their violent protests against the enforcement of lockdown rules, Channel 12 news reports.

“We want to be clear and issue a call for as much help as possible in the community,” he said. "The more compliant (dễ dãi) we can be with lockdown, the more we do to protect people in social care.”

Ngọc Lân

Bài trước: "Force the issue" nghĩa là gì?