01. slow to act, be
定义: 迟缓地采取行动.
例句: The governor was slow to act on the COVID-19 pandemic. But once he did, he got most of it right. (这位州长对于新冠肺炎疫情迟缓地做出了应对措施, 但一旦他展开了行动, 他所实施的大部分举措都是正确的)
02. slow up, to
定义: 放慢速度, 放缓步调; 促成放慢速度, 放缓步调; 减缓频率, 强度或减少活动; 造成减缓频率, 强度或减少活动.
例句: Once he slowed up and started speaking clearly, I finally understood what he was talking about. (一旦他放缓了速度和开始清晰地说话, 我终于了解了他在说些什么)
03. slowly but surely
定义: 虽然慢点但一定会做完地.
例句: I've been writing my thesis slowly but surely. It will probably take me all year to finish it, but it's getting there! (我一直在撰写我的论文虽然慢点但肯定会做完. 这篇论文可能需要我一年的时间才能完成, 但我也快写完了!)
04. sluff off, to
定义: 除去, 蜕去; 忽视, 不当回事; 拖延, 逃避责任或工作; 无所事事, 游手好闲.
例句: The senator just sluffed off the journalist's comments, describing them later as "baseless" and "incendiary." (这位参议员不理会那个记者的评论, 事后他形容这些评论是"毫无根据"以及"煽动人心.")
05. slug it out, to
定义: 大打一架, 一决雌雄; 大吵一架; 跟...争夺.
例句: Watch out, there's two guys slugging it out in the back of the bar! (当心, 有两个人在酒吧后面大打出手!)
06. slugfest, a
定义: [俚语]大打出手, 拳斗; 大吵一架, 激辩.
例句: The senator is bracing for a slugfest when she puts her proposal before Congress for a vote. (这名参议员正准备应付一场激烈辩论当她在国会上提交她的提案来投票表决)
07. slur over, to
定义: 口齿不清, 含糊不清, 语焉不详; 避重就轻, 轻描淡写, 一笔带过.
例句: When pressed for clarification by the reporter, the governor slurred over most of his response before declaring that he was late for a meeting. (当被这名记者进一步要求澄清的时候, 这位州长含糊不清地做出了他大部分回应然后宣布他已经迟到参加某个会议)
08. slut, a
定义: [不尊重语]淫妇, 妓女, 泼妇.
例句: Sylvia is such a slut – she's had 5 boyfriends in the last month. (西尔维娅真是个淫妇 – 她上个月交了五个个男朋友)
09. sly dog, a
定义: 阴险狡猾之徒.
例句: What a sly dog, he managed to get a copy of the test so he could memorize the answers ahead of time! (真是个狡猾之徒, 他设法弄了一份考试影本这样他便可以事先把试题的答案熟记下来!)
10. smack in the center
定义: 在正中心. (注: 这里的smack是一个副词, 其意义等于exactly也就是正好地)
例句: The post office is smack in the center of town. (这间邮局位于本市的正中心)
11. smack in the face, a
定义: 打脸, 羞辱.
例句: Being rejected by Jeanie was a real smack in the face for Tom, who thought she was fond of him. (被珍妮拒绝对汤姆来说确实是个羞辱, 他原还以为珍妮喜欢他呢)
12. smack of, to
定义: 令人想到, 引起人联想到, 含有某个意义; 带有某种味道.
例句: Their whole PR statement about the firing smacks of corporate greed and incompetence. (对于这件解雇事件, 他们整个公关声明不得不令人想到大公司的贪婪和无能)
13. smack one's lips, to
定义: 热心地期盼; 发出咂嘴声音.
例句: Property developers have been smacking their lips at the thoughts of getting their hands on such prime real estate. (地产开发商们已经迫不及待地想要取得如此优质的地产开发权)
14. smack-bang/smack-dab in the middle
定义: 正好在某处的中心.
例句: You don't want the levels to get too high or too low. You need to keep it smack-bang in the middle. (你不可把水平线放得太高或太低. 你须要将水平线放在其正中心)
15. small change
定义: 零钱, 小钱; 鸡毛蒜皮的小事; 无足轻重的小人物或小角色.
例句: "What are your thoughts on Joe's comments?" "The guy's small change, so I haven't really given them any attention at all." ("你对乔的意见有什么看法?" "这个人是个小角色, 所以我还没有认真地思考他的意见.")
16. small cog in a large wheel, a
定义: 在团体中虽是必要的成员但地位卑微. (注: 意指一个大团体中的小人物)
例句: I'm tired of working in this thankless IT support job. I don't want to be just a cog in the wheel anymore! (我实在不愿意再做这个吃力不讨好的讯息技术支援工作. 我不想要作为一名团体中虽是必要但地位卑微的成员!)
17. small fry, a
定义: 鱼苗; 小孩子; 无足轻重小人物或小角色.
例句: The police are trying to find some of the major criminals in the drug trade. They are not interested in the small fry. (警方要找的是一些贩卖毒品的首要罪犯. 他们对无足轻重小角色根本没兴趣)
18. small potatoes
定义: 小事一桩; 小数目; 小人物.
例句: This contract is small potatoes, but it keeps us in business till we get into the real money. (这份合同只是一个小数目, 但是它能够供我们继续营业下去直到我们打入了真正赚大钱的市场就好了)
19. small price (to pay) for, a
定义: 为...付出的小代价. (注: 意指为了取得另一事或物所付出的代价算不得什么)
例句: That's only a small price to pay for preventing climate catastrophe. (那只是我们为了防范气候大灾难的发生所付出的一个小代价)
气候大灾难 – 干涸的湖泊
20. small talk, a
定义: 话家常; 琐碎杂事的聊天. (注: 经常意指礼貌上跟不熟识的人所做的不着边际聊天)
例句: Wendy is good at making small talk with strangers. (温蒂擅长跟陌生人话家常)