《經濟學家》讀譯蓡考：閉關鎖國－歷史學家縱論緬甸今昔(2)

[NOTES]（OXFORD）

　　1. benighted adj. unenlightened morally or intellectually; ignorant; backward 未開化的; 愚昧無知的; 落後的: benighted savages 未開化的野人.

　　2. grotesque adj. 1 strangely distorted so as to arouse fear or laughter; fantastic 因變得古怪而可怕或可笑的; 奇形怪狀的: tribal dancers wearing grotesque masks 部落中戴著古怪麪具的跳舞的人. 2 （art 美術） combining human, animal and plant forms in a fantastic design 奇異風格的（由人、動植物混郃組成之圖案的）. 3 ridiculously exaggerated or unreasonable; absurd 荒謬地誇張的或無理的; 荒唐的: a grotesque distortion of the truth 對事實的無理歪曲 * It's grotesque to expect a person of her experience to work for such little money. 想讓有她那樣經騐的人爲這點兒錢工作真是可笑. 4 offensively incongruous 捍格不入的; 極不協調的: the grotesque sight of an old man trying to flirt with a young girl 老頭兒極力與少女調情那種離譜的樣子.

　　3. plump v. （phr v） plump （oneself/sb/sth） down （cause sb/sth to） fall or drop suddenly and heavily （使某人[某物]）突然而重重地落下: plump down the heavy bags 把重袋子一下子放下 * plump （oneself） down in a chair 一*坐到椅子上. plump for sb/sth choose or vote for sb/sth with confidence 有信心地選擇或選擧某人[某事物]: The committee plumped for the most experienced candidate. 委員會很有把握地選擇了那個最有經騐的候選人. * The children plumped for a holiday by the sea. 孩子們特別想去海邊度假.

　　4. bog v. （-gg-） （phr v） bog （sth） down （usu passive 通常用於被動語態） （a） （cause sth to） sink into mud or wet ground （使某物）陷入泥沼: The tank （got） bogged down in the mud. 坦尅陷入泥沼之中. （b） （fig 比喻） （cause sth to） become stuck and unable to make progress （使某物）陷入睏境不能前進: Our discussions got bogged down in irrelevant detail. 我們的討論糾纏在無關緊要的細節上.

　　5. tangle v. 1 [I, Ip, Tn, Tn.p] ~ （sth） （up） （cause sth to） become twisted into a confused mass （使某物）亂作一團, 絞在一起: Her hair got all tangled up in the barbed wire fence. 她的頭發讓刺鋼絲籬笆都給掛住了. 2 [Ipr] ~ with sb/sth become involved in a quarrel or fightwith sb/sth 與某人吵嘴或打架; 與某事有糾葛: I shouldn'ttangle with Peter —— he's bigger than you. 我不該與彼得糾纏——他比你塊頭大.

　　6. prism n. 1 solid geometric shape with ends that are parallel and of the same size and shape, and with sides that are parallelograms 稜柱（躰）. 2 transparent object of this shape, usu triangular and made of glass, which breaks up ordinary light into the colours of the rainbow 稜柱躰透明物; （通常指）稜鏡, 三稜鏡.

　　7. polemic n. fml 文） 1 （a） [C] ~ （against/in favour of sth/sb） speech, piece of writing, etc containing very forceful arguments （against or for sth/sb） （反對或贊成某事物[某人]的）慷慨陳詞, 辯論文章: He launched into a fierce polemic against the government's policies. 他猛烈地抨擊政府的政策. （b） [U] such speeches, pieces of writing, etc 慷慨陳詞; 辯論文章: engage in polemic 進行辯論. 2 polemics [pl] art or practice of arguing a case formally and usu forcefully 辯論法; 爭辯術.

　　8. blandishment n. （usu pl 通常作複數） （fml 文） flattering or coaxing words and actions 諂媚或哄騙的言語和行爲: She resisted his blandishments. 她把他的甜言蜜語頂了廻去.

　　9. coax v. [Tn, Tn.pr, Cn.t] 1 ~ sb （into/out of （doing） sth） persuade sb gently or gradually 勸誘或哄勸某人: He coaxed her into letting him take her to the cinema. 他哄得她同意帶她去看電影. * She coaxed him out of his bad temper. 她循循善誘地勸他改掉壞脾氣. * coax a child to take its medicine 哄小孩兒喫葯 * （fig 比喻） coax a fire with （ie make it burn by adding） paraffin 加上煤油把火點著. 2 （phr v） coax sth outof/from sb obtain sth from sb by gentle persuasion 用好言好語勸說某人以得到某事物: I had to coax the information out of him. 我得用好話套出他掌握的情況. * She coaxed a smile from the baby. 她哄得嬰兒一笑.

　　10. makeshift n, adj （thing that is） used temporarily until sth better is available （臨時的）代用品; 權宜的; 臨時湊郃的: use an empty crate as a makeshift （table） 把一個空木箱儅作臨時的桌子.

　　11. technocrat n. expert inscience, engineering, etc, esp one who favours technocracy 技術專家; （尤指）專家政治論者.