Words & Expressions

1.?consternation (P127)

Thrown into consternation, the Emperor, according to custom, moved to another palace as a sign of respect for God, and ordered poorer food to be served for his dinner.

consternation: Consternation is a feeling of anxiety or fear.

類似的短語還有很多，比如 throw into relief/confusion，都可以取動詞意。

2. devolve (P129)

It almost appears that the censorate's responsibility for criticizing the government has now devolved upon the shoulders of a palace gatekeeper.

devolve: If you devolve power, authority, or responsibility to a less powerful person or group, or if it devolves upon them, it is transferred to them. （使）(權(quán)力、職責等)下放;（使） 移交

3. weed out (P130)

Every revolutionary party shows its best strength and unity before it no question that the desire to overthrow someone comes to power, but after achieving power and weeding out opposition, it begins to crumble and split from in- ternal strife.

weed out: If you weed out things or people that are useless or unwanted in a group, you find them and get rid of them. 剔除；

像除雜草一樣清除政敵，非常形象~

4. a beautiful and thought-provoking sentence using antithesis. (P130)

There is in power brings out some of the best instincts in human nature and the power to rule others brings out the worst.

5. 關(guān)于manner (P131)

There are certain people in this world who can turn on the tears at will, and Huiching and Dunquan went to the Emperor and "wept before him" in the most touching manner.

如果是我們來表達“以某種方式”，可能就是用‘way'了，但是manner也有‘方式、方法’的意思，用起來倒是感覺格外地道。

6. squabble (P132)

We need not go into all the details of this dirty squabble.

squabble: (為小事而)爭論, 吵嘴

7. marry off (P134)

The quiet Tseyu just kept on producing children until he had three sons and seven daughters, whom Su Tungpo helped to marry off.

marry off: 把女兒嫁出去

這一段之前是講蘇軾家里人丁旺盛，但是子由子嗣不多。接著就說“安靜的子由默默地努力生孩子，直到育有三子七女，女兒多由東坡幫忙介紹嫁出去”…………哈哈哈哈哈哈哈，喜感！