读经济学人 学精彩用法 20170612

大连星海湾大桥

1.lag behind 落后于

A study published last year by researchers at Stanford University found that among more than 140,000 children assessed on areas such as education,health and nutrition,left behind ones performed as well as or better than those living on the countryside with both parents.But both kinds of children lagged far behind those who grow up in cities.

2.jaw-dropping 指极度令人惊讶的

Chinese demand for the world's commodities may be sputtering,but not for the most vital ingredient of football:its players.In recent weeks,the country's football clubs have been on their biggest ever spending spree,signing up foreign talent for sums which,by Asian standards,have been jaw-dropping.

3.in/under the guise of 假借,以...为幌子

The resolution was the product of nearly two months of delicate negotiation between America and China that began after North Korea's fourth nuclear test on January 6th.That was followed on February 7th by a long-range missile test(in the guise of a rocket sending a satellite into space),after which South Korea and America agreed to begin formal talks about the possibility of installing an American missile-defence system in the South.

4.(hard/hot/close)on the heels of 紧跟着,紧接着

Unfortunately,bad news has come hard on the heels of good.

The spike in the iron-ore price came hard on the heels of a speech by Li Keqiang,China's prime minister,to the annual National People's Congress in Beijing.In it,Mr Li announced a punchy GDP growth target of 6.5-7% for 2016,along with the means he hoped would secure it:a bigger budget deficit than had been planned for last year and faster credit growth.

5.pump up 给...打气

New homes with few ready buyers in lower-tier cities should be turned into social housing;better that than trying to pump up a broader property bubble to clear unsold stocks.

6.run out of steam 用完

China still has scope to grow through industrial reforms,urbanization and partial deregulation.Yet in order to become a high-income country,it needs innovation and efficiency,which are inconsistent with an overweening government.The model is not broken,but it is clearly running out of steam.

7.lift oneself from poverty 摆脱贫困

One neighbor,from a poor village,lifting herself from rural poverty into relative wealth by running a flower shop.

8.pick up the tab for 为...付账

The central government has also promised to take on additional expenditures,for instance,picking up the tab for more public services and funding more investment in infrastructure.

9.bottom out 降至最低点

Its share of total government spending,which fell for more than a decade,may well have bottomed out.

10.second to 仅次于

China is the world's second-biggest economy;its banking sector is the biggest,with assets equivalent to 40% of global GDP.Its stockmarkets,even after last year's crash,are together worth $6 trillion,second only to America's.A mild economic slowdown caused trouble for commodity exporters around the world;a hard landing would be painful for all those who benefit from Chinese demand.