Highlights from Day21

To explain this peculiar phenomenon, Jost’s team developed a theory of system justification. Its core idea is that people are motivated to rationalize the status quo as legitimate—even if it goes directly against their interests. In one study, they tracked Democratic and Republican voters before the 2000 U.S. presidential election. When George W. Bush gained in the polls, Republicans rated him as more desirable, but so did Democrats, who were already preparing justifications for the anticipated status quo. The same happened when Al Gore’s likelihood of success increased: Both Republicans and Democrats judged him more favorably. Regardless of political ideologies, when a candidate seemed destined to win, people liked him more. When his odds dropped, they liked him less.

1.develop：我们想到提出建议，经常会想到bring/come等，这个动作也可以用develop这个词来表示。它的一层含义为to make an argument or idea clearer, by studying it more or by speaking or writing about it in more detail，可以理解为阐述自己的论点。

例句：We will develop a few of these points in the seminar. 在研讨会上我们将详细阐述其中的一些观点。

2.justification：正当理由，a good and acceptable reason for doing something.

例句：There is no justification for holding her in jail. 没有理由羁押她。

3.rationalize：使…合理化，为sth找合理理由，if you rationalize behaviour that is wrong, you invent an explanation for it so that it does not seem as bad.

例句：When he fouls up, Glen always finds a way to rationalize what he’s done. 格伦把事情搞砸的时候，总能找出辩解理由。

4.rate：评估sth/sb，to think that someone or something has a particular quality, value, or standard.

例句：The company seems to rate him very highly (=think he is very good) . 公司好像对他的评价很高。

5.anticipated：预期的，由动词anticipate变化而来。

例句：Sales are better than anticipated. 销量比预期要好。

6.likelihood：可能性，the degree to which something can reasonably be expected to happen，可以与probability做同义替换。

例句：Using a seatbelt will reduce the likelihood of serious injury in a car accident. 系安全带可以降低在车祸中受重伤的可能性。

7.ideology：意识形态，a set of beliefs on which a political or economic system is based, or which strongly influence the way people behave.

比如说：a new ideology based on individualism

8.odd：可能性（此段出现的第二个表示可能性的词），how likely it is that something will or will not happen.

The odds are为固定搭配，表示某事有可能的。

例句：The odds are (=it is likely) that he will commit the same crime again. 他可能还会犯同样的罪行。

You can narrow the odds of a nasty accident happening in your home by being more safety-conscious. 增强安全意识可以减少家中发生意外危险的可能性。

Justifying the default system serves a soothing function. It’s an emotional painkiller: If the world is supposed to be this way, we don’t need to be dissatisfied with it. But acquiescence also robs us of the moral outrage to stand against injustice and the creative will to consider alternative ways that the world could work.

9.serve：在这里表示对缓和有帮助，这个释义为to be useful or helpful for a particular purpose or reason.

例句：A large cardboard box will serve the purpose . 一个大纸板箱就解决问题了。

10.sooth：缓和的，舒缓的，由动词soothe变化而来。舒缓的音乐就可以说成soothing music.

11.acquiescence：默许，顺从，其形容词acquiescent的释义为too ready to agree with someone or do what they want, without complaining or saying what you want to do .

12.rob sb of sth：剥夺sb做某事的权利，让sb丧失某种东西，to take away an important quality, ability etc from someone or something

例句：The illness robbed him of a normal childhood. 疾病使他无法拥有一个正常的童年。