Lesson 14 Faustian Economics
一、词汇短语
1. fossil fuel: a fuel such as coal or oil that is produced by the very gradual decaying
of animals or plants over millions of years化石燃料
2. curtailment [] n. formal reducing or limiting something
减少，缩减，削减，限制：Our ability to pay has fallen, government of all
kinds is faced with serious curtailment of income.我们的支付能力下降，
各级政府面临收入的严重萎缩。
3. oblivion [] n. the state of being unconscious or of not noticing
what is happening 无感觉（知觉）的状态; 漠视：be buried in oblivion湮没
无闻
4. biofuel []n. a substance made from plant or animal
waste that can be used to produce heat or power生物反馈
5. ethanol [] n. technical ethyl alcohol乙醇
6. switchgrass [] n. a tall North American panic grass which forms large clumps 柳枝稷
7. dogged [] adj. dogged behavior shows that you are very determined
to continue doing something 坚持不懈的，顽强的，不屈不挠的：Although
he’s less talented, he won by sheer dogged persistence.他虽然天赋不高，
但全凭坚韧的毅力赢得了胜利。
8. indestructible [] adj. too strong to be destroyed
不可摧毁的，坚不可摧的：Furniture for young children needs to be
indestructible.幼儿用的家具须不易损坏。
9. indefensible []adj. too bad to be excused or
defended 不可原谅的，无法辩解的：an indefensible assumption站不住
脚的假设
10. insanity [] n. very stupid actions that may cause serious harm
极端愚蠢的行为：If he were insane, he was a very cool and collected
insanity.如果他发了疯，他也是个非常冷静和镇定的疯子。
11. delusion [] n. a false belief about yourself or the situation you
are in 错觉；妄想：It is a delusion from first to last.这是彻头彻尾的妄想。
12. prodigal []adj. spending money, wasting time, etc. in a
careless way浪费的，挥霍的；奢侈的：Prodigal habits die hard.大手大脚
的习惯很难改掉。
13 obscure [] v. to make something difficult to know or understand
搞混，使难理解：Trees obscured his vision; he couldn’t see much of the
square’s southern half. 树木遮住了他的视线，他不怎么看得见广场南半部。
14. contradiction []n. a difference between two
statements, beliefs, or ideas about something that means they
cannot both be true.（说法、信念、观点等的相互）矛盾，不一致
15. unbridled [] adj. not controlled and too extreme or violent
放纵的，不受控制的；激烈的：But now he and Han Dan cried with
unbridled joy.但这一次，他和韩丹无拘无束快乐地叫了起来。
16. cutting-edge n. the newest and most exciting stage in the development of something （某事物发展的）尖端，最前沿
17. conversion [] n. the process of changing something from
one form, purpose, or system to a different one 转变；改造；转换；换
算
18. tax credit n. a sum deducted from the total amount a taxpayer has to pay 税收抵免
19. cliche [] n. an idea of phrase that has been used so much that it
is not effective or does not have any meaning any longer陈词滥调，老生常
谈，老套：The old cliche is certainly true: the bigger car do mean bigger
profits.
有句老话倒的确说得不假：车大利大。
20. speculation []n. when you guess about the
possible causes or effects of something without knowing all the facts
猜测，推测：As a matter of fact, this was purely newspaper gossip and
speculation.事实上，这纯粹是报纸上的闲谈和推测。
21. contraption [] n. a piece of equipment or machinery that
looks funny, strange, and unlikely to work well 奇怪的机械装置，怪模
怪样的玩意儿：You ssem to be having trouble with that contraption.false cause
你好象不大会摆弄那个新鲜玩艺儿。
22. rote [] n. the process of learning something by repeating it until you
remember it rather than by understanding the meaning of it老一套的，例行的，常规的learn by rote死记硬背
23. temperance [] n. sensible control of the things you say and do自我克制，节制
24. thrift [] n. wise and careful use of money, so that none is wasted节省，节检：Industry and thrift favor success.
勤劳和节俭有助于成功。
25. reconcile [] v. if you reconcile two ideas, situations, or facts,
you find a way in which they can both be true or acceptable使和谐一致；
调和；协调：All along she had felt it difficult to reconcile the two ideas, of
her father and a blood-shedder.她一直觉得很难把她的父亲和杀人犯联系起
来。
26. apprehension [] n. anxiety about the future, especially
about dealing with something unpleasant or difficult （对未来的）
忧虑，担心：Elizabeth was in an agony of apprehension.伊丽莎白处
于一种极度的忧虑中。
27. claustrophobia [] n. a strong fear of being in a
small enclosed space or in a situation that limits what you can do
幽闭恐惧症：Being in lifts gives me claustrophobia.乘电梯时，我总感
到浑身不自在。
28. credo []n. a formal statement of the beliefs of a particular
person, group, religion, etc.教义，信条：That “Honesty is the best policy”
is his credo for dealing.“诚实乃上策”是他做生意的信条。
29. crowning []adj. used to describe something that makes
something complete or perfect, or is the best feature of something 使
圆满的；使完美的：the crowning moment of my life我一生中最光荣的时
刻
30. cult [] n. an extreme religious group that is not part of an established religion 异教，
31. minimalism []n. a style of art, design, music, etc. that
uses only a very few simple ideas or patterns （美术、设计、音乐等的）
极简主义
32. minimization []n. the practice of making
something seem less serious or important than it really is 使显得不
重要，轻视：risk minimization风险极小化
33. unencumbered[] adj. not having or carrying anything
heavy or anything that makes you go more slowly 无负担的，没有
阻碍的，不受妨碍的：inherited an unencumbered estate继承了不承
担义务的不动产
34. reverence [] n. great respect and admiration for someone or
something 尊敬，崇敬：As I close the book, love and reverence possess
me.当我读讫掩卷的时候，一种爱慕与崇敬之情使我不能自已。
35. accountability [] n. taking responsibility for the
effects of your actions and being willing to explain or be criticized
for them负起责任；承担责任
36. self-subordination n. the practice of putting oneself in a less important position 将自己放在次要地位
37. autistic [] adj. suffering from autism （a mental disorder that
makes people unable to communicate properly or to form relationships）
患孤独症的，自闭的：Both Greg and Alice are OK. How did the baby end up
autistic? 格雷格和爱丽丝都好好的啊，他们的小孩怎么会自闭呢？
38. fantasy [] n. an idea or belief that is based only on imagination, not on real facts 空想，幻想的信念
39. plunder [] v. to use up all or most of the supplies of something in
a careless way胡乱耗尽，将滥用殆尽：Unlicensed fishermen have
plundered tuna stocks.无证渔民将剩下的金鱼捕捞一空。
40. pillage [] n. stealing things from a place or religion, especially in a
war, using violence 抢劫；掠夺：land ravaged by pillage and rapine遭劫
掠蹂躏的国土
41. outsmart []v. to gain an advantage over someone using
tricks or your intelligence 比更精明，智胜：We outsmarted them and got
there first by taking a shorter route. 我们比他们机灵，抄近道先到了。42. homeopathy []n. a system of medicine in which a
disease is treated by giving extremely small amounts of a substance