Hot Words No.32

Apprentice

発音：

[əpréntis]

意味：

弟子

A pupil or disciple

例文1：

The shogi master is not willing to take on apprentices.

例文2：

A former apprentice gave the heavy weight champion a lesson in punching.

Blight

発音：

[bláit]

意味：

被害を起こす

To damage

例文1：

The minority group is severely blighted by the ongoing recession.

例文2：

The writer blighted millions of readers with her wicked comments.

Craft

発音：

[krǽft]

意味：

緻密に作り上げる

To carefully and skillfully create

例文1：

I watched in awe as the child crafted a beautiful bird out of colored sheets of paper.

例文2：

The politician gradually crafted his public image over 40 years.

Furor

発音：

[fjúərɔːr]

意味：

憤激

An outcry; an explosive outburst of anger

例文1：

The president’s decision to declare war on Libya without the consent of Congress has caused a furor among the Republicans.

例文2：

Amid the sex-scandal furor, the lawmaker announced his resignation.

Gyrate

発音：

[dʒάɪreɪt]

意味：

迅速に動き回る、回転または上下運動する

To move about fast; to spin; to fluctuate

例文1：

The jazz dancers gyrated effortlessly on the stage.

例文2：

The stock market gyrated as investors’ worries persisted.

Hedge

発音：

[hédƷ]

意味：

1. にごす、ごまかす

To avoid giving a straightforward answer

2. リスクに備えて予防策を取る

Hedge against: To protect oneself against possible risks

3. リスクを減らすために複数の選択を同時に取る

Hedge one’s bets: To reduce one’s risks by simultaneously pursuing more than one option

1の例文a：

Don’t hedge. Give me a clear answer now.

1の例文b：

The Congressman attempted to hedge by saying that he had an urgent business to attend to.

2の例文a：

Saving a portion of your monthly salary will hedge against future contingencies.

2の例文b：

The prefectural government is trying to hedge against the mounting national debt crisis.

3の例文a：

She says she is hedging her bets by dating 3 eligible men.

3の例文b：

When I was a child, my grandfather taught me the importance of hedging my bets in all critical decision points in life.

Mesmerize

発音：

[mézməràiz]

意味：

あっとするほど印象づける

To impress in a powerful, breath-taking way

例文1：

I was mesmerized by her amazing performance on the stage.

例文2：

The Grand Canyon was just mesmerizing.

Nascent

発音：

[nǽsnt]

意味：

新しく出現・発展しつつある

Newly emerging; starting to develop

例文1：

The town is working hard to expand its nascent tourist industry.

例文2：

There are signs of nascent democracy from the new nation.