Online Class Notes (Nemo)

When colleagues ask me what am I busy with these days, I always answer with work stuff.

However, my answer becomes a bit different when friends ask me the same question. I normally start with a book I’m currently reading, or personal projects I’m doing, or some new skill I’ve been trying to learn.

Vocabulary

portrait (n): a painting, photograph, drawing, etc. of a person or, less commonly, of a group of people
肖像，画像；人像照片
She’s commissioned an artist to paint her portrait/paint a portrait of her.
她委托一位画家为她画一幅肖像。
a portrait gallery
肖像画廊
a portrait painter
肖像画家

colleague (n): one of a group of people who work together
同事；同僚
We’re entertaining some colleagues of Carol’s tonight.
今晚我们要招待卡罗尔的几位同事。
I don’t know anything about this, but I’m sure my colleague here can help you.

college (n) (EDUCATION)
a university where you can study for an undergraduate (= first) degree
大学
I met my husband when we were in college.
我跟我丈夫是上大学的时候认识的。
They want their kids to go to (= study at) college.
他们想要自己的孩子去上大学。

college noun (EDUCATION)
a university where you can study for an undergraduate (= first) degree
大学
I met my husband when we were in college.
我跟我丈夫是上大学的时候认识的。
They want their kids to go to (= study at) college.
他们想要自己的孩子去上大学。

these days
used to talk about the present time, in comparison with the past
现在，如今
Vegetarianism is very popular these days.
现在素食很流行。

What’s keeping you busy these days?

quarantine (n): a period of time during which an animal or person that might have a disease is kept away from other people or animals so that the disease cannot spread
隔离检疫期
The horse had to spend several months in quarantine when it reached Britain.
那匹马到达英国后要进行几个月的隔离检疫。

quarantine (v): to put an animal or person in quarantine
隔离（动物或人）
She has to quarantine for two weeks.

guilty (adj): feeling guilt
内疚的，愧疚的，自责的
I feel so guilty about forgetting her birthday.
我忘了她的生日，深感内疚。
She must have done something wrong, because she’s looking so guilty.
她一定是做错什么事儿了，因为她一脸的愧疚。
You’ve got a guilty conscience – that’s why you can’t sleep.
你问心有愧——所以会睡不着觉。

percent (adv): for or out of every 100, shown by the symbol %
百分之…（符号为%）
You got 20 percent of the answers right – that means one in every five.
你20%的答案是对的，也就是说每5个中有1个是对的。

percentage (n): an amount of something, often expressed as a number out of 100
百分比，百分率
What percentage of women return to work after having a baby?
生完小孩后继续工作的女性占多大比例？
Interest rates have risen by two percentage points.
利率增长了两个百分点。

investor (n): a person who puts money into something in order to make a profit or get an advantage
投资者
A New York investor offered to acquire the company’s shares for $13 each.
一名纽约投资商提出以每股13美元的价格收购这家公司的股票。
Small investors (= people who invest only a small amount of money) are hoping that the markets will improve.
小额投资者希望市场会好转。

investment (n): the act of putting money, effort, time, etc. into something to make a profit or get an advantage, or the money, effort, time, etc. used to do this
投资（付诸金钱、努力、时间等以求得到利润或取得成就某事的有利条件）；投资物，投资额
The government wanted an inflow of foreign investment.
政府希望看到外资涌入。
Stocks are regarded as good long-term investments.
证券被认为是很好的长期投资产品。
The account requires a minimum investment of €1,000.
这个帐户最少需要存入1000欧元。

invest (v): to put money, effort, time, etc. into something to make a profit or get an advantage
投（资），投入
The institute will invest five million in the project.
该机构将在这个项目上投资500万。
He’s not certain whether to invest in the property market.
他拿不定主意该不该投资房地产市场。

Pronunciation

colleague- /ˈkɑː.liːɡ/
college-/ˈkɑː.lɪdʒ/