2007年专八阅读真题生词整理passage 3
第一段
heraldry
the study of coats of arms and the history of the families that they belong to 纹章学
contemporary
someone living during the same period as someone else 同时代的人
Was he a contemporary of Shakespeare's?
他和莎士比亚是同时代的人吗？
prowess
great ability or skill 杰出的才能；高超的技能
athletic/sporting prowess 高超的运动／体育技能
sinew
a tendon (= strong piece of tissue in the body connecting a muscle to a bone) 腱，筋肉
dexterous
having the ability to think quickly and effectively or to do something difficult extremely well 机敏的，灵巧的
She was lively and dexterous intellectually.
她既活泼又头脑灵活。
malice
the wish to harm or upset other people 恶意，害人之心
There certainly wasn't any malice in her comments.
她的话绝对没有任何恶意。
temperament
the part of your character that affects your moods and the way you behave 气质；性情；性格a fiery temperament 暴躁的性情
toned
(of a body) firm and strong （身体）结实强壮的
第二段
impetuous
likely to do something suddenly, without considering the results of your actions 冲动的，鲁莽的He's so impetuous - why can't he think things over before he rushes into them?
他太冲动了——为什么他急着做事前不能仔细考虑一下呢？
treacherous
If the ground or sea is treacherous, it is extremely dangerous, especially because of bad weather conditions. （地面或大海尤因气候恶劣）极端危险的，凶险的
Snow and ice have left many roads treacherous, and drivers are warned to use caution.
冰雪使许多道路危机四伏，汽车司机被告诫要小心驾驶。
open-handed
generous 慷慨的；大方的
open-handed assistance 慷慨的援助
munificent
very generous with money 慷慨的，大方的
A former student has donated a munificent sum of money to the college.
一位校友为这所大学捐赠了一大笔钱。
profusion
an extremely large amount of something 丰富，充沛，大量
I was remarking on the recent profusion of books and articles on the matter.
我正在谈论最近大量有关这次事件的书和文章。
circumspect
careful not to take risks 小心的；谨慎的；审慎的
Officials were circumspect about saying what the talks had achieved.
官员们对谈判所取得的成果持谨慎态度。
ineptitude
the fact of not being skilled or effective 无能；笨拙；无效
political/social/economic ineptitude 政治/社会/经济无能
tenable
(of an opinion or position) able to be defended successfully or held for a particular period of time （观点）站得住脚的；（职位）可保持一段时间的
His theory is no longer tenable in the light of the recent discoveries.
根据最新的发现，他的理论已经站不住脚了。
第三段
vassal (also vassal state)
a country that is controlled by a more powerful country, and has to provide military support or pay money to it when needed 附庸国
paramount
more important than anything else 至上的，首要的
There are many priorities, but reducing the budget deficit is paramount/is of paramount importance.
很多事情要优先解决，但当务之急是减少预算赤字。
fortitude
courage over a long period 勇气，坚韧，刚毅
I thought she showed remarkable fortitude during that period.
我认为她在那段时期表现出了惊人的勇气。
bequeath
to arrange for money or property to be given to somebody after your death 把…遗赠给Her father bequeathed her the family fortune in his will.
她父亲在遗嘱中写明将家产传给她。
fealty
loyalty, especially to a king or queen （对国王或女王）忠诚的，忠心耿耿的
an oath of fealty 宣誓效忠
bolt
a type of short arrow shot from a crossbow (= a type of weapon) 弩箭；方镞箭
piety (also piousness)
strong belief in a religion that is shown in the way someone lives （对宗教）虔诚的
consent
permission or agreement 许可，允许；同意
They can't publish your name without your consent.
未经你的同意他们不能公布你的名字。
