(7) hush money:
hush 本意是安靜或封鎖消息。也就是用錢請別人不聲張某事。即所謂封嘴錢或緘口賄。 (a bribe for keeping silent )
例如：During election some political candidates tried to use hush money.
選舉時一些政客想用封嘴錢。
Mr. A’s scandal was covered up through a handsome sum of hush money.
A先生藉著大筆的緘口賄，掩護了他的醜聞。
( handsome sum of = a lot of )
By using hush money, Mr. B keeps his wrongdoing secret.
B 先生藉著封口錢保密他的惡行。
(8) brass farthing:
brass 本是黃銅；farthing 是英國舊時的硬幣，(值四分之一的便士)。所以這是指小錢，微小數量或不值錢的東西 (being worthless thing )
( 多半指某人自己的意見；前面常跟 not worth )
例如：The teacher said that what he has been writing for the school newspaper is not worth a brass farthing.
老師說他在校刊所寫的不值得什麼。
He indicated that Mr. A’s book is not worth a brass farthing.
他表示A先生的書不值一看。
也可指不在乎或不關心：
Bob did not care a brass farthing about his wife.
Bob 對他的太座毫不關心。
Some people consider a garbage collector’s job not worth a brass farthing.
有些人不在乎垃圾工人的工作。
(9) confirmed bachelor:
confirmed 本是證實的，確定的。也就是指抱獨身主義的男人。 ( a man decides never to marry )
例如：After three ugly break-ups, Mr. A wants to be a confirmed bachelor.
經過三次難堪的分手， A先生決定抱獨身主義。
Having been a confirmed bachelor for years, Ed sometimes is considered as gay.
Ed 多年來抱著獨身主義，有時被認為是同性戀。
As a confirmed bachelor, Mr. B does not like to engage in any co-ed social activity.
抱著獨身主義的B先生，不愛參加男女的社交活動。
但不結婚女人叫：
unmarried woman 或 spinster.
(10) grass widow:
指與丈夫暫時分離的女人 ( a wife with temporary absence of her husband. )
( 沒有指明分開時間多久 )
例如：Because of her husband’s three-week business trip, Mary is a grass widow.
由於老公出差三星期，Mary暫時與他分開。
Many American women have become grass widows due to the troop deployment to Afghanistan.
因為部隊調動到阿富汗，許多美國婦女與老公暫短分離。
Grass widows should take good care of themselves during their husbands’ absence.
那些與老公暫時分開的女士應該自己多多保重。
同理，grass widower 就是與妻子暫短分開的老公，但不常用。
(11) gutter press:
gutter 本意是排水邊溝；press 是印刷品的總稱。這句話是指專門報導醜聞或誇張的刊物 (newspaper specialize in scandalous or sensational stories )
(過去叫做 yellow press, 現在不用了)
例如：Too much gutter press may influence one’s impression on the quality of life.
太多的八卦傳聞，也會影響一個人對生活品質的看法。
(不說：life quality)
Mr. A feels that the gutter press has created some social instability in Taiwan.
A先生覺得聳人聽聞，已造成一些台灣社會的不安。
Government should strictly regulate the gutter press.
政府應該嚴格規劃醜聞下流的報導。
( press 在此係集合名詞，故只用單數)
(另一個字 tabloid, 也是指通俗下流小報，則可用複數，後面加s)
(12) Gordian knot:
據說這是希臘神話中，某一國王打的難解的結，後被另一位國王揮劍斬開。後人引申為難辦的事或複雜的問題 ( a difficult task or a big problem in forceful manner )
意謂快刀斬亂麻，大刀闊斧地解決複雜問題，故動詞多半用 cut 。
例如：Taiwan independence movement has been considered by some as a Gordian knot.
有些人認為台獨运动，是件複雜難辦的問題。
Any Gordian knot should be handled with great care.
任何複雜難解的問題，必須革外小心處理。
Very few Chinese people hope that China will cut the Gordian knot to solve the Taiwan issue.
很少中國人希望中國用大刀闊斧的武力方式解決台灣問題。
(Gordian 係人名，故要大寫)
(13) kid gloves:
照字義是小山羊的軟皮手套。也就是對人或對事，小心謹慎地處理。 (to handle or treat someone or something with utmost care)
(前面動詞多半用 handle 或 treat; 後面介詞多用 with )
例如：
Being a kind, friendly person, Mr. A handles people with kid gloves.
A先生富愛心，且友善，待人審慎周到。（懷中）
/摘自世界周刊
