英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0207 - 春节催生“恐聚族”

 Topic1 Red Envelopes with BribesWhen China celebrates the Lunar New Year, millions of red envelopes stuffed with cash are changing hands among families, friends and colleagues.

That's perhaps why bribers love the Spring Festival more.

They shower whoever of power and influence in red envelopes by handing out lucky money for their children, something that seems more proper at this time of year.

Many local governments are saying no to such a tradition of graft¹.

Is it true that giving red envelope has become another channel for bribery²?

Topic2 Classmate Reunion All About Flaunting³ WealthDuring the Spring Festival, Kong Ju Zu(恐聚族)has become a new buzz word among net users. Literally⁴ translated as gathering⁵ phobia group, it refers to those people who are afraid of attending alumni reunions. They even have their own song.

Basically, instead of remembering the good old school times, the reunion has become an arena⁶ for people to compare with each other.

Is it what happens in most of these reunions?

Topic3 Movies Adapted from NovelsRecently, Wanda Group, Huayi Brothers Media and Enlight Media have announced that they will co-produce a film adaptation—Gui Chui Deng, or the Adventure of Three Tomb Raiders. This is the first time that a theater chain, a film production company and a film distribution company jointly⁷ make a movie together.

But this is not what film fans are enthusiastic about, is it? they're interested in the fact that it's adapted from the most popular tomb-raiding novel in China. What is the attraction of such a film adaptation?

Topic4 Airport Says No to Taxi Finding APPAs more than 100,000 passengers arrive at the Capital International Airport in Beijing every day the past couple of days, getting a taxi can be a painful battle, not with each other, but with time.

Some of those who arrived at night have turned to taxi-finding apps to get a cab within two minutes instead of waiting for 50 in long queues of hundreds of people.

But the airport says it doesn't encourage such an arrangement which is in violation⁸ of the airport's business operation regulation.

Is it a hassle to take a taxi at the airport?

Topic5 Quick marriage of young rural migrant workersMany young people have reasons to frown upon their experience during the past Spring Festival holidays. Being nagged⁹ by parents and relatives for having no boyfriend or girlfriend is one thing. But having to go on multiple blind dates arranged for them is another. And this is especially true for people going back to their rural hometowns. In one example, the young ones got engaged after only two dates.

Is this a single example or are there more like this one?

Topic6 When and Why Lovers Break UpValentine's Day is coming, guess many people are expecting to spend some quality time with their partner on this romantic day.

However, the likelihood of a relationship ending on that day is actually very high, according to a recent survey with some breakup figures.

1 graft   

n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接

参考例句：

• I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
• The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。

2 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

3 flaunting   

adj.招摇的，扬扬得意的，夸耀的v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的现在分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来

参考例句：

• He did not believe in flaunting his wealth. 他不赞成摆阔。
• She is fond of flaunting her superiority before her friends and schoolmates. 她好在朋友和同学面前逞强。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

7 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

8 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

9 nagged   

adj.经常遭责怪的；被压制的；感到厌烦的；被激怒的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的过去式和过去分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责

参考例句：

• The old woman nagged (at) her daughter-in-law all day long. 那老太婆一天到晚地挑剔儿媳妇的不是。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She nagged him all day long. 她一天到晚地说他。 来自《简明英汉词典》