the Catcher in the Rye Ch. 13

gorgeous: splendidly or showily brilliant or magnificent

earlap: a warm covering for the ears

swipe: steal

crook: a person who engages in fraudulent or criminal practices

closet: DJ[ˋklɔzit]

galosh: a high overshoe worn especially in snow and slush

slush: partly melted or watery snow

ought: used to express obligation

obligation: responsibility

sock: to hit, strike, or apply forcefully

used to: we use to talk about something that happened in the past that doesn't happen anymore

"Yellow" refers to being cowardly in this chapter

blindfold: to cover the eyes of with or as if with a bandage

Scotch: whiskey distilled in Scotland especially from malted barley

stinking: offensively drunk

nonchalant: having an air of easy unconcern or indifference

puke: vomit

crew cut: a very short haircut usually for men or boys in which the hair resembles the bristle surface of a brush

stink: to emit a strong offensive odor

doll up: to dress elegantly or extravagantly

extravagant: extremely or excessively elaborate

passionate: capable of, affected by, or expressing intense feeling

suave: smoothly though often superficially gracious and sophisticated

gracious: marked by kindness and courtesy

château: a French vineyard estate

vineyard: a planting of grapevines

brassiere: a woman's undergarment to cover and support the breasts

chuck: throw

jiggle: to cause to move with quick little jerks or oscillating motions

witty: marked by or full of clever humor

peculiar: different from the usual or normal

heck: hell

shrug: to raise or draw in the shoulders especially to express aloofness, indifference, or uncertainty

aloof: at a distance

recuperate: regain

seldom: rare

chiffonier: a high narrow chest of drawers

shell out: pay

frock: an outer garment worn by monks and friars

spooky: nervous

Online Dictionary Used: www.merriam-webster.com

Heritage

eave: the lower border of a roof that overhangs the wall

sampan: a flat-bottomed skiff used in eastern Asia and usually propelled by two short oars

skiff: any of various small boats

oar: a long pole with a broad blade at one end used for propelling or steering a boat

steamer: a ship propelled by steam

reign: royal authority; sovereignty

sovereignty: supreme power especially over a body politic

stamp out: to stop or destroy (something bad)

bubonic plague: plague caused by a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) and characterized especially by the formation of buboes

Patients develop fever, headache, chills, and weakness and one or more swollen, painful lymph nodes.

bubo: an inflammatory swelling of a lymph gland especially in the groin

adorn: to enhance the appearance of especially with beautiful objects

bizarre: odd, extravagant, or eccentric in style or mode

portray: to make a picture of

handlebar moustache: a heavy mustache with long sections that curve upward at each end

tunic: a simple slip-on garment made with or without sleeves and usually knee-length or longer, belted at the waist, and worn as an under or outer garment by men and women of ancient Greece and Rome

plume: a feather of a bird

slaughter: the act of killing

trench: a long cut in the ground

metaphor: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them

armor: defensive covering for the body

cruiser: a large fast moderately armored and gunned warship

mine: an encased explosive that is placed in the ground or in water and set to explode when disturbed

perish: to cause to die

Online Dictionary Used: www.merriam-webster.com

達者

「夫達也者，質直而好義，察言而觀色，慮以下人。」

譯文︰「怎樣才是達呢？品質正直，遇事講理，善於分析別人的言語，觀察別人的容色，從思想上願意對別人退讓。」

反省︰不敢說自己品格正直，但做事必不走歪路。講理，道理應該是客觀，主觀認為自己總是對的，不算講理。遇事講理，處事需有經驗，經驗背後要有法例、條款支援。分析別人的語言藝術，在中國人社會尤其重要，我們不能膚淺地詮釋他人的說話，要明白字面以下的意思。觀人於微當然要緊，對於喜怒不形於色的人需更加小心。我們要避免硬碰硬，禮讓是最好的法門，但個人認為應該要擇善固執。

楊伯峻《論語譯注》

西西〈玻璃鞋〉

 「譬如我們那裡的房子，起初可以一家三口住七百方呎的地方，後來可以適應為一家五口祇住三百方呎，再後來，每一層樓濃縮為僅僅一百方呎，居然照樣可以住進去八個人。」

父母都是在徒置區長大，作者對於香港人居住環境的描述一點也沒有誇張。

時至今日，香港地產商已經興建了不少私人樓宇。我爸爸分析，有專業知識的人大多選擇移民，政府要搶人材，私樓是留給他們住的。現正等待公營房屋的一般市民多不勝數，留在劏房、唐樓、天台屋、籠屋的基層仍然要忍受昂貴的租金。薪金總是追不上通貨膨脹，各項雜費有升無跌。什麼組合屋、青年宿舍，杯水車薪，成效存疑。

明日大嶼是傾向地產商的項目，破壞環境，違反國家政策。北部都會區是傾向內地的項目，貧苦大眾能否受惠，言之尚早。人口老化，理論上住屋需求會下降，兩項大型基建，背道而馳。香港領導人口口聲聲說要融入國家發展，卻真真正正沒有為香港人著想過。

Stanley

barrack: a building or set of buildings used especially for lodging soldiers in garrison 

stronghold: a fortified place

fierce: violently hostile or aggressive in temperament

atrocious: extremely wicked, brutal, or cruel 

wicked: morally very bad

brutal: cruel, cold-blooded

intern: to confine or impound especially during a war

swamp: a difficult or troublesome situation or subject

reputed: being such according to reputation or general belief

haunted: to visit or inhabit as a ghost

interrogation: a formal and systematic questioning

exorcise: to expel (an evil spirit) by adjuration

monument: a memorial stone or a building erected in remembrance of a person or event

demolish: to break to pieces

outcry: a vehement protest

vehement: marked by forceful energy

chimney: a vertical structure incorporated into a building and enclosing a flue or flues that carry off smoke

maritime: of, relating to, or bordering on the sea

engrave: to impress deeply as if with a graver

graver: any of various cutting or shaving tools used in graving or in hand metal-turning

Sikh: an adherent of a monotheistic religion of India founded about 1500 by Guru Nānak and marked by rejection of idolatry and caste

summon: to call upon for specified action

vagabond: a person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home

brethren: brother

Online Dictionary Used: https://www.merriam-webster.com

Eng Grammar in Use

When we talk about a period of time that continues from the past until now, we use the present perfect tense...We use present perfect tense with today, this morning, this year etc. when these periods are not finished at the time of speaking...We say 'It's the (first) time something has happened'.

We use the present perfect continuous tense (I have been doing) for an activity that has recently stopped or just stopped...(Another example: It's been raining for two hours. It began raining two hours ago and it is still raining.) We use the present perfect continuous tense like this example, especially with 'how long, for...and since...'. The activity is still happening (as in this example) or has just stopped. You can use present perfect continuous tense for repeated actions (since, for).

Source: Cambridge

語法

主語︰subject

謂語︰句子中主語以外的部分，與主語呈陳述關係；子句中的動詞、形容詞部分

偏正關係︰起修飾作用的語言單位和被修飾的語言單位之間的語法關係

短語︰一個或多個詞組成的，具有中心詞的語法性質，內部成分在語義和句法上都能搭配，但可能未形成完整命題，也沒有語調的一種語法單位

熟語︰經過人群長期沿用，結構基本定型的短語或句子，例如成語、慣用語、歇後語及諺語等