当地时间2月24日凌晨，俄罗斯总统普京授权在顿巴斯展开军事行动，乌克兰局势风云突变。在行动前的2月21日，普京发表全国电视讲话，态度强硬而坚决。
这是普京给世人一贯的印象。纵观关于普京的外媒报道，也多用sturdy, tough甚至是Hitler-like这样的词形容他的强悍，更有甚者将普京和拜登放在一起做对比：
昨天，纽约时报发表评论文章，标题是Laundered Money Could Be Putin’s Achilles’ Heel。
Achilles’ heel一般也写成Achilles heel，致命弱点。
这个词来自希腊神话英雄阿喀琉斯（Achilles）的故事。传说他年幼时，母亲把他浸在斯提克斯冥河中，使他刀枪不入。由于母亲提着他的脚踵，因此他的脚踵没有沾上河水。后来他因脚踵中箭身亡。
英语中还有很多类似的源自希腊神话、宗教故事的词，比如Halcyon，这是希腊神话中的一种神鸟，能够平息风浪，所以Halcyon days也指风平浪静的日子。这几日，俄乌战争愈演愈烈，硝烟弥漫，不禁让人怀念起从前幸福安宁的日子the past Halcyon days。
还有达摩克利斯之剑the sword of Damocles，比喻形势危急，千钧一发；
Penelope’s web，寓意永远也完成不了的工作；
Helen of Troy，导致特洛伊沦陷的海伦，意指红颜祸水。
……
俄罗斯入侵乌克兰后，美国与西欧宣布对俄罗斯的经济制裁加码。俄罗斯为什么不惧怕经济制裁？原因很简单：它已经为与全球经济长期隔离做好了准备。阿喀琉斯之踵？不存在的。
两年前，《经济学人》曾深入剖析俄罗斯在这场地缘政治版块碰撞中的战略选择基础，今天选取几个段落拆解。
文章开头的一句话导语：
After years of isolation, Russia is only mildly affected by global upheaval -so far
经过多年“隔离”的俄罗斯只是略受全球动荡的影响——目前是如此
Upheaval: [ CU ] a big change that causes a lot of confusion, worry and problems 剧变；激变；动乱；动荡
the latest upheavals in the education system 最近教育制度上的种种变更
Turbulence也可表达“动荡”: N-UNCOUNT Turbulence is a state of confusion and disorganized change. 动荡; 骚乱,
The 1960s and early 1970s were a time of change and turbulence.20世纪60年代和70年代初期是个变革和动荡的年代。
Mildly:slightly; not very much 轻微地；稍微地
mildly surprised/irritated/interested 有点儿吃惊╱生气╱感兴趣
VLADIMIR PUTIN is no doubt feeling smug. The Russian economy ought to be in crisis, but it is not. Covid-19 is causing a global meltdown. The price of oil has slumped below $30 a barrel, half what it was two months ago. Oil and gas traditionally account for two-thirds of Russian exports. That has sent the rouble sliding. The currency has lost nearly a third of its value since early January.
普京无疑正在沾沾自喜。俄罗斯经济本应陷入危机，但目前并没有。新冠肺炎正在引发一场全球崩溃。油价跌破每桶30美元，是两个月前的一半。石油和天然气历来占俄罗斯出口额的三分之二。卢布因此下跌，自1月初已经贬值了近三分之一。
feel smug沾沾自喜
Smug是个贬义词:( disapproving ) looking or feeling too pleased about sth you have done or achieved 沾沾自喜的；自鸣得意的
a smug expression/smile/face, etc. 沾沾自喜的表情、笑容、面容等
Meltdown: a situation in which prices fall by a very large amount or an industry or economic situation becomes much weaker〔价格的〕暴跌；〔行业或经济的〕崩溃
The stock market crash might lead to financial meltdown.
Slump:（动名词均可）: vi. undergo a sudden severe or prolonged fall in price, value or amount（价格、价值或数量的）猛然严重下跌，长期下跌
a slump in oil revenues 石油收入的暴跌;
它的替代表达有很多：Plunge/collapse/crash/tumble/nosedive/Plummet...这里就不再一一举例了~
语法知识提炼
The price of oil has slumped below $30 a barrel, half what it was two months ago.
该句中what引导的是“同位语从句”，是对$30 a barrel的进一步解释说明
what引导名词性从句时还可以有：
引导主语从句，比如：
what we need is more time. (what做need的宾语)我们所需要的是更多的时间。
引导宾语从句
people were perhaps more honest a long time ago when life was very different from what it is today. (what做is的表语)很久以前当生活与现在的生活完全不同时，人们或许更真实。
引导表语从句
Whether ways will be found to stop pollution or not is just what worries the public. (what做worry的主语)民众担心的是能否找到阻止污染的方法。
That is what I want to tell you. (what做从句宾语)那就是我想告诉你的事儿。
account for: PHRASAL VERB If a particular thing accounts for a part or proportion of something, that part or proportion consists of that thing, or is used or produced by it. (数量、比例上) 占
Computers account for 5% of the country's commercial electricity consumption.电脑占了这个国家商业用电的5%。
这个词组的用法还可以有：PHRASAL VERB If something accounts for a particular fact or situation, it causes or explains it. 导致; 解释
The gene they discovered today doesn't account for all those cases.他们今天发现的那种基因解释不了所有的那些情况。
PHRASAL VERB If someone has to account for an action or policy, they are responsible for it, and may be required to explain it to other people or be punished if it fails. 对…负责
The president and the president alone must account for his government's reforms.该总统并且只有总统一个人必须对他的这些政府改革负责。
PHRASAL VERB If a sum of money is accounted for in a budget, it has been included in that budget for a particular purpose. 列入预算
The really heavy costs have been accounted for. 这些确实巨大的花费已被列入预算。
sent the rouble sliding卢布因此下跌，这个搭配可以get起来。send体现的是一种动作势能：~ sb (to/into sth) to make sb behave or react in a particular way 使作出（某种反应）；使表现出（某种行为）
All the publicity nearly sent him crazy. 成天生活在公众的注意之下让他差一点发疯了。
我们之前在纽约时报：《鱿鱼游戏》背后，一个个负债累累的家庭中提到过send... sliding的反义词组：
send… into the stratosphere，推到一个很高的水平，比如：
The technology boom sent the share prices into the stratosphere. 科技热潮使得股价飙升到极高的水平。
这两个词组可以搭配着一起记忆。
Rouble /ˈruːbl/ :( especially BrE ) ( NAmE usually ruble ) the unit of money in Russia 卢布（俄罗斯货币单位）
Slide:[ V ] ~ (from...) (to...) to become gradually lower or of less value 逐渐降低；贬值
Shares slid to a 10-year low. 股价跌到了10年来的最低点。
Yet even as the world’s richest countries are in turmoil, taking on vast sums of debt to cushion the blow, Russia’s economy shows few signs of panic. This is not because Russia has diversified, defeated corruption, protected property rights, or boosted competition, investment or growth. It has done none of those things. Rather, the Russian economy is less sensitive to the shock because it has already been self-isolating for the past six years. Ever since Mr Putin illegally annexed Crimea and fomented war in Ukraine, the West has imposed sanctions on Russia and Russia has imposed sanctions on the West.
然而，正当全球一批最富裕的国家陷入混乱、大举借债以缓和冲击之时，俄罗斯经济却没有表现出多少恐慌的迹象。这并不是因为俄罗斯已经实现了经济多元化，打击了腐败，保护了产权，或者促进了竞争、投资或增长——它在这些方面毫无作为。其原因是，在经历了过去六年的自我孤立后，俄罗斯经济对这次冲击已不那么敏感。自从普京非法吞并克里米亚并在乌克兰挑起战争以来，西方国家对俄罗斯实施了制裁，而俄罗斯也对西方实施了反制裁。
in turmoil陷入混乱
Turmoil: [ Using. ] a state of great anxiety and confusion 动乱；骚动；混乱；焦虑，比如：
His statement threw the court into turmoil. 他的陈述使得法庭陷入一片混乱。
近义表达Confusion: N-UNCOUNT Confusion is a situation in which everything is in disorder, especially because there are lots of things happening at the same time. 混乱，比如：
There was confusion when a man fired shots. 一名男子开了枪让现场陷入混乱。
cushion the blow缓和冲击
这个表达就他挺形象的，因为cushion作为名词是“垫子”嘛，软乎乎的，天然的能够缓和冲击
当然这里是用作动词：~ sb/sth (against/from sth) to protect sb/sth from being hurt or damaged or from the unpleasant effects of sth 缓和打击
The south of the country has been cushioned from the worst effects of the recession. 国家南部保护得好，没有受到经济衰退造成的最恶劣影响。
He broke the news of my brother's death to me, making no effort to cushion the blow (= make the news less shocking) . 他把我兄弟死亡的消息直接告诉了我，没有试图减轻此事对我的打击。
self-isolating自我隔离
isolate的相关用法：
~ sb/yourself/sth (from sb/sth) to separate sb/sth physically or socially from other people or things （使）隔离，孤立，脱离
isolate oneself即为：独善其身，不受影响
Isolated: ADJ An isolated place is a long way away from large towns and is difficult to reach. 偏僻的，比如：
isolated rural areas 偏僻的农村地区
此时跟remote互为近义词：
~ (from sth) far away from places where other people live 偏远的；偏僻的，比如：
one of the remotest areas of the world 世界上最荒僻的地区之一
当isolated用来形容人的时候，则表示“孤独”：
ADJ If you feel isolated, you feel lonely and without friends or help. 孤独的，比如：
Some patients may become very isolated and depressed.有些病人可能变得非常孤独和抑郁。
Annex /əˈneks/这个词了解一下:[ VN ] to take control of a country, region, etc., especially by force 强占，并吞（国家、地区等）
Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
fomented war挑起战争
Foment /fəʊˈment/ :[ VN ] ( formal ) to create trouble or violence or make it worse 挑起，激起，煽动（事端或暴力）
They accused him of fomenting political unrest. 他们指控他煽动政治动乱。
incite是它的近义词：V-T If someone incites people to behave in a violent or illegal way, they encourage people to behave in that way, usually by making them excited or angry. 煽动
He incited his fellow citizens to take their revenge. 他煽动他的同胞们进行报复。
impose sanctions on...对...实施制裁
sanctions制裁：[ Cusually pl. ] ~ (against sb) an official order that limits trade, contact, etc. with a particular country, in order to make it do sth, such as obeying international law 制裁
Trade sanctions were imposed against any country that refused to sign the agreement.凡拒签该协议的国家均受到贸易制裁。
Impose:V-T If you impose something on people, you use your authority to force them to accept it. 强制实行
Impose tax on... 对...征税
Since then, the aim of Russia’s macroeconomic policy has been not to foster growth but rather to build a fortress economy that could withstand a severe shock. Underpinning this policy was a fiscal rule in 2017 that required the budget to balance with an oil price slightly over $40 a barrel. Anything above that figure was funnelled into a rainy-day fund which had reached 7.3% of GDP on March 1st.
自那以后，俄罗斯宏观经济政策的目标已经不是促进增长，而是建立起能够承受住严重冲击的堡垒式经济。支撑这一政策的是2017年的一项财政规定，它将达成财政预算平衡的油价设定为略高于每桶40美元。所有高于这一价位的收入都被注入应急储备基金，到今年3月1日，该基金已达到GDP的7.3%。
foster growth促进增长
foster: [ VN ] to encourage sth to develop 促进；助长；培养；鼓励，比如：
The club's aim is to foster better relations within the community.俱乐部的宗旨是促进团体内部的关系。
Facilitate是其近义表达：
[ VN ] ( formal ) to make an action or a process possible or easier 促进；促使；使便利，比如：
The new airport will facilitate the development of tourism.新机场将促进旅游业的发展。
以及：
Promote: V-T If people promote something, they help or encourage it to happen, increase, or spread. 促进，比如：
You don't have to sacrifice environmental protection to promote economic growth.你们没有必要牺牲环保来促进经济增长。
可以看到，promote与foster的意思更相近，主要是促进事物的“发展”，而facilitate则更多的是为促进事物发展“制造可能、提供便利”。
a fortress economy堡垒式经济，顾名思义，这种经济形式非常能扛住外界冲击
economy此时是可数形式：[ C ] a country, when you are thinking about its economic system （就经济体制而言）国家；经济制度
Ireland was one of the fastest-growing economies in Western Europe in the 1990s.在20世纪90年代爱尔兰是西欧经济发展最快的国家之一
withstand a severe shock承受住严重冲击
Withstand: [ VN ] ( formal ) to be strong enough not to be hurt or damaged by extreme conditions, the use of force, etc. 承受；抵住；顶住；经受住，比如：
The materials used have to be able to withstand high temperatures.所使用的材料必须能够耐高温。
Stand up to也可以表达类似的含义：PHRASAL VERB If something stands up to bad conditions, it is not damaged or harmed by them. 经受住，比如：
Is this building going to stand up to the strongest gales?这座建筑能经得住最强劲的大风吗？
Funnel漏斗，这里肯定是动词了：
V-T If you funnel money, goods, or information from one place or group to another, you cause it to be sent there as it becomes available. 传送 (资金、商品、信息等)，比如：
He secretly funnelled credit-card information to counterfeiters.他秘密地将信用卡信息传送给了伪造者们。
Some $10 million in aid was funnelled into the country through government agencies.约1 000万元援助款已通过政府各部门发放到农村。
替代词inject: ~ sth (into sth) to give money to an organization, a project, etc. so that it can function （给…）投入（资金）,比如：
They are refusing to inject any more capital into the industry.他们拒绝对这一产业投入更多的资金。
a rainy-day fund应急储备基金，也挺形象的，我们中文还说“未雨绸缪”呢
Rainy day: N a future time of need, esp financial (将来可能遇到的)困难日子; 穷困时期。可以和前面的Halcyon days结合着一起记忆。
As a result, Russia now sits on one of the world’s largest gold and foreign-exchange reserves, worth nearly $570bn. Oleg Vyugin, a former official at the central bank and the finance ministry, explains the thinking: “We’re protected against external shocks and foreign enemies because we have modern weapons and rockets, but also because we have gold and reserves.” Russia has also raised its pension age and VAT rate, and has boosted its tax take through digital technology. Mikhail Mishustin, the tax-collector-in-chief, was recently promoted to prime minister.
这样一来，俄罗斯目前拥有接近5700亿美元的黄金与外汇储备，是全球最大的黄金与外汇储备国之一。对此，俄罗斯央行和财政部的前官员奥列格·尤金（Oleg Vyugin）解释道：“我们能够抵御外来冲击和敌国侵犯，是因为我们不仅拥有现代化的武器和火箭，也拥有黄金和储备。”俄罗斯还延迟了退休年龄，上调了增值税税率，并通过数字技术增加了税收收入。前联邦税务局局长米哈伊尔·米舒斯京（Mikhail Mishustin）不久前晋升总理。
raise its pension age 延迟了退休年龄，这个表达放到现在也是“热词”了
Pension:an amount of money paid regularly by a government or company to sb who is considered to be too old or too ill/sick to work 养老金；退休金；抚恤金
to receive an old-age/a retirement pension 领养老金╱退休金
to live on a pension 靠退休金生活
boost its tax take 增加了税收收入
Boost: ~ sth to make sth increase, or become better or more successful使增长；使兴旺（
V-T If one thing boosts another, it causes it to increase, improve, or be more successful. 促进）比如：
to boost exports / profits 增加出口；提高利润
to boost sb's confidence / morale 增强某人的信心 / 士气
take这里是名词：[ usually sing. ] ( informal ) an amount of money that sb receives, especially the money that is earned by a business during a particular period of time 收入额；进项
How much is my share of the take? 我的那一份收入是多少？
最后看下VAT增值税到底是啥：[ U ] ( BrE ) a tax that is added to the price of goods and services (abbreviation for 'value added tax' ) 增值税（全写为value added tax）
增值税是以商品（含应税劳务）在流转过程中产生的增值额作为计税依据而征收的一种流转税。从计税原理上说，增值税是对商品生产、流通、劳务服务中多个环节的新增价值或商品的附加值征收的一种流转税。实行价外税，也就是由消费者负担，有增值才征税没增值不征税。
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