2024年的最新一期《经济学人》，关注年度国家。
欢迎大家按照留言区里提供的方法领取本篇文章的全文进行阅读。接下来，我带大家一起解析一下这篇文章的前二段：
Each december The Economist picks a country of the year. The winner is not the richest, happiest or most virtuous place, but the one that has improved the most in the previous 12 months. The debate among our correspondents is vigorous. Previous winners include Colombia (for ending a civil war) and Malawi (for democratising). In 2023 we gave the prize to Greece for dragging itself out of a long financial crisis and re-electing a sensible centrist government.
每年12月，《经济学人》都会评选出“年度国家”。获奖者不是最富有、最幸福或最有德行的地方，而是在过去12个月里进步最大的地方。我们的记者们对此展开了激烈的辩论。以往的获奖国家包括哥伦比亚（因其结束了内战）、马拉维（因其实现了民主化）。2023年，我们将奖项授予希腊，以表彰其从长期金融危机中恢复过来，并重新选举了一个明智的中派政府。
第一，学习virtuous的用法。这个词做形容词，表示behaving in a very honest and moral way，有德行的，品行端正的，例：a virtuous man 品行端正的男子
第二，学习vigorous的用法。这个词做形容词，表示using a lot of energy and strength or determination，强度大的；积极的，例：Your dog needs at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise every day. 你的狗每天需要进行至少20分钟的高强度运动。
第三，学习sensible的用法。这个词做形容词，表示reasonable, practical, and showing good judgment，明智的，合理的，实际的，有判断力的，例：She seems very sensible. 她好像很明智。
Our shortlist this year had five names on it. Two took a stand against bad government. In Poland the new administration of Donald Tusk, formed after parliamentary elections in 2023, spent the year trying to fix the damage done by its predecessor. The Law and Justice party, which had ruled for eight years, eroded liberal democratic norms by capturing control of the courts, media and business, following the model of Viktor Orban in Hungary. Mr Tusk has begun the long slog of repairing institutions. He has also made Poland an even stronger pillar of European security, with its large army and rising defence spending. However, he has cut some constitutional corners, and Poland’s relations with Germany are poor.
今年的候选名单上有五名候选人。其中两人反对腐败的政府。在波兰，唐纳德·图斯克的新一届政府在2023年议会选举后上台执政，这一年里，他们致力于修复前任政府造成的破坏。执政八年的法律与公正党（Law and Justice party）效仿匈牙利的维克托·欧尔班（Viktor Orban），控制了法院、媒体和商业，破坏了自由民主的规范。图斯克已经开始了漫长的修复机构的进程。他还让波兰成为欧洲安全的更加稳固的支柱，凭借其庞大的军队和不断增长的国防支出。然而，他采取了一些违反宪法的做法，并且与德国的关系不佳。
第一，学习stand的熟词僻义。这个词做名词，可表示a strong effort to defend yourself or to oppose something，维护；反抗，抵抗，常用搭配为take / make / mount a stand (against sth)，例：We have to take a stand against racism. 我们必须坚决反对种族歧视。
第二，学习cut corners的用法。这个词组表示to save time, money, or energy by doing things quickly and not as carefully as you should，〔为了节省时间、金钱或精力而〕马虎从事，例：Don’t try to cut corners when you’re decorating. 装潢的时候不要图省事。
第三，学习predecessor的用法。这个词做名词，表示someone who had your job before you started doing it，前任，例：Kennedy’s predecessor as president was the war hero Dwight Eisenhower. 肯尼迪总统的前任是战争英雄德怀特·艾森豪威尔。
2024年12月21日刊
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也许长，但必定值得耐心学习
愿你看待这个星球的眼光能够批判且不同
