2009年1月4日星期日

chef d'oeuvre, bit part, a bit ..., persecuted, uncrowned

Gras' career began in his native France where he worked at several top Michelin-rated establishments, including: Lucas Carton, where he was chef de partie under Alain Senderens;

'The Uncrowned King'

By KENNETH WHYTE
Reviewed by JACK ROSENTHAL

A biography of the young William Randolph Hearst is also a story about the rising power of the press in the late 19th century.

"One must be a bit persecuted." H. Matisse

But Saturn quickly started losing its shine. G.M. executives cut spending, and shoppers flocked to S.U.V.’s. Eventually, many workers resisted the new management style. Now the brand that was once a symbol of G.M.’s future will have a bit part, at most.

bit part

n.

A small or insignificant role, as in a play or movie, usually having a few spoken lines.

persecute
tr.v., -cut·ed, -cut·ing, -cutes.

To oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs.
To annoy persistently; bother.

[Middle English, from Old French persecuter, back-formation from persecuteur, persecutor, from Late Latin persecūtor, from persecūtus, past participle of persequī, to persecute, from Latin, to pursue : per-, per- + sequī, to follow.]

persecutee per'se·cu·tee' (-kyū-tē') n.
persecutive per'se·cu'tive or per'se·cu·to'ry (-kyʊ-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē, -kyū'tə-rē) adj.
persecutor per'se·cu'tor n.

a bit ...
1 slightly:
The dress is a bit too big for me.
That was a bit silly, wasn't it?
I'm a bit nervous.
I was hoping there'd be some food - I'm a bit hungry.
Would you like a bit more cake?
It's a bit like a Swiss chalet.

2 UK very:
Blimey, it's a bit cold!
And she didn't invite him? That was a bit mean!

uncrowned
adj.

Yet to be crowned: an uncrowned queen.
Having the power or influence of a monarch or other prominent figure but not the title: the uncrowned king of the espionage world. 無冕王

chef d'oeuvre Show phonetics
noun [C] plural chefs d'oeuvre FORMAL
an artist or writer's greatest piece of work:
The Decameron十日譚 is widely regarded as Boccaccio's薄迦邱 chef d'oeuvre.