stevenks

US presidential hopeful Barack Obama has sought to tackle the issue of race and defuse a controversy over comments made by his former pastor.

Senator Obama said he understood the history of anger between black and white Americans but that the US could not afford to ignore race issues.

hopeful, 一般作形容詞用, 指抱有希望的或充滿希望的[(+of)][+that]; 有希望的;有前途的

ex,

He was hopeful that he would win. (他抱有勝利的希望。)

We had a hopeful beginning. (我們有個充滿希望的開端。)

不過, 也可作名詞用, 而且是可數名詞, 指有希望成功的人 

He is a young hopeful. (他是有希望獲得成功的年輕人。)

或”希望獲得成功的人”

presidential hopefuls (希望當選總統的人們)

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has said she made a mistake in claiming that she came under sniper fire on a trip to Bosnia in the 1990s.

defuse, 按字面是”拆去...的雷管”, 一般作”使除去危險性”使用, 而” to defuse a controversy over…”則常用於”解決或停止某些爭端”

ex,

Ethiopia and Sudan have moved to defuse a diplomatic row over the extradition of Ethiopians who hijacked a plane to Khartoum last week.

Argentina's Government is trying to defuse the controversy over comments about the Falklands made by Prince Charles during a visit to Buenos Aires .

The President of the Lower House of the German Parliament, Rita Suessmuth, has visited Poland in an attempt to defuse a row between the two countries.

afford, (常與can,could,be able to連用)買得起;有足夠的...(去做...)[+to-v]

ex,

We can't afford to pay such a price. (我們付不起這個價錢。)

而”can’t afford to ignore” 則用於”(如果)忽視某事時, 將無法負擔(其後果)”

You can't afford to ignore laws on employees' rights or health and safety.

These advances brought with them new dilemmas and problems we can't afford to ignore.

It is a self-perpetuating evil which has a snowballing effect and we just can't afford to ignore it.