PE 11/26 JK Rowling Speech - Part 4

Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential.
* strip away: to remove the outer layer or covering of something
ex> After you strip away his tough exterior, Jack is a really sensitive guy.

I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea.
* be set free: to no longer be trapped or enslaved
ex> After years in a troubled marriage, Gloria was finally set free when her husband agreed to a divorce.

And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.
* (hit) rock bottom: to reach a low point in one's life; suffer a major depression
ex> Once you've hit rock bottom in your life, there's nowhere to go but up.

It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default.
* by default: the result of no action being taken to stop sth from happening
ex> By default, the computer will save your work every five minutes.
ex> If you don't cancel your subscription at the end of the year, it will be renewed by default and you will be charged again.
ex> I became Room Mom by default. Nobody stepped up to the plate.

Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations.
* inner security: self-assurance that everything is okay
ex> High-achievers seems to have a sense of inner security that allows them to try new things without fear of failure.

PE 11/19 JK Rowling Speech -Part 3

I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I have failed on an epic scale.

* it's fair to say: saying that you believe you are reasonable or correct in your opinion

ex> I think it's fair to say that we are completely lost.

* an epic scale: far larger or greater than usual

ex> The damage from this year's floods was on an epic scale. 

cf> epic: 서사시  ex> one of the great Hindu epics

An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain.

* exceptionally: 유난히, 특별히 (형용사, 부사 앞에 강조의 의미)

ex> The weather, even for January was exceptionally cold.

* implode: to collapse in on itself  opp> explode

ex> The top law firm imploded from excessive greed and corruption.

The fears that my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew. 

* come to pass: to happen

= come about, take place, transpire

ex> All of your dreams will come to pass if you work hard and stay focused.

ex> You're meeting him tomorrow? Let me know what transpires.

I had no idea then how far the tunnel extended, and for a long time, any light at the end of it was hope rather than a reality.

* light at the end (of the tunnel): the hope one finds during troubling times

ex> No matter how bad it gets, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

PE 11/12 JK Rowling Speech -Part 2

Actually, I have wracked my mind and heart for what I ought to say to you today.
* wrack one's mind/brain: to think long and hard about a difficult question
ex> the design team wracked their brains trying to come up with something innovative.

What  important lessons I have learned in the 21 years that have expired between that day and this.
* expired: the passing of sth, particularly time
ex> As the sun fell behind the mountains, another perfect day had expired in France.

I have come up with two answers.
* come up with: to find an answer to a question

These may seen quixotic or paradoxical choices, but please bear with me.
* quixotic: 돈키호테식의
* bear with: to be patient with sb
ex> I left my wallet in my car, so bear with me while I go get it.

Half my lifetime ago, I was striking an uneasy balance between the ambition I had for myself, and what those closest to me expected of me.
* strike a balance: to find a middle ground between two extremes
ex> When my parents divorced, I had to strike a balance by splitting my time between my mom and dad.

PE 11/5 JK Rowling Speech - Part 1

The weeks of fear and nausea I have endured at the thought of giving this commencement address have made me lose weight.
* at the thought of: a reaction one has when they think about a certain thing
ex> At the thought of fingers scratching a blackboard, my skin got goose bumps.

A win-win situation!
* win-win situation: an instance in which both parties can come out ahead, instead of someone having to lose.
ex> The tie game turned out to be a win-win situation for both teams, as they both advanced to the next round.
cf> No matter what we do, it's a no-win situation.

Now all I have to do is take deep breaths, squint at the red banners and convince myself that I am at the world's largest Gryffindor reunion.
* squint: 실눈을 뜨고 보다, 곁눈질하다

The commencement speaker that day was the distinguished British philosopher Baroness Mary Warnock.
* distinguished: very prestigious or thought highly of
ex> The distinguished professor had a full-house every time he gave a guest lecture.

This liberating discovery enables me to proceed without any fear that I might inadvertently influence you to abandon promising careers in business, the law or politics for the giddy delights of becoming a gay wizard.
* promising: (something or someone) with great potential
ex> His promising career as an athlete was cut short by an injury.

If all you remember in years to come is the "gay wizard" joke, I've come out ahead of Baroness Mary Warnock.
* come out ahead: to do better than expected; beat the odds
ex> If you work hard and save your money, you will come out ahead in a few years.
* giddy: 아찔한, 어지러운