sword (esp. a large, double-edged one); blade; bayonet; swordsmanship; stinger; ovipositor
method; manner; appearance; air; tendency; folk song (genre of the Shi Jing)
legend; tradition; biography; life; method; way
first; foremost; most important; best; greatest; above all
good piece of work; honourable mention (honorable)
new face; newcomer; rookie; modern humans (from Cro-Magnon man onwards)
debut; doing something for the first time; starting anew; starting afresh
successive generations; successive emperors
prize-winner; recipient (of a prize, award, etc.)
(establishing a) big lead; (winning by a) huge margin; breaking away (from the field)
the present; present time; as of; present tense; this world; this life
sharp (blade); pointed; sharp (pain); stabbing; perceptive; keen
tensely; tightly; erectly; intuitively; instinctively; with a burst
weakening; emaciation; decline
long military service; having experienced many battles
to be opposite; to face each other; to confront (an issue); to face
to become tense; to become serious; to become sober; sobering; bracing
to have a feeling (that); to have a sensation (that)
printout; (computer) printing
to put; to place; to leave (behind); to establish (an organization, a facility, a position, etc.); to set up; to appoint (someone to a certain position); to hire
revising (e.g. manuscript); rewriting; revised manuscript
astringent; bitter; austere; elegant (and unobtrusive); sour (look); glum
frank; candid; straightforward; openhearted; direct; outspoken
to say; to tell; to state; to do
application; subscription; entry (competition, raffle, etc.); enlistment
actual existence; real existence; existing in real life
great swordsman; master fencer
Tsukahara Bokuden (1489-1571)
many; much; majority (of); greater part (of); mostly; mainly
to meet (by chance); to come across; to run across; to encounter; to happen upon
hard-liners; diehards; (young) man with traditionally masculine interests; tough boy; hard news; reporter who covers political and economic affairs
here; this place; this point; here; these past ... (e.g. three years); these last ...
to pass; to elapse; to pass through; to go through; to experience; to go through
already; now; no longer; not any more
another thing; exception; special case
to call out (to); to call; to summon (a doctor, etc.); to invite; to designate; to name; to garner (support, etc.)
to change; to be transformed; to move to; to be different; to be uncommon
atmosphere (esp. of a place or person); mood; vibe; ambience