operation (of a machine); running; working (and earning money); workload; deployment (e.g. to a production environment); release
to boast of; to be proud of; to take pride in
at this stage; at this point; (only) now
vague; ambiguous; shady; disreputable; fuzzy
to drain; to pour; to float (e.g. logs down a river); to set adrift; to wash away; to carry away; to broadcast
immediately; right away; on the spot
benefactor; patron; person to whom one owes a great deal; person to whom one is (deeply) indebted
to close one's eyes; to lower one's eyelids; to shut one's eyes; to die; to breathe one's last
consideration; concern; fear; worry; solicitude
stubborn person; obstinate person; pig-headed person
unqualified; without qualifications
then; and (then); in that case; if so
elder brother; big brother; one's senior; one's elder; old ingredients; stale ingredients
giving something a try because it will not do any harm
(written) application; written request; petition; written prayer for a shrine or Buddhist temple
courtyard; quadrangle; middle court
self first; striving to be first; scrambling for
dangerous; risky; in danger; in jeopardy; uncertain; unreliable
to happen to meet; to come across; to run into; to bump into
always; constantly; at all times; habitually
to keep in mind; to memorize
to squat; to crouch down (completely, generally with face looking through knees)
declaration; proclamation; announcement
to pick up; to pick out (e.g. key points in an article); to single out; to point out
to go up the stairs; to climb the stairs
just this side of; one step short of; on the brink
to sew; to stitch; to weave one's way (e.g. through a crowd)
rubble; debris; wreckage; trash; rubbish
disappearance; vanishing; loss; dying away; wearing off
very; considerably; by no means; not readily; middle; half-way point
collapse; break; cave-in; market decline; market crash
to pick up; to adopt (a proposal); to take up (a topic); to take issue with; to make a problem of; to report (news); to cover
to smell; to smell of; to have a smell
spell; charm; incantation; magic words
to stop up; to close up; to stand in the way; to obstruct; to occupy; to fill up
destructive blast; blowing up; explosion
to be consistent; to be coherent