though; although; be that as it may; nonetheless
thousands; several thousand
diligently; assiduously; industriously; beavering away
slump; crash; heavy fall; sudden decline
work; business; company; study
to fall below (esp. figures: profits, unemployment rate, etc.); to be less than; to be lower than; to fall just short of; to be just under
to say in other words; to put another way; to express in different words; to reword; to rephrase
ingredient; (raw) material; unprocessed timber; raw timber; subject matter; topic
expenses; expenditure; outgoings; outlays; costs
(being in) the red; deficit; red letter; red writing; corrections (by a teacher or proofreader) written in red
adjustment of production; production adjustment
to knead; to mix with fingers; to quibble; to argue for argument's sake
book; document; calligraphy (esp. Chinese); penmanship; handwriting; letter
temple; shrine; hall; company; (arch.) front room
secondhand bookshop; secondhand bookstore; secondhand bookseller
to taste; to eat; to drink; to speak (of); to refer (to); to say
to breathe out; to breathe; to tell (a lie); to use (foul language); to vomit; to throw up
shopping district; shopping street; downtown
to descend; to go down; to be handed down (of an order, judgment, etc.); to pass (of time); to surrender; to capitulate; to be less than
distant view; looking from a distance; good long distance vision; farsightedness
battement (ballet movement)
in the company of; accompanied by ...; as a group comprising ...; likes of ...
going out; outing; leaving (one's home, office, etc.)
parents' observation day (at school); parents' visiting day; open day
to find an excuse; to rationalize; to find a pretext
dot; spot; mark (in an exam, etc.); grade; point (in a game); score; point (in geometry)
end; verge; extremity; miss; failure; blank (e.g. lottery ticket)
head (of a household); proprietor (of a store); one's husband; (one's) employer; (one's) master; host
widower; divorced man not remarried; bachelor; single man
secondhand book; ancient book; antiquarian books
to dry up completely; to become stale
technical book; specialized book; treatise
shopkeeper; storekeeper; proprietor of a shop
reading (farsighted) glasses; spectacles for the aged