serious; grave; dignified; solemn
to hide; to keep to oneself
business conditions; trade conditions; financial situation
mother's body (esp. when pregnant or after giving birth); parent body; parent organization; base
covered with; stained; smeared
(corporate) bankruptcy; insolvency; commercial failure; failed business
zero; 0; nought; nothing; zilch
failure; collapse; breakdown; break-up; bankruptcy
to delay; to put off; to procrastinate
no more than; just; only; mere; goes no further than
international; worldwide; cross-border; cosmopolitan
competitiveness; competitive edge; competitive power
long (time that has passed); old (story)
reform; reformation; reorganization
losing one's position; losing one's standing; downfall; fall (from power); being overthrown
natural voice (without a microphone)
to change; to exchange; to convert; to renew; to throw a switch; to replace
to express in a refined fashion; to weave a web of words
ageing; aging; senile deterioration
government; administration
aging; wearing out; deterioration
decomposition; putrefaction; putrescence; corruption; degeneracy; decay
irony; sarcasm; unexpected; different from what one expected; (only) surface; something superficial
making efficient; optimization
commercialization; commercialisation
severe (injury, handicap, etc.); serious
bureaucrat; government official; bureaucracy
positive; assertive; active; proactive; aggressive
surplus; remainder; residue; margin; balance
weeding out; elimination (e.g. of unneeded employees); culling; selection (e.g. natural selection)
warm (treatment, reception, etc.); kind; cordial; hospitable; courteous; respectful
open; unconcealed; undisguised; broad; lewd; indecent
political measures; policy
reducing the number of mouths one needs to feed (esp. by giving up children for adoption, apprenticeship, etc.)
cancellation; liquidation; resolution; reduction (e.g. of stress)
posterity; future life; life to come