TOEFL SAT TEM8 GRE
外刊例句
- This precipitated a stall rather than, as intended, preventing one.
原本为防止飞机失速而设计的程序反而引向了失速。
——《经济学人》 - But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis.
但没有人想要引发一场宪法危机。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[verb] cause (an event or situation, typically one that is bad or undesirable) to happen suddenly, unexpectedly, or prematurely
[动词] 使(通常不好的或不受欢迎的事件或形势)突然、意外或过早地发生
深入解读
Precipitate 一词源自拉丁语 praecipitis (陡峭的、头朝前地、头朝下的),其基本含义为“使陡然下降、猛然投下”,比如:
- 桥断了,3辆汽车栽进桥下的深渊。
The bridge broke and precipitated 3 cars into the abyss below.
无论是陡然还是猛然发生的事情,往往都不是什么好事,后来 precipitate 就被用来表示“使(通常不好的事件或形势)突然降临”或“加速(坏事的发生)”,比如:
- 证券投机的失败使她一下子破了产。
Her failure in stock speculation precipitated her ruin.
常用搭配 precipitate sb/sth into sth 则表示“使突然陷入(某种状态)”或“使猛力投入”,比如:
- 总统被暗杀使国家骤然陷入战争状态。
The assassination of the president precipitated the country into war. - 他奋力投入最后的决斗。
He precipitated himself into the final grapple.
突然发生的事情往往都没有经过深思熟虑或仔细斟酌,所以 precipitate 作形容词时,除了表示“突然的、突如其来的”以外,还可以表示“(行动或决定)鲁莽的、草率的、仓促的”,强调缺乏应有的考虑或过早地做出决策,比如在 习语荟萃 | 如何用英语地道表达“同意”? 一文中提过的:
- 我认为我们不应该贸然作出决定。
I don't think we should make precipitate decisions.
另外, precipitate 在物理、化学、气象领域,还可以作动词表示“沉淀、淀析、凝结”,这个含义用作名词时,则是指“沉淀物、淀析物、凝结物”,比如:
- 云常会凝结成雨或雪。
Clouds usually precipitate as rain or snow. - 给烧杯降温有助于化合物沉淀。
Cooling the beaker helps precipitate the compound.
名著用例
Their silverfoil of leaves precipitating, their skinny arms ageing and swaying.
银纸叶子坠落,骨瘦如柴的胳膊老迈而摇来摆去。
出自爱尔兰现代主义作家詹姆斯·乔伊斯于1922年出版的长篇小说《尤利西斯》(Ulysses)。《尤利西斯》作为意识流小说的代表作,被誉为20世纪百大英文小说之首,并被奉为20世纪最伟大的小说。
同近义词
- accelerate: (of a vehicle or other physical object) begin to move more quickly
- hasten: cause (something) to happen sooner than it otherwise would
- expedite: make (an action or process) happen sooner or be accomplished more quickly