1. 認識這個詞(基礎篇)
詞:justify
英英釋義:To justify a decision, action, or idea means to show or prove that it is reasonable or necessary.
例句:The end justifies the means.
2. 體會這個詞 (進階篇)
“justify”表示“證明…是正當的”,是一個在寫作和口語中都常用到的詞。在不同的語境下,justify 可以靈活翻譯為不同的意思。比如,為了達成目的而不擇手段,就可以說成:
The end justifies the means. (end 在這里表示“結果” “目的”,means 表示“方式”,表示只要是目的是正確的,任何手段都說得過去)。
蘋果新出的 iPhone Xs 價格更貴,但是功能并沒有太大提升,許多人為此吐槽:
The new features of iPhone Xs cannot justify its hefty price tag.
《經濟學人》官網上的博客專欄 The Economist Explains 中,在解釋中國為什么放寬獨生子女政策時,也用到了 justify:
The increasingly high cost of a few extra square feet of housing, not to mention of providing a good education, also makes it economically harder to justify more children.
3. 從認識到會用(作業)
1)翻譯下面的句子:
他的決定從經濟上完全可以理解,但從道德上很難成立。
His economically understandable decision can not be ethically justified.
(參考翻譯:His decision can be justified from an economic point of view but can hardly be morally/ethically justified.)
2)結合自己的生活、學習、工作、興趣等,先想象在什么語境下會用到這個表達,然后再進行造句。
場景:什么也無法彌補失去孩子的痛苦。
造句:Nothing would ever justify the loss of their only son, but they must find some way to channel their deep grief.