justify
1. 认识这个词(基础篇)
词:justify
英英释义: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. 体会这个词 (进阶篇)
“justify”表示“证明…是正当的”,是一个在写作和口语中都常用到的词。在不同的语境下,justify 可以灵活翻译为不同的意思。比如,为了达成目的而不择手段,就可以说成:
The end justifies the means. (end 在这里表示“结果” “目的”,means 表示“方式”,表示只要是目的是正确的,任何手段都说得过去)。
苹果新出的 iPhone Xs 价格更贵,但是功能并没有太大提升,许多人为此吐槽:
The new features of iPhone Xs cannot justify its hefty price tag.
《经济学人》官网上的博客专栏 The Economist Explains 中,在解释中国为什么放宽独生子女政策时,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. 从认识到会用(作业)
1)翻译下面的句子:
他的决定从经济上完全可以理解,但从道德上很难成立。
His decision can be justified economically, but not ethically.
(参考翻译:His decision can be justified from an economic point of view but can hardly be morally/ethically justified.)
2)结合自己的生活、学习、工作、兴趣等,先想象在什么语境下会用到这个表达,然后再进行造句。场景:
造句:His excuses can not justify his illegal behavior.