2018-10-21
每日一词 23 | characterize
每日一词
2018.10.17
邀请卡
1. 认识这个词（基础篇）
词：characterize
英英释义：to be typical of a person, place, or thing
例句：Phenomenal English is characterized by its emphasis on using English.
2. 体会这个词 （进阶篇）
我们常用名词/形容词“characteristic”表示“特征”/“典型的”，其实它的动词形式“characterize”也是个地道，可以让表达简洁优美的词。当我们想描述一个事物有某些特点时，就可以用到它。
“X具有Y特征”在英文中可以表达为“Y characterize(s) X”或者“X is characterized by Y”。这里的“characterize”也可以用“mark”完美同义替换。
比如，William Zinsser 的文字朴实、简洁，就可以说：
Plain and concise language characterizes/marks William Zinsser's writing.
法国足球运动员姆巴佩的特点是速度快、射门精准，就可以这样介绍：
Speed and high shot accuracy characterize/mark the French footballer Kylian Mbappé.（足球运动员除了用 footballer 外，也可以用 soccer player。）
就全球来看，城市发展的一大特征是交通拥堵，就可以说：
Traffic congestion characterizes/marks urban expansion worldwide.
《经济学人》的风格指南 The Economist Style Guide 序言中，开头部分有这么两句：
On only two scores can The Economist hope to outdo its rivals consistently. One is the quality of its analysis; the other is the quality of its writing.
这段话强调了《经济学人》特别看重分析质量和写作质量，因此我们可以用“characterize”和“mark”把这段话改写，比如可以写成：
The Economist is characterized/marked by its insightful analysis and high-quality prose.
3. 从认识到会用（作业）
1）翻译下面的句子：
三里屯以大量的潮牌和西餐厅著称。
（参考翻译：Sanlitun is characterized/marked by numerous fashion brands and Western food restaurants.）
造句：The mountain "boat" is characterized by its boat shape.
