1. 认识这个词(基础篇)
词:backbone
英英释义:courage and determination
例句:He has a crush on Sarah, but doesn't have the backbone to ask her out.
2. 体会这个词 (进阶篇)
“backbone”是名词,最基本的意思是“脊柱”“脊骨”,也常被引申表示“支柱”(比如支柱产业中的“支柱”)和“勇气/胆量”。我们今天学习它作“胆量”的意思。它作“胆量”时是不可数名词,可以替换我们常用的“courage”。
我们经常说某某人“怂”,喜欢一个姑娘却不敢去追,就可以说:
He has a crush on Sarah, but doesn't have the backbone to ask her out.(“have a crush on somebody”是固定表达,意思是迷恋某人。)
有人说最近的重庆公交车事故之所以发生,是因为十几个乘客中没有人敢果断、及时阻止一名中年女性袭击司机。我们如果想用英文表达这个观点,就可以说:
Nobody on the Chongqing bus had the backbone to intervene and prevent the middle-aged woman from assaulting the driver. If somebody did, the story would have turned out very differently.
2014 年美国波士顿学院前棒球选手发起了风扉全球的的 ALS 冰桶挑战(Ice Bucket Challenge),要求参与者在网络上发布自己被冰水浇遍全身的视频,然后该参与者便可以要求其他人来参与这一活动。活动规定,被邀请者要么在 24 小时内接受挑战,要么就选择为对抗“肌肉萎缩性侧索硬化症”捐出 100 美元。
如果你有朋友接受了这项挑战,就可以说:
He has enough backbone to take up the Ice Bucket Challenge.
3. 从认识到会用(作业)
1)翻译下面的句子:
他没有胆量,在最后一刻放弃了奖学金申请。
He didn't have the backbone and gave up applying for the scholarship at the last moment.
(参考翻译:He didn't have the backbone and gave up the scholarship application at the last minute. 或 Lacking the backbone, he gave up the scholarship application at the last minute.)
2)结合自己的生活、学习、工作、兴趣等,想象在什么语境下会用到这个表达。先简要描述这个场景,再造句。
情景:平凡是一种伟大,已经变成了没勇气改变现状的借口。
造句:That ordinary is also great has become an excuse for people without backbone to challenge the way they live.
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