escalate

1. 认识这个词（基础篇）

词：escalate

英英释义：to become much worse or more serious, or to make something do this

例句：The skirmish between rival factions could escalate into a full-scale war.

2. 体会这个词 （进阶篇）

我们很熟悉“自动扶梯”的英文是“escalator”，今天我们学习和它相关的动词“escalate”。escalate 最常见的意思是“不断恶化”“（某个不好情况）升级”，表示这个意思时 escalate 常作为不及物动词使用，后面常接介词 into。我们通过几个例子掌握它的用法。

比如有些人因为拌嘴，吵着吵着最后就动手打起来了，这时我们就可以说：

The altercation between the two friends quickly escalated into a physical fight.

派系之间的小规模的冲突很有可能会升级成全面战争，就可以说：

The skirmish between rival factions could escalate into a full-scale war.

再比如一个人长期处于沮丧消沉的状态，最终恶化成精神崩溃：

The depression he has been suffering escalated into a mental breakdown.

《经济学人》中也经常用到 escalate，比如：

1）The risk that a conventional conflict between India and Pakistan would escalate into a nuclear one is low, but not negligible.

2）Uncertainty about the outlook for the economy would only escalate after a vote to leave.

3）It is easy to imagine how a collision in the air or at sea could escalate.

3. 怎样学会使用这个词？

1）翻译下面的句子：

示威游行已激化成为一场大规模的起义。

（参考翻译：The demonstration has escalated into a large uprising.）

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。