1. 认识这个词(基础篇)
词:boil down to
英英释义:to be the main reason for something or the most basic part of something
例句:Big, sweeping life changes really boil down to small, everyday decisions.
2. 体会这个词 (进阶篇)
“boil down to”是个出现频率很高的实用表达,可以用在口语和写作中。它的意思是“一个问题的主要原因是、归根结底是”,如同熬一锅汤,煮时间长了水分就会减少,只留下最重要最本质的东西。当我们想表示一个事件的本质时,就可以用到它。
比如我们想说主要问题是缺钱,就可以用 boil down to something 造句:
The problem boils down to one thing: lack of money. (这里的冒号也可以换成破折号,或者也可以直接说成 The problem boils down to lack of money.)
亚马逊 CEO 杰夫·贝佐斯曾在一次毕业典礼中说“In the end, we are our choices.“ 我们可以用 boil down to 来改写这句话:
Ultimately, who we are boils down to our choices.
美国一位减肥比赛节目冠军 Ali Vincent 说过一句类似的话:
Big, sweeping life changes really boil down to small, everyday decisions.
我们在口语中可以常用 It all boils down to 这个简单句型,表示“归根结底就一件事儿“,比如:
It boils down to one thing: who you know in this business.
It boils down to one question: do you really want to learn English well?
It boils down to a simple question: do you really love me?
The question will always boil down to: who pays for the extra cost, and takes the initial risk? (来自《经济学人》,在讨论市场机制、监管等话题的文章中直接使用)
和 boil down to 类似的常见同义表达是 come down to,在掌握了 boil down to 的用法之后,可以学习一下 come down to 的用法。
3. 从认识到会用(作业)
1)翻译下面的句子:
这场争论归根结底是伦理问题而不是法律问题。
(参考翻译:The argument boils down to ethics rather than laws.)
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。
场景: 他从来不主动约你,归根结底还是因为没那么喜欢你。
造句:Stop finding excuses for him.Think about why he had never ask you out,all it boils down to is the truth that he is not that into you.
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