英语常用词疑难用法:at the expense of

英语作文    发布时间:2025-02-18  
划词翻译

在英语中,有许多词语和短语的意思和用法并不直观,尤其是像“at the expense of”这种常见的短语。它的意思和用法可能会让学习者感到困惑。虽然它在日常英语交流中频繁出现,但很多人仍然难以完全掌握它的正确用法。

“at the expense of”的基本含义

“At the expense of”是一个固定搭配,字面意思是“以...为代价”。它通常表示某个行为或结果的获得是通过牺牲其他事物、利益或资源来实现的。这个短语常常带有一定的负面含义,暗示着为了达成某个目标或取得某些好处,必须牺牲其他东西,尤其是那些重要的或有价值的事物。

例如,假如某个公司为了增加利润而减少员工福利,这个过程就可以说是“at the expense of”员工的利益。

例句:

  • The company's success was achieved at the expense of its workers' well-being. 公司的成功是以员工福祉为代价换来的。

  • She became rich at the expense of her health. 她的富有是以健康为代价的。

“at the expense of”的用法解析

1. 表示牺牲某物:这是“at the expense of”最常见的用法,通常表示为了获得某种好处,必须牺牲其他事物。例如:

  • His fame came at the expense of his privacy. 他的名声是以隐私为代价获得的。

  • The environment is being destroyed at the expense of economic growth. 为了经济增长,环境正被破坏。

2. 不一定指代具体物质:有时候,“at the expense of”并不仅仅指代物质或金钱的损失,它也可以表示某种情感、健康、时间等方面的损失。例如:

  • The team’s victory came at the expense of their mental health. 这支队伍的胜利是以他们的心理健康为代价的。

  • She achieved her goals at the expense of her relationships. 她达成目标是以人际关系为代价的。

3. 强调负面后果:

在使用“at the expense of”时,通常会有负面后果的含义。这意味着为了某种目的付出的代价往往是有害的,或者至少不理想。例如,某人可能为了升职而忽视家庭,虽然最终升职了,但家庭关系可能因此受到影响。

  • He advanced in his career at the expense of his personal life. 他在事业上取得了进步,但却以个人生活为代价。

常见搭配与变体

“At the expense of”有时会与其他词语搭配,形成不同的表达。理解这些搭配对于准确使用这个短语非常重要。以下是一些常见的搭配:

1. “at the expense of” + 名词

这种搭配用于表示牺牲的对象,通常后面接的是名词,如利益、资源、健康等。例如:

  • Success at the expense of happiness. 以幸福为代价的成功。

  • Growth at the expense of quality. 以质量为代价的增长。

2. “at the expense of” + 动词-ing 形式

这种用法可以用来表示牺牲某项活动或行为。例如:

  • He gained power at the expense of ruining his reputation. 他为了权力,毁掉了自己的声誉。

  • She built her career at the expense of neglecting her family. 她为了事业忽视了家庭。

3. “at the expense of” 的变体:“at the cost of”

“At the cost of”与“at the expense of”意思相似,常用来表示某个目标或利益是通过付出代价实现的。两者的区别主要体现在语气上,"at the expense of" 的语气通常较为负面或带有批评的意味,而 "at the cost of" 在某些情境下语气较为中性。

  • He built the company at the cost of his personal life. 他为了建立公司,牺牲了个人生活。

  • She achieved success at the cost of her friends. 她为了成功,牺牲了朋友关系。

常见错误及避免方法

使用“at the expense of”时,一些学习者常常会犯一些错误。以下是几个常见的错误及其改正方法:

1. 错误搭配:

一些学习者会错误地将“at the expense of”与正面含义搭配。例如:

  • Incorrect: She achieved success at the expense of her health, and it was worth it. 错误:她为了成功,牺牲了健康,而且这是值得的。

  • Correct: She achieved success at the expense of her health, which she later regretted. 正确:她为了成功,牺牲了健康,这让她后悔不已。

在这个例子中,“at the expense of”强调牺牲的重要性和负面后果,通常不会出现“值得”这样的评价词。

2. 混淆 “at the expense of”和“in favor of”:

“In favor of”表示支持或偏爱某个事物,而“at the expense of”则是表示牺牲或付出。很多学习者会错误地混淆这两个短语。

  • Incorrect: He changed his decision in favor of his career at the expense of his friends. 错误:他为了事业改变了决定,而牺牲了朋友。

  • Correct: He changed his decision at the expense of his friends in favor of his career. 正确:他为了事业,牺牲了朋友,改变了决定。