用法学习: 1. Ellen Show: Most A-list guests can expect to have a bit of a laugh and perhaps a good-natured 无伤大雅的, 开玩笑的 ribbing( I. a riblike structure or pattern. "a fleecy sweatshirt with ribbing at neck, cuffs, and hem". a pattern of raised lines on a piece of clothing made from wool. Ribbing is a method of knitting that makes a raised pattern of parallel lines. You use ribbing, for example, round the edge of sweaters so that the material can stretch without losing its shape. 衣服上一道道突起来的花样: He liked the ribbing on the cuffs of the sweater. II. informal good-natured teasing. the act of laughing at someone in a friendly way as a joke: They gave him a ribbing about his accent. "he took a good deal of ribbing with the utmost good humour". rib I. Rib is a method of knitting that makes a raised pattern of parallel lines. You use rib, for example, round the edge of sweaters so that the material can stretch without losing its shape. II. If you rib 起哄 someone about something, you tease them about it in a friendly way. [informal] The guys in my local pub used to rib me about drinking 'girly' drinks. well-meaning 出于好心的, 善意的 trying to help but often making things worse. Her well-meaning remarks just make us uncomfortable. a well-meaning friend/person/group. good-natured 不容易生气的, 好脾气的, 开得起玩笑地 kind and friendly, and not easily annoyed. A good-natured person or animal is naturally friendly and does not get angry easily. Bates looks like a good-natured lad. He was good natured about it, he didn't fuss. ), but very few would expect a serious grilling. Ellen immediately got stuck into Dakota for not inviting her to the party, which was quickly met with a flat denial from Johnson. "Of course I like you," Ellen responded with a shocked expression. "You knew I liked you! You've been on the show many times and don't I show... like?" This reaction elicited 招来, 遭到 hushed, awkward giggles from the audience, who clearly didn't seem to know whether the back-and-forth was in good spirits 只是看玩笑 or not. And the debate wasn't over yet. While we're sure the ribbing and uncomfortable moments would all have been quashed with a friendly hug backstage after the show, the segment definitely didn't make for comfortable watching — you can see for yourself above. 2. While Rachel didn't get off the plane for Ross until the very final episode in Friends, Leonard and Penny realised they were each other's lobsters ( the world is your oyster you are in a position to take the opportunities that life has to offer. "I can do anything I want to, the world's my oyster" If you say that the world is someone's oyster, you mean that they can do anything or go anywhere that they want to. You're young, you've got a lot of opportunity. The world is your oyster. the world is one's lobster Intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster". her indoors (Britain, slang) one's wife, especially a domineering one. I've just bought a present for her indoors, it's our anniversary." Liz said she didn't mind how I introduced her, provided it wasn't as 'her indoors'" she's your lobster She's the love of your life. As told my Phoebe Buffay on the TV show, Friends. PHOEBE: Hang in there, it's gonna happen. ROSS: Wha, OK, now how do you know that? PHOEBE: Because she's your lobster. CHANDLER: Oh, she's goin' somewhere. PHOEBE: C'mon you guys. It's a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life. You know what, you can actually see old lobster couples walkin' around their tank, ya know, holding claws like...) too soon. Ever since The Fonz quite literally jumped over a shark on a pair of water skis in Happy Days, the term 'Jump The Shark' has been coined to explain the pivotal moment when a show which was once hailed as one of the greats started to decline. 'Big Bang commits three of the major "jump the shark" missteps 失足, 出错, 一着错(jump the shark (of a television series or film) reach a point when far-fetched 牵强附会的 events are included merely for the sake of novelty, indicative of a decline in quality. "the majority of television has jumped the shark; few shows maintain their creative ingenuity". Jumping the shark is the moment when something that was once popular, but that no longer warrants the attention it previously received, makes an attempt at publicity, which only serves to highlight its irrelevance. This is especially applicable to television series or other entertainment outlets. The idiom "jumping the shark" is pejorative, most commonly used in reference to unsuccessful gimmicks for promoting something. It is similar to "past its peak 风光不再", but more specifically suggests an unwillingness to acknowledge the fact. jump the shark I. if a TV show jumps the shark, it starts being less realistic and so becomes less popular with the audience. 'Friends' jumped the shark when Monica and Chandler moved in together. II. to stop being very popular and well-known, and start to become much less popular Michele Bachmann, she might have blown it today. Well, not blown it – she might have jumped the shark today. shark I. (typically of a man at a social gathering) be in active pursuit of a sexual partner. "as soon as he arrived he was sharking among the women". II. [informal, disapproval]
If you refer to a person as a shark, you disapprove of them because
they trick people out of their money by giving bad advice about buying,
selling, or investments. Beware the sharks when you are making up your mind how to invest. someone who gets money by cheating people loan shark [informal, disapproval]
If you describe someone as a loan shark, you disapprove of them because
they lend money to people and charge them very high rates of interest
on the loan. ) in these subsequent seasons; removal of the 'will they won't they', separating a major character (Howard as an astronaut), and drastically 大幅度地 changing the original formula,' Dan continued. 3. Song: She's not there: According to the lyrics of this song, the narrator has unsatisfactory dealings 不满意的, 不满的 交往 with an untrustworthy woman. He reproaches ( reproach noun I. [countable/uncountable] an expression of criticism and disappointment because of something bad that someone has done. In a voice full of reproach, she told him that he had let down the whole class. II. [singular] something that makes you feel ashamed or embarrassed. reproach to: The appalling poverty of this remote region is a reproach to the well-fed politicians in the capital. above/beyond reproach 挑不出毛病的, 找不出错的, 无可挑剔的 impossible to criticize because of being so good. Their handling of the affair has been absolutely beyond reproach. reproach 责怪, 责问 verb. to criticize someone and feel disappointed with them for something they have done. reproach someone for something: The General was reproached by his allies for failing to inform them of his plans. self-reproach 自责 noun the feeling of being annoyed with yourself because you have done something wrong. reproach yourself 自责, 内疚 to feel ashamed and angry because you know that you have done something wrong. She reproached herself for having spoken so harshly. ) unspecified associates for failing to warn him of her unsavoury ( [ʌnˈseɪv(ə)ri] I. involving things that you do not want to think or talk about, for example crime or sex. an unsavory character/reputation/business. II. food that is unsavory smells and looks bad. If you describe a person, place, or thing as unsavoury, you mean that you find them unpleasant or morally unacceptable. The sport has long been associated with illegal wagers and unsavoury characters. ) character: "Well no one told me about her / The way she lied." The real inspiration behind the song, however, was Argent's first love, Patricia, who called off their wedding weeks before and broke his heart. 4. lean toward something 倾向于 to be interested in something and be likely to do a particular activity: He said he was leaning toward entering the race for governor. bend/lean over backwards (to do something) to try as hard as possible to help or please someone. City officials bent over backwards to help downtown businesses. lean on somebody I. to depend on someone for support and encouragement, especially at a difficult time. The couple lean on each other for support. II. informal 施加压力. 胁迫. 迫使. 强迫. 逼着. 威逼. to try to influence someone, especially by threatening them. He won't pay unless you lean on him. to put pressure on someone in order to make them do something The Prime Minister's been leaning pretty heavily on her to resign. III. to press the horn of a car in a determined way. The taxi driver was waiting out front, leaning on the horn. lean and mean using only what is necessary, and determined to work effectively in order to compete successfully: Companies that have survived the crisis are going to be lean and mean. The company is driven by technological advances and a lean-and-mean mentality. lean manufacturing = lean production the business of producing goods in large numbers using methods that avoid waste and reduce the time taken: The factory has adopted a lean manufacturing programme to weed out waste in its production processes. The use of multiskilled worker teams and flexible automated technology are key components of lean production. Toyota Production System a system for manufacturing, developed by Toyota® in Japan, based on lean manufacturing (= avoiding waste) and just-in-time production (= where parts are delivered exactly when needed): Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System, was inspired by the modern grocery store in the 1960s. lean-to 倚墙而搭起来的小建筑 I. a building joined to one of the sides of a larger building with which it shares one wall: a house with a lean-to garage. II. a shelter or simple building with a roof that slopes in one direction, used for sleeping in outside. A lean-to is a type of simple structure originally added to an existing building with the rafters "leaning" against another wall. Free standing lean-to structures are generally used as shelters. One traditional type of lean-to is known by its Finnish name laavu. 5. The crown: Episode 1 opens with the death and state funeral of Winston Churchill, and the visage ( [ˈvɪzɪdʒ] someone's face. ...his milky-white innocent visage. ) of a monarch at something of a crossroads 交叉口, 十字路口 in her reign. No longer the clear, blue-eyed ingenue 天真少女 ( [ˈænʒəˌnu] a young woman who does not have much experience of the world, especially in a movie or play. An ingenue is a young, innocent girl in a play or film, or an actress who plays the part of young, innocent girls. I don't want any more ingenue roles. ) of Claire Foy days, Her Majesty is older, frumpier ( frumpy = frumpish 贬义词 wearing clothes that are not attractive or fashionable. If you describe someone, especially a woman or her clothes, as frumpy, you mean that their clothes are dull and not fashionable. I looked so frumpy next to these women. ...bulky, frumpy clothes.), and with brown eyes that look like they've seen a thing or two over the past decade. paper over the cracks to hide problems, especially arguments between people, in order to make a situation seem better than it really is: She tried to paper over the cracks, but I could see that the relationship was failing. If you paper over the cracks, you try to hide all the things that are wrong with something. The meeting was stormy, and the two sides managed only to paper over the cracks on some issues. The crown Script: What's your view of the Jubilee? You must do it. You don't think it might all backfire on me? Ask yourself, in the time I've been on the throne, what have I actually achieved? You've been calm and stable and Useless and unhelpful. This country was still great when I came to the throne, and now look. So much for the Second Elizabethan Age, which Winston talked about. All that's happened on my watch is the place has fallen apart. It's only fallen apart if we say it has. That's the thing about the monarchy. We paper over the cracks. And if what we do is loud and grand and confident enough, no one will notice that all around us it's fallen apart. That's the point of us. Not us. Of you. You cannot flinch 退缩, 却步, 畏缩 ( to make a sudden small movement because you are afraid, surprised, or in pain. Pamela flinched each time he yelled at her. not flinch if someone does not flinch, they remain calm despite danger or shock. She was used to people shouting at her, and didn't flinch. flinch from (doing) something to avoid dealing with a difficult responsibility or decision. We won't flinch from making tough decisions.) . Because if you show a single crack, we'll see it isn't a crack, but a chasm [ˈkæzəm], and we'll all fall in. So you must hold it all together. Must I do that alone? There is only one queen. 6. get/take a rise out of someone 惹毛, 激怒 to make someone react angrily by saying something that will annoy them. to annoy someone. to make someone become annoyed or embarrassed by making a joke about them Steve always manages to get a rise out of me with his racist jokes. Ignore him, he's just trying to get a rise out of you. give weight to (something)( a. to attach importance to. b. to improve the credibility or legitimacy of. ) To consider something important or especially relevant. Often used with modifiers such as "much," "a lot of," etc. Jonathan knew his parents never approved of his relationship with Michael, so when he decided to get married, he didn't give much weight to 当真, 不当回事 their objections. Because you're a mentor here, your students are going to give a lot of weight to your opinion. Usual Suspects: Well, I believe in God. And the only thing that scares me is Keyser Suze. Do you give any weight to this 相信他的证词吗? I can introduce you to Dan Metzheiser from Justice. He has a file on Suze in DC. Been a hobby of his. Guys equate him to ( [ɪˈkˌweɪt] I. [transitive] to consider something to be the same as something else. equate something with/to something: These people seem to equate 等同于 honesty with weakness. equate something and something: Don't make the mistake of equating high test scores and intelligence 混为一谈. II. [intransitive] to be the same as something. equate with/to: Market rates don‘t always equate with reasonable prices. ) that reporter on The Incredible Hulk. to carry weight If a person or their opinion carries weight, they are respected and are able to influence people. to be considered serious and important enough to influence other people: The Senator's opinion carries a lot of weight in Congress. That argument no longer carries as much weight. He still carries considerable weight in medical circles. Tay Tay报道: I assume this was not your intention but it is important that you understand that your words carry a tremendous amount of weight and that your message can be interpreted by some in different ways. While I am frustrated with your accusations and respectfully disagree with many of your statements, it is important that I am clear -- no artist should ever feel cornered or bullied." 7. Usual Suspects: Verbal then tells Kujan a legend about Söze: that he had murdered his own family when they were being held hostage by Hungarian mobsters, and then massacred the mobsters and their families before disappearing, doing business only through underlings 手下 who did not know who they were working for. Söze thus became a fearsome urban myth, "a spook story 鬼故事 that criminals tell their kids at night. logistic adj. Logistic or logistical means relating to the organization of something complicated. Logistical problems may be causing the delay. She described the distribution of food and medical supplies as a logistical nightmare. ...logistic difficulties. Organised junior football was either restricted or logistically impossible to operate. It is about time that the U.N. considers logistically deploying additional military resources. Logistically it is very difficult to value unit-linked policies. logistics [ləˈdʒɪstɪks] logistically [ləˈdʒɪstɪk(ə)li] noun. the practical arrangements that are necessary in order to organize something successfully, especially something involving a lot of people or equipment. logistics of: We haven't thought about the logistics of getting everyone here from Omaha yet. Usual Suspects script: We'll take care of the bodies downstairs. We'll add them to the cost of Mr Fenster. If you'll excuse me, gentlemen. It's a logistical nightmare. Close quarters. 10, maybe 20 men. No tellin' ( there's no telling [what/how] 看不清, 看不出来, 不知道, 很难判断, 无法下结论 it is not possible to know: There's no telling how her parents will react to the news. You use there's no telling to introduce a statement when you want to say that it is impossible to know what will happen in a situation. There's no telling how long the talks could drag on. There's no telling what diseases a person can get. there's no rest for the wicked said when you must continue with your work or other activity although you are very tired. ) how many more are below. Can we stealth 躲过 these guys? Nah. With all that coke, they're gonna be ready. Which brings me to sunny point number two. Even if one of us gets through and jacks the boat, we still got nothin'. What if we wait for the money? Ten more men at least. In my opinion it can't be done. Anybody who goes in there is not comin' out alive. 8. draw I. draw praise/criticism: The new exhibition has been drawing a lot of criticism. draw a refusal/denial: The claims drew an immediate denial from the President's office. II. draw a line/distinction/boundary: The law draws a distinction between children and adults. draw a parallel/analogy/comparison: The writer drew parallels between the two societies. III. draw someone's attention/eye/gaze: Our attention was drawn by the sound of gunfire. draw to 被吸引: My eyes were drawn to a painting hanging over the fireplace. be drawn to something to be attracted to something Some people are naturally drawn to the arts. IV. 取钱: to take money from a bank account. Customers can draw up to £250 a day from most accounts. draw out: I'll need to draw out more cash tomorrow. a. to receive an amount of money regularly. She wasn't old enough to draw a state pension. V. 说服:[usually passive] to persuade someone to tell you something. I asked her if a decision had been made, but she would not be drawn (=would not tell me). draw someone on something: Journalists tried to draw him on the subject of his wife. VI. draw near/close: As we drew nearer, I noticed that the front door was open. draw apart: Ruth held him for a long time before they drew apart. draw to a halt/standstill/stop: A taxi was drawing to a halt outside the hotel. VII. [often passive] to choose a person or thing from a group. Our advisers have been drawn from a wide range of experts. a. to choose one player to compete against another. India were drawn to play against USA in a Davis Cup tie. b. to choose a card or ticket in a game, without seeing what is on it. I drew two cards 抽牌, 抓牌 from the pack. 9. Australian womenswear label Bardot goes into voluntary administration: "Despite double-digit growth in online sales, and our highly successful expansion into the US and Europe, Bardot's retail stores in Australia are competing in a highly cluttered( untidy a cluttered kitchen. clutter to put too many things in a place so that it looks messy. His bedroom was cluttered with books and papers. a. to put too many facts, pictures, etc. in something so that it becomes hard to understand. ), and increasingly discount-driven market," he said in a statement. Nine Finance Editor Ross Greenwood says the demise of the iconic womenswear label reflects the faltering 止步不前的 Australian economy and the challenge from online retailers. And major retail companies are also feeling the pinch of faltering. Myer, Target and Big W are already closing some of their stores. Greenwood fears there will be more over the late summer months if there are sluggish 萧条的, 不见起色的 Christmas and New Year sales. 10. sort I. importance, size, or colour. sort something by something: Once the data is collected, the computer will sort it by date. sort something into something: Sort the letters into three piles. If you sort things, you separate them into different classes, groups, or places, for example so that you can do different things with them. He sorted the materials 整理 into their folders. The students are sorted into 分类, 分组 three ability groups. He unlatched the box and sorted through the papers. I sorted the laundry. II. to solve a problem or deal with someone or something successfully. If you get a problem or the details of something sorted, you do what is necessary to solve the problem or organize the details. I'm trying to get my script sorted. These problems have now been sorted. Don't worry about the bill. I'll sort it. get something sorted 解决: Did you get the tickets sorted? sort out I. how it will happen. Danny's organizing the food and the music's already sorted out. II. to do what is necessary to deal with a problem, disagreement, or difficult situation successfully. 解决 This matter could be sorted out if they would just sit down and talk. If you sort out a problem or the details of something, you do what is necessary to solve the problem or organize the details. The two countries have sorted out their trade and security dispute. Have you sorted something out for tomorrow night? sort yourself out: If you have a problem, the welfare officer can help you sort yourself out. III. to get rid of things that you do not need and arrange things that you do need tidily. I need to sort out the mess on my desk. I've managed to sort the newspapers out. IV. to find out information that allows you to understand something. sort out how/what/why etc: Investigators are still trying to sort out why the accident happened. V. BRITISH INFORMAL to provide something for someone sort someone out: If you need a new bike, I can sort you out. sort something out for someone: We'll sort out more suitable clothes for you. VI. BRITISH INFORMAL to make someone stop causing problems for you, for example by talking to them or punishing them. If you sort someone out, you make them realize that they have behaved wrongly, for example by talking to them or by punishing them. [mainly British]. Prince Anne 被拐事件: Ronald Russell, a company cleaning executive, was driving home from work when he saw the scene on the side of the road. He approached on foot after seeing Ian Ball confront Officer Hills. "He needs sorting 需要管管, 需要给个教训, 教训一下," Russell later remembered thinking. A 6'4" former boxer, Russell advanced to punish the shooter for hurting a policeman. It was the older women and young mothers who sorted all the troublemakers out. The crucial skill you need to develop is sorting out 搞定 the parents. VII. If you sort yourself out, you organize yourself or calm yourself so that you can act effectively and reasonably. We're in a state of complete chaos here and I need a little time to sort myself out. sort through something to look at a lot of things in order to find what you want or need. She sorted through her handbag for her keys. sorting 排序 the process or operation of ordering items and data according to specific criteria. a sorting program. nothing of the sort Nothing of the sort is used when strongly contradicting something that has just been said. 'We're going to talk this over in my office'.—'We're going to do nothing of the sort'. Mrs Adamson said that she was extremely sorry, in tones that made it clear that she was nothing of the sort. to separate the wheat from the chaff = to sort the wheat from the chaff 分清好坏, 分清敌友 If you separate the wheat from the chaff or sort the wheat from the chaff, you decide which people or things in a group are good or important and which are not. It isn't always easy to separate the wheat from the chaff. out of sorts If you are out of sorts, you feel slightly unwell, upset, or annoyed. of sorts/a sort If you describe something as a thing of sorts or as a thing of a sort, you are suggesting that the thing is of a rather poor quality or standard. He made a living of sorts selling pancakes from a van. She even managed a grimacing smile of sorts. They have had an education of a sort. 11. carnal [kɑːrnəl] Carnal feelings and desires are sexual and physical, without any spiritual element. Their ruling passion is that of carnal love. relating to the physical feelings and wants of the body. Carnal feelings and desires are sexual and physical, without any spiritual element. Carnal desires. carnal knowledge sexual intercourse. ruling I. The ruling group of people in a country or organization is the group that controls its affairs. ...the Mexican voters' growing dissatisfaction with the ruling party. ...the domination of the ruling class. ...the sport's ruling body 管理机构, the International Cricket Council. II. noun. 判决. A ruling is an official decision made by a judge or court. Goodwin tried to have the court ruling overturned. She plans to fight the ruling because she said she did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules. III. Someone's ruling passion or emotion 最强烈的, 超越一切的, 压倒一切的 is the feeling they have most strongly, which influences their actions. Their ruling passion is that of carnal love. 13. Contact paper 保护膜, 保护贴纸 (贴纸 sticker) is an adhesive paper used as a covering or lining. It is an inexpensive material that has a decorative 装饰面 surface on one side and a highly adhesive material on the other side. The paper sticks to the desired surface with minimal effort. It is usually sold in roll form and the material is cut to size by the user. While its traditional use was as a shelf or drawer liner [ˈlaɪnər] ( I. [countable] something that you use inside another thing to keep it clean or to protect it. a garbage can liner. A bin liner is a plastic bag that you put inside a waste bin or dustbin. II. [countable] a large passenger ship, especially one used for cruises or long-distance travel. a luxury liner. one-liner a joke that consists of a single sentence. line verb. I. to cover the inside of something, especially a piece of clothing or a container, with a layer of something else. He wore a black coat lined with dark gray silk. line something with something: Line the dish with aluminum foil. a. to form a layer on the inside surface of something. II. to form rows along the sides of something. Crowds lined the streets to watch the parade. The riverside will be transformed into a promenade lined with cafés and restaurants. line your pockets 中饱私囊 to obtain money, especially by acting dishonestly. He accused executives of trying to line their own pockets. line I. In school, if a child is given lines 重复写, he or she is punished by being made to write out a sentence many times or to write out a passage from a book. II. A line of a piece of writing is one of the rows of words, numbers, or other symbols in it. The next line should read: Five days, 23.5 hours. Tina wouldn't have read more than three lines. III. The lines on someone's skin, especially on their face, are long thin marks that appear there as they grow older. He has a large, generous face with deep lines 皱纹, 纹路. ...fine lines and wrinkles. ), it can be used in many creative ways. Teachers often use it for creative projects at school. Other uses of contact paper include use as laptop skins and protective book covers. 14. frock I. old-fashioned a dress. II. 长袍. a long loose piece of clothing with sleeves that some priests and monks wear. frock up to get dressed in smart clothes for a special occasion; used by or about women. I'm so sick of frocking up for all these fancy shindigs. defrock 褫夺 to remove a priest from their job because they have done something wrong. Duoma told 7NEWS.com.au that if Rietveld had not resigned from the church at that time he would have been forcibly 强制 removed and defrocked. 惠特曼的诗句: Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes 有多个面向.). Walt Whitman admits openly that he is contradictory, meaning, he says one thing one day and the total opposite thing the next day. He isn't consistent in his opinions, and that is okay. Being contradictory is a part of human nature, and we shouldn't be embarrassed by it, but embrace it, because it is who we are. multitude [ˈmʌltɪˌtjuːd] I. MAINLY LITERARY a large crowd of people. A cheering multitude greeted the Queen. a. the multitude or the multitudes 普罗大众 FORMAL the ordinary people who have no power or influence. Can you imagine what effect that will have on the multitude? a multitude of a very large number of people or things. The city's museums offer a multitude of cultural possibilities. ...surrounded by a noisy multitude. ...the multitudes that throng around the Pope. cover/hide a multitude of sins humorous to prevent people from seeing or discovering something bad: Large sweaters are warm and practical and hide a multitude of sins (= they do not show your body shape). 15. laugh in somebody's face to behave towards someone in a way that shows that you do not respect them I told my sister what I thought, and she just laughed in my face. I laugh in the face of danger/adversity 笑对, 笑看困难, 笑看危险. Amy: I'm stating it outright. Babinski eats 拳打 Dirac for breakfast and defecates 脚踢 Clarke-Maxwell.
exorcise VS excise VS exercise: exorcise [ˈɛksɔːsʌɪz] 驱魔. exorcist [ˈeksɔrsɪst]. exorcism [ˈɛksɔːsɪz(ə)m] the expulsion or attempted expulsion of a supposed evil spirit from a person or place. "the rite of exorcism". excise [ˈɛksʌɪz] noun, verb [ɪkˈsaɪz] a tax levied on certain goods and commodities produced or sold within a country and on licences granted for certain activities. "the rate of excise duty on spirits". verb. I. medical 切除. to remove something harmful that is growing inside a person's body, especially by cutting it out. II. formal 删减. 删去. to remove part of a book or movie, for example because it is considered offensive. exercise [ˈeksərˌsaɪz] verb. noun. the object of the exercise the purpose of doing something The object of the exercise was to build a sense of teamwork. a pointless exercise a waste of time.
unify VS unite: unify I. [transitive] to unite people or countries so that they will work together. They're trying to find a candidate who will unify all factions. a. [intransitive] to become united. If the party unifies, the bill might become law. II. [transitive] to make things work well together. The theory unifies two fundamental forces. unite
I. [intransitive] if people, groups, or countries unite, they join
together, often to work together to achieve a particular goal. Our community has united to demand a safer neighbourhood. unite behind: Party members will unite behind a stronger candidate. a. [transitive] to join people, groups, or countries together. We want to forge a policy that unites people, not divides them. unify (make something one 被动的) VS unite (become one 主动的) 所以秦始皇武力统一中国, 统一度量衡用unify (Both rumination and worry are associated with anxiety and other negative emotional states; however, its measures have not been unified 衡量标准并没有统一起来.), 而美国和联合国用united (组合重组 Spice girls are reuniting 重新合体 (reunion) to do a tour.):
I think the difference is to best explained in their origins: unify
from unificare from uni + the root of facere 'make' or: one + make =
make somethings one. unite from unitus, PP of unire 'unite' from unus
'one' or: 'become one'. From these origins, unify is always the more passive: somethings are made one, unified, whereas unite is more active, we unite - ourselves or others. 'United we stand, divided we fall.'
Whoever wrote that did not use unified, because 'we united' we were not
'unified' by some third party. But the difference is slight, and there
is overlap in the usage. 'He unified the country.' 'He united the
country' I can't see a difference here. 'We have our family arguments, but, in the face of threat from outside, we unite as one.'
I don't think unify would be appropriate here, because 'we' are active,
not passive. So: if you and others actively come together by your own
volition, unite. If you and others are brought together, through fair
means or foul, by a third party, unify. As a transitive verb, either
will do, I imagine. 另一个回答: Unify tends to be used with things. Unite tends to be used with people, although it can also be used with things. Unify is reductive: the unification of Germany turned two nations into one.
To unify is to simplify: if a company has a unified vision, it has a
clear mission, a clear, single idea of what its purpose is. To unite is to bring together different entities. They remain different entities but act together. When the workers of the world unite, there are just as many of them, but they form a larger group which is more powerful.
The United States of America includes fifty different states. They
belong together and (sometimes) act together, but they remain fifty
different states. A thing can be unified, but a person or a thing can't
be united. Several people or things can be united. A group of people or
things can be united. A person or a thing can be united with someone or
something else. But a person or a thing can't be united on its own.
