1. 这是个什么词？
词：constitute
英英释义：to be considered to be something
例句：Failing to complete the work on time constitutes a breach of the labor contract.
2. 为什么选这个词？
“constitute”是及物动词，除了有大家比较熟悉的“组成、构成”的意思外，还可以作“算是、可以被视为”。这种用法比较正式一点，出现的频次也很高。在有的语境中可以用它替换 amount to 或 be equivalent of 等词。下面来看几个例子。
没有按时完成工作可以被视为违反劳动合同，可以说：
Failing to complete the work on time constitutes a breach of the labor contract.
未经患者同意而对其进行检查被视为违反职业操守并触犯法律，可以说：
Testing patients without their consent would constitute a professional and legal offense.
虽然这家公司中标了，但利润不大，但很难被视为是真正的胜利，就可以说：
Although the company won the bid, it could hardly constitute a victory.
《经济学人》一篇关于新加坡家庭和人口增长的文章中用到了 constitute：
Another problem is the government’s narrow view of what constitutes a family, says Jean Yeung Wei-Jun of the National University of Singapore: two heterosexual parents with a male breadwinner. Many regulations support this definition.（这句中的 constitute 意思就是“算是”）
最近《经济学人》在一篇关于苹果公司的文文章中也用到了 constitute：
America’s Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for iPhone users to sue Apple. The case centres on whether Apple’s App Store, which takes a 30% cut of all sales, constitutes an unfair monopoly. Unlike Android-based rivals, Apple’s phones are designed to prevent users from installing apps from other sources.（这里 constitute 可以理解为“算是、可以称得上是”）
《经济学人》在写美国阿拉巴马州的堕胎法案时，再一次用到了 constitute：
On May 14th the state’s Senate passed a bill that would, in effect, ban abortion outright. Signed into law by the governor the following day, it constitutes the harshest abortion legislation passed in America in half a century.（这里的 constitue 和 is 同义，不过相比来说 is 更加绝对，而 constitute 表示“可以算是”，更留有余地。）
3. 怎样学会使用这个词？
1）翻译下面的句子：
这位父亲去年一年都没参加家长会，可以被视作是不负责任。
（参考翻译：That the father did not attend any of the parents' meetings last year constitutes irresponsibility. 或 The father failed to attend parents' meetings last year, constituting irresponsibility.）
作业:
1.这位父亲去年一年都没参加家长会，可以被视作是不负责任。
The father failed to attend parents' meetings last year, constituting irresponsibility.
2.What he said was not done,costituting irresponsibility.
