1. 这是个什么词?
词:U-turn
英英释义:a complete change of ideas, plans etc
例句:In the past two years, the local government has been utterly inconsistent with its policies, making various U-turns.
2. 为什么选这个词?
“U-turn”是可数名词,本意是“掉头、转弯”,可以引申为“改变”。开车时“掉头”的英文就是 make a U-turn,所以这个词一点都不难记。U-turn 的引申义“改变”相比 change 更强调改变的彻底性,因此是个非常形象、准确的单词。虽然这个词看起来有点不正式,但在口语和一般的写作中都可以使用。我们来看几个例子。
在过去两年里,这个地方政府的政策一点都不连贯,总会有各种改变,就可以说:
In the past two years, the local government has been utterly inconsistent with its policies, making various U-turns.
如果你想要成为一名受人尊重的领导人,你应该避免过多的决策大转弯,我们可以说:
If you want to be a respected leader, you had better avoid making too many U-turns when making decisions.
不少人批评这个欧洲政府在移民政策问题上出尔反尔, 可以这么写:
Many critics accuse the European government of doing a sudden U-turn on its promise to take in more immigrants.
《经济学人》在说到变化时常会用 U-turn,比如下面这两句:
1) Earlier this year, AMD forced Intel to make a U-turn in its 64-bit-chip strategy.
2) A year later, following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the markets made a U- turn.
3. 怎样学会使用这个词?
1)翻译下面的句子:
他的观点发生了 180° 大转弯,决定和前妻复婚。
He has made a U-turn and decided to remarry his divorced wife.
He has made a U-turn, deciding to remarry his ex-wife.
(参考翻译:He has made a U-turn and decided to remarry his divorced wife. 或 He has made a U-turn, deciding to remarry his ex-wife.)
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。
例子: 华为
场景 : Huawei’s gear has been installed around the world, which forces western countries to make a U-turn in their business strategies. They worry that it might contain back doors ---deliberate security flaws inserted to allow the Chinese state to conduct espionage, or even to attack phone networks themselves.