soothe

基本释义

[verb] gently calm (a person or their feelings)
[动词] 轻轻地平静(某人或其情绪)

深入解读

Soothe 一词与较容易混淆的单词 sooth (真实、实情、实际)同源,都源自于古英语 soð (真的;公正的、正义的)。

在生活中,经常会通过明确肯定某人说的是真的或正确的来对其进行安抚(也可以说是通过唯唯诺诺来安抚人)。从这个概念出发,到了17世纪末英语中开始用 soothe 表示“安慰、抚慰、劝慰”或“使平静、使镇定”,多指以安慰减轻悲痛、愤怒或激动,使人理智地平静下来,常意味着一种平淡、温和的缓解、缓和或安慰,比如:

  • 那个脾气暴躁的老妇人搂着一个哭闹的小孩,让其安静了下来。
    The grumpy old woman cuddled and soothed a crying baby.
  • 这刺耳的音乐让她稍微安静了一会儿,却使我头脑发晕。
    The strident music soothed her for a while, but made my head swirl.

而到了18世纪初, soothe 又进一步用来表示“减轻、缓和”身体某部位的紧张、疼痛、不适等,使之感到舒服,这也可以用来喻指缓和痛苦、困难等,比如:

  • 洗个热水澡,让紧张疲劳的肌肉放松一下。然后坐的时候尽量不要无精打采的。
    Take a warm bath to soothe tense, tired muscles. Then try not to slouch when you are sitting down.

好书例句

She felt a little out of place, but the great room soothed her and the view of the well-dressed throng outside seemed a splendid thing.
她稍稍感到有些不自在,但是这大餐厅使她宽心,看看窗外那些服装华丽的人流,也似乎令人振奋。

出自美国现实主义作家西奥多·德莱赛(Theodore Dreiser)创作的长篇小说《嘉莉妹妹》(Sister Carrie)。

外刊例句

  • First, scare companies by laying bare where they are failing. Then soothe them with counsel on how to improve.
    首先明白地指出企业的不足,吓住它们。然后再提出改进的建议,安抚它们。
    ——《经济学人》
  • Online shopping became a way to soothe daily anxieties, and Ms. Huang sometimes racked up thousands of dollars in Huabei bills, which only made her even more anxious.
    网上购物已经成为她缓解日常焦虑的一种方式,有时黄女士的花呗账单会累积到数千美元,这只会让她更加焦虑。
    ——《纽约时报》

详细用法

动词 “soothe” 的用法:

  1. Soothe the pain – 缓解疼痛
    • The doctor prescribed medication to soothe the patient’s pain.(医生开了药来缓解病人的疼痛。)
  2. Soothe a crying baby – 安抚哭泣的婴儿
    • The mother gently rocked the baby to soothe her crying.(母亲轻轻地摇晃婴儿来安抚她的哭泣。)
  3. Soothe a troubled mind – 安抚心绪不宁
    • Taking a walk in nature can help soothe a troubled mind.(在大自然中散步有助于安抚心绪不宁。)
  4. Soothe the nerves – 安抚神经
    • The calming music helped soothe her frayed nerves.(宁静的音乐帮助安抚她疲惫不堪的神经。)
  5. Soothe the soul – 安抚灵魂
    • Spending time in meditation can soothe the soul and bring inner peace.(沉浸在冥想中可以安抚灵魂,带来内心的平静。)
  6. Soothe a sunburn – 缓解晒伤
    • Applying aloe vera gel can soothe a sunburn and reduce redness.(涂抹芦荟胶可以缓解晒伤,减少红肿。)
  7. Soothe an upset stomach – 缓解胃不适
    • Drinking chamomile tea can help soothe an upset stomach.(喝洋甘菊茶有助于缓解胃不适。)
  8. Soothe anxiety – 缓解焦虑
    • Deep breathing exercises can help soothe anxiety and promote relaxation.(深呼吸练习可以帮助缓解焦虑,促进放松。)
  9. Soothe a headache – 缓解头痛
    • Applying a cold compress to the forehead can soothe a headache.(在额头上敷冷敷可以缓解头痛。)
  10. Soothe aching muscles – 缓解肌肉疼痛
    • Massaging the affected area can help soothe aching muscles.(按摩患处可以帮助缓解肌肉疼痛。)

常见短语

与 “soothe” 相关的短语:

  1. Soothe the pain – 缓解疼痛
  2. Soothe a crying baby – 安抚哭泣的婴儿
  3. Soothe a troubled mind – 安抚心绪不宁
  4. Soothe the nerves – 安抚神经
  5. Soothe the soul – 安抚灵魂
  6. Soothe a sunburn – 缓解晒伤
  7. Soothe an upset stomach – 缓解胃不适
  8. Soothe anxiety – 缓解焦虑
  9. Soothe a headache – 缓解头痛
  10. Soothe aching muscles – 缓解肌肉疼痛
  11. Soothe dry skin – 缓解干燥的皮肤
  12. Soothe a sore throat – 缓解喉咙痛
  13. Soothe an irritated eye – 缓解刺激的眼睛
  14. Soothe a broken heart – 安抚伤透的心
  15. Soothe the mind – 安抚心灵
  16. Soothe a sunburned skin – 缓解被晒伤的皮肤
  17. Soothe a restless child – 安抚不安的孩子
  18. Soothe muscle tension – 缓解肌肉紧张
  19. Soothe a bruise – 缓解淤血
  20. Soothe an irritated throat – 缓解受刺激的喉咙
  21. Soothe emotional distress – 缓解情绪困扰
  22. Soothe a nagging cough – 缓解令人烦恼的咳嗽
  23. Soothe a teething baby – 安抚长牙的婴儿
  24. Soothe a restless mind – 安抚不安的心绪
  25. Soothe a sunburned face – 缓解被晒伤的脸
  26. Soothe a bee sting – 缓解被蜜蜂蜇伤
  27. Soothe a racing heart – 缓解心跳加快
  28. Soothe frayed nerves – 安抚磨损的神经
  29. Soothe a dry throat – 缓解干燥的喉咙
  30. Soothe emotional pain – 缓解情感痛苦

同近义词

lull: calm or send to sleep, typically with soothing sounds or movements
assuage: to make unpleasant feelings less strong
pacify: quell the anger, agitation, or excitement of

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