1. 认识这个词(基础篇)
词:universal
英英释义:existing everywhere or involving everyone
例句:The desire to look attractive is universal.
2. 体会这个词 (进阶篇)
我很都很熟悉“universe”是“宇宙”,其实它的形容词形式“universal”也是个常见并且实用的好词。当想表示某种情况非常普遍时,我们可能会立刻想到 common,popular,prevalent,其实在很多时候也可以用 universal。
比如我们常说“爱美之心,人皆有之”,就可以说成:
The desire to look attractive is universal.
或者
It’s a universal trait to want people to find you attractive.
当我们想表示“全民xx”这层意思时,就可以用到 universal。比如“全民医保”就可以说成“universal health care”,“普世价值”可以是“universal values”。《经济学人》曾在一篇特别报道中评价美国是“the only large rich country without universal health care”。
universal 的副词形式 universally 也很常见,当想强调普遍程度时就可以用到它。比如《傲慢与偏见》中的经典开篇第一段中就用到了“universally acknowledged”:
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
根据这段话我们也可以提取常见句型 It is a universal truth that… 比如《经济学人》中就出现过:
It is a universal truth of human nature that a dollar tomorrow is worth less to us than a dollar today.
3. 从认识到会用(作业)
1)使用《牛津英语搭配词典》查“universal”,了解它作为形容词时的常用搭配。
2)翻译下面的句子:
中国的全民教育取得了巨大的进步。
China has made remarkable progress toward universal literacy.
(参考翻译:China has made remarkable progress toward/towards universal literacy. 或者 China has made giant strides in universal access to education.)
3)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。
场景:美国与北约
造句:Secretary of State Pompeo recently says some warmer words for NATO, calling it an indispensable institution,but it is universally acknowledged that only the president is the person who will decide, and it is also a universal truth that Mr. Trump is no fan of multilateral institutions mainly because he believes that they don’t serve America’s security interests.