自现象级英语
PRONE
1. 英英释义：likely to do something or be affected by something, especially something bad
例句：Japan is prone to earthquakes and typhoons.
2. 为什么选这个词？
“prone”是个形容词，表示“易于…的” “很可能…的”，也就是说它经常可以用来替换 likely, inclined 等表示“有…可能/倾向”的词，是个在口语和写作中都高频实用的表达。
prone 最常见的用法是be prone to，后面常接有负向意义的名词或者动词。比如日本地形独特，是一个经常遭受地震或台风的国家，我们就可以说:
Japan is prone to earthquakes and typhoons.（be prone to 后接名词的用法）
或者：
Japan is prone to suffer earthquakes and typhoons. (be prone to 后接动词原形的用法）
许多人在接受测试的时候都很容易紧张不安，我们就可以说：
Most people are prone to anxiety during a test.
《经济学人》中就出现过许多这种用法，比如：
But in China and India, young women have been unusually prone to suicide.
prone 的另一个常见用法是与名词连用构成形容词，表示“易受…影响的”，和 be prone to 可以替换实用。比如像美式橄榄球、冰球等对抗性运动的球员往往很容易受伤，我们就可以说：
American football and ice hockey players are prone to injury.
或者：
American football and ice hockey players are injury-prone.
这样 -prone 的用法可以让表达简洁、灵活，比如上面的第一个例句也可以写成：
Japan is earthquake- and typhoon-prone. (注意这里连字符的用法：earthquake- and typhoon-prone 等于 earthquake-prone and typhoon-prone）
我们在阅读中要注意收集这样的表达。
3. 怎样学会使用这个词？
1）使用《牛津英语搭配词典》查“prone”，了解它的常用搭配。
2）翻译下面的句子： 超重人群容易患高血压和高血糖。
Overweight people are prone to high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
People with excess weight are prone to develop high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar.
造句：
例1：Vulnerable communities in disaster-prone areas should be helped in their efforts to create affordable, resilient and sustainable housing.应援助易受灾地区的贫困社区，创建负担得起的、有抗灾韧性的、可持续的住房。
例2：Non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke (aka passive smoke) are prone to develop lung cancer and other health problems. 吸二手烟易引发肺癌及其他健康问题。
例3：Being bilingual, he's more prone to mistrust the translated text and fall back on the original version. 他掌握双语，常信不过翻译文本，转而阅读源语言文本。
个人拓展：
释义：Prone is used in the sense of "having a tendency or inclination," as in "prone to worry" or "accident-prone." This usage is similar to such words as apt, liable, or likely(as in "apt to be late"), but in many instances prone implies a vulnerability to attack or damaging influence, in keeping with the image of one lying face down and unable to see what is approaching.
So while prone, supine, and prostrate have specific meanings with regard to body position, they also come with situational connotations in many cases: prone suggests exposure or vulnerability; （Webster Dictionary）
be prone to sth. / to do sth.
be/ seem/ like/ become prone to depression/ headaches/ exaggerate/ mistakes
be especially/ particularly/ highly/ rather/ notoriously prone
accident-prone, injury-prone, error-prone
What makes people radical and prone to taking extreme views on topics?
We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries.
背诵：
prone, likely, inclined
Most people are prone to anxiety during a test.
For all her experience as a television reporter, she was still prone to camera nerves.
Kids are all prone to eat junk food.
网友评论