20190103 instrumental

instrumental

【英英释义】

1. adj. someone or something that is instrumental in a process or event helps to make it happen.(formal)

    be instrumental in (doing) sth

2. adj. instrumental music is performed by instruments and not by voices.

3. n-count. instuments are pieces of instrumental music.

【可以替代的词】helpful, play an important role

【例句学习】

1. In your inimatable and wonderful ways, you have each been instrumental in helping me bring this book to life. (Crazy Rich Asians)

2. In China, for example, Jackie Chan, a film star who was instrumental in bringing about that country's recent ban on the sale of elephant ivory, has thrown his weight behind the pangolin. (The Economist)

inimatable  adj. 无与伦比的，无可比拟的

pangolin n. 穿山甲

bring this book to life  可以理解为“将这本书变成现实或者电影作品”

throw his weight behind  赞成，支持

【词汇运用】

1. 搭配：

be instrumental

become instrumental

highly/largely/partly instrumental  起很重要的/很大的/部分的作用

very/purely/merely/essentially instrumental  非常有帮助/纯粹/仅仅/本质上是辅助性的

2. 翻译：教育改变了我的命运。

Education is highly instrumental in changing my fate. （自己）

Education has been highly instrumental in transforming my life./ Education is an instrumental tool in shaping my destiny. （参考翻译）

首先，时态问题。用现在完成时比一般现在时更能强调transform。

其次，动词的选择。果然大脑里的有效词汇很有限，没有有效地训练使用更加贴切、准确的词汇。transform有往好的方向转变、改善的含义，而change仅泛指改变，不够positive。

最后，命运一词的选择。参考翻译没有使用fate，查了字典，fate与destiny的含义基本相同。但从搭配词典中看，fate更有宿命/命定的含义，不可更改；destiny则是可以掌握在自己手中的。shape my destiny，好搭配。

3. 生活场景运用：

Whether or not learn English well is instrumenal in acquiring the cutting-edge knowledge of economics.