blind 这个词大家都认识,表示「失明的;看不见的」,由这个基本含义,blind还引申出一系列其他意思,我们来重点学习。
be blind to sth
这个短语的意思不难猜,表示「对...视而不见,未注意到...,未察觉...」(not noticing or realizing sth)。我们来看一些例句:
He is blind to his own mistakes.
他对自己的错误视而不见。
International companies are often blind to local needs.
跨国公司往往不了解本地的需求。
《经济学人》一篇关于中国乡村教育的文章也用到了这个词:
The government has not been completely blind to the need to ensure that rural people have enough schooling to work in factories, but it has shown little sense of urgency.
再比如BBC改编的《爱玛》里有这样一句话:
小结一下:
do not realize sth→ be blind to sth
do not notice sth→ be blind to sth
举个例子:
他没有察觉到自己孩子的缺点。
He didn't notice the faults of his children.
He was blind to the faults of his children.
turn a blind eye (to sth/sb)
这是一个地道又实用的表达,作文里一定可以用上。
turn a blind eye to sth 和中文里常说的「睁一只眼闭一只眼」很相近,表示「对...假装看不见」,英文释义是:to deliberately ignore something that you know should not be happening.
我们先来看一些简单的例句:
Management often turn a blind eye to bullying in the workplace.
管理层对工作场所发生的恃强凌弱行为常常睁一只眼闭一只眼。
Teachers were turning a blind eye to smoking in school.
老师对学生在学校里抽烟睁一只眼闭一只眼。
turn a blind eye to sth也是外刊里出镜率很高的表达,常常用于表示某问题被忽视了,可以替换人人都会用的ignore sth。我们来看一些外刊例句:
《金融时报》一篇关于印度作弊行业缘何兴旺的文章有这样一句话:
如今,作弊在印度部分地区——特别是在北部贫困的北方邦和比哈尔邦——已经明目张胆、规模惊人,被收买的考官和作弊者串通一气,要么视而不见,要么有时还积极帮助考生作弊。
再比如《经济学人》一篇关于妇女拐卖的文章这样说道:
Local residents often turn a blind eye to trafficking.
当地居民往往对人口贩卖睁一只眼闭一只眼。
《经济学人》一篇评价电视剧《都挺好》的文章,也用到了这个词:
Her parents turned a blind eye when one of her brothers beat her.
二哥打她的时候父母视而不见。
汉语里还有一个表示「忽视」的成语:充耳不闻,英文里也有两个意象相近的表达:
be deaf to sth 表示「 不愿听某事,不肯听取某事」(to be unwilling to hear or listen to something)。
turn a deaf ear to sth 表示「对...置之不理,充耳不闻」(to ignore or refuse to listen to sb / sth)。
fall on deaf ears 表示「遭人忽视,不被理睬」 (to be ignored or not noticed by other people)。
我们来看一些例句:
She was deaf to his pleas. 她对他的恳求充耳不闻。
He turned a deaf ear to the rumours. 他对这些谣言置若罔闻。
Men are awake enough to their own interests, who turn a deaf ear to their friends' distress.对朋友的痛苦置若罔闻的人, 对个人的利益非常注意。
Her advice fell on deaf ears. 她的忠告没有受到重视。
Bloomberg一篇关于华尔街提出经济衰退风险的文章,标题也用到了这个表达:
Fed, consumers turn a deaf ear to the Wall Street's recession siren.
华尔街吹响经济衰退的警报,美联储和消费者却充耳不闻。
小结一下:
deliberately ignore sth → turn a blind eye to sth, turn a deaf ear to sth,
sth is ignored → sth falls on deaf ears