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Pliable

“Pliable”是形容词,有两个主要含义:一是物理上柔韧的、易弯曲的,如”pliable branches”(柔韧的树枝);二是性格上易受影响的、顺从的,如”a pliable mind”(易受影响的头脑)。褒义时可表示灵活变通,贬义时可暗示缺乏主见。

  1. “The leather becomes more pliable after being treated with oil.” (皮革涂油后变得更加柔软。)
  2. “Young minds are pliable and absorb new ideas quickly.” (年幼的心灵易于塑造,能迅速吸收新思想。)
  3. “She shaped the pliable clay into a small bowl.” (她把柔软的陶土捏成了一只小碗。)

“Pliable”源自法语”pliable”,来自拉丁语”plicare”(折叠、弯曲)。“Plicare”也是”complicate”(使复杂)、“explicit”(明确的)和”implicit”(含蓄的)的词源。

“Pliable”由拉丁词根”pli-”(折叠)加形容词后缀”-able”构成,表示”可以……的”,即”可以弯曲的”。

“Pliable”在教育学和心理学中常用于讨论儿童认知的可塑性(plasticity)。在工艺和材料科学中,“pliable materials”(柔韧材料)是重要概念,如瑜伽垫、软管等。文学中描述人物”pliable”时,往往暗示其容易被人左右。

  • 固定搭配: “pliable material” (柔韧材料), “pliable mind” (易受影响的头脑), “pliable branches” (柔韧的树枝)

词根”pli-”意为”折叠”——能折叠的就是”pliable”(柔韧的),与”apply”(应用)中的”pli”同源。

“The yoga instructor demonstrated how pliable the human body can become with daily practice.” (瑜伽教练展示了人体通过每日练习可以变得多么柔韧。)