Precipitating
“Precipitating” 在一般语境中指加速或直接导致某事突然发生,如 precipitating a crisis(引发危机);化学中指使物质从溶液中沉淀;气象中 precipitation 指降水,但 precipitating 作“下雨”较少单独使用。
- “The scandal risked precipitating the government’s collapse.” (丑闻可能引发政府垮台。)
- “A sudden rate hike could precipitate a sell-off in bonds.” (突然加息可能引发债券抛售。)
- “Cooling the solution is precipitating salt crystals.” (冷却溶液使盐晶体析出沉淀。)
来自拉丁语 praecipitare(头朝下扔),由 prae-(在前)与 caput(头)组成;原义为猛然抛下,引申为仓促引发或化学沉淀。
“pre-” 表在前、提前;词干 “cipit-” 与头、顶端相关;“-ate” 为动词后缀;“-ing” 表示正在引发或沉淀的过程。
新闻与经济学中 precipitating a recession / crisis 常见;科学课上则讲解 precipitating solids from solution(使固体从溶液中沉淀)。
- 原形: precipitate
- 名词: precipitation, precipitate(沉淀物)
- 形容词: precipitous(陡峭的、仓促的)
- 固定搭配: “precipitating a crisis” (引发危机), “precipitating change” (促使突变)
像从悬崖头朝下猛冲——precipitating 就是猛地促成、骤然引发。
“Precipitating panic with one leaked memo, the firm called an emergency briefing by noon.” (一份泄露的内部备忘录骤然引发恐慌,公司中午前召开了紧急发布会。)