小词详解 | oscillate

oscillate 英 [ˈɒsɪleɪt] 美 [ˈɑːsɪleɪt]

SAT GRE

外刊例句

• Even in the headquarters of capitalism, Mr Lemann reveals, attitudes to business have oscillated wildly, both in boardrooms and on Wall Street.
  莱曼指出，即使在资本主义的大本营——无论是董事会还是华尔街——人们对企业的态度都经历了剧烈的摇摆。
  ——《经济学人》
• Across the world, as in Europe, the response to Mrs. Thatcher’s death appeared to oscillate between similar poles.
  与欧洲的情形一样，世界各地对撒切尔夫人逝世的反应似乎也出现了类似的两极分化。
  ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[verb] move or swing back and forth at a regular speed
[动词] 以规律的速度来回移动或摆动

深入解读

Oscillate 一词源自拉丁语 oscillare （摇摆），其基本含义为“摆动、振动”，主要指物体像钟摆（pendulum）一样有规律地来回摆动，比如：

• 刻度盘上失去光泽的指针在“满”和“空”之间来回摆动。
  The tarnished needle on the dial oscillated between full and empty.

另外也可以在物理学里用来形容电流、无线电波等“波动、振荡”。不过 oscillate 一词在现实生活中更为常见的是用于形容情绪、态度或行为等“摇摆、波动”或者指水平、价值等“波动、浮动”，强调或多或少有规律地来回变化，比如：

• 该共和国现任总统的施政风格时而轻率鲁莽，时而谨慎务实。
  The incumbent president of the Republic oscillated between a facile audacity and a prudent realism.
  
• 石油市场因当天来自日内瓦的可疑报道出现了起伏。
  Oil markets oscillated on the day's dubious reports from Geneva.

双语名著

The lantern oscillated violently, and went out. The street had suddenly become black.
路灯猛烈地摇晃着，熄灭了。街上一下子变得漆黑。

出自法国作家维克多·雨果的长篇小说《悲惨世界》（Les Misérables，原意为“悲惨的人们”“可怜的人们”）。该小说是19世纪最著名的小说之一，故事的主线围绕主人公土伦苦刑犯冉·阿让（Jean Valjean）的个人经历，融进了法国的历史、革命、战争、道德哲学、法律、正义、宗教信仰等，多次被改编演绎成影视作品。

同近义词

• swing: move or cause to move back and forth or from side to side while suspended or on an axis
• sway: move or cause to move slowly or rhythmically backward and forward or from side to side
• wigwag: move to and fro

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