小词详解 | deterrent

deterrent 英 [dɪˈterənt] 美 [dɪˈtɜːrənt]

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外刊例句

• Threatening to withdraw banking licences would be a stronger deterrent.
  威胁撤销银行牌照会更有威慑力。
  ——《经济学人》
• Initially there was this deterrent effect, but it would probably have subsided after a while.
  一开始的威慑力有这么大，但也可能在一段时间后慢慢减弱。
  ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[noun] a thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something
[名词] 使人气馁或意在阻止某人做某事的事物

深入解读

Deterrent 一词源自拉丁语 deterrere （使害怕、使气馁），19世纪初进入英语后既作形容词表示“威慑的、吓阻的、遏制的”，也作名词表示“威慑力量、遏制因素、制止物”，强调使人害怕事情后果而不敢做某事，比如：

• 今天早上便衣警察突击搜查了城里的三栋房子。希望这能在将来对贩毒集团起到威慑作用。
  Undercover police swooped on three houses in the city this morning. Hopefully, that will have a deterrent effect on drug syndicates in the future.
• 从严判决可以起到震慑其他潜在犯罪者的作用，尤其是那些经常无视法律的人。
  Tougher prison sentences may act as a deterrent to other would-be offenders, especially those who regularly flout the law.

值得注意的是，deter 是 deterrent 的动词形式，主要表示“制止、阻止、威慑、使不敢”，强调使人明白困难程度或者不良后果来使人放弃做某事，但其威慑强度要小于 deterrent ，比如：

• 过高的价格让很多年轻人对于买房望而却步。
  Exorbitant prices are deterring many young people from buying houses.
• 我已告诉他我对他打心眼儿讨厌，可他却不罢休。
  I told him I had a visceral dislike of him, but he wasn't deterred.

权威用例

不敢腐的目标初步实现，不能腐的笼子越扎越牢，不想腐的堤坝正在构筑，反腐败斗争压倒性态势已经形成并巩固发展。
The goal of creating a deterrent against corruption has been initially attained; the cage of institutions that prevents corruption has been strengthened; and moral defenses against corruption are in the making.

出自十九大报告《决胜全面建成小康社会 夺取新时代中国特色社会主义伟大胜利》（Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era）。

同近义词

• disincentive: a factor, especially a financial disadvantage, that discourages a particular action
• dissuasion: the action or process of trying to persuade someone not to take a particular course of action
• impediment: a hindrance or obstruction in doing something

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