小词详解 | pursue

pursue 英 [pəˈsjuː] 美 [pərˈsuː]

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外刊例句

• Fortune 500 companies and New York’s elite law firms increasingly tap outside capital when pursuing multi-million-dollar suits.
  《财富》世界500强公司和纽约的精英律师事务所在打数百万美元的官司时，越来越多地利用外部资本。
  ——《经济学人》

• Reporting such information is crucial, ethicists said, because animal studies can identify safety risks and are among the main factors drug companies use to decide whether to pursue human trials.
  伦理学家称，报告此类信息至关重要，因为动物研究可以确定安全风险，并且也是制药公司决定是否进行人体试验的主要因素之一。
  ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[verb] follow (someone or something) in order to catch or attack them
[动词] 为了抓住或攻击而跟随（某人或某物）

深入解读

Pursue 一词于13世纪末经英国法语 pursuer 或直接由古法语 poursuir （追逐、追求、跟随；继续、接着）进入英语，即用来表示“追赶、追捕、追击”，主要指怀着敌意跟随，或者说为了赶上、抓住、捕获、攻击、杀死或击败而跟随某人或某物，比如：

• 猎人们花费数小时在灌木丛中追捕猎物。
  The hunters spent hours pursuing their game in the thickets.

• 我们脾气暴躁的老板被车撞死了，撞他的人开的是一辆偷来的车，那人当时正被警方全力追捕。
  Our grumpy boss was killed by the driver of a stolen car who was being hotly pursued by the police.

从这个概念出发，常用 pursue 引申表示“追求、寻求”，既包括坚持不懈地努力说服某人与自己建立亲密关系，也可以指在很长一段时间内通过采取措施来寻求达到或完成某个目标，比如：

• 他已经追求那个沉默寡言的女孩好几个月了，不过很显然她不感兴趣。
  He's been pursuing the reticent girl for months and yet she's so clearly not interested.

• 那个社会弃儿应该以牺牲他人为代价来追求自己的幸福吗？
  Should the pariah pursue his own happiness at the expense of others?

追赶过程中，往往要沿着对方的路线不断前进。于是到了14世纪末， pursue 很自然地就被用来表示“追随、跟随”，主要指继续或沿着某条路径或路线前进，比如：

• 那艘装备还算完善的船向北航行。
  The tolerably snug ship pursued a northern course.

而从这个概念出发，常进一步用 pursue 喻指“继续探讨、追究、从事”，既包括“追问、追查”来跟进调查或探索某个想法、论点或有关信息，以及“进行、实行、致力于、忙于、继续”某项活动、行动、事业、爱好等，即在很长一段时间内从事某事，好比沿着某条路一直走下去，比如：

• 整个史密斯家族已决定不再追究这件事。
  The whole Smith tribe has decided not to pursue the matter.

• 那个手巧的男孩希望从事医学事业。
  The ingenious boy wishes to pursue a medical career.

权威用例

实现“两个一百年”奋斗目标、实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦，不断提高人民生活水平，必须坚定不移把发展作为党执政兴国的第一要务，坚持解放和发展社会生产力，坚持社会主义市场经济改革方向，推动经济持续健康发展。
To deliver on the two centenary goals, realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, and steadily improve our people’s lives, we must continue to pursue development as the Party’s top priority in governance; we must unleash and develop productive forces, continue reforms to develop the socialist market economy, and promote sustained and sound economic growth.

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

• chase: pursue in order to catch or catch up with

• stalk: pursue or approach stealthily

• trail: follow (a person or animal) by using marks or scent left behind

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