小词详解 | cajole

cajole 英 [kəˈdʒəʊl] 美 [kəˈdʒoʊl]

SAT TEM8 GRE

外刊例句

• Most dramatically, Mr Trump bribed and cajoled Carrier, a maker of air-conditioning units in Indiana, to change its plans and keep 800 jobs in the state rather than move them to Mexico.
  最戏剧化的是，特朗普收买利诱了空调设备生产商开利，迫使它改变计划，将800个工作岗位留在印第安纳州而不是转移到墨西哥。
  ——《经济学人》
• My husband pleaded, cajoled.
  我的丈夫苦苦哀求，说尽好话。
  ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[verb] persuade (someone) to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery
[动词] 通过持续的哄劝或奉承说服（某人）做某事

深入解读

Cajole 一词源自法语 cajoler （哄骗、哄劝），17世纪40年代进入英语后也是用来表示“劝诱、哄骗、诱骗”，主要指在对方不情愿或合理反对的情况下，蓄意通过持续的甜言蜜语、虚假诺言、温和敦促等说服某人做某事，比如：

• 她讲话的声音轻柔甜美。
  Her voice was soft and cajoling.
• 那个巧言令色的说谎高手精于哄骗人们为他做事。
  The plausible liar really knows how to cajole people into doing what he wants.
• 这位超负荷硬撑着的首席执行官又是争辩又是哄劝，还说尽好话。
  The overstretched CEO argued and coaxed and cajoled.

在这个概念下， cajole 还可以进一步用来引申指通过甜言蜜语等“骗取、骗得”，比如：

• 骗得某人的亲笔签名
  cajole an autograph from sb
  

• 我终于从他们那里套出了她的地址。
  I managed to cajole her address out of them.

名著用例

We don't know how much they hide from us: how watchful they are when they seem most artless and confidential: how often those frank smiles which they wear so easily, are traps to cajole or elude or disarm — I don't mean in your mere coquettes, but your domestic models, and paragons of female virtue.
我们从来不知道她们有多少事瞒着我们。表面上她们天真烂漫地跟你说着知心话，其实她们提防着你。她们轻而易举地就能满脸挂上坦诚的笑容，其实这些笑容都是一个个陷阱，要哄你高兴，要你捉摸不透，要你心软。这些把戏不仅仅限于卖弄风情的女子，就连闺阁中的典范和最具妇德的贤良女性也都会玩一手。

出自十九世纪英国批判现实主义作家威廉·梅克比斯·萨克雷（William Makepeace Thackeray）创作的长篇小说《名利场》（Vanity Fair）。

同近义词

• blandish: coax (someone) with kind words or flattery
• wheedle: use flattery or coaxing in order to persuade someone to do something or give one something

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