![]()
tenuous /ˈtenjuəs/ adjective
1.weak, uncertain or unlikely to last
脆弱的;不牢固的;不稳定的
The two countries maintain a tenuous peace. 两国维持着脆弱的和平。
2.based on a weak connection or little evidence
牵强的;站不住脚的;依据薄弱的
The link between the two events is tenuous at best. 这两件事之间的联系充其量也十分牵强。
词源词根
tenuous 来自拉丁语 tenuis,意思是“薄的、细的、稀薄的”。
它最初描述的是一种“薄到快要断掉”的状态,后来逐渐引申为:
很薄 → 很弱 → 不牢固 → 关系牵强 / 局势脆弱
所以理解 tenuous,可以想象一根很细的线:
连接还在,但随时可能断。
外刊高频固定搭配
a tenuous link 薄弱 / 牵强的联系
a tenuous peace 脆弱的和平
a tenuous agreement 不牢固的协议
tenuous evidence 薄弱的证据
尤其值得记:
a tenuous link between A and B
A与B之间牵强 / 薄弱的联系
纽约时报原文
The evidence supporting the claim remains tenuous.
支持这一说法的证据仍然十分薄弱。
这里的 tenuous 很有外刊感,它不是说“完全没有证据”,而是:
有那么一点,但远远不够扎实。
生活高频实用场景
His argument is based on a rather tenuous assumption.
他的论点建立在一个相当站不住脚的假设上。
Their relationship became increasingly tenuous.
他们之间的关系变得越来越脆弱。
特别声明:以上内容(如有图片或视频亦包括在内)为自媒体平台“网易号”用户上传并发布,本平台仅提供信息存储服务。
Notice: The content above (including the pictures and videos if any) is uploaded and posted by a user of NetEase Hao, which is a social media platform and only provides information storage services.