loath
Loath 这个单词的意思是“不愿意的,勉强的,不情愿的,反感的”,通常指对做某事或者接受某事有着抵触或者厌恶的心理。 例如:
He was loath to admit that he was wrong. 他不愿意承认他错了。
She is loath to leave her hometown. 她不想离开她的家乡。
They were loath to accept his help, fearing he had ulterior motives. 他们不情愿接受他的帮助,担心他有别的目的。
Loath 这个单词来自于古英语的 lāth,意思是“敌对的,仇恨的”。 Lāth 这个词可能又来自于原始日耳曼语的 *laithaz,意思是“仇恨,厌恶”。
Loath 这个单词有一些近义词,比如 reluctant, unwilling, disinclined, averse 等。这些词都表示对做某事或者接受某事有着抵触或者厌恶的心理,但是有一些细微的差别:
Reluctant 来自于拉丁语的 reluctantem,意思是“反抗的,抵抗的”。 Reluctant 通常指对做某事或者接受某事有着犹豫或者担忧,因为觉得不合适或者不利。 例如:
He was reluctant to go to the party, because he didn’t know anyone there. 他不太想去那个派对,因为他不认识那里的任何人。
She reluctantly agreed to his proposal, hoping he would change his mind. 她勉强同意了他的提议,希望他能改变主意。
Unwilling 来自于古英语的 unwillende,意思是“不愿意的”。 Unwilling 通常指对做某事或者接受某事有着反对或者拒绝的态度,因为觉得不喜欢或者不公平。 例如:
He was unwilling to share his toys with his sister. 他不愿意和他妹妹分享他的玩具。
She was unwilling to compromise, insisting on her own way. 她不愿意妥协,坚持她自己的方式。
Disinclined 来自于拉丁语的 disinclinare,意思是“倾斜”。 Disinclined 通常指对做某事或者接受某事有着倾向或者偏好上的不同意,因为觉得没有兴趣或者没有必要。 例如:
He was disinclined to join the club, because he had other hobbies. 他不太想加入俱乐部,因为他有其他爱好。
She was disinclined to believe his story, because it sounded too unbelievable. 她不太相信他的故事,因为它听起来太不可思议。
Averse 通常指对做某事或者接受某事有着反感或者厌恶的情绪,因为觉得有风险或者有害。 例如:
He was averse to taking risks, preferring to play it safe. 他不喜欢冒险,更喜欢稳妥。
She was averse to violence, and avoided watching horror movies. 她反感暴力,避免看恐怖电影。