台北美加文教官方部落格

3.1.1           (朝)向(to, toward)

abet /əˈbɛt/

v. to encourage or help, especially in wrongdoing; to instigate; to incite; to urge on (唆使；煽動，慫恿)

【推測詞義】借自古法語abeter。利用誘餌來「唆使」、「煽動」他人。

【衍生詞】abettor n. inciter, instigator (教唆者，煽動者)

【常用片語】to abet an ill-doer 助紂為虐

                   to aid and abet ((法律) 教唆作案；共謀)

abridge /əˈbrɪdʒ/

v. to make (a meeting, period of time,etc.) shorter; to contract; to retrench; to curtail (縮短(會議，期限等)，削減)，summarize; epitomize; condense (將文章、故事、報告等)摘要，節略，作簡要的敘述)

【推測詞義】借自古法語abregler。而古法語借自拉丁語abbreviāre。使變短，使簡短 → 縮短 → 削減。

【衍生詞】abridged adj. synoptic (節略的，摘要的)

abridg(e)ment n. 縮短；刪節；摘要版

【常用片語】(a) to abridge a report (報告作簡要的敘述)

                   (b) an abridged edition 節錄本

【常用例句】a. The book is abridged from the original work.

                    b. An abridgement is a shortened or condensed work.

adroit /əˈdrɔɪt/

adj. very able or skilled; cleverly skillful;highly competent ; dexterous; deft (靈巧的，熟練的)；resourceful (in handling difficult conditions)(足智多謀的，臨機應變的) ; ingenious; clever ((處事)精明的)

【推測詞義】借自古法語a droit，其中a為「朝向」之意，droit為「右方」之意，所以「朝向右方」，隱喻成「靈巧熟練」的意思。因通常用右手做事時較為靈巧熟練。

【衍生詞】adroitness n. 靈巧

                adroitly adv. 靈巧地，熟練地
 

ameliorate /əˈmiljəˌret/

v. to make better; to improve; to amend; to mitigate; to relieve; to upgrade (改善；改良)

【推測詞義】借自古法語。(使事務)變得更好，就是改善。拉丁語不規則形容詞bonus的比較級與最高級，介紹如下：bonus (good)，melior (better)，optimus (best)。

aspire /əˈspaɪɚ/

v. to have a great ambition for something; to desire earnestly; to seek to attain a particular goal(渴望；渴求(地位、名譽等)；有志於)

【推測詞義】朝著(某個目標)呼吸(breathe toward an end)，隱喻為「對…胸懷大志」。

【衍生詞】aspiration n. strong desire; a spirant n. 懷有大志者。ambition (強烈的願望；渴望，大志)

abbreviate /əˈbrivɪet/

v. to shorten (a word or a phrase) so that a part stands for the whole (縮短或縮寫(詞語、稱號等)； to make shorter; condense; to reduce; to curtail(縮減；使(故事等)簡短)

【推測詞義】使變短。

【注意】abridge 與abreviate是異形、異義的姐妹詞(doublets)

accede /ӕkˈsid/

v. to agree; to comply; to consent; to concur (同意(要求等))

【推測詞義】朝某個方向走，雙方意見愈走愈近，走到一起，隱喻為雙方「同意」。

access /ˈæksɛs/

n. approach to places, persons, or things; entrance (接近；入口)； a way or means of approach (捷徑，門路(指方法、手段等))； the right to approach, enter, or use (進入或使用某物的權利)

【推測詞義】向某處走，愈走愈近

【衍生詞】accessible adj.easy to approach( (指人)可接近的，可親的；(指地或物)可到達的；可進入的)

inaccessible adj. unreachable (難接近的，難達到的)； not available (難得到的)

【常用例句】
1. Postgraduate students have free access to the library.

2. University College London is easily accessible by public transport, including buses, underground and main line trains.
 

accelerate /ækˈsɛləˌret/

v. to hasten; to quicken; to expedite; to speed up; to increase the speed of(增速；加速)

【推測詞義】添加速度，使速度加快，加速，促使...提早發生。

【衍生詞】decelerate v. decrease the speed of (減速)
 

acclaim /əˈklem/

v. to cheer；to give approval；to applaud; to commend; to laud; to eulogize; to praise (向…歡呼；向…喝采，稱讚，贊同)

n. praise; applause; ovation ; approval (歡呼；喝采；贊同)

【推測詞義】向某人大聲喊叫(cry out to someone)。拉丁語clam借入英語，轉成動詞時，一律拼成claim 。
【衍生詞】acclamation n. 歡呼；喝采；an oral vote (對提議等不經過投票表決而被全體一致)鼓掌通過
【常用片語】a motion passed by acclamation。