“软弱”常见的英文表达有 weak、feeble、frail 等,具体使用哪个词取决于语境:
weak:使用最为广泛,可形容人或事物缺乏力量、强度或能力,既可指身体上的虚弱,也可指意志、决心等方面的软弱。例如:
He was too weak to stand up.(他太虚弱了,站不起来。)
She showed a weak character in the face of difficulties.(面对困难时,她表现出了软弱的性格。)
feeble:语气稍强,常用来形容身体虚弱无力,也可形容声音、光线、努力等微弱、不强劲,有时带有一种略带贬义的色彩,暗示缺乏活力或效果不佳。例如:
The old man's voice was feeble and hardly audible.(老人的声音很微弱,几乎听不见。)
His attempts to fix the problem were feeble at best.(他试图解决问题的努力充其量也只是软弱无力的。)
frail:主要形容人身体虚弱、易碎,通常指因年龄大或生病而身体衰弱,也可用于形容物体易碎、不坚固。例如:
She's become very frail in her old age.(她年老体弱,身体非常虚弱。)
The frail bridge collapsed under the weight of the truck.(这座脆弱的桥在卡车的重量下坍塌了 。)