“使畏缩”常见的英文表达有 intimidate、daunt 或 cower someone (into doing something)(更侧重描述使某人因恐惧而退缩的行为状态) 。具体使用示例如下:
intimidate:强调通过威胁、恐吓等手段使对方产生恐惧心理而畏缩。例如:The bully tried to intimidate the smaller kids into giving him their lunch money.(那个恶霸试图恐吓那些较小的孩子,让他们交出午餐钱。 )
daunt:侧重于使人因面临困难、危险或令人畏惧的事物而失去勇气、信心,进而畏缩。例如:The complexity of the task didn't daunt him; he was determined to succeed.(任务的复杂性并没有让他畏缩;他决心要成功。 )
cower someone (into doing something):更强调因恐惧而产生的退缩行为状态。例如:The authoritarian regime cowed its citizens into silence.(独裁政权使它的公民因恐惧而保持沉默。 )