用于重新表述、解释或简化前面提到的内容,帮助对方更清晰地理解原本可能较复杂、抽象或易混淆的信息。
它的功能是“同义转换”——用更直白、具体的语言重复前面的观点,使表达更易懂。使用时需注意:
句首(最常见):后面接逗号,引出重新表述的内容。
例:She’s fluent in three languages. In other words, she can communicate with people from many countries.
(她会说三种语言。换句话说,她能和很多国家的人交流。)
句中:前后用逗号隔开,插入到句子中间。
例:The new law, in other words, will make it harder for small businesses to survive.
(这项新法律,也就是说,会让小企业更难生存。)
句尾:前面用逗号,补充说明前面的内容。
例:We need to finish this today—we can’t delay it any longer, in other words.
(我们今天必须完成——换句话说,不能再拖延了。)
简化复杂概念:把专业/抽象的内容转化为日常语言。
例:The experiment proved that quantum entanglement exists—in other words, particles can affect each other instantly even when far apart.
(实验证明了量子纠缠的存在——换句话说,粒子即使相隔很远也能瞬间互相影响。)
澄清误解:纠正对方可能的误读,重新明确观点。
例:I didn’t say the plan was bad—I said it needed more time. In other words, I’m not against it, just cautious.
(我没说这个计划不好——我说它需要更多时间。也就是说,我不是反对,只是谨慎。)
强调重点:用更直接的方式重复核心信息,加深印象。
例:The company is cutting costs by laying off staff. In other words, some people will lose their jobs.
(公司通过裁员削减成本。换句话说,有些人会失业。)
不引入新信息:仅用于“重述已有内容”,不能用来讲之前没提到的事。
✖ 错误:I like reading. In other words, I also enjoy hiking.(“ hiking”是新信息,不能用“in other words”)
✔ 正确:I like reading—especially novels. In other words, I spend a lot of time with fiction books.(重述“喜欢读小说”)
口语/书面语通用:既可以用于日常对话,也可以用于论文、报告等正式文本,属于“中性风格”短语。
that is to say:与“in other words”几乎同义,但更正式(常用于书面语)。
例:The project is over budget—that is to say, we need more funding.
to put it simply:更强调“简化”,侧重用最直白的方式解释(口语化)。
例:The theory is complex—to put it simply, gravity pulls things down.
总结:"in other words" 是“翻译官”式短语,帮你把“绕弯子的话”变成“直戳戳的话”,让沟通更顺畅~ 😊