“look back”是英语中常用的短语,核心含义围绕“回头看”和“回顾/回忆”展开,具体用法需结合语境区分:
1、 字面义:回头看(动作上转向后方观察);
2、 比喻义:回顾、回忆(时间上追溯过去的经历或事件)。
表示动作上的“回头”,强调“转身向后看”的动作本身。
She looked back to see if her dog was still following.
(她回头看,确认她的狗是否还跟着。)
He walked away without looking back.
(他头也不回地走了。)
需搭配介词on或at(on更常用,强调“关于”;at侧重“指向具体事件”),后接回顾的对象(如过去的时光、经历、事件等)。
I often look back on my childhood with fondness.
(我常怀着 fondness(喜爱)回忆童年。)
We looked back at the challenges we overcame last year.
(我们回顾了去年克服的挑战。)
She refuses to look back on her failed marriage.
(她不愿回顾自己失败的婚姻。)
有两层含义:
字面义:绝不回头(动作上);
比喻义:一往无前、不再留恋过去(强调“坚定向前,不回头看过去的困难/失败”)。
Once he started his own business, he never looked back.
(他一旦开始创业,就一往无前了。)
She left her old job and never looked back.
(她辞了旧工作,再也没回头。)
表示“带着某种情感回忆过去”,常见情感如regret(遗憾)、pride(自豪)、sadness(悲伤)等。
I look back with regret on the mistakes I made in my 20s.
(我带着遗憾回顾20多岁时犯的错误。)
They look back with pride on their team's victory.
(他们自豪地回顾团队的胜利。)
字面义的延伸,强调“回头(越过肩膀)看”,常表示“谨慎、紧张或留恋的回头”。
She looked back over her shoulder to wave goodbye to her friends.
(她回头(越过肩膀)向朋友挥手告别。)
He kept looking back over his shoulder, afraid someone was following him.
(他不停回头看,担心有人跟踪。)
主语限制:通常以人作主语(只有人能主动“回头看”或“回忆”);
介词搭配:回顾具体事件时,look back on 比 look back at 更正式、常用;
无被动语态:因是主动动作或心理活动,不用于被动句。
“look back”的核心是“向后”——要么是空间上的回头,要么是时间上的回溯。结合介词或固定搭配,可表达从“简单回头”到“带着情感回忆”的丰富含义。通过例句理解语境,就能轻松掌握其用法~