强调“从复杂/隐藏的地方找到目标”,突出“寻找的结果”(区别于 search for 侧重“寻找的动作”)。
后面直接接名词/代词作宾语,有时可搭配地点状语(说明“在哪里找”)。
1、 寻找具体事物:
She searched out her grandmother’s old necklace in the bottom of the chest.
(她在箱子底部找到了祖母的旧项链。)
The librarian helped me search out the rare book I needed.
(图书管理员帮我找到了我需要的珍本书。)
2、 寻找人:
The journalist searched out the key witness to the accident.
(记者找到了事故的关键证人。)
We finally searched out our lost dog in the neighbor’s yard.
(我们终于在邻居的院子里找到了丢失的狗。)
3、 寻找抽象事物(信息、解决方案等):
You need to search out the facts before making a decision.
(做决定前你需要查清事实。)
The team is working hard to search out a way to reduce costs.
(团队正努力寻找降低成本的方法。)
4、 被动语态:
The missing files were searched out by the intern.
(失踪的文件被实习生找到了。)
search for:侧重“寻找的动作”(不一定找到),如:I’m searching for my phone.(我在找手机。)
search out:侧重“找到的结果”(已经找到),如:I searched out my phone under the sofa.(我在沙发下找到了手机。)
总结:search out 用于表达“通过努力最终找到目标”,强调结果,宾语可以是具体事物、人或抽象概念。