“slow down”是英语中高频实用短语,核心含义围绕“降低速度、放缓节奏”,可用于描述物理移动、生活/工作节奏、进程发展等多种场景。以下是详细解析:
字面义:放慢速度;减速(针对移动的物体或动作);
引申义:放缓节奏;减轻强度(针对抽象的进程、生活或状态)。
“slow down”通常作不及物动词短语(主语自身放慢),也可作及物动词短语(需带宾语,宾语为代词时需放在短语中间)。以下按常见场景分类:
用于交通工具、人或物体的速度降低,是最基础的用法。
例子:
Please slow down near the school—kids are crossing the street.(学校附近请减速,有孩子过马路。)
The cyclist slowed down as he went up the hill.(骑车人上坡时放慢了速度。)
The train slowed down gradually before stopping at the station.(火车进站前逐渐减速。)
用于建议或表达“减少忙碌,放松节奏”,常见于提醒他人避免过度劳累。
例子:
You’ve been working 14 hours a day—you need to slow down and take a break.(你每天工作14小时,得放慢节奏歇一歇。)
After her burnout, she decided to slow down her career and focus on family.( burnout 后,她决定放缓事业节奏,专注家庭。)
Let’s slow down this weekend—no plans, just relax.(周末咱们慢下来吧,不安排活动,好好休息。)
用于抽象事物(如经济、项目、计划等)的“减速推进”。
例子:
The global economy slowed down due to the pandemic.(受疫情影响,全球经济放缓。)
We need to slow down the project to fix the design flaws.(我们得放慢项目进度,修复设计缺陷。)
The government is taking measures to slow down inflation.(政府正在采取措施放缓通胀。)
用于请求他人“说话更慢、动作更缓”,以便理解或跟上。
例子:
Hey, slow down—I can’t follow you when you talk so fast!(嘿,慢点儿说!你说得太快我听不懂。)
Could you slow down your typing? I want to see how you do that.(你能放慢打字速度吗?我想看看你是怎么操作的。)
She slowed down her explanation for the elderly man.(她为老人放慢了解释的速度。)
当“slow down”带具体宾语时(如“the car”“the music”“the process”),需注意:
若宾语是代词(it/them等),必须放在短语中间:
Slow it down!(把它放慢!)→ 不能说“Slow down it!”
Can you slow them down?(你能让他们慢下来吗?)
若宾语是名词,可放在中间或后面:
Slow the car down. = Slow down the car.(把车减速。)
Let’s slow the meeting down. = Let’s slow down the meeting.(咱们把会议节奏放慢。)
常见搭配:
slow down for(为…减速,如“slow down for a red light”遇红灯减速);
slow down the pace(放慢节奏,如“slow down the pace of life”放慢生活节奏);
slow down economic growth(放缓经济增长);
slow down one’s heartbeat(让心跳放缓)。
同义词:decelerate(正式,侧重“物理减速”)、slacken(正式,侧重“放松、放缓强度”)、ease off(侧重“逐渐减轻”)。
反义词:speed up(加速)、accelerate(加速,正式)、hurry up(赶紧,口语)。
“slow down”是多功能短语,从“开车减速”到“生活慢下来”,从“项目放缓”到“说话放慢”,覆盖日常与正式场景。关键是理解其核心——从“快”到“慢”的转变,根据语境灵活使用即可。