“defend doing”是一个常用的英语动词短语,核心含义是“为做(某事)辩护/辩解”,即针对他人对某一行为的质疑、批评或指责,通过理由或解释来维护该行为的合理性。
defend:动词,本意为“辩护;捍卫;保护”,此处侧重“为(行为)提供理由,证明其正当”;
doing:动名词(动词+ing形式),指代“被质疑的行为”,作defend的宾语。
“defend doing”的结构为:主语 + defend + 动名词(doing sth) + [理由/解释(常用by短语)]
即通过“defend + 行为”直接为该行为辩护,常后续“by + 理由”说明辩解的依据。
(动名词的逻辑主语是句子主语,即“自己做了某事,为这事辩解”)
He defended missing the meeting by saying he had a family emergency.
他为缺席会议辩解,说自己有家庭紧急情况。
She defended telling the truth even though it upset her friend.
她为说出真相辩护,尽管这让她的朋友难过。
若要为“他人做的事”辩护,需在动名词前加形容词性物主代词(his/her/their)或名词所有格,明确行为的执行者:
I defended his leaving early—he’d worked 12 hours straight!
我为他提前离开辩解——他已经连续工作12小时了!
They defended the company’s cutting costs, arguing it was necessary to stay in business.
他们为公司削减成本辩护,称这是维持运营的必要措施。
defend的常见搭配还有:
defend sb/sth:保护某人/某物(免受伤害),如:The police defended the protesters from violence.(警察保护抗议者免受暴力伤害。)
defend sb for doing sth:为某人做某事辩护(结构更强调“为某人”,而defend doing更强调“为行为本身”),如:I defended him for missing the meeting.(我为他缺席会议辩护。)
“defend doing”的核心是“为某一行为的合理性辩护”,重点在“行为”本身;使用时需注意动名词的逻辑主语(自己的行为可直接用doing,他人的行为需加物主代词/所有格),常通过“by + 理由”补充辩解的依据。
一句话记住:When you defend doing something, you explain why that action was right or necessary.(当你defend doing某事时,你在解释为什么那个行为是对的或必要的。)