"in retrospect" 是一个介词短语,意为:
事后看来;回顾往事;回想起来(站在现在的角度,对过去的事情进行重新审视或评价)。它通常作状语,修饰整个句子或谓语动词,强调“现在回头看过去的行为/事件”时的感受或结论。常见位置有:
例:
In retrospect, I shouldn’t have quit that job so quickly.(事后看来,我不该那么快辞掉那份工作。)
In retrospect, the trip was the best part of my year.(回想起来,那次旅行是我这一年最棒的部分。)
例:
The decision seems much wiser in retrospect.(现在回头看,那个决定明智多了。)
I didn’t realize how lucky I was in retrospect.(回想起来,我之前没意识到自己有多幸运。)
例:
The plan, in retrospect, was never going to work.(现在看来,那个计划从来就不可能成功。)
常与表示评价的动词/形容词连用(如:seem, feel, realize, think, foolish, wise, mistake 等),因为核心是“重新评价过去”。
主句时态通常用现在时(描述当前的反思)或过去时(回顾过去的认知),但“in retrospect”本身不改变时态,只强调视角。
Looking back(更口语化,用法类似):Looking back, I’m glad I took that risk.(回头看,我很高兴自己冒了那次险。)
In hindsight(更正式,含义完全一致):In hindsight, the warning signs were obvious.(事后看来,警示信号很明显。)
"in retrospect" 是表达“事后反思”的高频短语,核心是“现在→过去”的视角转换。只要记住它是“站在现在看过去”,就能轻松融入句子啦!