leave sb.:“让/使某人处于某种状态”;
to his own devices:“依照他自己的方法/手段”(此处 devices 不是“设备”,而是“办法、策略、应对方式”的旧用法,偏书面)。
1、 语法变化:
短语中的代词需根据对象调整:
单数男性:his → leave him to his own devices;
单数女性:her → leave her to her own devices;
复数(通用/避免性别歧视):their → leave them to their own devices(最常用)。
2、 适用语境:
通常用于以下场景:
说话者因忙碌/信任,暂时不干涉对方;
让对方独立解决问题(培养自主能力);
对某人的行为“放任不管”(有时带轻微负面意味,如“不管他了”)。
1、 日常场景:
I had to leave the kids to their own devices while I made dinner—they ended up building a fort with blankets.
(我做饭时得让孩子们自己玩,结果他们用毯子搭了个堡垒。)
2、 工作/学习场景:
The teacher left the students to their own devices to complete the group project—she wanted them to learn collaboration.
(老师让学生自行完成小组项目,她想让他们学会合作。)
3、 轻微负面场景:
After arguing with him for hours, I finally left him to his own devices—I couldn’t change his mind.
(和他争论了几个小时后,我终于不管他了——我没法改变他的想法。)
leave sb. alone:更强调“不打扰、别纠缠”(侧重“空间上的远离”);
let sb. be:同“leave sb. alone”,更口语;
leave sb. to it:更简洁的说法(= leave sb. to their own devices),如 I’ll leave you to it—call me if you need help.(我让你自己处理,需要帮忙叫我。)
这个短语的核心是“不干涉,让对方自主”,使用时需结合语境判断是“信任”还是“放任”。记住复数形式“leave sb. to their own devices”更常用,避免性别问题~