其中:
menace 作为及物动词,意为“威胁、恐吓、对…构成危险”;
with 引出“威胁的工具、方式或具体内容”(即“用什么来威胁”)。
基本结构为:
通过不同场景的例子,理解其用法:
1、 具体工具/武器的威胁(最常见):
The robber menaced the bank teller with a knife.(抢劫犯用刀威胁银行柜员。)
The kidnapper menaced the family with harm to their child.(绑匪以伤害孩子来威胁这家人。)
2、 抽象的“威胁手段”(如法律、经济手段等):
The company menaced its employees with layoffs if they went on strike.(公司以裁员威胁员工,若他们罢工的话。)
She menaced her ex-husband with a lawsuit over child custody.(她以抚养权诉讼威胁前夫。)
3、 自然/环境等非人为的威胁:
The coastal city is menaced with rising sea levels due to climate change.(由于气候变化,这座沿海城市正受到海平面上升的威胁。)
The ancient forest was menaced with destruction from illegal logging.(这片古老森林曾受到非法伐木的毁灭威胁。)
1、 被动语态:常可转换为“be menaced with”,强调“被…威胁”(如上述第3点的例子)。
2、 同义词替换:与 threaten…with 含义相近,但 menace 更正式、文学化,或强调威胁的“严重性/危险性”(threaten更通用)。
He threatened me with a fine.(他以罚款威胁我。)→ 更口语;
He menaced me with legal action.(他以法律行动威胁我。)→ 更正式,强调“法律手段的威慑力”。