"puzzle out" 是一个常用的英语动词短语,核心含义是通过仔细思考、反复琢磨而“解开(难题)、弄明白(疑问)、推理出(真相/答案)”,强调“经过努力思考后得出结果”。
英文解释:to solve or understand something by thinking about it carefully and for a long time(通过长时间仔细思考解决或理解某事)。
侧重:从“困惑”到“解决”的过程,突出“费脑力、反复推敲”后的结果。
"puzzle out" 是及物动词短语,后面可接名词、代词或从句,且需注意代词要放在短语中间(即"puzzle it/them out",不能说"puzzle out it")。
后面直接跟需要“解开/弄明白”的对象(如问题、密码、谜团、含义等)。
I spent two hours trying to puzzle out the crossword clue.(我花了两个小时试图解开 crossword 的线索。)
The code was so complex that no one could puzzle it out at first.(这个密码太复杂了,一开始没人能解开。)
Don’t give me the answer—I want to puzzle it out myself.(别告诉我答案——我想自己弄明白。)
后面接从句,表达“琢磨出(某事的原因/方式/内容)”。
She’s still trying to puzzle out why he suddenly quit his job.(她还在努力琢磨他为什么突然辞职。)
Can you puzzle out how this machine works? The manual is useless.(你能弄明白这台机器怎么运作吗?说明书没用。)
I can’t puzzle out what he meant by that cryptic message.(我猜不透他那条隐晦信息的意思。)
容易混淆的短语是"puzzle over",两者的核心差异是:
puzzle out:强调“最终解决/弄明白”(有结果);
puzzle over:强调“反复思考、琢磨”(不一定有结果)。
例:
I’ve been puzzling over this math problem all day, but I still can’t puzzle it out.(我整天都在琢磨这道数学题,但还是解不出来。)
"puzzle out" 通常用于以下场景:
解决难题(math problem、riddle、code 等);
理解隐晦的信息(cryptic message、unclear note 等);
推理他人的动机/行为(why someone did something);
破解谜团(mystery、clue 等)。
总结:"puzzle out" 是“通过思考解决/弄明白”的高频短语,关键在于“努力思考后得出结果”,用法上需注意代词的位置和搭配对象。