英语短语 "tone down" 的核心含义是“缓和、减弱、降低(强度/音量/语气/色彩等)”,强调将原本过于强烈、夸张或突兀的事物调整得更温和、适度。
字面直译是“降低调子”,引申为:
降低声音/音量;
缓和语气/言辞;
减弱情绪(如愤怒、兴奋);
柔化色彩/设计;
调整行为(使其更低调)。
"tone down" 是及物动词短语(可接宾语),也可作不及物动词短语(主语为情绪/状态)。常见结构:
结构:tone down + 宾语 或 tone + 宾语 + down(宾语为代词时,需放在中间,如 "tone it down")。
搭配对象:声音、语言、情绪、色彩、政策、行为等。
主语通常是情绪/状态,表示“自行缓和、减弱”。
以下是不同场景的常用搭配:
Please tone down the music—my neighbor is studying.
(请把音乐调小——我的邻居在学习。)
Could you tone your voice down? This is a hospital.
(你能小声点吗?这是医院。)
The teacher told him to tone down his rude remarks to classmates.
(老师让他缓和对同学的无礼言辞。)
I need to tone down my criticism in the email—It’s too harsh.
(我得把邮件里的批评语气改缓和点——太刻薄了。)
His anger toned down after we apologized.
(我们道歉后,他的愤怒平息了。)
Try to tone down your excitement—we’re in a meeting.
(尽量克制你的兴奋——我们在开会。)
The designer decided to tone down the bright yellow in the logo.
(设计师决定把logo里的亮黄色调柔和点。)
She toned down her makeup for the job interview.
(她为求职面试淡化妆容。)
The government toned down the strict rules after public protests.
(政府在公众抗议后放宽了严格的规定。)
You should tone down your competitive attitude in team projects.
(你在团队项目中应该收敛一下好胜心。)
同义词:soften(柔化)、mellow(缓和)、dampen(减弱)、lower(降低);
反义词:amp up(增强)、intensify(加剧)、raise(提高)。
"tone down" 是一个实用的日常短语,用于将“过强的事物”调整到合适的度。记住它的核心逻辑:从“极端”到“适度”,无论对象是声音、语言、情绪还是视觉元素,都可以用它来表达“缓和”的需求~