"let sth. down"是一个及物动词短语,核心含义围绕“使某物下降、放松或调整”,具体用法和释义可分为以下几类:
指将处于高位或收起状态的物体降低到更低位置,常见于描述“物理位置的下降”。
宾语多为具体物品(如门窗、绳索、锚、百叶窗等)。
例句:
Please let the window down—it's stuffy in the car.(请把车窗降下来——车里太闷了。)
The worker let the ladder down carefully to avoid accidents.(工人小心地把梯子放下来,避免事故。)
The sailor let the anchor down when the ship reached the harbor.(船到港口时,水手抛下了锚。)
指通过拆开缝线、添加布料等方式,将衣物的长度或宽度调整得更大(解决“太短/太紧”的问题)。
宾语多为衣物类名词(如skirt、dress、pants等)。
例句:
My daughter grew so fast that I had to let her skirt down by two inches.(我女儿长得太快,我得把她的裙子放长两英寸。)
The tailor said he could let the jacket down a little to fit you better.(裁缝说他可以把夹克放宽一点,让你更合身。)
引申为“降低对某事物的戒备或重视”,宾语多为抽象名词(如guard、defenses、standards等)。
例句:
Don't let your guard down—there are pickpockets in this area.(别放松警惕——这一带有色狼/小偷。)
The team let their standards down in the second half, leading to a loss.(球队下半场放松了要求,最终输了比赛。)
与"let sb. down"的区别:
"let sb. down"是使某人失望(宾语是人),而"let sth. down"的宾语是“物或抽象概念”,核心是“调整某物的状态”。
例:He let me down by not coming to the party.(他没去派对,让我失望了。)
例:He let the balloon down slowly to the ground.(他慢慢地把气球放到地上。)
let the blinds/curtains down(放下百叶窗/窗帘)
let the rope down(把绳子放下来)
let one's guard down(放松警惕)
let a dress down(把裙子放长)
总结:"let sth. down"的核心是“使某物从‘高/紧/戒备’的状态变为‘低/松/放松’的状态”,具体含义随宾语的不同而变化,需结合语境理解。