“ups and downs”是英语中非常常用的口语化短语,核心含义是“起伏、盛衰、起起落落”,用来描述事物或人生中交替出现的好与坏、顺境与逆境、高峰与低谷。
强调变化性和波动性,可指代:
生活/人生的起落(如成功与失败、快乐与挫折);
关系的波动(如婚姻、友谊的亲疏);
事物的兴衰(如经济、股市、事业的涨落);
情绪/状态的起伏(如心情的好坏交替)。
“ups and downs”是复数名词短语(ups和downs均为名词复数),在句中可作主语、宾语、表语等,常见搭配有:
have/experience/go through ups and downs:经历起起落落;
the ups and downs of sth:某事物的起起落落。
1、 人生/生活场景:
Life has its ups and downs—don’t be too sad about the bad times.
(生活有起有落——别太为逆境难过。)
We’ve been through many ups and downs together over the years.
(这些年我们一起经历了很多起起落落。)
2、 关系/情感场景:
Their marriage has had its ups and downs, but they still love each other.
(他们的婚姻虽有起伏,但依然相爱。)
Her mood has been having ups and downs since she lost her job.
(自从失业后,她的情绪一直起起伏伏。)
3、 事物/事业场景:
The stock market is full of ups and downs—you can’t predict everything.
(股市充满波动——你无法预测一切。)
The company’s ups and downs reflect the changes in the industry.
(公司的兴衰反映了行业的变化。)
短语本身是复数,作主语时谓语动词用复数:
例:The ups and downs of life are part of growing up.(人生的起起落落是成长的一部分。)
口语化强,比正式词“vicissitudes”(变迁、兴衰)更常用,适合日常对话或非正式写作。
简言之,“ups and downs”是描述“变化与波动”的万能短语,只要涉及“好与坏交替”的场景,都可以用它来概括~