"die off" 是一个不及物动词短语,表示(群体中的个体)陆续死亡,逐个死去,最终全部消失。
强调的是“渐进性的、批量的死亡过程”——不是突然全部死亡,而是一个接一个地死去,直到群体灭绝。
主语通常是复数的生物(植物、动物、昆虫等),或表示“群体”的名词(如species, population, trees等),常搭配表示“原因”或“过程”的状语。
The flowers in the garden died off after the frost.(霜冻后,花园里的花陆续枯死了。)
Most of the fish in the river died off due to pollution.(河里的大多数鱼因污染陆续死亡。)
Many native bird species have died off since the forest was cut down.(森林被砍伐后,许多本土鸟类物种陆续灭绝。)
If we don’t protect the bees, they’ll die off completely.(如果不保护蜜蜂,它们会全部陆续死亡。)
可加 gradually(逐渐地)、one by one(一个接一个地)、in large numbers(大量地) 等副词,强化“陆续”的过程:
The old oak trees in the park are dying off gradually.(公园里的老橡树正在逐渐枯死。)
The insects died off one by one after the pesticide was sprayed.(喷农药后,昆虫一个接一个地死去。)
要注意与其他“die + 介词/副词”短语的区别:
die out:强调“(物种、习俗等)彻底灭绝/消失”(更侧重“结果”,而非“过程”);
例:Dinosaurs died out millions of years ago.(恐龙数百万年前就灭绝了。)
die away:指声音、光线、风等“逐渐减弱/消失”;
例:The sound of the music died away as we walked farther.(我们走得越远,音乐声越弱。)
die down:指情绪、火势、吵闹声等“平息/减弱”;
例:The excitement died down after the game ended.(比赛结束后,兴奋劲平息了。)
主语:复数生物/群体名词;
语态:无被动(因为是“主动陆续死亡”);
常见搭配:后接原因状语(due to, because of, after等)或渐进副词(gradually, one by one)。
简单来说,"die off" 就是“一群生物慢慢死光”——重点在“逐个、陆续”的过程。