英语短语"in one's nature"的核心含义是:“属于某人的本性/天性;天生如此;本质上是某人的固有特点”,强调某种行为、特质或倾向是某人与生俱来、刻在性格里的,而非后天刻意为之。
"nature"在这里指“本性、天性”(the inherent character or essence of a person),"in one's nature"即“在某人的本性中”,引申为“某人天生就有这样的特质/会做这样的事”。
该短语通常用于描述某人的固有特质或行为倾向,常用以下两种核心结构:
(形式主语"It"指代后面的不定式,强调“做某事是某人的天性”)
例1:It's in my nature to be curious about how things work.(我天生就对事物的运作原理好奇。)
例2:It wasn't in her nature to give up easily—she always persisted.(她本性就不轻易放弃——她总是坚持到底。)
例3:Is it in your nature to be so quiet, or do you just feel shy today?(你天生这么安静,还是今天只是害羞?)
(直接用“特质/行为”作主语,说明“某特质是某人的天性”)
例1:Being kind is in his nature—he never hesitates to help others.(善良是他的天性——他从不会犹豫帮助别人。)
例2:Impatience was in her nature when she was a teenager, but she's more calm now.(她十几岁时天性急躁,但现在更冷静了。)
例3:Creativity is in the nature of all children—they love to imagine and create.(创造力是所有孩子的天性——他们喜欢想象和创造。)
时态:因“本性”是长期稳定的特质,通常用一般现在时;若描述过去的天性(如“年轻时的天性”),可用一般过去时。
否定形式:在"be动词"后加"not",表示“某行为/特质不是某人的天性”:
It's not in his nature to lie—he's always honest.(他本性不撒谎——他一向诚实。)
Being rude is not in her nature—she must have been having a bad day.(粗鲁不是她的天性——她肯定今天过得很糟糕。)
与"by nature"的区别:
"by nature"也表示“天生地”,但更强调“本质上”,常放在句首或句尾;而"in one's nature"更聚焦“某人的具体特质/行为”,结构更灵活(可接不定式或直接跟特质)。
By nature, she's a very calm person.(本质上,她是个很冷静的人。)
It's in her nature to stay calm even in emergencies.(即使在紧急情况下保持冷静,是她的天性。)
A: Why did he help that stranger without asking for anything?(他为什么帮助那个陌生人却不求回报?)
B: Oh, it's just in his nature to be generous.(哦,慷慨是他的天性而已。)
My mom is always worrying about others—it's in her nature to care.(我妈妈总是担心别人——关心人是她的天性。)
Don't take it personally if he doesn't talk much; it's just in his nature to be quiet.(如果他话不多,别往心里去;安静是他的天性。)
总结来说,"in one's nature"是描述“天生特质”的高频短语,通过明确的结构(不定式或特质作主语),精准传达“某行为/特点是某人骨子里的、天生的”这一含义。