该短语的用法需注意以下几点:
一般由医生(doctor/surgeon)、医疗团队等作为主语,强调“主动给病人做手术”。
The surgeon will operate on the patient with a heart problem tomorrow.(外科医生明天要给那位有心脏病的病人动手术。)
当“病人”作为主语时,需用被动语态,表示“某人被(医生)动手术”。
He was operated on for appendicitis last week.(他上周因为阑尾炎做了手术。)
若要说明“因某病/某部位问题而手术”,可在后面加 for + 病症/部位。
The doctor had to operate on her for a broken arm.(医生不得不为她的断臂做手术。)
"operate" 作“动手术”讲时是不及物动词,必须加介词"on"才能接宾语(病人)。不能说 operate sb.,必须说 operate on sb.。
主动句:The team of doctors will operate on the child in an hour.(医生团队一小时后要给这个孩子动手术。)
被动句:She was operated on successfully yesterday.(她昨天手术很成功。)
带原因:My grandfather was operated on for lung cancer last year.(我祖父去年因为肺癌做了手术。)
简言之,"operate on sb." 是描述“外科手术”的标准表达,核心是“医生对病人实施手术”,需结合主动/被动语态及具体病因使用。