“to caution against”是一个常用的英语短语,核心含义是“警告/告诫(某人)不要做某事;提醒(某人)提防某事”,强调通过预先提醒来避免潜在的危险、错误或不良后果。
“caution”本身是动词(意为“警告、告诫”),“against”表示“针对;防止”,因此整个短语的逻辑是:提醒某人远离/避免某个行为或事物(因为它可能带来危害或问题)。
该短语的用法主要分为两种情况(关键区别是“是否带间接宾语(某人)”):
最常用的结构,直接明确“告诫的对象”,后接“要避免的行为/事物”(名词或动名词doing)。
例1:My parents always caution me against looking at my phone while crossing the street.(我父母总告诫我过马路时不要看手机。)
例2:The doctor cautioned the patient against eating too much sugar.(医生告诫病人不要吃太多糖。)
例3:Teachers often caution students against cheating in exams.(老师常告诫学生不要考试作弊。)
当“告诫的对象”不明确(如公告、标识、普遍建议)时,可省略间接宾语,直接说明“要避免的内容”。
例1:The sign by the lake cautions against swimming alone.(湖边的警示牌警告不要独自游泳。)
例2:Experts caution against making hasty decisions during a crisis.(专家提醒不要在危机中仓促做决定。)
例3:The government issued a statement cautioning against spreading false information.(政府发表声明警告不要传播虚假信息。)
介词搭配:“against”后面必须接名词或动名词(doing),不能接动词原形。
✖ 错误:Caution me against look at strangers.
✔ 正确:Caution me against looking at strangers.(告诫我不要盯着陌生人看。)
同义词辨析:“caution against”与“warn against”含义相近,但“caution”更正式、严肃(常用于长辈、专业人士、官方提醒),而“warn”更口语化(可指一般的提醒)。
例:The police warned drivers against speeding.(警察提醒司机不要超速。)
The lawyer cautioned his client against signing the contract without reading it.(律师严肃告诫客户不要未经阅读就签合同。)
有时会用被动语态“be cautioned against”,强调“被警告”的状态:
You will be cautioned against violating the rules.(你会被警告不要违反规则。)
Visitors are cautioned against touching the artworks.(游客被提醒不要触摸艺术品。)
总结来说,“to caution against”是一个表达“预先警示”的实用短语,核心是“提醒避免风险”,用法灵活,适用于正式或日常场景。