"be of one's own volition"是一个正式且强调"自主性"的英语短语,核心含义是:出于某人自己的意愿;自愿地;主动地(强调行为完全是自身决定,无外部压力或强迫)。
volition:名词,意为"意志;意愿;自主选择的能力"(来自拉丁语voluntās,即"will/意愿");
of one's own volition:介词短语,字面直译是"属于某人自己的意愿",引申为"由自己决定、自愿";
be of...:此处是英语中表示"具有...属性/性质"的结构(类似"be of importance = be important"),但"be of one's own volition"更常用作状语(修饰动作),而非表语。
该短语通常修饰谓语动词,说明动作的"自主性",常见于书面语、正式语境(日常口语更常用"voluntarily"或"on one's own")。
主语 + 动作 + of one's own volition(置于句末,修饰动作)
或 主语 + be动词 + of one's own volition(作表语,强调状态)
主动句:
He quit the company of his own volition—no one forced him.
(他自愿辞了职——没人强迫他。)
She decided to learn Chinese of her own volition, not because her parents asked.
(她主动决定学中文,不是因为父母要求。)
否定句:
He didn't sign the contract of his own volition—they threatened him.
(他不是自愿签合同的——他们威胁了他。)
被动句(强调主语的自主性):
The decision to postpone the project was made of our own volition.
(推迟项目的决定是我们自己主动做出的。)
表语用法:
Every choice you make is of your own volition—you're responsible for it.
(你做的每个选择都是出于自愿——你要为此负责。)
voluntarily(副词,最常用):He quit voluntarily.
on one's own(口语化):She did it on her own.
by one's own choice(更直白):He left by his own choice.
该短语不可用于描述"被迫/非自主"的行为,若要表达"非自愿",需加否定词(如"not of one's own volition");
正式程度高于"voluntarily",适合公文、法律文本或严肃讨论(如"是否自愿签署协议")。
简言之,"be of one's own volition"是强调"完全自主、无外力干预"的正式表达,核心是突出行为的"自愿性"。