这个短语表示通过某个外界触发物(如声音、气味、场景、物品等),让某人回忆起原本可能忘记或未主动想起的事物。其本质是“将某事物‘带入’脑海”,强调外界因素对记忆的激活。
主语(触发记忆的事物) + bring + 被想起的事物(sth.) + to mind
或 主语 + bring to mind + 被想起的事物(sth.)(更简洁,常用于正式或文学表达)
触发物可以是具体的物品、感官体验( smell/sound/taste )、场景、事件等,被想起的事物通常是记忆、经历、人或事。
具体物品触发:
The old photo brings my childhood to mind.
(这张旧照片让我想起了童年。)
That bracelet brings to mind the trip we took to Thailand.
(那个手镯让我想起我们去泰国的旅行。)
感官体验触发:
The smell of freshly baked cookies brings to mind my grandma’s kitchen.
(新鲜烤饼干的味道让我想起奶奶的厨房。)
The sound of rain always brings happy memories to mind.
(雨声总让我想起快乐的回忆。)
场景/事件触发:
The movie’s ending brings to mind how we said goodbye last year.
(电影的结尾让我想起去年我们告别的样子。)
His joke brought to mind a similar one I heard before.
(他的笑话让我想起之前听过的一个类似的。)
表示“想不起;记不得”(强调“无法通过触发物唤起记忆”):
I can’t bring his name to mind right now—did he say he was from London?
(我现在想不起他的名字了——他说过他来自伦敦吗?)
Bring to mind a time when you felt truly happy.
(想想你真正感到快乐的时刻。)
bring sth. to mind vs remind sb. of sth.
两者都有“使想起”的意思,但结构和侧重点不同:
"bring sth. to mind" 的主语是触发物(如 photo/smell ),强调“触发物主动唤起记忆”;
"remind sb. of sth." 的主语通常是人或物,但需带间接宾语(sb.),强调“提醒某人想起某事”。
例:
The photo brings my childhood to mind. = The photo reminds me of my childhood.
bring sth. to mind vs come to mind
"bring sth. to mind" 是被动触发(需外界因素);
"come to mind" 是主动浮现(记忆自行出现,无需外界触发)。
例:
A good idea came to mind while I was showering.
(我洗澡时突然想到一个好主意。)
"bring sth. to mind" 是描述“外界因素唤起记忆”的常用短语,重点在“触发”和“带入脑海”。只要记住“触发物 + 唤起的内容”的结构,结合具体场景就能灵活使用啦!