40个“自相矛盾”的英语单词（上）

英语中有不少单词，其本身存在互相矛盾的两个意思，如果不弄清楚，有时会给我们的英语阅读带来一定困扰。特定情况下，联系上下文语境即可弄清它们的具体意思。

1. sanction“制裁”&“批准”

Economic sanctions will only be lifted when the aggressor nation withdraws its troops.
只有侵略国撤回其军队，经济制裁才会解除。

They tried to get official sanction for the scheme.
他们想使计划获得正式批准。

2. overlook“检查；监视”&“忽视；忽略”

I am overlooking her work.
我正在检查她的工作。

I think there is one key fact that you have overlooked.
我认为你忽略了一个重要的事实。

3. finished“完成的”&“失败的”

Are you finished with that drill?
你的那个练习做完了吗？

This financial crisis means that the government's economic policy is finished.
这次金融危机意味着政府的经济政策失败了。

4. dust“擦去……的灰尘”&“在……上撒粉末”

I was dusting the mantelpiece when I noticed a crack.
我在擦壁炉台的时候发现了一道裂纹。

Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar.
在蛋糕上撒些糖霜。

5. left“留下”&“离开”

He left the house by the back door.
他从房子的后门离开了。

His shoes left muddy marks on the floor.
他的鞋在地板上留下了泥印。

6. trim“添加，装饰”&“修剪，剪枝”

The children are trimming up a Christmas tree with ribbons, laces.
孩子们正在往圣诞树上挂彩带和蕾丝。

He trimmed dead branches off a tree.
他从树上剪掉枯枝。

7. cleave“劈开；分开”&“粘住；紧贴”

With one blow of the knight's axe, he clove the rock in twain (= into two pieces).
武士大斧一挥，将石头劈成了两半。

The ancient ivy cleaved to the ruined castle walls.
古老的常春藤紧紧攀附在破败的城堡墙上。

注意：表“粘住；紧贴”时，cleave通常与to连用。

8. scan“细看，审视”&“粗略地看”

She anxiously scanned the faces of the men leaving the train.
她急切地盯着一张张下火车的人的脸。

I scanned through the booklet but couldn't find the address.
我很快地翻阅了一遍小册子，但没有找到那个地址。

9. fast“快速的”&“固定的”

Computers are getting faster all the time.
计算机一直在提速。

She made her end of the rope fast to a tree.
她把绳子的一头牢牢地绑在树上。

10. off“关掉”&“响起”

She turned off the TV.
她关掉了电视。

The alarm went off.
闹铃响了起来。

11. weather“经受住”&“受侵蚀”

The company weathered the recession.
这家公司挺过了经济衰退。

The rock was weathered.
岩石风化了。

12. screen“放映；播出”&“遮掩；遮蔽”

The programme was not screened on British television.
这个节目没有在英国电视上播出过。

She raised her hand to screen her eyes from the bright light.
她抬手遮住耀眼的亮光。

13. help“帮助”&“抑制”

How can I help you?
我如何才能帮你呢？

I couldn't help laughing.
我忍不住大笑起来。

14. clip“剪下来”&“别上去”

I clipped his picture from the newspaper.
我把他的照片从报纸上剪了下来。

He clipped his flashlight to his belt.
他把手电筒别在腰间。

15. fine“糟糕的；不合时宜的”&“优秀的；极好的”

He picked a fine time to leave us.
在那个时候扔下我们走了，他可真是会挑时间。

This building is the finest example of its type.
这幢建筑是同类建筑中最杰出的代表。

16. flog“鞭笞，棒打”&“推销，出售”

Soldiers used to be flogged for disobedience.
过去士兵们常常因不守军令而遭鞭笞。

He tried to flog his old car, but no one would buy it.
他想快点儿卖掉他的旧车，但没人愿意买。

17. ravel“使纠缠；使错综复杂”&“弄清；解开”

Mark's ​interference ​merely ravelled things ​further.
马克的掺和只是让情况进一步复杂化了。

It took Daisy a ​long ​time to ravel out all the ​wool.
黛西花了很长时间才把毛线解开。

18. mean“吝啬的，小气的”&“极好的，出色的”

He's too mean to buy her a ring.
他太吝啬了，舍不得给她买一枚戒指。

She's a mean piano player.
她是个出色的钢琴演奏家。

19. toss out“丢弃”&“提出”

She ​tossed out my ​old ​chair.
她把我的旧椅子扔了。

I decided to toss out the idea.
我决定提出这个想法。

注意：第二个例句在特定情况下也可以指“抛弃”那个想法，要根据上下文而定。

20. buckle“坍塌，垮掉”&“系牢”

My knees buckled with fear.
我因为害怕而膝盖瘫软。

Buckle your seat belt.
请系好安全带。

（中国日报网英语点津 杜娟）