To recant is to say publicly that you no longer hold a belief you once held and stated — usually a religious or political one, and usually because you are under pressure to give it up. That pressure is really part of the word.

To recant recant, is to say publicly就是公開表示 that you no longer hold a belief你不再持有一個信念 you once held and stated你曾經抱持並公開說出的 — usually a religious or political one通常是宗教或政治上的信念 — and usually because you are under pressure to give it up而且通常是因為你被迫放棄它。That pressure這種壓力 is really part of the word其實就是這個詞的一部分。

History is where you meet it: people were made to recant their faith in front of a court, on pain of death. Galileo recanted. Anyone who has read about the Reformation or the Inquisition has met this word. So it carries a shadow.

History歷史 is where you meet it是你會遇到這個詞的地方: people were made to recant their faith人們被迫在法庭上公開放棄自己的信仰 in front of a court, on pain of death否則就會被處死。Galileo伽利略 recanted就曾經公開放棄過自己的主張。Anyone who has read about讀過 the Reformation or the Inquisition宗教改革或宗教裁判所歷史的人 has met this word一定遇過這個詞。So it carries所以它帶著 a shadow一層陰影。

To recant is not simply to change your mind — that is 'reconsider' or 'change your view'. It is to stand up and take back what you said, publicly, often against your own heart. A person who recants may still privately believe the thing.

To recant Recant並不只是 is not simply to change your mind單純改變心意 — that is那是 'reconsider' or 'change your view''reconsider'（重新考慮）或'change your view'（改變看法）的意思。It is它是指 to stand up and take back what you said站出來公開收回自己說過的話, publicly, often against your own heart而且常常是違背自己內心的。A person who recants一個 recant 的人 may still privately believe the thing私底下可能還是相信那件事。

It has stretched, carefully, to modern uses: a witness recants their testimony (says the evidence they gave was false), a scientist recants a claim, a politician recants a promise. In law, 'recant' about testimony is a standard term. Outside of these, it stays formal and rather literary; in everyday English people 'take it back' or 'go back on what they said'.

It has stretched, carefully它也小心地延伸 to modern uses到現代的用法上: a witness recants their testimony證人 recant 自己的證詞 (says the evidence they gave was false)（表示自己先前作的證是假的）, a scientist recants a claim科學家 recant 一個主張, a politician recants a promise政治人物 recant 一個承諾。In law在法律上, 'recant' about testimony「recant」用在證詞上 is a standard term是個標準用詞。Outside of these除此之外, it stays formal and rather literary它仍然是正式、偏文學性的用詞; in everyday English日常英文裡, people 'take it back'人們會說 'take it back'（收回） or 'go back on what they said'或'go back on what they said'（食言、反悔）。