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Unacceptably means 'to a degree that is too bad to allow'. It is an adverb, and it nearly always sits in front of an adjective that describes an amount or a quality: unacceptably high, unacceptably low, unacceptably slow, unacceptably long, unacceptably rude.
Unacceptablyunacceptably means 'to a degree that is too bad to allow'意思是'糟到不能被容許的程度'。It is an adverb它是副詞,and it nearly always sits in front of an adjective that describes an amount or a quality幾乎都放在形容數量或性質的形容詞前面:unacceptably high, unacceptably low, unacceptably slow, unacceptably long, unacceptably rude像unacceptably high、unacceptably low、unacceptably slow、unacceptably long、unacceptably rude。
The important thing is that it does two jobs at once. It says the amount is extreme, and it says somebody has judged that amount and refuses to put up with it. So 'the waiting time was unacceptably long' is not just a complaint about the clock; it carries the speaker's verdict — this should not have been allowed to happen.
The important thing is that it does two jobs at once重點是它同時做兩件事:it says the amount is extreme它說這個程度很極端,and it says somebody has judged that amount and refuses to put up with it也說有人已經對這個程度下了判斷,不願意忍受。So 'the waiting time was unacceptably long'所以'the waiting time was unacceptably long'這句話 is not just a complaint about the clock不只是在抱怨時間;it carries the speaker's verdict它帶著說話者的判決——this should not have been allowed to happen這件事本來就不該被允許發生。
That is why you hear it from officials, inspectors, reports, news writers, and angry customers writing formal emails. It is a formal word with a hard edge, and using it usually means you expect someone to answer for the problem.
That is why you hear it from officials, inspectors, reports, news writers, and angry customers writing formal emails這就是為什麼官員、稽查員、報告、新聞記者,還有寫正式抱怨信的生氣顧客都會用這個字。It is a formal word with a hard edge這是一個帶著強硬語氣的正式用字,and using it usually means you expect someone to answer for the problem用這個字通常代表你期待有人要為這個問題負責。
It can also appear alone after a verb ('he behaved unacceptably'), though that is less common than the before-an-adjective pattern.
It can also appear alone after a verb它也可以單獨放在動詞後面,('he behaved unacceptably')像'he behaved unacceptably',though that is less common than the before-an-adjective pattern不過這個用法比放在形容詞前面的模式少見。
Note that who decides what is unacceptable is left — the word hides the judge. Writers use that on purpose: 'standards were unacceptably low' sounds like a fact, when really it is somebody's opinion dressed up as one.
Note that who decides what is unacceptable is left unsaid要注意是誰在決定什麼叫不能接受,這句話裡沒說出來——the word hides the judge這個字把下判斷的人藏起來了。Writers use that on purpose寫作者常常故意利用這一點:'standards were unacceptably low'像'standards were unacceptably low'這句 sounds like a fact聽起來像事實,when really it is somebody's opinion dressed up as one但其實只是某人的意見裝扮成事實。
組成un- (not) + acceptable (able to be accepted) + -ly (turns an adjective into an adverb, telling how or how much). Inside acceptable is accept, plus -able meaning 'able to be'.
同家族的字
- acceptablethe adjective it is built from — good enough to allow
- acceptthe verb at the centre — to agree to take or allow something
- unacceptablethe same judgement as an adjective, describing the thing itself
原始詞典資料1 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法,原文照列,我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的;有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
unacceptablyadv
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Not within the limits of what is generally considered to be acceptable.
- The levels of lead in marine hull paints are still unacceptably high.
- Your comments are unacceptably provocative.
資料來源:英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary(CC BY-SA 4.0)。 原文照列,未經改寫。