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Unfailing means never running out and never letting you down — especially when things are hard. Notice that the difficulty is part of the meaning.
Unfailingunfailing means never running out and never letting you down意思是從不枯竭、從不讓人失望——especially when things are hard尤其是在情況艱難的時候。Notice that請注意the difficulty is part of the meaning「困難」本身就是這個字意思的一部分。
Anyone can be kind on an easy day; 'unfailing kindness' is kindness that was still there when the person had every reason to lose it. That is why the word feels warm and a little .
Anyone任何人can be kind on an easy day在順利的時候都能表現善良;'unfailing kindness'「始終如一的善意」is kindness that was still there when the person had every reason to lose it指的是即使這人完全有理由不再善良,那份善意還是還在。That is why這也是為什麼the word feels warm and a little admiring這個字聽起來溫暖,還帶點欽佩。
It goes before a noun, almost always, and it pairs with a small set of good qualities: unfailing kindness, unfailing patience, unfailing courtesy, unfailing good humour, unfailing support, unfailing energy. If you learn those pairs you have learnt most of what the word does.
It goes before a noun它幾乎都放在名詞前,almost always幾乎沒有例外,and it pairs with a small set of good qualities而且常搭配一小組美德:unfailing kindness始終如一的善意、unfailing patience始終如一的耐心、unfailing courtesy始終如一的禮貌、unfailing good humour始終如一的好脾氣、unfailing support始終如一的支持、unfailing energy始終如一的活力。If you learn those pairs如果你記住這些搭配you have learnt most of what the word does你就學會了這個字的大部分用法。
It is also used for things that always work: 'an unfailing supply of water', 'an unfailing remedy', 'an unfailing sense of direction'. Here it means reliable to the point of never once failing.
It is also used for things that always work它也用來形容永遠有效的東西:'an unfailing supply of water'「從不間斷的水源」、'an unfailing remedy'「屢試不爽的藥方」、'an unfailing sense of direction'「從不失靈的方向感」。Here在這裡it means reliable to the point of never once failing意思是可靠到從沒失手過。
The word is a bit formal and a bit old-fashioned — it belongs in thank-you speeches, book dedications, , and the acknowledgements page ('I thank my wife for her unfailing support'). In everyday speech a friend would say 'she's always there for me'. Neither is better; they live in different rooms.
The word這個字is a bit formal and a bit old-fashioned有點正式、有點老派——it belongs in thank-you speeches, book dedications, obituaries, and the acknowledgements page它常出現在感謝詞、書的獻詞、訃聞和致謝頁裡('I thank my wife for her unfailing support'「我要感謝我太太始終如一的支持」)。In everyday speech在日常口語裡a friend would say朋友會直接說'she's always there for me'「她一直都在」。Neither is better兩種說法沒有誰比較好;they live in different rooms只是用在不同場合。
One honest note: because it appears so often in those set thank-you phrases, native speakers sometimes use it half-automatically, without weighing it. Used deliberately, though, it is high praise.
One honest note誠實說一句,because it appears so often in those set thank-you phrases因為它太常出現在那些制式的感謝詞裡,native speakers母語人士sometimes use it half-automatically有時會半自動地用它,without weighing it沒有真的仔細斟酌。Used deliberately不過如果是刻意使用,though然而,it is high praise那就是很高的讚美。
組成un- (not) + failing (stopping, running out, letting someone down). 'Fail' came through Old French from Latin fallere, 'to deceive, disappoint'.
同家族的字
- failthe verb this is the negative of
- failurethe noun from the same 'fail'
- unfailinglythe adverb formed from this word
原始詞典資料3 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。
unfailingadj
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inexhaustible
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changeless, constant
- There is an unfailing charm about his novels, an unwearing freshness.
- It is a work of love, made in difficult times at complex locations, with the unfailing support of dozens of brilliant professional people.
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infallible
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。