commonplace adj.
释义:happening often or often seen or experienced and so not considered to be special
“commonplace”既是名词也是形容词,今天我们学习它作形容词表示“平常的” “不足为奇的”用法。我们可以用它来替换 not special,usual,在口语和写作中都很实用。
例① 美国总统特朗普的推特中常有拼写错误。
Spelling errors are commonplace in Donald Trump’s tweets.
这句还可以用我们刚刚学过的 prone 来改写:
Donald Trump’s tweets are prone to spelling errors.
我们在描述某个流行的现象时就可以用到 commonplace。
例② 在中国移动支付系统已经非常普遍。
Mobile payment systems are already commonplace across China.
例③《经济学人》在一篇特别报道中就用到了 commonplace:
Households with just one child have become commonplace in Europe and the more prosperous parts of Asia, including China. That means each child has more time, money and energy invested in it, but misses out on the hustle and bustle of a larger household.
除了可以从这句话中学习 commonplace 的用法,我们还可以学习 “xx has become commonplace. That means…”这种简单实用表达结构,在雅思托福等考试中可以使用。
1. 使用《牛津英语搭配词典》查“commonplace”,了解它作为形容词时的常用搭配。
be, seem 平凡;似乎平凡
become 变得平凡
almost 几近寻常
enough, fairly, quite, rather 十分平常;相当普通
Her situation sounded commonplace enough.
among/amongst 在…中间很平常 These ideas are commonplace among teenagers. 这些观念在十几岁的人中间很常见。
2. 翻译:去国外度假已经变得越来越平常。
Spending a holiday abroad has become increasingly commonplace.
(参考翻译:Foreign vacations have become increasingly commonplace. 或 Holidaying abroad has become increasingly commonplace.)
3.造句练习
场景: 在中国,朋友之间的聚餐,AA制越来越普遍。
造句: Spliting the bill is becoming commonplace among friends when having a meal together in China.