核心问题
我常弄混 militate 与 mitigate 这两个词。
词典解答
militate 作“发生作用或影响”(have an effect) 解,通常用于指“不利的作用或影响”(与 against 连用),但有时也用于指“有利的作用或影响”(与 for 或 in favour of 连用):
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His poor eyesight militated against his chances of becoming a pilot. (Crews) 他视力不好使他失去了当飞行员的机会。
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Every fact militated against his argument. 每个事实都对他的论点不利。
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The weather militated in favor of the crops. 这天气对庄稼的生长产生了良好的影响。mitigate 作“使减轻，使缓和”(reduce an unpleasant effect) 解：
The doctor's cheerful manner mitigated the bad news. (Crews) 医生高兴的态度缓和了这个坏消息。