
railroads
词源
复合词,由rail(铁轨)和road(道路)组成,最早记录于1825年,指由铁轨构成的运输道路。动词用法始于1870年代,源自铁路建设中不顾地形强行铺设铁轨的做法。
noun
❶ 指由铁轨和配套设施组成的铁路系统,用于运输乘客或货物。通常包括轨道、车站、信号系统等基础设施。
“The transcontinental railroads connected the east and west coasts of the United States.”
(横贯大陆的铁路连接了美国的东西海岸。)
“Many small towns grew rapidly after railroads were built.”
(许多小镇在铁路建成后迅速发展起来。)
verb
❶ 指通过施加压力或强制手段使某事快速进行或完成,常带有不顾反对意见的含义。
“The bill was railroaded through Congress without proper debate.”
(该法案未经充分辩论就在国会强行通过。)
“They tried to railroad the project without considering environmental impacts.”
(他们试图不顾环境影响强行推进该项目。)
常见短语
railroad into — 强迫某人做某事,通常指通过施压或操纵手段使人违背意愿地采取行动。
“He felt he was railroaded into accepting the job offer.”
(他感觉自己是被迫接受这份工作的。)
railroad through — 不顾反对意见强行通过某项决议或计划,常用于政治或商业语境。
“The new policy was railroaded through the board meeting.”
(新政策在董事会会议上被强行通过。)