Substantially
“Substantially” 多用于正式语体:一是表示数量或程度上大幅度变化;二是表示实质上、本质上相同或不同;三是大体上、基本上(相当于 largely)。读新闻与报告时会频繁遇到。
- “Prices have risen substantially over the past year.” (过去一年物价大幅上涨。)
- “The two drafts are substantially identical except for the conclusion.” (两份草稿除结论外实质相同。)
- “The plan was substantially completed by autumn.” (该计划在秋季已基本完成。)
来自拉丁语 “substantia”(实体、本质),与 “substantial”(大量的、实质的)同源;“sub-” + “stans”(站立)构成的哲学词汇演变为“实体”之义。
形容词 “substantial” 加副词后缀 “-ly”,表示方式或程度。
法律、商业和政策文件中常用以弱化绝对断言同时又强调意义重大,是典型的书面论证用语。
- 固定搭配: “substantially increase” (大幅增加), “substantially similar” (实质相似)
Substance 是“实体、 substantial”是“多的、实质的”,加上 -ly 就是“在实质上、狠狠地(多)变了一把”。
“After the redesign, loading times dropped substantially, and users stayed longer on the site.” (改版之后,加载时间大幅缩短,用户在网站上停留更久。)