「游戏化学习用英语怎么说」的地道表达是「Gamified Learning」，指将游戏机制应用于教育场景。近期《经济学人》对历史模拟游戏的深度解析引发关注，其核心涵盖了实践学习（Learning by Doing）与程序性修辞（Procedural Rhetoric）。本文拆解其外刊高阶词汇，助你攻克雅思/托福学术类阅读与写作。
Paragraph 1: 实践学习的悖论
📄 双语对照
When it comes to education, there is no substitute for learning by doing. To teach children Spanish, have them speak it. To teach them art, give them paper and paints. Plenty of tech titans got their start by playing around on a computer in their youth.
说到教育,实践学习无可替代。要教孩子西班牙语,就让他们开口说;要教艺术,就给他们纸笔和颜料。许多科技巨头都是在年轻时摆弄电脑起家的。
But some subjects are less suited to such learning, notably history. The past is fixed, and—until one of those tech titans invents a time machine—inaccessible. You can read about it in books, or watch re-enactments. But even the most eager student cannot get any hands-on experience. They cannot tinker and experiment as they can with a car or a foreign language.
但有些学科不太适合这种学习方式,尤其是历史。过去已成定局,而且——除非某位科技巨头发明时光机——无法触及。你可以在书中读到历史,或观看历史重演。但即使是最热切的学生也无法获得任何实践体验。他们无法像摆弄汽车或学外语那样去修补和试验历史。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- there is no substitute for 无可替代;没有什么能代替
- 【搭配】no substitute for experience/practice 经验/实践无可替代
- 【例】There is no substitute for hard work. 勤奋努力无可替代。
- 【补】irreplaceable 不可替代的, essential 必不可少的
- notably [ˈnəʊtəbli] adv. 尤其;特别是;显著地
- 【记】notable(显著的)+ ly(副词后缀)→ 显著地
- 【搭配】notably different 显著不同, most notably 最显著的是
- 【补】especially 尤其, particularly 特别地, significantly 显著地
- re-enactment [ˌriːɪˈnæktmənt] n. 重演;再现
- 【记】re(再)+ enact(扮演)+ ment(名词后缀)→ 再次扮演 → 重演
- 【搭配】historical re-enactment 历史重演
- 【补】recreation 重现, reconstruction 重建
- hands-on [ˌhændz ˈɒn] adj. 实践的;亲身体验的
- 【搭配】hands-on experience 实践经验, hands-on learning 实践学习
- 【反】theoretical 理论的, hands-off 不干涉的
- 【补】practical 实际的, experiential 经验的
- tinker [ˈtɪŋkər] v. 摆弄;修补;试验改进
- 【记】象声词,模仿修理时发出的”叮当”声
- 【搭配】tinker with 摆弄/试验, tinker around 到处修补
- 【补】fiddle with 摆弄, experiment with 试验, play around with 尝试
Paragraph 2: 游戏解决方案的引入
📄 双语对照
Or can they? On November 4th Paradox Interactive, a Swedish video-game developer and publisher, released Europa Universalis 5 (EU5), the latest in a series of best-selling historical video games. EU5 lets players take control of any one of hundreds of early-modern historical states in the year 1337, on the brink of the Hundred Years War, and guide it through the centuries as they see fit.
真的不能吗?11月4日,瑞典电子游戏开发商和发行商 Paradox Interactive 发布了《欧陆风云5》(EU5),这是其畅销历史电子游戏系列的最新作品。EU5让玩家可以在1337年——百年战争爆发前夕——控制数百个早期现代历史国家中的任何一个,并按照自己的意愿引导其穿越数个世纪。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- on the brink of 在…的边缘;即将…
- 【记】brink 边缘,悬崖边
- 【搭配】on the brink of war/collapse/disaster 即将开战/崩溃/遭遇灾难
- 【补】on the verge of 即将, on the edge of 在…边缘
- as they see fit 按照他们认为合适的方式;随心所欲
- 【记】see fit 认为合适
- 【搭配】do as one sees fit 按自己认为合适的方式做
- 【例】You can spend the money as you see fit. 你可以按自己认为合适的方式花这笔钱。
- 【补】as they wish 随他们所愿, however they choose 无论他们如何选择
Paragraph 3: Paradox 游戏产品线
📄 双语对照
Paradox specialises in these high-concept historical games and sells millions of them. The medievally inclined can try Crusader Kings, set in the Middle Ages. The Victoria series covers the Industrial Revolution, while Hearts of Iron focuses on the second world war. Imperator: Rome does what it says on the tin.
Paradox 专注于这些高概念历史游戏,销量达数百万份。偏爱中世纪的玩家可以尝试《十字军之王》,背景设定在中世纪。《维多利亚》系列涵盖工业革命时期,而《钢铁雄心》聚焦于二战。《大将军:罗马》则名副其实。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- specialise in [ˈspeʃəlaɪz] 专注于;专门从事
- 【记】special(特殊的)+ ise(动词后缀)→ 使特殊化 → 专门化
- 【搭配】specialise in doing sth 专门做某事
- 【补】focus on 专注于, concentrate on 集中于, be expert in 擅长于
- high-concept [ˌhaɪ ˈkɒnsept] adj. 高概念的;创意独特的
- 【记】high(高)+ concept(概念)→ 概念性强的
- 【用法】常用于娱乐产业,指能用一句话说清核心创意的作品
- 【例】a high-concept movie 高概念电影
- 【补】innovative 创新的, original 原创的
- medievally inclined 偏爱中世纪的;倾向于中世纪的
- 【记】medieval(中世纪的)+ ly inclined(倾向于…)
- 【搭配】be inclined to/towards 倾向于, academically/artistically inclined 学术/艺术倾向的
- 【补】interested in 对…感兴趣, drawn to 被…吸引
- does what it says on the tin (英式口语)名副其实;正如其名
- 【记】英国俚语,源于产品包装上的说明【用法】表示某物完全符合其名称或描述【补】lives up to its name 名副其实, exactly as advertised 正如宣传的那样
Paragraph 4: 竞争对手游戏
📄 双语对照
Other game-makers offer similar experiences. The Civilization games let players guide everyone from the Assyrians to the Prussians or the Vietnamese through six millennia of history, from the Stone Age to the space age. It has sold more than 70m copies since the first version in 1991. The more militarily focused Total War series invites players to take command of intricately simulated armies in historical periods from feudal Japan to Napoleonic Europe or Republican Rome.
其他游戏制作商也提供类似体验。《文明》系列游戏让玩家引导从亚述人到普鲁士人或越南人等各个文明,跨越六千年历史,从石器时代到太空时代。自1991年首个版本以来,该系列已售出超过7000万份。更侧重军事的《全面战争》系列则邀请玩家指挥精细模拟的军队,历史时期涵盖从封建日本到拿破仑时代的欧洲,或罗马共和国时期。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- millennia [mɪˈleniə] n. 千年(millennium的复数)
- 【记】mille(千)+ ennium(年)→ 千年
- 【单】millennium 一千年
- 【搭配】over millennia 跨越数千年, for millennia 数千年来
- 【补】centuries 数百年, decades 数十年
- militarily focused 军事导向的;侧重军事的
- 【记】military(军事的)+ ly + focused(聚焦的)
- 【搭配】militarily superior 军事上占优, militarily significant 具有军事意义的
- 【补】combat-oriented 战斗导向的, war-centered 以战争为中心的
- intricately [ˈɪntrɪkətli] adv. 复杂地;精细地
- 【记】intricate(复杂的)+ ly(副词后缀)
- 【搭配】intricately designed 设计精细的, intricately connected 错综复杂地连接
- 【补】elaborately 精心地, complexly 复杂地, in detail 详细地
- feudal [ˈfjuːdl] adj. 封建的;封建制度的
- 【记】feud(封地)+ al(形容词后缀)→ 与封地有关的 → 封建的
- 【搭配】feudal system 封建制度, feudal society 封建社会, feudal Japan 封建时代的日本
- 【补】medieval 中世纪的, hierarchical 等级制的
Paragraph 5: 教育影响力
📄 双语对照
The influence of such games goes beyond entertainment. In 2021 Nicholas Mulder, a historian at Cornell University, noted on Twitter that a new kind of student was turning up in his class on early-modern Europe; one whose interest had been explicitly sparked by Europa Universalis 4. “You’ll get at least a few in every class,” agrees Bret Devereaux, a historian at North Carolina State University. As he put it on his blog: teachers now encounter self-taught history buffs for whom “Paradox [games are] the historical mother tongue, and actual history is only a second language.”
这类游戏的影响力超越了娱乐范畴。2021年,康奈尔大学历史学家 Nicholas Mulder 在推特上指出,他的早期现代欧洲课堂上出现了一种新型学生——他们的兴趣明确由《欧陆风云4》激发。北卡罗来纳州立大学历史学家 Bret Devereaux 表示赞同:”每个班上至少都会有几个这样的学生。” 正如他在博客中所说:教师们现在会遇到自学成才的历史爱好者,对他们而言”Paradox 游戏是历史母语,而真实历史只是第二语言。”
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- go beyond 超越;不止于
- 【搭配】go beyond expectations 超出期望, go beyond the surface 超越表面
- 【例】The impact goes beyond what we initially thought. 影响超出了我们最初的想法。
- 【补】exceed 超过, surpass 超越, transcend 超越
- turn up 出现;到场
- 【搭配】turn up in class 出现在课堂上, turn up unexpectedly 意外出现
- 【补】show up 出现, appear 出现, arrive 到达
- explicitly [ɪkˈsplɪsɪtli] adv. 明确地;清楚地
- 【记】explicit(明确的)+ ly(副词后缀)
- 【搭配】explicitly state 明确陈述, explicitly mention 明确提到
- 【反】implicitly 含蓄地, vaguely 模糊地
- 【补】clearly 清楚地, directly 直接地, unmistakably 明白无误地
- spark [spɑːk] v. 激发;引发 n. 火花
- 【搭配】spark interest/curiosity 激发兴趣/好奇心, spark a debate 引发辩论
- 【补】trigger 触发, ignite 点燃, stimulate 刺激
- self-taught [ˌself ˈtɔːt] adj. 自学的;自学成才的
- 【记】self(自己)+ taught(teach的过去分词)→ 自己教自己的
- 【搭配】self-taught musician/programmer 自学成才的音乐家/程序员
- 【补】autodidact 自学者(n.), self-educated 自我教育的
- history buff 历史爱好者;历史迷
- 【记】buff 爱好者;行家(非正式)
- 【搭配】film buff 电影迷, tech buff 技术迷
- 【补】history enthusiast 历史爱好者, history lover 热爱历史的人
- mother tongue 母语
- 【搭配】native language 母语, first language 第一语言
- 【反】second language 第二语言, foreign language 外语
Paragraph 6: 历史模拟的演变
📄 双语对照
The idea of simulating history in games is not new. Perhaps the best way to think of a game like Europa Universalis is as a fever-dream remix of Risk, a board game first published in 1957. But whereas board games have to have fairly simple rules, in a video game a machine keeps track of everything. That means those rules and systems can become very complex indeed.
在游戏中模拟历史的想法并非新鲜事物。或许理解《欧陆风云》这类游戏的最佳方式,是将其视为《风险》(1957年首次出版的桌游)的狂热梦境式重混版。但桌游必须有相对简单的规则,而在电子游戏中,机器会追踪一切。这意味着那些规则和系统可以变得极其复杂。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- simulate [ˈsɪmjuleɪt] v. 模拟;仿真
- 【记】simul(相似)+ ate(动词后缀)→ 使相似 → 模拟
- 【搭配】simulate real-world conditions 模拟现实世界条件
- 【补】emulate 仿效, replicate 复制, model 建模
- fever-dream [ˈfiːvə driːm] n. 狂热梦境;高烧时的怪梦(比喻怪诞离奇的事物)
- 【记】fever(发烧)+ dream(梦)→ 发烧时做的怪梦
- 【用法】形容奇特、超现实、难以理解的事物
- 【补】surreal 超现实的, bizarre 怪异的, wild 狂野的
- remix [ˈriːmɪks] n./v. 重混;改编版
- 【记】re(再)+ mix(混合)→ 重新混合
- 【用法】原指音乐重新混音,现泛指任何创意性重组
- 【补】reinterpretation 重新诠释, reimagining 重新构想, variation 变体
- whereas [ˌweərˈæz] conj. 然而;但是;鉴于
- 【用法】用于对比两个事实或情况
- 【例】He likes coffee, whereas I prefer tea. 他喜欢咖啡,而我更喜欢茶。
- 【补】while 而, but 但是, in contrast 相比之下
- keep track of 追踪;记录;掌握…的动态
- 【搭配】keep track of time/progress/expenses 记录时间/进度/开支
- 【反】lose track of 失去对…的追踪
- 【补】monitor 监控, follow 跟踪, record 记录
- complex [ˈkɒmpleks] adj. 复杂的;综合的
- 【记】com(共同)+ plex(编织)→ 编织在一起的 → 复杂的
- 【搭配】increasingly/highly complex 日益/高度复杂的
- 【补】complicated 复杂的, intricate 错综复杂的, sophisticated 精密的
Paragraph 7: 游戏复杂度展示
📄 双语对照
Risk divides the world into a few dozen territories, and allows for up to six players. The map in EU5 features thousands of territories and hundreds of different polities, from tiddlers such as the Free Imperial City of Bremen to historical big cheeses such as the Byzantine Empire. The player chooses one; the computer controls the rest, but all are active participants in the game. The game keeps an eye on everything from armies and navies to a state’s administrative capacity, its diplomatic relations and its trade.
《风险》将世界划分为几十个领土,最多允许六名玩家。EU5的地图则包含数千个领土和数百个不同政体,从不莱梅自由帝国城这样的小角色,到拜占庭帝国这样的历史大人物。玩家选择其一;计算机控制其余,但所有政体都是游戏中的活跃参与者。游戏密切关注从军队和海军到国家行政能力、外交关系和贸易的一切事务。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- polity [ˈpɒləti] n. 政体;国家;政治组织
- 【记】poly(政治)+ ity(名词后缀)→ 政治实体
- 【用法】比 country/state 更学术化,强调政治组织形式
- 【补】state 国家, political entity 政治实体, nation 民族国家
- tiddler [ˈtɪdlə(r)] n. (英式口语)小不点;小鱼;微不足道的东西
- 【记】来自 tiddly(微小的)
- 【用法】非正式用语,带有轻蔑或可爱意味
- 【补】小角色: minnow 小鱼(比喻小人物), small fry 小角色, minor player 次要参与者
- big cheese (非正式)大人物;重要人物;老板
- 【记】可能源于波斯语 chiz(东西)或印度语 chiz(真货)
- 【用法】幽默、略带讽刺的说法
- 【搭配】the big cheese 大佬,头儿
- 【补】big shot 大人物, bigwig 要人, VIP 重要人物, heavyweight 重量级人物
- keep an eye on 密切关注;照看;监视
- 【搭配】keep a close eye on 密切关注, keep an eye out for 留意
- 【补】monitor 监控, watch over 看管, track 追踪
Paragraph 8: 游戏体验的复杂性
📄 双语对照
Playing for the first time can be bewildering. Players must conduct diplomacy with vassals and rivals, manage their economies, pacify peasant revolts and balance fractious interest groups. EU4, the previous game in the series, starts in 1444. Play as England and the decisions come thick and fast. Should the royals accept a marriage proposal from Leinster? Should you honour the Treaty of Tours (signed just before the game starts) and hand over Maine, a chunk of English territory in what is now France? Or will you go back on your word and risk reigniting the Hundred Years War? Will you grant a monopoly on the wool trade? And what to do about Scotland, your northern rival?
首次游戏可能会让人眼花缭乱。玩家必须与附庸国和对手进行外交,管理经济,平息农民起义,并平衡各个争吵不休的利益集团。该系列的前作EU4从1444年开始。扮演英格兰时,决策接踵而至。王室应该接受伦斯特的联姻提议吗?应该遵守图尔条约(在游戏开始前刚刚签署)并交出缅因——现在法国境内的一块英格兰领土吗?还是你会食言,冒着重燃百年战争的风险?要不要授予羊毛贸易垄断权?还有如何应对北方对手苏格兰?
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- bewildering [bɪˈwɪldərɪŋ] adj. 令人困惑的;使人眼花缭乱的
- 【记】be + wilder(使迷失)+ ing → 使人迷失方向的
- 【搭配】bewildering array/variety 令人眼花缭乱的种类
- 【补】confusing 令人困惑的, disorienting 使人迷失方向的, overwhelming 压倒性的
- vassal [ˈvæsl] n. 附庸;封臣;附庸国
- 【记】源自拉丁语 vassus(仆人)
- 【用法】封建制度中对领主效忠的臣属
- 【搭配】vassal state 附庸国, feudal vassal 封建附庸
- 【补】subordinate 下属, subject state 从属国
- pacify [ˈpæsɪfaɪ] v. 平息;安抚;使平静
- 【记】pac(和平)+ ify(使…)→ 使和平 → 平息
- 【搭配】pacify rebels/protests 平息叛乱/抗议
- 【补】quell 镇压, suppress 压制, calm 使平静, put down 平定
- fractious [ˈfrækʃəs] adj. 易怒的;难以控制的;好争吵的
- 【记】fract(破裂)+ ious(形容词后缀)→ 容易破裂关系的 → 好争吵的
- 【搭配】fractious coalition/alliance 不稳定的联盟, fractious debate 争吵激烈的辩论
- 【补】quarrelsome 好争吵的, contentious 引起争论的, difficult 难搞的
- come thick and fast (习语)接踵而至;纷至沓来
- 【用法】形容事物快速且大量地出现
- 【例】Questions came thick and fast. 问题接踵而来。
- 【补】come in rapid succession 快速接连而来, pour in 涌入, flood in 蜂拥而至
- go back on one’s word 食言;违背诺言
- 【搭配】go back on a promise/agreement 违背承诺/协议
- 【补】break one’s word 食言, renege on 违背, backtrack 背弃承诺
Paragraph 9: 替代历史的产生
📄 双语对照
That means the games are practically certain to generate “alternate histories”, in which the world develops along a different path from the one it actually took. If England does manage to hang on to Maine in EU4, for instance, the country can be played as a land power rather than the maritime one it actually became. But doing so may also spark another war with France—albeit one that England can sometimes win. An ambitious Dai Viet player can turn the historical tables and conquer China. Academic historians are often sniffy about alternate history. But it can be a good way to get students thinking about the subject as more than a tedious list of events, says Jeremiah McCall, who teaches history at Cincinnati Country Day School and has written on the educational uses of games.
这意味着这些游戏几乎必然会产生”替代历史”,即世界沿着与实际不同的路径发展。例如,如果英格兰在EU4中成功保住缅因,这个国家就可以作为陆权国家来玩,而不是它实际成为的海权国家。但这样做也可能引发与法国的另一场战争——尽管这场战争英格兰有时也能获胜。雄心勃勃的大越玩家可以扭转历史,征服中国。学术历史学家往往对替代历史嗤之以鼻。但辛辛那提乡村走读学校历史教师、研究游戏教育用途的 Jeremiah McCall 说,这可能是让学生将历史视为不仅仅是枯燥事件清单的好方法。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- practically certain 几乎肯定;实际上必然
- 【用法】practically 在此表”几乎,实际上”
- 【补】almost certain 几乎确定, virtually guaranteed 基本保证
- hang on to 紧紧抓住;保住;保留
- 【搭配】hang on to power/territory 保住权力/领土
- 【补】retain 保留, keep hold of 抓住不放, maintain 维持
- maritime [ˈmærɪtaɪm] adj. 海洋的;海权的;航海的
- 【记】mari(海)+ time → 与海有关的
- 【搭配】maritime power 海权国家, maritime trade 海上贸易
- 【反】land power 陆权国家, continental 大陆的
- 【补】naval 海军的, oceanic 海洋的
- albeit [ɔːlˈbiːɪt] conj. 尽管;虽然
- 【记】all be it 的缩合 → 尽管如此
- 【用法】较正式,用于让步
- 【补】although 虽然, though 尽管, even though 即使
- turn the tables (习语)扭转局势;反败为胜
- 【记】源自棋盘游戏,翻转棋盘改变双方位置
- 【搭配】turn the tables on sb 对某人反守为攻
- 【补】reverse the situation 扭转局势, gain the upper hand 占上风
- sniffy [ˈsnɪfi] adj. (英式,非正式)嗤之以鼻的;鄙视的;傲慢的
- 【记】sniff(嗤之以鼻)+ y(形容词后缀)
- 【搭配】be sniffy about sth 对某事不屑一顾
- 【补】dismissive 不屑一顾的, disdainful 鄙视的, scornful 轻蔑的, condescending 居高临下的
- tedious [ˈtiːdiəs] adj. 冗长乏味的;单调沉闷的
- 【记】tedi(厌倦)+ ous(形容词后缀)→ 令人厌倦的
- 【搭配】tedious task/process 枯燥的任务/过程
- 【补】boring 无聊的, monotonous 单调的, dull 沉闷的
Paragraph 10: 游戏作为独特媒介
📄 双语对照
It is this freewheeling agency, adds Dr McCall, that makes games—especially those that lean towards simulation rather than linear narratives—a unique form of media. Reading about history is a passive experience. Play a game, and you have to get your hands dirty.
McCall 博士补充说,正是这种自由奔放的能动性,使游戏——尤其是那些倾向于模拟而非线性叙事的游戏——成为一种独特的媒介形式。阅读历史是被动体验。玩游戏,你就必须亲自动手实践。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- freewheeling [ˌfriːˈwiːlɪŋ] adj. 自由奔放的;不受约束的;随心所欲的
- 【记】free(自由)+ wheeling(转动)→ 自由转动 → 不受约束
- 【搭配】freewheeling style/approach 自由不羁的风格/方式
- 【补】unrestrained 不受限制的, uninhibited 无拘无束的, free-ranging 自由活动的
- agency [ˈeɪdʒənsi] n. 能动性;主体性;行动力
- 【记】agent(行动者)+ cy(名词后缀)→ 行动者的特质
- 【用法】哲学/社会学术语,指个体自主行动和选择的能力
- 【搭配】personal/individual agency 个人能动性, sense of agency 主体感
- 【补】autonomy 自主权, self-determination 自决, free will 自由意志
- lean towards 倾向于;偏向
- 【搭配】lean towards doing sth 倾向于做某事
- 【补】tend towards 趋向于, incline towards 倾向于, favor 偏爱
- get your hands dirty (习语)亲自动手;亲身参与(尤指艰苦或不愉快的工作)
- 【用法】既可指字面上的弄脏手,也可比喻亲身实践
- 【例】You need to get your hands dirty to really understand the problem. 你需要亲自动手才能真正理解问题。
- 【补】get involved 参与其中, do the work yourself 亲自做, roll up your sleeves 撸起袖子干
Paragraph 11: 程序性修辞
📄 双语对照
People will learn things while they are having fun, too, via something that Ian Bogost, a video-game critic, dubs “procedural rhetoric”—the ideas and assumptions that the rules and systems of a game smuggle, often unnoticed, into the player’s mind. An obvious one is a better knowledge of what the past looked like; that the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a behemoth in its day, or that an unwise royal marriage risks giving foreign rulers a claim to your throne.
人们在享受乐趣的同时也会学到东西,这要归功于电子游戏评论家 Ian Bogost 所称的”程序性修辞”——游戏的规则和系统往往在不知不觉中向玩家大脑中走私的思想和假设。一个显而易见的例子是更好地了解过去的样貌;比如立陶宛大公国在其鼎盛时期是个庞然大物,或者不明智的王室联姻会让外国统治者有权声索你的王位。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- dub [dʌb] v. 把…称为;授予…称号
- 【搭配】be dubbed (as) 被称为, dub sb/sth + 名词
- 【例】The media dubbed him “the comeback kid”. 媒体称他为”复出小子”。
- 【补】call 称呼, label 贴标签, term 称作, nickname 给…起绰号
- procedural rhetoric 程序性修辞
- 【记】procedural(程序的)+ rhetoric(修辞)
- 【用法】游戏研究术语,指通过游戏机制和规则传达的说服性信息
- 【补】game mechanics 游戏机制, systemic persuasion 系统性说服
- smuggle [ˈsmʌɡl] v. 走私;偷运;偷偷传递
- 【记】可能源自低地德语 smuggeln
- 【搭配】smuggle sth into/out of 把…偷运进/出, smuggle ideas 偷偷传递思想
- 【用法】此处比喻游戏在不知不觉中植入观念
- 【补】slip in 悄悄塞入, sneak in 偷偷带入, introduce subtly 巧妙引入
- behemoth [bɪˈhiːməθ] n. 庞然大物;巨兽;巨头
- 【记】源自《圣经》中的巨兽名
- 【用法】形容体积、力量或影响力巨大的事物
- 【例】tech behemoths like Google and Amazon 谷歌和亚马逊这样的科技巨头
- 【补】giant 巨人, colossus 巨像, powerhouse 强大的组织, juggernaut 重型卡车(比喻不可阻挡的力量)
- in its day 在其鼎盛时期;在当时
- 【用法】指过去某个特定时期的辉煌
- 【例】It was a great innovation in its day. 这在当时是一项伟大创新。
- 【补】at its peak 在巅峰时期, at that time 在那时, back then 在那个年代
- claim [kleɪm] n. 声称拥有的权利;索赔;主张
- 【搭配】have a claim to sth 对某物有权利, lay claim to 声称对…拥有权利, stake a claim 提出权利要求
- 【用法】此处指继承王位的法律主张
- 【补】right 权利, entitlement 应得权益, title 头衔/所有权
Paragraph 12: 历史的偶然性
📄 双语对照
Another idea, more profound, is that history did not have to happen the way it did. Some of Paradox’s earlier games try to keep things trundling roughly along their historical tracks by forcing certain big events—the Manchu conquest of China, say, or the Reformation in Northern Europe—to happen mostly on schedule. But that “railroading”, as players call it, has diminished in later releases in favour of letting the simulation play out as it will.
另一个更深刻的理念是,历史并非必然要以实际发生的方式展开。Paradox 的一些早期游戏试图通过强制某些重大事件——比如满族征服中国,或北欧的宗教改革——基本按计划发生,来让事态大致沿着历史轨迹缓缓推进。但玩家所称的这种”铁轨式发展”,在后来的版本中已经减少,转而支持让模拟自由发展。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- trundle [ˈtrʌndl] v. 缓慢而稳定地移动;(使)滚动
- 【记】象声词,模仿滚动声
- 【搭配】trundle along 缓慢行进, trundle down the road 沿路滚动前行
- 【用法】常形容缓慢、沉重或笨拙的移动
- 【补】roll along 滚动前进, move slowly 缓慢移动, lumber 笨重移动
- keep things trundling along 让事态继续缓缓推进;保持事物运转
- 【用法】生动的英式表达,强调维持缓慢但稳定的进程
- 【补】keep things moving 保持事物运转, maintain momentum 保持势头
- on schedule 按计划;准时
- 【搭配】ahead of/behind schedule 提前/落后于计划, run on schedule 按计划进行
- 【补】on time 准时, as planned 按计划, according to plan 根据计划
- railroading [ˈreɪlrəʊdɪŋ] n. (游戏术语)铁轨式发展;强制性剧情
- 【记】railroad(铁路)+ ing → 像火车只能沿铁轨行驶,比喻被强制沿特定路径发展
- 【用法】游戏设计术语,指玩家被迫遵循预设路径,缺乏真正选择
- 【补】linear progression 线性进程, forced narrative 强制叙事, scripted events 脚本化事件
- in favour of 支持;赞成;有利于
- 【搭配】decide in favour of 决定支持, rule in favour of 裁决支持
- 【补】in support of 支持, preferring 更倾向于, choosing instead 转而选择
- play out 展开;发生;演变
- 【搭配】let sth play out 让某事自然发展, see how things play out 看事态如何发展
- 【补】unfold 展开, develop 发展, run its course 自然发展
Paragraph 13: 安全困境教学
📄 双语对照
Some of the lessons can be surprisingly sophisticated. Dr Devereaux has written about how Paradox’s games can teach players about a concept known in international relations as the “security dilemma”, without ever mentioning the phrase. The idea is that though economic growth is not a zero-sum game, security is. A state may beef up its own army because it is feeling insecure next to powerful neighbours. But that makes that country seem more threatening, prodding those next door to build bigger armies, too.
有些经验教训可能出人意料地深刻。Devereaux 博士撰文探讨了 Paradox 的游戏如何在从未提及这个术语的情况下,教会玩家国际关系中被称为”安全困境”的概念。其理念是,尽管经济增长不是零和博弈,但安全却是。一个国家可能因为在强大邻国旁感到不安全而增强自己的军队。但这使该国看起来更具威胁性,促使邻国也建立更强大的军队。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- security dilemma 安全困境
- 【用法】国际关系理论核心概念
- 【解释】一国增强安全的行为反而导致其他国家感到不安全,从而引发军备竞赛
- 【补】arms race 军备竞赛, mutual distrust 相互不信任
- zero-sum game 零和博弈
- 【记】zero-sum(零和)+ game(博弈)
- 【解释】一方所得等于另一方所失,总和为零的竞争情境
- 【反】win-win situation 双赢局面, positive-sum game 正和博弈
- 【补】competitive game 竞争性博弈
- beef up (非正式)增强;加强;充实
- 【记】beef(牛肉,力量)+ up(增加)→ 增加力量
- 【搭配】beef up security/defenses 加强安全/防御, beef up the team 充实团队
- 【补】strengthen 加强, reinforce 增援, bolster 支持, build up 增强
- prod [prɒd] v. 戳;刺;促使;督促
- 【记】可能源自拟声词
- 【搭配】prod sb into doing sth 促使某人做某事, prod sb to action 督促某人行动
- 【补】push 推动, nudge 轻推, spur 刺激, goad 驱使, prompt 促使
Paragraph 14: 勃艮第案例研究
📄 双语对照
Dr Devereaux uses Burgundy in EU4 to illustrate the baleful consequences. It begins the game next to an expansionist France, with its territory dangerously split in two. To play Burgundy is to fret constantly about France’s intentions and your own precarious position. To safeguard your country, you need to become more powerful. Before the Industrial Revolution, when almost the entire economy is built on agriculture, the easiest way to do that is to acquire more land. That draws the player’s eye inexorably to the small statelets of the Holy Roman Empire to the east. “To avoid becoming a victim of France,” writes Dr Devereaux, “Burgundy effectively must victimise its own smaller neighbours.” But those neighbours face the same incentives, as you will discover if you play as them. It is one thing to read about the security dilemma in a textbook. It is another to experience it for yourself.
Devereaux 博士用 EU4 中的勃艮第来说明这种恶性后果。游戏开始时,它毗邻扩张主义的法国,领土危险地一分为二。扮演勃艮第就是要不断担心法国的意图和自己岌岌可危的处境。要保护国家,你需要变得更强大。在工业革命之前,当几乎整个经济都建立在农业基础上时,最简单的方法就是获取更多土地。这不可避免地将玩家的目光吸引到东边神圣罗马帝国的小国。Devereaux 博士写道:”为了避免成为法国的受害者,勃艮第实际上必须去欺压自己更小的邻国。” 但这些邻国面临同样的动机,你扮演它们时就会发现这一点。在教科书上读到安全困境是一回事,亲身体验又是另一回事。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- baleful [ˈbeɪlfl] adj. 恶性的;有害的;凶险的
- 【记】bale(灾祸)+ ful(充满…)→ 充满灾祸的
- 【搭配】baleful consequences/effects 恶性后果/影响, baleful influence 有害影响
- 【补】harmful 有害的, pernicious 恶性的, malign 恶意的, sinister 险恶的
- expansionist [ɪkˈspænʃənɪst] adj. 扩张主义的 n. 扩张主义者
- 【记】expansion(扩张)+ ist(主义者)
- 【搭配】expansionist policy/ambitions 扩张主义政策/野心
- 【补】aggressive 侵略性的, imperialist 帝国主义的
- fret [fret] v. 烦恼;焦虑;担忧
- 【记】可能源自古英语 fretan(吞噬)
- 【搭配】fret about/over sth 为某事烦恼, fret constantly 不断担心
- 【补】worry 担心, agonize 苦恼, stress 焦虑
- precarious [prɪˈkeəriəs] adj. 不稳定的;岌岌可危的;危险的
- 【记】precari(祈祷)+ ous → 需要祈祷的 → 危险的
- 【搭配】precarious position/situation 岌岌可危的处境, precarious balance 不稳定的平衡
- 【补】unstable 不稳定的, insecure 不安全的, perilous 危险的, vulnerable 脆弱的
- inexorably [ɪnˈeksərəbli] adv. 不可阻挡地;无情地;必然地
- 【记】in(不)+ exorable(可求情的)+ ly → 无法求情地 → 不可阻挡地
- 【搭配】move/draw inexorably towards 不可避免地朝…移动
- 【补】inevitably 不可避免地, relentlessly 无情地, unstoppably 无法阻止地
- statelet [ˈsteɪtlət] n. 小国;小邦
- 【记】state(国家)+ let(小)→ 小国家
- 【用法】略带贬义,指面积或影响力很小的国家
- 【补】mini-state 迷你国家, microstate 微型国家, principality 公国
- victimise [ˈvɪktɪmaɪz] v. 使受害;迫害;欺压
- 【记】victim(受害者)+ ise(使…)→ 使成为受害者
- 【搭配】victimise smaller neighbours 欺压较小的邻国
- 【补】oppress 压迫, prey on 掠夺, exploit 剥削
- It is one thing to… It is another to… 做…是一回事,做…又是另一回事
- 【用法】经典对比句式,强调理论与实践的差异
- 【例】It’s one thing to talk about change, it’s another to actually do it. 谈论变革是一回事,真正去做又是另一回事。
- 【补】There’s a difference between… 在…之间有区别
Paragraph 15: 游戏的局限性
📄 双语对照
The strength of games like Europa Universalis—that they are simulations, with consistent rules—can also be a weakness. Savvy players can exploit the systems, and the unimaginative play of their computer opponents. And if a decision proves catastrophic, the player can always reload and avoid making it again, an option unavailable to real historical decision-makers.
像《欧陆风云》这类游戏的优势——它们是具有一致规则的模拟——也可能成为劣势。精明的玩家可以利用系统漏洞,以及电脑对手缺乏想象力的玩法。而且如果某个决定被证明是灾难性的,玩家总可以重新加载并避免再次做出该决定,这是真实历史决策者所没有的选择。
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- savvy [ˈsævi] adj. 精明的;有见识的;懂行的 n. 实际知识;悟性
- 【记】源自西班牙语 sabe(知道)
- 【搭配】tech-savvy 精通技术的, politically savvy 政治上精明的, business savvy 商业头脑
- 【补】shrewd 精明的, astute 敏锐的, knowledgeable 有见识的, street-smart 机灵的
- exploit [ɪkˈsplɔɪt] v. 利用;剥削;开发
- 【搭配】exploit a weakness/loophole 利用弱点/漏洞, exploit the system 利用系统
- 【补】take advantage of 利用, capitalize on 利用
- unimaginative [ˌʌnɪˈmædʒɪnətɪv] adj. 缺乏想象力的;平庸的
- 【记】un(不)+ imaginative(有想象力的)
- 【搭配】unimaginative approach/solution 缺乏创意的方法/解决方案
- 【补】uncreative 不creative的, pedestrian 平淡无奇的, predictable 可预测的
- catastrophic [ˌkætəˈstrɒfɪk] adj. 灾难性的;毁灭性的
- 【记】catastrophe(大灾难)+ ic(形容词后缀)
- 【搭配】catastrophic failure/consequences 灾难性失败/后果
- 【补】disastrous 灾难的, devastating 毁灭性的, calamitous 悲惨的
Paragraph 16: 总结与展望
📄 双语对照
But all forms of media are imperfect. Dissecting a game’s assumptions and flaws is good practice for doing the same to academic articles or historical sources. History is not in fashion today: science and engineering degrees are in the ascendancy. Something that makes history—or at least a gamified version of it—so alluring that students will voluntarily sink hundreds of hours into “is a huge positive” for the field, says Dr Devereaux. “No question about it.”
但所有形式的媒介都不完美。剖析游戏的假设和缺陷,是对学术文章或历史资料进行同样分析的良好实践。如今历史不再流行:理工科学位正处于上升期。Devereaux 博士说,能让历史——或至少是其游戏化版本——如此吸引人,以至于学生愿意自发投入数百小时,”对该领域来说是一大利好”。”毫无疑问。”
🔑 核心词汇 / 搭配
- dissect [daɪˈsekt] v. 解剖;仔细分析;剖析
- 【记】dis(分开)+ sect(切)→ 切开 → 解剖/剖析
- 【搭配】dissect an argument/text 剖析论点/文本, dissect the problem 仔细分析问题
- 【补】analyze 分析, examine closely 仔细检查, pick apart 逐一剖析
- in fashion 流行的;时髦的
- 【反】out of fashion 过时的, unfashionable 不流行的
- 【补】popular 流行的, trendy 时髦的, in vogue 流行中
- in the ascendancy 处于上升期;日益强大;占优势
- 【记】ascendancy(优势,支配地位)
- 【用法】较正式的表达,强调力量或影响力的增长
- 【补】on the rise 上升中, gaining prominence 日益突出, growing in influence 影响力增长
- sink hours into 投入大量时间于;在…上花费大量时间
- 【搭配】sink time/money/effort into sth 在某事上投入时间/金钱/精力
- 【补】pour hours into 投入大量时间, dedicate time to 奉献时间于, invest time in 在…上投资时间
- No question about it. 毫无疑问;这是肯定的
- 【用法】口语化表达,用于强调确定性
- 【补】Without a doubt 毫无疑问, Absolutely 绝对地, There’s no doubt 毫无疑问
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