TEM8 GRE
外刊例句
- Four years earlier, it had been São Paulo in Brazil that had teetered on the brink, with reservoirs reduced to 5% of capacity.
再往前四年，当时濒临同样绝境的城市是巴西的圣保罗，当地水库里的水已经只剩下5%。
——《经济学人》 - Look closely. She wobbles a bit, or maybe it’s more of a teeter, combined with a lurch, and the likeliest cause is podiatric asymmetry.
仔细看看吧，她有点摇晃，或者更像是踉跄，再加一点东倒西歪，最像是一种足部的不对称。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[verb] move or balance unsteadily; sway back and forth
[动词] 不稳定地移动或平衡；前后摇摆
深入解读
Teeter 一词是中古英语 titter （不稳定地移动）的变体，1843年起开始用来表示玩跷跷板似的“使起落颠动、使摇晃”，在美式英语中跷跷板就可以用 teeter-totter 和 teeterboard 表示，或者直接用 teeter 简称。不过，跷跷板更为通用的说法是 see-saw 或 seesaw 。
这个概念发展到今天，更为常见的用法是作动词引申形容某人“蹒跚行走、踉踉跄跄”，形容某物“摇晃、摇摇欲坠”，强调以一种不稳定的方式移动，似乎要失去平衡摔倒在地，比如：
- 她穿着高跟鞋一步三晃地跟在他后面走。几分钟后她绊了一下，摔了个四脚朝天。
She teetered after him in her high-heeled shoes. After a few minutes she tripped and went sprawling. - 那桥在一瞬间晃动了一下。然后桥断了，3辆汽车栽进桥下的深渊。
The bridge teetered for a second. Then the bridge broke and precipitated 3 cars into the abyss below.
而习语 teeter on the brink/edge of sth 字面意思是在某事物的边缘摇晃，实则喻指“处在某个灾难或危险的边缘”或者说“濒临”某个灾难或危险，强调不好的局面很快就会发生，比如：
- 这个国家正处在内战的边缘。我们就要陷入无可救药的混乱。
The country is teetering on the brink of civil war. We are going to get into a hopeless muddle. - 他把滑雪板略微向右斜了一点，眼看着茶杯在边上摇摇欲坠，然后掉落。
He slanted his skis a little more to the right and watched the cup teeter on the edge before it fell.
名著用例
She was rocking backward and forward slightly in her chair, exactly like Dobby did when he was teetering on the edge of revealing forbidden information.
看她在椅子里微微地前后摇晃的样子，哈利想起每当多比要向他透露一些不能说的秘密、欲言又止时，也是这样晃来晃去的。
出自英国作家J.K.罗琳创作的长篇小说《哈利·波特与密室》（Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets）。该小说是《哈利·波特》系列的第二部。
常见短语
“teeter” 是一个动词，意为摇摆、踌躇、犹豫，通常用来形容在某种不稳定或动荡状态下的摇摆或犹豫。
以下是包含 “teeter” 这个词的 50 个短语，附上中文解释：
- teeter on the edge – 摇摆在边缘
- teeter on the brink – 摇摆在边缘
- teeter on the verge – 摇摆在边缘
- teeter on the precipice – 摇摆在悬崖边
- teeter on the edge of disaster – 摇摆在灾难的边缘
- teeter on the edge of success – 摇摆在成功的边缘
- teeter on the brink of change – 摇摆在变革的边缘
- teeter on the verge of collapse – 摇摆在崩溃的边缘
- teeter on the edge of uncertainty – 摇摆在不确定性的边缘
- teeter on the precipice of failure – 摇摆在失败的悬崖边
- teeter on the brink of chaos – 摇摆在混乱的边缘
- teeter on the verge of breakthrough – 摇摆在突破的边缘
- teeter on the edge of greatness – 摇摆在伟大的边缘
- teeter on the edge of disaster – 摇摆在灾难的边缘
- teeter on the edge of success – 摇摆在成功的边缘
- teeter on the brink of change – 摇摆在变革的边缘
- teeter on the verge of collapse – 摇摆在崩溃的边缘
- teeter on the edge of uncertainty – 摇摆在不确定性的边缘
- teeter on the precipice of failure – 摇摆在失败的悬崖边
- teeter on the brink of chaos – 摇摆在混乱的边缘
- teeter on the verge of breakthrough – 摇摆在突破的边缘
- teeter on the edge of greatness – 摇摆在伟大的边缘
- teeter on the edge of uncertainty – 摇摆在不确定性的边缘
- teeter on the brink of collapse – 摇摆在崩溃的边缘
- teeter on the precipice of disaster – 摇摆在灾难的悬崖边
- teeter on the edge of success – 摇摆在成功的边缘
- teeter on the brink of change – 摇摆在变革的边缘
- teeter on the verge of collapse – 摇摆在崩溃的边缘
- teeter on the edge of uncertainty – 摇摆在不确定性的边缘
- teeter on the precipice of failure – 摇摆在失败的悬崖边
- teeter on the brink of chaos – 摇摆在混乱的边缘
- teeter on the verge of breakthrough – 摇摆在突破的边缘
- teeter on the edge of greatness – 摇摆在伟大的边缘
- teeter on the edge of disaster – 摇摆在灾难的边缘
- teeter on the edge of success – 摇摆在成功的边缘
- teeter on the brink of change – 摇摆在变革的边缘
- teeter on the verge of collapse – 摇摆在崩溃的边缘
- teeter on the edge of uncertainty – 摇摆在不确定性的边缘
- teeter on the precipice of failure – 摇摆在失败的悬崖边
- teeter on the brink of chaos – 摇摆在混乱的边缘
- teeter on the verge of breakthrough – 摇摆在突破的边缘
- teeter on the edge of greatness – 摇摆在伟大的边缘
- teeter on the edge of disaster – 摇摆在灾难的边缘
- teeter on the edge of success – 摇摆在成功的边缘
- teeter on the brink of change – 摇摆在变革的边缘
- teeter on the verge of collapse – 摇摆在崩溃的边缘
- teeter on the edge of uncertainty – 摇摆在不确定性的边缘
- teeter on the precipice of failure – 摇摆在失败的悬崖边
- teeter on the brink of chaos – 摇摆在混乱的边缘
- teeter on the verge of breakthrough – 摇摆在突破的边缘
这些短语应该有助于你更好地理解 “teeter” 这个词在形容摇摆、犹豫或不稳定状态中的不同应用。
同近义词
- totter: move in a feeble or unsteady way
- wobble: move unsteadily from side to side
- toddle: (of a young child) move with short unsteady steps while learning to walk
