abstain

英 [əb'steɪn] 美 [əb'steɪn]

v.戒绝；弃权；节制

◉词源

Abstain（戒除、弃权）约14世纪中期进入英语，源自古法语 abstenir 和拉丁语 abstinere（保持远离），由 abs-（离开）+ tenere（持有）组成。演变过程：从“自我克制、不接触”直接扩展为现代“投票弃权”或“戒酒/戒毒”等用法。前缀 abs-（离开）；词根 ten-（持有，PIE ten- “伸展、持有”

◉外刊例句

① The Guardian, 2016:

The United States has always voted against this resolution. Today the United States will abstain.

美国一直投票反对这项决议。今天美国将弃权。

② The New York Times, 2016:

The lone American ally on this issue, Israel, also changed its vote on Wednesday to abstain.

在这个问题上美国唯一的盟友以色列，周三也改变了投票，选择了弃权

◉ Usage Examples

(1) He swore to abstain from smoking.

(2) A high percentage of women said they had abstained from alcohol during pregnancy.

(3) I abstained from voting.

(4) Six countries voted for the change, five voted against, and two abstained.

(1) 他发誓要戒烟。

(2) 很大比例的妇女称他们在怀孕期间戒了酒。

(3) 我弃权不投票。

(4) 六个国家投票赞成改变，五个反对，还有两个弃权.

◉ Usage Notes

If you abstain from something, you restrain yourself from consuming it. People usually abstain from things that are considered vices — like drinking alcohol or eating chocolate.

Roots of the word abstain are from the 14th-century French, "to withhold oneself," and the word often refers to people who abstain or keep themselves from drinking liquor. The noun form abstinence also pops up often in reference to abstinence programs that urge teens to abstain from premarital sex. Abstain can also mean to withhold a vote, and sometimes a difficult decision is held up when government representatives abstain from voting one way or another.

◉柯林斯词典

1. [VERB 动词]戒绝；抑制 If you abstain from something, usually something you want to do, you deliberately do not do it. [V from n] [V] [FORMAL 正式]

Abstain from sex or use condoms...

禁绝性事或使用安全套。

Do you drink alcohol, smoke, or abstain?

你喝酒抽烟吗，还是烟酒不沾？

2. [VERB 动词]（投票时）弃权 If you abstain during a vote, you do not use your vote. [V]

Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote.

三位保守党下院议员投了弃权票。