torture
释义
The act of deliberately inflicting severe physical or mental pain, often to punish or force a confession.
酷刑；折磨——故意施加严重的肉体或精神痛苦，常用于惩罚或逼供。
Something that causes great suffering or is extremely unpleasant to endure.
（引申）煎熬，折磨人的事物。
To inflict severe pain on someone, especially to punish them or extract information.
拷打，对……施以酷刑；折磨。
词根拆分
词根派生tort（扭）+ -ure（行为、结果）。torture 原指字面意义上*扭绞*身体来制造痛苦——拉伸、拧拽四肢的刑架。即便手段改变，这个「拧绞」的意象仍保留了下来：任何蓄意施加的剧痛都是 torture；引申地，任何「把你内心拧成一团」的事（漫长等待、一部烂片）也是 torture。
词根 tort 还连着 27 个词常用搭配
- 1.subject to torture遭受酷刑
- 2.torture chamber刑讯室
- 3.psychological torture精神折磨
- 4.torture victim酷刑受害者
- 5.instrument of torture刑具
例句
- 1.
The prisoners were subjected to torture during the interrogation.
囚犯在审讯期间遭受了酷刑。
- 2.
Waiting for the exam results was sheer torture.
等考试成绩简直是一种煎熬。
- 3.
It is illegal to torture detainees under international law.
根据国际法，拷打被拘留者是违法的。
易混词辨析
torturous 与 tortuous——torturous（来自 torture）意为「使人痛苦的」：a torturous wait（煎熬的等待）。tortuous（弯曲）意为「弯弯绕绕的」：tortuous mountain road（蜿蜒山路）、tortuous argument（绕来绕去的论证）。痛苦 → torturous；弯绕 → tortuous。