de‧bate 1 S2 W2 AC / dɪbeɪt / 名词
1 [可数和不可数名词] discussion of a particular subject that often continues for a long time and in which people express different opinions :
the gun-control debate in the US
The new drug has become the subject of heated debate within the medical profession.
debate over/about
There has been widespread public debate over the introduction of genetically modified food.
There was much lively debate about whether women should spend more time in the home.
A fierce debate raged over which artist’s work should be chosen for the prize.
debate between
the ongoing debate between environmentalists and the road-building lobby over the future of our countryside
Nuclear power has always been a topic that has sparked off considerable debate .
2 [可数和不可数名词] a formal discussion of a particular problem, subject etc in which people express different opinions, and sometimes vote on them
debate on/over/about
a debate on legalized gambling
a televised debate
have/hold/conduct a debate
It would have been better to hold the debate during the day.
be under debate
What topics are under debate in Congress this week?
3 be open to debate ( also be a matter for debate ) if an idea is open to debate, no one has proved yet whether it is true or false 同义词 debatable :
Whether that would have made any difference is open to debate.
COLLOCATIONS
形容词
considerable debate There has been considerable debate about the way forward for education.
lively debate (= interesting and involving a lot of different opinions ) The conference produced some lively debate.
intense debate (= in which people put forward strong and different arguments ) The future of the nuclear industry has been a matter of intense debate.
a heated/fierce debate (= in which people express strong opinions in an angry way ) There has been a fierce debate over the way the war was fought.
a wider debate (= involving more people or a more general discussion ) We believe that there should be a wider debate on such an important issue.
a public debate (= in which people put forward their ideas publicly, so that everyone can form an opinion. ) He called for a public debate on race and discrimination.
national debate (= one that involves everyone in a country ) It is time to start a national debate on the future of the health service.
political debate (= involving members of political parties ) There was much political debate on pensions reform.
long-running debate (= continuing for a long time ) the long-running debate about the future of our inner cities
ongoing debate (= still continuing ) This is unlikely to be the final word in this ongoing debate.
动词
have a debate I think we should have a public debate on this issue.
provoke/spark/trigger debate (= cause a debate to start ) The episode provoked fierce debate about freedom of speech.
stifle debate (= prevent people from having a debate ) How can the party stifle debate on such an important issue?
debate rages (= happens over a period of time and and involves strong feelings ) A national debate is now raging over the level of youth crime.
短语
be the subject of debate (= be something that people discuss ) Teaching methods have long been the subject of debate.
be a matter of debate (= be something that people have discussed ) The effectiveness of the government’s policy has been a matter of fierce debate.
be a matter for debate (= be something that people should discuss ) The future of the police force is a matter for public debate.
THESAURUS
discussion an occasion when you discuss something, or the process of discussing it : After a long discussion, they decided to paint the room pale blue. | This led to a discussion of our favourite books. | There are several projects under discussion (= being discussed ) .
debate discussion of a particular subject that often continues for a long time, in which people express different opinions. Also used to mean a formal discussion of a subject, after which people vote for or against something : There is a lot of debate about the safety of nuclear power. | The student union is holding a debate on immigration.
talks formal discussions between governments, organizations etc : the Arab-Israeli peace talks | The next round of trade talks will be held in the spring. | Bilateral talks (= between two groups or countries ) on refugees took place in November.
negotiations official discussions between two or more groups who are trying to agree on something : The two sides have begun negotiations aimed at ending the dispute. | International negotiations on reducing sulphur dioxide emissions have ended without agreement.
conference a large formal meeting at which people from many places discuss their work or research, or important matters relating to their organization : an international conference on nuclear physics | the Labour Party conference
consultation a formal discussion in which people who are affected by or involved in something can give their opinions : The govenment promised a full public consultation before a decision was made to build the airport. | The revised syllabus was devised after wide consultations with the teaching profession.