ex‧pla‧na‧tion S3 W2 / ekspləneɪʃ ə n / 名词

1 [可数和不可数名词] the reasons you give for why something happened or why you did something

explanation of/for

Can you think of any explanation for this failure?

without explanation

The concert was cancelled without explanation.

2 [可数名词] a statement or piece of writing intended to describe how something works or make something easier to understand

provide/give an explanation

The ability to give clear explanations is the most important quality of the ideal teacher.

explanation of

I’ll try and give you a quick explanation of how the machine works.

COLLOCATIONS

动词

have an explanation Does the hospital have any explanation for why he died?

give an explanation The police gave no explanation for their actions.

provide/offer an explanation This theory may provide an explanation for the origins of the universe.

ask for/demand an explanation When I asked for an explanation, the people at the office said they didn’t know. | Furious parents are demanding an explanation from the school.

wait for an explanation (= expect an explanation ) She continued to stare at him in silence, waiting for an explanation.

find/think of/come up with an explanation Scientists have been unable to find an explanation for this phenomenon.

owe (somebody) an explanation I think you owe me some kind of explanation.

accept an explanation (= believe that it is true or correct ) The court accepted her explanation.

need/require an explanation We think the minister’s decision requires an explanation.

形容词

a possible explanation Can anyone think of a possible explanation for why this is happening?

the most likely/probable explanation (= one that is probably true ) The most likely explanation is that John missed the bus. | The most probable explanation is that the water was contaminated.

an obvious explanation (= one that is easy to see or notice ) There is no obvious explanation for his strange behaviour.

a reasonable/plausible explanation (= one that is easy to believe ) Pilot error is the most plausible explanation for the crash.

a satisfactory/adequate explanation (= one that explains something completely ) A bank must offer an adequate explanation of all its charges.

a convincing/credible explanation (= one that you can believe is true ) The author fails to provide a convincing explanation for the main character’s motives.

a logical/rational explanation (= one that is based on facts ) Physics finally gave us a rational explanation for the atom’s strange behaviour.

further explanation (= additional reasons ) He gave no further explanation for leaving, and she did not ask for any.

短语

there is no apparent explanation (= used when there is no explanation that you can think of ) There was no apparent explanation for the attack.

THESAURUS

reason why something happens, or why someone does something : What was the reason for the delay? | I don’t know the reason why he left his last job.

explanation a set of reasons that helps you to understand why something happens, especially when it seems difficult to understand : There are various possible explanations for climate change. | Is there any explanation for his behavior?

motive a reason that makes someone decide to do something – often used about crimes : Police say that there is no obvious motive for the attack.

justification a good reason for doing something that seems wrong : There is never any justification for torture or abuse. | They try to use the situation in the Middle East as a justification for killing innocent civilians. | There’s no justification for this type of behaviour.

grounds a reason that makes it right or fair to do something, especially according to legal, official, or moral rules : The court will decide if she has grounds for divorce. | They claim the war is justified on moral grounds (= because of moral reasons ) .

basis the main ideas or reasons on which something is based : The doctor makes his decisions purely on the basis of clinical observation. | What do you think is the basis for this advice?

rationale / ræʃənɑl $ -næl / formal a set of reasons that are used to explain why someone does something in a particular way : the rationale behind the government’s economic reforms | This chapter explains the nature of yearly plans, and provides a rationale for their use.