attain: [14] Unlike contain, maintain, obtain, and the rest of a very long list of English words ending in -tain, attain does not come from Latin tenēre ‘_hold’. Its source is Latin tangere ‘touch’ (as in English tangible and tangent). The addition of the prefix ad- ‘to’ produced attingere ‘reach’, which passed via Vulgar Latin *attangere and Old French ataindre into English. => tangent, tangible
attain (v.)
c. 1300, "to succeed in reaching," from ataign-, stem of Old French ataindre (11c., Modern French atteindre) "to come up to, reach, attain, endeavor, strive," from Vulgar Latin *attangere, corresponding to Latin attingere "to touch, to arrive at," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + tangere "to touch" (see tangent (adj.)). Latin attingere had a wide range of meanings, including "to attack, to strike, to appropriate, to manage," all somehow suggested by the literal sense "to touch." Related: Attained; attaining.
3. The day is not far off when China will attain prosperity.
中国的兴盛是可以计日程功的.
4. Still greater efforts are needed before we can attain our goal.
我们必须百尺竿头,更进一步,才能达到目的.
5. For us, it's something that we may aspire to but can never attain.
对我们来说, 那是可望而不可即的.
词语辨析
【attain, finish, accomplish, complete, achieve】
attain: 达到,实现,常用于一般人的能力不易达到的目的。如:Greater efforts are needed before we can attain our goals.
finish: 最常用,后接动词的-ing形式,表示在一个活动的连续过程中完成了最后的一步或阶段。如:I’ll finish the job alone. (我要独自完成这项工作。)
accomplish: 表成功,强调完成的结果而不是过程。如:Because of his hard word, things are accomplished. (由于他的努力,事情都已完成了。)
complete: 表示积极的完成,更具体地指建筑、工程等的完成。如:Has he complete his novel yet? (他的小说写完了吗?)
achieve: 完成,实现,强调通过努力而达到目的。如:You will achieve success if you work hard.
【attain, acquire, obtain, secure, achieve, earn, gain】
这组词都有“获得,取得”的意思,其区别是:
attain: v.指经过不懈的努力获得未曾预料到的结果;也可指达到某一目标。
• The salesperson attained his sales goal for the month. 这名销售员完成了当月的销售目标。
acquire: v.多指经过努力逐步获得才能、知识、习惯等,也可用于对财物等的获得,该词强调"一经获得就会长期持有"的含义。
• It is through learning that the individual acquires many habitual ways of reacting to situations. 正是通过学习,个人才得以获得应付各种情况的习惯做法。
obtain: v.获得,买到,用于正式语体中。
• He obtained the property with a bank loan. 他通过向银行贷款买下了那份房产。
secure: v.得到;把……拿到手,含有肯定占有难以得到的东西之意;使安全,保卫;作形容词比较常见,意为"安全的"。
• A million signatures have been secured. 已征集到了100万人的签名。
• He secured the office before leaving it for the night. 他晚上离开前锁好了办公室的门窗。
achieve: v.得到,获得,多指成就、目标、幸福的取得。
• The movie star achieved success and wealth. 这个影星取得了成功和财富。
earn: v.挣得,赢得,指因工作等而得到报酬或待遇。
• How much do you earn a week? 你一星期挣多少钱?
gain: v.指通过较大努力获得某种利益或好处;亦可指军事上的武力夺取等。
• An investor gains by buying stocks that go up in value. 投资者通过所买股票价格上涨而得利润。
【attain, acquire, obtain, get, achieve, gain】
这组词都有“获得”的意思,其区别是:
attain: 为正式用词,多用于庄重场合,主要指通过努力达到重要目的或得到珍贵的东西。如:The scientist attained great fame by a new discovery.(那科学家由于一次新发现而出了名。)
acquire: 指通过本身的努力逐渐获得知识、能力和荣誉等。如:acquire knowledge(获得知识)。
obtain: 多指凭努力或恳求得到急需或很想得到的东西。如:Howard had failed to obtain a scholarship.(霍华德没能得到奖学金。)
get: 用得最广,可指以各种方式获得各种东西。如:Where can I get enough information?(我从哪儿能得到足够的资料?)
achieve: 多指克服困难后取得胜利,成功,强调“得到”这一结果。如:He achieved his ambition in the end.(他最终实现了他的抱负。)
gain: 多指付出极大努力后获得或赢得给自己带来优势的东西。如:They gained the victory after a bloody battle.(浴血奋战后他们赢得了胜利。)