本文经授权转载自微信公众号：田间小站
TOEFL SAT TEM8 GRE
外刊例句
- This year’s prizewinners surmounted such hurdles by using “natural experiments”, in which some quirk of history has an effect similar to an intentional trial.
今年的诺奖得主通过“自然实验”克服了这些障碍，即认为历史上一些偶发特殊事件的作用类似于专门设计的试验。
——《经济学人》 - Ukraine still has forces held in reserve, so it remains to be seen if it can surmount its many obstacles and make deeper advances in the south.
乌克兰仍有后备部队，因此能否克服重重障碍，在南部取得更深入的进展还有待观察。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[verb] overcome (a difficulty or obstacle)
[动词] 克服（困难或障碍）
深入解读
Surmount 一词比较好记，就是由前缀 sur- （上、外、超）+词根 mount（山；上升）构成。
从词源上来看， surmount 源自于古法语 surmonter （高过、高出、超过、超越），14世纪初进入英语后最初用来表示“超过、胜过、优于”，即在质量或成就上超越，不过这一含义现已不再流行。
但从这个概念出发，等到了15世纪末， surmount 开始引申指“越过、克服、解决”，常作正式用语使用，指人时侧重强调通过努力奋斗而成功地处理某个相对固定的问题或困难，通常含有超越、胜过或优于障碍的正面或积极意味。比如：
- 克服对飞行固有的反感
surmount an innate aversion to flying - 那匹烈马轻而易举地越过了栅栏。
The restive horse easily surmounted the fence.
再到了16世纪30年代后，surmount 又开始在物理上表示“在……的顶上、覆盖在……的顶上、置于……的顶端、耸立于……之上”，常用被动语态并作正式用语使用。比如：
- 积雪的群峰
peaks surmounted with snow - 岛的最高处耸立着一座巨大的黑色城堡。
The island is surmounted by a huge black castle.
权威用例
增强全党全国各族人民的志气、骨气、底气，不信邪、不怕鬼、不怕压，知难而进、迎难而上，统筹发展和安全，全力战胜前进道路上各种困难和挑战，依靠顽强斗争打开事业发展新天地。
We must foster a firmer sense of purpose, fortitude, and self-belief in the whole Party and the Chinese people so that we cannot be swayed by fallacies, deterred by intimidation, or cowed by pressure. We must meet obstacles and difficulties head on, ensure both development and security, and dig deep to surmount the difficulties and challenges on the road ahead. Let us harness our indomitable fighting spirit to open up new horizons for our cause.
同近义词
- conquer: successfully overcome (a problem or weakness)
- vanquish: defeat thoroughly
- subdue: overcome, quieten, or bring under control (a feeling or person)
