“负责”,除了responsible,还有个accountable,但二者是有区别的。
responsible就是通常意义上的“负责”,比如you’re responsible for your behavior。
accountable源自account,account是“解释,说明”,搭配后缀-able,accountable的本义是“可解释的,可说明的”,所以accountable侧重于“被问责时的说明和解释”,“问责制”是accountability system而不是responsibility system。
例:Politicians should be accountable to the public who elected them. 政界人士应对他们的选民负责。(剑桥词典)
对于生活,与其说One is responsible for his life,不如说One is accountable to his life,这才是敬畏生活的态度,正如Denis Waitley说,Life is not accountable to us. We are accountable to life.
《孟话英语·千词码词典》· 至今日共 420 组