| 释义 |
▪ I. downshift, n. and v.
A. n. A change to a lower gear on a car.
B. v. intr. To change to a lower gear.
1959Observer 1 Mar. 21/5 Downshifts are not entirely smooth but most driving is done in top. 1961Engineering 27 Oct. 530 Accelerator kick-down gives downshift to second. 1961‘I. T. Ross’ Old Students (1963) ii. 26, I down-shifted and concentrated on the road.
▪ II. downshift, n.
Brit. |ˈdaʊnʃɪft|, U.S. |ˈdaʊnˌʃɪft|
[‹ down adv. + shift n.]
1. A movement downwards; a downward change in direction or position; a change in quality or quantity to a lesser or lower degree.
1839A. Ure Dict. Arts 833, h, i, are systems of clay-slate veins called flukans; the line over s, represents the down-shift, and d′ the up-shift. 1958Rev. Econ. & Statistics 40 40/2 (note) This is likely to be true wherever there is a short-term downshift of the consumption function. 1971Jrnl. Gen. Psychol. 84 295 Ss increase their response rates relative to a control condition when there is a large upshift but depress their responding with a large downshift. 1994K. Kelly Out of Control xxi. 406 More important in the story of progress's demise has been the wholesale downshift of human position from the center of the cosmos to an insignificant wisp on the edge of an insignificant spiral in a dusty corner of the universe. 2000Far Eastern Econ. Rev. 3 Feb. 38/1 If U.S. shares dive, Asian shares will likely follow. But a gentle down-shift on Wall Street might be good for Asia.
2. spec. A change to a lower gear on a motor vehicle or bicycle.
1948N.Y. Times 18 Apr. e10 (advt.) Whirlaway is Hydra-matic Drive's automatic downshift—the safety feature that gives you an instant burst of acceleration when you need it. 1959Observer 1 Mar. 21/5 Downshifts are not entirely smooth but most driving is done in top. 1978J. Irving World according to Garp ix. 181 Some fool took the corner..with a roaring downshift and a squeal of tires. 1991Bicycle Guide Sept. 74/3 On our first test ride.., the chain broke during a downshift on a technical singletrack climb. 2000Driving Mag. Mar.–Apr. 17/3 He hated the ‘hole’ in the ‘drive-by-wire’ throttle, which occurred on every downshift or attempted heel-and-toe.
▪ III. downshift, v.
Brit. |ˈdaʊnʃɪft|, U.S. |ˈdaʊnˌʃɪft|
[‹ downshift n. Compare shift v.]
1. intr. orig. U.S. To change to a lower gear on a motor vehicle or bicycle. Also (occas.) trans.
a1961E. Hemingway Garden of Eden (1987) xxvii. 229 He brought the car to a stop before the bridge, downshifted and then put her at the road again. 1972G. Lukas et al. Amer. Graffiti (film script) 72 (stage direct.) He deftly down-shifts approaching a light, and accelerates through the gears with a ‘race’ expertise. 1986M. Howard Expensive Habits 253 Who downshifted the ambulance bouncing up a Catalonian hill? 1991Bicycle Guide Sept. 65/2 I'm staying on top of my gear more and I downshift less on short hills. 2000M. Hamid Moth Smoke iv. 46 She downshifts to second..and overtakes a group of teenagers in a car with big alloy wheels and a spoiler.
2.
a. intr. orig. U.S. (freq. in Business). To slow down, slacken off; to lower or lessen in scope, extent, etc.; to attentuate. Also trans.
1961G. L. Bach & C. J. Huizenga in Amer. Econ. Rev. 51 60 (note) Once adjustment is made for the downshifting of maturities, the actual dollar increase in bills and certificates..is small. 1976Business Week 13 Dec. 21 The prospect of wage-and-price controls, which dimmed as the recovery downshifted, has once again become a lively issue. 1980Christian Sci. Monitor (Nexis) 27 Feb. 21 The grizzly puts on a robe of fat and downshifts his metabolism. 1986Computer Decisions (Nexis) 7 Oct. 42 The modem adjusts transmission speed automatically, downshifting to 16.8 Kbps, 14.4 Kbps, or less if line interference appears. 1991Time 11 Feb. 66/2 Well before the U.S. slipped into recession last fall, business was downshifting in the wake of the Reagan expansion. 1999Scan (Lancaster Univ. Students' Union) 12 Feb. 11/4 She blasts through ‘Baby Got Going’ with harmonica and hand-claps, and then downshifts quickly to ‘Only Son’.
b. trans. orig. U.S. To change (one's career or lifestyle) for one which is less pressured and demanding. Also intr.: to change a financially rewarding but stressful career or lifestyle for one less pressured and highly paid, but more fulfilling.
1986Arkansas Gaz. 7 Oct. a11/2 She has downshifted her life, trading a 50-hour work week for a 30-hour one and devoted more time to creative projects. 1993Utne Reader Jan.–Feb. 72/2 Increasing numbers of men now want to downshift from full-time work in order to spend more time at home. 1997BBC Wildlife Mar. 82/2 [They] sorted out their priorities, jacked in their city jobs and ‘downshifted’ from suburbia to a simpler, greener, healthier lifestyle. 1999N.Y. Times 10 Nov. b1/1 [He] was struggling with substance abuse, wrestling with his sexual identity and downshifting his career from Air Force sergeant to tractor trailer driver. 2002Personnel Today (Nexis) 29 Jan. 4 Work-life balance is becoming such an important issue for managers that many are prepared to downshift to gain more time for out-of-work interests. |