■ flatter

1) 吹捧，阿谀。

• I don't like intellectuals who flatter those with political power, expecting to be offered a comfortable position as a reward.有些知识分子，对掌握着政治权力的人阿谀奉承，指望博得一个舒适的地位作为奖赏，我不喜欢这种人。

2) 讨好，拉拢。

• What really flatters a man is that you think him worth flattering.(George Bernard Shaw)最能讨好一个人的，是你认为他值得讨好。
• Some politicians try to flatter us with promises to give us a token amount of money.有些政客，向我们许诺说要给我们一点象征性的钱，以此来讨好我们。

3) 夸奖（无贬义）。

• As I was sitting by Sir Godfrey Kneller one day, whilst he was drawing a picture, he stopped and said, "I can't do so well as I should do, unless you flatter me a little, pray flatter me, Mr. Pope! You know I love to be flattered."(Joseph Spence, Anecdotes, Observations, and Characters, of Books and Men, 1858, pp.135-136)有一天，戈德弗雷·内勒爵士在画画，我坐在他旁边，他忽然停了下来说：“除非你称赞我几句，要不然我本来应该画好也画不好了，波普先生，您就劳驾称赞我几句吧！您知道我是很喜欢人家称赞的。”

4) 值得注意的是：听到对方的恭维话之后，礼貌的回答是 You flatter me，相当于中文的“过奖了”。此时 flatter 没有“吹捧，阿谀”的贬义，但 flatter 总有点“言过其实”的意义，有时候也可以加上“太过”的状语来补充。

• You flatter me beyond belief! I really appreciate it.您太过奖了！真不敢当。

5) 使高兴。

• She was flattered by Robert's long letter.她收到罗伯特的长信，心里乐滋滋的。
• I am flattered that they should be so supportive.他们如此支持，令我深感欣慰。

6) 悦目，悦耳。

• The beauty of the stone flattered the young man's eyes.宝石如此美妙，使得那个青年人饱尝眼福。

7) 衬托得更好看。

• Orange and khaki flatter those with golden skin tones.橘黄色和土黄色衬托金色皮肤很好看。
• Her clothes flatter the silhouette.她的那套衣服，把身段衬托得更好看。
• Sunglasses will flatter the face.墨镜会把脸衬托得好看。
• The photograph flatters its subject.相片把人照好看了。
• The muted fuchsia shade flattered her pale skin.一点黯哑的紫红色，把她那苍白的皮肤衬托出来了。

8) 虚假的美化。

• The portraitist flatters his sitter to the detriment of his art.肖像画家把自己的画画对象美化，这就损害了艺术。

9) 被动式感到高兴（无贬义）。

• I was very flattered to be given the commission.我很荣幸，受委托办理此事。
• At least I am flattered that you don't find me boring.你没有觉得我这个人讨人厌，起码对这一点我感到欣慰。

10) 加 oneself，自己高兴（无贬义）。

• I flatter myself I'm the best dressed man here.我真高兴，我是这里着装最好的男子。
• I flatter myself that this campaign will put an end to the war.我很高兴，这场运动将会使战争结束。
• ... and I flatter myself with being a tolerable proficient in Geography, I know not how it happened...(Jane Austen, Love and Friendship)…我虽然自问对地理也算够熟悉的了，但是这件事是怎样发生的，我也不知道…
• This has been my motive, my fair cousin, and I flatter myself it will not sink me in your esteem. (Jane Austen, Pride and Justice, Chapter 19)我的动机就是这样，好表妹，你不至于因此就看不起我，就够我高兴的了。
• Your restoration to peace will, I doubt not, speedily follow this act of filial obedience, and I flatter myself with the hope of surviving my share in this disappointment. (Jane Austen, Lady Susan, Chapter XXXVII)你既然这样孝顺，遵从了父母的意旨，我深信你的内心一定会恢复安宁，我也满怀希望，但愿我原先的一份沮丧也成为过去。