| 词组 | counterproductive, self-defeating |
| 释义 | counterproductive, self-defeating Phythian 1979 and Harper 1975, 1985 are not pleased with the adjective counterproductive, a fairly recent (about 1962) addition to the English vocabulary. Phythian complains that it is too often used as "a loose alternative to unprofitable, detrimental, etc." Harper calls it a vogue word which "says nothing that self-defeating doesn't say quite as well." Both these comments miss the point. Counterproductive seems to have found a little gap in the language in which to establish itself: no other word has quite the same meaning. Try, for instance, any of the three suggested substitutes in this recent example: • ... where everybody in the room is pretty sharp, competition in the counterproductive sense goes down, reciprocal respect goes up —John Barth, N. Y. Times Book Rev., 16 June 1985 In the unprofitable sense? In the detrimental sense? In the self-defeating sense? None is a very likely replacement. When applied to actions, self-defeating carries a strong suggestion of failure: • ... may have convinced millions of Americans ... that violence is a self-defeating and futile way to relieve frustration —Frank K. Kelly, Center Mag., May 1968 • ... tried to rebut the reports, but his praise ... was so fulsome as to be self-defeating —Current Biography, January 1968 Counterproductive stresses the producing of results contrary to those intended but tends to suggest a hindering rather than a failure of attainment: • But some Protestant clergymen now tend to think that professional fund raising is counterproductive —Time, 4 Sept. 1964 • ... retailers must be sure that its impact will not be advantageous in one season of the year only to be counterproductive in another —Michael LaBaire, Publishers Weekly, 28 Mar. 1980 Our evidence suggests that counterproductive has found a place in the language. Its vogue has lasted for more than a quarter of a century and shows no sign of abating. It is beginning to move from the prose of sociologists, bureaucrats, and political scientists—many of whom also use self-defeating—into more general and, occasionally, even literary contexts. You can use it if you need it. |
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