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Okay, so now we're going to look at these few words: "Lesser", "lessen", and "least".
所以我们现在看看这几个词：“lessen”、“lesser”和“least”。
Let's start with "lesser".
先将“lesser”。
"Lesser" basically means "less", but we're talking about quality or degree.
“lesser”基本意思是“less”，但我们指的是质量或程度。
Okay?
对吧？
So: "Item A is of a lesser quality."
所以：“物品A质量更差。”
You could say: "...of a lower quality", and that's fine, too.
你可以说“...of a lower quality”，这也很好。
So you can... you can mix "lower" and "lesser",
你可以混用“lower”和“lesser”，
but not "lower" and "less".
但不可以混用“lower”和“less”。
Okay?
对吧？
That's where English gets a little bit confusing.
这就是英语有点混乱的地方。
So, "lesser" is about degree or quality, and then you can mix it.
所以，“lesser”是描述程度或质量，你可以混用。
But this is a much more or...
但这更多或者。。。
sorry, I should say less-commonly-used word, and therefore if... again, this is for the IELTS-takers:
对不起，我应该说不常用的词，因此如果。。。同样，这是为雅思考生准备的：
If you're going to be writing and you can use words that are not commonly used, your score goes up if you do... if you use them correctly, right?
如果你要写作，你可以用一些不常用的词，那么你的分数就会上升……如果你使用正确，对吧？
And the same with "lessen", which I'll talk about.
“lessen”也一样，我会讲到的。
A very common expression: "The lesser of two evils",
一个很常见的说法：“两害相权取其轻”，
so you have to make a choice about whatever-politics, business, friendship, anything at all-choice A - bad; choice B - bad,
所以你必须在任何相关政治、商业、友谊的事情上做出选择，A-坏；B-坏，
so you're going to choose the one that is less bad, so we call this: "The lesser of two evils".
所以你要选择坏的程度更低的，所以我们说“两害相权取其轻”。
And this is another thing to remember: When you...
另一件要记住的是：当你……
whenever we use "lesser", it either means less quality or less degree, or you can compare two things and one is less something than the other, but very specifically about these two things.
每当我们使用“less”时，它要么意味着质量低或程度低，要么你可以比较两件事，其中一件比另一件少，但这两件事非常具体。
Right?
对吧？
So: "The lesser of the two evils" is whatever;
所以：“两害取其轻”是什么；
choice A.
选择A.
"Jim presents a lesser target than Tom."
“吉姆的目标比汤姆小。”
Okay?
对吧？
So, again, let's say politics and we have...
所以，再一次，让我们说政治问题，我们有。。。
I have two people that I want to use as a communications or spokesperson to go in front of the cameras and speak to the media.
我有两个人，我想充当一个沟通或发言人，走在镜头前和媒体交谈。
And then I'm thinking: "Okay, well, the media can be pretty mean sometimes. Right? They're going to attack one of these guys. Which of these two guys is less of a target?"
然后我在想：“好吧，好吧，媒体有时会很刻薄。对吧？他们要攻击其中一个人。这两个家伙中哪一个不是目标？”
So: "Jim is the lesser target" or "Jim presents",
所以：“Jim是次要目标”或“Jim presents”，
you could say, well, a smaller target means physically smaller.
你可以说，一个更小的目标意味着物理上更小。
So: "Jim is less of a target than Tom" - both of them work.
所以：“Jim is less of a target than Tom”，这两句都可以。
And then I'm using the "be" verb.
然后我用的是“be”动词
Here I'm using an active verb, and that's one of the differences.
这句话中我用的主动动词，这是一点差异。
If you can use "lesser" correctly, your IELTS score goes up.
如果你正确使用“lesser”，你的托福成绩会提高的。
Same with "lessen".
和“lessen”一样。
"Lessen" is a verb-okay?-sounds exactly the same as "lesson" with an "o", okay?
“lessen”也是一个动词，听起来和“lesson”一样
"Lessen" - to make less.
“lessen”，减少。
Now, most people use "reduce" or "mitigate", and especially IELTS-takers love this word: "mitigate";
现在大多数人喜欢用“reduce”或者“mitigate”，特别是很多参加雅思考试的人喜欢用“mitigate”这个词；
I see it all the time, because it's a word that's relatively easy to memorize,
我一直看到这个词，因为这个词相对容易记忆，
it means to make less, and especially when you're talking about a negative thing;
意思是少使更少，尤其是当你谈论一件消极的事情时；
to mitigate the pain, mitigate the harm.
减轻疼痛，减小伤害。
Now, what's the problem?
现在问题是什么？
No problem.
没有问题。
If you want to use "mitigate", use it.
如果你想使用“mitigate”，用这个词吧。
But in the essay especially: Don't use it more than once.
但是在文章，尤其不要重复使用。
Remember: Vocabulary variety or range is one of the scores you're getting there;
记住：词汇的多样性或范围是你所得到的分数之一
don't use it more than once.
不要重复使用词汇。
If you need another word, you can use "reduce".
如果你需要另一个词，用“reduce”。
But "lessen" is a word that is not commonly used.
但是“lessen”不是一个常用词汇。
Native speakers all know it; they... if you use it, everybody will understand it, but it's still not commonly used;
英语母语者都知道它：如果你使用的话，每个人都能理解，但它还是不常用；
people just prefer to use "make less" or "reduce".
人们更喜欢用“make less”或者“reduce”。
In the IELTS, use "lessen" and your score goes up because you're using less-common words.
在雅思考试中，使用“lessen”，你的分数就会上升，因为你用的词不太常见。
Right?
对吧？
"We need to lessen the harm of this policy."
“我们需要减小这个政策造成的伤害。”
So we had... the government has a new policy;
所以我们……政府有一项新政策；
and yes, some people will get hurt, but overall it's a good policy.
是的，一些人会受伤，但整体上，这是一个好的政策。
So what we need to do is keep the policy but somehow lessen the harm that it will do to some members of the population.
因此，我们需要做的是保持这一政策，但要设法减少它对一些人口成员的伤害。
Okay.
好了。
"We need to reduce the harm", "We need to lessen the harm", "We need to mitigate the harm" - all okay.
我们要减少伤害“We need to reduce the harm”，“We need to lessen the harm”，“We need to mitigate the harm”都可以用。
Sorry, another thing I wanted to say about the IELTS: The graders know that everybody is memorizing words, and this is one of the words that most people, for some reason, like to memorize and use.
对不起，关于雅思，我想说的另一件事是：学生们都知道每个人都在背单词，而这是大多数人出于某种原因喜欢记忆和使用的单词之一。
You will surprise them by using this correctly.
如果你正确地使用这个单词，你会让他们大吃一惊。
Do that.
做吧。
Okay?
好的？
And "least".
然后是“least”。
"Least" is the superlative; "less" is the comparative.
“least”是最高级；“less”是比较级。
Comparative - two things; "least" - three or more things.
比较级比较两种事物；“least”比较三种或三种以上事物。
And we're talking about the lowest amount of something.
我们说的是最少的东西。
Right?
对吧？
"Company A presents the least risk among all the group."
“在所有集团中，A公司的风险最小。”
"We have many concerns, the least of which",
“我们有很多顾虑，其中最少的一个”，
so the minimal.
所以是最小的。
Right?
对吧？
We have many concerns, but the one that is the... the... not the worst, basically.
我们有很多顾虑，但其中一个是。。。这个。。。基本上不是最糟的。
It's... they're all bad, they're all concerns, but the one that is not that bad is whatever - that's the least of which.
它是。。。它们都是糟糕的，都是顾虑，但不是那么坏的那一个是什么——这是坏的程度最低的。
Okay?
对吧？
"Sure, there are problems" - we created a new product, and: "Sure, there are problems, but at least it works."
“当然，有问题”—我们创造了一个新产品，并且：“当然，也有问题，但至少它能起作用。”
So that's a very common expression: "at least" - means minimal.
所以这是一个很常见的表达：“至少”-意思是最小。
Right?
对吧？
So there's a minimal positive to whatever the negative is.
所以不管什么是消极的，都有一个最小的积极因素。
Right?
对吧？
And that's why we use "at least"; very good expression.
这就是为什么我们用“至少”；非常好的表达方式。
So, I hope you understood how to use these words; very useful, especially for those of you taking the IELTS Task 1 and even the essay - use these words.
所以，我希望你们能理解如何使用这些词；非常有用，尤其是对于你们中那些参加雅思任务1甚至是使用这些词写论文的人来说。
If you have any questions about them, please go to www.engvid.com and you can ask me there in the comment section.
如果你对这些单词有任何问题，可以访问www.engvid.com，并在评论区询问我。
There's also a quiz to make sure you understand how to use all of these words, especially "lower" versus "less", so take that quiz.
还有一个小测验，以确保你理解如何使用所有这些词，尤其是“lower”与“less”，所以参加这个测验。
And if you like this video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and come back for more lessons on grammar, vocab, all this good stuff.
如果你喜欢这段视频，请订阅我的YouTube频道，回来学习更多语法、词汇等好东西。
I'll see you then.
稍后见。
Bye.
再见。
