complicate ♦︎ blur ♦︎ confuse ♦︎ cloudThese words all mean to make sth less clear or more difficult to understand.這些詞均表示使事物變得複雜、模糊不清、令人困惑。PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS 句型和搭配◆to complicate / confuse / cloud the issue◆to complicate / confuse matters / things / the situation◆to further complicate sth / confuse sth / cloud the issue, etc.■complicate [transitive] to make a situation or problem more difficult to deal with使(情況或問題)複雜化◆To complicate matters further, there will be no transport available till 8 o'clock.使事情更難辦的是8點鐘之前不會有交通服務提供。◆The issue is complicated by the fact that a vital document is missing.一份重要文件的丢失使這個問題變得複雜了。■blur blɜː(r) (-rr-) [transitive, intransitive] to make the difference between two things become less clear; (of the difference between two things) to become less clear(使)難以區分,變得模糊不清◆His work has blurred the boundaries between children's and adults' fiction.他的作品模糊了兒童小說和成人小說之間的界限。◆The line between make-believe and reality became increasingly blurred.虛構與現實之間的界限逐漸模糊。◆She tends to blur the distinction between her friends and her colleagues.她往往將朋友和同事混淆起來。■confuse [transitive] to make a situation or problem more difficult to understand or deal with使(情況)更複雜;使(問題)更費解◆His latest comments only serve to confuse the issue further.他最近的說法只是使問題更難懂。NOTE辨析 Complicate or confuse?Something complicates a situation that is already difficult by being an additional problem that makes it even less straightforward. With confuse the emphasis is more on the fact that it is difficult to recognize or understand what needs to be done. * complicate指情況本來已很棘手,又旁生枝節,使局面更加複雜。confuse則強調令人無所適從。■cloud [transitive] to make sth you are discussing or considering less clear or more difficult to understand, especially by introducing subjects that are not connected with it(尤指用不相關的話題)混淆,攪混(問題)◆Cost factors should not be allowed to cloud the issue.不應該用成本因素來混淆這個問題。