exempt ♦︎ spare ♦︎ pardon ♦︎ excuse ♦︎ get (sb) off the hook ♦︎ let sb off the hook ♦︎ let sb offThese words all mean to not punish sb for sth they have done wrong, or to give them only a light punishment.这些词均表示免除惩罚、从轻发落。PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS 句型和搭配◆to exempt / spare / excuse sb from sth■exempt ɪgˈzempt [transitive] (formal) to give or get sb official permission not to do sth or not to pay sth they would normally have to do or pay免除;豁免◆In 1983, charities were exempted from paying the tax.1983年慈善机构均免付税款。◆His bad eyesight exempted him from military service.他视力不好,获准免除兵役。▸exemption
noun
[uncountable, countable] ◆He applied for exemption from military service.他申请免除兵役。◆The owner was granted an exemption from the law and the painting was exported.油画的所有者被免除了法律责任,油画给卖到了国外。■spare [transitive, usually passive] (not usually used in the progressive tenses通常不用于进行时) (literary) to allow sb/sth to escape harm, damage or death, especially when others do not escape it饶恕;赦免;放过◆They killed the men but spared the children.他们杀死了大人,但放过了孩子。◆She begged them to spare her life.她求他们饶她一命。◆During the bombing only one house was spared(= was not hit by a bomb).在轰炸中,只有一座房子幸免。■pardon [transitive] (not usually used in the progressive tenses通常不用于进行时) to officially allow sb who has been found guilty of a crime to leave prison and/or avoid punishment赦免;特赦◆She was pardoned after serving ten years of a life sentence.她被判终身监禁,服刑十年后被赦免了。▸pardon
noun
[countable] ◆They were released from prison yesterday as a result of a presidential pardon.因总统特赦,他们昨天出狱了。■excuse [transitive, usually passive] to give sb permission not to do sth that they would normally have to do免除;豁免◆She was excused from giving evidence because of her age.她因年龄关系获准不予作证。NOTE辨析 Exempt or excuse?Exempt is used especially when a whole group of people or organizations is given permission not to do sth, if they fall into a particular category; excuse is used especially when an individual asks for and is given permission not to do sth, because of their particular situation. However, exempt is used about individual people when the subject of the verb is not the person or law that gives permission, but the reason why it is given. * exempt尤指整个群体或多个组织因属于某一类别而获准免除义务,excuse尤指某人因特殊情况经要求获准免除义务。但是exempt表示赦免个人时,其主语并非是准予免责的人或法律,而是某种原因◆His bad eyesight exempted him from military service.他视力不好,获准免除兵役。■get (sb) off the ˈhook■let sb off the ˈhook
idiom
(getting, got, got; NAmEspokengetting, got, gotten; letting, let, let)to free yourself or sb else from a difficult situation or a punishment(使)免受处罚,逃脱惩罚◆Perhaps he could get off the hook by saying it was an accident?也许他只要说这是个意外就能脱身?◆Why should I let you off the hook? You stole from my shop!我为什么要放过你?你偷我店里的东西!ⓘ When you get sb off the hook, you arrange things so that they are not punished. When you get off the hook, especially in British English, you manage to avoid punishment yourself. When you let sb off the hook, you decide not to punish them. * get sb off the hook指通过精心安排使某人免受处罚;sb get off the hook指某人自己设法逃脱惩罚,英式英语中尤为如此;let sb off the hook指放过他人不予追究。■ˌlet sb ˈoff
phrasal verb
(letting, let, let)to not punish sb for sth they have done wrong, or to give them only a light punishment不惩罚;放过;从轻处罚◆They let us off lightly.他们对我们从轻发落了。◆She was let off with a warning.她被从轻处罚,只是受了个警告。ⓘ If you let sb off, you do not punish them. If you let sb off lightly/with a warning/with a caution, you only give them a light punishment. * let sb off指不惩罚某人,let sb off lightly/with a warning/with a caution指从轻处罚某人。