sustainsus•tain /sə'steɪn/

vt

1. 保持；使持续下去

• sustain the quality of the products 保持产品的质量

• She tried to sustain the children's interest. 她尽力让孩子们的兴趣保持下去。

2. 维持(生命等)；支持

• not enough oxygen to sustain life 没有足够的氧气以维持生命

• Only the hope that her husband would come back alive sustained her. 丈夫将活着回来，这是她赖以坚持下去的唯一希望。

3. 正式 支撑；承受

• The shelf wouldn't sustain the weight of all these books. 这书架承受不了这些书的重量。

4. 遭受，蒙受

• sustain a defeat 遭受失败

• sustain an injury 遭受伤害

5. 正式 证明；证实

• There's no proof to sustain his views. 没有证据可以证实他的观点。

• The facts sustained my theory. 事实证明了我的理论。

6. 口 确认…正当有效；准许

• The court sustained his claim. 法庭确认他的要求是正当的。

• The court sustained the motion. 法庭准许这一动议。