cold comfort

英 [ˌkəʊld ˈkʌmfət]

美 [ˌkoʊld ˈkʌmfərt]

n.  于事无补的安慰; 不起作用的慰藉

牛津词典

noun

• 于事无补的安慰；不起作用的慰藉
  the fact that sth that would normally be good does not make you happy because the whole situation is bad
  1. A small drop in the inflation rate was cold comfort for the millions without a job.
     对数百万失业者来说，通货膨胀率的微降是不起作用的安慰。

柯林斯词典

• N-UNCOUNT 不起作用的安慰
  If you say that a slightly encouraging fact or event iscold comfort tosomeone, you mean that it gives them little or no comfort because their situation is so difficult or unpleasant.
  1. These figures may look good on paper but are cold comfort to the islanders themselves.
     这些数字理论上看来可能不错，不过对岛民们起不到安慰的作用。

英英释义

noun

• very limited consolation or empathy
  1. he told me that time heals all wounds but that was cold comfort to me

双语例句

• The loss could have been heavier, but that was cold comfort.
  这次损失不算太重，但那并不值得高兴。
• These figures may look good on paper but are cold comfort to the islanders themselves.
  这些数字理论上看来可能不错，不过对岛民们起不到安慰的作用。
• A hot cup of milk on a cold night is a real comfort.
  在寒冷的夜晚喝一杯热牛奶真是舒服。
• A hot cup of tea on a cold night is a real comfort.
  寒冷冬季的夜晚来杯热茶真是一种享受。
• With the development, researchers found that people only feel neither hot nor cold, but not comfort in stable condition. Plenty of examples show that local environment control can alleviate discomfort in warm or cool environment.
  但随着研究的深入，研究人员发现在稳态条件下，只能有无差别状态，而不会有热舒适状态。大量实例显示，局部环境调节可以缓解人体对偏热或偏冷环境的不适感。
• Kevin: Yeah, well that's cold comfort. My phone keeps ringing-off the hook with customers complaining about those USB cables you sold me.
  是啊！这真是敷衍的安慰。我的电话一直应接不暇，客户不断抱怨你卖给我的USB接线。
• Since the end of the Cold War, Asian countries have gradually come up with an Asian way of cooperation in the course of advancing regional cooperation, which features mutual respect, consensus-building and accommodation of each other's comfort levels.
  冷战结束后，亚洲国家在推进区域合作实践中逐步形成相互尊重、协商一致、照顾各方舒适度的亚洲方式。
• Now, many people find it cold comfort to join such an abstract group, especially when they have not yet met any noble ones in person.
  诚然，不少人觉得加入这么一个抽象的团体，得到的慰勉温暖不足，特别是当他们还没有亲自遇到一位圣者时。
• In the age when America's space shuttles are all mothballed in museums while other nations boast of plans to head to the Moon or to Mars, Cameron's ocean deal provides cold comfort.
  如今，美国的航天飞机全部都被封存到博物馆里，而其他国家也都在大张旗鼓地宣传自己奔向月球、奔向火星的计划。因此，卡梅伦在海洋探索事业上的捐赠并不能带来太多安慰。
• At present, air-conditioning is being widely used for heating in hot summer and cold winter areas. This heating method 'heat transfer form is mainly convection, which is high energy consumption, and is being widely criticized by the users because of its bad comfort.
  目前我国夏热冬冷地区广泛采用空调方式采暖，这种以对流传热为主的采暖方式不仅能耗高，其舒适性也受到用户的广泛批评。