attribution
/ˌætrɪˈbjuːʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌætrɪˈbjuːʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌa-trə-ˈbyü-shən/ (ame, mw)
attribution — 名詞
1. the act of stating or believing that a particular person or cause produced somet
歸因；歸責
將某事物歸因於某人或某原因的行為
the act of stating or believing that a particular person or cause produced something — for example, deciding that a famous writer created an unsigned poem, or that a drought was responsible for a poor harvest.
The attribution of that unsigned poem to Emily Dickinson took scholars several years to confirm.
學者花了數年時間，才確認那首未署名的詩歌出自 Emily Dickinson 之手。
attribution of, unsigned poem
The newspaper could not verify the attribution because the journalist refused to name her source.
報社無法確認歸責對象，因為記者拒絕透露消息來源。
verify the attribution, journalist refused
Scientists struggled with the attribution of the crop failure to climate change rather than local farming practices.
科學家在將作物歉收歸因於氣候變遷、而非當地耕作方法時遇到了困難。
Aiko felt uncomfortable when the attribution of the team's success focused on her alone.
當團隊的成功全都歸功於 Aiko 一人時，她感到很不自在。
Proper attribution of sources in an academic paper is essential to avoid plagiarism.
在學術論文中正確標明出處，是避免抄襲的關鍵。
- ascription
more formal and less common; used mostly in academic writing
- credit
narrower — implies positive recognition, not blame
- assignment
broader — can refer to tasks or roles, not just causality
- denial
refusal to accept that someone or something caused a result
文法句型
attribution + of + [thing] + to + [person/thing]
用法筆記
Frequently used in academic, journalistic, and legal contexts. The object of attribution can be a work (painting, text, idea) or an outcome (success, failure, event).
常見錯誤
2. the act of viewing a particular quality, trait, or characteristic as naturally b
歸屬
將某特質視為某人或某物所固有
the act of viewing a particular quality, trait, or characteristic as naturally belonging to a person or thing — for instance, saying that a child has inherited a parent's patience, or that a certain breed of dog is known for its loyalty.
The attribution of a calm temperament to the older sister was repeated so often that the younger one felt overlooked.
姊姊被貼上冷靜的標籤，這個說法不斷重複，以至於妹妹覺得自己被忽略了。
attribution of, calm temperament
Charlotte found the attribution of laziness to her son unfair because he always worked hard.
Charlotte 認為兒子被貼上懶惰的標籤不公平，因為他一直都很努力。
The attribution of magical powers to the old willow tree was part of local folklore.
那棵老柳樹被賦予魔力的說法，是當地民間傳說的一部分。
Sanjay's attribution of musical talent to his grandmother was obvious when he talked about her piano playing.
Sanjay 提起奶奶彈鋼琴的事時，可以清楚看出他將音樂天賦歸功於她。
Ravi's attribution of laziness to his brother upset their mother, who knew he worked hard every day.
Ravi 將懶惰歸屬於弟弟，讓媽媽很難過，因為她知道弟弟其實每天都很努力。
- assignment
broader; can apply to tasks, not just qualities
- imputation
more formal and often negative; implies a quality is unfairly assigned
文法句型
attribution + of + [quality] + to + [person/thing]
用法筆記
Common in discussions of stereotyping, psychology, and family resemblance. Distinguish from sense 1 (CREDIT OR RESPONSIBILITY): sense 1 assigns blame or credit for an action/outcome, while sense 2 assigns an inherent quality or trait.