survival of the fittest
survival of the fittest — 名詞
1. the idea that living things whose features suit their surroundings better tend t
適者生存
適應環境者較易存活繁衍
the idea that living things whose features suit their surroundings better tend to live longer and have young, while less suitable ones die out
Darwin used survival of the fittest to explain why some species last.
Darwin 用「適者生存」來解釋為什麼有些物種能延續下去。
pattern: use survival of the fittest to explain
On the dry island, survival of the fittest favored birds with stronger beaks.
在那座乾旱的島上，適者生存讓喙較強的鳥更容易存活。
biology context: adaptation to local conditions
In the cheap phone market, many founders see business as survival of the fittest.
在低價手機市場裡，許多創辦人覺得做生意就是適者生存。
Professor Salma warned that calling war survival of the fittest distorts Darwin's idea.
Salma 教授提醒大家，把戰爭說成適者生存會扭曲 Darwin 的原意。
After the merger, Ignacio joked that the office was pure survival of the fittest.
合併後，Ignacio 開玩笑說辦公室簡直成了適者生存。
- natural selection
the standard scientific term; survival of the fittest is more vivid and often used more loosely
- dog-eat-dog competition
more informal and focused on ruthless social or business competition, not biological theory
文法句型
survival of the fittest
a case of survival of the fittest
believe in survival of the fittest
用法筆記
Usually appears as a fixed phrase rather than in a shorter form. It began as a term in biology, but people also use it more loosely for harsh competition where only the best-prepared succeed.