n.支脉；刺激；马刺；鞭策

vt.刺激；鞭策；促进

International competition was a spur to modernization. 国际竞争是实现现代化的动力。

A good heart horse often needs a good spur. 好马常需好靴刺。

The thought of the prize was the spur for the team. 夺取锦标的想法是该队的动力。

What spurred her to do that? 是什么促使她那么干的？

This book is a spur to the child's imagination. 这本书能促进孩子的想象力。

Several strong targets have been set to spur action and guide the way forward. 已经制订了若干强大的目标来促进行动和指导我们前进的道路。

spur的基本意思指骑马时,用靴根或靴刺去刺马腹,使之向前疾进,引申指由于愉快、激动的心情或欲望而导致格外加速的行动,即“激励”。

spur只用作及物动词,接名词、代词作宾语,也可接以动词不定式充当补足语的复合宾语。

spur的宾语后常接介词to引起的短语,表示“鼓励某人去做…,促使某人去…”。

spur的过去式和过去分词均为spurred。

下面两句话的意思基本相同: The threat of unemployment has spurredstudents to work harder at their studies.The threat of unemployment has spurredstudents on to work harder at theirstudies.失业的威胁促使学生们更加努力学习。