1N-VAR 丢脸;(尤指)落泊,堕落 You use degradation to refer to a situation, condition, or experience which you consider shameful and disgusting, especially one which involves poverty or immorality. 丢脸;(尤指)落泊,堕落 [disapproval]
They were sickened by the scenes of misery and degradation they found.
目睹困苦、潦倒的景象,他们感到心里极不舒服。
She described the degradations she had been forced to suffer.
她描述了自己被迫经受的屈辱。
2N-UNCOUNT 恶化;变糟;衰退Degradation is the process of something becoming worse or weaker, or being made worse or weaker. 恶化;变糟;衰退
I feel this signals the degradation of American culture.
我觉得这标志了美国文化的没落。
3N-UNCOUNT (土地或环境的)退化 The degradation of land or of the environment is the process of its becoming damaged and poorer, for example because of the effects of pollution, industry, and modern agricultural methods. (土地或环境的)退化 [technical]
There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.
在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
...the accelerating degradation of our planet's natural environment.
地球上自然环境的加速退化
4N-UNCOUNT [usually with poss]降解 In science, the degradation of a substance is the process of its breaking down into its separate parts or elements. 降解 [technical]