degeneration
noun /dɪˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn/
/dɪˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn/
[uncountable]- the process of becoming worse or less acceptable in quality or condition
蜕化；衰退；堕落 - social/moral degeneration
社会倒退；道德沦丧 - Intensive farming in the area has caused severe degeneration of the land.
这个地区的集约化农业使得土壤严重贫瘠化。 - The condition causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.
这种情况会导致渐进性肌肉退化和虚弱。 - Speech degeneration often occurs in children who become deaf after acquiring language.
语言退化经常发生在习得语言后变聋的儿童身上。
词源late 15th cent.: from late Latin degeneratio(n-), from the verb degenerare, from degener ‘debased’, from de- ‘away from’ + genus, gener- ‘race, kind’. - social/moral degeneration