Speculate

(verb.) to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds; 'Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in swamps'.

(verb.) talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion; 'We were speculating whether the President had to resign after the scandal'.

(verb.) invest at a risk; 'I bought this house not because I want to live in it but to sell it later at a good price, so I am speculating'.

整理:謝爾登

• Private enterprise, therefore, so far from bothering about the public need of housing, did nothing but corner and speculate in rents and sub-letting. 赫伯特·喬治·威爾斯. 世界史綱.
• The historian is obliged to speculate about the contents of the head that wears a crown as best he can. 赫伯特·喬治·威爾斯. 世界史綱.
• Whether or not he would cordially approve, I used to speculate. 夏洛蒂·勃朗特. 維萊特.
• Upon such may have beens we can speculate here, but we cannot decide. 赫伯特·喬治·威爾斯. 世界史綱.
• If we had not known of any other slave-making ant, it would have been hopeless to speculate how so wonderful an instinct could have been perfected. 查爾斯·達爾文. 物種起源.
• It is interesting to speculate how prehistoric man came to use the skin of the beasts of the field for warmth and shelter. 威廉·亨利·杜利特. 世紀發明.
• But in Naples I think they speculate on misfortunes of that kind. 馬克·吐溫. 傻子出國記.
• Whether the fairies made any mention of the five thousand pounds, and it disagreed with Baby, is not speculated upon. 查爾斯·狄更斯. 我們共同的朋友.
• I have speculated on the chance of your feeling a passing curiosity about what he wanted to say, and of my being able to satisfy it. 威爾基·柯林斯. 月亮寶石.
• His original curiosity augmented every day, as he watched for her, saw or did not see her, and speculated about her. 查爾斯·狄更斯. 小杜麗.
• It had nature for its subject, and speculated as to how things are made and changed. 約翰·杜威. 民主與教育.
• But you ought to know best how you speculated upon it. 查爾斯·狄更斯. 我們共同的朋友.
• Aristotle speculated, and the alchemists of the middle ages busied themselves in magic and guess-work. 威廉·亨利·杜利特. 世紀發明.
• Another of the Fathers says, 'Speculated without knowing that speculation is a science. 查爾斯·狄更斯. 我們共同的朋友.
• You are speculating, I said, on a result which cannot possibly take place. 威爾基·柯林斯. 月亮寶石.
• All over Europe in the fifteenth century merchants and sailors were speculating about new ways to the East. 赫伯特·喬治·威爾斯. 世界史綱.
• And that sight kept men speculating, in spite of all the figures and scientific dicta of the ages. 魯伯特·薩金特·荷蘭. 歷史性發明.
• I have looked at her, speculating thousands of times upon the unborn child from whom I had been rent. 查爾斯·狄更斯. 雙城記.
• Tarzan, an interested spectator of all that had taken place, sat speculating on the strange actions of these peculiar creatures. 埃德加·賴斯·巴勒斯. 人猿泰山.
• At the time, I understood that he was speculating with my own money: it was incredibly stupid of me, but I knew nothing of business. 伊迪絲·華頓. 快樂之家.
• Now he discovered himself speculating upon the fate which would have fallen to the girl had he not rescued her from Terkoz. 埃德加·賴斯·巴勒斯. 人猿泰山.

整理:納特