(副词) 由于上天/天意的安排;出于(似乎是)神的眷顾或命运的巧合,常用来表示“幸运地、恰好地(带有天意/命运色彩)”。(也可更中性地指“恰逢其时”,但语感偏“天助”。)
/ˌprɑːvɪˈdɛnʃəli/
Providentially, no one was hurt in the accident.
幸好(仿佛天佑),事故中没有人受伤。
Providentially timed, her phone call arrived just as we were about to give up, restoring our hope and clarifying the plan.
她的电话来得仿佛恰合天意:就在我们快要放弃的时候打来,重新点燃了希望,也把计划说清楚了。
providentially 来自 providential(上天安排的、天意的)+ -ly(副词后缀)。而 providential 源于 providence(“天意;上帝的眷顾;(对未来的)远见与准备”),再往上可追溯到拉丁语词根 providere,意为“预见、预先照料”(pro- “向前” + videre “看”)。因此它带有“似乎被预先安排或照看”的含义。