backpedal
【英英释义】
the form backpedaling and back-pedaled are used in American English.
v. 1. if you back-pedal, you express a different or less forceful opinion about something from the one you have previously expressed.改变立场，软化；退缩 V / V on n
2. if you say that someone back-pedals, you disapprove of their behaviour because they are not doing what they promised. 变卦，出尔反尔；背弃信诺 V / V on/from n
to change your opinion or not do something that you had promised to do.
【词义深度解析】
backpedal本意是“倒踩自行车的脚蹬”，常常引申表示“撤回”，可做不及物动词，及物时需加介词on或from，后接表示观点（opinion）、计划（plan/project）、建议（proposal/suggestion）、决定（decision）、承诺（promise/commitment）、条款（term/clause/article/provision）等词。
【例句学习】
1.US politicians are backpedaling on the commitment to cut taxes.
2. Under huge pressure from the public, local authorities backpedaled on their decision to open a chemical factory.
以上两句中句尾的to do不定式修饰其前的名词commitment/decision，与名词的关系为同位语关系，解释说明了承诺或决定是什么样的承诺或决定。
3. The product manager quickly backpedaled when asked to explain his proposal in detail.
这里backpeda做不及物动词，表述产品经理态度的转变。当被要求详述其建议细节时，这位产品经理（应更加上下文文义翻译）话锋一转/闭口不言/退缩。
此处when引导了时间状语从句，由于从句主语与主句主语一致，省略了主语，且谓语动词根据主语与谓语的逻辑关系用过去分词的形式出现。
4. "I didn't mean to attack people in New York. I love New York." Ted Cruz, campaigning in New York, backtracks from his sneering comments about "New York values".
backtrack是backpedal的同义词，意义和用法很相似，很多时候都可以互相替换。此处backtarck后跟介词from，表示收回了之前他嘲讽“纽约价值”的评论。
sneer v/n. 嘲笑，讥讽，冷笑
【词汇运用】
1.翻译：在意大利时装品牌Dolce&Gabbana发布自己饱受争议的粗俗广告后，很多中国艺人决定不再和它合作。
Many Chinese actors or actresses decided to backpedal on their collaberations with Dolce&Gabbana, the Italian fashion brand, after launching its vulgar and controversial promotional video. （自己）
After Italian fashion brand Dolce&Gabbana published a highly controversial and offensive advertisement, many Chinese actors started to backpedal on their partnership with it. （参考翻译）
分析：我的很多选词完美地避开了参考翻译的选词，比如合作partnership，简洁明了；比如粗俗的，其实是对中国传统文化一种冒犯，用offensive能传递出中国人的态度和情感，vulgar相对而言就是一种冷静的描述。
2.生活场景应用：
My father backpedaled on his decision to take me on a trip to Japan for failing my university entrance examination.