疏通

• 拼音: shū tōng
• 汉字拆解: 疏 = 疋 + flow (to dredge; to clear); 通 = 辶 + 甬 (movement + path/tube — to pass through; connected)

含义

To clear; to unclog; to open up (a channel, relationship, or obstruction).

Originally an engineering term for clearing a blocked waterway; now widely used figuratively for resolving interpersonal, bureaucratic, or systemic blockages. In informal contexts, can imply using connections or influence to smooth over obstacles (关系疏通 — to grease the wheels). Key collocations: 疏通管道 (to clear a pipe); 疏通关系 (to smooth/grease relationships); 疏通渠道 (to open up channels).

例句

1. 市政部门出动多台专业疏通车辆，连夜对暴雨造成的严重淤堵路段进行清障排污作业，力争在次日早高峰前恢复城市排水系统的正常运转。
2. 谈判陷入僵局后，双方通过一位双方都信任的中间人悄然开展幕后沟通，逐步疏通了阻碍谈判进展的几个关键认知障碍。
3. 这位官员坦言，正式程序之外，关系疏通在行政体系中仍有润滑作用。

用法指南

语境: infrastructure, diplomacy, bureaucracy, relationships, negotiation

语气: pragmatic

正确说法

• 两国虽暂停正式对话，仍通过学术、商贸和文化活动疏通沟通渠道，为高层重启留出空间。(Although formal talks were suspended, the two countries still used academic, business, and cultural activities to clear communication channels, leaving room for high-level talks to resume.)
• 供应链遇到阻塞时，管理者要迅速找出瓶颈，并调配资源、启用替代路线，及时疏通物流和信息流。(When supply chains are blocked, managers must quickly identify bottlenecks and allocate resources and alternative routes to clear logistics and information flows in time.)

错误说法

• 疏通关系 in formal or official writing to describe legitimate stakeholder communication — use 协调 (to coordinate) or 沟通 (to communicate) instead; 疏通关系 has an informal and sometimes ethically ambiguous connotation of using personal connections to overcome obstacles, and should be avoided in formal registers where it might imply improper influence

起源与历史

疏 (sparse; to dredge — to clear a channel) + 通 (to pass through; connected — 辶 movement + 甬 a path/tube)

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal