“so that”常用作连词短语,表示目的(“为了……;以便……”)或结果(“结果是……;因此……”)。也可引出从句说明意图或造成的后果。
/soʊ ðæt/
Please speak slowly so that I can understand you.
请说慢一点,以便我能听懂你。
She saved every email so that, if questions arose later, she could prove what had been agreed.
她把每封邮件都保存下来,这样如果以后出现疑问,她就能证明当时达成了什么约定。
“so”源自古英语 swā,有“如此、因此”的意思;“that”源自古英语 þæt,可作指示词/连词。两者搭配形成“so that”,逐渐固定为连接从句的结构,用来表达“因此导致……”或“为了使……”。