名詞 gradation:

1. relative position in a graded series
   同義詞：step
2. a degree of ablaut
   同義詞：grade
3. the act of arranging in grades
   同義詞：graduation

1. A good actor can express every gradation of feeling from joy to grief.
   一名好演員能夠表現(xiàn)出由快樂至痛苦的每一階段的感情變化。
2. I have noticed the subtle gradation in colour in this painting.
   我已經(jīng)注意到這幅畫中色彩的層次。
3. It was hard to understand all the minute gradations of their bureaucracy.
   很難弄清楚他們那套官僚體制全部細微的層次分別。

gra.da.tion

n.（名詞）

A series of gradual, successive stages; a systematic progression.
漸進，進展，進度：一系列逐級的、連續(xù)的階段；一個系統(tǒng)的進程
A degree or stage in such a progression.
進展程度，進展階段：這種進程中的一個等級或階段
A passing by barely perceptible degrees from one tone or shade, as of color, to another.See Synonyms at nuance
漸變：音調(diào)或色彩的濃淡以不可覺察的層次的變化參見 nuance
The act of gradating or arranging in grades.
分等，分級：按等級排列或安排的行為
Linguistics See ablaut
【語言學】 參見 ablaut

來源：
Latin grad3tiô grad3tiôn-
拉丁語 grad3tiô grad3tiôn-
from gradus [step] * see grade
源自 gradus [步驟] *參見 grade

【引伸】
grada.tional
adj.（形容詞）
grada.tionally
adv.（副詞）