govern

control, direct, govern, manage, rule, supervise, administer

动词 govern:

1. bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations
   同义词：regulate, regularize, regularise, order
2. direct or strongly influence the behavior of
3. exercise authority over; as of nations
   同义词：rule
4. require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood

1. Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa.
   英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。
2. You must not be governed by the opinions of others.
   你决不要受别人意见的支配。
3. They demand the right to govern themselves.
   他们要求自治权。

gov.ern

v.（动词）
gov.erned,gov.ern.ing,gov.erns
v.tr.（及物动词）
To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; exercise sovereign authority in.
统治：制定和实施公众政策或事务；在…行使主权
To control the speed or magnitude of; regulate:
控制，调节：控制速度或数量；规定或管制：
例句：
a valve governing fuel intake.
控制汽油消耗的阀门

To control the actions or behavior of:
克制：控制行为或行动：
例句：
Govern yourselves like civilized human beings.
注意自己的言行，使自己象一个有教养的人

To keep under control; restrain:
压制；束缚：使…在控制之下；压制：
例句：
a child who could not be governed.
管不住的小孩

To exercise a deciding or determining influence on:
支配；决定：起决定影响：
例句：
Chance usually governs the outcome of the game.
运气经常操纵比赛的结果

Grammar To require (a specific morphological form) of accompanying words.
【语法】 支配：要求联结单词（一种特殊的词法形式）
v.intr.（不及物动词）
To exercise political authority.
统治：行使政治权力
To have or exercise a determining influence.
操纵：有决定性影响

来源：
Middle English governen
中古英语 governen
from Old French governer
源自 古法语 governer
from Latin gubern3re
源自 拉丁语 gubern3re
from Greek kubernan
源自 希腊语 kubernan

【引伸】
gov.ernable
adj.（形容词）