They were actuated by desire...是什么意思？

They were actuated by desire...

他们受到欲望的驱使。

they

pron. 他/她/它们，人们，大家，政府，当局，她们；

例句
The storms had abated by the time they rounded Cape Horn.
他们绕过合恩角时，暴风雨已经减弱。

were

be的过去时复数和第二人称单数形式，有时代替 was,用于条件从句、动词 wish 之后等；

例句
Shops, houses, and vehicles were set ablaze.
店铺、房子和车辆全都陷于火海。

actuated

v. 使动作( actuate的过去式和过去分词 )，开动，（通常用于被动语态）驱使，激励；

例句
They were actuated by desire...
他们受到欲望的驱使。

by

prep. 在…旁边，表示方式，由于，经过；adv. 经过，表示保留或保存时用，短暂拜访；

例句
...expensive make-up that we saw being advertised by a beautiful model...
我们所见的由一位漂亮模特代言的昂贵化妆品

desire

vt. 希望，渴望，要求，请求；n. 愿望，欲望，希望，请求；vi. 有希望，期望，愿望，想望；

例句
She confessed to her parents her desire to act...
她向父母坦言了自己想演戏的愿望。