| 单词 | 形容词 |
| 释义 | 〔old〕These adjectives describe what belongs to or dates from an earlier time or period.这些形容词用来描绘那些属于或可追溯到一较早时间或较早时期的东西。〔amiable〕These adjectives mean willing or showing a willingness to please.这些形容词的意思是愿意的或表示出亲热的。〔jealous〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "resentfully or painfully desirous of another's advantages": 这些形容词的中心意思是“痛苦和或怨恨地想要得到他人的好处”： 〔brute〕These adjectives apply to what is more characteristic of lower animals than of human beings.这些形容词都表示具有较低等动物而不是人的特征的。〔bummer〕From bum 1[adj.] 源自 bum1[形容词] 〔kaput〕The games people play can become deadly serious,as exemplified by the wordkaput. Our word is an adoption of the German word kaputt, whose senses are similar to those of the English word.German in turn borrowed this word from the French gaming tables,wherecapot as an adjective meant "not having won a single trick at piquet.” Devastating as this might be to a piquet player,it would surprise kibitzers to see how widely the word's range of meaning has been extended in German and English,in which it is first recorded in 1895.For example, one's car can be kaput and so can oneself.As for the ultimate source of Frenchcapot we cannot be certain,but it seems to go back to a modern Provençal word,of which the first element iscap, "head.” 人们在玩牌时可能变得非常认真，如kaput 一词例示的这个英语单词是吸收了德语 kaputt 一词演变而来的。 该德语词的词义与它的词义相似。而德国人又从法国人的赌桌上借用了该词。在赌桌上，capot 作为一个形容词又为“打皮克牌时未赢一圈的”。 尽管这样可能会令玩皮克牌的人晦气，旁观并议论牌局的人也许会吃惊地发现该词在德语和英语中的引申义是多么广泛。该词于1895年首次记载在德语和英语中。例如，车主的车可能会损坏，车主也可能失败。至于法语capot 一词的词源， 我们不甚了解，但似乎可以追溯到现代普罗旺斯语，其中的第一个成分cap 表示“头”的意思 〔pronominal〕Resembling a pronoun, as by specifying a person, place, or thing, while functioning primarily as another part of speech.His in his choice is a pronominal adjective. 代词性的：与代词相似的，如主要作为谈话的另一部分时指代人、地方或事的。His 在 hischoice 中是代词性形容词 〔glamour〕Many words, such ashonor, vapor, and labor, are usually spelled with an -or ending in American English but with an-our ending in British English. The preferred spelling ofglamour, however, is -our, making it an exception to the usual American practice.The adjective is more often spelledglamorous in both American and British usage. 美式英语中的许多词，如honor，vapor 和 labor 经常以 -or 作为拼写的结尾， 而在英式英语中却以-our 作为结尾。 但glamour 的拼法却以 -our 作为结尾， 成为美式英语中的例外。无论是在美式英语还是英式英语中这个形容词更经常地被拼为glamorous 〔unique〕Over the course of the centuryunique has become the paradigmatic example of the class of terms that do not allow comparison or modification by an adverb of degree such as very, somewhat, or quite. Thus, most grammarians believe that it is incorrect to say that something isvery unique or more unique than something else, though phrases such asnearly unique and almost unique are acceptable. In the most recent survey the sentenceHer designs are quite unique in today's fashion scene was unacceptable to 80 percent of the Usage Panel. · Critical objections to the comparison and degree modification of absolute terms date to the 18th centuryand have been applied to a wide group of adjectives includingequal, fatal, omnipotent, parallel, perfect, and unanimous. According to the standard argument, such words denote properties that a thing either does or does not have but cannot have to a qualifiable degree.Thus ifunique is properly used to mean "without equal or equivalent,” something either is unique or it isn't, and phrases such asvery unique and more unique can only betray a weakening of the sense to mean something like "unusual" or "distinctive.” It is true that comparison and modification ofunique are often associated with the style favored by copywriters, as in the advertisement announcing thatOmaha's most unique restaurant is now even more unique or in the claim that a new automobile is So unique, it's patented. But modification ofunique is also found in the work of reputable writers, where it may lack any connotations of hyperbole.A painting is described asthe most unique of Beckman's self-portraits, and a travel writer states thatChicago is no less unique an American city than New York or San Francisco. The relative acceptability of these usages reflects the semantic subtlety ofunique itself. If we were to useunique only according to the strictest criteria of logic, after all, we might freely apply the term to anything in the worldsince nothing is wholly equivalent to anything else.Clearly, then, when we say that a restaurant or painting is unique,we mean that it is worthy of inclusion in a class by itself according to certain implicit but generally accepted criteria.Thus a legitimately unique painting might be one that realizes an unparalleled aesthetic vision,but not one that is rendered only in pigments whose names begin with the lettero; and a legitimately unique restaurant might be one that serves 18th-century French cuisine according to the original recipes,not one that has been installed in a converted sardine cannery.Given this understanding, it is not inherently impossible to think of uniqueness as a matter of degree,in the sense that one painting or restaurant may be more or less worthy of inclusion in a class by itself than some other. ·What is troubling about the copywriters' use ofunique is not that the word has become a synonym for unusual. Rather, it is the copywriters who are using the word in conformity with strict logic.Uniqueness is claimed for a restaurant in virtue of some trivial properties of its decor or menu,or for a resort hotel that simply happens to have a singularly picturesque view of the bay.Though it may be true that such properties render these thingslogically unique, they do not constitute legitimate grounds for putting the things into a class by themselves according to the criteria ordinarily invoked when things are sorted into classes.In fact, the abuse ofunique can be cloying even when no modification or comparison is involved; when we read an advertisement for a line of sportswear that featuresa unique selection of colors, we may suspect that the distinctive properties of the color selection are not so remarkable as the advertiser would have us believe. But it is not surprising that these uses ofunique should lend themselves to promiscuous modification and comparison; for once it is granted that uniqueness can be claimed for any product or service that is somehow distinctive from all its competitors,it is inevitable that an increase in uniqueness will be seen in every minor innovation.See Usage Note at equal ,infinite ,parallel ,perfect 在本世纪整个过程中unique 已成为不能由程度副词，例 very、somewhat 或 quite， 比较或修饰的一类术语的例证。 因此，多数语法学家认为说某事是very unique 或 more unique than 是不正确的， 虽然短语例如nearly unique 和 almost unique 是可接受的。 在最近的调查中，句子Her designs are quite unique in today's fashion scene （她的设计在现今流行样式的场面中是很独特的） 对用法专题使用小组的百分之八十成员是不可接受的。 对纯粹术语的比较和程度修饰的主要异议可追述到18世纪，并已广泛用到许多形容词中，包括equal, fatal, omnipotent, parallel, perfect 和 unanimous。 根据标准论据，这些单词表示一事有或没有但不能有可修饰的程度的性质。于是如果unique 适当地用于表示“没有相等或相当的”，则某事是唯一的或不是唯一的， 而短语像very unique 和 more unique 仅能表露出说明某事像“不寻常的”或“独特的”的意义的减弱。 的确，unique 的比较和修饰常与撰稿人喜欢的文体相联系， 如在广告中称Omaha's most unique restaurant is now even more unique（奥马哈城的最独特的餐馆现在甚至是更加独特） 或声称新汽车是 So unique, it's patented（如此独特，它取得了专利权）。 但是unique 的修饰也在著名作家的作品中发现， 那里可能缺乏夸张法的任何涵义。描述一张油画为the most unique of Beckman's self-portraits（最独特的贝克曼的自画像）， 一位旅游作家叙述Chicago is no less unique an American city than New York or San Francisco（芝加哥比纽约或旧金山是不逊独特的美国城市）。 这些用法的相对可接受性反映unique 自身语义的巧妙。 如果我们仅按照逻辑的严格标准使用unique ， 则我们终于会自由地把此术语使用于世界上的任何事，因为没有完全等同于另一事的事。于是，显然当我们说餐馆或油画是独特的时，我们意味着根据某种隐含的但可普遍接受的判据它是值得包含在一个等级内的。于是合理独特的油画可能是实现空前未有的审美型的，而不是仅给予名字以字母O开始的颜料； 合理独特的餐馆可能根据原来的食谱提供18世纪法国菜肴的餐馆，而不是配备转换的沙丁鱼罐头食品的餐馆。按这样了解，将独特性视为程度问题不是本来就不可能的，在这个意义上一张油画或一个餐馆或多或少可能是极好的有价值的内涵物而不是其他。关于撰稿人使用unique 的困惑不是此单词已成为 unusual 的同义词。 相反地，正是撰稿人使用此单词与严密的逻辑相一致。对餐馆声称独特性是由于它的布置或菜单的某些不重要的性质，或者对于人们常去的旅馆仅因为有海湾的独一无二地别致的景象。虽然这样的性质使得这些事logically 独特的可能是真实的， 但是当事情进行了分类，根据平常实行的判据把这些事情自身放到一类，他们不组成正常的基础。事实上unique 的滥用会使人发腻，即使在没有涉及修饰或比较的时候； 当我们读运动服装的unique selection of colors（颜色的独特选择） 的一行广告时， 我们会怀疑颜色选择的独特性质并非广告商希望我们所认为的那么明显。但不必惊讶于unique 的这些用法应当适用于杂乱的修饰和比较； 就这一次可以承认，独特性能用来指任何产品或服务，它们与所有的竞争者相比较有某种程度的特色，在每一小的创新中可以看到独特性的增加是必然会发生的 参见 equal,infinite,parallel,perfect〔hateful〕These adjectives, which are often interchangeable, describe what elicits or deserves strong dislike, distaste, or revulsion:这些通常可以转换的形容词描述了一种引起或注定获得的强烈不满、厌恶或讨厌：〔permanent〕In this world of impermanenceit seems that we have tried to hold on to a few things at least by using the wordpermanent. Coming ultimately from the present participlepermanēns of Latin permanēre, "to endure,” Middle Englishpermanent (first recorded around 1425) also had to do with the enduring and the stable. When we consider some of the applications of this adjective,as inpermanent press, permanent tooth, we are struck by the relative evanescence of the so-called permanent.But perhaps never more so than in the case of the permanent wave.When asked what this phenomenon was,one journalist wrote in 1932,“(so far as my experience goes): a wave that is anything but permanent.”在这个无常的世界里，看起来我们已经试图保持一些事物，至少通过使用permanent 这个词来保持。 最终来自意为“持久，持续”的拉丁文permanere 的现在分词 permanens， 中世纪英语permanent （大约在1425年首次记录）也与持久和稳固的意思有关。 当我们考虑这个形容词的一些用法时，例如在句子耐久熨压,恒牙 中， 我们便会想到所谓永恒的相对的短暂性。但可能从不会因波浪式发型而想到此。当被问到这种现象是怎么回事时，一个新闻记者于1932年写道：“（以我的经验而言）：卷曲发型恰恰不是永恒的”〔superlative〕An adjective or adverb expressing the superlative degree, as inbrightest, the superlative of the adjective bright, or most brightly, the superlative of the adverb brightly. 最高级形式：表示最高级的形容词或副词，例如形容词bright 的最高级 brightest ，或者副词 brightly 的最高级 mostbrightly 〔faithless〕These adjectives mean not true to duty or obligation.这些形容词都表示对责任或义务不忠诚。〔offensive〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "extremely unpleasant to the senses or feelings": 这些形容词所共有的中心是“对感官极不愉快的或对感情极不愉快的”： 〔sinister〕These adjectives apply to what is indicative of or threatens great harm, disaster, or evil.这些形容词意思中都有预示或面临巨大伤害、灾难或邪恶的。〔dexterous〕These adjectives refer to skill and ease in performance.这些形容词的特性指熟练和灵巧的表现。〔muscular〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "strong and powerfully built": 这些形容词的主要意思是“强壮有力的体格” 〔flagrant〕These adjectives refer to what is conspicuously bad or offensive.这些形容词指的都是明显地坏的或讨人厌的。〔kanamycin〕New Latin kanamyc(ēticus) [specific epithet of a species of actinomycete] kana [of unknown meaning] mycēticus [fungus] from -mycētēs * see -mycete 新拉丁语 kanamyc(ēticus) [一种放线菌的种名形容词] kana [语义不详] mycēticus [细菌] 源自 -mycētēs * 参见 -mycete〔pathetic〕These adjectives describe one that inspires or deserves pity.Somethingpathetic elicits sympathetic sadness and compassion: 这些形容词都指激发或赢得同情的人或物。Pathetic 表示伤感和同情： 〔critical〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "tending or marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws": 这些形容词共有的中心意思是“倾向或有发现和强调错误和缺陷的”： 〔Scottish〕Scottish is the full, original form of the adjective. Scots is an old Scottish variant of the form; Scotch is an English contraction of Scottish that at one time also came into use in Scotland ( as in Burns's"O thou, my Muse! guid auld Scotch drink!” ) but subsequently fell into disfavor.To some extent these facts can serve as a guide in choosing among the many variant forms of related words,such asScot, Scotsman or Scotswoman, or Scotchman or Scotchwoman, for one of the people of Scotland; Scots, (the) Scotch, or, rarely, (the) Scottish for the people of Scotland; andScots, Scotch, or Scottish for the dialect of English spoken in Scotland. The forms based onScotch are English and disfavored in Scotland, while those involving the full formScottish tend to be more formal. In the interest of civility, forms involvingScotch are best avoided in reference to people. But there is no sure rule for referring to things,since the history of variation in the use of these words has also left many expressions in which the choice is fixed,such asScotch broth, Scotch whisky, Scottish rite, and Scots Guards. Scottish 是这个形容词最完整，最原始的形式。 Scots 是这种形式的一种古老的苏格兰英语变体； Scotch 是苏格兰语的一个英语缩写形式并且苏格兰人曾用过( 例如波恩斯写过“喔你，我的灵感!最古代的苏格兰饮料!” )， 但后来就不令人喜欢了。在某种意义上讲这些事实可以帮助我们在那些有联系的各种变体中选择，例如Scot, Scotsman 或者 Scotswoman, 或者 Scotchman 或者 Scotchwoman, 来指定一个苏格兰的人； Scots, (the)Scotch, 或者，很少见的 (the) Scottish 来指定一个苏格兰人； 以及Scots, Scotch, 或者 Scottish 来指示在苏格兰讲的英语方言， 以Scotch 为基础的形式是英语在苏格兰不受欢迎， 但是包括完整形式Scottish 的那些形式趋向于更正式。 考虑到礼数时，带Scotch 的形式在指人时会被尽量回避的。 不过并没有一个固定的规则来指示事物，因为由于在使用这些字时不同变体的历史已经使许多表述方式固定下来了，例如苏格兰浓汤，苏格兰威士忌，苏格兰仪式 和 苏格兰卫兵 〔dead〕These adjectives all mean without life.这些形容词均表示无生命的。〔ancient〕-ānus [adj. and n. suff] -ānus [形容词和名词后缀] 〔fantastic〕These adjectives apply to what is very strange or strikingly unusual.这些形容词都含有非常奇怪或不平常的意思。〔complex〕These adjectives mean having parts so interconnected as to make the whole perplexing.这些形容词都指各部分间相互关联从而使整体复杂难懂。〔severe〕These adjectives mean unsparing and exacting with respect to discipline or control.这些形容词的意思是顾及原则与限制而严厉的或苛刻的。〔excessive〕These adjectives mean exceeding a normal, usual, reasonable, or proper limit.这些形容词意思是超过了正常的、平常的、合理的或正当的限制。〔talkative〕These adjectives mean having or marked by an inclination to talk.这些形容词指具有一种爱说话的倾向的或以这种倾向为特征的。〔positive〕The uncompared degree of an adjective or adverb.原级：形容词或副词的非比较级〔firm〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "tending not to yield to external pressure, touch, or force": 这几个形容词所共有的中心意思是“不屈服于外界压力、触动或力量”： 〔trite〕These adjectives describe something, such as writing or speech, that lacks appeal or power because it lacks freshness.这些形容词都用来描述一些因为缺乏新鲜感而没有引力或魅力的东西，如文章或讲话。〔social〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "inclined to, marked by, or passed in friendly companionship with others": 这些形容词共有的中心意思是“倾向于、标志着、或在与他人友好的伴随中度过的”： 〔tardy〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "not arriving, occurring, acting, or done at the scheduled, expected, or usual time": 这些形容词共有的中心意思是“没有在计划、期望或通常的时间内到达、出现、行动或被做的”： 〔rich〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "having an abundant supply of money, property, or possessions of value": 这些形容词共有的中心意思是“有金钱，财产或财物的丰富供应的”： 〔sleek〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "having a smooth, gleaming surface": 这些形容词所有的中心意思是“有一个平滑，闪光的平面的”： 〔unruly〕These adjectives all mean resistant or marked by resistance to control.这些形容词都指对控制有抵制性的或以对控制的抵制为特征的。〔clean〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "free from dirt": 这些形容词共有的中心意义为“脱离尘埃的”： 〔dramatic〕The central meaning shared by these adjectives is "suggestive of acting or of an emotional and often affected stage performance": 这些形容词的中心意思是“暗示着动作性的或使人联想起充满激情，通常是动人的舞台表演的”： 〔fad〕Although we do not know for certain the origin offad, first recorded in 1834with the sense "whim, crotchet,”we can suggest one possibility.In 1754, 80 years before this occurrence offad, we find an instance of the wordfidfad, meaning "a fussy person":"The youngest . . . is, in everything she does, an absolute fidfad.”Fidfad is found in the latter part of the 19th century with the sense "small detail, frill,” and the adjectivefidfad, meaning "frivolous, fussy, petty,” is recorded in 1830.Fad could thus be a shortened form of fidfad, itself shortened from fiddle-faddle. 尽管我们不能确定fad 的起源， 它于1834年首次被记录，用于表达“怪念头，异常态度或习惯”这一意思，我们仍可以提出一种可能。在1754年，比fad 的出现早80年， 我们发现了一个词例fidfad， 表示“一个小题大作的人”：“这个年轻人…所做的一切事情都完全地小题大作。”在19世纪下半叶，fidfad 被发现有“小的细节，饰边”的意思， 而且形容词fidfad 还表示“无用的，大惊小怪的，不重要的”的意思， 于1830年被记录。因此Fad 可能是 fiddle-faddle 被缩写为 fidfad 后的简便形式 |
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