| 单词 | 普遍接受 |
| 释义 | 〔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〔unlawful〕Contrary to accepted morality or convention; illicit.不正当的：与被普遍接受的道德准则或传统相反的；违反规定的〔catholic〕Middle English catholik [universally accepted] 中古英语 catholik [普遍接受的] 〔kudos〕Kudos is one of those words like congeries that look like pluralsbut are etymologically singular:correctness requiresKudos is (not are ) due her for her brilliant work on the score. Some writers have tried to defend the use ofkudos with a plural verb, or even the introduction of a new singular form ofkudo, on the grounds that these innovations follow the pattern whereby the English words pea and cherry were re-formed from nouns ending in-s that were thought to be plural. Perhaps the singularkudo would have to be acknowledged as a legitimate formation if it came to be widely adopted in the popular language in the way that cherry and pea have. But at presentkudos is still regarded as a slightly pretentious variant for praise and can scarcely claim to be part of the linguistic folkways of the community.When writers reach for an unfamiliar Greek word for the sake of elegance,it is fair to ask that they get it right.Still, it is worth notingthat even people who are carefulto treat the word syntactically as a singularoften pronounce it as if it were a plural:etymology would require that the final consonant be pronounced as a voiceless (s),rather than as a voiced (z).Kudos 和 congeries 那些词一样， 看上去好象是复数，但从词源上看是单数：因此正确的用法应该是Kudos is （不是 are ） due her for her brilliant work on the score 。 许多作者为kudos 后跟动词复数形式的做法辩护， 他们甚至发明了一个新的词kudo 作为该词的单数形式，他们这样做是以英语单词 pea 和 cherry 的形成模式为依据的， 这些词都是从原先结尾带-s 的复数形式名词演化而来。 kudo 这种单数形式只有在象 cherry 和 pea 这样为大众语言所普遍接受之后才能被认可为一种正确的形式。 但是现在kudos 这个词仍被看作是 praise 这个词稍稍有些做作的变体， 还很难成为社群的习惯用语的一部份。当一个作家为了行文的优雅用一个生僻的希腊词的时候，他应该正确地使用它。但是值得注意的是，即使是那些非常仔细的人，他们在句子中把它用作单数，但在读的时候却读成复数的形式：根据词源来看，这个词最后一个辅音应该发成清辅音（s），而不是浊辅音（z）〔currency〕General acceptance or use; prevalence:通用：普遍接受或使用；流行：〔orthodox〕Adhering to what is commonly accepted, customary, or traditional:传统的：坚持被普遍接受的、约定成俗的或传统的：〔quote〕As a transitive verbquote is appropriately used to describe the use of an exact wording drawn from another source. When the original source is paraphrased or alluded to,the more general termcite is usually preferable. · The nounquote is well established as a truncation of quotation, though many critics regard it as unduly journalistic or breezy.As such, it is best avoided in formal literary discussions.The use of the noun was acceptable to only 38 percent of the Usage Panel in the sentenceHe began the chapter with a quote from the Bible. But the usage is less objectionable in informal contexts or in reference to less august sources;the word was acceptable to 53 percent of the Panel in the sentenceHe lightened up his talk by throwing in quotes from Marx Brothers movies. · The nounquote is sometimes used as a synonym for "dictum, saying,” as inHis career is just one more validation of Andy Warhol's quote that "in the future, everybody will be famous for fifteen minutes.” This example was unacceptable to 76 percent of the Usage Panel.作为一个及物动词，用quote 一词来指从另一出处中抄取完全一样的用语是很恰当的。 当原文出处被意译或是间接提及时，一个意义更广泛的词cite 更可取。 quote 这名词形式是由 quatation 削减而来，也已被普遍接受， 虽然许多批评家认为这个词染有不恰当的记者文风或不太正式。因此，在正式的文学讨论中最好避免使用。在用法专题使用小组的调查中，只有38%的人认为这个名词在这章的开始他引用了《圣经》中的一段 文字 这个句子中的用法是可行的。 但在不正式的语境下或提及的出处不很严肃时，对于这种用法的反对意见要少一些。在他插入了一段引自马克斯兄弟电影中的 话 来活跃谈话气氛 这个句子中， 53%的小组成员认为这个词可以接受。 Quote 这个名词有时也可用作“格言、名言”的同义词， 如在他的一生再一次证实了安迪·霍尔的 格言 “将来，每个人都将享有十五分钟的知名度” 这个句子中， 用法专题使用小组中76%的成员认为这个例句无法接受〔rebel〕To resist or defy an authority or a generally accepted convention.反抗：拒绝服从或反对权威或已普遍接受的传统观点〔gay〕The wordgay is now standard in its use to refer to the American homosexual community and its members;in this use it is generally lowercased.Gay is distinguished from homosexual in emphasizing the cultural and social aspects of homosexuality.Many writers reservegay for male homosexuals, but the word is also used to refer to homosexuals of both sexes;when the intended meaning is not clear in the context,the phrasegay and lesbian should be used. Like the other names of social groups that are derived from adjectives (e.g.,Black ), gay may be regarded as offensive when used as a noun to refer to particular individuals, as inThere were two gays on the panel; here a phrase such asgay people should be used instead. But there is no objection to the use of the noun in the pluralto refer to the general gay community,as inGays have united in opposition to the policy. See Usage Note at homosexual 单词gay 其用法已被普遍接受， 指的是美国的同性恋团体及其成员；在这种用法中，它一般小写。Gay 区别于 homosexual， 前者强调同性恋者的文化和社会方面。许多作家把gay 限定于男性同性恋者， 但这个单词也可用于指两种性别的同性恋者，当上下文的言外之意不太明确时，词组同性恋男性和同性恋女性 可以被使用。 就象其他从形容词派生来的社会群体名词一样（如，黑人 ）， gay 如果当作为一个名词使用，指一些特殊的个体时，可能会被认为带有攻击性， 如在There were two gays on the panel； 在此处应该用词组gay people 来代替。 但是并没有人反对其名词的复数形式，指一般的同性恋团体，如句子同性恋者们已经团结起来对抗政策 参见 homosexual〔received〕Having been accepted as true or worthy:被普遍接受的：被当作真实或有价值而被接受的：〔gender〕Traditionally,gender has been used primarily to refer to the grammatical categories of "masculine,” "feminine,” and "neuter"; but in recent years the word has become well established in its use to refer to sex-based categories,as in phrases such asgender gap and the politics of gender. This usage is supported by the practice of many anthropologists,who reservesex for reference to biological categories, while usinggender to refer to social or cultural categories. According to this rule,one would sayThe effectiveness of the medication appears to depend on the sex (not gender ) of the patient, butIn peasant societies, gender (not sex ) roles are likely to be more clearly defined. This distinction is useful in principle,but it is by no means widely observed,and considerable variation in usage occurs at all levels.传统地，gender 已被主要用来指“阳性”、“阴性”和“中性”的语法类别， 自近年来，这个单词已被人们普遍接受为指基于性别区分的类别，例如在词组性别差异 和 性别政治 中， 这种用法被许多人类学家所支持，他们把sex 局限为生物类别， 而用gender 来指社会和文化方面的类别。 根据这种规则，我们应该说医疗的有效性似乎取决于 （而不是 gender ） 病人的性别， 但是在农业国家中，性别的 （不是 sex ） 角色易于有更清楚的定义。 这种区分在原则上是有用的，但无法被人们广泛注意，而且大量变体出现于在不同水平的用法中〔unseemly〕Not in accord with accepted standards of good taste; grossly improper.See Synonyms at improper 不适当的：与普遍接受的良好品味之标准不符的；极为不适当的 参见 improper〔catholicity〕General application or acceptance; universality.普遍性：普遍适用或普遍接受；世界性〔intuit〕This lack of acceptance is often attributed to the verb's status as a back-formation fromintuition, but in fact the verb has existed as long as other back-formations, such asdiagnose and donate, that are now wholly acceptable. The source of the objections most likely lies in the fact that the verb is often used in reference to more trivial sorts of insight than would be permitted by a full appreciation of the traditional meaning ofintuition. In this connection, a somewhat greater percentage of the Panel, 46 percent,does acceptintuit in the sentence Mathematicians sometimes intuit the truth of a theorem long before they are able to prove it. See Usage Note at enthuse 这种观点上的差异通常归咎于这个动词作为源于intuition 的逆构词的地位， 但是事实上这个动词的存在时间与其他现已普遍接受的诸如diagnose 以及 donate 等逆构词的存在时间一样长。 反对的原因很可能在于这个动词常用以指“较差的洞察力”，而此意义是被intuition 传统意义的充分理解所禁止的。 在这方面，小组百分之四十六之多的人，确实接受intuit 用于句中 数学家们能在某些定理被证明以前凭直觉知道定理的正确性 参见 enthuse〔host〕Host was used as a verb in Shakespeare's time, but this usage was long obsoletewhen the verb was reintroduced (or perhaps reinvented) in recent yearsto mean "perform the role of a host.”The usage occurs particularly in contexts relating to institutional gatherings or television and radio shows,where the person performing the role of host has not personally invited the guests to his or her own establishment (thus it would be odd to sayThis evening we are hosting a dinner party at our house for my husband's cousins from New York ). Perhaps because the verb involves a suspect extension of the traditional conception of hospitality,it initially met with critical resistance.In a 1968 surveyonly 18 percent of the Usage Panel accepted the usage in the sentenceThe Cleveland chapter will host this year's convention. Over time, however,the usage has become increasingly well establishedand appears to serve a useful purpose in describing the activities of one who performs the ceremonial or practical role of a host (in arranging a conference or entertainment, welcoming guests, and so forth).In our most recent survey53 percent of the Panelists accepted the usage in the phrasea reception hosted by the Secretary of State. The verb is less well accepted when used to describe the role of a performer who acts as a master of ceremonies for a broadcast or film,where the relation of the word to the notion of "hospitality" is stretched still further.Only 31 percent of the Panel accepted the use of the verb in the sentenceStudents have watched Sex, Drugs and AIDS, a graphic film hosted by actress Rae Dawn Chong. · The verbcohost has likewise become well established in its use to refer to those who collaborate in assuming responsibility for an occasion. Fifty-eight percent of the Usage Panel accepted this use in the sentenceThe Department of Architecture and the Department of History will be cohosting a reception for conference participants. Host 一词在莎士比亚时代用作动词， 但自那时起这一用法很长时间不用了，直到近年来又被重新起用（或者可能重新创造），用来表示“担当主人的角色”。这一用法尤其在学术聚会或电视、电台节目的情况下使用，在这些情况下，身为主人的人并没有以私人身份邀请客人去到他或她自己的家中，（这样的话，如果我们说今天晚上我们将在家中为我丈夫来自纽约的表兄妹‘主办’一个晚餐会 就会觉得有点别扭）。 也许是因为有人认为这一动词用法会扩大传统的“好客”概念，所以一开始它就遭到了批评性抑制。在1968年的一次调查中，用法专题使用小组中18%的成员在如下句子中的用法，即克利夫兰分会将主办本年度的大会。 但是，随着时间的推移，这一用法已逐渐被接受，并在描绘一个担当司仪或具体的主人任务（例如安排会议或娱乐活动，欢迎客人等等）时起到了很好的作用。在我们最近一次的调查中，用法专题使用小组中的53%的成员接受了短语由国务卿出面举办的招待会 中"host"一词的用法。 但当这一动词用法用来描绘作为广播节目或电影节目的主持人的主持工作时，人们就不太接受其用法，因为这样用，这个词与“好客”这一概念的关系就更松了。只有31%的用法专题使用小组成员接受host在句子学生们观摩了 由 演员雷·唐·宗主持解说的纪录片 ‘性、毒品与艾滋病’”中的动词用法。 同样，用来表示分工合作共同举办某一活动的动词cohost 也已被普遍接受。 58%的用法专题使用小组成员接受这一动词在如下句子中的用法：建筑系和历史系将共同为与会者举办一次招待会 |
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