单词 | 自古 |
释义 | 〔junk〕The wordjunk is an example of the change in meaning known as generalization, and very aptly too, since the amount of junk in the world seems to be generalizing and proliferating rapidly. The Middle English wordjonk, ancestor of junk, originally had a very specific meaning restricted to nautical terminology.First recorded in 1353,the word meant "an old cable or rope.”On a sailing ship it made little sense to throw away useful materialsince considerable time might pass before one could get new supplies.Old cable was used in a variety of ways,for example, to make fenders,that is, material hung over the side of the ship to protect it from scraping other ships or wharves.Junk came to refer to this old cable as well. The big leap in meaning taken by the word seems to have occurred whenjunk was applied to discarded but useful material in general. This extension may also have taken place in a nautical context,for the earliest, more generalized use ofjunk is found in the compound junk shop, referring to a store where old materials from ships were sold.Junk has gone on to mean useless waste as well. Junk 一词是被称为词义扩大化的例子;由于世界上垃圾的数量正在迅速扩散和激增,该词词义的扩大也是很适宜的。 junk 一词源自古英语单词 jonk , 其最初的意思只限于航海术语当中。1353年首次记载下来时,该词义为“旧缆绳或旧绳子”。在帆船上,扔掉有用的东西是不明智的,因为也许要过去好长一段时间才有可能得到新的供应品。旧缆绳可用在很多不同的方面,例如用来做防撞物,即悬在船舷上保护船舷不受其它船只或码头刮擦的材料。Junk 同样也用来指旧缆绳。 当junk 普遍地被用来指丢弃了的然而有用的材料时,该词的词义发生了巨大的变化。 该词的词义延伸也可能已经出现在与航海有关的背景中,因为junk 一词最早的、更为概括性的使用是在 junk shop 这一复合词中发现的。 该词指出售船上旧材料的商店。Junk 仍继续用来指没用的废旧物品 〔horse〕A large hoofed mammal(Equus caballus) having a short-haired coat, a long mane, and a long tail, domesticated since ancient times and used for riding and for drawing or carrying loads. 马:体形较大的有蹄哺乳动物(野马) ,体毛较短,鬃毛较长,尾长,自古就被人驯服,用作坐骑或拖拉运送货物 |
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