生词:
identify(辨别;视为同一)即ident+ify,ident词根“同一”,-ify动词后缀“使……”;identification(识别;身份证明)←identify去y加-ication名词后缀;identical(同一的)←ident+ical形容词后缀。Any man over thirty identifies his youth with the worst fault he thinks he is capable of.任何过了三十岁的人都把自己的青年时代视为自认所能犯下的最大错误。
relevant(相关的;意义重大的)即re+lev+ant,re-前缀,lev词根“升,举”,-ant形容词后缀,故“从……升起的”→“源自……的”→相关的。同根词:elevate(升举,提高)←e+lev+ate;elevator(电梯,升降机)←e+lev+at(e)+or。The discovery and use of knowledge has always been relevant to a humane future.对于一个人道的未来,知识的发现与运用一直是关系重大的。
sympathy(n.同情;共鸣)即sym+path+y,sym-(=syn-,在p前n变形为m以方便发音,前缀“同”),path词根“感情”,-y抽象名词后缀;sympathize/sympathise(v.同情;共鸣),-ize/-ise为动词后缀;sympathetic(同情的;共鸣的)←sym+path+etic形容词后缀。Next to love, sympathy is the divinest passion of the human heart.同情心是人类心中仅次于爱的最神圣的情感。Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend\'s success.人人都能同情朋友的痛苦,然而共享朋友的成功需要非常优良的品性。To be sympathetic without discrimination is so very debilitating.有同情心而无识别力是多么虚弱。Reading is not merely sympathizing and understanding; it is also criticizing and judging.阅读不仅是同情与理解,也是批评与判断。
alternatively(二者择一地;另外)←alter改变+nat(e)+ive+ly;alternative(二者择一的;供选择的事物)←alter+nat(e)+ive;alternate(v.交替;交替的)←alter+nate。Love\'s alternate joy and woe.爱情就是交替的欢乐与痛苦。The more alternative, the more difficult the choice.可选择的东西越多,就越难选择。guangxian注:哲学家布里丹的虚拟驴子在两堆等距离等体积的谷堆面前饿死。
appropriate (适当的)即ap+propri+ate,ap-前缀加强语气,propri看作proper(适当的),-ate后缀;inappropriate (不适当的)←in否定前缀+appropriate。Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases.烈性药物对于重病是非常适宜的。←这句话是西方医学之父希波克拉底说的。
inedible (不可食的)←in否定前缀+ed(=eat)+ible能……的。
resent (v.愤怒、怨恨)即re+sent,re(=against反对),sent(=sense感觉),于是“在感觉上反对”→愤恨。People don\'t resent having nothing nearly as much as too little.人们所不满的往往是太少,而不是没有。
disparaging (轻视的)←dis否定前缀+par平等+ag(e)后缀+ing后缀。
scapegoat(替罪羊)可这样记:escape(n.v.逃跑)←e+scape,把e看作ex-,则scape就是没有“离开”的→“逃不掉的”→“留下来替罪的”,于是scape+goat→替罪羊。与“羊”有关的另一习语:black sheep(害群之马;败家子),源自谚语There is a black sheep in every flock.
casual (偶然的;漫不经心的)即cas降落+ual后缀;casualty(严重意外事故;伤亡者)←cas+ual+ty名词后缀。As sheer casual reading-matter, I still find the English dictionary the most interesting books in our language.作为纯粹随意浏览的读物,我还是觉得英语词典是以我们的语言写成的最有趣的书。
off-the-cuff 即席的。
deliver(v.传递;释放;发表;分娩)即de+liver,de-前缀“使”,liver(=liber)词根“自由”,于是从“使自由”推出deliver的各项含义;delivery(传递)←deliver+y名词后缀。Lord, deliver me from myself.主啊,解放不能自拔的我吧。The day of the printed word is far from ended. Swift as is the delivery of the radio bulletin, graphic as is television\'s eyewitness picture, the task of adding meaning and clarity remains urgent.印刷文字的时代远未结束。尽管广播新闻传递迅速,电视现场画面生动,补充事件含义进而澄清事实的任务仍旧是迫切的。
light-hearted 轻松愉快的。 |