14 How to talk about common phenomena and occurrences
1. penury 赤贫
penuria = need, neediness 需求
penurious 贫困的,小气的,吝啬的,过于节俭的
parsimonious 小气的,但没有penurious程度深 parsimoniousness parsimony
indigence 穷困 但没有penury穷,indigent
destitution 跟penury类似 在饥饿的边缘挣扎
affluence 富裕 affluent adj. ad = to towards fluo = to flow
opulence 阔绰 opulent opulentus = wealthy 富裕的
2. vicarious 替代的,间接感受到的
second-hand feeling
3. ephemeral 短暂的,朝生暮死的
ephemera 蜉蝣,短命动物
evanescent 容易消失的 evanescence n. evanesce v.
e- ex- = out vanesco = to vanish -ent 形容词后缀
4. euphemism 委婉语
eu- = good pheme = voice -ism noun suffix
euphony good sound 悦耳之音 euphonic euphonious
eulogy good speech 颂词 悼词 eulogistic eulogize eulogy eulogist
euphoria good feeling 幸福感,狂喜 euphoric
euthanasia good death 安乐死
5. badinage 打趣,揶揄,开玩笑 非恶意的
persiflage 挖苦 嘲弄 戏谑 略带嘲笑 轻蔑 嘲讽 但没有恶意
cliche 陈词滥调,但自以为新颖
bromide 老生常谈 溴化物 用作镇静剂 bromidic
platitude 陈词滥调 platys = broad or flat platitudinous
anodyne 本义是止痛剂 引申为安慰人的话 an- 否定 odyne = pain
6. bovine 牛的,似牛的,迟钝的,呆板的
bovis = ox or cow -ine = like similar to
贬义,比phlegmatic(冷淡的,迟钝的)更为强烈,其他和动物的类比词
leonine 狮子 leo = lion
canine 狗 canis = dog
feline 猫 felis = cat
porcine 猪 porcus = pig
vulpine 狐狸 vulpus = fox
ursine 熊 ursus = bear
lupine 狼 lupus = wolf
equine 马 equus = horse
piscine 鱼 piscis = fish
7. nostalgia 乡愁,怀旧之情
nostos = to return algos = pain nostalgic 怀旧的
8. cacophonous 粗腔横调的,发音不和谐的,刺耳的,不协调的
在人为环境中听到的不悦耳甚至刺耳的声音,比如地铁的轰鸣
cacopsis cacoptic
9. carnivorous 食肉的
carnis = flesh voro = to devour 吞食,狼吞虎咽 carnivore 食肉动物,肉食者
carnelian 红肉的颜色,红玉髓
carnival 四旬斋之前的狂欢节
carnal 肉体的,肉欲的
carnage 大屠杀
reincarnation 再生,化身
incarnate 化身,化身的 devil incarnate 魔鬼的化身
herbivorous herba = herb 食草的
omnivorous omnis = all 杂食的 an omnivorous reader 博览群书的读者
voracious 贪婪的,贪吃的,可以针对食物,也可以指其他习惯
omnipotent omnis = all potens potentis = powerful 全能的
potentate a powerful ruler
impotent powerless
potent powerful
potential possessing power or ability not yet excercised
omniscient all-knowing, wise
omnipresent present in all places at once 同义词 ubiquitous
omnibus for all including all 综合性的 总括的
10. clandestine 暗中的,秘密的,私下的
clam = secretly
同义词 surreptitious 鬼鬼祟祟的,偷偷摸摸的