好久没有做熟词僻义汇总整理了,今天继续。
1. 在读外刊的时候看到这一句:The contrast was even more jarring.
根据上下文含义我大概能猜出来,句子里面的jarring这个词应该是“明显的/鲜明的”这类意思;但是它的词根"jar"不就是“罐子/瓶子”的意思吗?怎么会衍生出“jarring”的形态?
于是就试着查一查“jar”有没有作动词的属性,果然:
Jar v.
1)to be different in style or appearance from something else and therefore look strange 在风格或外观上与其他事物不同,因而显得奇怪 (有点类似于中文里的“格格不入”的意思)
习惯搭配:jar with
例:There was a modern lamp that jarred with the rest of the room.房间里有一盏现代风格的灯,与房间里的其他摆设格格不入。
然后在这个含义的基础上,就衍生了 “jarring” 这个形容词,具体含义是 “刺目的,刺耳的,令人不适的”
除此之外,继续下翻,会看到 "jar"这个动词还有另外一个意思:
2)to make someone feel annoyed or shocked 使人感到恼火或震惊
例句:His words jarred Harriet.他的话让哈丽特感到震惊
The screaming was starting to jar on(居然还有这么一个习惯搭配) my nerves.那尖叫声让我开始感到烦躁
2. to nip something in the bud 把…消灭在萌芽状态
这显然又是个固定词组,把它当作整体背就可以了,但还是对这个小小“nip”感到陌生,忍不住又特意查了词典:
Nip v. British English to suddenly and quickly press something tightly between two fingers, edges, or surfaces (其实就是“用两个手指捏”这个日常动作)
所以to nip something in the bud就很有画面感了-- 轻轻松松用手指把这个刚发的小芽(bud)掐掉
3. 也是从外刊里读到了这么一句话:Now she’s a kind of mentor for legions of people who also want “a little company” at a safe remove.
“Remove” 也算是一个很熟悉的基础词了,意思不就是“去除掉”吗?但是在这句话里又对不上了,在这里,它是个名词,需要再查字典 --
它作名词时,含义是. a distance or amount by which two things are separated (两者隔开的)距离
有一个对应的固定词组:at a remove
Eg. The X-ray operator works at a safe remove in a separate room.X光操作员在隔壁房间的安全距离外工作。
再查下去,还能查到这么以下好几个native speaker常用,但我们这些英语学习者不常用的固定词组:
1)be far removed from something
to be very different from something 与…大相径庭
例句. The events in the newspaper article were far removed from reality.
2)a cousin once/twice removed
看到这个词组我感觉自己好像捅了马蜂窝 -- 原来我们中文里那些“我七舅姥姥/我姑表侄女/我姑舅爷爷”这些七绕八绕的亲戚,在英文里是这么区分的:
"Once removed" means you and your cousin are from different generations (one generation apart). “隔代”是指你和你表亲属于不同代(相差一代)。
"Twice removed" means you are two generations apart from each other.“隔了两代”是指你们之间相隔两代。
于是,又牵连出关于“first / second / third cousin”的说法
Your first cousin is someone you share a set of grandparents with, and you are in the same generation.表兄弟姐妹是指与你有共同祖父母,且与你同辈的人
Your second cousin is the same generation as you, but you share great-grandparents instead of grandparents.你的二表亲与你同辈,但你们的共同祖先是曾祖父母,而不是祖父母。(是你祖父祖母的兄弟姐妹的孙子孙女, 跟你同辈)
我疯了。