每日一词：noblesse oblige（转自 韦氏词典）

原文链接

原文链接


Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day for July 25, 2020 is:

noblesse oblige • \noh-BLESS-uh-BLEEZH\  • noun

: the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth

Examples:

“Like many independent schools, Shipley cultivates a sense of noblesse oblige among its students—the notion that part of being educated in a privileged environment requires scholars to give back.” — Alfred Lubrano, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 May 2020

“And, unlike the goal of simply becoming fabulously wealthy—which one could also accomplish by winning the lottery or marrying a nonroyal oil magnate—princesshood came with a sense of noblesse oblige. You would be doing it to inspire people. You would be your own act of charity.” — Monica Hesse, The Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2020

Did you know?

In French, noblesse oblige means literally “nobility obligates.” French speakers transformed the phrase into a noun, which English speakers picked up in the 19th century. Then, as now, noblesse oblige referred to the unwritten obligation of people from a noble ancestry to act honorably and generously to others. Later, by extension, it also came to refer to the obligation of anyone who is in a better position than others—due, for example, to high office or celebrity—to act respectably and responsibly.

Lake桑

July 25, 2020 at 01:00PM


评论

发表评论

此博客中的热门博文

每日一词：farrago（转自 韦氏词典）

原文链接 原文链接 Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day for July 1, 2020 is: farrago • \fuh-RAH-goh\  • noun : a confused mixture : hodgepodge Examples: “Combining these plots is a terrible idea for multiple reasons. One is simply logistical; the fusion turns two improbable but engaging stories into a ludicrous farrago .” — Laura Miller, Slate , 8 Nov. 2019 “Although it’s hard to know anything for sure about North Korea, the fertilizer-plant photo suggests the reporting about Kim over the past few weeks was a farrago of misinformation, non-information, half speculation and outright guessing.” — Paul Farhi, The Washington Post , 5 May 2020 Did you know? Farrago might seem an unlikely relative of farina (the name for the mealy breakfast cereal), but the two terms have their roots in the same Latin noun. Both derive from far , the Latin name for spelt (a type of grain). In Latin, farrago meant “mixed fodder”—cattle feed, that is. It was also used more generally to mean “mixture....
阅读全文

每日一词：olfactory（转自 韦氏词典）

原文链接 原文链接 Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day for September 9, 2019 is: olfactory • \ahl-FAK-tuh-ree\  • adjective : of or relating to the sense of smell Examples: “The glands located between the cat’s toes secrete a scent whenever he scratches on objects such as a tree or a scratching post. This activity provides an olfactory territory mark in addition to the visual.” — Pam Johnson-Bennett, Think Like a Cat , 2011 “Young male anglerfish face the challenge of finding a mate in the ocean’s vastness. They have large olfactory organs, which suggests that suitors follow a trail of pheromones .” — William J. Broad, The New York Times , 29 July 2019 Did you know? Olfactory derives from the past participle of the Latin olfacere (“to smell”), which was formed from the verb olēre (“to give off a smell”) and facere (“to do”). Olfactory is a word that often appears in scientific contexts (as in “olfactory nerves,” the nerves that pass from the nose to the brain and contain t...
阅读全文

每日一词：pamphleteer（转自 韦氏词典）

原文链接 原文链接 Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day for October 27, 2018 is: pamphleteer • \pam-fluh-TEER\  • verb 1 : to write and publish pamphlets 2 : to engage in partisan arguments indirectly in writings Examples: Though he is remembered today for his novels and essays, George Orwell was also known to pamphleteer for causes important to him. “After the pamphlet wars between supporters of Louis XIII and Marie de Medicis, in 1618-19, several pamphleteers were sentenced to death, and the attempt to arrest unlicensed booksellers led many to flee the country. More broadly, the political chaos brought about by pamphleteering in France contributed to the absolutism of Louis XIV, who used the printing press as a tool of state control.” — Stephen Marche, The New Yorker , 23 Apr. 2018 Did you know? Pamphlets—unbound printed publications with no covers or with paper covers—are published about all kinds of subjects, but our word pamphlet traces back to one particular document. I...
阅读全文