语言学习小工具：韦氏词典优势一则

09 May, 2022

上次写了《语言学习小工具：各家英英词典释义对比》，今天查了各大词典的idiot释义，发现韦氏讲得清楚又全面，用词简单易懂。别的词典只是堆砌单词，韦氏则把整个过程捋了一遍。

以下英文内容来自韦氏词典的idiot查词页面，中文来自不负校对责任的谷歌机翻：

1. a foolish or stupid person
   "… Idiot that I am to wear my heart on my sleeve! …" —George Bernard Shaw
   
2. dated, now offensive; see usage paragraph below : a person affected with extreme intellectual disability

1. 愚蠢的人
   “……我真是个傻瓜，竟然把心事都写在脸上！……” ——萧伯纳
   
2. 过时，现在带有冒犯性；参见下文用法段落：指患有严重智力障碍的人

Usage of Idiot
The terms idiot, imbecile, moron, and their derivatives were formerly used as technical descriptors in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts. These uses were broadly rejected by the close of the 20th century and are now considered offensive.

idiot 的用法
idiot、imbecile、moron 及其衍生词曾被用作医学、教育和监管领域的专业术语。这些用法在 20 世纪末被广泛摒弃，现在被认为带有冒犯性。

Did you know?
Idiot Has Greek Roots

The Greek adjective idios means “one’s own” or “private.” The derivative noun idiōtēs means “private person.” A Greek idiōtēs was a person who was not in the public eye, who held no public office. From this came the sense “common man,” and later “ignorant person”—a natural extension, for the common people of ancient Greece were not, in general, particularly learned. The English idiot originally meant “ignorant person,” but the more usual reference now is to a person who lacks basic intelligence or common sense rather than education.

你知道吗？
idiot 源于希腊语

希腊语形容词 idios 的意思是“自己的”或“私人的”。其衍生名词 idiōtēs 的意思是“私人的人”。希腊语中的 idiōtēs 指的是不为人知、不担任公职的人。由此衍生出“普通人”的含义，后来又引申为“无知之人”——这是一种自然而然的延伸，因为古希腊的普通民众普遍缺乏学识。英语中的“idiot”最初指“无知之人”，但现在更常用来指缺乏基本智力或常识的人，而非缺乏教育的人。

给词源写个小故事，学起来就有意思多了。

美中不足的是韦氏和其它所有英语词典一样，并没有写出idiōtēs的希腊语ιδιώτης。这应该是英语人共通的臭毛病。（我用过的西语词典就会写出希腊语单词的希腊字母，而不是没礼貌地转写成写拉丁字母。）

#语言学习