大人物英语词汇典故 篇一
探寻英语词汇背后的大人物故事
英语作为一门世界性的语言,其中的词汇千差万别,每个词汇背后都有其独特的故事。本文将为您揭示一些英语词汇的背后故事,让我们一起探寻这些大人物的故事。
首先,让我们来看看“Mentor”这个词汇,它源自希腊神话中的人物——门托尔。门托尔是特洛伊战争中的一位国王,他是英勇无畏的战士,也是智慧的化身。由于他的智慧和指导,门托尔成为了特洛伊王子忒勒摩斯的导师和朋友。因此,“Mentor”这个词汇在英语中被用来形容那些给予指导和教育的人。
接下来,我们将聚焦在“Narcissus”这个词汇上。在希腊神话中,纳西索斯是一位非常美丽的青年。然而,他却对自己的容貌过于自恋。有一天,他看到了一池清澈的水,他被自己的倒影迷住了,无法自拔。最终,他因为无法拥抱自己的倒影而悲伤地死去。因此,“Narcissus”这个词汇在英语中被用来形容那些过于自恋和自我陶醉的人。
此外,我们还有“Herculean”这个词汇。这个词汇源自希腊神话中的赫拉克勒斯,他是一位非常强大和勇敢的战士。赫拉克勒斯的力量和勇气使他成为了众神和人类的保护者。因此,“Herculean”这个词汇在英语中被用来形容那些非常强大和勇敢的人。
最后,我们将关注“Pandora's box”这个词汇。在希腊神话中,潘多拉是一个非常美丽但好奇心过旺的女人。她被警告不要打开一个被神明赐予她的盒子,但她无法抵挡好奇心的诱惑,最终打开了盒子。盒子里释放出了各种灾难和痛苦,只有希望留在了盒子内。因此,“Pandora's box”这个词汇在英语中被用来形容一连串的问题或困扰。
通过这些词汇的背后故事,我们可以更好地理解它们的含义和使用场景。这些大人物的故事不仅丰富了我们的词汇,也传递着深刻的道德和文化意义。让我们在学习英语的过程中,更加细心地探寻这些大人物的故事,丰富自己的知识和理解。
大人物英语词汇典故 篇二
揭示英语词汇背后的大人物故事
英语是一门世界性的语言,其中的词汇千差万别,每个词汇背后都有其独特的故事。本文将为您揭示一些英语词汇的背后故事,让我们一起探寻这些大人物的故事。
首先,让我们来看看“Nemesis”这个词汇,它源自希腊神话中的复仇女神——涅墨西斯。涅墨西斯是众神的正义之神,她负责惩罚那些自负和犯罪的人。她以自己的力量和智慧,将罪犯带到正义的面前。因此,“Nemesis”这个词汇在英语中被用来形容那些给予惩罚的人或事件。
接下来,我们将聚焦在“Atlas”这个词汇上。在希腊神话中,阿特拉斯是一位极其强壮的巨人,他被迫承担起托起天空的重担。阿特拉斯的力量和耐力被用来支撑整个世界。因此,“Atlas”这个词汇在英语中被用来形容那些负责任或有巨大压力的人。
此外,我们还有“Mercurial”这个词汇。这个词汇源自罗马神话中的墨丘利,他是众神的信使,也是商业、交流和旅行的守护神。墨丘利以他的快速和机智而闻名,他能够迅速传递信息并做出明智的决策。因此,“Mercurial”这个词汇在英语中被用来形容那些善变和机智的人。
最后,我们将关注“Pandora”这个词汇。在希腊神话中,潘多拉是世界上第一个女人,她被赋予了美丽和好奇心。潘多拉的好奇心使她打开了一个被神明赐予她的盒子,从而释放出了各种灾难和痛苦。因此,“Pandora”这个词汇在英语中被用来形容那些善变和机智的人。
通过这些词汇的背后故事,我们可以更好地理解它们的含义和使用场景。这些大人物的故事不仅丰富了我们的词汇,也传递着深刻的道德和文化意义。让我们在学习英语的过程中,更加细心地探寻这些大人物的故事,丰富自己的知识和理解。
大人物英语词汇典故 篇三
大人物英语词汇典故
Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories.
Some expressions describe people who are important -- or who at least think they are. One such expression is bigwig.
In the 17th century, important men in Europe began to wear false hair, called wigs. As years passed, wigs began to get bigger. The size of a man's wig depended on how important he was. The more important he was -- or thought he was -- the bigger the wig he wore. Some wigs were so large they covered a man's shoulders or back.
Today, the expression "bigwig" is used to make fun of a person who feels important. People never tell someone he is a bigwig. They only use the expression behind his back.
"Big wheel" is another way to describe an important person. A big wheel may be the head of a company, a political leader, a famous movie star. They are big wheels because they are powerful. What they do affects many people. Big wheels give the orders. Other people carry them out.As in many machines, a big wheel makes the little wheels turn.
Big wheel became a popular expression after World War II. It probably comes from an expression used for many years by people who fix parts of cars and trucks. They said a person "rolled a big wheel" if he was important and had influence.
The top of something is the high
est part. So it is not surprising that top is part of another expression that describes an important person. The expression is top banana. A "top banana" is the leading person in a comedy show. The funniest comedian is called "the top banana." The next is "second banana." And so on.Why a banana? A comedy act in earlier days often included a part where one of the comedians would hit the others over the head with a soft object. The object was shaped like the yellow fruit: the banana.
Top banana still is used mainly in show business. Yet the expression can also be used to describe the top person in any area.
A "kingpin" is another word for an important person. The expression comes from the game of bowling. The kingpin is the number one pin. If hit correctly with the bowling ball, the kingpin will make all the other nine pins fall. And that is the object of the game.
So, the most important person in a project or business is the kingpin. If the kingpin is removed, the business or project is likely to fail.
Kingpin is often used to describe an important criminal, or the leader of a criminal gang. A newspaper may report, for example, that "police have arrested the suspected kingpin of a car-stealing operation."
This VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories was written by Marilyn Christiano.I'm Warren Scheer.