【2008/08/28】A Purple Patch, Purple Prose和 Born in/to the Purple

发表于: 2008-8-28 06:00 作者: helenayf 来源: 『原版英语』

a) A purple patch
【意思】To to have an exceptionally good period顺境的日子
【语源】无法确定准确的来历，但常见的说法是起源于罗马皇室或高官穿的紫色外袍。紫色在西方文化中是幸运、尊贵的颜色，正如中国的黄色。A patch 本义为“补丁布”，在这里比喻“一段日子”
【例句】The actor is now having a purple patch but he does not know how long it will last.

b) Purple prose
【意思】Extravagant or flowery writing that is more complicated and formal than necessary, especially in a literary work.华而不实的章句
【语源】purple本身有“词藻华丽、华而不实”之义。除了purple prose, 也可说purple passage, purple patch。
【例句】Despite occasional passages of purple prose, her latest novel is still very readable.
There are long purple passages which distract the reader from the real point of the argument.

c) Born to/in the purple
【意思】born in a royal or aristocratic family 出身显贵, 居特权阶级地位
【语源】前面说过，紫色在西方文化中是幸运、尊贵的颜色，有‘皇室的、贵族的’之义。出生在某人家里、成为某人的子女用“born to someone”, ‘the purple’指皇室、贵族群体。
【例句】Those born to the purple are destined to live in the public eye.
He was born in the purple and was brought up in the grand palace, he had little idea what the world beyond him was like.

填空练习：

1. Mr. Feng had many friends when he was in ____ but now that he has gone bankrupt,he finds himself alone and friendless.

2. She was ____; diamonds suited her.

3. Swinburne is often a very discerning critic in spite of his penchant for ____.

公布答案：
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[ 本帖最后由 helenayf 于 2008-8-28 23:47 编辑 ]

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