什麼?November的原意不是十一月而是九月?這還要回溯到這個詞的拉丁語詞根原意上。想學好英語詞彙,勢必要了解英語詞根詞源的意思。今天就藉由November這個詞來帶大家了解下英語和拉丁語之間的緊密關係。
Every November, it’s time to begin preparation for the winter months, whether that means pulling out your winter coat, adding another blanket to your bed, or searching for the perfect pumpkin pie recipe.
每年11月,不管是拿出你的冬衣,床上再添一條毯子,還是尋找完美的南瓜派食譜,都是時候開始為冬天做準備啦。
The etymology of our 11th month, however, speaks little to its role in the course of the year. November follows the same pattern as the months before it, September and October, which take their names from their original numericalposition in the calendar year.
然而,我們第11個月的詞源並不能說明它在這一年中的作用。11月和之前的9月、10月是一樣的,它們的名字來源於它們在日曆年中的最初位置。
November derives from the Latin root novem- meaning 「nine,」 because in the Roman calendar there were only ten months in the year, and November was indeed the ninth month.
11月源於拉丁語的詞根novem,意思是「9」,因為在羅馬日曆中,一年只有10個月,而11月實際上是第九個月。
For many English speakers, November marks the point in the year when the cold begins to set in. This association is no doubt why November’s adjectival form, Novemberish, means 「dreary,」 and why the month’s original name in Old English was Blōtmōnað, literally 「blood-month.」
對許多說英語的國家的人來說,十一月是一年中開始變寒冷的時候。這種聯繫無疑是源於十一月的形容詞形式,Novemberish意味著「沉悶」,為什麼這個月的原始名稱在古英語中是Blōtmōnað,字面意思是「血月」。
November was the month of heavy animal sacrifice, when the early Saxons would stock up on food for the winter. Here in America, Blōtmōnað maintains a bit of currency, particularly during the weeks leading up to turkey-filled Thanksgiving dinner.
11月是動物大祭的月份,早期撒克遜人會在這個月囤積食物過冬。在美國,Blōtmōnað存好一定的貨幣,特別是在被火雞填滿的感恩節晚餐前的幾個星期。
But, November need not be Novemberish! We have Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and federal elections to look forward to. And as if that weren’t enough, November is apparently Sweet Potato Awareness Month. The fast-approaching winter does not have to be such a daunting season, particularly considering the holidays ahead in December.
但是,十一月並不一定是沉悶的!我們可以期待感恩節、黑色星期五和聯邦選舉。似乎這還不夠,11月顯然還是紅薯宣傳月。即將到來的冬季並不一定是一個令人畏懼的季節,尤其是考慮到12月即將到來的假期。
(本文轉載來源: 網絡)