Word of the Day: October 9, 2020
leitmotif
（音樂的）主旋律；（書、藝術品等的）中心思想
noun | LYTE-moh-teef | ['latmo.tif]
Definition
1: a melodic phrase or figure that accompanies the reappearance of an idea, person, or situation in a music drama
伴隨音樂劇中的主旨，人物或情境出現的旋律短語或圖像
2: a dominant recurring theme
佔主導地位的循環主題
Examples
The overcoming of obstacles and a love of theater are the two leitmotifs of her autobiography.
克服障礙及熱愛戲劇是她自傳內容的主題。
"The panther has been Cartier's leitmotif for more than a century. The first time the Paris-based jewelry company… alluded to the graceful jungle cat was in 1914, when the house created a women's platinum wristwatch with a case that resembled an abstracted version of the elegant animal's spots, in onyx and diamonds." — Nancy Hass, The New York Times, 26 Aug. 2020
「The panther 是卡地亞（Cartier）的主旋律，已經有一個多世紀的歷史了。這家總部位於巴黎的珠寶公司第一次涉足優雅的叢林貓系列是在1914年，當時這家公司製作了一款女士鉑金手錶，其表類似於黑瑪瑙和鑽石製成的優雅動物斑點。
Did You Know?
The English word leitmotif (or leitmotiv, as it is also spelled) comes from the German Leitmotiv, meaning "leading motive," and is formed from the verb leiten ("to lead") and the noun Motiv ("motive"). In its original sense, the word applies to opera music; it was first used by writers interpreting the works of composer Richard Wagner, who was famous for associating a melody with a character or important dramatic element. Leitmotif is still commonly used with reference to music and musical drama but it is now also used more broadly to refer to any recurring theme in the arts or in everyday life.
英語單詞leitmotif（或leitmotiv，也曾用作拼寫）來自德語Leitmotiv，意為「leading motive「領導動機」」，由動詞 leiten（「 to lead」）和名詞Motiv（「motive「動機」」）組成。 從最初的意義上說，該詞適用於歌劇音樂。 它最初是由作家來解釋作曲家理察·華格納（Richard Wagner）的作品的，理察·華格納因將旋律與角色（或重要的戲劇元素）之間相互關聯而聞名。 Leitmotif 仍然經常用於音樂和音樂劇，但現在也更廣泛地用於指代藝術或日常生活中的任何重複出現的主題。
Test Your Vocabulary
Unscramble the letters to create a word for a comment or statement that is often repeated: NRIAEFR.