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SAT GRE
外刊例句
- “The Seventh Fleet will see that this is done,” the president declared, with nicely laconic menace.
“第七舰队将确保这一切得以完成。”总统带着简洁到位的威胁宣布。
——《经济学人》 - Her prose, which oscillates between memoir and fiction, has a laconic elegance that echoes the Beat poets.
她的散文介于回忆录和小说之间，有一种让人想起垮掉一代诗歌的简洁优雅。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[adjective] (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words
[形容词] （指人、讲话或写作风格）用很少的词的
深入解读
在古希腊南部有一个古老国家叫做拉科尼亚（Laconia），也就是现在的希腊拉科尼亚州，濒临爱琴海和地中海，其首都是斯巴达。传说古代斯巴达人崇尚武力，喜欢用拳头解决问题，讨厌夸夸其谈的人，说话时惜字如金，简明扼要，就像军事指令一样。
因此后来人们就用形容词 laconic （拉科尼亚式的）来表示“简洁的、言简意赅的、凝练的”，主要指人、讲话或写作使用最少的词语来表达，简洁到看起来唐突、寡言无礼、镇定或神秘的程度，比如：
- 平常在办公室里寡言少语的斯特普尔斯医生似乎少了些拘谨，多了几分轻松。
Usually so laconic in the office, Doctor Staples seemed less guarded, more relaxed. - 他简短地说：“相信我！”。与此同时，他那闪亮的凝视目光传神地表达了他的恳求。
He said with laconic brevity: "Trust me!" Meanwhile, his glistening gaze was eloquent in its plea.
名著用例
But their father, though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see them; he had felt their importance in the family circle.
倒是她们的父亲，看到两个女儿回家来了，嘴上虽然没有说什么欢天喜地的话，心里确实非常高兴。他早就体会到，这两个女儿在家里的地位多么重要。
出自19世纪英国小说家简·奥斯丁（Jane Austen）的代表作《傲慢与偏见》（Pride and Prejudice）。参见：名著下载 | 傲慢与偏见（Pride and Prejudice）
同近义词
- succinct: (especially of something written or spoken) briefly and clearly expressed
- concise: giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive
- terse: sparing in the use of words; abrupt
