小词详解 | posture

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posture 英 [ˈpɒstʃə(r)] 美 [ˈpɑːstʃər]

考研 TOEFL TEM8 GRE

外刊例句

  • Take posture, for example. Sitting at a keyboard, locked in position for hours and focusing on a fixed screen is a recipe for a range of physical complaints, from sore necks to tingling hands.
    以身体姿态为例。在键盘前一坐几小时,一动不动地盯着一块固定屏幕,从脖子酸到手发麻等一连串身体不适随之而来。
    ——《经济学人》
  • With the campaign, Madrid, a city of more than 3 million people, joins others around the world trying to tackle the posture, the bane of many commuters.
    通过这项活动,马德里这座拥有300多万人口的城市与世界各地的其他城市一起,努力解决这一困扰许多通勤者的姿势。
    ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[noun] the position in which someone holds their body when standing or sitting
[名词] 人站立或坐着时身体保持不动的姿势

深入解读

Posture 是一个与熟词 position 同源的单词,都源自于拉丁语 ponere (放置)。其中 posture 于17世纪由拉丁语 positura (姿势、坚守的位置)经法语 posture 进入英语后,也是用来表示“姿势”,主要指人站立、坐着等时肩膀、脖子和背部保持不动的姿势,比如挺直的姿势(upright posture)、仰卧的姿势(supine posture)。

从姿势保持不动这个概念出发, posture 很自然地就被用来喻指“姿态、态势”以及“态度、看法、立场、处理方式”,多指在特定时间、情况或条件下,因需要为即将到来的事情做准备而被迫进入的某种状态,有时候是故意作出的某种姿态,以传递某个错误印象,比如:

  • 最近的政治动荡扼杀了及早缔结和平协定的仅存希望。军方随时准备由防御立场转向备战立场。
    The latest political ferment has smothered any remaining hopes for an early peace agreement. The military machine is ready to change its defensive posture to one prepared for action.

用作动词时, posture 除了表示物理上的“摆姿势”外,还常用来引申指“故作姿态、装腔作势、装模作样”,也就是以意在给人留下深刻印象或错误印象的方式行事,或者为了引人注目或误导人而采取某一态度,比如:

  • 那个情绪无常的女演员在镜子前摆姿势。
    The volatile actress postured before the mirror.
  • 这场冤仇积结了多年。她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。
    The feud smouldered on for years. She says the President may just be posturing.

名著用例

The man recovered himself, and seemed inclined to come on, and Clare, stepping outside the door, put himself in a posture of defence.
那个男人回过神来,似乎想冲上来动手,克莱尔走到门外,摆出招架的姿势。

出自英国小说家托马斯·哈代的长篇小说《德伯家的苔丝》(Tess of the d'Urbervilles)。

权威用例

加强军事力量常态化多样化运用,坚定灵活开展军事斗争,塑造安全态势,遏控危机冲突,打赢局部战争。
We will become more adept at deploying our military forces on a regular basis and in diversified ways, and our military will remain both steadfast and flexible as it carries out its operations. This will enable us to shape our security posture, deter and manage crises and conflicts, and win local wars.

出自党的二十大报告(双语全文)

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