本文经授权转载自微信公众号:田间小站
TOEFL TEM8 GRE
外刊例句
- This lethargic reptile, which mostly dwells underground and eats just three to four times a year, is the unlikely inspiration for one of pharma’s biggest blockbusters: a new generation of weight-loss drugs that has patients—and investors—in a frenzy.
这种行动迟缓的爬行动物大部分时间生活在地下,一年只进食三到四次。很难想象,它竟然会成为制药业最畅销的产品之一——新一代减肥药的灵感来源。这些减肥药令患者和投资者都为之疯狂。
——《经济学人》 - Trump Media attracted a frenzy of interest on its first day of trading, and is now worth nearly $8 billion.
特朗普传媒在交易首日就引起了人们的狂热兴趣,目前市值近80亿美元。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[noun] a state or period of uncontrolled excitement or wild behaviour
[名词] 兴奋或狂野行为控制不住的状态或时期
深入解读
从词源上来看, frenzy 一词源自拉丁语 phreneticus (精神错乱的、神志不清的),先后经中古拉丁语 phrenesia 和古法语 frenesie (疯狂、狂乱)于14世纪中期进入英语,主要也是用来表示“疯狂、狂乱、狂暴、狂热”,常用搭配 frenzy of sth 表示兴奋或狂野行为控制不住的状态或时期,既适用于接近躁狂(mania)的状态,也适用于暂时失去自我控制的状态。比如:
- 爱国狂热的迸发
an outbreak of patriotic frenzy - 她盛怒之下狠狠地抽打了他一顿。
In a frenzy of rage she thrashed him well.
从这个概念出发,等到了15世纪后, frenzy 进而也被用来引申指“极度的激动”,也就是剧烈的精神或情绪激动。比如:
- 狂喜
a frenzy of delight - 发狂般接吻和打开香槟酒瓶的噗噗声
a frenzy of kissing and champagne cork popping
名著用例
His hands released her as he uttered this cry, and went up to his white hair, which they tore in a frenzy.
他一面叫,一面已放松了她,然后两手伸到头上,发狂似地扯起头发来。
出自英国作家查尔斯·狄更斯(Charles Dickens)所著的长篇历史小说《双城记》(A Tale of Two Cities)。
同近义词
- delirium: wild excitement or ecstasy
- hysteria: exaggerated or uncontrollable emotion or excitement
- mania: mental illness marked by periods of great excitement or euphoria, delusions, and overactivity