本文经授权转载自微信公众号:田间小站
TEM8 GRE
外刊例句
- Likewise, people sign up for hectic tourist itineraries because they look forward to looking back on them, not because they much enjoy them at the time.
同样,人们报名参加繁忙的旅游行程是因为他们期待回顾这些行程,而不是因为他们当时很享受这些行程。
——《经济学人》 - But the tone seemed too hectic and self-consciously outrageous to suit the subject.
但其基调似乎过于繁乱和刻意荒诞,与主题不符。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[adjective] full of incessant or frantic activity
[形容词] 充满着持续不断或狂乱的活动的
深入解读
从拼写上来看, hectic 是一个与小站(微信公众号:田间小站)推送过的 didactic 和 eclectic 有着相同结尾的单词,三者可以一并联想记忆。
从词源上来看, hectic 一词源自希腊语 hektikos (持续的、习惯性的),先后经晚期拉丁语 hecticus 和古法语 etique (患痨病的、患结核病的)于14世纪末进入英语,起初也是用来表示“患痨病的、患结核病的、有痨病症状的”。
由于患有结核病(tuberculosis)的人往往脸色潮红,因而 hectic 便被用来引申指“潮红的、有潮热的”以及脸等“发红的”,常作书面用语使用。比如:
- 痨病性潮红
the hectic flush of tuberculosis - 那个自私的混蛋因缺少睡眠而脸色潮红。
The selfish jerk was hectic with lack of sleep.
又因结核病患者通常出现波动但持续反复的发热症状,进而 hectic 发展出现在的主要含义指“忙乱的、狂乱的、繁乱的、忙碌的”,常意味着充满着持续不断或狂乱的活动,非常忙碌且节奏很快。比如:
- 生活十分忙碌
lead a hectic life - 满当当的工作日程表
a hectic work schedule - 这一地区成了那些厌倦城市繁忙生活的人们的安乐所。
The area has become a haven for people tired of the hectic pace of city life.
名著用例
The furnished room received its latest guest with a first glow of pseudo-hospitality, a hectic, haggard, perfunctory welcome like the specious smile of a demirep.
这间配备了家具的客房,用假惺惺的热情迎接着它的新房客,就像娼妇满脸潮红却憔悴无神,敷衍地迎接她的嫖客一样。
出自美国著名短篇小说家欧·亨利(O. Henry)的经典短篇小说《带家具出租的房间》(The Furnished Room)。
同近义词
- frantic: distraught with fear, anxiety, or other emotion
- frenetic: fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way
- manic: frantically busy; hectic