disaster
英 [dɪ'zɑːstə]
美 [dɪ'zæstɚ]
助记提示
前缀“dis-”(意思：坏的) + “aster”(意思：星星)，字面上的意思就是“坏星星”，表示一种“凶兆”。
著名的贝叶挂毯（Bayeux Tapestry）上出现的哈雷彗星，讲述了在黑斯廷斯战役（Battle of Hastings）之前哈雷彗星在天空中出现的情况，当时的人们认为彗星预示了战争的到来。
古希腊人特别痴迷于占星学和宇宙，而且坚信天体会对地面上的生命有影响。对于古希腊人来说，一颗“坏星星”就是一场天上对于地面上将要发生的灾难的一种预示！比如说各种彗星，以及各种超新星爆炸事件。
中文词源
disaster 灾难dis-, 不，非，使相反。-aster, 星星，星辰，词源同star, asterisk.即星位不正，在古代占星术中预示着灾难降临。
英文词源
- disaster
- disaster: [16] The word disaster has astrological connotations. It comes, perhaps via French désastre, from Italian disastro; this was a backformation from disastrato, literally ‘ill-starred’, a compound adjective formed from the pejorative prefix dis- and astro ‘star’, a descendant of Latin astrum ‘star’. This in turn came from Greek astron ‘star’, source of English astronomy and related to English star. So the underlying meaning of the word is ‘malevolent astral influence’. Provençal has the parallel malastre ‘misfortune’.
- disaster (n.)
- 1590s, from Middle French désastre (1560s), from Italian disastro "ill-starred," from dis-, here merely pejorative (see dis-) + astro "star, planet," from Latin astrum, from Greek astron (see star (n.)). The sense is astrological, of a calamity blamed on an unfavorable position of a planet.
双语例句
- 1. An airliner came close to disaster while approaching Heathrow Airport.
- 一架大型客机在飞近希思罗机场时差点儿发生空难。
来自柯林斯例句
- 2. We were in a disaster situation that defies description.
- 我们陷入了难以言表的糟糕处境。
来自柯林斯例句
- 3. The President described the disaster as an act of God.
- 总统将这场灾难说成是天灾。
来自柯林斯例句
- 4. An investigation is underway to find out how the disaster happened.
- 调查已经展开，以查明灾难是如何发生的。
来自柯林斯例句
- 5. Investors were storing up a lot of cash in anticipation of disaster.
- 投资者预料会出现灾难，正在储备大量现金。
来自柯林斯例句