小词详解 | sinecure
SAT GRE
外刊例句
Many had left academic or government sinecures to start their own businesses.
很多人放弃学术机构或政府部门的闲职开创自己的企业。
——《经济学人》Precedents exist in Argentina for offering state support of writers, including subsidies at the provincial level, and a select few have been given sinecures.
阿根廷以前也有过为作家提供政府补助，包括省级补助在内的先例，个别经过筛选的受益者还有挂名职务。
基本释义
[noun] a job that you are paid for even though it involves little or no work
[名词] 闲职，挂名职位
深入解读
sinecure是一个拉丁借用词。在拉丁文中sine意为without（没有），cura意为care（关心，照管），短语sine cura则是without care（不费心的，不操心的）的意思。英语把这个短语合为一词 sinecure，早先用以指教会中不担任教化工作但却领取干薪的牧师职位，现在则泛指工作清闲而报酬优厚的职位，即“闲职”或“挂名差事”。
英语另有几个单词也源出拉丁语cura：
curator
a person who takes “care” of a museum or library
博物馆或图书馆馆长curate
a person who takes “care” of souls
助理牧师cure
bring health to somebody by taking “care” of him
治愈
影视用例
出自1982年美国电影《苏菲的抉择》（Sophie's Choice），改编自威廉·史泰隆（William Styron）的同名原著小说。该片讲述了从奥斯维辛集中营出来的波兰女性苏菲，认为自己害死了家人而无法原谅自己，最终在巨大的精神压力下和同居男友双双自杀的故事。
同近义词
doddle: a task or an activity that is very easy
cinch: something that is very easy
gravy train: a situation where people seem to be making a lot of money without much effort
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