小词详解 | grapple
grapple 英 [ˈɡræpl] 美 [ˈɡræpl]
SAT TEM8
外刊例句
Airbnb has also grappled with the problem of some hosts being racist towards guests.
爱彼迎还一直在努力解决住客遭到某些房东种族歧视的问题。
——《经济学人》In essence, he was raising an issue that economists have long grappled with: How can a society assess the trade-off between economic well-being and health?
从本质上讲,他提出了经济学家长久以来努力解决的问题:一个社会如何评估经济福祉和健康之间的取舍?
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[verb] engage in a close fight or struggle without weapons; wrestle
[动词] 在没有武器的情况下进行近距离的搏斗或斗争,同 wrestle
深入解读
Grapple 一词源自古法语 grapil (钩),13世纪末进入英语时表示“(抓住敌船用的)抓钩、多爪锚”,这个含义后来常用 grappling hook/iron 表达,比如下面的名人名言中就有出现。
抓钩的作用是将某物紧紧的钩住或抓住,所以 grapple 引申用作动词时,即表示“抓牢、握紧、系紧”,比如:
他用双臂抓住我,把我拉过去搂着。
He grappled me to him with both arms and hugged me.
不过要小心的是,被人用双臂抓住的时候,除了浪漫搂着以外,往往更为常见的是“搏斗、扭打”, grapple 的这个含义在 热词速递 | 张伟丽卫冕 UFC 世界冠军 一文中就有提到,既可以作动词也可以作名词使用,比如:
与一个大个子流氓拼命搏斗
grapple wildly with a big tough与基督教会暴政的最后决战
a final grapple with ecclesiastical tyranny
值得注意的是, grapple with sth 除了表示“与某物扭打”外,还常指“努力设法解决某事”,比如:
今天,仍有许多美国人还没有克服种族歧视的观念。
Today, many Americans are still grappling with the issue of race.
由于抓钩除了钩住船只以外,还可以用来在水里捞东西,因此 grapple 也引申指“摸索、探寻”,比如:
用抓钩在深水里探寻失落的保险箱
grapple in deep water for the missing safe想找个别的话题
grapple for something else to talk about
名人名言
Monuments are the grappling-irons that bind one generation to another.
纪念碑是将一代又一代人紧紧捆绑在一起的多爪锚。
出自法国文人儒贝尔(Joseph Joubert,1754年5月7日─1824年5月4日)。他以身后出版的《随思录》(Pensées)而闻名。钱钟书在《谈艺录》中多次引用儒贝尔。
同近义词
wrestle: take part in a fight, either as sport or in earnest, that involves grappling with one's opponent and trying to throw or force them to the ground
tussle: engage in a vigorous struggle or scuffle
brawl: fight or quarrel in a rough or noisy way
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