小词详解 | clout
clout 英 [klaʊt] 美 [klaʊt]
SAT TEM4 TEM8 GRE
外刊例句
But the well-heeled are adept at squeezing through tax loopholes, and at marshalling the political clout needed to chip away at high tax rates.
但是,富人擅长钻税收漏洞,也擅于集结政治影响力来削减高税率。
——《经济学人》In the trade war between the United States and China, economists and investors have long tried to game out how both sides might use their clout.
在美中之间的贸易战中,经济学家和投资者长期以来一直试图弄清双方可能会如何利用自己的影响力。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[noun] influence or power, especially in politics or business
[名词] (尤指在政治或商业上的)影响力或权势
深入解读
Clout 与 cloud (云、云朵、云状物)形似,但意思截然不同。Clout 一词在古英语时期作 clut ,原指“补衣服用的碎布”,后来也发展为“一块布、抹布、手帕、卫生棉”以及“(婴孩等的)衣服”等,比如:
襁褓
swaddling clouts/clothes
虽然上面这些含义现今已不再流行,但从给衣服打补丁这个概念引申出了“(尤指用手或重物)猛击、重击”含义,即作动词也作名词,比如:
瑞秋狠狠地冲着他的头部一侧打了一下。
Rachel clouted him smartly across the side of the head.警察打了她的头一巴掌。
The officer gave her a clout on her head.
到了1946年, clout 在美式英语中又从“猛击、重击”逐渐引申用于表示现在的常用含义“(尤指政治、经济方面的)影响力、权势”,比如:
女王可以享有特权,但没有真正的政治权力。
The Queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.我知道他很有影响力。
I knew he carried a lot of clout.
经典谚语
Never cast a clout till May be out.
未过五月时,棉衣不可抛。
一般在五月之前,仍有可能出现低温天气,所以不能因为初春暖阳一来就过早地将冬衣收纳起来,否则降温后又要把冬衣翻出来以免挨冻。这句谚语的寓意即做事勿操之过急。
同近义词
leverage: the power to influence a person or situation to achieve a particular outcome
sway: rule; control
mastery: control or superiority over someone or something
往期回顾