小词详解 | peek

peek 英 [piːk] 美 [piːk]

TEM8

外刊例句

• But when voters get a peek at such negotiations, they see their government offering to alter domestic standards—to sacrifice autonomy and sell out domestic interests, even—just to help the big firms make a few more bucks.
  但是选民们只需对这样的谈判稍加了解，便会认为政府提出更改国内标准（甚至牺牲自主权、出卖本国利益）只是为了帮助大公司多赚一些。
  ——《经济学人》
• Champagne flute in hand, Mr. Obama offered a rare peek at his family’s quarters on Thursday night, by then already stripped of personal artwork that had hung for years
  周四晚上，手拿香槟酒杯的奥巴马提供了一个罕见的机会，让人们一窥他的家庭居所，那时，在墙上悬挂了多年的私人艺术藏品已被摘下。
  ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[verb] look quickly, typically in a furtive manner
[动词] 迅速地看，通常是以一种偷偷摸摸的方式

深入解读

Peek 一词与小站前几天推送的 peer 不仅形似，而且义近。Peek 的词源不详，最早出现于14世纪末期，现主要表示“窥视、偷看”，强调快速秘密地看某种本不该看的东西，常常半闭着眼睛或者透过某个洞或缝隙进行偷看，既可以作动词，也可以作名词，比如：

• 她曾两次轻蔑地透过墙缝窥视他。
  On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall with disdain.
• 我有种被人监视的奇怪感觉，于是我匆匆向里面偷看了一眼。
  I had an uncanny feeling I was being watched so I took a quick peek inside.

说起“窥视、偷看”，可能不少小伙伴还会想起 peep 一词。这两个单词的含义没有明显区别，只是 peep 相对于 peek 而言更为正式一些。

不过，更让人印象深刻的是美国电影《泰坦尼克号》的我心飞翔经典桥段中就出现了“don't peek”这个表达，详见下面的影视用例部分。

另外值得注意的是， peek 还有一个有趣的表达叫 peek out/over/through ，用来形容某个东西从隐藏处“微露出、探出”，好比一个偷窥者从隐藏处探出头来，比如：

• 他的脚趾从鞋上的破洞里露出来。但他徐缓从容的声音和举止表明他出身贵族。
  His toes peeked through the hole on his shoes. But his languid voice and manner suggested an aristocratic pedigree.

影视用例

Rose: Hello Jack. I changed my mind. They said you might be out here.
Jack: Shhh. Gimme your hand. Now close your eyes, go on. Now step up. Now hold on to the railing. Keep your eyes closed, don't peek.
Rose: I'm not.
Jack: Step up on the railing. Hold on, hold on. Keep your eyes closed. Do you trust me?
Rose: I trust you.
Jack: All right. Open your eyes.
Rose: [gasp] I'm flying, Jack!

出自1997年美国史诗浪漫灾难电影《泰坦尼克号》（Titanic）。影片以1912年泰坦尼克号邮轮在其处女启航时触礁冰山而沉没的事件为背景，讲述了处于不同阶层的两个人——穷画家杰克和贵族女露丝抛弃世俗的偏见坠入爱河，最终杰克把生命的机会让给了露丝的感人故事。

同近义词

• peep: look quickly and furtively at something, especially through a narrow opening
• spy: observe (someone) furtively
• glance: take a brief or hurried look

往期回顾