小词详解 | demure

demure 英 [dɪˈmjʊə(r)] 美 [dɪˈmjʊr]

SAT

外刊例句

• Society has educated women to be demure, she says.
  她说，社会教育女性要端庄娴静。
  ——《经济学人》
• In keeping with this year’s demure sensibility, Indonesia’s beach fashion show will not be televised live, but taped in front of a small audience limited to judges, organizers and guests.
  为了和今年比赛端庄的审美标准相称，印度尼西亚的海滩时尚秀将不会在电视上直播，而是在一小群由评委、组织者和嘉宾组成的现场观众面前录制。
  ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[adjective] (of a woman or her behaviour) reserved, modest, and shy
[形容词] （指女人或其行为）矜持、端庄、羞涩

深入解读

Demure 是一个与小站半年前推送的 demur 十分形似的单词，源自拉丁语 maturus （成熟），现主要用于形容女子“娴静的、端庄的”，比如：

• 一个把肥胖部位也错认作曼妙曲线的羞怯而娴静的姑娘
  a timid and demure girl who mistakes a bulge for a curve

若是用来形容举止、衣物等时，则是指“显得端庄的、庄重的”，强调衣着保守不暴露，给人性格腼腆行为端正的印象，比如：

• 性感迷人的郝思嘉小姐，她浑身上下每个毛孔都散发着性感，对我羞涩地会心一笑。
  The luscious Miss Scarlett, who oozed sexuality from every pore, gave me a demure but knowing smile.
• 说到调情，相对于直接露骨，他更喜欢较为端庄或含蓄的方式。
  When it comes to flirting he prefer a more demure or reserved approach to one that is overt.

有人娴静端庄是性格教育使然，而有的人表面如此只不过是善于伪装。这也可以将 demure 反过来用作贬义表示“故作庄重的、假正经的、装作害羞的”，比如：

• 几星期以后，那个道貌岸然的伪君子就抛弃了他假正经的形象。
  A few weeks later, the sanctimonious little hypocrite had shed his demure image.

名人用例

We need to keep changing the attitude that raises our girls to be demure and our boys to be assertive, that criticizes our daughters for speaking out and our sons for shedding a tear. We need to keep changing the attitude that punishes women for their sexuality and rewards men for theirs.
我们需要不断改变态度，不再认为应当把女孩培养得端庄矜持、把男孩培养得坚定自信，不再批评女儿说出自己的观点、批评儿子流泪。我们需要不断改变态度，不再因为女人的性别而惩罚她们、因为男人的性别而奖赏他们。

出自美国第44任总统贝拉克·奥巴马（Barack Obama，1961年8月4日－）。他是首位拥有非裔血统的美国总统。

同近义词

• modest: (of a woman) dressing or behaving so as to avoid impropriety or indecency, especially to avoid attracting sexual attention
• meek: quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive

往期回顾