小词详解 | cuddle

cuddle 英 [ˈkʌdl] 美 [ˈkʌdl]

TEM8

外刊例句

• Their hope is that this scale will allow them to survive an existential battle for viewers that makes “Godzilla vs. Kong” look like cautious cuddling.
  它们希望这样的规模能让自己在攸关生死的观众争夺战中活下来——这场大战的激烈程度让《哥斯拉大战金刚》也显得只是小打小闹。
  ——《经济学人》
• Ms. Robertson quoted Mrs. Nixon as saying: “They give you an extra dimension of joy.” The first lady added, “I think everyone would like to cuddle them.”
  罗伯逊女士引用尼克松夫人的原话说：“它们带给你额外的欢乐。”第一夫人还说：“我觉得每个人都想拥抱它们。”
  ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[verb] hold close in one's arms as a way of showing love or affection
[动词] 紧紧搂在怀里以示爱意或钟爱

深入解读

看到 cuddle 一词，老铁们不难联想起许多小站（微信公众号：田间小站）之前推过的与之结尾相同的单词来，诸如 muddle, meddle, peddle, fiddle, straddle 等，尤其是拼写上更进一步且含义也相近的 huddle 。

具体来说， cuddle 一词最早出现于16世纪初，可能源自一种方言或育儿用语，指母亲或护士将孩子抱进怀里，以使其保持温暖、快乐和安静。发展到现在则泛化表示“拥抱、搂抱”，多指亲热或爱抚地紧紧搂在怀里以示爱意或钟爱，比如：

• 那个脾气暴躁的老妇人搂着小孩，渐渐地孩子不哭了。
  The grumpy old woman cuddled the baby and eventually it stopped crying.
• 他们坐在影院后排，接吻搂抱。他们私通纯粹是受淫欲的驱使。
  They sat in the back row of the cinema kissing and cuddling. Their affair was driven by pure lust.

从这个概念出发， cuddle 还可以进一步用来表示“舒舒服服地搂着睡、依偎着躺在一起”，比如：

• 她依偎着他。落日的余晖透过狭窄的窗户斜射进来。
  She cuddled up against him. The vestigial rays of the declining sun slanted through the narrow window.

用作名词时， cuddle 相应表示“ 拥抱、搂抱”，常作单数使用，多指长时间充满深情的拥抱，比如：

• 在我去纽约之前，那个羞怯又寡言少语的女孩给了我一个深情的拥抱。
  The shy and reticent girl gave me a cuddle before I went to New York.

名著用例

She puts the potato greedily into a pocket then links his arm, cuddling him with supple warmth.
她贪婪地把土豆塞进自己的衣兜，挽住他的臂，柔情缱绻地搂抱着他。

出自爱尔兰现代主义作家詹姆斯·乔伊斯（James Joyce）于1922年出版的长篇小说《尤利西斯》（Ulysses）。

同近义词

• embrace: hold (someone) closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection
• caress: touch or stroke gently or lovingly
• nestle: settle or lie comfortably within or against something

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