Epic
“Epic” 传统义为“史诗”或“史诗般的”;现代口语中形容“超棒的、场面很大的”(an epic party)。名词 epic 在文学课指荷马式长篇叙事诗。
- “Homer’s Iliad is a famous Greek epic.” (荷马的《伊利亚特》是著名的希腊史诗。)
- “The road trip across the desert was epic.” (穿越沙漠的公路旅行太震撼了。)
- “They faced an epic battle against climate change.” (他们面临着对抗气候变化的艰巨斗争。)
来自希腊语 epikos(关于故事的、史诗的),与 epos(诗、故事)相关。
epic 多为独立词或名词;形容词 epic scale 中无额外后缀。
游戏与影视营销常用 epic gameplay、cinematic epic;网络俚语 That was epic! 表示“太牛了”。学术语境仍保留严肃文学含义。
- 副词: epically(口语)
- 固定搭配: “epic poem” (史诗), “epic fail” (惨败,网络俚语), “epic journey” (史诗般的旅程)
联想 epoch(时代)与 epic 都有“宏大时间跨度”感,史诗讲的就是大时代大英雄。
“After reading an epic in class, the students said the school’s snowball fight was epic, though the principal did not agree.” (课堂上读完一部史诗后,学生们说学校的打雪仗“史诗级”,但校长不这么认为。)