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Nobility

“Nobility” 是一个名词。它指的是社会中具有极高地位或继承了爵位的阶层(贵族阶级)。此外,它更常被用来赞美一个人具有极其诚实、慷慨和充满荣誉感的内在品质(即“高尚”)。

  1. “Members of the nobility were once the most powerful people in the country.” (贵族成员曾是该国最有权势的人。)
  2. “We should always admire the nobility of a person’s character.” (我们应该始终钦佩一个人性格中的高尚品质。)
  3. “There is true nobility in helping others without expecting anything in return.” (在不求回报的情况下帮助他人是一种真正的高尚行为。)

源自拉丁语 “nobilitas”,词根是 “nobilis”(著名的、出身名门的、高尚的)。这又源自 “noscere”(认识/知晓)。

  • 词根: “nobil-” (高尚,著名)
  • 后缀: “-ity” (抽象名词后缀)

在历史的长河中,“nobility” 是权力和阶级的象征。但在启蒙运动之后,人们开始强调“精神上的贵族”(Nobility of the soul),认为高尚的品质比血缘更加重要。

  • 形容词: noble (高尚的,贵族的)
  • 副词: nobly (高尚地,壮丽地)

记住 “noble”(高尚的)加上 “-ity”(后缀)就是这种性质的抽象名词形式。联想“贵族”往往代表着优雅和高尚(至少在理想状态下)。

“In the old stories, the knight was a member of the nobility. But his true value didn’t come from his title or his golden armor. It came from the nobility of his spirit, shown when he gave his own life to protect his people.” (在古老的故事中,骑士是贵族的一员。但他的真正价值并非来自他的头衔或金色的盔甲,而是来自他高尚的精神,这一点在他为保护人民而献出生命时表现得淋漓尽致。)