Penury
“Penury”是名词,指极端贫困、一贫如洗的状态,语气比”poverty”更正式、更强烈,强调匮乏到难以维持基本生活的程度。
- “The family lived in penury after the factory closed.” (工厂关闭后,这家人陷入赤贫。)
- “He rose from penury to become a successful entrepreneur.” (他从一贫如洗成长为成功的企业家。)
- “Years of war left the region in penury.” (连年战争使该地区民不聊生。)
“Penury”源自拉丁语”penuria”(缺乏、匮乏),与”penurious”(贫困的)同源。
“Penury”没有前缀和后缀,为拉丁语借词。
在文学和正式写作中,“penury”常用来描写社会底层或历史时期的极端贫困,带有悲悯色彩;与”poverty”相比更少见於口语。
- 固定搭配: “live in penury” (生活在赤贫中), “reduced to penury” (沦落到极度贫困)
发音近似”pen you re”——连笔都买不起,只剩”pen”和”you”,形容极度匮乏的 penury。
“Despite years of penury, the old scholar refused to sell his books. They were all he had left of a better life.” (尽管多年赤贫,老学者仍不肯卖掉藏书。那是他对更好生活的全部寄托。)