Pontificating
“Pontificating” 常含贬义,指像主教布道般自以为是地大谈道理、发表冗长意见,如 pontificating about politics(对政治高谈阔论)、stop pontificating(别在那儿说教了)。
- “He kept pontificating about diet while eating fries.” (他一边吃薯条一边对饮食大道理侃侃而谈。)
- “The columnist was accused of pontificating without facts.” (那位专栏作家被指责不看事实就妄下论断。)
- “We need solutions, not an hour of pontificating.” (我们需要解决办法,不是听一小时空话。)
来自拉丁语 pontifex(大祭司、主教),pontificare 原指以主教身份发言;pontifex 中 pons(桥)与 facere(做)有关,指在神人之间的“搭桥者”。
词干 “pontific-” 表主教、权威发言;“-ate” 为动词后缀;“-ing” 表示正在武断议论的过程。
媒体评论与辩论中常用 pontificating 批评空谈专家;语气讽刺,暗示说话者居高临下、缺乏倾听。
- 原形: pontificate
- 名词: pontification
- 固定搭配: “pontificating about” (对……高谈阔论), “stop pontificating” (别再说教了)
pontiff(教皇)+ -icating——像教皇布道一样自命不凡地讲话,就是 pontificating。
“Pontificating over coffee, Uncle Ray lectured the table on manners while spilling sugar everywhere.” (雷叔叔端着咖啡对全桌说教礼仪,却把糖洒得到处都是。)