2009年5月15日 星期五

quandary, babel, noise.

In Babel of Tongues, Suriname Seeks Itself
Tomas Munita for The New York Times
In Babel of Tongues, Suriname Seeks Itself

People in Suriname speak more than 11 languages, offering a quandary for a country debating its identity.

babel
  1. A confusion of sounds or voices. See synonyms at noise.
  2. A scene of noise and confusion.
[After BABEL.]

babel PhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhonetic Hide phonetics
noun [S] FORMAL
a state of confusion caused by many people talking at the same time or using different languages:
a babel of voices.


Meaning #1: (Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah's descendants (probably in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one another
Synonym: Tower of Babel

巴貝耳塔

  1. 當時全世界只有一種語言和一樣的話。
  2. 當人們由東方遷移的時候,在史納爾地方找到了一塊平原,就在那裏住下了。
  3. 他們彼此說:「來,我們做磚,用火燒透。」他們遂拿磚當石,拿瀝青代灰泥。
  4. 然後彼此說:「來,讓我們建造一城一塔,塔頂摩天,好給我們作記念,免得我們在全地面上分散了! 」
  5. 上主遂下來,要看看世人所造的城和塔。
  6. 上主說:「看,他們都是一個民族,都說一樣的語言。他們如今就開始做這事;以後他們所想做的,就沒有不成功的了。
  7. 來,我們下去,混亂他們的語言,使他們彼此語言不通。」
  8. 於是上主將他們分散到全地面,他們遂停止建造那城。
  9. 為此人稱那地為「巴貝耳,」因為上主在那裏混亂了全地的語言,且從那裏將他們分散到全地面。


quandary PhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhonetic Phonetic PhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhoneticPhonetic Hide phonetics
noun [C usually singular]
a state of not being able to decide what to do about a situation in which you are involved:
I've had two job offers, and I'm in a real quandary about/over which one to accept.

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