quandary, babel, noise.

Tomas Munita for The New York Times

In Babel of Tongues, Suriname Seeks Itself

By SIMON ROMERO

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 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 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.