prosaic

英 [prə'zeɪɪk] 美 [prə'zeɪɪk]

adj.单调乏味的；散文的；平淡无奇的；无想象力的

GRE SAT

◉Etymology

“Prosaic” 源自拉丁语 “prosaicus”，其词根是 “prosa” 意为“散文”，因此，“prosaicus” 意为“散文的”或“平凡的”。在英语中，“prosaic” 起初用于描述与散文相关的事物，后来逐渐引申为“平淡无奇”或“缺乏想象力”的含义。这个词的引入时间大约是在17世纪初。

◉外刊例句

① 《纽约时报》 (The New York Times), 2024年3月8日

“The novel’s prosaic descriptions of everyday life contrasted sharply with its more dramatic and poetic moments.”

“小说对日常生活的平淡描述与其更具戏剧性和诗意的时刻形成了鲜明对比。”

② 《金融时报》 (Financial Times), 2023年10月22日

“The speaker’s prosaic presentation failed to capture the audience’s imagination and enthusiasm.”

“演讲者平淡的演讲未能激发观众的想象力和热情。”

◉经典名著

在简·奥斯汀的小说《傲慢与偏见》（Pride and Prejudice）中，“prosaic” 被用来形容平凡的事物：

“Elizabeth Bennet’s initial impression of Mr. Darcy was colored by his prosaic manner and aloof behavior.”

伊丽莎白·班纳特对达西先生的最初印象受到他平凡的举止和冷漠行为的影响。

◉Usage Examples

(1) It was a prosaic description of the scene.

(1) 这是对场景没有想象力的一个描述。

◉Usage Notes

Prosaic means ordinary or dull. Most of us lead a prosaic everyday life, sometimes interrupted by some drama or crisis.

This adjective is from Latin prosa "prose," which is ordinary writing intended to communicate ideas and information. Prose is often contrasted with poetry, which usually has a more imaginative and original style.

◉Colins

1. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词]枯燥的；乏味的；平淡无奇的 Something that is prosaic is dull and uninteresting. [FORMAL 正式]

His instructor offered a more prosaic explanation for the surge in interest...

对于利息的急剧增加，他的导师给出了一个更为平淡无奇的解释。

The truth is more prosaic.

真相更加乏味。

prosaically

Arabian jam is also known as angels' hair preserve, or more prosaically as carrot jam...

阿拉伯酱也被叫做天使秀发酱，或者更通俗点就是胡萝卜酱。

His father wrote briefly and prosaically.

他的父亲写得很简短也很平淡。