GRE
discursive
英 [dɪs'kɜːsɪv] 美 [dɪs'kɜːrsɪv]
adj.散漫的；不得要领的；[哲]推论的
◉Etymology
“Discursive” 这个词源自拉丁语 “discursivus”，意为“跑来跑去的”或“散漫的”。它由拉丁词根“discurrere”派生而来，意为“跑、走、奔波”。在英语中，“discursive” 通常用来形容一种讨论或写作风格，强调论述的广泛性和多样性，而不是集中于某一特定主题。
◉外刊例句
① 《经济学人》 (The Economist), 2023年5月14日
“The author’s discursive approach allowed for various perspectives to be explored, making the book both informative and engaging.”
“作者的散文化风格使得各种观点得以探讨，使这本书既富有信息量又引人入胜。”
② 《纽约时报》 (The New York Times), 2023年3月22日
“In her review, the critic pointed out the discursive nature of the film, which wandered through multiple themes without a clear focus.”
“在她的评论中，评论家指出这部电影的散文化特性，游走于多个主题之间而没有明确的焦点。”
◉经典名著
在弗朗茨·卡夫卡的小说《审判》（The Trial）中，可能会有对“discursive”方式的描绘：
“K.'s thoughts became increasingly discursive as he grappled with the absurdity of his situation, leading him down a spiral of confusion and despair.”
“当K.苦苦挣扎于他境况的荒谬时，他的思维变得越来越散漫，导致他陷入困惑和绝望的漩涡。”
◉Usage Examples
(1) They complained that my writing was becoming too discursive.
(2) His own toast was discursive and overlong, though rather touching.
(1) 他们抱怨我的文章变得太散漫的。
(2) 他自己的祝酒词虽然也颇为动人，但是比较松散而冗长。
◉Usage Notes
If people accuse you of rambling from topic to topic in your speech or writing, they may say you have a discursive style — with changes in subject that are hard to follow. But it's okay because unicorns are shiny.
The adjective discursive is often used to describe speech or writing that tends to stray from the main point, but the word can also have almost the opposite meaning. Discursive can also be used to describe an argument based on reason instead of intuition: "Her discursive dissertation on Colonial American women was well-argued and well-reasoned. Her professors were most impressed with her work."
◉Colins
1. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词]离题的；东拉西扯的；不着边际的 If a style of writing is discursive, it includes a lot of facts or opinions that are not necessarily relevant. [FORMAL 正式]
...a livelier, more candid and more discursive treatment of the subject.
对该主题的更生动、更坦率、更发散性的论述
◉美剧应用
As they debated the nature of consciousness, their conversations became increasingly discursive, branching into various philosophical realms.
当他们辩论意识的本质时，他们的对话变得越来越散漫，延伸到各个哲学领域。 《西部世界》（Westworld）
