沉默不語 (-)

Question 1

reticent

Answer 1

reticent [ˈrɛtəsənt]
(a) 沉默的
(MW1) not willingto tell people about things
(MW2) restrained in expression, presentation, or appearance
[源] re- (加) + tic- (= tac-,silent) ，拉丁動詞 tacere 也是 tacit, taciturn 的字源。
[衍] reticence [ˈrɛtəsəns] (n) “沉默”。
[例] Her husband is by nature (天性上) a reticent person, and she resigned(接受…為事實) herself to that fact long ago.

Question 2

taciturn

Answer 2

Ÿ taciturn [ˈtæsəˌtɝn]
(a) 沉默寡言的 (修飾“人”)
(MW1) tending to be quiet: not speaking frequently
(MW2) temperamentally disinclined to talk
[源] tac- (silent) + -it + -urn (形尾) ，沉默寡言是一種 “安靜”。
[衍] taciturnity [ˌtæsəˈtɝnətɪ] (n) “沉默寡言”。
[例] A taciturn man, he almost never initiates a conversation.
[解] 注意 taciturn 是指人性格上 (temperamentally) 就不喜歡說話，而 reticent 則是壓抑 (restrain) 自己不要說話。Ÿ

Question 3

tacit

Answer 3

tacit [ˈtæsət]
(a) 靜默的 (修飾“物”)
(MW1) expressed or understood withoutbeing directly stated
(MW2) implied or indicated (as by an act or by silence) but not actually expressed <tacitconsent (默許) > <tacitadmission (默認) of guilt >
[源] tac- (silent) + -it (形尾) ，“靜” 默的。
[例] She felt that she had her parents’tacitapproval (默許) to borrow the car.

Question 4

acquiesce

Answer 4

acquiesce [ˌækwɪˈɛs]
(v) 默默接受 (帶有 “被迫” 的意思)
(MW1) to accept, agree,or allowsomething to happen by stayingsilent or by notarguing
(MW2) toaccept, comply,or submit tacitly (沉默地) or passively—often used withinand sometimes with to
[源] ac- (= ad-, to) + quiet (安靜) +esc- (become) + -e (動尾) ，使 “安靜” 地 “接受”。
[衍] acquiescence [ˌækwɪˈɛsəns] (n) “默默接受”。
[例] Apparently the contractor expectedme toacquiesce to my own fleecing(剝削) .
[解] 此字常與 demand 並用：acquiesce one’s demands，帶有 “不得不接受”的意思。