| 释义 |
▪ I. unable, a.|ʌnˈeɪb(ə)l|
Forms: α. 4–7 unhable, (6 Sc. wnhable, unhabil). β. 4– unable, 5 unabille, -abyll(e, -abull, 5–6 unabil(l; 5 onable, 6 -abil.
[un-1 7 + able a., after OF. inhabile or L. inhabilis inhabile a. Cf. MDu. onabel.]
1. Not able, not having ability or power, to do or perform (undergo or experience) something specified. (Chiefly of persons.)
αc1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 422 Al þes þat han chirchis aproprid faylen of þis trewe seruyss herfore, & þus þei ben vnhable to preye, but preyen aȝen þer oune hed. 1552Latimer Serm. Gosp. vi. 190 The person of the Church is ignoraunt and unhable to teach the word of God. 1590Spenser F.Q. i. iv. 23 Vnfit he was for any worldly thing And eke vnhable once to stirre or go. 1596Ibid. vi. i. 16 Me first he tooke, vnhable to withstond.
β1382Wyclif Isaiah xl. 20 The stronge tree, and the vnable to roten ches the wise craftes man. c1420Lydg. Ballad Commend. Our Lady 15 Alas! unworthy I am and unable To love suche oon. c1470Henry Wallace vii. 119 My witt vnabill is To runsik sic, for dreid I say off myss. 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 98 Thou shalte make thy selfe vnable to ryse and growe in goostlynesse. 1598Yong Diana 57 To tell you now the life, that I led in his absence,..my toong is far vnable. 1651Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxx. 181 Many men..become unable to maintain themselves by their labour. 1700Prior Carm. Sec. xxiii, Lost in trackless Fields of shining Day, Unable to discern the Way. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) III. 402 As they are unable to escape by flight, the hunters..easily overpower them. 1836Thirlwall Greece III. xvii. 3 The Persian governor, unable to hold out, and disdaining to surrender, set fire to the town. 1891Farrar Darkn. & Dawn xx, Panting with wrath, he was unable even to return the greeting of Nero.
b. Const. for or to (with ns.).
(a)1456Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 109 Gif he be ane unworthy persone, and unhable tharto,..he degradis him. a1470H. Parker Dives & Pauper (W. de W. 1496) v. xviii. 220/1 Though his woodnes passe yet he is yrreguler & unable to goddes aulter. 1513Life Henry V (1911) 83 The Kinge his father, who at that time was lymited, was vnable to the charge of the realme.
(b)1568Grafton Chron. II. 382 He was maymed with the stroke of an horse in his youth, and so made unhable for the governaunce of the Realme. 1598R. Grenewey Tacitus, Ann. i. i. (1622) 2 Agrippa they accounted..yoong, and raw in state matters; vnable for so great a charge. 1668Wilkins Real Char. ii. i. §4. 41 Either by restoring what is due, or by being rendred unable for it. 1841Chambers Pop. Rhymes Scotl. (1870) 76 She could not spin at all, and found herself quite unable for it.
†c. Used attributively with to following the noun. Obs. rare.
1560Pilkington Expos. Aggeus (1562) 59 An unable priest to teach, is good to nothinge in that kynde of lyfe or ministerye. a1586Sidney Arcadia i. xii. (1912) 80 Those troblesome effects..be not the faults of love, but of him that loves; as an unable vessel to beare such a licour. c1640J. Smyth Lives Berkeleys (1883) II. 141, I stand an unable man to determine of either opinion.
d. Not knowing, ignorant. rare—1.
a1721Eusden in Addison's Cato A.'s Misc. Wks. 1721 I. 267 Silent we stand, unable where to praise.
2. Of persons: Lacking ability in some implied respect; incompetent, inefficient.
1395Purvey Remonstr. (1851) 112 It is gouernid by symonient bisshopis and vnable curatis. 1407William of Thorpe in Foxe A. & M. (1570) I. 648/2 These vnable priestes haue bene, and yet are, and shalbe, chiefe cause of pestilence of men. a1513Fabyan Chron. (1811) 548 Weale I wote, and knowlege, and deme myselfe to be and haue ben vnsuffycyent and vnable and also vnprofytable. 1544Betham Precepts War i. cxcviii. I vj b, To sende forth thyne vnable souldyours.. to be as a bayte..to thyne enemyes. 1612Brinsley Lud. Lit. p iv, This indeuor..thus vndertaken by me the vnablest of many thousands. 1668R. Steele Husbandman's Calling v. (1672) 139 What if I leave a shiftless wife, and unable children behind me? 1710Shaftesbury Charac., Adv. Author (1737) I. 224 The greatest actions lose their force, and perish in the custody of unable and mean writers. a1774Goldsm. Hist. Greece II. 167 No hopes of succour from such unable protectors. 1856Emerson Eng. Traits, Manners ⁋8, I hesitated to read and threw out for its impertinence many a disparaging phrase..about poor, thin, unable mortals. 1877Owen Wellesley's Desp. p. xxvii, What would become of the system in unable hands?
b. Of faculties, actions, etc.: Characterized by want of ability; inefficient, ineffectual.
1387–8T. Usk Test. Love iii. i. (Skeat) l. 171 If any thing be insufficient or els mislyking, wyte that the leudnesse of myne unable conning. c1400Mandeville (1839) xxxi. 315, I..have ben..at many a faire Dede of Armes (alle be it that I dide none my self, for myn unable insuffisance). 1584Constable Diana vii. vi, A dombe restraint Breakes forth in teares from mine unable mind. 1633Cowley Constantia & Philetus To Rdr. ii, As shee my vnabler quill did guide, Her briny teares did on the paper fall. a1699J. Beaumont Psyche xxi. lxxv, I..see thee more By this unable and denying Sight, Than they [etc.]. 1795Burke Abridgm. Eng. Hist. Wks. 1842 II. 523 Vortigern..opposed a mixture of timid war and unable negociation.
†3.
a. Of persons: Incapable of, not qualified for, some position. Obs.
c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 465 Þat pope þat fayliþ heere oþer for kunnyng or for wille is vnhable to take to pope & lede his floc. 1390Gower Conf. III. 202 His nase of and his lippes bothe He kutte, for he wolde him lothe Unto the poeple and make unable. 1426Lydg. De Guil Pilgr. 5108 But I sawh ther in presence, Somme pressen to the table That wer vnworthy & vnhable.
†b. Of things: Unfit or unsuitable for some purpose. Obs.
1390Gower Conf. III. 104 Which of the poeple be for⁓lete As lond desert that is unable, For it mai noght ben habitable. c1440Pallad. on Husb. i. 222 Diuide hit thus: that fatte & bering, able, Let plowe hit vp, & leef the lene, vnable, Couert in woode. 1444Maldon (Essex) Rec. Liber ‘A.’ fol. 32 b, Item, that no bocher sle, ne selle, none vnhable flessh.
†4.
a. Not able to be (done); impossible. Obs.
c1400Destr. Troy Prol. 46 How goddes foght in the filde, folke as þai were, And other errours vnable þat after were knowen, That poyetis of prise have preuyt vntrew. 1548Geste Pr. Masse 78 The wyche, as it is an attempte too unreasonable and unable, so passynge wycked, presumptuouse and detestable. 1567Reg. Privy Council Scot. l. 512 How unabill it salbe to the nobilitie..alwayis to abyde and continew at Court.
†b. Awkward; unlucky. Obs.—1
1572Satir. Poems Reform. xxxi. 94 Sen Fortoun, with a Reill, Hes wrocht thame ane vnabill charr.
5. Lacking in physical ability or strength; incapable of much bodily exertion; weak, feeble. In later use Sc.
1577B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iii. (1586) 144 b, Hee waxeth feeble, and vnable, before he bee sixe yeeres olde. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iv. v. 4 When saplesse Age, and weake vnable limbes Should bring thy Father to his drooping Chaire. 1621Burton Anat. Mel. iii. iii. i. ii, I haue an old grimme sire to my husband as bald as a gourde, as little and as vnable as a child. 1685Baxter Paraphr. N.T. Matt. xxv. 46 This doth not extend to condemn Infants or poor unable persons for not doing what they could not. 1764Goldsm. Hist. Eng. in Lett. (1772) I. 168 Though unable by disease, yet they recompensed the defect by valour. 1818Scott Br. Lamm. xv, Those unarmed and unable Mephibosheths, that are sure to be a burden to every one that takes them up. 1858–61J. Brown Horæ Subs. (1863) 163 No one could have suffered from..the misery of an unable body. 1896Crockett Grey Man iv, He..was ever thereafter unable of his legs.
transf.1601R. Yarington Two Lament. Trag. i. ii. in Bullen O. Pl. IV, We do assure us of your love And care to guide his weake unhable youth In pathes of knowledge. 1607Heywood Wom. Killed w. Kindn. (1617) C 2 b, Sir I accept it, and remaine indebted Euen to the best of my vnable power.
▪ II. † unˈable, v. Obs.
Also 5 unabyl, 6 -abill; 5–6 unhable.
[un-2 6 a, or f. unable a.]
1. trans. To render unable, to unfit or incapacitate, to do something. Sometimes spec. in Law: To make legally incapable.
c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. I. 147 Myche more shulde worldely lordship unable men now to take þis Goost. c1400Destr. Troy 9423 He woundit hym wickedly in his wale face, And vnablit after with angur to fight. a1470Harding Chron. clvii. iii, This Edmond thelder soonne of Kyng Henry, Broke backed and bowbacked bore, Was vnabled to haue the monarche. 1567–9Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 195 Then doth it [the vow] not of necessitie and fine force vnable a man to contract Matrimonie. 1613Sherley Trav. Persia 32 The eldest son of the King remained at the Court of his father, administring all that, which his fathers defect of light vnabled him to doe. 1640Habington Edw. IV, 67 They..had been unabled to pay their usuall tribute to the King. a1774Goldsm. Hist. Greece I. 207 Until both were utterly unabled to withstand the smallest efforts of foreign invasion.
refl.c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 191 Þei vnablen hem self to do þe office of prestis. c1380― Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 36 Þre ordris in Cristis tyme unabliden hem to be of þis rewme.
b. Const. to (or of) an action, office, etc.
a1395Hylton Scala Perf. ii. xv. (W. de W. 1494), How louers of this worlde unable hem in dyuers maners to the refourmyng of her owne soule. a1470H. Parker Dives & Pauper (W. de W. 1496) i. xxxviii. 79/1 He sholde be pryued of his benefyce yf that he hadde ony. Yf he had no benefyce he sholde be unabled and dysposed therto. 1560Knox Bk. Common Order (1901) 20 The crimes and vices that might unable them of the Ministry.
2. Without const.: To unfit or incapacitate, to deprive of ability or power, in some respect; to disable physically.
c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. I. 105 Siþ he..wiþdrawiþ never his grace, but ȝif man unable him selfe. Ibid. 219 As distempour of þe eir shal sle men and unable þe erþe. c1450in Aungier Syon (1840) 281 Whom euerychone and eche trespasyng in the premysses, we unable for euermore in the selfdede doyng. 1503Rolls of Parlt. VI. 547/1 To the use, profitte or behove of any persone or persones by this Acte not attaynted nor unabled. 1582Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 80, I through pangs vncoth vnhabled, With stutting stamering at leingth thus fumbled an aunswer. a1641Bp. R. Montagu Acts & Mon. (1642) 285 That old Leacher, worne out and unabled, though he dyed his haire black that he might seeme to be young. 1654Gayton Pleas. Notes iii. v. 100 That is to say, with three hard words, un-mule, un-leg, and un-able, Alanso Lopez. 1775Johnson Let. in Boswell (1831) III. 255 Poor Lucy Porter has her hand in a bag, so unabled by the gout that she cannot dress herself.
b. To annul or cancel. rare—1.
1611Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. xxi. §134 Hee prepared himselfe to make his Wil, wherein howsoeuer titles had been vnhabled in Parliaments, he ordained his three children to succeede each after others.
Hence † unˈabling vbl. n. Obs.
1475Rolls of Parlt. VI. 147/2 As if the said Acte of atteyndre or unablyng never had been made. 1503Ibid. 548. |