| 释义 |
ˈnight-soil
[f. night n. + soil n.]
1. The excrementitious matter removed by night from cesspools, etc.
1770–4A. Hunter Georg. Ess. (1804) II. 294 Night soil is found to be an excellent manure. 1844Stephens Bk. Farm II. 30 A crop of the large orange carrot, manured with night-soil. 1860Reade 8th Commandm. 343 They have toiled at scurrility day by day, year by year, like vendors of night soil, not like writers.
2. attrib. and Comb., as night-soil cart, night-soil collector, night-soil man.
1967O. Wynd Walk Softly, Men Praying ix. 145, I had to steer past a chain of night-soil carts.
1960Spectator 19 Feb. 244 The nightsoil collectors of Lagos's slums were so thoughtless as to go on strike.
1957M. Banton W. Afr. City viii. 158 Loko men are ridiculed by other tribes for working as night-soil men. 1960C. Achebe No Longer at Ease ii. 16 As soon as the night-soil-man passed swinging his broom..and trailing clouds of putrefaction the boy quickly sprang to his feet and began calling him names. 1965J. R. Hetherington Selina's Aunt 42/2, I then learned that he worked for the council—in the capacity of night-soilman. |