| 释义 |
Babel|ˈbeɪbəl|
[a. Heb. bābel, Babylon; associated in Genesis with the idea of ‘confusion,’ but not referable to any known Semitic root; according to Prof. Sayce, for Assyrian bāb-ilu gate of God, or bāb-ili gate of the gods, the Assyrian rendering of the Accadian Ca-dimíra (see Trans. Soc. Bibl. Archæology I. 298, 309).]
1. The city and tower, of which the attempted construction is described in Genesis xi, where the confusion of languages is said to have taken place; hence
a. a lofty structure;
b. a visionary scheme.
1382Wyclif Gen. xi. 9 Therfor was callid the name of it Babel, for there was confoundid the lippe of all the erthe. 1667Milton P.L. iii. 468 And still with vain designe New Babels, had they wherewithall, would build. 1703Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1721) 16 What remains of this mighty Babel..is no more than twenty Foot high. 1711Steele Spect. No. 167 ⁋3 The fond Builder of Babels. 1847Tennyson Princ. iv. 59 Let be Their cancell'd Babels.
2. A scene of confusion; a confused assemblage.
1625Fletcher Nt. Walker (T.) All the chambers Are a mere babel, or another bedlam. 1703Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1721) 48 A mere Babel of broken Walls. 1731Swift Repeal Test Act (T.) The whole babel of sectaries joined against the church. 1860G. Morris Poems 173 We are only two, dear brother, in this babel wide!
3. A confused turbulent medley of sounds.
a1529Skelton El. Rummyng 387 A clatterynge and a babell Of folys fylly. 1863Kingsley Water Bab. i. 32 Such a noise, row, hubbub, babel, shindy, hullabaloo. 1884Manch. Exam. 16 Sept. 4/7 This confused and confusing babel of..idle objurgations.
4. Comb., mostly attrib., in which babel approaches the character of an adj. (= ‘confused, turbulent,’ or ‘lofty, huge’), as in babel-confusion, Babel-sea, Babel-sound, Babel-tower; also babel-builder; babel-scheme, a visionary project.
c1746Hervey Medit. (1818) 39 God from on high laughs at the *Babel-builder.
1653Baxter Chr. Concord 101 Sion is not built by the *Babel-confusions.
1729Savage Wanderer II. v. (D.) The traitors rear their *babel-schemes.
1853Kingsley Hypatia v. (1879) 67 The *Babel sea which weltered up and down every street.
1816Southey Poet's Pilgr. i. Wks. X. 20 All disregardant of the *Babel sound.
1848Dickens Dombey (1870) I. vi. 99 *Babel towers of chimneys. |