英語高級詞匯：jest

詞義

讀音：jest /d?est/

詞義：(開)玩笑

詞性：名詞，動詞

級別：GRE

出處：出自古法語 geste (功績，事跡)。進入中古英語后，詞義從"英雄事跡"逐漸弱化為"故事，再到"編造的故事"，最終定格為"玩笑，俏皮話"。

用法

(v.) They often jest about his forgetfulness. 他們常取笑他記性差。 Don't jest with him about his job loss. 別拿他失業的事跟他開玩笑。 It's cruel to jest at someone's misfortune. 嘲笑別人的不幸是殘忍的。 He jested that he was the king of the world. 他開玩笑說自己是世界之王。 (n.) He said it in jest, don't take it seriously. 他是開玩笑說的，別當真。 They made a jest of his accent. 他們拿他的口音開玩笑。 This is beyond a jest; someone could get hurt. 這不是鬧著玩的，會有人受傷的。

近義

名詞 jest 近義詞按難度級別由低到高：

中學 joke /d???k/：笑話 crack /kr?k/：(挖苦人的)玩笑 出國 quip /kw?p/：妙語，俏皮話 pun /p?n/：雙關語，俏皮話 jape /d?e?p/：嘲弄 prank /pr??k/：惡作劇 banter /'b?nt?r/：善意的玩笑 repartee /repɑ?r'ti:/：巧妙的回答 witticism /'w?t?s?zm/：妙語，俏皮話 無級別 gag /g?g/：插科打諢 sally /'s?l?/：俏皮話 dido /'da?d??/：惡作劇 wisecrack /'wa?zkr?k/：俏皮話 one-liner /w?n'la?n?r/：小笑話

同源

Jest 的詞根 gest / gister 表示"帶來，產生"，常用同源詞：

congest /k?n'd?est/：使充滿 (v.) digest /da?'d?est/：消化 (v.) ingest /?n'd?est/：攝入 (v.) suggest /s?'d?est/：建議 (v.) register /'red??st?r/：登記 (n.v.) gesture /'d?est??r/：手勢 (n.)

影視

△2 Broke Girls (《破產姐妹》第二季)

名著

以下文字摘自英國女作家艾米麗·勃朗特 (Emily Bront?)《呼嘯山莊》(Wuthering Heights) 第9章。

"I love the ground under his feet, and the air over his head, and everything he touches, and every word he says. I love all his looks, and all his actions, and him entirely and altogether. There now!" "And why?" "Nay; you are making a jest of it; it is exceedingly ill-natured! It's no jest to me!" said the young lady, scowling, and turning her face to the fire. "I'm very far from jesting, Miss Catherine," I replied. "You love Mr. Edgar because he is handsome, and young, and cheerful, and rich, and loves you. The last, however, goes for nothing: you would love him without that, probably; and with it you wouldn't, unless he possessed the four former attractions." “我愛他腳下的地，他頭上的天，他所碰過的每一樣東西，以及他說出的每一個字。我愛他所有的表情和所有的動作，還有整個的完完全全的他。好了吧！” “為什么呢？” “不，你是在開玩笑，這可太惡毒了！對我可不是開玩笑的事！”小姐說，并且皺起眉，掉過臉向著爐火。 “我絕不是開玩笑，凱瑟琳小姐！”我回答。“你愛埃德加先生是因為他漂亮、年輕、活潑、有錢，而且愛你。最后這一點，不管怎么樣，沒什么作用，沒有這一條，你也許還是愛他；而有了這條，你倒不一定，除非他具備頭四個優點。”

△1939年版同名電影對應場景 (最后一句翻譯有誤)