female,feminine
這兩個(gè)詞是同義詞,都有“女性的”意思,但涵義和使用場(chǎng)合有所不同。
作形容詞時(shí),female表示“女的”、“女性的”、“雌的”之意,著重指性別而言,經(jīng)常與之搭配的詞有:sex,child,friend,companion,heir,ruler,servant,ward,voice,figure,suffrage,education,animal,plant 等,其對(duì)語(yǔ)是male.例:
Yesterday we received a lot of guests,male and female,in Victoria Peak Garden.
昨日我們?cè)谏巾敼珗@接待了很多來(lái)賓,有男的也有女的。
His younger sister,it is said,a female operative.
據(jù)說(shuō),他的妹妹是個(gè)女工。
A doe is female deer.
牝鹿就是雌鹿。
Feminine著重指“有女性氣質(zhì)的”之意,經(jīng)常與之搭配的詞有 nature,sympathy,weakness,virtue,frivolity,curiosity,voice,pursuits,hobbies,clothes 等其對(duì)語(yǔ)是masculine.例:
She has got all the feminine virtues.
她具有全部女性的長(zhǎng)處。
This gentleman has got a feminine voice.
這位男士說(shuō)話的聲音像女子。
注:female education和feminine education的涵義并不相同,前者是“女子教育”,后者是“適合于婦女的教育”。female voice和feminine voice的內(nèi)涵亦不相同,前者是“女聲”,說(shuō)話的人肯定是女子,后者是“女性般的聲音”,說(shuō)話人有可能是男子。
female和 feminine也可以用作名詞,作名詞時(shí),前者義“女性”或“婦女”,如:A female has just called.(一個(gè)女人剛來(lái)訪過(guò))。但因有貶低的意味,一般不用a female來(lái)指女人而用a lady(一位女士)。feminine則作“陰性”解,例如在英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)法書(shū)里,the feminine的意思是“陰性”,它等于the feminine gender.