hubris

hubris

基本释义

[noun] excessive pride or self-confidence
[名词] 过分的骄傲或自信

深入解读

Hubris 是一个与常见单词 debris （残骸、碎片、破片）结尾相同的单词，该词于1884年逆构自英语形容词 hubristic （傲慢的、自大的、自恃的），或者说源自希腊悲剧用语 hybris （肆无忌惮的暴力、蛮横、暴行），最初进入英语后也是指招来天谴（nemesis）并最终导致自己毁灭的“傲睨神明、狂妄野心”。

不过发展到现在， hubris 更多的是泛化表示“傲慢、狂妄、自大、自恃”，即过分骄傲的说话或行为方式，往往意味着带有这种说话或行为方式的人无视法律和警告，从而导致自己下台、受到惩罚甚至死亡，比如：

• 我们公司名义上的老板因为自大而受到了惩罚。
  The nominal head of our company was punished for his hubris.
• 我那睿智的老祖父告诉我应该摒弃傲慢和偏见。
  My sage old grandfather told me to say no to hubris and prejudice.

影视例句

Come on. Show some hubris. Come on, impress me.
来吧，炫一下。快点儿，秀一下。

出自2009年上映的美国喜剧电影《在云端》（Up in the Air）。

外刊例句

• It features hubris, nemesis and partial redemption, as well as clashing personalities and losses in the billions of dollars.
  其中有傲慢、报应、尚未完成的救赎，还有人物冲突和数十亿美元的损失。
  ——《经济学人》
• Simpson views this as Google’s hubris, pointing out that other car companies view self-driving technology as a complement, not replacement, for the driver.
  辛普森认为，这是谷歌的傲慢。他指出，其他汽车公司认为，自动驾驶技术对司机是一种补充，而不是替代。
  ——《纽约时报》

详细用法

1. Definition: 定义

• Definition of hubris (hubris 的定义)
• Excessive pride or self-confidence (过度的骄傲或自信)
• Arrogance leading to downfall (骄傲导致的失败)

2. Origin and Mythological Background: 起源与神话背景

• Hubris in Greek mythology (希腊神话中的傲慢行为)
• Hubris as a tragic flaw (傲慢作为悲剧性缺陷)
• The story of Icarus and hubris (伊卡洛斯与傲慢的故事)

3. Examples in Literature and History: 文学与历史中的例子

• Hubris in Shakespearean plays (莎士比亚戏剧中的傲慢)
• Hubris in Greek tragedies (希腊悲剧中的傲慢)
• Historical figures and hubris (历史人物与傲慢)

4. Effects and Consequences: 影响与后果

• Hubris leading to downfall or nemesis (傲慢导致的失败或报应)
• Hubris and its impact on relationships (傲慢对关系的影响)
• The role of hubris in conflicts and wars (傲慢在冲突和战争中的作用)

5. Modern Usage and References: 现代用法与参考

• Hubris in contemporary society (当代社会中的傲慢)
• Hubris in politics and leadership (政治和领导中的傲慢)
• Hubris in business and finance (商业和金融中的傲慢)

深度学习

hubris (HYOO bris) This classical Greek word for “an excess of pride that may lead to a downfall” is used both for what happens within Greek trag-edy and for what happens in modern day life.

• Whenever a protagonist declares himself as equal to the gods, the audience may expect that such hubris will be punished.
• Mona’s claim that she’ll be CEO of General Motors someday seems hubristic, for she has only been out of business school for three years.

——摘自《Fiske WordPower: The Most Effective System for Building a Vocabulary That Gets Results Fast》

机器翻译，仅供参考

同近义词

arrogance: the quality of being arrogant
conceit: excessive pride in oneself
vanity: excessive pride in or admiration of one’s own appearance or achievements