Mysteries of vernacular: Window - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

字源探秘： 窗 - 杰西卡·奥雷克 和 瑞秋·蒂尔

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

翻译人员: Binglei Shea 校对人员: Dong Mao

Mysteries of vernacular:

字源探秘：

Window,

窗

an opening constructed in a wall to emit light or air.

在墙壁上开一个洞 让阳光和空气流动

When the Scandinavian settlers invaded England

当斯堪的纳维亚移民在中世纪

in the Middle Ages,

入侵英格兰的时候

they brought with them a whole slew of words

一并带来了丰富的字体和词汇

whose modern descendants have become part

这些词汇随着年代的变迁

of our everyday vernacular.

已成为我们日常生活中的用语

Their word for window was related to the Old Norse word

他们的 “窗” 与古挪威语的

for the same architectural feature,

“窗口" (vindauga) 有关

vindauga.

都是当时的建筑特色

Vindauga was a compound,

“窗口" (vindauga) 是一个复合词

composed of two separate words:

从两个不同的字而形成：

vindr, meaning wind

vindr代表风

and auga, meaning eye.

auga代表眼睛。

The word vindauga was probably quite old,

“窗" (vindauga) 这个词可能是很悠久的

having come into being long before

从窗还不是玻璃制的时候

windows were made of glass.

“窗” 这个字已经诞生了

This type of metaphoric compound,

这种类型的隐喻复合词

called a kenning,

叫做隐喻语 (kenning)

was very popular in both Norse and Old English.

在古挪威语和古英语里都是非常普及的

The beautiful literary trope was used

这种优美的文学比喻

in the Norse word for ship,

在古挪威语里的 “船” 这个字也能找到

literally "wave stead."

它的字面是 “替浪”

And, in the epic poem, "Beowulf,"

还有在 “贝奥武夫” 史诗里

where the sea is described as a whale road

大海被形容为一条鲸鱼道

and blood is described as battle sweat

而血就被形容为战汗

and slaughter dew.

和杀戮之露

From its literal yet lyrical beginning,

从它直白却也抒情的开始

the word window has expanded

窗这个词已经超越了

beyond its concrete definition

其具体的定义

as a construction or design element

它不止是一个建筑或设计的元素

to be used figuratively

而是可以用作比喻

in phrases like the poetic

就像这句诗意的词组：

"window of opportunity."

“机会之窗” (window of opportunity)