Mysteries of vernacular: Jade - Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel

词源揭秘：jade——杰茜卡·奥列克和雷切尔·蒂尔

翻译人员: Yixiong Zhu 校对人员: Jenny Yang

Mysteries of vernacular:

词源揭秘：

Jade,

“Jade（玉）”，

a hard, typically green stone.

一种质地坚定，通常为绿色的石头。

Until relatively recently,

直到近代为止，

gemstones were believed

宝石被认为

to have magical, medicinal properties,

具有魔法和医疗属性，

and nothing was more effective

而没什么能够比玉

at treating a kidney disorder than jade.

在治疗肾病上效果更好了。

In the 16th century,

在16世纪，

the Spanish returned from the New World

西班牙人从新大陆返航时，

with the mineral in their cargo holds

货舱中装着这种石头，

and christened it, "piedra de la ijada,"

他们将其命名为“piedra de la ijada”，

or loin stone.

意思是腰石。

It quickly became popular throughout Europe,

这种石头很快在欧洲流传开来，

both as a cure for internal ailments

既用来治疗体内疾病，

and as a decorative ornament

还能用作装饰。

and was renamed jade by the French,

它被法国人重命名为“Jade”，

a word that was borrowed by the English

这个词来借用自英语

and remains in use to this day.

并一直使用至今。

In the 19th century,

19世纪，

French mineralogists discovered

法国矿物学家发现

that jade was being used

“jade”用于指代

to describe two distinct minerals:

两种不同的矿物：

jadeite, which takes its name from jade,

“jadeite（翡翠）”，其名字由“jade”变化而来，

and the more common nephrite,

以及“nephrite（硬玉）”，

the root of which is the Greek word nephros,

其词根是希腊语“nephros”，

meaning kidney.

意思是肾。

In addition to describing these two minerals,

除去用于指代这两种矿物，

jade also has an English homonym.

“jade”还有一个英文同形异义词。

With roots that predate the popularity

这个词的根源先于

of the lustral gemstone,

这种净化人身的玉石，

jade was used to refer to

这里的“jade”用于指代

either a disreputable woman

名声不好的女人或

or a broken-down horse.

一批破废的马。

Thus, the word jaded, meaning worn out

因此，“jaded”这个词的意思是废旧

or lacking enthusiasm,

和缺少激情，

has nothing to do with the gemstone,

与玉这种宝石无关。

and instead, comes from the archaic,

这个词是来自古老的

equine-related definition.

与马有关的含义。