【趣谈英语】“和”的符号是怎么来的？-How the Ampersand Got its Name

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

 

ampersand: a symbol for “et” meaning “and”

cursive: handwriting

recite: to say

per se: by of or in itself; as such

slur¹: to say words quickly so that they run together

 

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How the Ampersand Got its Name

Once upon a time, in the 19th century, the ampersand was included in the alphabet. The ampersand originated² as a cursive e beside a cursive t, which meant “and” in Latin. When reciting the alphabet in English, it became customary³ for students to include single letters that were also words. At the end of the alphabet, students would say “X,Y,Z and, per se, & (and)”. Eventually, students slurred⁴ that last bit together to create the word “ampersand”. While this custom eventually fell out of use, the ampersand is still used today for stylistic reasons or to write “and” in short form.

1 slur   

v.含糊地说；诋毁；连唱；n.诋毁；含糊的发音

参考例句：

• He took the remarks as a slur on his reputation.他把这些话当作是对他的名誉的中伤。
• The drug made her speak with a slur.药物使她口齿不清。

2 originated   

v.起源于，来自，产生( originate的过去式和过去分词 )；创造；创始；开创

参考例句：

• The disease is thought to have originated in the tropics. 这种疾病据说起源于热带地区。
• The art of portrait miniatures was originated in England. 微型画像艺术创始于英国。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 customary   

adj.习惯上的，惯常的，合乎习俗的

参考例句：

• He makes his customary visit every week.他每星期都按照惯例造访一次。
• It is customary with me to do so.这样做是我的习惯。

4 slurred   

含糊地说出( slur的过去式和过去分词 )； 含糊地发…的声； 侮辱； 连唱

参考例句：

• She had drunk too much and her speech was slurred. 她喝得太多了，话都说不利索了。
• You could tell from his slurred speech that he was drunk. 从他那含糊不清的话语中你就知道他喝醉了。