每個-cracy都是個有故事的單詞

05 每個-cracy都是個有故事的單詞

近些年來，《中國成語大會》、《中國漢字聽寫大會》等節(jié)目風靡熒幕。

面對一些生僻的漢語知識，選手們行云流水、信手拈來的表現(xiàn)讓觀眾不禁拍案叫絕。隨后，臺下評委對這些文字背后故事再來一番娓娓道來，更是春風化雨，令人感慨漢語言文學的博大和精妙。

在英語里，這樣的博大和精妙同樣存在。

每一個英語學習者一定都用到過“詞根”去拓展自己的單詞量。如果你順著它們追根溯源，就能驚喜地發(fā)現(xiàn)，“詞根”不僅能幫助你迅速、準確地記住單詞，更為你打開了一扇又一扇新世界的大門。

這一次，讓我們來看一個起源于希臘、衍生了許多英文單詞的詞根：

The combining form –cracy denotes a particular form of government, rule, or influence, and originates in the Greek –kratia, meaning ‘power, rule'.The suffix–cracy did not, however, find its way into English directly via Greek, but has rather been borrowed from French –cratie.

以“-cracy”組合結尾的單詞都表示政府、統(tǒng)治或者影響的一種形式。它起源于希臘語“-kratia”，表示“權力、統(tǒng)治”。不過“-cracy”的詞根沒有直接由希臘語傳入英語，而是由法語詞根“-cratie”借用而來。

翻閱字典，我們可以發(fā)現(xiàn)許多以“-cracy”結尾的單詞。

Some of them, like democracy, are in frequent use, and will doubtlessly be well-known to you.Others, like logocracy, may be more obscure–or they might've even entered the language as nonce words.

它們中的一些，比如“民主”，被頻繁使用，你肯定也對這些詞很熟悉。其他像“l(fā)ogocracy”（文字統(tǒng)治）這樣的詞就生僻晦澀得多——它們有些甚至是臨時造出的詞語。

雖然這些詞含義隱晦，又很少被拿來使用，但是如果你去探索一下它們背后的故事，就會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己在不經(jīng)意間推開了一扇扇歷史和文化的大門。

Technocracy Movement

技術型專家治國運動

在美國“大蕭條”前，技術型專家治國運動曾經(jīng)在1930年代早期短暫地風靡美國和加拿大。那時正值第一次和第二次世界大戰(zhàn)間隙，科學技術飛速進步。

The technocrats proposed replacing politicians and businesspeople with scientists and engineers who had the technical expertise to manage the economy.

技術型專家治國論者建議，擁有專業(yè)技術的科學家和工程師應該去代替政客和商人來掌管經(jīng)濟。

Plantocracy & Slavocracy

大莊園主統(tǒng)治和奴隸主統(tǒng)治

Plantocracy在dictionary.com的解釋為：1.government by plantation owners.由大莊園主組成的政府2.a ruling class of plantation owners.由大莊園主組成的統(tǒng)治階級 Slavocracy在dictionary.com的解釋為：1.the rule or domination of slaveholders: the slavocracy of the old plantations.奴隸主占統(tǒng)治或支配地位：舊種植園的奴隸主統(tǒng)治2.a dominating body of slaveholders.奴隸主統(tǒng)治體制

A plantocracy, also known as a slavocracy, is a ruling class, political order or government composed of (or dominated by) plantation owners.

Plantocray，也叫Slavocracy，是一個由種植園主組成或控制的統(tǒng)治階級、政治秩序或政府。

一些“新世界”（歷史上歐洲對美洲大陸的稱呼）的早期歐洲殖民地大部分實行Plantocracy（莊園主統(tǒng)治），這種體制通常由少量的歐洲殖民者和大量的西非奴隸人口組成。

在廢奴運動席卷全球后，Plantocracy和Slavocracy的腐朽也終究被自由和平等的陽光驅散，退出了歷史舞臺。

Gerontocracy

老人政治

A gerontocracy is a form of oligarchical rule in which an entity is ruled by leaders who are significantly older than most of the adult population.

Gerontocracy是寡頭政治統(tǒng)治的一種形式，它是指，一個政治實體被比絕大多數(shù)成年人口都要明顯年長的領袖統(tǒng)治。

古希臘是信仰老人政治的國度之一。正如柏拉圖所言：

“It is for the elder man to rule and for the younger to submit”.

“年長者統(tǒng)治，年輕人服從?！?/p>

The best example of this can be seen in the ancient Greek city state of Sparta, which was ruled by a Gerousia.A Gerousia was a council made up of members who were at least 60 years old and served for life.

古希臘城邦國家斯巴達被Gerousia（長老會議）統(tǒng)治——這是Gerontocracy最好的例子。Gerousia是由60歲及以上的成員組成的委員會，且成員終身制。

-cracy的詞綴可謂是“百搭”，除了以上提到的單詞，他還可以和Snob（勢利小人）連用：

Snobocracy 表示“俗不可耐的人們”，“勢利的人們”

和Despot（暴君、獨裁者）連用：

Despotocracy 暴君統(tǒng)治

甚至和Angel或者Demon組成新詞：

Angelocracy 天使統(tǒng)治

Demonocracy 惡魔統(tǒng)治

以下還有一些以-cracy結尾的單詞和他們的意思，看看有沒有你感興趣的，動手查一查，去看看它們背后的故事吧。

adhocracy

A flexible and informal style of organization and management

albocracy

Government by white-skinned people, usually entailing discrimination against those of other colours

androcracy

The rule of man or the male

barbarocracy

Government or rule by barbarians

bureaucracy

Government by officials

chrysocracy

Rule of the wealthy

dulocracy

Government by slaves

Eurocracy

Government by Europeans of a country or region outside Europe

kleptocracy

Government by thieves

mobocracy

Government by a mob

moneyocracy

The moneyed class as a dominant political force

pigmentocracy

A system of social or class distinction based on skin colour

plutocracy

Government by the wealthy

stratocracy

Government by the army

詞匯總結

denote [d?'n??t]

v.表示，指示

The combining form –cracy denotes a particular form of government, rule, or influence.

以“-cracy”組合結尾的單詞都表示政府、統(tǒng)治或者影響的一種形式。

nonce [n?ns]

adj.臨時的；特定場合的

They might've even entered the language as nonce words.

它們有些甚至是臨時造出的詞語。

technocrat['t?kn?kr?t]

n.技術統(tǒng)治論者；專家政治論者；技術統(tǒng)治

The technocrats proposed replacing politicians and businesspeople with scientists and engineers who had the technical expertise to manage the economy.

技術型專家治國論者建議，擁有專業(yè)技術的科學家和工程師應該去代替政客和商人來掌管經(jīng)濟。

plantation [pl?n'te??(?)n; plɑ?n-]

n.栽植；殖民；大農(nóng)場；種植園

Government by plantation owners.

由大莊園主組成的政府

slavocracy[sle?'v?kr?s?]

n.擁護奴隸制度派；奴隸主統(tǒng)治

The rule or domination of slaveholders: the slavocracy of the old plantations.

奴隸主占統(tǒng)治或支配地位：舊種植園的奴隸主統(tǒng)治