好词典

duels

UK //ˈdjuːəlz//US //ˈduːəlz//

词源

源自拉丁语 'duellum',是古拉丁语 'bellum'(战争)的古老形式,后通过意大利语 'duello' 和法语 'duel' 进入英语。

noun

❶ 指两人之间正式的决斗,通常使用武器,按照特定规则进行,以解决荣誉或纠纷问题。

“The two knights prepared for their duel at dawn.”

(两位骑士在黎明时分准备决斗。)

“Historical duels were often fought with swords or pistols.”

(历史上的决斗常用剑或手枪进行。)

❶ 比喻任何两人或两方之间的激烈竞争或对抗,通常带有紧张或敌对的气氛。

“The tennis match turned into a fierce duel between the two champions.”

(这场网球比赛变成了两位冠军之间的激烈对抗。)

“Their political duel dominated the headlines for weeks.”

(他们的政治对决占据了数周的头条新闻。)

同义词:combat, contest, face-off, showdown, confrontation

verb

❶ 参与决斗,通常指两人按照正式规则进行对抗以解决争端。

“The officers dueled with pistols at twenty paces.”

(军官们用手枪在二十步的距离进行决斗。)

“He refused to duel despite being insulted.”

(尽管受到侮辱,他拒绝决斗。)

同义词:fight, battle, contend, vie, compete

常见短语

duel of wits — 指两人之间机智或智力的较量,通常表现为快速的言语交锋或策略对抗。

“The interview turned into a fascinating duel of wits between the host and the philosopher.”

(这场访谈变成了主持人和哲学家之间引人入胜的智力较量。)

pistol duel — 特指使用手枪进行的传统决斗形式,常见于18-19世纪的欧洲。

“The famous pistol duel left both participants seriously wounded.”

(这场著名的手枪决斗使两位参与者都受了重伤。)