
好词典

源自中古英语 up+start,字面意思为"突然站起的人",14世纪后期开始用于形容社会地位骤升者。
❶ 指突然获得财富或地位的人,常带有贬义,暗示其傲慢或缺乏根基。多用于形容暴发户或新贵阶层。
“The old aristocracy looked down upon the upstarts who made their fortune in trade.”
(古老的贵族阶层看不起那些通过贸易发家的暴发户。)
“He was dismissed as an upstart by the senior executives.”
(他被高管们轻蔑地称为不知天高地厚的新人。)
❶ 形容突然崛起的人或事物,通常带有自负或缺乏底蕴的负面含义。
“The upstart politician made bold promises without experience.”
(这个自命不凡的政客在毫无经验的情况下做出大胆承诺。)
“Critics mocked the upstart fashion brand for copying established designers.”
(评论家嘲笑这个新锐时尚品牌抄袭知名设计师的作品。)
upstart crow — 莎士比亚时代的贬义用语,指傲慢的新晋作家或演员,源自对莎士比亚的讽刺。
“Robert Greene famously called Shakespeare an "upstart crow" in his pamphlet.”
(罗伯特·格林在其小册子中著名地将莎士比亚称为"自命不凡的乌鸦"。)