◙ adjective 1. refraining from speech or temporarily speechless • 强忍着不说话的;缄默的;一时说不出话的 »Irene, the talkative one, was now mute. 那个碎嘴子艾琳这会儿却不作声了。 not expressed in speech • 不用语言表达的,无声的 »she gazed at him in mute appeal. 她对他凝眸直视,无声地求助。 characterized by an absence of sound;quiet • 无声的;宁静的 »the great church was mute and dark. 宏伟的教堂里静悄悄,黑魆魆的。 [dated] (of a person) without the power of speech • [旧] (人)哑的 (of hounds) not giving tongue while hunting • (猎犬)追猎时不吠叫的 2. (of a letter) not pronounced • (字母)哑音的,无音的 »mute e is generally dropped before suffixes beginning with a vowel. 哑音e通常在以元音开始的后缀前省略掉。 ◙ noun 1. [dated] a person without the power of speech • [旧] 哑巴 (historical)(in some Asian countries) a servant who was deprived of the power of speech • [史] (一些亚洲国家的)哑奴,哑仆 (historical)an actor in a dumbshow • [史] 哑剧演员 (historical)a professional attendant or mourner at a funeral • [史] 受雇的送葬人,以送葬为业者 2. a device which softens the sound (and typically alters the tone) of a musical instrument, in particular • (乐器的)弱音器,尤指 a clamp placed over the bridge of a stringed instrument to deaden the resonance without affecting the vibration of the strings • (装在弦乐器琴马上的)夹头式弱音器 a pad or cone placed in the opening of a brass or other wind instrument • (装在管乐器管口的垫式或圆锥体)弱音器 ◙ verb 1. [with obj.] [常作 be muted] deaden, muffle, or soften the sound of • 消除…的声音;减轻…的声音 »her footsteps were muted by the thick carpet. 厚厚的地毯减轻了她的脚步声。 muffle the sound of (a musical instrument), especially by the use of a mute • 用弱音器减弱(乐器)的声音 (figurative)reduce the strength or intensity of • [喻] 减弱;缓和 »his professional contentment was muted by personal sadness at the death of his mother. 他职业上的满足感被母亲去世所带来的悲哀冲淡了。
【派生】
♦ mutely adverb ♦ muteness noun
【语源】
1. Middle English: from Old French muet, diminutive of mu, from Latin mutus
【用法】
1. To describe a person without the power of speech as mute (especially as in deaf mute) is today likely to cause offence Nevertheless, there are no accepted alternative terms in general use