Serendipity——一个非常温柔的单词!
牛津词典:
the fact of sth interesting or pleasant happening by chance
韦氏词典:
the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for also an instance of this
柯林斯词典:
Serendipity is the luck some people have in finding or creating interesting or valuable things by chance.
而中文词典则为:
n. 意外发现珍奇事物的本领;有意外发现珍宝的运气
The word "serendipity" was coined by Horace Walpole, suggested by The Three Princes of Serendip,the title of a fairy tale in which the heroes 'were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of'.
“Serendipity”这个词是由霍勒斯·沃波尔在给朋友的邮件中创造出来的。他是根据波斯神话故事《三个锡兰王子》中的serendip一词,创造了serendipity一词。这个神话故事讲的是三个波斯王子去锡兰岛探险,一路上意外发现了很多他们并没有在寻求但很珍贵的东西。
其中有一段描写这个词的原句是这样的:
were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity
——总是能在不经意间发现美好的事物、有价值的珍宝。
Serendipity——缘分天注定
但是这个词直到20世纪才开始被广泛使用。2001年上映的由彼德·切尔瑟姆执导,凯特·贝金赛尔、约翰·库萨克主演的爱情电影《Serendipity》(缘分天注定)中,男女主人公不止一次的传奇式相遇,是serendipity一词内涵的最好诠释。
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