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'.

你知道这个单词吗serendipity(Serendipity一个非常温柔的单词)(1)

  “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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