| 释义 |
graffiti/ɡrəˈfi:ti/ n. & v.●n. pl. (sing. graffito /-təʊ/) inscriptions or drawings scribbled, scratched, or sprayed on a surface, originally as inscribed on ancient walls (源于古墙上的)粗糙雕刻；乱涂；乱画 ●v. tr. (graffitied) 1 cover (a surface) with graffiti 在(表面)粗糙雕刻 2 write as graffiti 乱写 graffitied initials 涂鸦的大写首字母 □ graffitist n.[Italian, from graffio ‘a scratch’]■ Usage 用法说明 Graffiti is, in formal terms, a plural noun and as such should be used with a plural verb. This rule is straightforward when referring to individual inscriptions, e.g. The graffiti were aggressive and insulting. The singular form in such examples is graffito, e.g. The graffito on the tombstone said simply ‘Jim’. It is wrong to use the plural form graffiti as a singular in such contexts, e.g. The most common graffiti is ‘Vive le roi’. An alternative to graffito is piece of graffiti, e.g. We saw an amusing piece of graffiti. However, the most common use of graffiti is as a collective or mass noun, referring to inscriptions in general or en masse. As such, this word is usually found with a singular verb, e.g. Graffiti is an increasing problem. Most people find this use natural and acceptable, as they do the collective use of the word data. 在正式词语中 graffiti 是复数名词，因此应与复数动词连用。当谈到特定的刻画时，这一规则就简明易懂，如 The graffiti were aggressive and insulting (刻字带有攻击性和侮辱性)。该词的单数形式是 graffito, 例如 The graffito on the tombstone said simply “ Jim ”(墓碑上的刻字只有一个字“ Jim ”)。在这种语境中把复数 graffiti 用作单数是错误的，如 The most common graffti is ‘Vive le roi’ (最常见的刻字是“ Vive le roi ”)。可用 piece of graffiti (一块刻字)替换 graffito, 如 We saw an amusing piece of graffiti (我们看到了一块内容让人发笑的刻字)。然而在一般情况或总体情况下，凡涉及到刻字(画)时，最常用的是作为集合名词或物质名词的 graffiti 。正因如此，该词通常与单数动词连用，如 Graffiti is an increasing problem (乱涂乱画成为一件日益突出的问题)。许多人认为这种用法自然且易接受，如同他们对待 data 的用法一样。 |