role
/rəʊl/noun
1- an actor's part in a play, film, etc.（戏剧、电影等的）角色：
Dietrich's role as a wife in war-torn Paris.
迪特里希所扮演的角色是生活在饱受战争蹂躏的巴黎的一个妻子。
1.1
- the function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation作用; 任务; 职责：
she greeted us all in her various roles of mother, friend, and daughter
她以母亲、朋友和女儿的不同身份向我们大家问候
religion plays a vital role in society.
宗教在社会中起着至关重要的作用。
词源
early 17th cent.: from obsolete French roule 'roll', referring originally to the roll of paper on which the actor's part was written.