essence

essence

基本释义

[noun] the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character
[名词] （尤指某个抽象）事物的决定其特色的内在本质或不可或缺的特质

深入解读

Essence 是一个在化妆品上面常见的单词，用来指从花草等植物中或其他物质中提取出来的“香精、精油、香料、香泽”，比如香草香精（vanilla essence）。

该词源自拉丁语 essentia （存在、本质），14世纪末进入英语后最初指“三位一体（圣父、圣子及圣灵合为上帝）的本体”。等到了17世纪中期开始发展出现在的基本含义指“本质、实质、要素、精髓”，尤指某个抽象事物的决定其特色的内在本质或不可或缺的特质，就好比花草体内的香精决定了其各自独特的气味那般，比如：

• 他的画描绘出了法国的神韵。但他到伦敦小画廊兜售自己的画作，结果却以大败告终。
  His paintings captured the essence of France. But his attempts to peddle his paintings around London’s tiny gallery scene ended in a fiasco.

从这个概念出发，英语中既常用 in essence 这个正式习语表示“本质上、实质上”，即从根本上来讲，不考虑周边细节，比如：

• 从本质上说，广告的意图是以公开的信息传达隐含之意。
  In essence, advertisements attempt to project a latent meaning behind an overt message.

也常用 be of the essence 这个正式习语表示“极其重要、必不可少”，比如：

• 由于时间至关重要，他强制性地推行了改革。
  He railroaded the reforms through because time was of the essence.

好书例句

Could there be finer symptoms? Is not general incivility the very essence of love?
这还不能算是尽心尽意吗？宁可为了一个人而得罪大家，这难道不是恋爱场上最可贵的地方？

出自19世纪英国小说家简·奥斯丁（Jane Austen）的代表作《傲慢与偏见》（Pride and Prejudice）。

外刊例句

• In essence it is a shared, trusted, public ledger that everyone can inspect, but which no single user controls.
  本质上它是一个共享的、可信的公共账目，每个人都可以查看它，但它不受单个用户的控制。
  ——《经济学人》
• Time is of the essence when you are having a heart attack, and while most hospitals today are much quicker than they were a decade ago, some are faster than others.
  心脏病发作时，时间至关重要。尽管现今大多数医院的行动都比十年前快得多，但其中有些医院还是比其他医院更胜一筹。
  ——《纽约时报》

详细用法

1. The essence of beauty – 美的本质

• The essence of beauty lies in the harmony of form and color. (美的本质在于形式和色彩的和谐。)

2. The essence of success – 成功的精髓

• Hard work and perseverance are often considered the essence of success. (努力和毅力通常被认为是成功的精髓。)

3. The essence of life – 生命的本质

• Love and happiness are said to be the essence of life. (据说爱和幸福是生命的本质。)

4. The essence of a story – 故事的精华

• The essence of a good story lies in its ability to captivate and engage the reader. (一则好故事的精华在于它能够吸引和引发读者的兴趣。)

5. The essence of a speech – 演讲的要点

• The essence of a persuasive speech is to effectively convey your message and engage the audience. (一次有说服力的演讲的要点在于能够有效地传达你的信息并吸引听众。)

6. The essence of a song – 歌曲的精髓

• The essence of a good song lies in its memorable melody and meaningful lyrics. (一首好歌的精髓在于其令人难忘的旋律和有意义的歌词。)

7. The essence of leadership – 领导力的本质

• The essence of leadership is the ability to inspire and guide others towards a common goal. (领导力的本质在于能够激励和引导他人朝着共同目标前进。)

8. The essence of a relationship – 关系的核心

• Trust and communication are often considered the essence of a healthy relationship. (信任和沟通通常被认为是健康关系的核心。)

9. The essence of a book – 书籍的精华

• The essence of a good book is its ability to transport readers to different worlds and evoke emotions. (一本好书的精华在于它能够将读者带入不同的世界并唤起情感。)

10. The essence of cooking – 烹饪的精髓 – The essence of cooking lies in the combination of flavors and the art of balancing ingredients. (烹饪的精髓在于味道的结合和食材的平衡艺术。)

11. The essence of time management – 时间管理的要点 – Prioritization and efficiency are the essence of effective time management. (优先级和效率是有效时间管理的要点。)

12. The essence of fashion – 时尚的本质 – The essence of fashion is self-expression and creativity through clothing and personal style. (时尚的本质是通过服装和个人风格来进行自我表达和创造力的展示。)

13. The essence of a photograph – 照片的精华 – The essence of a powerful photograph lies in its ability to convey emotions and tell a story in a single frame. (一张有力的照片的精华在于它能够通过一个画面传达情感和讲述故事。)

14. The essence of teamwork – 团队合作的本质 – Collaboration and trust are the essence of effective teamwork. (合作和信任是有效团队合作的本质。)

15. The essence of mindfulness – 正念的精髓 – The essence of mindfulness is being fully present in the moment and non-judgmentally aware of one’s thoughts and feelings. (正念的精髓在于完全投入当前的时刻，以非评判性的方式意识到自己的思绪和感受。)

16. The essence of education – 教育的本质 – The essence of education is not just the acquisition of knowledge but the development of critical thinking and lifelong learning skills. (教育的本质不仅仅是知识的获取，更是批判性思维和终身学习能力的培养。)

17. The essence of happiness – 幸福的核心 – The essence of happiness is finding joy and contentment in the present moment and embracing gratitude for what one has. (幸福的核心在于在当下找到快乐和满足，并对所拥有的心存感激。)

18. The essence of forgiveness – 宽恕的本质 – The essence of forgiveness is letting go of resentment and releasing oneself from the burden of anger and hurt. (宽恕的本质在于放下怨恨，从愤怒和伤害的负担中解脱自己。)

19. The essence of art – 艺术的精髓 – The essence of art is the expression of human creativity, emotions, and ideas through various mediums. (艺术的精髓在于通过各种媒介表达人类的创造力、情感和思想。)

20. The essence of meditation – 冥想的本质 – The essence of meditation is cultivating a calm and focused mind through deep relaxation and mindful awareness. (冥想的本质在于通过深度放松和正念意识培养一个平静和专注的心灵。)

21. The essence of love – 爱的本质 – The essence of love is selflessness, compassion, and a deep connection with another person. (爱的本质是无私、同情和与另一个人的深度连接。)

22. The essence of a good meal – 美食的精髓 – The essence of a good meal lies in the combination of flavors, textures, and presentation that pleases the senses. (一顿美食的精髓在于味道、质感和呈现方式的结合，让人的感官愉悦。)

23. The essence of courage – 勇气的核心 – The essence of courage is facing and overcoming fear, taking risks, and standing up for what is right. (勇气的核心在于面对并克服恐惧，冒险，并为正义而站起来。)

24. The essence of honesty – 诚实的精髓 – The essence of honesty is being truthful, transparent, and having integrity in one’s words and actions. (诚实的精髓在于言行一致、坦诚和具备正直。)

25. The essence of a good conversation – 良好对话的要点 – The essence of a good conversation is active listening, mutual respect, and meaningful exchange of ideas. (一次良好对话的要点在于积极倾听、相互尊重和有意义的思想交流。)

26. The essence of determination – 决心的本质 – The essence of determination is having a strong will and unwavering commitment to achieving one’s goals. (决心的本质在于拥有坚强的意志和坚定不移地实现自己目标的承诺。)

27. The essence of wisdom – 智慧的本质 – The essence of wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge and experience to make sound judgments and decisions. (智慧的本质在于将知识和经验应用于做出明智的判断和决策。)

28. The essence of adventure – 冒险的精髓 – The essence of adventure is embracing the unknown, taking risks, and seeking new experiences and challenges. (冒险的精髓在于拥抱未知、冒险，寻求新的体验和挑战。)

29. The essence of authenticity – 真实性的本质 – The essence of authenticity is being true to oneself, embracing one’s uniqueness, and expressing genuine thoughts and emotions. (真实性的本质在于忠于自己，拥抱自己的独特性，并表达真实的思想和情感。)

30. The essence of innovation – 创新的精髓 – The essence of innovation is thinking outside the box, embracing creativity, and bringing new ideas and solutions to life. (创新的精髓在于跳出传统思维，拥抱创造力，并将新的想法和解决方案付诸实践。)

同近义词

crux: the decisive or most important point at issue
kernel: the central or most important part of something
quintessence: the aspect of something regarded as the intrinsic and central constituent of its character