基本释义
[noun] the practice of spying or of using spies, typically by governments to obtain political and military information
[名词] 从事间谍活动或使用间谍的实际行动，通常由政府实施以获取政治和军事信息
深入解读
Espionage 不仅是一个与 spy 含义相近的单词，从词源上看，两者都可能源自古高地德语 spehon （刺探情报）。
其中 espionage 于1793年经古法语 espionnage （间谍活动）进入英语后，也是用来表示“间谍行为、谍报活动、刺探活动”，主要指有组织地从事间谍活动或使用间谍的实际行动，以秘密获取或收集有关另一个国家的重要敏感的政治或军事信息，或者有关另一家公司的商业、行业或产业秘密，比如：
- 那个狡猾的骗子可以称它为研究，可我称它为产业情报刺探。
The cunning liar may call it research; I call it industrial espionage. - 有些商业活动是为间谍活动提供掩护。我们必须时刻保持清醒的头脑。
Some of the commercial activities were a cover for espionage. We must remain sober-minded at all times.
而对于间谍活动中规模较大的，则可以用在 好书推荐 | 精通英语习语100主题 中提到过的 fifth column （第五纵队）表示。
图书例句
She put the door gently to, slipped off her snowy shoes, untied her hat, and was proceeding, unconscious of my espionage, to lay aside her mantle, when I suddenly rose and revealed myself.
她也轻轻地关上门，脱下她那双沾了雪的鞋子，解开她的帽子，并不晓得我在瞅着她，正要脱下她的斗篷，我忽然站起来，出现了。
出自英国女作家艾米莉·勃朗特（Emily Brontë）的长篇小说《呼啸山庄》（Wuthering Heights）。
外刊例句
- Espionage and business have long been entangled.
间谍活动与商务向来纠缠不清。
——《经济学人》 - The four men together face 47 criminal charges, including conspiracy, computer fraud, economic espionage, theft of trade secrets and aggravated identity theft, the Justice Department said in a news release.
司法部在新闻稿中说，四人一共面对47项刑事指控，包括共谋罪、计算机诈骗、经济间谍活动、窃取商业秘密和严重的身份盗用。
——《纽约时报》
常见短语
“espionage” 是指间谍活动或间谍行为。以下是包含单词“espionage”的50个短语，以及它们的中文解释：
- Industrial espionage: 工业间谍活动
- espionage operations: 间谍行动
- Counter-espionage measures: 反间谍措施
- espionage activities: 间谍活动
- espionage network: 间谍网络
- espionage tactics: 间谍策略
- Military espionage: 军事间谍活动
- Cyber espionage: 网络间谍活动
- International espionage: 国际间谍活动
- Economic espionage: 经济间谍活动
- espionage techniques: 间谍技术
- espionage agents: 间谍特工
- espionage operations: 间谍行动
- espionage tradecraft: 间谍技艺
- espionage activities: 间谍活动
- espionage mission: 间谍任务
- espionage tactics: 间谍策略
- espionage ring: 间谍团伙
- Political espionage: 政治间谍活动
- Counter-espionage efforts: 反间谍努力
- espionage reports: 间谍报告
- espionage case: 间谍案件
- espionage allegations: 间谍指控
- espionage tools: 间谍工具
- espionage targets: 间谍目标
- espionage techniques: 间谍技术
- espionage activities: 间谍活动
- espionage network: 间谍网络
- espionage operations: 间谍行动
- Covert espionage: 隐秘的间谍活动
- International espionage: 国际间谍活动
- Counter-espionage measures: 反间谍措施
- espionage tactics: 间谍策略
- espionage agents: 间谍特工
- espionage operations: 间谍行动
- espionage tradecraft: 间谍技艺
- espionage activities: 间谍活动
- espionage mission: 间谍任务
- espionage tactics: 间谍策略
- espionage ring: 间谍团伙
- Political espionage: 政治间谍活动
- Counter-espionage efforts: 反间谍努力
- espionage reports: 间谍报告
- espionage case: 间谍案件
- espionage allegations: 间谍指控
- espionage tools: 间谍工具
- espionage targets: 间谍目标
- espionage techniques: 间谍技术
- espionage activities: 间谍活动
- espionage network: 间谍网络
同近义词
surveillance: close observation, especially of a suspected spy or criminal
intelligence: the collection of information of military or political value
infiltration: the action of entering or gaining access to an organization or place surreptitiously, especially in order to acquire secret information or cause damage
