covert 英 [ˈkʌvət] 美 [ˈkoʊvɜːrt , ˈkʌvərt]
双语名著
He seemed to know, and he sometimes said in covert words, that some one had gleaned certain information in a certain district about a family which had disappeared.
他仿佛已经知道底蕴,有时他还遮遮掩掩地说,已有人在某地调查过某个消失了的人家的某些情况。
出自法国作家维克多·雨果的长篇小说《悲惨世界》(Les Misérables,原意为“悲惨的人们”“可怜的人们”)。该小说是19世纪最著名的小说之一,故事的主线围绕主人公土伦苦刑犯冉·阿让(Jean Valjean)的个人经历,融进了法国的历史、革命、战争、道德哲学、法律、正义、宗教信仰等,多次被改编演绎成影视作品。
背景图片
电影《悲惨世界》剧照
基本释义
[adjective] not openly acknowledged or displayed
[形容词] 没有公开承认或展示的
深入解读
Covert 一词源自古法语 covert (隐蔽的、秘密的,对应现代法语 couvert ),现在主要作为一个正式用语表示“秘密的、隐蔽的、暗中的”,强调所做之事是在掩盖之下完成的,未公开宣示,比如:
- 他隔着崭新的桌子偷偷地瞥了她一眼。
He stole a covert glance at her across the pristine table. - 社会上的颠覆分子一直在暗地里向叛乱者提供军事支援。
Subversive elements in society have been supplying covert military aid to the rebels.
另外用作名词时, covert 除了表示“掩蔽处、隐藏处”之外,还可以指鸟兽等猎物(game)可以藏身躲避猎人的“矮树丛、灌木林(thicket)”,比如:
- 在黎明时分包围狐狸藏身的灌木林
surround fox coverts at dawn
值得注意的是, covert 与 overt (公开的、明显的、不隐瞒的)和 covet (贪求、觊觎、垂涎)形似,在阅读写作时要小心区别。
外刊例句
- But translating such knowledge into a practical identification system can be tricky—especially if that system is supposed to be covert.
但要将这些知识转化为实用的识别系统并不容易,尤其是还需要实现隐蔽性。
——《经济学人》 - During the Cold War, Washington feared that Moscow was seeking to turn microwave radiation into covert weapons of mind control.
冷战期间,华盛顿曾担心莫斯科试图将微波辐射变成隐蔽的精神控制武器。
——《纽约时报》
常见短语
“covert” 通常用来形容暗中进行的、不公开的、秘密的行动、活动或计划。
以下是包含单词 “covert” 的 50 个短语及其中文解释:
- covert operation – 隐蔽行动
- covert surveillance – 秘密监视
- covert mission – 秘密任务
- covert tactics – 隐秘策略
- covert intelligence – 隐秘情报
- covert plan – 秘密计划
- covert action – 秘密行动
- covert agent – 秘密特工
- covert activities – 秘密活动
- covert strategy – 隐蔽战略
- covert operation unit – 隐蔽行动组
- covert infiltration – 隐蔽渗透
- covert communication – 隐秘通信
- covert deployment – 隐蔽部署
- covert agenda – 秘密议程
- covert intelligence gathering – 秘密情报收集
- covert reconnaissance – 秘密侦察
- covert surveillance equipment – 秘密监视设备
- covert tactics and techniques – 隐秘策略和技巧
- covert espionage – 秘密间谍活动
- covert counterterrorism – 秘密反恐
- covert technology – 隐蔽技术
- covert information – 秘密信息
- covert warfare – 隐蔽战争
- covert sabotage – 隐蔽破坏活动
- covert assets – 隐蔽资产
- covert operation team – 隐蔽行动团队
- covert security measures – 秘密安全措施
- covert communication methods – 隐秘通信方法
- covert intelligence agency – 秘密情报机构
- covert surveillance techniques – 秘密监视技术
- covert infiltration unit – 隐蔽渗透组
- covert operation plan – 隐蔽行动计划
- covert operation specialist – 隐蔽行动专家
- covert cyber operations – 秘密网络行动
- covert tracking – 秘密跟踪
- covert monitoring – 秘密监测
- covert investigation – 秘密调查
- covert intelligence gathering – 秘密情报收集
- covert security – 隐蔽安全
- covert tactics – 隐蔽战术
- covert counterintelligence – 秘密反情报
- covert warfare – 隐蔽战争
- covert operative – 秘密特工
- covert reconnaissance – 秘密侦察
- covert military operations – 秘密军事行动
- covert strategy – 隐蔽策略
- covert cyber activities – 秘密网络活动
- covert surveillance equipment – 秘密监视设备
- covert communication methods – 隐秘通信方法
同近义词
arcane: understood by few; mysterious or secret
furtive: attempting to avoid notice or attention, typically because of guilt or a belief that discovery would lead to trouble; secretive
clandestine: kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit