venerable
基本释义
[adjective] accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character
[形容词] （尤指因年龄、智慧、品质而）受到极大尊重的
深入解读
在一个多星期前推送的 小词详解 | vulnerable 中，小站提到 vulnerable 与 venerable 较为形似，在听说读写时要注意区别。今天就来专门说说 venerable 。
Venerable 一词源自拉丁语 venerari （崇拜、崇敬），15世纪初进入英语后开始用来作形容词表示“值得尊敬的”，发展到现在，既可以用来形容人因年纪大、德行高或睿智、显要等原因而“德高望重的、令人崇敬的”，比如：
- 那位德高望重的老人突然感觉怒火中烧。
The venerable old man felt a sudden surge of anger.
也可以用来形容某物因年代久远或具有重要的宗教或历史价值而“令人仰慕的、神圣庄严的、珍贵的”，比如：
- 晴空衬映着神圣庄严的纪念碑的轮廓。
The venerable monument stood out in silhouette against a fair sky. - 该赞助人是这家久负盛名的学术机构的热心支持者。
The patron is an avid supporter of the venerable academic institution.
就宗教领域而言，在英国国教和天主教中分别用 the Venerable 这个名词性形容词（nominal adjective）表示“尊者（对圣公会会吏长的尊称）”和“尊者（对尚未列为圣徒的圣洁者的尊称）”。
这个表达也可以用在佛教中指“师父、法师”，表示对和尚的尊称。
影视例句
You’re the night watchman, Lawrence. A venerable position in this institution.
劳伦斯，你是守夜人，这个博物馆里很值得尊敬的职位。
出自2006年上映的美国奇幻喜剧冒险片《博物馆奇妙夜》（Night at the Museum）。
外刊例句
- Of late the world’s older democracies have begun to look more vulnerable than venerable.
最近世界上的老牌民主国家开始显得更脆弱，而不是更可敬。
——《经济学人》 - Charming and convivial, Irvine had moved to Milan in 1984 to work for the venerable Italian designer Ettore Sottsass at the Olivetti electronics group, and he stayed in the city to establish a successful design studio and a happy family life.
欧文风度翩翩、喜爱交际，1984年他移居米兰，进入奥利维蒂电子集团为久负盛名的意大利设计师埃托·索特萨斯工作。后来，他留在这座城市，创办了一个成功的设计工作室，并开始了幸福的家庭生活。
——《纽约时报》
常见短语
与”venerable“（值得尊敬的、庄严的）相关的短语：
- The venerable tradition: 值得尊敬的传统
- venerable age: 高龄、威望高的年纪
- venerable institution: 值得尊敬的机构
- venerable leader: 值得尊敬的领导者
- venerable wisdom: 值得尊敬的智慧
- venerable reputation: 值得尊敬的声誉
- venerable ancestors: 值得尊敬的祖先
- venerable elder: 值得尊敬的长者
- venerable figure: 值得尊敬的人物
- venerable teacher: 值得尊敬的教师
- venerable presence: 值得尊敬的存在
- venerable monument: 值得尊敬的纪念碑
- venerable master: 值得尊敬的大师
- venerable cathedral: 值得尊敬的大教堂
- venerable ceremony: 庄严的仪式
- venerable heritage: 值得尊敬的遗产
- venerable artifact: 值得尊敬的文物
- venerable symbol: 值得尊敬的象征
- venerable custom: 值得尊敬的习俗
- venerable shrine: 值得尊敬的圣地
- venerable lineage: 值得尊敬的家族
- venerable scripture: 值得尊敬的经典
- venerable elder statesman: 值得尊敬的政治家
- venerable tradition of wisdom: 值得尊敬的智慧传统
- venerable title: 值得尊敬的称号
- venerable hall: 值得尊敬的大厅
- venerable legacy: 值得尊敬的遗产
- venerable ritual: 值得尊敬的仪式
- venerable lineage of kings: 值得尊敬的国王家族
- venerable customs and traditions: 值得尊敬的风俗和传统
- venerable monastery: 值得尊敬的修道院
- venerable ceremony of remembrance: 庄严的纪念仪式
- venerable relic: 值得尊敬的遗物
- venerable code of conduct: 值得尊敬的行为准则
- venerable guardian: 值得尊敬的守护者
- venerable family lineage: 值得尊敬的家族世系
- venerable custom and practice: 值得尊敬的习俗和做法
- venerable institution of learning: 值得尊敬的学府
- venerable tradition of craftsmanship: 值得尊敬的工艺传统
- venerable council of elders: 值得尊敬的长老会
- venerable statesman of the nation: 值得尊敬的国家政治家
- venerable philosophy: 值得尊敬的哲学
- venerable cultural heritage: 值得尊敬的文化遗产
- venerable hall of fame: 值得尊敬的名人堂
- venerable institution of worship: 值得尊敬的宗教机构
- venerable ancestor’s teachings: 值得尊敬的祖先的教诲
- venerable historical site: 值得尊敬的历史遗址
- venerable monument of art: 值得尊敬的艺术纪念碑
- venerable tradition of honor: 值得尊敬的荣誉传统
- venerable legacy of knowledge: 值得尊敬的知识遗产
深度学习
venerable (VEN er uh bul) Unlike dotage, this adjective means “command-ing respect because of old age or dignity.” It also has a religious conno-tation. In the Roman Catholic Church, it is used as a form of address for a person who has reached the first stage of canonization. It comes from the Latin word for “worship.”
•The mayor, a venerable man in his late seventies, was respected by the town for his dignified manner, his generous nature, and his years of experience as a legislator and a leader.
•Singing the praises of youthful innocence, the nineteenth-century writer Henry David Thoreau has described an infant as “more venerable than the oldest man.”
——摘自《Fiske WordPower: The Most Effective System for Building a Vocabulary That Gets Results Fast》
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尊者（VEN er uh bul）与老年人不同，这个形容词的意思是“因年老或尊严而获得尊重”。它还具有宗教鉴赏力。在罗马天主教会中，它被用作一种称呼已经达到封圣第一阶段的人的称呼形式。它来自拉丁语中的“崇拜”
•这位七十多岁高龄的可敬的市长因其端庄的举止、慷慨的天性以及多年的立法者和领导人经验而受到镇上的尊敬。
•19世纪作家亨利·戴维·梭罗（Henry David Thoreau）歌颂年轻人的天真无邪，称婴儿“比最年长的人更值得尊敬”
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同近义词
eminent: (of a person) famous and respected within a particular sphere or profession
respectable: regarded by society to be good, proper, or correct
esteemed: held in great respect; admired
