相信背过单词书的人都认识“abandon”吧，不管初高中，还是四六级、考研英语，很多词汇书的第一个单词都是abandon；
甚至1604年由罗伯特·考得里（Robert Cawdrey）编撰的第一本“英语词典” Table Alphabeticall 第一个单词也是abandon。
近日，有网友发现，某词典里的abandon竟然不是第一名了，第一名变成了aback…
📍aback表示“向后；处于顶风位置；向后地；吓了一跳”，短语 be taken aback 表示“大吃一惊；震惊”，英文解释为“to be very shocked or surprised”举个🌰：I was somewhat taken aback by her honesty. 她的坦诚让我大吃一惊。
（强硬转折）那词典的最后一个单词会是什么呢？
🤔️小作业：
1. What is the main reason for “Zyzzyva” becoming notable in English dictionaries?
A) Its complex spelling and pronunciation.
B) Its unique position as the last entry.
C) Its frequent usage in academic texts.
D) Its significance in historical contexts.
2. How did “Zyzzyva” gain its name according to the article?
A) It was named after its discoverer.
B) It was based on the insect's characteristic sound.
C) The origin of its name is unknown.
D) It was derived from an ancient language.
无注释原文：
The Oxford English Dictionary has a new last word. Bet you can't pronounce it.
From: The Washington Post
July 1, 2017
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, eighth grader Samara St. Louis was cramming for a spelling bee in 2012, when she stumbled upon a word that quickly became her favorite.
“It's the last word in the dictionary and it's fun to say and it's fun to spell,” she said.
She was speaking of “Zyzzyva,” an odd little word that often appeared at as the final entry in many English dictionaries.
But the Oxford English Dictionary, considered by many as the standard-bearer of dictionaries, ended with “zythum,” which referred to an ancient Egyptian malt beer.
That's no longer the case. The dictionary just announced several new additions to its vast pages, including St. Louis's favorite word, “Zyzzyva,” which now has the unique distinction of being the OED's last word.
It's a noun, pronounced “zih-zih-vah” and defined as “a genus of tropical weevils (family Curculionidae) native to South America and typically found on or near palm trees.”
For the uninformed, a weevil is a sort of beetle, generally small and herbivorous. The most familiar is a small brown variety referred to as a rice weevil. As its nickname suggests, these are often found in stored rice.
Generally, according to Orkin, “if the weevils manage to find an opening and invade the home, the homeowner often finds hundreds of insects crawling on the walls and windowsills.”
It is much less likely you'd find Zyzzyva in your home, however. The insect was discovered in Brazil in 1922 by Irish entomologist Thomas Lincoln Casey, who gave it the strange name. The origin of the word is unknown, and it seemingly has no etymology.
Many different theories exist, however, which the OED listed in its blog.
Some think Casey was attempting to create a word that, when spoken aloud, mimicked the sound made by these insects. The effect is known as onomatopoeia. “Buzz,” “whoop” and “lisp” are some prime examples.
Others, however, think Casey was merely having a laugh and came up with the strange combination of letters — so many z's! — as a practical joke, knowing it would then be the final word in most English dictionaries.
If that's true, Casey wasn't incorrect. As the OED blog stated, “Zyzzyva owes much of its currency in English to its notoriety as the last entry in various dictionaries, the ranks of which now include the OED.”
Indeed, others beside St. Louis seemed to have embraced the word.
A San Francisco arts and letters journal called Zyzzyva was founded in 1985 that was one of the first in the U.S. to publish Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, who is known for works such as “1Q84” and “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.” This certainly seems to be connected to the bug, as images of a weevil with a “Z” slapped on its fat abdomen appears across the journal's website.
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注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考
含注释全文：
The Oxford English Dictionary has a new last word. Bet you can't pronounce it.
From: The Washington Post
July 1, 2017
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, eighth grader Samara St. Louis wascrammingfor aspelling beein 2012, when shestumbled upona word that quickly became her favorite.
2012年，加拿大萨斯喀彻温省（Saskatchewan）萨斯卡通市（Saskatoon）八年级学生萨玛拉·圣路易斯（Samara St. Louis）在为拼写比赛做准备时，偶然发现了一个词，这个词很快成为了她的最爱。
cram
cram /kræm/ 1）表示“塞满；塞进；挤入”，英文解释为“to force a lot of things into a small space”举个🌰：Eight children were crammed into the back of the car. 8个孩子被塞进了汽车的后座。
2）表示“（考试前）死记硬背，突击学习”，英文解释为“to try to learn a lot very quickly before an exam”举个🌰：She's cramming for her history exam. 为应付历史考试她拼命突击。
spelling bee
spelling bee /ˈspel.ɪŋ ˌbiː/ 表示“（正确拼出单词数量最多者获胜的）拼字比赛”，英文解释为“a competition in which the winner is the person or group who is able to form correctly the highest number of the words they are asked to form”
stumble
1）作名词，表示“犯错；失足”，英文解释为“a false step, trip, or blunder / the act of stumbling”。
2）更多情况用作动词表示“踉跄；绊脚”，英文解释为“If you stumble, you put your foot down awkwardly while you are walking or running and nearly fall over.”举个🌰：He stumbled and almost fell. 他绊了一下，差点儿摔倒。
3）表示“跌跌撞撞地走，蹒跚而行”，英文解释为“to walk in a way that does not seem controlled”举个🌰：We could hear her stumbling about/around the bedroom in the dark. 我们可以听到她摸黑在卧室里跌跌撞撞地走动。
4）固定搭配：stumble on / across / upon sth，表示“偶然发现（碰见）”，英文解释为“to find or discover something by chance and unexpectedly”，举个🌰：Researchers have stumbled across a drug that may help patients with Parkinson's disease. 研究人员偶然发现了一种药物，也许可以治疗帕金森病。
“It's the last word in the dictionary and it's fun to say and it's fun to spell,” she said.
她说：“这是字典中的最后一个词，发音和拼写都很有趣。”
She was speaking of “Zyzzyva,” an odd little word that often appeared at as the finalentryin many English dictionaries.
她指的是“Zyzzyva”，这是一个奇怪的小词，往往出现在很多英语字典的最后一个词条。
entry
1）表示“项目；条目；（一则）记录”，英文解释为“a separate piece of information that is recorded in a book, computer, etc.”举个🌰：They've updated a lot of the entries in the most recent edition of the encyclopedia. 在最新版百科全书中他们更新了很多条目。
2）表示“参赛作品；参赛答卷”，英文解释为“An entry for a competition is a piece of work, a story or drawing, or the answers to a set of questions, which you complete in order to take part in the competition.”
But the Oxford English Dictionary, considered by many as thestandard-bearerof dictionaries, ended with “zythum,” which referred to an ancient Egyptianmaltbeer.
《牛津英语词典》作为众多词典的标杆，此前最后一个词是“zythum”，指的是一种古埃及麦芽啤酒。
standard-bearer
standard-bearer /ˈstæn.dədˌbeə.rər/ 表示“旗手，领袖”，英文解释为“the person or thing that seems to lead a group of people having similar ideas or moral opinions”
malt
malt /mɒlt/ 表示“（用于酿酒的）麦芽（通常指大麦芽）”，英文解释为“grain, usually barley, that has been left in water until it starts to grow and is then dried. It is used in the making of alcoholic drinks such as beer and whisky”
That's no longer the case. The dictionary just announced several new additions to its vast pages, including St. Louis's favorite word, “Zyzzyva,” which now has the uniquedistinctionof being the OED's last word.
然而，现在情况不一样了。该词典刚刚宣布在其庞大的篇幅中增加了几个新词，其中包括圣路易斯最喜欢的单词“Zyzzyva”，它现在有了独特地位，成为《牛津英语词典》的最后一个词。
distinction
distinction /dɪˈstɪŋk.ʃən/ 1）表示“区别，差别，不同”，英文解释为“a difference between two similar things”举个🌰：There's a clear distinction between the dialects spoken in the two regions. 这两个地区的方言有着明显的不同。
2）表示“（学生作业的）优，优等”，英文解释为“a mark given to students who produce work of an excellent standard”
3）表示“优秀，卓越”，英文解释为“the quality of being excellent”如：a writer/scientist/wine of distinction 一流的作家/科学家/葡萄酒。
4）表示“特质，特性”，英文解释为“the quality of being special or different”举个🌰：She has the distinction of being one of the few people to have an honorary degree conferred on her by the university this year. 今年只有几个人被授予了大学荣誉学位，她有幸成为其中之一。
It's anoun, pronounced “zih-zih-vah” and defined as “agenusoftropical weevils(family Curculionidae) native to South America and typically found on or nearpalm trees.”
它是一个名词，发音为“zih-zih-vah”，定义为“一种热带象鼻虫属（象甲科）的昆虫，原产于南美洲，通常出现在棕榈树上及其附近”。
noun
noun /naʊn/ 表示“名词”，英文解释为“a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality”
genus
genus /ˈdʒiː.nəs/ 表示“（动植物的）属”，英文解释为“a group of animals or plants, more closely related than a family, but less similar than a species”
tropical
表示“热带的；来自热带的；产于热带的”，英文解释为“coming from, found in or typical of the tropics”如：tropical fish 热带鱼。
weevil
weevil /ˈwiː.vəl/ 表示“象鼻虫”，英文解释为“any of various beetles that destroy crops such as grains and cotton”
palm
palm /pɑːm/ 1）表示“手掌，手心”，英文解释为“the inside part of your hand from your wrist to the base of your fingers”举个🌰：This tiny device fits into the palm of your hand. 这种微型装置可以放入你的掌心。
2）palm = palm tree 表示“棕榈树”，英文解释为“a tree that grows in hot countries and has a tall trunk with a mass of long pointed leaves at the top”如：datepalms 枣椰树。
For theuninformed, a weevil is a sort ofbeetle, generally small andherbivorous. The most familiar is a small brown variety referred to as a rice weevil. As its nickname suggests, these are often found in stored rice.
给不了解的人解释一下，象鼻虫是一种甲虫，一般体型较小，食草。最常见的是一种被称为米虫的棕色小品种。顾名思义，它们经常出现在存放的大米中。
uninformed
uninformed /ˌʌn.ɪnˈfɔːmd/ 表示“信息贫乏的；不了解情况的；无知的”，英文解释为“not knowing much or having much information about something”举个🌰：For a journalist, he seems surprisingly uninformed about what is happening in the news. 作为一名记者，他似乎对新闻事件知之不多，让人吃惊。
beetle
beetle /ˈbiː.təl/ 表示“甲虫”，英文解释为“an insect with a hard shell-like back”如：a black beetle 黑甲虫。
herbivorous
herbivorous /hɜːˈbɪv.ər.əs/ 表示“（动物）食草的”，英文解释为“(of an animal) eating plants”举个🌰：The iguanadon was a herbivorous dinosaur. 禽龙是一种食草恐龙。
Generally, according to Orkin, “if the weevils manage to find an opening andinvadethe home, the homeowner often finds hundreds of insectscrawlingon the walls andwindowsills.”
根据奥金公司（Orkin）的说法，一般来说，“如果象鼻虫找到一个开口并进入室内，屋主往往会发现墙壁和窗台上爬满了数百只虫子。”
invade
1）表示“武装入侵；侵略；侵犯”，英文解释为“to enter a country, town, etc. using military force in order to take control of it”举个🌰：The Romans invaded Britain 2,000 years ago. 2,000年前古罗马人入侵了英国。
2）表示“（尤指造成损害或混乱地）涌入；侵袭”，英文解释为“to enter a place in large numbers, especially in a way that causes damage or confusion”举个🌰：As the final whistle blew, fans began invading the field. 比赛结束的哨声一响，球迷便开始冲入球场。
crawl
crawl /krɔːl/ 表示“缓慢移动；艰难前行；爬行；匍匐前进；（昆虫）爬行”，英文解释为“to move slowly or with difficulty, especially with your body stretched out along the ground or on hands and knees”举个🌰：The child crawled across the floor. 那个孩子爬过了地板。
windowsill
windowsill /ˈwɪn.dəʊ.sɪl/ 表示“窗台；窗沿”，英文解释为“a shelf below a window, either inside or outside a building”
It is much less likely you'd find Zyzzyva in your home, however. The insect was discovered in Brazil in 1922 by IrishentomologistThomas Lincoln Casey, who gave it the strange name. The origin of the word is unknown, and it seemingly has noetymology.
然而，在家中发现Zyzzyva这种象鼻虫的可能性要小得多。1922年，爱尔兰昆虫学家托马斯·林肯·凯西（Thomas Lincoln Casey）在巴西发现了这种虫子，并给它起了这个奇怪的名字。这个词的起源不明，似乎没有词源。
entomologist
entomologist /ˌen.təˈmɒl.ə.dʒɪst/ 表示“昆虫学家”，英文解释为“a person who studies insects”举个🌰：It takes a competent entomologist to distinguish the dangerous mosquitoes from the harmless ones. 只有能干的昆虫学家才能分辨危险的和无害的蚊子。
etymology
etymology /ˌet.ɪˈmɒl.ə.dʒi/ 表示“词源学；词源说明”，英文解释为“the study of the origin and history of words, or a study of this type relating to one particular word”举个🌰：At university she developed an interest in etymology. 上大学时她对词源学产生了兴趣。
Many differenttheoriesexist, however, which the OED listed in its blog.
然而，《牛津英语词典》在其博客中列出了许多不同的说法。
theory
theory除了指“理论”，也有“（未证明的）意见；看法；推测”的含义，英文解释为“an opinion or idea that sb believes is true but that is not proved”举个🌰：I have this theory that most people prefer being at work to being at home. 依我看，多数人喜欢工作而不愿待在家里。
Some think Casey was attempting to create a word that, when spoken aloud,mimickedthe sound made by these insects. The effect is known asonomatopoeia. “Buzz,” “whoop” and “lisp” are someprimeexamples.
有些人认为凯西试图在创造新词，当大声说出来时，模仿这些昆虫发出的声音。这种效果被称为拟声词。“Buzz”（嗡嗡声），“whoop”（呼呼声）和“lisp”（咬舌发音[把s说成th]，口齿不清）都是一些典型的例子。
mimic
1）表示“模仿（人的言行举止）；（尤指）做滑稽模仿”，英文解释为“to copy the way sb speaks, moves, behaves, etc., especially in order to make other people laugh”举个🌰：She's always mimicking the teachers. 她总喜欢模仿老师的言谈举止。
2）表示“（外表或行为举止）像，似”，英文解释为“to look or behave like sth else”举个🌰：The robot was programmed to mimic a series of human movements. 机器人可按程序设计模仿人的各种动作。
onomatopoeia
onomatopoeia /ˌɒn.əˌmæt.əˈpiː.ə/ 表示“拟声法；拟声词，象声词”，英文解释为“the act of creating or using words that include sounds that are similar to the noises the words refer to”
buzz
buzz的本义是指“嗡嗡声，蜂鸣声”（a continuous noise like the sound of a bee），还有“闹哄哄；喧闹”（a lot of activity, noise, and excitement）、“兴奋之感，喜悦心情”（a strong feeling of excitement, pleasure, or success, or a similar feeling from drinking alcohol or taking drugs）的含义。
📍buzz，韦氏词典（Merriam-Webster）给出的英文解释为：“speculative or excited talk or attention relating especially to a new or forthcoming product or event”或者是“an instance of such talk or attention”，（引起）关注/热议等，如：their first song created a huge buzz 他们的第一首引起热烈反响，create a buzz 制造话题，造势，炒作，制造噱头。
📍此外，比较常见的一个词buzzword，表示“流行语，热词，时髦用语，流行术语”（a word or phrase from one special area of knowledge that people suddenly think is very important）
whoop
whoop /wuːp/ 可以作动词也可作名词，表示“（尤指表示高兴或赞同的）呐喊，大叫”，英文解释为“a loud, excited shout, especially showing your enjoyment of or agreement with something”举个🌰：When the whoops and cheers had finally died down he started to speak. 当欢呼声平息下来的时候，他开始讲话。
lisp
lisp /lɪsp/ 表示“咬舌（指把s音和z音发成th音）”，英文解释为“to pronounce "s" and "z" sounds like "th"”
prime
prime /praɪm/ 1）表示“首要的，主要的；基本的”，英文解释为“main or most important”举个🌰：This is a prime example of 1930s architecture. 这是20世纪30年代建筑风格的一个重要的范例。
2）表示“质量最好的，一流的”，英文解释为“of the best quality”举个🌰：The hotel is in a prime location in the city centre. 该旅馆位于市中心的黄金地段。
Others, however, think Casey was merely having a laugh and came up with the strange combination of letters — so many z's! — as apractical joke, knowing it would then be the final word in most English dictionaries.
然而，也有人认为凯西只是在开玩笑，想出了这个奇怪的字母组合 - 那么多个z！- 这是一个恶作剧，他知道这个词将是大多数英语词典的最后一个词。
practical joke
practical joke /ˌpræk.tɪ.kəl ˈdʒəʊk/ 表示“恶作剧”，英文解释为“a joke that makes someone seem silly and involves a physical action rather than words”举个🌰：She glued her boss's cup and saucer together as a practical joke. 她搞恶作剧，把老板的茶杯和托碟粘在一起。
If that's true, Casey wasn't incorrect. As the OED blog stated, “Zyzzyva owes much of itscurrencyin English to itsnotorietyas the last entry in various dictionaries, the ranks of which now include the OED.”
如果是这样，凯西真猜对了。正如《牛津英语词典》的博客中所述：“Zyzzyva之所以能在英语中广为人知，很大程度上要归功于它作为各种词典中最后一个词条的独特地位，现在《牛津英语词典》也收录了Zyzzyva。”
currency
1）表示“货币，通货”，英文解释为“the money that is used in a particular country at a particular time”如：foreign currency 外币。
2）表示“流行；流通；通用”，英文解释为“the state of being commonly known or accepted, or of being used in many places”举个🌰：His ideas enjoyed wide currency during the last century. 他的思想在上个世纪广为流传。
notoriety
notoriety /ˌnəʊ.tərˈaɪ.ə.ti/ 表示“臭名昭著，声名狼藉”，英文解释为“the state of being famous for something bad”举个🌰：He achieved/gained notoriety for being difficult to work with as an actor. 他获得了最难合作的演员的恶名。
notoriety这个词最常见的意思确实是“臭名昭著”或“声名狼藉”，通常用来描述因为不好的原因而出名或被广泛知晓的情况。然而，在某些上下文中，这个词也可以用来简单地指某人或某物的知名度，特别是当这种知名度是由于某种独特或非凡的特性而非负面行为时。
Indeed, others beside St. Louis seemed to have embraced the word.
事实上，除了圣路易斯之外，似乎还有其他人也喜欢这个词。
A San Francisco arts and letters journal calledZyzzyvawas founded in 1985 that was one of the first in the U.S. to publish Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, who is known for works such as “1Q84” and “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.” This certainly seems to be connected to thebug, as images of a weevil with a “Z”slappedon its fatabdomenappears across the journal's website.
旧金山一本名为《Zyzzyva》的艺术和文学杂志创办于1985年，是美国最早出版日本小说家村上春树（Haruki Murakami）作品的杂志之一，村上春树的作品如《1Q84》和《当我谈跑步时我谈些什么》（What I Talk About When I Talk About Running）等为人熟知。这似乎与这种虫子有关，因为在该杂志的网站上有一只象鼻虫的图片，虫子肥胖的腹部上有一个“Z”字样。
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LearnAndRecord
2015年2月8日
2023年11月15日
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每天持续行动学外语
