西方大学里常见的拉丁词汇 多学几个有助于提升逼格

在北美，日常口语交流中，有时甚至是在写作中还会频频遇到一些拉丁语词汇。

虽然现在没有一个城市或者一个国家在用古拉丁语，但事实上，不仅仅在英语（和其他很多语言）中有许多单词都是从拉丁文衍生出来的，在日常的写作和交流中一些拉丁单词仍被使用得很频繁。像我们McGill的毕业证都是用拉丁文写的。。。基本看不懂

所以虽记住一些常被用到的拉丁词汇和短语无疑会对你的学习帮很大的忙。

很多大学的校训Quote都是用拉丁文书写的

Per se: （就其本身而言）The directtranslation of this term is "by itself" and it means just that whenused in English as well. You could use it to say that you don't find chemistryboring per se (by itself, intrinsically), but this professor's voice puts youto sleep.例如：就化学本身而言我并不讨厌它，可是教授上课的声音总是让我想打瞌睡。

Vice versa: （反之亦然） From the Latin meaning "to change" or "turnaround," this term means to reverse the order of something . This quotefrom Samuel Butler provides an example, "In the midst of vice we are invirtue, and vice versa."

Alma mater: （母校 尤指大学）If you don'tknow this term already, you'll become quite familiar with it once you graduatefrom college. The literal translation is "dear/bountiful mother" butyou'll find it used in everyday language to denote the college or universityfrom which one has graduated.

Magnum opus（大师之作/绝好的艺术作品）: Whether it's in writing, painting, sculpture ormusic, this Latin term denotes the greatest work done by an artist-- a truemasterpiece.

Bona fide（在法律术语中指良好的意图/一般表示真诚的和善意的）:While it'sliteral translation means "good faith" this term has a few differentshades of meaning in modern language. In legal terms, it is used to representsomething that is presented without deception or fraud, or literally in goodfaith, honest, sincere and lawful. It is more commonly used to mean somethingthat's the real deal or truly authentic.

Quasi（类似的，有如）: In Latin, thisword means as if or as though and in English it is used as both an adjective inits own right and as a part of a compound word. It simply designates somethingthat resembles something else but doesn't quite have all the same features.

Alter ego（密友，或者个性的另一面）: Cicero coinedthis term, most likely taken from the Greek, to mean "a second self"or "another I" and its modern meaning hasn't changed much today. Manypeople have an alter ego, or another, perhaps hidden aspect of themselves. Oneexample from popular culture is Beyonce's alter ego, Sasha Fierce.

Verbatim（逐字逐句的/地）: If you repeat something verbatim you repeat itin exactly the same words, word for word with no changes and no improvisation.

Status quo（现状）: From the Latinmeaning "the state in which" this term is used today to designate theexisting state or condition of things. For example, if you're making money offof a high pollution industry it is to your interests to maintain the status quowhen it comes to environmental law.

在那个著名的苹果公司广告<Think Different>中出现了Status quo

Writing 写作的时候常用到的拉丁文，知道这些拉丁文可以有效地提高你的阅读理解能力。

Sic（这个是指原作品中出现了错误，编辑在此指出）: Found inwriting, this Latin word most commonly finds a home in brackets (like this:[sic]) when quoting a statement or writing. It indicates that there is aspelling or grammar error (or just something out of the ordinary) in theoriginal quotation and that the publication has only reproduced it faithfully,not made an error of their own.

Id est（缩写是i.e.,通常在作者想要给出具体的例子和解释的时候）: You've likelyseen this term in writing before, even if you weren't aware as it is commonlyabbreviated to i.e. In Latin, it means "that is" and is used inEnglish when the speaker or writer wants to give an example or explanation thatspecifies a statement.

Deus ex machina（解围的人或事件）: In directtranslation, this term means, "God out of a machine" and it harkensback ancient Greek and Roman plays. When the plot would become too tangled orconfusing, the writers would simply bring in God, lowered in via a pulleysystem (the machine) and he would wrap it all up. Today, it's still used inliterature to describe a plot where an artificial or improbable means ofresolving a conflict is used.

Exempligratia（缩写是e.g.,这通常会用在例子前面，for the sake of example）: You'll oftensee this term abbreviated to e.g. in writing. It means "for the sake ofexample" and when it see it in a sentence you can expect that is will befollowed by some examples.

Et cetera（缩写是etc. 意思是and the others还有其他的）: Few out therearen't familiar with this term but may not know it as well when it's spelledout like this and not abbreviated as etc. Meaning "and the others" itis used to denote that a list of things could continue ad infinitum (see belowfor definition) and that for the sake of brevity it's better to just wrapthings up with a simple etc.

Ex libris（专指书籍 从...图书馆来）: Back in the days when books were rarer and moreexpensive commodities than they were today, it was common to mark your bookswith a label bearing your own name and this phrase which means "from thelibrary of." While not as common today, some true bibliophiles still usethe labels.

Ibidem（缩写是ibid,常被用在文献页，指同一个资料来源被引用了两次）: Anotherabbreviated term, this word is more commonly seen in research writing in theform of "ibid." From the Latin for "in the same place" itis found in footnotes and bibliographies to designate that the same source hasbeen cited twice in succession.

Et alii（缩写是et al, 通常用在一本合著的书的某一个作者名字之后以省略罗列其他的作者名字）: You'reunlikely to encounter this Latin phrase in its unabbreviated form, and willmost likely only ever see it as et al when included. This is also a term thatis found in footnotes and bibliographies which allows writers to refer to alarge number of authors without having to write each name out (for example, youcould say that your source is Dr. Henry Jones et al.)

日常生活中常用到的拉丁语

你有可能之前在新闻或者日常对话中听过这些短语，如果你还不清楚他们具体是什么意思，那么接下来的解释会让你更加清楚它们的含义。

Ad infinitum（to infinity 无止尽的）: You might beable to guess what this phrase means simply through its similarity to the wordwe use in English. It means "to infinity" and can be used to describesomething that goes on, seemingly or actually endlessly, as some students mightfeel about certain classes.

De facto（事实上）: In Latin, defacto means "from the fact" and in use in English it is often used todistinguish was is supposed to be the case from what is actually the reality.For example, legally, employers are not allowed to discriminate in hiringbecause of age, but many still practice de facto (in reality, in fact)discrimination.

In toto（in total, 总的来说/整体上）: No, thisphrase doesn't mean that the cute little dog from The Wizard of Oz atesomething, it means in all or entirely. Think of it as saying "intotal" in a really weird voice.

Ipso facto（本质上/事实证明）: Meaning "by the fact itself" thiscommonly used and misused term is denotes when something is true by its verynature. For example, if you don't feed your dog you are ipso facto a bad owner.

Tabula rasa（纯洁质朴天真的状态）: When you werea child, your mind might have been more of a tabula rasa than it is today. ThisLatin phrase means "clean slate" and denotes something or someone notaffected by experiences and impressions.

Terra firma（坚实的陆地）: Those who hateto fly or get seriously seasick will be able to put this term to good use. Itmeans firm ground, and you might be thanking your lucky stars to be back on itafter a trip through the air or rough waters.

Mea culpa（是我的错）: If you want toadmit your own guilt or wrongdoing in a situation, use this Latin phrase thattranslates literally to "my fault." It's a bit like a fancier, lessoutdated way of saying "my bad."

Persona nongrata（不受欢迎的人）: From the Latinmeaning an "unacceptable person" this term designates someone who'sno longer welcome in a social or business situation.

In situ（现场，就地）: If somethinghappens in situ it happens in place or on site, though the term oftendesignates something that exists in an original or natural state. Like a rarespecies sighted in situ or an invaluable artifact found on an archeologicalsite.

In vitro（在试管内）: Most studentswill be familiar with this term because of modern fertility treatments, buthave you ever considered what the term actually means? In Latin, in vitro means"in glass" and any biological process that occurs in the laboratoryrather than in the body or a natural setting can be called in vitro.

In vivo（在活体内）: While anexperiment taking place in a glass test tube might not cause a stir, many areup in arms about this kind of experimentation. In vivo means "within theliving" and the two most common examples of this kind of experimentationare animal testing and clinical trials.

Ante bellum（战前，尤指美国南北战争）: During yourhistory courses, you're bound to encounter this term. It means in the mostbasic sense "before the war" and while it can be applied to any warit is most commonly used to refer to the American Civil War and the AntebellumEra the preceded it.

做逻辑和争论

A priori（推理的）: You might comeacross this term in classes about logic or reasoning. It means taking a generallaw or idea and applying it to a particular instance without needingexperimentation or observation. An example of an a priori statement that isused is, "all bachelors are single." You do not need to observe thisto see that it is true because, by definition, bachelors must be single.

A posteriori（归纳的）: A posterioriarguments are different than a priori because they are based on actualobservation or experimentation. Continuing on the previous example, an aposteriori example of reasoning might be that "some bachelors arehappy." This can be based on real life observation isn't a given based onwhat a bachelor is.

Ad nauseam（冗长乏味的）: This Latin termis used to describe an argument that has been taking place to the point ofnausea, often with the same arguments being rehashed over and over for yearsuntil everyone, except a select few, are simply sick to death of the wholething.

Ergo（因此）: Simply put,ergo means therefore and you can exchange it with therefore or hence in anysentence and maintain the same meaning. For example, you could say, "Ithink, ergo I am" without changing the meaning of the original.

Legal Language

One place whereLatin words are very commonly used is in the courtroom. Learn some of thesebasic legal words to help you better understand Law and Order and how the legalprocess works.

Compis mentis（心神健全的）: Meaning"in command of one's mind" this term is used in the legal field todenote someone who is competent to stand trial and not encumbered by mentalillness or handicap.

Subpoena（传唤）: If you've everwatched a legal drama on TV, you've more than likely heard this term thrownaround but perhaps haven't given much thought as to what it really means. Theword subpoena comes from the Latin meaning "under penalty" and ifsomeone delivers a subpoena to you have to respond or they'll be some bigpenalties under the law.

Ad hominem（人身攻击）: In court, oroutside of it for that matter, this term is used to designate an argument thatattacks someone's character rather than addressing a question or issue at hand.By attacking character, these arguments appeal to emotions and prejudicesrather than reason or logic.

Habeas corpus（人身保护权）: A writ ofhabeas corpus (literally, have the body) requires a person to appear before thecourt in person, generally to ascertain whether or not the detention of thatperson is lawful. Habeas corpus cannot be suspended unless there is reason tobelieve that a person could pose a danger to the public.

Pro bono（无偿的）: Pro bono means"for the good" and it's a term used to designate when something isdone free of charge. While the term can be applied in any field, it is mostcommonly used to describe legal services.

Mens rea（犯罪意图）: There is a big difference between murder andmanslaughter, and mens rea is what separates the two. Mens rea means "guiltymind," and those who go into a crime intending to commit it have it,differing from those who commit a crime accidentally or without advanceplanning.

Business

It's alwaysgood to know the language of business, especially in such a competitive market.No matter what field you enter, you're bound to hear these words at some pointin your career.

Ad hoc（特别的）: From the Latinmeaning "to this," this term gained popularity in the mid-1600s andit still used today. It refers to something that is formed or done quickly tomeets the needs of a particular problem or issue without regard to a moregeneral application and generally lacking advance planning.

Per diem（每日）: Meaning"by the day" a per diem in most uses today designates a dailyallowance used in traveling for work. It can also mean a per-day rate or thatsomeone is paid on a daily basis. Other common similar terms are per annum (bythe year) and per capita (by the person.)

Curriculum vitae（简历）: A curriculumvitae is basically a fancy way to describe a resume. While it means literally"the course of one's life" the terms is applied to mean a short listof your accomplishments and training-- something any grad will need to thinkabout putting together soon.

Pro rata（按比例的）: This Latinphrase is something you're likely familiar with in everyday life. It means tocharge at a proportional rate. So if a service is $100 for 10 hours, then onewould cost $10 pro rata.

Quid pro quo（让步条件）: While AnthonyHopkins so sinisterly used this phrase in The Silence of the Lambs, in everydaylife it's often used to describe an exchange of value necessary for a contractto take place. From the Latin meaning "this for that," it gets usedin everywhere from the courtroom to the bedroom in modern English.

来源 College Daily