tragedy: [14] Etymologically, a tragedy is probably a ‘goat-song’. The word comes via Old French tragedie and Latin tragoedia from Greek tragōidíā, a compound formed from trágos ‘goat’ and ōidé ‘song’ (source of English ode, parody, rhapsody, etc). It is thought that the underlying reference may be to a sort of ancient Greek drama in which the chorus were dressed as satyrs, goatlike woodland deities. => melody, ode, parody, prosody, rhapsody
tragedy (n.)
late 14c., "play or other serious literary work with an unhappy ending," from Old French tragedie (14c.), from Latin tragedia "a tragedy," from Greek tragodia "a dramatic poem or play in formal language and having an unhappy resolution," apparently literally "goat song," from tragos "goat" + oide "song" (see ode).
The connection may be via satyric drama, from which tragedy later developed, in which actors or singers were dressed in goatskins to represent satyrs. But many other theories have been made (including "singer who competes for a goat as a prize"), and even the "goat" connection is at times questioned. Meaning "any unhappy event, disaster" is from c. 1500.
雙語例句
1. The story ascends from a gothic tragedy to a miraculous fairy-tale.
故事從一個哥特式悲劇升華為神奇的童話。
來自柯林斯例句
2. The national tragedy of rival groups killing each other continued throughout 1990.
敵對派別相互殘殺的國家悲劇1990年全年都在上演。
來自柯林斯例句
3. She was too exhausted and distressed to talk about the tragedy.
她太累了，而且無比悲傷，沒法談論那場悲劇。
來自柯林斯例句
4. All that money brought nothing but sadness and misery and tragedy.
那筆錢帶來的只有傷心、痛苦和悲劇。
來自柯林斯例句
5. She will need medical help and counselling to overcome the tragedy.