obscene

• adj. 淫秽的；猥亵的；可憎的

来自拉丁语obscenus,冒犯的，来自obscaena,舞台后面，ob-,在上，在后面，-scaen,舞台，来自PIE*skei,分开，词源同shed,segment,proscenium.原指古希腊时期在表演不堪入目的情节时，只在舞台后面发出声音，而不在舞台上表演。后由该词引申词义淫秽的，下流的。

1. designed to incite to indecency or lust;

"the dance often becomes flagrantly obscene"- Margaret Mead

2. offensive to the mind;

"an abhorrent deed"

"the obscene massacre at Wounded Knee"

"morally repugnant customs"

"repulsive behavior"

"the most repulsive character in recent novels"

3. suggestive of or tending to moral looseness;

"lewd whisperings of a dirty old man"

"an indecent gesture"

"obscene telephone calls"

"salacious limericks"

obscene (adj.)

1590s, "offensive to the senses, or to taste and refinement," from Middle French obscène (16c.), from Latin obscenus "offensive," especially to modesty, originally "boding ill, inauspicious," of unknown origin; perhaps from ob "onto" (see ob-) + caenum "filth." Meaning "offensive to modesty or decency" is attested from 1590s. Legally, in U.S., it hinged on "whether to the average person, applying contemporary community standards, the dominant theme of the material taken as a whole appeals to a prurient interest." [Justice William Brennan, "Roth v. United States," June 24, 1957]; refined in 1973 by "Miller v. California":

The basic guidelines for the trier of fact must be: (a) whether 'the average person, applying contemporary community standards' would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest, (b) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law; and (c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

Related: Obscenely.

obscene gestures/language/books

淫秽的姿态 / 语言 / 书籍

牛津词典

an obscene phone call (= in which sb says obscene things)

色情骚扰电话

牛津词典

He earns an obscene amount of money.

他捞了一大笔钱。

牛津词典

It's obscene to spend so much on food when millions are starving.

当数以百万的人忍饥挨饿时，饮食上挥霍无度是天理难容的。

牛津词典

to behave obscenely

举止下流

牛津词典

obscenely rich

富得流油

牛津词典

I'm not prudish but I think these photographs are obscene...

我并不是个守旧的人，但是我认为这些照片不堪入目。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

He continued to use obscene language and also to make threats.

他仍然不住口地说些污言秽语，而且还进行了威胁。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

A city magistrate ruled that the novel was obscene and copies should be destroyed...

一位市执法官裁定该小说为色情作品，应当全数销毁。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

The bill leaves it up to the courts to decide what is obscene.

依据该法案，淫秽物的界定权在法庭。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

It was obscene to spend millions producing unwanted food...

耗资数百万去生产一些不需要的食品，真是令人发指。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

His salary was obscene for three 40-minute shows a week.

他一周只有3次节目，每次40分钟，但他的薪水实在高得离谱。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

A Class iii article if it is of the opinion that the article is obscene.

如认为该物品为色情物品,可评定为第类物品.

期刊摘选

It was all a swindle, an obscene swindle!

这全是骗局, 一个肮脏的骗局!

辞典例句

The boy was Capering dersively, with obscene unambiguous gestures, before a party of English tourists.

这个顽童在一群英国旅游客人面前用明显下流的动作可笑地蹦蹦跳跳着.

辞典例句

Any obscene or inappropriate messages will be deleted.

任何猥亵或不适当的邮件将被删除.

期刊摘选

I really am one very shameless, very obscene , very mean, very dreadful, very a bastard's person!

我真的是一个不止羞耻, 很下流, 很吝啬, 糟透了的私生子罢了!

期刊摘选

His comment is not repeatable, because they are rude , obscene, etc.

他的话别人实在说不出口.

期刊摘选

He was by turns devout and obscene, merry and lachrymose.

他时而虔诚时而淫秽, 时而欢天喜地,时而凄然泪下.

辞典例句

It obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles.

那情景令人厌恶也是可以不发生的, 我很惊讶为什么孩子不在走道里.

期刊摘选

His language won't bear repeating, eg because it's too obscene.

他的话别人实在说不出口(如因太下流).

辞典例句

You must not use any language used which is offensive, racist or obscene.

你不能使用任何的语言攻势他人, 有民族差别主义者或猥亵的语言都是违反规则的.

期刊摘选

The obscene language used in this paragraph made it unquotable.

这段文字中使用的淫乱语言使其不可引用.

期刊摘选

He rolled his eyes as his tongue caressed the obscene lyrics.

他的舌头抚弄着那淫秽歌词时,他滚动着他的眼睛.

期刊摘选

No, no , no! It's not an obscene phone call. It's is the sound of scuba diving.

噢, 听 不大出来, 好象是有人打电话恶作剧,是不是?

期刊摘选

Vicky : That's obscene. There's no way I'm doing that! You're one sick puppy.

好恶心! 我绝不会做那种动作! 你这病狗.

期刊摘选

Two months is an obscene amount of time if you ask me.

在我看来,两个月的时间简直长得要命.

期刊摘选