tyrant

• n. 暴君

来自拉丁语 tyrannus,国君，暴君，统治者，来自希腊语 tyrannos,国君，暴君，统治者。

1. a cruel and oppressive dictator

2. in ancient Greece, a ruler who had seized power without legal right to it

3. any person who exercises power in a cruel way;

"his father was a tyrant"

tyrant (n.)

c. 1300, "absolute ruler," especially one without legal right; "cruel, oppressive ruler," from Old French tiran, tyrant (12c.), from Latin tyrannus "lord, master, monarch, despot," especially "arbitrary ruler, cruel governor, autocrat" (source also of Spanish tirano, Italian tiranno), from Greek tyrannos "lord, master, sovereign, absolute ruler unlimited by law or constitution," a loan-word from a language of Asia Minor (probably Lydian); Klein compares Etruscan Turan "mistress, lady" (surname of Venus).

In the exact sense, a tyrant is an individual who arrogates to himself the royal authority without having a right to it. This is how the Greeks understood the word 'tyrant': they applied it indifferently to good and bad princes whose authority was not legitimate. [Rousseau, "The Social Contract"]

Originally in Greek the word was not applied to old hereditary sovereignties (basileiai) and despotic kings, but it was used of usurpers, even when popular, moderate, and just (such as Cypselus of Corinth), however it soon became a word of reproach in the usual modern sense. The spelling with -t arose in Old French by analogy with present participle endings in -ant. Fem. form tyranness is recorded from 1590 (Spenser); Medieval Latin had tyrannissa (late 14c.).

And it is clearly up to the current generation of leaders from high-emitting nations to decide whether they want to be remembered as climate change tyrants or pioneers.

出自-2016年12月阅读原文

The country was ruled by a succession of tyrants.

这个国家接连遭受暴君的统治。

牛津词典

(figurative)His boss is a complete tyrant.

他的老板是个不折不扣的暴君。

牛津词典

Since 1804 the country has mostly been ruled by tyrants.

自 1804 年以来，该国大部分时间都处于暴君的统治之下。

柯林斯高阶英语词典

...households where the father was a tyrant.

父亲残暴专横的家庭

柯林斯高阶英语词典

Any excuse will serve a tyrant.

暴君总能找到借口.

期刊摘选

For years the country was ruled by a tyrant.

这个国家被一个暴君统治了好多年.

辞典例句

Her grandfather was a tyrant who insisted on absolute silence at the dinner table.

她祖父是个专横的人,坚持吃饭时绝对禁止讲话.

《简明英汉词典》

Make war upon this bloody tyrant Time?

去抵抗这血淋淋的魔王——时光?

期刊摘选

No tyrant ever gave back so much.

从没有暴君会给予这么多.

期刊摘选

This ruler is a pitiless tyrant.

这个统治者是一个冷酷的暴君.

期刊摘选

His father was a tyrant.

他父亲是个暴君.

期刊摘选

The tyrant who oppressed the people was finally overthrown.

压迫人民的暴君终于被推翻了.

辞典例句

We are all afraid of him. He is a tyrant of a father.

我们都怕他. 他是个暴君一样的父亲.

期刊摘选

The enemies of the Republic call me tyrant!

共和国的敌人说我是暴君!

期刊摘选

Does he deliberately set out to be a tyrant?

他从头就打算当暴君的 吗 ?

期刊摘选

A tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.

暴君总可以为自己找到暴政的藉口.

期刊摘选

Tyranny reacts upon the tyrant.

对于暴虐者反应也是暴虐行动.

辞典例句

The emperor was a tyrant.

那皇帝是个暴君.

期刊摘选

Liu Wencai was a tyrant of a landlord.

刘文财是个暴君般的地主.

期刊摘选

The tyrant rioted in cruelty.

那暴君残暴无度.

期刊摘选

They all raised the standard of revolt against the tyrant.

他们都举起义旗,反对暴君.

期刊摘选

We know that behind every tyrant stands a Jew, as a JesuIt'stands behind every Pope.

我们知道,每个暴君背后都有一个犹太人, 就像每个教皇背后都有一名耶稣会成员一样.

期刊摘选

The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.

暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣.

《简明英汉词典》

For how can a tyrant rule the free and the proud.

暴君如何可以统治自由与骄傲的人民?

期刊摘选

Even as slaves humble themselves before a tyrant and praise him though he slays them.

就像是奴隶们在一个暴君赞美他自己残杀他们之前,作贱自己.

期刊摘选

A gentleman is never a tyrant or a bully.

绅士绝不会是一个暴君或者欺凌弱小者.

期刊摘选

No greater misfortune befalls a country than to be governed by a tyrant.

没有比一个国家被暴君统治而更不幸的了.

期刊摘选

I voted for the death of that tyrant.

我表决了这个暴君的末日.

期刊摘选