• n. 寓言，比喻；隱晦或謎般的格言

來自希臘語parabole,比較，對話，類比，來自para-,在旁，在周圍，-bole,扔，投擲，詞源同ballet,ballistic.即扔在旁邊的，引申詞義打比方，講寓言故事。拼寫受-able影響俗化。

parable

parable: [14] The etymological idea underlying parable is of ‘drawing analogies’. It comes via Old French parabole and Latin parabola from Greek parabolé, a derivative of parabállein. This was a compound verb formed from pará ‘beside’ and bállein ‘throw’ (source of English ballistic [18]). It meant ‘put beside’, hence ‘compare’.

Its derived noun parabolé was used for a ‘comparison’ or ‘analogy’, and hence in the Christian tradition for an ‘allegorical or moral narrative’. The geometrical sense of the term, acquired by English directly from Latin as parabola [16], comes from the notion of ‘comparability’ or ‘parallelism’ between the section of a cone that forms the parabola and an element in the cone’s surface.

Etymologically the same word is parole [17], which reached English via Vulgar Latin *paraula and Old French parole ‘word’. Its use for ‘conditional release’ is based on the notion of the prisoner giving his ‘word of honour’ to be of good behaviour.
=> ballistic, palaver, parabola, parliament, parole

parable (n.)

mid-13c., parabol, modern form from early 14c., "saying or story in which something is expressed in terms of something else," from Old French parable "parable, parabolic style in writing" (13c.), from Latin parabola "comparison," from Greek parabole "a comparison, parable," literally "a throwing beside," hence "a juxtaposition," from para- "alongside" (see para- (1)) + bole "a throwing, casting, beam, ray," related to ballein "to throw" (see ballistics).

Replaced Old English bispell. In Vulgar Latin, parabola took on the meaning "word," hence Italian parlare, French parler "to speak" (see parley (n.)).

1. This is an ancient parable.

這是一個古老的寓言.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

2. The story is a pleasing parable of the problems created by an excess of wealth.

這是個令人開懷的寓言，講的是財富過剩造成的問題。

來自柯林斯例句

3. I launched into the parable, embellishing the story with invented dialogue and extra details.

我開始講那則寓言，并編造了些對話，加了些細節對其進行潤色。

來自柯林斯例句

4. That parable is quite apt. "

這比喻還算俏皮. ”

來自漢英文學 - 圍城

5. I see that I have lapsed into parable and ecstatic declamation.

我知道我在比喻和狂喜的辯論中造成了遺誤.

來自辭典例句