| 释义 |
▪ I. fortune, n.|ˈfɔːtjʊn|
Also 4–6 fortoun, 6 fortun.
[a. F. fortune (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. L. fortūna, related to forti-, fors chance, and ferre to bear.]
1. a. Chance, hap, or luck, regarded as a cause of events and changes in men's affairs. Often (after Latin) personified as a goddess, ‘the power supposed to distribute the lots of life according to her own humour’ (J.); her emblem is a wheel, betokening vicissitude.
a1300Cursor M. 32719 Dame fortune turnes þan hir quele And castes vs dun vntil a wele. c1374Chaucer Troylus i. 781 (837) Wele fynde I that Fortune is my fo. 1390Gower Conf. III. 106 The chaunces of the worlde also, That we fortune clepen so. 1489Caxton Faytes of A. iii. xxi. 218 As longe as fortune was for them. 1500–20Dunbar Poems xv. 44 To fecht with fortoun is no wit. 1593Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, iv. iii. 47 Though fortune's malice overthrow my state, My mind exceeds the compass of her wheel. 1683W. Hacke Collect. Voy. (1699) i. 41 Yet fortune did not favour them. 1770Junius Lett. xli. 212 Here..you have fortune on your side. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 497 When fortune changed..his real propensities began to show themselves.
b. in the name of fortune: see name.
†c. phr. by fortune: by chance. upon fortune: as it fell out. Obs.
1390Gower Conf. III. 152 The worldes good was first comune, But afterward upon fortune Was thilke comun profit cessed. c1400Mandeville (1839) xxvi. 267 Thoghe it happene, sum of hem, be Fortune, to gon out. a1533Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) C vj, Yf by fortune he falle. 1604Shakes. Oth. v. ii. 226 That Handkerchiefe..I found by Fortune, and did giue my Husband.
d. with a defining phrase added, as the fortune of war, etc.
1390Gower Conf. III. 12 The fortune of every chaunce..To man it groweth from above. 1484Caxton Fables of æsop iv. xiv, When the toune is taken..by fortune of warre. c1489― Sonnes of Aymon xxiv. 524 By fortune of wedryng they were well eyght moneths vpon the See. a1533Ld. Berners Huon lvii. 191 Fortune of y⊇ se hath brought vs hyder. 1709Steele Tatler No. 58 ⁋1 One who was his by the Fortune of War. 1827Hallam Const. Hist. (1876) II. x. 177 It remained only..to try once more the fortune of war.
e. a soldier of fortune (see quots. 1802, 1810).
(F. soldat de fortune is explained by Littré in the sense given in quot. 1810, but this meaning is rare in English.)
1661Boyle Style of Script. (1675) 186 Like war which is wont as well to raise soldiers of fortune as to ruine men of fortune. 1685South Serm. (1823) I. 212 Every warrior may in some sense be said to be a soldier of fortune. 1775R. H. Lee in Sparks Corr. Amer. Rev. (1853) I. 13, I refer you to Mr. Frazer..who goes to the camp a soldier of fortune. 1802C. James Milit. Dict., Soldier of Fortune. During the frequent wars which occurred in Italy, before the military profession became so generally prevalent in Europe, it was usual for men of enterprise and reputation to offer their services to the different states that were engaged..They afterwards extended their services, and under the title of soldiers of fortune fought for employment in every country or state that would pay them. 1810Ibid. (ed. 3) s.v. Fortune, A soldier of Fortune, a military man who has risen from the ranks by his own merit. 1850A. Jameson Leg. Monast. Ord. (1863) 338 A brave, reckless, profligate soldier of fortune. 1889J. Corbett Monk xi. 156 He [Monk] patiently resumed his unassailable position of the obedient and disinterested soldier of fortune.
†2.
a. A chance, hap, accident; an event or incident befalling any one, an adventure. Obs.
c1350Will. Palerne 157 As þis fortune bi-fel þat i told of bi-fore. c1500Melusine xiii. 49 The Erle thought euer on Raymondyn..that som ffortune he had fonde at the fontayne of Soyf. 1579Fenton Guicciard. i. 26 That in all accidents and fortunes, that citie should not faile to minister to him. 1596Shakes. Tam. Shr. iii. ii. 23 What euer fortune stayes him from his word. 1655Stanley Hist. Philos. iii. (1701) 75/1 Many other good Fortunes happening to the Athenians upon this day are Recorded by ælian. 1726Adv. Capt. R. Boyle Pref. A iv, A Detail of Fortunes I have run through for many Years.
b. A mishap, disaster. to run a fortune (= F. courir fortune de): to run a risk. Obs.
c1489Caxton Blanchardyn xxxii. 121 Wher they arryued in fewe dayes wythout eny fortune. c1500Three Kings' Sons (E.E.T.S.) 67 It was tyme nowe to leue of alle sorowe & lamentacion for any fortune that was befalle. 1627Lisander & Cal. ii. 29, I had rather run a fortune in giving way unto your desire, than refuse you so small a matter.
3. a. The chance or luck (good or bad) which falls to any one as his lot in life or in a particular affair. Also in pl. † extreme fortune (= L. res extremæ): the last extremity.
c1374Chaucer Boeth. ii. metr. iii. 27 (Camb. MS.) Wol⁓thow thanne trusten in the tomblynge fortunes of men? a1400Morte Arth. 1177 Ne had my fortune bene faire, fey had I leuede! 1484Caxton Fables of æsop 2 First begynneth the lyf of Esope with alle his fortune. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccccii. 698 He that hath any yuell fortune, men wyll speke the worst therof. 1531Elyot Governour ii. ii. (1534) 100 b, It is no lyttell thyng to meruayle at, the maiestie showed in extreme fortune and mysery. 1582N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. 5 b, Thanking God for their..good fortune in this their first brunt of daunger. 1598Shakes. Merry W. iv. v. 48 To know if it were my Masters fortune to haue her, or no. 1607–12Bacon Ess., Of Fortune, Chieflie the mould of a Mans fortune is in himself. 1699W. Dampier Voy. II. ii. 22 It was my fortune to be at the Helm from 6 a Clock in the Evening till 8. 1726Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 125 The Women of Morocco, I mean all that I had the Fortune to see, were very handsome. 1752Hume Ess. & Treat. (1777) I. 3 Good or ill fortune is very little at our disposal. 1827Hallam Const. Hist. (1876) III. xvi. 232 Scotland was now doomed to wait on the fortunes of her more powerful ally. 1852Thackeray Esmond ii. iii, Some good fortune at last occurred to a family which stood in great need of it. 1874Green Short Hist. iii. §2. 121 On the fortunes of Philip hung the fortunes of English freedom.
b. attributed to things, purposes, undertakings.
1665Boyle Occas. Refl. Pref. (1845) 34 They that would compleat the Good Fortune of these Papers. 1697Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 132 And undecided leave the Fortune of the Day. 1769Robertson Chas. V, V. iv. 367 The fortune of the day was quickly changed. 1880McCarthy Own Times IV. lx. 324 The fortunes of the war were virtually decided in a day.
c. phr. to try one's fortune: to make trial how it will turn out (with the hope of its proving favourable). Similarly (with mixture of senses 5, 6) to seek one's fortune.
1573Baret Alv. F 955, I will aduenture, or trie and seeke my fortune. 1700S. L. tr. Fryke's Voy. E. Ind. 13 Any one that hath a mind to see the Indies, and to try his Fortune. a1745Swift (J.), His father dying, he was driven to London to seek his fortune. 1749Fielding Tom Jones vii. x, To seek his fortune at sea, or rather, indeed, to fly away from his fortune on shore. c1790Willock Voy. 94 They thought proper to sail towards the western isles, and try their fortune a little longer.
d. That which is to befall a person in the future: chiefly in phr. to tell a person his fortune and to tell fortunes (said of would-be seers).
1375Barbour Bruce iv. 640 For, or ȝe pass, I sall ȝow schaw Of ȝour fortoun a gret party. 1413Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) iv. v. 60 Alisandre..fond two trees, whiche trees told hym his fortunes. 1647Cowley Mistress, My fate 19 You, who men's fortunes in their faces read. 1668Pepys Diary 11 Aug., This afternoon my wife and Mercer..to see the gypsies at Lambeth, and have their fortunes told. 1688Lond. Gaz. No. 2375/2 The Visier then demanded, if he could tell his own Fortune? 1847Marryat Childr. N. Forest xi, They were great thieves, and told fortunes, and played all manner of tricks.
4. absol. (= good fortune): Good luck; success, prosperity.
1390Gower Conf. III. 166 Though thou victoire have on honde, Fortune may nought stonde alwey. c1490Adam Bel & Clym of Clough 429 in Ritson Anc. Pop. P. 21 Then went they to supper, Wyth such meat as they had, And thanked god of ther fortune. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xxix. 43 He was entred into such fortune and grace of the people. 1546J. Heywood Prov. (1867) 62 God sendeth fortune to fooles. 1596Harington Metam. Ajax (1814) 9 A herald by great fortune found out his pedigree in an old church book. 1625Bacon Ess. Ep. Ded. (Arb.) 498 Your Fortune, and Merit both, haue been Eminent. a1698Temple Misc. ii. Wks. 1720 I. 163 This Terrestrial Globe..has since been surrounded by the Fortune and Boldness of several navigators. 1855Motley Dutch Rep. i. ii. (1866) 98 Saint Quentin being thus reduced, Philip was not more disposed to push his fortune.
5. One's condition or standing in life; often absol. a prosperous condition, as in to make one's fortune = to win a good position in the world. Also pl.
1600Shakes. A.Y.L. i. ii. 263 My pride fell with my fortunes. 1649Milton Eikon. 14 A private conscience sorts not with a public Calling: but declares that Person rather meant by nature for a private fortune. 1677Dryden State Innoc. v. 1 No, he shall eat, and dye with me, or live: Our equal crimes shall equal fortune give. 1680Otway Orphan i. i, Unable to advance her Fortune He left his Daughter to our Master's care. 1683W. Hacke Collect. Voy. (1699) i. 23 Had reason but ruled them, we might all have made our Fortunes. 1807–8W. Irving Salmag. xv. (1860) 355 If you only make a great man laugh now and then, your fortune is made. 1886Ruskin Præterita I. v. 142 John..went soon to push his fortune in Australia.
6. Position as determined by wealth; amount of wealth; concr. a person's possessions collectively, wealth, ‘substance’; † formerly also pl. in the same senses. a man, etc. of fortune: one possessing great (usually inherited) wealth. Also (with a and pl.) a stock of wealth, accumulated by an individual or received by inheritance, as a marriage portion, etc.; ordinarily implying a somewhat ample amount. Phr. to make a, one's fortune.
a small fortune (colloq.): used hyperbolically to designate the extravagantly large amount paid for some object of expenditure, or any large sum of money.
1596Spenser F.Q. vi. ix. 30 For wisedome is most riches; fooles therefore They are which fortunes doe by vowes devize. 1601Shakes. All's Well iii. vii. 14 You haue shew'd me that which well approues Y' are great in fortune. 1604― Oth. v. ii. 366 Seize vpon the Fortunes of the Moore. 1606― Ant. & Cl. ii. v. 49 Make thee a Fortune from me. 1647Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §123 He paid much too dear for his Wife's Fortune, by taking her Person into the bargain. 1653H. More Antid. Ath. Ep. Ded. (1712) 4 Those ample Fortunes that Divine Providence has bestowed upon you. 1725Berkeley Proposal Wks. III. 222 There is no prospect of making a fortune by this small trade. 1732― Alciphr. i. §12 Men of rank and fortune. 1791Mrs. Radcliffe Rom. Forest iii, A chevalier of family, but of small fortune. a1800Song, ‘My face is my fortune, Sir’, she said. 1836Marryat Midsh. Easy xxii, Imagining them..to be young Englishmen of fortune on their travels. 1874Hardy Far from Madding Crowd I. vi. 65 He played on with spirit, and in half an hour had earned in pence what was a small fortune to a destitute man. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 39 They might have made large fortunes out of them. 1886Sir J. Pearson in Law Rep. 32 Ch. Div. 46 Every one of the partners is liable to the full extent of his fortune for all the debts incurred by the partnership. 1912T. Dreiser Financier iv. 37 If he had been able to buy them all and dispose of them all as readily as he had his soap, he would have made a small fortune. 1951E. Paul Springtime in Paris iii. 53 Gobelin tapestries on the walls and old French rugs on the floors, each one worth a small fortune. 1962D. Mayo Island of Sin ii. 16 It's one of the least known islands in the group, and Doreen pays a small fortune to keep it that way.
†7. Short for: A woman of fortune; an heiress.
1655A. Johnson in Nicholas Papers (Camden) II. 251 The Lady Bath (one of the greatest fortunes here). 1676D'Urfey Mad. Fickle iii. ii, She's his Neece, a Widow, an approv'd fortune. 1711Steele Spect. No. 19 ⁋2 He is secretly married to a great Fortune. 1752Fielding Amelia ii. ii, She certainly was handsome..and a very considerable fortune. 1823Byron Juan xii. xxxii.
8. Astrol. A name for the planets Jupiter and Venus (see also quot. 1819).
1671Salmon Syn. Med. i. viii. 22 A Planet is said to be a Fortune when he is conjoyned to the Fortunes or beseiged of them or their beams. 1679Moxon Math. Dict., Fortunes, the two benevolent Planets {jup} and {female}, by reason of their kind and friendly Nature. 1819J. Wilson Dict. Astrol. s.v., The Sun..The Moon and Mercury are likewise esteemed as fortunes when well aspected by {jup} and {female}, and free from affliction. 1855Smedley Occult. Sc. 309 Jupiter, ‘the greater fortune’.
9. Comb., as fortune-maker, fortune-seeker; † fortune-bit, fortune-curst, fortune-favoured, fortune-proof, fortune-trodden adjs.; also fortune-book, ‘a book consulted to know fortune or future events’ (J.); fortune cookie N. Amer., a dessert, freq. served in Chinese restaurants, made from a thin dough folded and cooked around a slip of paper bearing a prediction or maxim; Fortune 500 U.S., (an annual list of) the five hundred most profitable U.S. industrial corporations; also attrib.; † fortune-flinger, humorous for fortune-teller; † fortune-speller = fortune-teller; † fortune-stealer, one who runs off with an heiress; so † fortune-stealing.
1682A. Behn City Heiress 56 Was ever man thus *Fortune bit, that he shou'd cross my hopes just in the nick?
1646Crashaw Love's Horosc. 12 A Face, in whose each looke, Beauty layes ope loves *Fortune-booke.
1962K. Orvis Damned & Destroyed xx. 149, I didn't need to break a *fortune-cookie to know about her. Your voice told me she is a very special girl. 1970Toronto Daily Star 24 Sept. 6/3 Chinese fortune cookies.
1649G. Daniel Trinarch., Rich. II, cxcvii, And 'tis but only Fooles are *Fortune-curst.
1898Daily News 6 Oct. 6/7 The more *fortune-favoured individuals. 1915W. J. Locke Jaffery i, He had put poor old Jaffery and fortune-favoured me in the shade.
[1955Fortune July (Suppl.) (title) The Fortune directory of the 500 largest U.S. industrial corporations.] 1972N.Y. Times 26 May 44/5 Speaking at the *Fortune 500 dinner at the St. Regis Hotel, Mr. Regan said, ‘the growing and blind prejudice against bigness may cripple our ability to compete internationally.’ 1983Forbes (N.Y.) Fall 223/3 Most of it is in the form of ownership of productive capital, potentially enough dough to buy up the Fortune 500 and still get change back.
1642Shirley Sisters iii. i, More antics yet? What nation have we here? *Fortune-flingers!
a1616Beaum. & Fl. Bonduca i. i, Are these the men that conquer by inheritance, The *fortune-makers.
1656Duchess of Newcastle True Relat. Nature's Pict. 383 And Misery hath tried us, and finds us *Fortune-proof.
1906Daily Chron. 5 May 4/7 A vast throng of *fortune-seekers.
1652Gaule Magastrom. 23 Away, then, with all..Planet Prognosticators, and *fortune spellers!
1712Addison Spect. No. 311 ⁋1 Those audacious young Fellows among us who commonly go by the name of *Fortune-Stealers.
1680Otway Orphan Epil. 19 The next Sparks that go a *Fortune-stealing.
1622H. Sydenham Serm. Sol. Occ. ii. (1637) 137 Hee that's *fortune-trodden.
Add:[9.]500, for def. read: a list of the five hundred largest U.S. industrial corporations, published annually in Fortune magazine (proprietary in the U.S.); the corporations themselves; similarly (from 1970) 1000(including a supplementary list of the next 500 largest companies).
1978Harvard Business Rev. May/June 29/1 Each of the *Fortune ‘1000’ industrial companies that were listed in May and June 1976.
▪ II. fortune, v.|ˈfɔːtjʊn|
Also 5 forteyn(e, 6 forten, fortone.
[a. OF. fortune-r to assign fortune to, make fortunate, ad. L. fortūnāre to make fortunate, f. fortūna: see fortune n.]
†1. trans. To assign a (certain) fortune to (a person, affair, etc.); to allot, regulate, or control the fortunes of. Obs.
c1386Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1519 O stronge god..that..hast in euery regne and euery lond Of armes al the brydel in thyn hond, And hem fortunest as thee list deuise. 1390Gower Conf. III. 361 With many an other mo, Which hadden be fortuned sore In loves cause. c1440Generydes 1431 Atte last, as god wold fortune it. 1606Shakes. Ant. & Cl. i. ii. 77 Deere Isis, keep decorum, and Fortune him accordingly!
†b. To ordain (a person), as his fortune or luck, to do something; to ordain (something) to happen, or that it shall happen. Obs.
c1430Syr Gener. 1187 If god you fortune oones come to elde. 1463Bury Wills (Camden) 18 What day God fortune yt I desesse. 1536Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) II. 371 Gif God fortunit him to be on live. 1600Fairfax Tasso v. xci, That Lord..Shall Fortune all your Actions well to speed.
†c. in Astrol.: To ascribe a (certain) fortune to.
c1386Chaucer Prol. 419 Wel cowde he fortune the ascendent Of his ymages for his pacient. 1477Norton Ord. Alch. v. in Ashm. (1652) 60 With Astrologie joyne Elements also, To fortune their Workings as theie goe.
†d. To give good fortune to, make fortunate.
14..Lydg. Temple Glas 903, I myself also Shal þe fortune er þi tale be do.
2. To endow with wealth or a fortune; to dower. (rare: cf. fortuned.) Also, to fortune off or out: to get (a daughter) off one's hands by dowering her.
1748Richardson Clarissa (1811) II. xxv. 166 He is to fortune her out to a young lover. 1835Tait's Mag. II. 31 In order that they may save a few hundreds for fortuning off their girls. 1838Ibid. V. 253 They have dowered their wives, and fortuned their daughters. 1881Miss Laffan in Macm. Mag. XLIV. 389 She grumbled..over the expensive schooling of her two grand-daughters. The money, in her opinion, would have been far better kept to ‘fortune them off’.
†3. intr. Of events, etc.: To happen, chance, occur. Const. to, unto, or dative obj. Obs.
c1369Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 288 Swiche meruayles fortuned than. 1424Paston Lett. No. 4 I. 14 What so ever fortunyd in the seyd pleynt. c1450Cokwolds Daunce 168 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 45 Hym selfe, noble kyng Arthour, Hath forteynd syche a chans. 1532G. Hervet Xenophon's Househ. (1768) 42 If any thynge fortuned well to vs, we gaue her parte of it. 1547Boorde Brev. Health ccl. 84 b, The impedimentes whiche doth fortune to the synewes. 1620Frier Rush 23 This night hath fortuned to me a great aduenture. 1739G. Ogle Gualth. & Gris. 104 All that fortunes, fortunes for the Best.
b. impers. it fortunes = it happens or befalls. Const. with clause; also to, with (a person) or with dative obj. Also with omission of it. arch.
1462J. Paston in P. Lett. No. 461 II. 115 It so fortuned your seid besecher cowd not performe the seid apoyntement. 1470–85Malory Arthur ix. xvii, Hit fortuned me that I was a slepe in the wyndowe. c1500Melusine xxiii. 156 Sith it hath fortuned thus with me. c1510Gesta Rom. Add. Stories (W. de W.) ii. 431 It fortuned after..yt he gaue batayll. 1590Marlowe Edw. II, ii. iii. ii, How fortunes that he came not? 1622Bacon Hen. VII (ed. Lumby) 172 It so fortuned, that he was taken by pirates at sea. 18..Lowell Dara Poet. Wks. (1879) 378 When it fortuned that a king more wise Endued the realm with brain and hands and eyes. 1886Burton Arab. Nts. I. 14 So it fortuneth that I am toiling..while thou takest thine ease.
†c. followed by obj. and inf. (Sometimes a dative obj.; sometimes the phrase is equivalent to L. acc. and inf., or to the subj.-clause in 3 b.) Obs.
c1420Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 204 A solom cite me fortunyd to fynde. 1487Will in Surrey Archæol. Collect. III. 163 At that auter before which it shall fortune me to be buried. 1508Fisher 7 Penit. Ps. i. Wks. (1876) 32 It may also fortune a man to be sory for his synne. 1577–87Holinshed Chron. III. 1119/1 If it fortune no issue male to be borne of this matrimonie. 1591Spenser M. Hubberd 631 Therefore if fortune thee in Court to liue. 1603Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 1279 If hereafter it should fortune any detriment..to be by any man..done unto the Hungarians. 1628Digby Voy. Medit. (1868) 3 If it should fortune each to loose other.
†4. With person or thing as subject: To happen or chance to be or to do (something). Obs.
1454E.E. Wills (1882) 134 All myne other goodes whatsoeuer they fortune to be, in valour. 1521Fisher Serm. agst. Luther Wks. (1876) 313 These daungerous tempestes of heresyes, whan so euer they fortune to aryse. 1570Thorne Song, This world is but a vanety vi. (1848), Yf thow fortune to be poore. 1658Bromhall Treat. Specters ii. 182 The Birth-day of the Emperor Augustus fortuned to fall on that very time. 1728Pope Dunc. ii. 73 Here fortun'd Curll to slide. 1798Young Let. in Mem. Dalzel (1862) 163 The Dean himself fortuning to be absent.
b. To come by chance upon (something). rare—1.
1662Evelyn Sculpt. iv. 38 Albert Durer..had performed wonders both in Copper and Wood, had he once fortun'd upon the least notion of that excellent manner, which came afterwards to be in vogue.
†c. ellipt. To chance to come to (a place).
a1520Joseph of Armathia 133 They fortuned to a countre of a tyraunt kene Called wales.
†d. To have a certain fortune, to fare. Obs.
1513Bradshaw St. Werburge ii. 1830 Whan ye in trauelyng vpon her do call..Ye fortune and spede well.
▪ III. † ˈfortune, adv. Obs.
[Cf. fortune v. 3 b and chance n. C.]
Mayhap, haply, perchance.
1513More in Grafton Chron. (1568) II. 797 If..one of hys tormentours might fortune breake his heade for marring of the play. a1605Montgomerie Misc. Poems v. 56 Ȝour feet are not so sicker sett Bot fortun ȝe may fall. |