| 释义 |
agony|ˈægənɪ|
Also 4 agonye, 5–7 agonie.
[prob. formed by Wyclif on the L. agōnia of the Vulgate; though also found in 14th c. Fr., agonie. The L. is a. Gr. ἀγωνία contest, hence, mental struggle, anguish; f. ἀγών, agon q.v.]
The development of the senses in Gr. was:—1. A struggle for victory in the games; 2. Any struggle; 3. Mental struggle, anguish, e.g. Christ's anguish in Gethsemane. But the historical appearance of the meanings in Eng. was as follows:
1. a. Anguish of mind, sore trouble or distress, a paroxysm of grief. agony column, (a) the column of a newspaper that contains special advertisements, particularly those for missing relatives or friends, and thus often gives evidence of great distress; (b) a regular newspaper or magazine feature containing readers' questions about personal difficulties, with replies from the columnist; cf. problem page s.v. problem 7 (b); agony aunt(ie), a familiar name for the (female) editor of an agony column (sense b); in extended use, an adviser on personal, psychological, etc., problems.
c1386Chaucer Miller's T. 266 This man is falle..In som woodnesse, or in som agonye. 1494Fabyan v. cxvii. 91 Fredegunda..sore was abasshed, and in great fere and agony. 1611Bible 2 Mac. iii. 14 There was no small agonie throughout the whole citie. 1769Junius Lett. xix. 83 He sunk under the charge in an agony of confusion and despair. 1863Burton Bk. Hunter 40 It was agony to him to hear the beggar's cry of distress. 1863Fun 3 Oct. 23/2 Our own agony column. 1880Times 28 Dec. 10/1 A cryptogram in the agony column. 1930Wyndham Lewis Let. 30 July (1963) 190 The agony-column of the Times has echoed the rage of people who considered themselves attacked in the Apes. 1975P. Makins Evelyn Home Story 9 Perhaps the biggest obstacle the ‘agony aunties’ faced in the 'thirties was that neither the queries they dealt with nor the publications which printed them were taken seriously. Ibid. xiv. 158 The actual writing style of agony columns has changed quite noticeably over the years. 1979Observer 11 Mar. 9 Marriage is something I've never wanted and writing an agony column has confirmed that.—Irma Kurtz. 1979R. Kent Aunt Agony Advises xii. 265 Perhaps a university should start an agony auntie course. 1983Daily Tel. 7 Nov. 3/4 Confidential counselling ‘agony aunts’—to help police officers under stress is recommended in a report presented to chief constables. 1984S. Townsend Growing Pains A. Mole 19, I can't go on like this. I have written to Auntie Clara, the Agony Aunt.
b. Hence, Intensity or paroxysm of pleasure.
a1725Pope Odyssey x. 492 With cries and agonies of wild delight. 1877Mrs. Oliphant Mak. Flor. v. 138 He struck the marble in an agony of pleasure and content, bidding it ‘Speak’!
2. spec. The mental struggle or anguish of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane.
1382Wyclif Luke xxii. 43 And he maad in agonye [ether angwische or stryf] preiede lengere. [Vulg. Et factus in agonia, prolixius orabat.] 1526Tindale ibid., He was in an agonye. 1557Genev. ibid., And being in an agonie, he prayed more earnestly. [So 1611 and Revised.] 1864Tennyson Aylmer's F. 793 As cried Christ ere His agony.
3. The convulsive throes, or pangs of death; the death struggle. (med.L. agon mortis.) Seldom now used in this sense without qualification, as agony of death, mortal agony.
1549Compl. Scotl. xiv. 121 Quhen darius vas in the agonya and deitht thrau. 1588Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 867 To moue wilde laughter in the throate of death? It cannot be, it is impossible: Mirth cannot moue a soule in agonie. 1715Burnet Own Time (1766) I. 432 On a sudden she fell into the agony of death. 1836Todd Cycl. Anat. & Phys. I. 800/1 The death-struggle, or agony.
4. a. Extreme bodily suffering, such as to produce writhing or throes of the body.
1607Dekker Westward Hoe (1873) II. 347 O quickly, quickly, shees sicke and taken with an Agony. 1667Milton P.L. ii. 861 Here in perpetual agonie and pain. 1725De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 157 The agony the poor woman was in. 1859Tennyson Elaine 850 Brain-feverous in his heat and agony. 1864― Boadicea 84 Ran the land with Roman slaughter, multitudinous agonies.
b. transf. and fig.
1835–40etc. [see pile v.2 2 b]. 1863Geo. Eliot Let. 23 Oct. (1956) IV. 111 We shall soon be in the agonies of moving. 1924R. Campbell Flaming Terrapin ii. 25 The mountains frown, Locked in their tetanous agonies of stone. 1932W. B. Yeats Words for Music 2 Dying into a dance, An agony of trance, An agony of flame that cannot singe a sleeve.
5. A struggle or contest. (Rarely without some shade of the preceding senses.)
1677Decay Chr. Piety 408 (T.) Till he have thus denudated himself of all these encumbrances he is utterly unqualified for these agonies. 1859De Quincey Cæsars Wks. X. 89 He was most truly in an agony, according to the original meaning of that word; for the conflict was great between two master principles of his nature. 1865Carlyle Fredk. Gt. VII. xviii. ii. 117 Which lasted..above three hours; and was the crisis, or essential agony, of the Battle. |