| 释义 |
▪ I. imagine, v.|ɪˈmædʒɪn|
Forms: 4–6 ymagyn(e, -gene, 5–6 ymagine, imagyne, -gene, 6 ymagin, -en, imagyn, -en, ymmagen, immagin(e, -gyne, 6–7 imagin, 5– imagine.
[a. F. imaginer (1297 in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. L. imāgināre to form an image of, represent, fashion, in middle voice imāginārī to picture to oneself, fancy, imagine, f. imāgin-em image.]
I. trans.
1. a. To form a mental image of, to represent to oneself in imagination, to picture to oneself (something not present to the senses).
1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 6847 Alle þe men of cristianté Couthe noght, thurgh witt, ymagyn right, Ne descryve swa hydus a sight. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) xxv. 114 Þai er so curiousely made þat na man may ymagyn mare curious. c1566J. Alday tr. Boaystuau's Theat. World M, A thing..that it is not possible for man to ymagine the like without seeing. 1601R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. (1603) 188 By the multitudes of people (before spoken of) you may imagine the state of his forces. 1638F. Junius Paint. of Ancients 19 Phidias..had a singular abilitie to imagine things invisible after a most majesticall manner. 1739Hume Hum. Nat. ii. ii. (1874) I. 339 'Tis an establish'd maxim in metaphysics..That nothing we imagine is absolutely impossible. 1780A. Young Tour Irel. 288 Surrounded by the most tremendous mountains that can be imagined. 1862H. Spencer First Princ. i. ii. §11 (1875) 34 The non-existence of space cannot, however, by any mental effort be imagined. 1874Green Short Hist. viii. §5. 511 Milton's imagination is not strong enough to identify him with the world which he imagines.
b. with obj. clause.
1586A. Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 101, I cannot easily imagine how you may be served better. 1656–9B. Harris Parival's Iron Age (ed. 2) 108 They could not imagine, that the said Dam..would be able to hinder their passage. 1697W. Dampier Voy. I. 175, I cannot imagin wherefore they are called so.
2. To create as a mental conception, to conceive; to assume, suppose (as a mathematical line or figure). Also with obj. clause or obj. and inf.
c1380Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. I. 168 Þei seien, þere is noon siche, but siche oon þei ymagynen. c1391Chaucer Astrol. i. §14 This forseide grete Pyn in maner of an extre is ymagyn[e]d to be the Pol Artyk. Ibid. ii. §39 The longitude of a clymat ys a lyne ymagined fro Est to west. 1522More De Quat. Noviss. Wks. 75/1 Imagine your self in the same case, & I think ye wil think yea. 1549Compl. Scot. vi. 48 Ȝe sal ymagyn ane lyne that passis throucht the spere..; at the endis of the said lyne ȝe sal ymagyne tua sternis. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 1298 Imagine you see before your eyes your wyves, and daughters in daunger. 1617Moryson Itin. iii. 215 This law is thus practised..imagining there be three brothers, Thomas, John, and Andrew, and it happening, that Thomas first dies leaving [etc.]. 1659D. Pell Impr. Sea 85 That hee would strongly imagine Cato..to bee in presence.
3. To conceive in the mind as a thing to be performed; to devise, plot, plan, compass. Also with inf. Now a biblical or legal archaism.
[1351Act 25 Edw. III, Stat. v. c. 2 Qant homme fait compasser ou ymaginer la mort nostre Seignr le Roi.] c1380Sir Ferumb. 3244 Ymagened y haue anoþer þyng to conquery þe tour at ones. c1426Paston Lett. No. 4 I. 12 Purposyng and imaginyng to putte William Paston in drede. 1491Act 7 Hen. VII, c. 23 Preamb., Richard White..traitrously ymagened and compassed the dethe and destruccion of oure seid Souvereigne Lord. 1535Coverdale Ps. ii. 1 Why do..the people ymagyn [R.V. marg. meditate] vayne thinges? Ibid. lxi[i]. 3 How longe wil ye ymagin myschefe agaynst euery man? 1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 112 Now that the Frenchemen..daily imagened to destroye the Englishe pale. 1632J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 34 The Count could imagine no possible meanes to overtake the Admirall. 1707J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. ii. vi. 100 To imagine the Death of the Prince..is made High Treason. 1747Gentl. Mag. XVII. 151/1 Lord Lovat..did..traitorously compass and imagine the death of his majesty. 1769Blackstone Comm. IV. vi. (1830) 78–9 What is a compassing or imagining the death of the King, &c. These are synonymous terms; the word compass signifying the purpose or design of the mind or will..But, as this compassing or imagining is an act of the mind, it cannot possibly fall under any judicial cognizance, unless it be demonstrated by some open, or overt, act. 1839Keightley Hist. Eng. II. 29 Fisher..also was arraigned for imagining to deprive the king of his title and dignity.
†4. To consider, ponder, meditate, bethink oneself. (With obj. clause.) Obs.
c1386Chaucer Clerk's T. 542 Now gooth he ful faste ymaginyng, If by his wyues cheere he myght se..that she Were chaunged. c1430Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 242 Lyggyng allone I gan to ymagyne, How with foure tymes departyd is the yeer. a1533Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) O v, Euer he imagined, how to do plesure to the peple. 1582N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. lxxii. 149 [He] did imagine againe what course he might best take to reuenge himselfe.
5. To conjecture, guess, suspect, suppose.
a. with simple obj., obj. clause, or obj. and inf.
c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 1410 Hypsip., This Pelleus hadde gret enuye, Imagynynge that Iason myghte be Enhaunsede so..That from his regne he myghte ben put a doun. 1477Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 67 Ymagyne no thing to be in him, but that, that is nedfulle goode and couenable. 1548Hall Chron., Rich. III 46 b, No suche fraude suspectynge, nor yet any treason ymagenynge. 1648Gage West Ind. vi. 18 They presently imagined the truth that hee could not come thither but with some Spaniard. 1700S. L. tr. Fryke's Voy. E. Ind. 36 In vain did I imagine many things, to be the natural causes of it.
b. with obj. and compl.
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 197 b, Whiche in no wyse..ought to be ymagyned in y⊇ deite. 1559W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse Pref. A iv b, The situation of Paradice..some imagen it ether in heaven or in the harts of the quiet and faithfull. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 2 Wee bore up to speake with them, imagining them Enemies and men of warr, but they proved Flemings and our Friends. 1774C. J. Phipps Voy. N. Pole 48 We imagined ourselves in rather more than eighty degrees and a half. 1792W. Roberts Looker-on No. 33 ⁋10 Except you opened his mouth, you might imagine him in the full prime and mettle of his years.
6. a. To form an idea or notion with regard to something not known with certainty; to think, suppose, fancy, ‘take into one's head’ (that); often implying a vague notion not founded on exact observation or reasoning.
1548Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 153 b, The greate Turke..imagened that hys time was come, to do some greate act in Christendom. 1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 156 It is not to be surmised, nor imagined, that the mention of these matters is unseasonable. 1641J. Jackson True Evang. T. iii. 199 A plot..invented, one would imagine, not by men, but by Cacodæmons. 1687A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. ii. 83 You must not imagine to find such lovely Grass-plats and borders of Flowers as are in Europe. 1726G. Shelvocke Voy. round World (1757) 75 In short one would imagine it impossible that any thing living could subsist in so rigid a climate. 1759Johnson Rasselas ix, I doubt not of the facts which you relate, but imagine that you impute them to mistaken motives. 1802M. Edgeworth Moral T. (1816) I. i. 7 He did not imagine that he could reform every abuse. 1863Geo. Eliot Romola ii. iv, Tito felt that Romola was a more unforgiving woman than he had imagined.
b. colloq. To believe or suppose. Also used with aposiopesis in phr. can you imagine?
1947N. Marsh Final Curtain x. 150 We all opened our letters yesterday morning, at breakfast. Can you imagine? I got down first and really—such a shock! 1952E. Grierson Reputation for Song iii. 20 ‘Is your mother coming down?’ ‘I imagine so.’ 1961Guardian 25 May 10/4 Naïvely imagining that MI 5 was only blood⁓hounding those with suspected Cliveden or Mosley ideas. 1968D. Devine Sleeping Tiger i. 12 Peter borrowed the Jag to bring her here and he scraped it on the gate! Can you imagine? 1971C. Bonington Annapurna South Face iii. 28 At times, though, in these hectic weeks of organization, as I imagine happens with any expedition, it seemed we should never make our deadline for packing all our gear ready to go to India. 1973Listener 20 Dec. 841/2 This prospect must bring a lot of cheer to the Speaker... I imagine that after Mr Ford's swearing-in he slept the sleep of the just.
II. intr.
†7. To think, meditate; to form designs. Obs. (intr. to 3 and 4.)
1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 289 With Inwit and with out⁓witt ymagenen and studye As best for his body be. c1460Ross La Belle Dame sans Mercy 14 Þer-vpon a while I stood musyng, and in my self gretly ymagynyng. 1462Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 270 The fals traytours agayne hym ymagynynge. 1589Cogan Haven Health ccxvii. (1636) 241 Divines that imagine and study upon high and subtile matters.
8. To form mental images or ideas; to exercise the imagination. (intr. to 1 and 2.)
1631Widdowes Nat. Philos. 52 Pleasant dreames are when the spirits of the braine, which the soule useth to imagine with, are most pure and thin. 1700T. Brown tr. Fresny's Amusem. Ser. & Com. 5 He who Imagines Briskly, Thinks Justly, and Writes Correctly, is an Original [Author]. 1809Syd. Smith Wks. (1859) I. 183/2 If it can be shown that women may be trained to reason and imagine as well as men [etc.].
9. to imagine of: = sense 1. (Cf. conceive of, think of, know of.)
1586A. Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 61 A minde..that could never so much as thinke or imagine of things contemptible. 1587Turberv. Trag. T. (1837) 153 Imagine of their joyes, Whom filthie sinne did linke. 1825Scott Talism. iv, In his wildest rapture the knight imagined of no attempt to follow or to trace the object of such romantic attachment.
Hence iˈmagining ppl. a., that imagines.
1660S. Fisher Rusticks Alarm Wks. (1679) 348 Alas poor imagining Man!
▪ II. † imagine, n. Obs. rare—1.
[f. prec. vb.]
? Device, contrivance: cf. imaginement.
1594Peele Battle Alcazar ii. Introd., By this imagine was this barbarous Moor Chas'd from his dignity and diadem. |