| 释义 |
politeness|pə(ʊ)ˈlaɪtnɪs|
[f. as prec. + -ness.]
The quality of being polite.
†1. lit. Polish, smoothness of surface. Obs.
1627tr. Bacon's Life & Death (1651) 5 Smoothnesse, and Politenesse, of Bodies. 1669Gale Crt. Gentiles i. iii. iii. 47 Glasse is clear from its politenesse.
2. Mental or intellectual culture; polish, refinement, elegance, good taste (of writings, authors, etc.). Now rare.
1641Evelyn Diary 28 Aug., The politeness of the character and editions of what he has publish'd. 1725Cotes tr. Dupin's Eccl. Hist. 17th C. I. v. 215 The Elegance and Politeness of the Stile of it. 1768Hume Ess., Civil Liberty xi. 51 Dresden, not Hamburgh, is the centre of politeness in Germany. 1837–9Hallam Hist. Lit. I. i. i. §86. 78 In politeness of Latin style..we find an astonishing and permanent decline both in France and England.
3. Polished manners, courtesy. Also as a mock title for people of polite manners.
1702Eng. Theophrast. 108 Politeness may be defined a dextrous management of our Words and Actions whereby we make other people have better Opinion of us and them⁓selves. 1735J. Thomson Let. 20 Oct. in Sotheby's Catal. 19–22 Feb. (1896) 87 The gallant French this year have made war upon the Germans (I beg their Politeness's Pardon) like vermin—eat them up. 1757Smollett Reprisal i. i, The French will treat us with their usual politeness. 1802M. Edgeworth Moral T. (1816) I. vii. 45 Real politeness only teaches us to save others from unnecessary pain. 1856Emerson Eng. Traits, Aristocr. Wks. (Bohn) II. 83 Politeness is the ritual of society, as prayers are of the church. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 207 If politeness would allow me I should say, Perish yourselves. |