| 释义 |
▪ I. berth, n.|bɜːθ|
Also 6–7 byrth, 6–9 birth.
[A nautical term of uncertain origin: found first in end of 16th c. Most probably a derivative of bear v. in some of its senses: see esp. sense 37, quot. 1627, which suggests that berth is = ‘bearing off, room-way made by bearing-off’; cf. also bear off in 26 b. The early spellings byrth, birth, coincide with those of birth ‘bearing of offspring, bringing forth,’ but it is very doubtful whether the nautical use can go back to a time when that word had the general sense ‘bearing’; it looks more like a new formation on bear, without reference to the existing birth.
(Of other derivations suggested, an OE. *beorᵹþ, *beorhþ ‘protection, defence, shelter’ (see barth), and Icel. byrði ‘the board, i.e. side of a ship’ (see berth v.2), do not well account for the original sense ‘sea-room.’ The sense is perhaps better explained by supposing berth to be a transposition of north. dial. breith = breadth; but of this historical evidence is entirely wanting.)]
1. Naut. ‘Convenient sea-room, or a fit distance for ships under sail to keep clear, so as not to fall foul on one another’ (Bailey 1730), or run upon the shore, rocks, etc. Now, chiefly in phrases, to give a good, clear, or (usually since 1800) wide berth to, keep a wide berth of: to keep well away from, steer quite clear of. Also transf. and fig.
1622R. Hawkins Voy. S. Sea (1847) 117 There lyeth a poynt of the shore a good byrth off, which is dangerous. 1626Capt. Smith Accid. Yng. Seamen 24 Watch bee vigilant to keepe your berth to windward. 1627― Seaman's Gram. xiii. 60 Run a good berth ahead of him. 1740Woodroofe in Hanway Trav. (1762) I. 274 It is necessary to give the..bank a good birth. 1793Smeaton Edystone L. 193 Giving the Lighthouse a clear birth of 50 fathoms to the southward. 1829Scott Demonol. x. 383 Giving the apparent phantom what seamen call a wide berth. 1854Thackeray Newcomes II. 150, I recommend you to keep a wide berth of me, sir. 1870Morris Earthly Par. I. i. 17 To keep the open sea And give to warring lands a full wide berth.
2. Naut. ‘Convenient sea-room for a ship that rides at anchor’ (Philips 1706); ‘sufficient space wherein a ship may swing round at the length of her moorings’ (Falconer).
1658Phillips, Berth, convenient room at Sea to moor a Ship in. 1692Capt. Smith's Seaman's Gram. i. xvi. 75 A Birth, a convenient space to moor a Ship in. [1696 Phillips has both Berth as in 1658and Birth as in Smith.] 1721Bailey, Birth and Berth [as above]. 1769–89Falconer Dict. Marine, Evitee, a birth [expl. as above]. 1781Westm. Mag. IX. 327 Perceiving neither the Isis nor Diana making any signs to follow, though both of them lay in clear births for so doing [cf. clear berth in 1]. 1854G. B. Richardson Univ. Code v. (ed. 12) 423 You have given our ship a foul berth, or brought up in our hawse. 1858in Merc. Mar. Mag. V. 226 The ship..may..choose her anchorage by giving either shore a berth of a couple of cables' length.
3. Hence, ‘A convenient place to moor a ship in’ (Phillips); the place where a ship lies when at anchor or at a wharf.
1706Phillips, Birth and Berth [see above]. 1731Bailey, Birth and Berth [as in Phillips]. 1754Fielding Voy. Lisbon, Before we could come to our former anchoring place, or berth, as the captain called it. 1793Smeaton Edystone L. §266 We let go an anchor and warped the buss to her proper birth. 1801Nelson in Nicolas Disp. (1845) IV. 366 That the squadron may be anchored in a good berth. 1879Castle Law of Rating 75 Certain berths for the use of steamers.
4. a. Naut. ‘A proper place on board a ship for a mess to put their chests, etc.’ (Phillips); whence, ‘The room or apartment where any number of the officers, or ship's company, mess and reside’ (Smyth, Sailor's Word-bk.).
1706Phillips s.v. Birth, Also the proper Place a-board for a Mess to put their chests, etc., is call'd the Birth of that Mess. 1748Smollett Rod Rand. xxiv. (Rtldg.) 63 When he had shown me their berth (as he called it) I was filled with astonishment and horror. 1836Marryat Midsh. Easy x. 30 The first day in which he had entered the midshipmen's berth, and was made acquainted with his messmates.
b. fig. (Naut.) Proper place (for a thing).
1732De Foe, etc. Tour Gt. Brit. (1769) I. 147 For the squaring and cutting out of every Piece, and placing it in its proper Byrth (so they call it) in the Ship that is in Building. 1758J. Blake Mar. Syst. 6 A hammock..shall be delivered him, and a birth assigned to hang it in.
c. transf. An allotted or assigned place in a barracks; a ‘place’ allotted in a coach or conveyance.
c1813Mrs. Sherwood Stories Ch. Catech. xiv. 115 Fanny Bell's berth was in one corner of the barracks. Ibid. 116 Kitty Spence was in her berth, playing at cards with her husband and two other men. 1816Scott Antiq. i, The first comer hastens to secure the best berth in the coach.
5. a. Naut. A situation or office on board a ship, or (in sailors' phrase) elsewhere.
1720De Foe Capt. Singleton x. (Bohn) 130 Going to Barbadoes to get a birth, as the sailors call it. 1755N. Magens Insurances II. 115 When Sailors..are discharged in foreign Parts, and do not meet with another Birth there. 1840R. Dana Bef. Mast xxii. 65, I wished..to qualify myself for an officer's berth. Ibid. xxviii. 97 He left us to take the berth of second mate on board the Ayacucho. 1876C. Geikie Life in Woods x. 177 He hoped to get a good berth on one of the small lake steamers.
b. transf. A situation, a place, an appointment. (Usually a ‘good’ or ‘comfortable’ one.)
1778F. Burney Evelina xvi. (1784) 103 You have a good warm birth here. 1781Mrs. Delany Corr. (1860) III. 51, I think I could find out a berth (the sea-phrase) for a chaplain. 1788T. Jefferson Corr. (1830) 412 Both will prefer their present births. 1850Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom iv. 26 I'll do the very best I can in gettin' Tom a good berth.
6. a. Naut. A sleeping-place in a ship; a long box or shelf on the side of the cabin for sleeping.
1796T. Jefferson Corr. (1830) 339 Better pleased with sound sleep and a warmer birth below it. 1809Byron Lines to Mr. Hodgson iii, Passengers their berths are clapt in. 1842T. Martin in Fraser's Mag. Dec., Just in time to secure the only sleeping-berth in the..steam-packet.
b. A sleeping-place of the same kind in a railway carriage or elsewhere.
1806Z. M. Pike Acc. Exped. Mississippi (1810) 81 We returned to the chief's lodge, and found a birth provided for each of us. 1838Amer. Railroad Jrnl. VII. 328 If you travel in the night you go to rest in a pleasant berth. 1885Harper's Mag. Apr. 698/2 The traveller..goes to sleep in his Pullman berth. 1885Weekly Times 2 Oct. 14/2 In the kitchens..are a couple of berths reached by a ladder. 1967Gloss. Caravan Terms (B.S.I.) 3 A caravan with two double beds, or one double and two singles, is a four-berth caravan. 1968Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 33 (Advt.), First Class all-inclusive fare, including lower berth and all meals.
7. Comb. berth-boards, ? the partitions dividing berths in a ship; berth-deck, the deck on which the passengers' berths are arranged; berth and space (see quot.).
1833Richardson Merc. Mar. Arch. 7 The distance from the moulding edge of one floor to the moulding edge of the next floor is called the birth and space, and is the room occupied by two timbers, the floor, and the first futtock. 1853Kane Grinnell Exp. xxvi. (1856) 213 This condensation is now very troublesome, sweating over the roof and berth-boards. 1856Olmsted Slave States 550 Scattering the passengers on the berth deck.
▪ II. berth, v.1|bɜːθ|
Also 6 byrth, 7 birth.
[f. prec. n.]
1. a. trans. To moor or place (a ship) in a suitable position. Also refl. of the ship or sailors.
1667Pepys Diary 30 June, The ‘Henery’..berthed himself so well as no pilot could ever have done better. 1673Camden Soc. Misc. (1881) 27 We..anchored againe, and birth'd our selves in our anchoring posture agreed on. 1871Daily News 30 June, There was no dry dock..where the monster ship could be berthed and cleaned.
b. intr. (for refl.) said of the ship.
1868Macgregor Voyage Alone 57 The Rob Roy glided past the pier and smoothly berthed upon a great mud bank.
2. a. trans. To allot a berth or sleeping-place to (a person), to furnish with a berth. Usually in pass.
1845Stocqueler Handbk. Brit. India (1854) 81 A general cabin, where two others are berthed. 1869Daily News 12 June, The lower deck, where the officers and crew are berthed. 1876Davis Polaris Exp. v. 122 Joe and Hans, with their families, were brought down and berthed below.
b. intr. To occupy a berth or berths.
1886Stevenson Kidnapped vii. 61 The round-house, where he berthed and served. 1902Westm. Gaz. 13 Sept. 6/2 The accommodation is very simple, consisting of berthing in two tiers in the women's ward, and feeding and living in a separate saloon.
3. To provide with a situation or ‘place.’
1865Leslie & Taylor Sir J. Reynolds ii. viii. 365 Comfortably berthed in the City Chamberlainship. 1885Manch. Exam. 14 Nov. 5/1 All four are berthed; not a man of the Fourth Party is left out.
▪ III. berth, v.2
Also 6 byrth.
[perh. f. Icel. byrði board or side of a ship.]
To board, cover or make up with boards. (Chiefly in Ship-building.) Hence berthed ppl. a. boarded. See berthing2.
1574R. Scot Hop Gard. (1578) 52 The chynkes creuises, and open ioyntes of your Loftes being not close byrthed, will deuoure the seedes of them. 1627Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. ii. 5 When you haue berthed or brought her vp to the planks. c1850Rudim. Navig. (Weale) 96 To berth up. A term generally used for working up a topside or bulkhead with board or thin plank.
▪ IV. berth(e
obs. form of birth. |