英语 编辑

其他形式 编辑

词源 编辑

源自中古英語 wherforwherforehwarfore,等价于where- (什么) +‎ for。 对比荷蘭語 waarvoor (为何)德語 wofür (为何)丹麥語挪威語 hvorfor (为何)瑞典語 varför (为何)。详见wherefor

发音 编辑

  • 英語發音wâ(r)'fô(r)"國際音標(幫助)/ˈweə(ɹ)ˌfɔː(ɹ)/
  • 英語發音hwâ(r)'fô(r)"國際音標(幫助)/ˈʍeə(ɹ)ˌfɔː(ɹ)/
  • 斷字:where‧fore

副词 编辑

wherefore (不可比)

  1. (连接副词疑问副词古舊) 何故为何为什么
  2. (连接副词陈述副词古舊正式) 因此
    • 2010 3月 17, House of the United States, House Resolution 1031[1]:
      Wherefore, Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr., is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office.
      (請為本引文添加中文翻譯)

用法说明 编辑

将“wherefore”解读为“where”是常见的误解,这种误读有时会出现在莎士比亚的《罗密欧与朱丽叶》的复述中,且常是为了喜剧效果。在《罗密欧与朱丽叶》中“Wherefore art thou Romeo?”(第2幕第2场第33句台词)意思不是“你在,罗密欧”,而是“为什么是你,罗密欧?”(“为什么你属于蒙塔古家族?”,即和朱丽叶的家族有世仇的一个家族)。[1]

连词 编辑

wherefore

  1. (古舊) 因此
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, [] (King James Version), London: [] Robert Barker, [], →OCLC, Isaiah 30:12–13,列號 1:
      Wherefore, thus ſaith the holy one of Iſrael, Becauſe ye deſpise this word, and truſt in oppreſſion and peruerſeneſſe, and ſtay thereon: Therefore this iniquitie ſhalbe to you as a breach ready to fall, ſwelling out in a high wall, whoſe breaking commeth ſuddenly at an inſtant.
      所以以色列的聖者如此說:『因為你們藐視這訓誨的話,倚賴欺壓和乖僻,以此為可靠的,故此,這罪孽在你們身上好像將要破裂凸出來的高牆,頃刻之間忽然坍塌。
    • 1914, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Mucker[2], The Gutenberg Project, 出版於 2009:
      Wherefore it was that by the time the authorities awoke to the fact that something had happened Billy Byrne was fifty miles west of Joliet, bowling along aboard a fast Santa Fe freight.
      (請為本引文添加中文翻譯)

名词 编辑

wherefore (複數 wherefores)

  1. 缘由目的
    • c. 1594, William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, 出自 Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: [] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, 出版於 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii],頁號 88,列號 2:
      Ant[ipholus of Syracuse]. Shall I tell you why? / S. Dro. [Dromio of Syracuse] I, ſir, and wherefore; for they ſay, euery why hath a wherefore.
      (請為本引文添加中文翻譯)
    • 1996, Richard Bausch, Good Evening Mr. & Mrs. America, and All the Ships at Sea,頁號 72:
      They want their money without reference to the hows and wherefores.
      (請為本引文添加中文翻譯)

衍生词汇 编辑

参考资料 编辑

  1. Gary Martin (1997–), “O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?”, The Phrase Finder, 取回于26 February 2017.