tragedy: [14] Etymologically, a tragedy is probably a ‘goat-song’. The word comes via Old French tragedie and Latin tragoedia from Greek tragōidíā, a compound formed from trágos ‘goat’ and ōidé ‘song’ (source of English ode, parody, rhapsody, etc). It is thought that the underlying reference may be to a sort of ancient Greek drama in which the chorus were dressed as satyrs, goatlike woodland deities. => melody, ode, parody, prosody, rhapsody
tragedy (n.)
late 14c., "play or other serious literary work with an unhappy ending," from Old French tragedie (14c.), from Latin tragedia "a tragedy," from Greek tragodia "a dramatic poem or play in formal language and having an unhappy resolution," apparently literally "goat song," from tragos "goat" + oide "song" (see ode).
The connection may be via satyric drama, from which tragedy later developed, in which actors or singers were dressed in goatskins to represent satyrs. But many other theories have been made (including "singer who competes for a goat as a prize"), and even the "goat" connection is at times questioned. Meaning "any unhappy event, disaster" is from c. 1500.
实用例句
1. The story ascends from a gothic tragedy to a miraculous fairy-tale.
故事从一个哥特式悲剧升华为神奇的童话。
来自柯林斯例句
2. The national tragedy of rival groups killing each other continued throughout 1990.
敌对派别相互残杀的国家悲剧1990年全年都在上演。
来自柯林斯例句
3. She was too exhausted and distressed to talk about the tragedy.
她太累了，而且无比悲伤，没法谈论那场悲剧。
来自柯林斯例句
4. All that money brought nothing but sadness and misery and tragedy.
那笔钱带来的只有伤心、痛苦和悲剧。
来自柯林斯例句
5. She will need medical help and counselling to overcome the tragedy.
