小词详解 | furry

小词详解 | furry
furry 英 [ˈfɜːri] 美 [ˈfɜːri]

TOEFL

外刊例句

  • AIBO, a robotic puppy with artificial intelligence (AI) made by Sony, and Paro, a furry seal made by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, are therapeutic robots for children and patients with dementia.
    索尼制造的人工智能机器小狗爱宝和日本国立产业技术综合研究所制造的毛茸茸的机器海豹Paro是针对患儿和痴呆患者的治疗型机器人。
    ——《经济学人》
  • Humankind’s common ancestor with other mammals may have been a roughly rat-size animal that weighed no more than a half a pound, had a long furry tail and lived on insects.
    人类和其他哺乳动物的共同祖先可能是一只大致上老鼠大小的动物,体量不超过半斤,有毛茸茸的长尾巴,而且以昆虫为食。
    ——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[adjective] covered with fur
[形容词] 覆盖毛皮的

深入解读

Furry 一词是英语单词 fur (软毛、毛皮)的衍生词,由 fur + y (多……的、有……的、如……的、属……的)构成,主要表示“覆盖毛皮的”或“穿戴毛皮衣物的”,比如:

  • 毛茸茸的小动物
    small furry animals
  • 这几座山上绿树满坡,像是披了件毛皮外衣。
    These hills look furry with trees.

再进一步引申,还可以指“毛皮的、毛皮制的、毛皮镶边”或“似毛皮的、毛皮般柔软的”,比如:

  • 罗茜有一大堆毛绒玩具。
    Rosie has a massive collection of furry toys.
  • 苔藓柔软,摸起来像绒毛。
    The moss was soft and furry to the touch.

潮湿的环境容易滋生苔藓,而人生病时则容易滋长异样舌苔,这在英语里可以说 have a furry tongue 。

另外在口语里, furry 还可以表示“人形动物角色扮演爱好者”或“小型毛皮动物,尤指啮齿动物”。值得注意的是, furry 与 ferry (摆渡、渡运;渡船)形似,在阅读写作时要注意区别。

名著用例

As Harry sat down, a furry ginger cat with a squashed face jumped onto his knees and settled there, purring.
哈利刚坐下,一只扁平脸、毛茸茸的姜黄色的猫就跳上了他的膝头,趴在他腿上呼噜呼噜地叫着。

出自英国作家J.K.罗琳创作的长篇小说《哈利·波特与混血王子》(Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)。该小说是《哈利·波特》系列的第六部。

同近义词

  • hairy: covered with hair, especially thick or long hair
  • downy: covered with fine soft hair or feathers
  • fuzzy: having a frizzy, fluffy, or frayed texture or appearance