dismiss sth as a picayune
as 后接名词短语,表示把某事看作无足轻重的东西。
The editor dismissed the typing error as a picayune.
编辑把那个打字错误当作微不足道的小事而不予理会。
微不足道的人或事物;琐事
旧时西班牙半里亚尔硬币;小钱币;五分钱币;微不足道的事物;无足轻重的人
a petty or insignificant person or thing
小钱币;五分钱币;微不足道的;不值钱的
s (informal) small and of little importance
We wasted the whole morning discussing a picayune, the size of the logo on the brochure.
我们浪费了整个上午讨论一件微不足道的小事——宣传册上标志的大小。
用法提示:picayune 为单数名词,指“微不足道的小事”,作 discussing 的宾语。
She considered the delay a picayune and told everyone to move on.
她认为这次延误只是件小事,并让大家继续前进。
用法提示:picayune 为单数名词,作宾语补足语,表示“小事、琐事”。
Their disagreement was over a picayune, yet it ended their partnership.
他们的分歧起因于一件琐事,却结束了他们的合作关系。
用法提示:picayune 为单数名词,作介词 over 的宾语,指“琐事”。
as 后接名词短语,表示把某事看作无足轻重的东西。
The editor dismissed the typing error as a picayune.
编辑把那个打字错误当作微不足道的小事而不予理会。
用于比较,说明前者在后者面前不值一提。
For the company, the refund was a picayune compared with the damage to its reputation.
对公司来说,那笔退款与名誉受到的损害相比微不足道。
such a 后接可数名词单数,语气上带有不值一提的意味。
I would not let such a picayune ruin the whole evening.
我不会让这样一件小事毁掉整个晚上。
grammar · medium
易错句子He wastes his time worrying about many picayune.
正确表达He wastes his time worrying about many picayunes.
picayune 作名词指“微不足道的事物”时是可数名词,复数必须加 -s;汉语名词不标复数,容易漏掉词尾。many 只能修饰可数名词复数,所以要用 many picayunes。
grammar · medium
易错句子They are always quarrelling for picayunes.
正确表达They are always quarrelling over picayunes.
quarrel 表示“为某事争吵”时,介词用 over 或 about 引出争执的起因;for 表示“为了得到某物”,会把意思变成“为了得到琐碎的东西而争吵”。汉语“为……争吵”的“为”不能直译成 for。
trifle 指不值一提的小事或极少的量,常用 a trifle 表示“稍微”;picayune 作名词指琐碎的人或事物,更书面、更罕见,贬义也更重,指人时尤其明显。
triviality 侧重“琐碎”这一性质或一连串无足轻重的事,多用复数;picayune 是可数名词,指具体的琐碎人或物,语域更文学化,现代英语中很少用。
petty 是形容词,须修饰名词或作表语;picayune 在此为名词,要与冠词连用,如 a picayune。两者含义接近,但词性不同,不能直接替换。
picayune + -ish
picayunish + -ly
picayunish + -ness
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