| 释义 |
dictation|dɪkˈteɪʃən|
[ad. late L. dictātiōn-em, n. of action from dictāre to dictate.]
The action of dictating.
1. a. The pronouncing of words in order to their being written down.
1727Bailey vol. II, Dictation, a pronouncing or dictating of any Thing to another Man to be written by him. 1784Johnson Dec. in Boswell, Dictation.. would be performed as speedily as an amanuensis could write. 1842H. Rogers Introd. Burke's Wks. (1842) I. 8 Sketches, either actually written by himself or at his dictation. 1868Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) II. viii. 272 Some evident slip of dictation or copying. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 12, I will write out the charm from your dictation.
attrib.1870Dickens E. Drood iv, My style became traceable in the dictation-exercises of Miss Brobity's pupils. 1894Westm. Gaz. 23 Feb. 6/3 A dictation cylinder will contain from 1,000 to 1,200 words.
b. [Cf. Fr. dictée.] The school exercise of transcribing a dictated passage, esp. one in a foreign language; an instance of such transcription.
1789E. Wynne in Wynne Diaries 18 Aug. (1935) I. 1 Mademoiselle Eberts gave us our dictation as Mons. Fries is away. 1854E. Ruskin Let. 4 Feb. in M. Lutyens Millais & Ruskins (1967) 133, I hear Sophie practise an hour, then her spelling, Dictation, arithmetic. 1892School Inspector's Rep. in S. E. Ellacott Everyday Things in England 1914–68 vi. 86 Dictation in the second and fourth Standards needs attention. 1969N. Freeling Tsing-Boum xix. 138 Four large horrible faults in your dictation... Write it out again.
2. a. Authoritative utterance or prescription.
a1656Bp. Hall Rem. 148 (T.) Heresies..maintained to the death under the pretence of the dictation and warrant of God's spirit! a1805Paley (Webster, 1828), It affords security against the dictation of laws. 1844Disraeli Coningsby ii. i, The terms were at his own dictation.
b. Arbitrary command; the exercise of dictatorship.
1856Froude Hist. Eng. I. 188 It would have probably been unsafe for the crown to attempt dictation or repression. 1858Ibid. III. xiii. 88 The proud English nobles had now for the first time to..submit to the dictation of a lay peer. 1861May Const. Hist. (1863) II. x. 220 No sooner has the dictation of any journal..become too pronounced, than [etc.].
3. Something dictated.
1841Myers Cath. Th. iii. §32. 116 Had they been the very dictations of the Almighty.
4. attrib., as dictation speed, the speed of speech (as) of a person dictating.
1957H. Nicolson Let. 21 Feb. (1968) III. 332 ‘Has your husband joined you,’ asked Vita at dictation-speed, ‘or is he still in Formosa?’ 1971M. Russell Deadline v. 51 Larkin recounted the incident at dictation speed. |
