英文字根 mar
英文單字中，「mar」這個字根來自拉丁文 *”mare”*，意思是「海」。但在字根演變過程中，「mar」也被賦予了「傷害、損壞」的意涵，特別是來自中古英語的使用情境中。因此，這個字根出現的單字有些與「海」有關，有些則是與「破壞、污損」的概念相關，是一個相當有趣的字源系統。我們一起從30個字彙中，體會這個字根的延伸與變化。
- mar
- The scratches marred the surface of the table.
桌子表面的刮痕破壞了整體美觀。 - Don’t mar the celebration with your negativity.
別用你的負面情緒毀了這場慶祝活動。 - His bad temper marred his reputation.
他的壞脾氣毀了他的名聲。
詞義：損壞、破壞、污損。
- maritime
- Taiwan has a strong maritime tradition.
台灣有著悠久的海洋傳統。 - The museum focuses on maritime history.
這座博物館專注於海洋歷史。 - He studied maritime law at university.
他在大學修習海事法律。
詞義：海洋的、海事的。
- marine
- Marine animals are sensitive to pollution.
海洋生物對污染非常敏感。 - She’s working in the marine biology lab.
她正在海洋生物實驗室工作。 - The marine ecosystem is complex and fragile.
海洋生態系統複雜且脆弱。
詞義：海洋的、海生的、海軍的。
- submarine
- A submarine can stay underwater for months.
潛艇可以在水下停留好幾個月。 - They spotted a submarine off the coast.
他們在海岸外發現了一艘潛艇。 - The movie is about a nuclear-powered submarine.
這部電影講的是核動力潛艇。
詞義：潛水艇、海底的。
- mariner
- The old mariner told us fascinating stories.
老水手跟我們說了許多精彩的故事。 - Mariners must navigate with precision.
船員必須精準地航行。 - The mariner fought the storm all night.
水手整晚與暴風搏鬥。
詞義：水手、海員。
- marina
- They docked their boat at the marina.
他們把船停在小型遊艇港。 - The marina was crowded with tourists.
小港口擠滿了觀光客。 - We had lunch near the marina.
我們在小港口旁吃了午餐。
詞義：小型船港、遊艇碼頭。
- marinerous（少見，但為形容詞延伸用法）
- He lived a marinerous life, always at sea.
他過著海上漂泊的生活。 - The novel’s protagonist is a marinerous adventurer.
小說主角是一名航海冒險者。 - A marinerous spirit drove him to explore.
一股海洋精神驅使他去探索。
詞義：海員的、航海者風格的。
- marasmus
- Marasmus affects children with severe malnutrition.
嚴重營養不良會導致小兒消瘦症。 - The clinic treated cases of marasmus daily.
診所每天都在處理小兒消瘦症的病患。 - He died of marasmus after years of poverty.
他因長期貧窮導致小兒消瘦症而去世。
詞義：消瘦症、營養不良導致的身體衰弱。
- maremma
- Maremma dogs protect livestock in Italy.
馬雷瑪犬在義大利被用來保護牲畜。 - The Maremma region is known for its wild beauty.
馬雷瑪地區以原始自然風貌聞名。 - They raised sheep in the Maremma.
他們在馬雷瑪地區養羊。
詞義：義大利托斯卡納一地名；也作犬種名稱。
- marinate
- Marinate the chicken for two hours.
把雞肉醃兩小時。 - The meat was marinated in garlic and soy sauce.
肉用大蒜和醬油醃製。 - Marinated vegetables are popular in Korean cuisine.
醃製蔬菜在韓國料理中很常見。
詞義：醃漬、浸泡調味。
- margraviate
- The margraviate was ruled by a noble family.
侯國由一個貴族家族統治。 - That region once formed part of the margraviate.
該地曾是侯國的一部分。 - Margraviates were common in medieval Germany.
中世紀德國常見侯國的設置。
詞義：侯國（一種封建制度的地區）。
- margrave
- The margrave protected the empire’s borderlands.
侯爵負責保衛帝國邊境。 - A margrave had both military and civil duties.
侯爵兼具軍事與行政職責。 - The margrave was loyal to the king.
侯爵對國王忠誠。
詞義：侯爵、邊疆領主。
- marquetry
- The cabinet features fine marquetry work.
這個櫃子展現了精美的鑲嵌工藝。 - She learned the art of marquetry in France.
她在法國學會了鑲嵌技術。 - Marquetry adds elegance to furniture.
鑲嵌裝飾讓家具更有優雅氣息。
詞義：鑲嵌工藝（常用於木器裝飾）。
- marshal
- The general marshaled his troops at dawn.
將軍在黎明時整編部隊。 - She was chosen to marshal the parade.
她被選來指揮遊行。 - The air marshal boarded the flight discreetly.
空警悄悄地登上了飛機。
詞義：調度、指揮、軍官。
- marsh
- They walked through the marsh in boots.
他們穿著靴子走過沼澤地。 - The marsh is home to many birds.
沼澤是許多鳥類的棲息地。 - Heavy rains turned the field into a marsh.
豪雨使田地變成了沼澤。
詞義：沼澤、濕地。
- marshy
- The land was too marshy for farming.
土地太濕軟，無法耕種。 - They built a bridge over the marshy area.
他們在沼澤地上建了一座橋。 - Marshy terrain is hard to traverse.
沼澤地形很難通行。
詞義：濕地的、泥濘的。
- demarche
- The ambassador made a diplomatic demarche.
大使發出一項外交抗議。 - It was a bold demarche by the foreign ministry.
外交部此舉相當大膽。 - A formal demarche was delivered to the UN.
正式外交聲明已遞交給聯合國。
詞義：外交行動、正式聲明。
- marplot
- The marplot ruined the surprise party.
這個愛管閒事的人毀了驚喜派對。 - Don’t be a marplot—just follow the plan.
別當壞事的人，照計劃來就好。 - A marplot always gets in the way.
搗亂的人總是礙事。
詞義：壞事者、干擾者。
- mariticide
- He was accused of mariticide.
他被控謀害配偶。 - The case involved a rare mariticide.
這是一宗罕見的配偶殺人案。 - The court debated the motive for the mariticide.
法院辯論此配偶謀殺案的動機。
詞義：殺害配偶（尤指丈夫）的行為。
- marl
- Marl is used to improve soil.
泥灰土用來改善土壤。 - The farmer added marl to the field.
農夫在田裡加入泥灰土。 - Marl contains both clay and lime.
泥灰土含有黏土與石灰。
詞義：泥灰土、一種農業用土。
- maraud
- Bandits marauded through the countryside.
土匪在鄉間四處掠奪。 - The army was accused of marauding local villages.
軍隊被控掠奪當地村莊。 - Pirates used to maraud coastal towns.
海盜曾經襲擊沿海城鎮。
詞義：掠奪、劫掠。
- marauder
- The marauder was caught by the police.
掠奪者被警方逮捕。 - Villagers hid from the marauders.
村民躲避那些掠奪者。 - The forest was full of wild marauders.
森林中有許多野性掠奪者。
詞義：掠奪者、搶劫犯。
- marathon
- He completed the marathon in under four hours.
他在四小時內跑完馬拉松。 - Running a marathon requires stamina.
跑馬拉松需要耐力。 - They trained for months for the marathon.
他們為了馬拉松訓練了好幾個月。
詞義：馬拉松比賽、長時間持續的活動。
- marry
- They decided to marry next spring.
他們決定明年春天結婚。 - She married her college sweetheart.
她和大學戀人結婚。 - He doesn’t want to marry yet.
他還不想結婚。
詞義：結婚、嫁娶。
- marriage
- Their marriage has lasted 20 years.
他們的婚姻已經維持20年。 - Marriage involves commitment.
婚姻需要承諾。 - They are in a happy marriage.
他們婚姻幸福美滿。
詞義：婚姻、婚禮。
- marital
- They sought marital counseling.
他們尋求婚姻諮商。 - Marital problems affected his work.
婚姻問題影響了他的工作。 - Marital status is often asked on forms.
表格上常會問婚姻狀況。
詞義：婚姻的、夫妻間的。
- marionette
- The children watched a marionette show.
小朋友看了場木偶戲。 - He controls the marionette with strings.
他用線操控木偶。 - The marionette danced across the stage.
木偶在舞台上跳舞。
詞義：提線木偶。
- marinate
- Marinate tofu for flavor.
豆腐醃一下比較入味。 - They marinated the pork overnight.
他們把豬肉醃了一整晚。 - Marinating enhances taste.
醃製能增強味道。
詞義：醃製、入味。
- marvel
- She marveled at the sunset.
她讚嘆那美麗的夕陽。 - The invention was a marvel of technology.
這項發明是技術奇蹟。 - He marveled at her talent.
他對她的才華驚嘆不已。
詞義：奇蹟、讚嘆。
- marvelous
- That was a marvelous idea!
那真是個了不起的點子！ - They had a marvelous time in Japan.
他們在日本玩得很開心。 - She looked marvelous in that dress.
她穿那件洋裝看起來很美。
詞義：了不起的、令人驚嘆的。