• n. 寓言，比喻；隐晦或谜般的格言

来自希腊语parabole,比较，对话，类比，来自para-,在旁，在周围，-bole,扔，投掷，词源同ballet,ballistic.即扔在旁边的，引申词义打比方，讲寓言故事。拼写受-able影响俗化。

parable

parable: [14] The etymological idea underlying parable is of ‘drawing analogies’. It comes via Old French parabole and Latin parabola from Greek parabolé, a derivative of parabállein. This was a compound verb formed from pará ‘beside’ and bállein ‘throw’ (source of English ballistic [18]). It meant ‘put beside’, hence ‘compare’.

Its derived noun parabolé was used for a ‘comparison’ or ‘analogy’, and hence in the Christian tradition for an ‘allegorical or moral narrative’. The geometrical sense of the term, acquired by English directly from Latin as parabola [16], comes from the notion of ‘comparability’ or ‘parallelism’ between the section of a cone that forms the parabola and an element in the cone’s surface.

Etymologically the same word is parole [17], which reached English via Vulgar Latin *paraula and Old French parole ‘word’. Its use for ‘conditional release’ is based on the notion of the prisoner giving his ‘word of honour’ to be of good behaviour.
=> ballistic, palaver, parabola, parliament, parole

parable (n.)

mid-13c., parabol, modern form from early 14c., "saying or story in which something is expressed in terms of something else," from Old French parable "parable, parabolic style in writing" (13c.), from Latin parabola "comparison," from Greek parabole "a comparison, parable," literally "a throwing beside," hence "a juxtaposition," from para- "alongside" (see para- (1)) + bole "a throwing, casting, beam, ray," related to ballein "to throw" (see ballistics).

Replaced Old English bispell. In Vulgar Latin, parabola took on the meaning "word," hence Italian parlare, French parler "to speak" (see parley (n.)).

1. This is an ancient parable.

这是一个古老的寓言.

来自《简明英汉词典》

2. The story is a pleasing parable of the problems created by an excess of wealth.

这是个令人开怀的寓言，讲的是财富过剩造成的问题。

来自柯林斯例句

3. I launched into the parable, embellishing the story with invented dialogue and extra details.

我开始讲那则寓言，并编造了些对话，加了些细节对其进行润色。

来自柯林斯例句

4. That parable is quite apt. "

这比喻还算俏皮. ”

来自汉英文学 - 围城

5. I see that I have lapsed into parable and ecstatic declamation.

我知道我在比喻和狂喜的辩论中造成了遗误.

来自辞典例句