murky
英 ['mɜːki] 美 ['mɜːrki]
adj.黑暗的；朦胧的；烟雾弥漫的；含糊的；隐晦的
◉Etymology
“Murky”源自中古英语“mirky”或“merky”，意为“黑暗的”或“阴沉的”，可追溯到古英语“mirce”（黑暗）。这个词与日耳曼语系的“merk-”（暗）有关联，如古诺斯语“myrkr”（黑暗）。其最初含义与光线的缺失或环境的昏暗密切相关，到14世纪后逐渐扩展，涵盖了水体浑浊或事物不明朗的抽象意义。词形从“mirky”演变为“murky”，语感上更柔和，但保留了阴郁的核心。
◉外刊例句
① 《The New Yorker》 (2023年11月10日)
The river ran murky after the storm, hiding whatever lay beneath its surface.
暴风雨后，河水变得浑浊，掩盖了水面下的一切。
② 《Financial Times》 (2024年8月22日)
The company’s finances remain murky, with regulators questioning hidden transactions.
公司的财务状况依然不明朗，监管机构对隐藏交易提出质疑。
◉经典名著
① 《雾都孤儿》（Oliver Twist）——查尔斯·狄更斯 (1838年)
The night was dark and murky, with a fog that swallowed the streets whole.
夜晚黑暗而阴沉，雾气吞没了整个街道。
② 《呼啸山庄》（Wuthering Heights）——艾米莉·勃朗特 (1847年)
His thoughts grew murky as the storm raged outside, mirroring the chaos within.
随着外面的暴风雨肆虐，他的思绪变得模糊，映衬了内心的混乱。
◉Usage Examples
(1) The criminal was chained in a murky dungeon.
(2) This murky sort of business would scandalise any country.
(1) 犯人被链子锁在黑暗的地牢里。
(2) 黑暗的金钱交易可以丑化任何一个国家。
◉Usage Notes
Something that's murky is dim, gloomy or hard to see through clearly. Think of the dark fog around a haunted house or the cloudy, muddy water in a swamp.
Rarely used before the 17th century, this adjective came about by adding a "y" to the word murk. Murk itself evolved from myrkr, a Norse word for "darkness.” Things that are murky are unclear; that goes for murky, sediment-filled lakes, shady business deals, and arguments that don't seem to make any sense.
◉Colins
1. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词]阴暗的；昏暗的 A murky place or time of day is dark and rather unpleasant because there is not enough light.
① The large lamplit room was murky with woodsmoke...
木柴冒出的烟把亮着灯的大房间弄得烟雾弥漫。
② It happened at Stamford Bridge one murky November afternoon.
这发生在11月一个阴沉的下午，斯坦福德桥上。
2. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词](水或雾)污浊的，浑浊的 Murky water or fog is so dark and dirty that you cannot see through it.
...the deep, murky waters of Loch Ness.
内斯湖幽深浑浊的湖水
3. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词]暧昧可疑的；不可告人的 If you describe an activity or situation as murky, you suspect that it is dishonest or morally wrong. [disapproval] [BRIT 英]
There has been a murky conspiracy to keep them out of power.
有人策划了一个不可告人的阴谋要将他们排斥在权力中心之外。
4. [ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词]含糊不清的；难以理解的 If you describe something as murky, you mean that the details of it are not clear or that it is difficult to understand.
① The law here is a little bit murky...
此处的法律条文有点含糊不清。
② The origins of bull-riding, which serves no practical purpose, are murkier.
骑牛赛没有实际意义，其起源比较令人费解。
