ambiguous的意思

ambiguous

英 [æm'bɪgjʊəs] 美 [æm'bɪɡjuəs]

ambiguous: ambiguous: [16] Ambiguous carries the etymological notion of ‘wandering around uncertainly’. It comes ultimately from the Latin compound verb ambigere, which was formed from the prefix ambi- (as in AMBIDEXTROUS) and the verb agere ‘drive, lead’ (a prodigious source of English words, including act and agent). From the verb was derived the adjective ambiguus, which was borrowed directly into English. The first to use it seems to have been Sir Thomas More: ‘if it were now doubtful and ambiguous whether the church of Christ were in the right rule of doctrine or not’ A dialogue concerning heresies 1528.
=> act, agent
ambiguous (adj.): 1520s, from Latin ambiguus "having double meaning, shifting, changeable, doubtful," adjective derived from ambigere "to dispute about," literally "to wander," from ambi- "about" (see ambi-) + agere "drive, lead, act" (see act). Sir Thomas More (1528) seems to have first used it in English, but ambiguity dates back to c. 1400. Related: Ambiguously; ambiguousness.

1. The manifesto is long-winded, repetitious and often ambiguous or poorly drafted.: 这份声明冗长繁复，多处存在歧义或行文拙劣。

2. This agreement is very ambiguous and open to various interpretations.: 这份协议非常含糊，可以有多种解释。

3. However, the evidence is thin and, to some extent, ambiguous.: 然而，这个证据难以令人信服，而且有点模棱两可。

4. Students have ambiguous feelings about their role in the world.: 学生们对于自己在这个世界上的角色认识模糊不清。

5. The Foreign Secretary's remarks clarify an ambiguous statement issued earlier this week.: 外交大臣的话对本周较早时候发表的一份模棱两可的声明作出了澄清。