29 July 2024

企业服务器市场一直在进行虚拟化变革。以至于物理 CPU 和硬盘已经成了老古董概念了:

Just as virtualization made knowledge of your physical CPUs and disk layouts a quaint concept, so too are technologies like Docker and Kubernetes making the very notion of a server or virtual machine something of a bygone era. 1

这则关于文章,云原生的安全建议。里面用了 quaint。意思是古色古香的、离奇有趣的、做工精巧的。

显然,在这篇文章里 quaint 带有一些变异,所以翻译为古色古香不如翻译为老里老气。

这个词源自拉丁语。拉丁语 cognoscere 的意思是变得出名,它的过去分词是 cognitus,一转变就成了 quaint 了。我们可以理解 quaint 是古时候出名的。那从现在视角看,就是古色古香了。出名的东西肯定做工也精巧吧。

cognize,cognition 认知的动词和名词形式应该直接就来自 cognoscere 了。

在这批关于英格兰西南部多塞特的介绍中,也用到了 quaint :

Dorset is known for its alluring beaches and dramatic, 95-mile-long Jurassic coastline with many of its villages providing a quaint, picture-perfect setting for people keen to live a quintessential country lifestyle - and for those who want to experience it on holiday. 2

多塞特这个地方因为中世纪的黑死病,死了无数人,所以会有一些诡异的传说。

In fact, according to a guide on dorset coastal cottages, visitors often comment on its melancholy atmosphere, with its website citing: “It is said that the souls of the dead linger here.” “Ghostly faces have been seen at the doors and windows, and reports of a weeping nun apparition kneeling beyond the church walls exist too. Scariest of all is the phantom horse and rider that gallops across the site just before dawn when the night is at its darkest,“ it says rather spookily. So while Wimborne St Giles might be worth a visit, a trip to Knowlton Church might only favour the brave.