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1、THEDEVIL'SDICTIONARYTHEDEVIL'SDICTIONARYbyAMBROSEBIERCE1THEDEVIL'SDICTIONARYAUTHOR'SPREFACE_TheDevil'sDictionary_wasbeguninaweeklypaperin1881,andwascontinuedinadesultorywayatlongintervalsuntil1906.Inthatyearalargepartofitwaspublishedincoverswiththetitle_TheCynic'sWordBook_,anamewhichtheauthor
2、hadnotthepowertorejectorhappinesstoapprove.Toquotethepublishersofthepresentwork:"Thismorereverenttitlehadpreviouslybeenforceduponhimbythereligiousscruplesofthelastnewspaperinwhichapartoftheworkhadappeared,withthenaturalconsequencethatwhenitcameoutincoversthecountryalreadyhadbeenfloodedbyitsim
3、itatorswithascoreof'cynic'books--_TheCynic'sThis_,_TheCynic'sThat_,and_TheCynic'st'Other_.Mostofthesebooksweremerelystupid,thoughsomeofthemaddedthedistinctionofsilliness.Amongthem,theybroughttheword'cynic'intodisfavorsodeepthatanybookbearingitwasdiscreditedinadvanceofpublication."Meantime,too
4、,someoftheenterprisinghumoristsofthecountryhadhelpedthemselvestosuchpartsoftheworkasservedtheirneeds,andmanyofitsdefinitions,anecdotes,phrasesandsoforth,hadbecomemoreorlesscurrentinpopularspeech.Thisexplanationismade,notwithanyprideofpriorityintrifles,butinsimpledenialofpossiblechargesofplagi
5、arism,whichisnotrifle.Inmerelyresuminghisowntheauthorhopestobeheldguiltlessbythosetowhomtheworkisaddressed--enlightenedsoulswhopreferdrywinestosweet,sensetosentiment,wittohumorandcleanEnglishtoslang.Aconspicuous,anditishopenotunpleasant,featureofthebookisitsabundantillustrativequotationsfrome
6、minentpoets,chiefofwhomisthatlearnedandingeniuscleric,FatherGassalascaJape,S.J.,whoselinesbearhisinitials.ToFatherJape'skindlyencouragementandassistancetheauthoroftheprosetextisgreatlyindebted.2THEDEVIL'SDICTIONARYAABASEMENT,n.Adecentandcustomarymentalattitudeinthepresenceofwealthofpower.Pecu
7、liarlyappropriateinanemployeewhenaddressinganemployer.ABATIS,n.Rubbishinfrontofafort,topreventtherubbishoutsidefrommolestingtherubbishinside.ABDICATION,n.Anactwherebyasovereignattestshissenseofthehightemperatureofthethrone.PoorIsabella'sDead,
