leitmotif

leitmotif — 名詞

1. a short melody in a musical work that appears repeatedly, each time tied to a sp

1.名詞C1
釋義

主導動機

音樂中代表角色或意念的反覆簡短旋律

a short melody in a musical work that appears repeatedly, each time tied to a specific character, emotion, or idea — most famously used in Richard Wagner's operas

例句

In Wagner's Ring cycle, a short brass leitmotif announces the arrival of the dragon Fafner.

在華格納的《尼伯龍根的指環》中，一段簡短的銅管主導動機預告了巨龍法夫納的出場。

orchestral leitmotif announcing a character

The composer gave each hero a distinct leitmotif that plays whenever they enter a scene.

作曲家為每位英雄都賦予了獨特的主導動機，每當他們登場時這段旋律就會響起。

leitmotif assigned to a character

同義詞
  • theme

    more general; a theme can be any central melody, not necessarily tied to a specific character or idea

  • motif

    slightly broader; can refer to a short musical idea or a visual/verbal pattern in other arts

文法句型

a leitmotif of [character/idea]

leitmotif for [character]

用法筆記

Borrowed directly from German; in older music criticism it is sometimes italicised. The technique is historically tied to Wagner's operas, but the term is now used for any musical work that employs a recurring character-associated theme.

常見錯誤

❌The leitmotif of the song is the chorus that repeats after each verse.
✅The leitmotif of the opera is the short horn phrase that plays whenever the hero appears.
💡A leitmotif is not simply a repeated section of a song; it is a melodic phrase tied to a specific character, place, or idea.

2. a subject, image, or idea that keeps appearing in a book, film, piece of art, or

2.名詞C1
釋義

反覆主題

文學、藝術等作品中一再出現的主題或意象

a subject, image, or idea that keeps appearing in a book, film, piece of art, or someone's body of work and carries special meaning each time

例句

The leitmotif of identity runs through all of the novelist's early work.

自我認同這個反覆主題貫穿了這位小說家的早期作品。

leitmotif of [abstract theme] runs through [body of work]

In Hiro's films, a character staring out of a train window became a visual leitmotif.

在 Hiro 的電影裡，角色望著火車窗外的畫面成為了一種視覺反覆主題。

visual leitmotif in film

同義詞
  • theme

    broader; a theme can appear once or many times and does not necessarily repeat recognisably

  • motif

    very close in meaning; 'motif' is more common in literary criticism, while 'leitmotif' emphasises the insistent, repeated quality

  • thread

    more informal; suggests a connecting element that runs through a work, not necessarily a prominent one

文法句型

a leitmotif of [abstract idea]

[something] becomes a leitmotif

用法筆記

The figurative use is common in literary and film reviews. Distinguish from sense 1 by context: if the discussion involves actual music, sense 1 is intended; if it describes a repeat image, idea, or phrase in a non-musical work, sense 2 applies.

常見錯誤

❌The author uses rain as a leitmotif in every chapter.
✅The author uses rain as a recurring leitmotif in every chapter.
💡The word is correct here (figurative sense), but 'recurring' is often added redundantly since the core meaning already implies repetition. This is acceptable in everyday usage.