mythology
mythology — 名詞
1. traditional stories that belong to a particular culture, especially about gods,
神話
特定文化中的傳統故事
traditional stories that belong to a particular culture, especially about gods, heroes, and the origins of natural events or customs
Theo's favourite subject at school was Greek mythology, especially stories about Zeus and Athena.
希歐在學校最喜歡的科目是希臘神話，尤其是關於宙斯和雅典娜的故事。
collocation: Greek mythology / [culture] mythology
Many indigenous cultures have their own creation mythology that explains how the world began.
許多原住民文化都有各自的創世神話，說明世界是如何開始的。
collocation: creation mythology
Darius wrote a report comparing the mythologies of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
達里厄斯寫了一篇報告，比較古埃及和美索不達米亞的神話體系。
The hero's journey is a storytelling pattern found in mythologies from many different regions.
英雄旅程是一種在世界各地神話中都能見到的敘事模式。
- folklore
broader term that includes myths, legends, customs, and traditions of a community, not just sacred stories
- legend
focuses on heroic tales that may have a historical basis, whereas mythology includes stories about gods and creation
- lore
less formal, refers to traditional knowledge passed orally within a group
文法句型
[culture] mythology
the mythology of [culture]
用法筆記
Often used with a cultural or geographical adjective such as Greek, Norse, or Hindu mythology. Can be countable when referring to specific bodies of stories, as in the mythologies of different peoples.
常見錯誤
2. a widespread belief that is accepted by many people despite being false or lacki
迷思
普遍相信但不正確的觀念
a widespread belief that is accepted by many people despite being false or lacking evidence
Tara explained that the right-brain creative type is a mythology without any scientific support.
塔拉解釋說，右腦創造型人格的說法是沒有科學根據的迷思。
that-clause: explain that + is a mythology
The old mythology that humans only use ten percent of their brains appears in movies and advertisements.
人類只使用大腦百分之十的這個老迷思，出現在電影和廣告中。
noun phrase: the mythology + that-clause
Andrew grew up hearing the mythology that working longer hours always leads to better results.
安德魯從小就聽人說，工作時間越長就必定能帶來更好的成果，但這只是個迷思。
Among gardeners, the mythology that coffee grounds acidify soil has been passed down for years.
在園藝愛好者之間，咖啡渣能酸化土壤的迷思已經流傳了很多年。
- myth
refers to a single false belief, while mythology often implies a collection or broader narrative
- misconception
more neutral and academic; does not imply the idea is widely shared
- fallacy
specifically a mistaken belief based on faulty reasoning; more formal
- fact
a statement that can be verified by evidence
文法句型
the mythology that + clause
a mythology about [topic]
用法筆記
Frequently appears in the pattern the mythology that + clause to name a specific false belief. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense applies to modern misconceptions, not traditional cultural stories.
常見錯誤
3. the academic field that examines myths — their origins, meanings, and functions
神話學
研究神話的學術領域
the academic field that examines myths — their origins, meanings, and functions within the cultures that created them
Joon decided to study mythology at university because he loved ancient stories as a child.
俊決定在大學攻讀神話學，因為他從小就喜歡古老的故事。
collocation: study mythology
Élise is a professor of mythology who researches how ancient tales shape modern cultural identity.
埃莉絲是神話學教授，研究古老故事如何塑造現代文化認同。
collocation: professor of mythology
Talia's course in comparative mythology compares creation stories from different continents.
塔莉亞的比較神話學課程比較了來自不同大陸的創世故事。
Christopher chose mythology as his major because he wanted to understand the deeper meaning of folk tales.
克里斯多福選擇主修神話學，因為他想了解民間故事的深層意義。
- comparative mythology
a subfield that compares myths across different cultures; more specific
- folklore studies
a related but broader field that includes myths along with legends, fairy tales, and customs
文法句型
study mythology
a professor of mythology
comparative mythology
用法筆記
Uncountable noun that names the academic discipline, not the stories themselves. Frequently appears as an academic subject (a department of mythology, a course in mythology). Do not confuse with sense 1.