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clan 英 [klæn] 美 [klæn]

TOEFL TEM4 TEM8 GMAT

外刊例句

Other observers prefer explanations that focus on the personality and skills of a mostly self-effacing, hard-working and polyglot clan.

其他分析师更倾向认为，家族内成员大多谦逊、勤奋，且精通多国语言，这些品格及能力才是成功秘诀。

——《经济学人》

Richard Spotts, a former bureau employee, has proposed ways to handle the clan and their errant cows.

该局前雇员理查德·斯波茨提出过处理该家族及其越界奶牛的办法。

——《纽约时报》

基本释义

[noun] a close-knit group of interrelated families, especially in the Scottish Highlands

[名词] （尤指苏格兰高地的）由相互关联的家庭组成的紧密团结的群体

深入解读

Clan 是一个有些容易与 klan （三K党）相混淆的单词。该词源自拉丁语 planta （分枝），15世纪初由苏格兰盖尔语 clann （后代、家族）进入英语后，主要用来表示苏格兰高地的“宗族、氏族、家族”，多指由许多有着共同祖先的家庭组成的紧密团结的凯尔特人群体，现在也可以泛指“庞大的家族”，比如：

她的辈分比我小。

She ranks as my junior in the clan.

从这个概念出发， clan 常引申表示因强烈的共同利益或共同特点而团结在一起的“集团、帮派、宗派、派系”，常作非正式用语或戏谑用语使用，比如：

一个势力强大的实业家集团

a powerful clan of industrialists

名人名言

Friendship is held to be the severest test of character. It is easy, we think, to be loyal to a family and clan, whose blood is in your own veins.

友谊被认为是对品格最严峻的考验。我们认为，忠于一个血脉相连的家庭和宗族是很容易的。

出自美国著名医生、作家和社会改革家查尔斯·伊士曼（Charles Eastman）。

同近义词

tribe: a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader

clique: a small close-knit group of people who do not readily allow others to join them

coterie: a small group of people with shared interests or tastes, especially one that is exclusive of other people