- 1
A babel is the confusing sound of many voices talking at once — a hall after the bell, a market, a party where you cannot pick out one sentence. People often say a babel of voices. It is a little literary; in everyday talk you might just say noise or everyone talking at once, but babel adds the feeling of mix and , not just volume.
A babel is the confusing sound of many voices talking at once babel指的是很多人同時說話造成的那種混亂聲音 a hall after the bell像下課鈴響後的大廳 a market市場 a party where you cannot pick out one sentence或是一場你聽不出任何一句完整話的派對 People often say a babel of voices人們常說a babel of voices（一片人聲嘈雜） It is a little literary這個字有點文學性 in everyday talk you might just say noise or everyone talking at once日常對話你可能只會說noise（噪音）或everyone talking at once（大家都在講話） but babel adds the feeling of mix and muddle, not just volume但babel多了一種混雜、混亂的感覺，不只是音量大而已
The picture behind it is the Bible story of Babel, the city we also call Babylon: the people try to build a high tower, and God mixes their languages so they cannot understand one another. English took the place-name (Latin Babel, from Hebrew bāḇel, from Akkadian Bābilim) and used it for that kind of mixed sound.
The picture behind it is the Bible story of Babel它背後的畫面是聖經裡巴別的故事 the city we also call Babylon我們也叫這座城市巴比倫 the people try to build a high tower人們想蓋一座高塔 and God mixes their languages so they cannot understand one another上帝就把他們的語言弄亂，讓他們彼此聽不懂 English took the place-name英文借用了這個地名 (Latin Babel, from Hebrew bāḇel, from Akkadian Bābilim)（拉丁文Babel，源自希伯來文bāḇel，再往前源自阿卡德文Bābilim） and used it for that kind of mixed sound用它來指那種混雜的聲音
Though actually, the city name and this common noun have drifted apart on the page: the story is usually Babel with a capital B; the noise is often babel with a small b. Same old name as Babylon, two English shapes of it.
Though actually不過事實上 the city name and this common noun have drifted apart on the page這個城市名和這個普通名詞在寫法上已經分家了 the story is usually Babel with a capital B故事裡通常大寫寫成Babel the noise is often babel with a small b那種嘈雜聲則常常小寫寫成babel Same old name as Babylon跟Babylon是同一個古老的名字 two English shapes of it只是英文裡的兩種寫法
組成From the Bible place-name Babel (Babylon). Latin Babel, from Hebrew bāḇel, from Akkadian Bābilim. In Genesis the name is tied to languages being mixed. The English word for a mix of voices grew from that story.
同家族的字
- Babylonthe same ancient city name; Babel and Babylon are two English forms of it
原始詞典資料6 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
Babelname/ˈbeɪ.bl̩/
- 1
biblicallifestylereligionThe city and tower in the land of Shinar where the confusion of languages took place, according to the Bible.
- Therefore is the name of it called Babel[…]
Babelnoun/ˈbeɪ.bl̩/
- 1
A confused mixture of sounds and voices, especially in different languages.
- As the three were making their way through the crowds of marketers, camels, donkeys, and horses that filled the market place with a confusing babel of sounds, Abdul plucked at Tarzan’s sleeve.
- A babel of languages could be heard in the streets and the squares, mingling with the local Provençal.
- 2
A place or scene of noise and confusion.
- 3
A tall, looming structure.
babelnoun
- 1
A confused noise made by a number of voices.
- I closed the door hurriedly on the babel and groped my way back to bed. At that moment bed seemed to be the one safe, comforting thing in my whole baffling environment.
- He had already demanded the attention of the manager, Professor Bulge, Draycott and two underlings to his case and they were now involved in a babel of inutile reiteration.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。