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A paragon is someone you hold up as perfect — extremely good, brave, honest, and so on. We often say a paragon of virtue or a paragon of patience: a person who seems to be the best example of that quality.
A paragon paragon指的是 is someone you hold up as perfect你捧為完美的人 — extremely good, brave, honest, and so on非常好、勇敢、誠實等等. We我們 often say常說 a paragon of virtue品德的典範 or或 a paragon of patience耐心的典範: a person who seems to be the best example of that quality似乎是那項特質最好例子的人.
Though actually, in real talk it is very often a little funny or teasing. If someone calls a messy teenager 'a paragon of tidiness,' they probably do not mean it straight; they mean the opposite with a smile.
Though actually不過其實, in real talk在真實對話裡 it這個詞 is very often很常 a little funny or teasing帶點好笑或調侃的意味. If如果 someone有人 calls a messy teenager說一個邋遢的青少年 'a paragon of tidiness,'是『a paragon of tidiness』（整潔的典範） they probably do not mean it straight他們大概不是說真的; they mean the opposite with a smile而是笑著說反話.
Used in earnest, the word is fairly formal and a bit , so students meet it more on the page than in the playground. It is a person (or sometimes a thing) held up as the model — not a shape, and not a place.
Used in earnest如果是認真地使用, the word這個詞 is fairly formal相當正式 and a bit bookish還帶點書卷氣, so所以 students學生 meet it比較常遇到它 more on the page than in the playground在書上而不是在遊樂場裡. It它 is a person or sometimes a thing指的是被當成模範的人，有時候是東西 held up as the model被當成模範 — not a shape不是形狀, and not a place也不是地方.
組成借自法文 paragon、義大利文 paragone，來自一個意思是「在試金石上試驗」的動詞——拿金子去磨一塊石頭，看是不是真金。想法是「拿來檢驗別人的那個標準」，所以變成「完美的榜樣」。有人認為更早可能連到希臘文「在磨刀石上磨利」；那一步只是 perhaps，不是穩穩的事實。
原始詞典資料9 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。
paragonnoun/ˈpæɹəɡən/
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A person of preeminent qualities, who acts as a pattern or model for others.
- In the novel, Constanza is a paragon of virtue who would never compromise her reputation.
- What a piece of worke is man! how Noble in Reaſon? […] the beauty of the world, the Parragon of Animals;
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obsoleteA companion; a match; an equal.
- Philoclea, who indeed had no paragon but her sister
- Nathlesse proud man himselfe the other deemed, Having so peerlesse paragon ygot
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obsoleteComparison; competition.
- good by paragone / Of euill, may more notably be rad, / As white seemes fairer, macht with blacke attone […].
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datedmediaprintingpublishingThe size of type between great primer and double pica, standardized as 20-point.
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gemmologygemologygeographyA flawless diamond of at least 100 carats.
- The "Koh-i-noor," or "Mountain of Light," is the eighth and smallest of these paragon diamonds (all diamonds weighing over a hundred carats are called Paragon); but it was originally the largest diamond ever known, weighing uncut 900 carats. . . this matchless gem of 900 carats which once belonged to the Great Mogul, and was the very paragon of paragons.
paragonverb/ˈpæɹəɡən/
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To compare; to parallel; to put in rivalry or emulation with.
- for want of a bigger , to paragon the little one with Artesia's length
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To compare with; to equal; to rival.
- Few or none could for Feature paragon with her, and much less excel her.
- In arms anon to paragon the morn, / The morn new-riſing, whoſe vermillion hand / Draws from the bright'ning front of heav'n ſerene / The humid curtains of tempeſtuous night, / Mardonius mounts his courſer.
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To serve as a model for; to surpass.
- He hath achieved a maid / That paragons description and wild fame.
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To be equal; to hold comparison.
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。