Empires do not suffer emptiness of purpose at the time of their creation. It is when they have become established that aims are lost and replaces by vague ritual.
📚 名句词汇解析
从本句名言中提取的重要词汇，帮助你深度理解这句话
vi. 受痛苦;受损害;变糟;变差;
vt. 忍受;容忍;容许;遭受;
💡 suf在…下面+fer带→带到下面去→受苦
"to suffer from claustrophobia"
患幽闭恐怖症
近义：worry, ail, anguish, grieve, undergo, bear
反义：like, live, love, possess, dig, have
n. 意志;目的;作用;（进行中的）行动;
vt. 有意;打算;企图（做）;决意（做）;
💡 pur始终+pose放→始终放的东西→目的，意图
"We spoke to little purpose — his mind was clearly made up already."
我们说的话几乎不起作用,他显然已下定决心了.
近义：intend, consider, appoint, ascribe, denote, designate
adj. 模糊的;（思想上）不清楚的;（表达或感知）含糊的;暧昧的;
n. 模糊不定状态;
💡 vague=vag漫游→漫游而思想不集中→含糊的
"The final letter is very vague; possibly an R or a K."
最后一个字母很不清楚, 可能是R,也可能是K.
近义：hesitant, hesitative, imprecise, indecisive, indefinite, indeterminate
反义：bounded, determinate, distinct
vi. 变为，成为;变得;变成;
vt. 适合，适宜;相称，相当;变成;发生;
💡 be(upon)+come→变为；成为(=to come upon）
"In a world that had suddenly become alien and dangerous, he was her only security."
在一个突然变得陌生而危险的世界里，他是她唯一的守护神。
近义：turn, wax, get, go, grow, suit
反义：remain, keep, stay, get
n. （宗教等的）仪式;例行公事，老规矩;典礼;
adj. 作为仪式的一部分的;礼节性的;例行公事的;
💡 rit-, ritual- 表”风俗习惯”
"She objects to the ritual of organized religion."
她反对有组织宗教的仪规。
近义：liturgy, observance, office, rite, ceremonial, ceremony
emptiness
['emptinis]
n. 空虚;空腹;无知;无能;
"The emptiness in my mind refused to beat a retreat."
我脑中依然一片惨白.
近义：hollowness, insubstantiality, vacuity, vacuousness, vagueness, voidness
反义：abundance, plenitude, plentifulness, plenty, plethora, profuseness