surreptitious

Advanced Vocabulary Word British ★★☆☆☆ Uncommon Formal
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Meaning: Done secretly or by stealth, especially because the action would not be approved of if discovered.

秘密进行的,偷偷摸摸的;尤指因行为一旦被发现将不被认可而暗中进行的。
Hecho de forma secreta o furtiva, especialmente porque la acción no sería aprobada si se descubriese.
ひそかに、こっそりと行われる。特に、発覚すれば認められないような行為について用いられます。
은밀하게 또는 몰래 행해지는. 특히 발각될 경우 용인되지 않을 행위에 대해 사용됩니다.

Surreptitious emphasises furtiveness and the desire to avoid detection. Unlike 'covert,' which can be neutral or even positive (covert operations), surreptitious nearly always implies that the secrecy exists because the action is improper, forbidden, or embarrassing. It is commonly applied to glances, recordings, movements, and communications.

'surreptitious'强调鬼鬼祟祟和不想被发觉的心态。与'covert'(可以是中性甚至正面的,如秘密行动)不同,'surreptitious'几乎总是暗示秘密的原因在于行为本身是不当的、被禁止的或令人难堪的。它常用于形容偷看、偷录、暗中行动和秘密通信。
Surreptitious pone el acento en la furtividad y el deseo de no ser descubierto. A diferencia de «covert», que puede ser neutro o incluso positivo (operaciones encubiertas), surreptitious casi siempre implica que el secreto existe porque la acción es indebida, prohibida o embarazosa. Se aplica habitualmente a miradas, grabaciones, movimientos y comunicaciones.
「surreptitious」はこそこそした様子と発覚を避けたいという欲求を強調します。中立的あるいは肯定的にも使える「covert(秘密の)」とは異なり、「surreptitious」はほぼ常に、その行為が不適切、禁じられている、あるいは恥ずかしいものであるがゆえに秘密にしているという含みがあります。視線、録音、動作、通信などに頻繁に使われます。
Surreptitious는 은밀함과 발각을 피하려는 욕구를 강조합니다. 중립적이거나 긍정적일 수도 있는 'covert(비밀 작전 등)'와 달리, surreptitious는 거의 항상 그 비밀이 행위가 부적절하거나, 금지되어 있거나, 당혹스럽기 때문에 존재함을 암시합니다. 흔히 시선, 녹음, 움직임, 통신 등에 적용됩니다.

Examples

  1. She cast a surreptitious glance at her phone under the table during the meeting.
    会议期间,她偷偷地在桌子下面瞥了一眼手机。
    Echó una mirada furtiva a su teléfono bajo la mesa durante la reunión.
    会議中、彼女はテーブルの下でこっそり携帯電話に目をやった。
    회의 중에 그녀는 테이블 아래에서 몰래 휴대전화를 흘끗 보았다.
  2. The surreptitious recording of the conversation was ruled inadmissible by the judge.
    那段秘密录制的对话被法官裁定为不可采信的证据。
    La grabación subrepticia de la conversación fue declarada inadmisible por el juez.
    その会話の密かな録音は、裁判官によって証拠として不採用とされた。
    그 대화의 은밀한 녹음은 판사에 의해 증거로 불채택 되었다.
  3. He made surreptitious notes on the back of his programme throughout the lecture.
    他在整场讲座中都在节目单背面偷偷做笔记。
    Tomó notas furtivas en el reverso del programa durante toda la conferencia.
    彼は講演の間中、プログラムの裏にひそかにメモを取っていた。
    그는 강연 내내 프로그램 뒷면에 몰래 메모를 했다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: journalism, legal, literary

Tone: disapproving

Origin & History

From Latin surrepticius, from surripere meaning to seize secretly, from sub (under) and rapere (to seize). Entered English in the 15th century.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

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