Today’s Vocabulary｜今日词汇

1. 野性 · Wildness

野性
yě xìng

Wildness / Untamed nature
/ˈwaɪldnəs/ · /ʌnˈteɪmd ˈneɪtʃə(r)/

🇨🇳 一种未经完全驯化、控制或规训的状态，也可以形容一个人自由、本能、有生命力的一面。
🇬🇧 A quality of being untamed or uncontrolled; it can also describe someone as instinctive, free-spirited, or full of raw energy.

💬 Example｜例句
长大以后，我们是不是慢慢失去了一些小时候的野性？
Do we gradually lose some of our childhood wildness as we grow up?

2. 自然主义 · Naturalism

自然主义
zì rán zhǔ yì

Naturalism
/ˈnætʃrəlɪzəm/

🇨🇳 强调“自然”状态或真实呈现的一种思想、艺术或审美倾向；具体含义会根据哲学、文学、艺术或审美语境发生变化。
🇬🇧 An approach that emphasizes nature, reality, or natural representation. Its exact meaning varies across philosophy, literature, art, and aesthetics.

🌏 Context Note｜语境小注
如果讨论的是“看起来像没化妆”“自然脸”“自然审美”，日常英语里 natural look / natural aesthetic 往往比 naturalism 更自然。

When talking about makeup or beauty, natural look or natural aesthetic is usually more natural than the academic term naturalism.

💬 Example｜例句
为什么现在很多妆容明明用了很多产品，却追求一种“自然”的效果？
Why do so many makeup styles use lots of products to create a “natural” look?

3. 青春伤痛文学 · Youth Melodrama / Adolescent Angst Literature

青春伤痛文学
qīng chūn shāng tòng wén xué

Youth melodrama / Adolescent angst literature

🇨🇳 一类以青春期的爱情、孤独、成长、失去和情感创伤为重要主题的文学或流行文化作品。
🇬🇧 Literature or popular fiction centered on teenage love, loneliness, growing up, loss, and emotional pain.

🌏 Culture Note｜文化小注
“青春伤痛文学”是很有中文流行文化语境的说法，并没有一个完全对应的固定英文词。Adolescent angst 很接近其中“青春期迷茫、痛苦、敏感”的感觉。

There is no exact English equivalent. Adolescent angst captures the emotional intensity, confusion, and suffering often associated with the genre.

💬 Example｜例句
为什么小时候觉得特别感人的青春伤痛文学，长大以后再看可能会觉得有点尴尬？
Why can the youth melodramas we found deeply moving as teenagers feel a little embarrassing when we revisit them as adults?

4. 无病呻吟 · Make a Fuss Over Nothing

无病呻吟
wú bìng shēn yín

Make a fuss over nothing / Affected sentimentality

🇨🇳 字面意思是“没有生病却呻吟”，常用来批评一个人把并不严重的痛苦表达得过于强烈，或者为了表达情绪而刻意伤感。
🇬🇧 Literally “to groan without being ill,” it describes expressing suffering or sadness in a way others see as exaggerated, unnecessary, or affected.

🌏 Culture Note｜文化小注
这个词本身带有评价和批判意味。说别人“无病呻吟”，其实也意味着你在判断：对方的痛苦“不够真实”或“不值得这么难过”。

The expression is judgmental: calling someone wú bìng shēn yín means you are also deciding that their suffering is not serious enough to justify their reaction.

💬 Example｜例句
谁有资格判断别人的痛苦只是“无病呻吟”？
Who gets to decide that someone else is simply making a fuss over nothing?

5. 可怜 · Pitiful / Poor

可怜
kě lián

Pitiful / Poor / Feel sorry for someone
/ˈpɪtɪfəl/ · /pɔː(r)/

🇨🇳 可以形容一个人处境令人同情，也可以表示“为某人感到难过”。
🇬🇧 Used to describe someone whose situation makes you feel sympathy, or to express that you feel sorry for them.

💬 Example｜例句
被别人觉得“可怜”，有时候反而会让人不舒服。
Being seen as “pitiful” can sometimes make a person uncomfortable.

6. 直播 · Livestream

直播
zhí bō

Livestream / Live streaming
/ˈlaɪvstriːm/ · /ˈlaɪv ˌstriːmɪŋ/

🇨🇳 通过网络实时向观众播放视频或音频内容。
🇬🇧 Broadcasting video or audio online in real time for an audience.

💬 Example｜例句
现在很多人会通过直播卖东西。
A lot of people now sell products through livestreaming.

7. 落伍的人 · Someone Who Is Out of Date

落伍的人
luò wǔ de rén

Someone who is out of date / Behind the times

Behind the times /bɪˌhaɪnd ðə ˈtaɪmz/

🇨🇳 跟不上新的技术、潮流、观念或社会变化的人。
🇬🇧 Someone who has not kept up with new technology, trends, ideas, or social changes.

💬 Example｜例句
如果一个人不用最新的社交媒体，他就是“落伍的人”吗？
If someone doesn’t use the latest social media platforms, does that make them behind the times?

8. 跑调 · Sing Off-Key

跑调
pǎo diào

Sing off-key / Sing out of tune
/ˌɒf ˈkiː/ · /ˌaʊt əv ˈtjuːn/

🇨🇳 唱歌时音高不准确，没有唱在正确的音上。
🇬🇧 To sing notes at the wrong pitch rather than hitting the intended notes.

💬 Example｜例句
我特别喜欢唱歌，但我经常跑调。
I love singing, but I often sing off-key.

9. 乐器 · Musical Instrument

乐器
yuè qì

Musical instrument
/ˈmjuːzɪkəl ˈɪnstrəmənt/

🇨🇳 用来演奏和产生音乐的器具，例如钢琴、吉他、小提琴等。
🇬🇧 An object used to produce music, such as a piano, guitar, or violin.

💬 Example｜例句
如果现在可以重新学一种乐器，你会选什么？
If you could learn a musical instrument from scratch now, which one would you choose?

10. 下班 · Get Off Work

下班
xià bān

Get off work / Finish work
/ɡet ˌɒf ˈwɜːk/ · /ˈfɪnɪʃ wɜːk/

🇨🇳 一天的工作时间结束，离开工作状态或工作场所。
🇬🇧 To finish your work for the day and leave work or stop working.

💬 Example｜例句
你下班以后第一件想做的事情是什么？
What’s the first thing you want to do after you get off work?

11. 水光肌 · Dewy / Glass Skin

水光肌
shuǐ guāng jī

Dewy skin / Glass skin
/ˈdjuːi skɪn/ · /ˈɡlɑːs skɪn/

🇨🇳 一种强调皮肤水润、光滑、透亮、有光泽的审美效果。
🇬🇧 A beauty ideal in which the skin looks smooth, hydrated, luminous, and almost reflective.

🌏 Culture Note｜文化小注
中文“水光肌”和英语里的 dewy skin 很接近；glass skin 则尤其常见于讨论东亚、特别是韩国流行的护肤审美时。

Dewy skin is a close everyday equivalent, while glass skin is commonly associated with East Asian, particularly Korean, skincare trends.

💬 Example｜例句
为什么现在大家越来越喜欢水光肌，而不是完全哑光的皮肤？
Why has dewy skin become so popular compared with a completely matte look?

12. 土味 · Tacky / Cheesy

土味
tǔ wèi

Tacky / Cheesy / Unfashionable
/ˈtæki/ · /ˈtʃiːzi/

🇨🇳 形容某种风格显得俗气、过时、不够时髦；但在互联网语境中，“土味”也可能带有幽默、自嘲甚至刻意追求的意味。
🇬🇧 Describes something seen as unfashionable, cheesy, or lacking sophistication, though online it can also be humorous, ironic, or deliberately embraced.

🌏 Culture Note｜文化小注
“土味”不完全等于 tacky。它经常牵涉城乡、阶层、时尚和品味判断，所以说一个东西“土”，其实也可能是在表达“什么样的审美才算高级”。

Tu wei is more than simply “tacky.” It can reflect judgments about class, urban versus rural culture, fashion, and who gets to define “good taste.”

💬 Example｜例句
我们说一个东西“土”的时候，到底是在嫌弃什么？
When we call something “tacky,” what are we actually judging?

13. 医美 · Aesthetic Medicine

医美
yī měi

Aesthetic medicine / Medical aesthetics
/iːsˈθetɪk ˈmedɪsɪn/

🇨🇳 通过医学技术改善外貌的医疗美容服务，包括不同程度的非手术和手术项目。
🇬🇧 Medical procedures intended to alter or enhance physical appearance, ranging from non-surgical treatments to surgical procedures.

🌏 Language Note｜语言小注
日常英语中谈具体项目时，人们也经常说 cosmetic procedures 或 cosmetic treatments。

In everyday English, cosmetic procedures or cosmetic treatments may sound more natural depending on the context.

💬 Example｜例句
医美越来越普遍以后，我们对“自然美”的定义会不会发生变化？
As cosmetic procedures become more common, will our idea of “natural beauty” change?

14. 旅拍 · Travel Photoshoot

旅拍
lǚ pāi

Travel photoshoot / Destination photoshoot
/ˈtrævəl ˈfəʊtəʊʃuːt/

🇨🇳 在旅行目的地进行的摄影活动，通常强调当地景观、服装、妆造和精心设计的照片效果。
🇬🇧 A planned photoshoot at a travel destination, often featuring local scenery, clothing, styling, and carefully composed images.

🌏 Culture Note｜文化小注
中文“旅拍”可以指普通旅行摄影，也常指商业化的摄影套餐，比如去一个旅游目的地租服装、化妆，再由摄影师拍摄。

In Chinese tourism contexts, lüpai often refers to commercial photoshoot packages that include costumes, makeup, styling, and professional photography.

💬 Example｜例句
旅拍是在记录旅行，还是为了照片而旅行？
Is a travel photoshoot a way of documenting a trip, or are we traveling for the photos?

15. 民族服饰 · Ethnic / Traditional Clothing

民族服饰
mín zú fú shì

Ethnic clothing / Traditional clothing / Traditional dress
/ˈeθnɪk ˈkləʊðɪŋ/ · /trəˈdɪʃənəl dres/

🇨🇳 与特定民族、族群的历史、文化和身份相关的传统服装和装饰。
🇬🇧 Clothing and accessories associated with the history, culture, and identity of a particular ethnic or cultural group.

🌏 Culture Note｜文化小注
英语里具体谈某个群体时，直接说群体名称通常更自然，例如 traditional Hani clothing。Costume 有时会让人联想到表演服或化装服，因此谈现实中的民族服饰时 traditional clothing / traditional dress 往往更合适。

When referring to a specific group, it is often better to name it directly, such as traditional Hani clothing. Costume can imply performance or dress-up, so traditional clothing is often more appropriate.

💬 Example｜例句
游客穿民族服饰旅拍，是文化欣赏、文化体验，还是另一种消费？
When tourists wear traditional ethnic clothing for photoshoots, is it cultural appreciation, cultural experience, or another form of consumption?