literal
adjective /ˈlɪtərəl/
/ˈlɪtərəl/
- [usually before noun] being the most basic meaning of a word or phrase, rather than an extended or poetic meaning
字面意义的 - I am not referring to ‘small’ people in the literal sense of the word.
我指的不是字面意义上的 “小” 人。 - The literal meaning of ‘petrify’ is ‘turn to stone’.
petrify 的字面意思是 turn to stone（变成石头）。
- I am not referring to ‘small’ people in the literal sense of the word.
- [usually before noun] that follows the original words exactly
完全按原文的 - a literal translation
直译
- a literal translation
- (disapproving) not having or showing any imagination
缺乏想象力的 - Her interpretation of the music was too literal.
她演奏的音乐太平淡乏味。
- Her interpretation of the music was too literal.
词源late Middle English: from Old French, or from late Latin litteralis, from Latin littera ‘letter of the alphabet’, (plural) ‘epistle, literature, culture’.