stark

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++stark1 /stɑːk $ stɑːrk/ adjective 1 SIMPLE/PLAINvery plain in appearance, with little or no colour or decoration 〔外表〕简陋的；无修饰的，荒凉的 In the cold dawn light, the castle looked stark and forbidding. 在寒冷的曙光中，城堡看上去了无生气，令人生畏。 the stark beauty of New Mexico 新墨西哥州的荒凉之美2 UNPLEASANTunpleasantly clear and impossible to avoid 明摆着的；严酷的 SYN harsh The movie shows the stark realities of life in the ghetto. 这部影片展示了贫民区生活的严酷现实。 The extreme poverty of the local people is in stark contrast to the wealth of the tourists. 当地居民的极度贫困和游客的富裕形成鲜明的对比。 We are faced with a stark choice. 我们面临残酷的选择。 a stark reminder of life under Communist rule 殖民主义统治下生活的严酷见证 —starkly adverb —starkness noun [uncountable]

Examples from the Corpus

stark• The contrast between the lawyer and Scott was stark.• Ethnic divisions in the region remain stark.• the stark beauty of the desert• stark chrome furniture• This is in stark contrast to the fifties and sixties when loan capital formed an important part of corporate financing needs.• They were stark dramas of the billion-footed city.• Once or twice, soft stark footfalls went along the corridor.• Her apartment was clean and stark in a Straight forward way.• As a nation, we are right to finally confront the stark reality of needless suffering among the dying.• It was how I'd always imagined showbiz would be - far removed from the stark reality of Working Men's Clubs.• Others are put off by the stark social and economic differences between the two communities.• Gone are the gray industrial carpeting and the stark white walls.• The waiting room was stark, with hard, stiff chairs and lit by a single lightbulb.stark contrast• The differing tactics present a stark contrast.• Statistics are poor and not easily comparable, but those which do exist show stark contrasts in conditions between different education authorities.• They're in stark contrast to an earlier picture he'd rather forget.• It was a human approach to football management in stark contrast to conditions beyond the boundaries of Arsenal Stadium.• This line of argument is in stark contrast to Drebin etal.• This is in stark contrast to the fifties and sixties when loan capital formed an important part of corporate financing needs.• The suicidal farmers can be set in stark contrast to the wealthy shareholders who pocket the difference.• It was a stark contrast with the commercial failure of the videodisc.stark2 adverb 1 stark naked NAKEDnot wearing any clothes at all 一丝不挂的，赤裸裸的 Ben was standing there stark naked. 本一丝不挂地站在那里。2 stark raving mad/bonkers (also stark staring mad British English)CRAZY completely crazy 完全疯了的 He’s gone stark raving mad. 他已经完全疯了。

Examples from the Corpus

stark• I was stark naked and trussed up like a Haggis in mourning.• Adam struggled, but he was too weak and the storm-troopers tore his trousers off, leaving him stark naked.Origin stark1 Old English stearc “stiff, strong”

stark1 adjectivestark2 adverbChinese

Corpus colour in very with appearance, or little no plain

stark

stark¹ /stɑːk $ stɑːrk/

adjective

Language: Old English
Origin: stearc 'stiff, strong'

1. very plain in appearance, with little or no colour or decoration:

In the cold dawn light, the castle looked stark and forbidding.

the stark beauty of New Mexico
2. unpleasantly clear and impossible to avoid
SYN harsh:

The movie shows the stark realities of life in the ghetto.

The extreme poverty of the local people is in stark contrast to the wealth of the tourists.

We are faced with a stark choice.

a stark reminder of life under Communist rule
—starkly adverb
—starkness noun [uncountable]

THESAURUS

   ▪ plain without anything added, or without decoration: a plain shirt | The fireplace was plain apart from a small design at the top.
   ▪ simple not having a lot of decoration or unnecessary things, but attractive: She was wearing a simple black dress. | The accommodation is simple but clean.
   ▪ austere very plain and with very little decoration, or very little in it – used about a room or place that does not make you feel welcome: He dreaded having dinner in that austere dining room. | The building was grey and a little austere. | the austere beauty and grandeur of mountain scenery
   ▪ spartan plain and without anything that would make life easier or more comfortable – used especially about rooms, conditions, or ways of living: Her apartment is quite spartan. | They had a very spartan life.
   ▪ stark very plain in a surprising way, with very little colour or decoration – used about rooms and places: Sam sat looking at the stark white walls. | It is a landscape of stark beauty.
   ▪ bare empty, or not covered by any decorations: Her office seemed very bare now that her desk had gone. | He was tired of looking at the bare walls of his prison cell.

stark²

adverb
1. stark naked not wearing any clothes at all:

Ben was standing there stark naked.
2. stark raving mad/bonkers (also stark staring mad British English) completely crazy:

He’s gone stark raving mad.

Stark
Stark, Dame Frey‧a /ˈfreɪə/

(1893–1993) a British traveller and writer known for her books about her travels in the Middle East

adjective,

adverb

stark

BrE

/stɑːk/

🔊

NAmE

/stɑːrk/

🔊

adjective

(

stark·er

stark·est

)

(

often disapproving

)

looking severe and without any colour or decoration 毫无修饰的；荒凉的；粗陋的

◆I think white would be too stark for the bedroom. 我觉得卧室里用白色未免太素了。

🔊

◆The hills stood stark against the winter sky. 在冬日的天空下，小山了无生气。

🔊

unpleasant; real, and impossible to avoid 严酷的；赤裸裸的；真实而无法回避的

SYN

bleak

◆The author paints a stark picture of life in a prison camp. 作者描绘出一幅冷酷而真实的战俘营生活画面。

🔊

◆a stark choice残酷的抉择

◆The remains of the building stand as a stark reminder of the fire. 房子的断壁残垣是那场大火无情的见证。

🔊

◆He now faces the

stark reality

of life in prison. 他现在要面对狱中生活的严酷现实了。

🔊

<titled tranID="28" status="1">plain</titled>simple ◇ stark ◇ bare ◇ unequivocal

These words all describe statements, often about sth unpleasant, that are very clear, not trying to hide anything, and not using more words than necessary. 以上各词常形容令人不快的陈述清楚明白、直截了当、简单明了。

plain used for talking about a fact that other people may not like to hear; honest and direct in way that other people may not like 用于他人可能不乐意听的事实，或指直率、直接得让人不喜欢：◆The plain fact is that nobody really knows. 事实很明显，没有人真正了解。
simple [only before noun] used for talking about a fact that other people may not like to hear; very obvious and not complicated by anything else 用于他人可能不乐意听的事实，或指事物简单明了：◆The simple truth is that we just can't afford it. 事实很简单，我们就是付不起。

plain or simple? 用 plain 还是 simple？

When it is being used to emphasize facts that other people may not like to hear, plain is usually used in the expression the plain fact/truth is that… . Simple can be used in this way too, but it can also be used in a wider variety of structures and collocations (such as reason and matter). 用以强调他人可能不乐意听的事实时，plain 通常用于 the plain fact/truth is that... 短语中。simple 也可用这种表达方式，但是还可用于更多种类的句型结构，与更多的词语（如 reason 和 matter）搭配：◆The problem was due to the simple fact that… 问题源于这一简单的事实…◆The problem was due to the plain fact that…◆for the plain reason that…◆It's a plain matter of… Expressions with simple often suggest impatience with other people's behaviour. 与 simple 构成的表达法通常暗指对别人的行为不耐烦。

stark (rather formal) used for describing an unpleasant fact or difference that is very obvious 用于描述令人不快的事实或区别十分明显、鲜明：◆The stark truth is that there is not enough money left. 明摆着的事实是剩下的钱已经不够了。 NOTE The simple/plain truth may be sth that some people do not want to hear, but it may be good for them to hear it anyway. The stark truth is sth particularly unpleasant and has no good side to it at all. * simple/plain truth 指所谈的事尽管不中听，但听了可能会有好处。stark truth 指所谈之事特别令人不快，而且没有任何好处。
bare [only before noun] the most basic or simple, with nothing extra 指最基本的、最简单的：◆She gave me only the bare facts of the case. 她只给我介绍了这个案件的一些基本情况。
unequivocal (formal) expressing your opinion or intention very clearly and firmly 指表达明确的、毫不含糊的、斩钉截铁的：◆The reply was an unequivocal 'no'. 回答是个干脆利落的 “不” 字。