7.3.6 解说式释义法
解说式释义法(explanatory definition)又叫描述式释义法，它是通过对一个词进行具体描述或说明来进行释义的。这种方法是单语词典释义时所用的一种主要方法。如《牛津简明英语词典》(1982)中将“see-saw”释义为:
game in which persons sit at each end of a long board balanced on central support and move up and down alternately
《韦氏新世界美语词典》(1988)中把“wrestle”释义为:
to struggle hand to hand with an opponent in an attempt to throw or force him or her to the ground without striking blows
解说式释义通过描述性文字不仅说清了被释词的意义，同时还可以融进一些具体的文化信息，让使用者得以了解到有关的历史、风情和社会生活等背景，从而扩大他们的视野。它的缺点是详尽有余而简洁不足，一般占用篇幅较大。例如《新牛津英语词典》对dragon所下的定义为:
a mythical monster like a giant reptile.In European tradition the dragon is typically fire-breathing and tends to symbolize chaos or evil，whereas in the Far East it is usually a beneficent symbol of fertility，associated with water and the heaven.
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