undertone

英 [ˈʌndətəʊn]

美 [ˈʌndərtoʊn]

n.  蕴涵的感情(或特质、意思); 寓意; 弦外之音

复数：undertones　第三人称单数：undertones　

BNC.18589 / COCA.18524

习惯用语

n.

in an undertonein undertones
• 低声地；小声地
  in a quiet voice

牛津词典

noun

• 蕴涵的感情（或特质、意思）；寓意；弦外之音
  a feeling, quality or meaning that is not expressed directly but is still noticeable from what sb says or does
  1. His soft words contained an undertone of warning.
     他温和的话中蕴涵着警告之意。
  2. The play does not have the political undertones of the novel.
     这部戏没有小说的那种政治寓意。

柯林斯词典

• N-COUNT 低声；悄声
  If you say somethinginanundertone, you say it very quietly.
  1. 'What d'you think?' she asked in an undertone...
     “你觉得怎么样？”她小声地问道。
  2. Well-dressed clients were talking in polite undertones as they ate.
     衣着光鲜的顾客们边吃边斯文地低声聊着天。
• N-COUNT 言下之意；寓意
  If something hasundertonesof a particular kind, it suggests ideas or attitudes of this kind without expressing them directly.
  1. The sobbing voice had an undertone of anger.
     啜泣声中隐隐透着愤怒。
  2. ...a witty, racy story with surprisingly serious undertones.
     诙谐却寓意深刻的荤段子

英英释义

noun

• a pale or subdued color
  Synonym:tinge
• a subdued emotional quality underlying an utterance
  Synonym:undercurrent
• a quiet or hushed tone of voice
  1. spoke in undertones

双语例句

• Though her expression was serious, her voice had an undertone of amusement.
  虽然她表面镇静，但声音里却流露出喜悦。
• The young director filmed this story in a bittersweet undertone, playing with fictional and documentary codes.
  年轻的导演以一种苦乐参半的语调讲述了这个故事，虚构与纪实的因素穿插其间。
• Across town, at Cones, in the West Village, corn ice cream comes with a toasty undertone and a dusting of cinnamon.
  在城的另一端，西村圆筒冰激凌店（Cones）里的玉米冰激凌有烤面包的底色，外面撒了一层肉桂。
• It was this profound and continual undertone that gave the clergyman his most appropriate power.
  牧师正是靠了这种深邃而持续的低沉语调而获得了恰到好处的力量。
• He replied, laughing but with a undertone of regret.
  他笑着答道，不过笑声中带有一丝后悔的味道。
• The noise occultation was significant, and the undertone was the easiest one to be occulted.
  噪音对信号的掩蔽作用显著，其中低音最易被掩蔽。
• Now she caught the low undertone, as of the wind sinking down to repose itself; then ascended with it, as it rose through progressive gradations of sweetness and power, until its volume seemed to envelop her with an atmosphere of awe and solemn grandeur.
  如今她聆听着那低低的音调，犹如大风缓吹，逐渐平患一般；然后，她又随着那步步上升的甜美和力量飞腾，直到那音量似乎用敬畏和庄严的宏体氛围将她包裹起来。
• There is also a suspicion that Chuan Ying Lou seems to carry an erotic undertone& does it in any way reflect my romances?
  又怀疑着这钏影楼三字，好像是个香艳的名词，有没有我的什么罗曼史在里面？
• The warning undertone is that unless we, as consumers, purchase the components of childhood we might not get it right.
  一个微弱的声音警告说，作为消费者，如果我们不购买这些童年构成品，我们就可能做错。
• But, throughout it all, and through the whole discourse, there had been a certain deep, sad undertone of pathos, which could not be interpreted otherwise than as the natural regret of one soon to pass away.
  但是，贯穿布道词始终的，一直有某种低沉、哀伤的悲调，使人们只能将其解释为一个即将告别人世的人的自然的仟悔。