minstrel

IPA/ˈmɪnstrəl/
KK[mˈɪnstrəl]IPA/ˈmɪnstrəl/

minstrel — 名詞

  • minstrelsingular
  • minstrelsplural

1. a performer in medieval times who travelled from town to town, earning a living

1.名詞B2
釋義

吟遊詩人

中世紀巡迴表演的歌手與詩人

a performer in medieval times who travelled from town to town, earning a living by singing songs and reciting poetry in public places or at noble courts

例句

At the castle feast, a minstrel named Hugo sang a ballad about the king's victory in battle.

在城堡宴會上，一位名叫 Hugo 的吟遊詩人唱了一首關於國王戰勝歸來的民謠。

named [person] + sang a ballad about [topic]

A young minstrel named Beatrice travelled from village to village, playing a small harp and reciting poems.

一位名叫 Beatrice 的年輕吟遊詩人走訪各個村莊，一邊彈奏小豎琴，一邊吟誦詩歌。

travelled from [place] to [place], playing [instrument] and reciting [art form]

同義詞
  • troubadour

    a poet-musician from southern France who wrote love songs in the 12th–13th centuries; more specific than minstrel

  • bard

    a poet from ancient Celtic cultures who composed and recited epic verse; overlaps in the idea of a travelling storyteller

  • jongleur

    a French medieval entertainer who sang, juggled and performed acrobatics; a broader role than a minstrel

用法筆記

This sense refers only to historical European entertainers of the Middle Ages. Modern street musicians or singers are not called minstrels.

常見錯誤

❌The street performer was a modern minstrel.
✅The street performer sang ballads like a medieval minstrel.
💡Minstrel is a historical term, not used for contemporary musicians.

2. a performer, typically white, who used dark face paint to act out offensive cari

2.名詞C1
釋義

黑臉秀演員

塗黑臉模仿黑人的白人表演者

a performer, typically white, who used dark face paint to act out offensive caricatures of Black people in variety shows popular in the United States during the 19th and early 20th centuries

例句

The museum exhibit explains how minstrel shows spread harmful racial stereotypes across the United States.

博物館的展覽說明了黑臉秀如何在美國傳播有害的種族刻板印象。

exhibit explains how [thing] spread [negative consequence]

A group of white performers darkened their faces with burnt cork and acted in a minstrel show.

一群白人表演者用燒軟木塞把臉塗黑，參加了一場黑臉秀演出。

同義詞
  • blackface performer

    more specific and descriptively clear about the practice; less likely to be misunderstood

  • caricaturist

    someone who creates exaggerated representations; broader and less tied to this specific racial context

用法筆記

This sense is now considered offensive when used without clear historical context. In modern writing, the term is usually employed critically to discuss 19th-century racial stereotypes, not as a neutral description of a performer.

常見錯誤

❌The school decided to include a minstrel character in the play.
✅The school's history project examined why minstrel shows were so harmful.
💡Using the term casually ignores its racist history; it should be discussed critically with historical context.