本文经授权转载自微信公众号：田间小站
TEM8 GMAT GRE
外刊例句
- Sweat, tears, saliva and even dental plaque will do.
汗液、泪水、唾液，甚至牙菌斑都可以。
——《经济学人》 - People can occasionally be seen pulling over with cameras outside a nondescript shopping center along 53rd Street, where an easy-to-overlook plaque notes the Obamas’ first date.
偶尔可以看到人们在53街的一个不起眼的购物中心外面停下车来，拿出照相机，那里有个很容易错过的匾牌，上面的标识说那是奥巴马夫妇第一次约会的地方。
——《纽约时报》
基本释义
[noun] an ornamental tablet, typically of metal, porcelain, or wood, that is fixed to a wall or other surface in commemoration of a person or event
[名词] 一种装饰性的匾牌，通常由金属、瓷器或木头制成，固定在墙上或其他表面以纪念某人或某事件
深入解读
Plaque 是一个与熟词 plague 十分形似的单词，源自中古荷兰语 placke （圆盘、斑点、污渍），现主要表示附在建筑物或家具上木制、陶制或金属制的“匾牌、匾额、饰板”，多用来纪念某重要人物或某重要事件，比如：
- 今天在十字路口有大群的当地居民在拍照，因为总统夫人在那里为一块纪念匾牌揭幕。
Today at the crossing there were swarms of local residents taking photographs, because the First Lady was there to unveil a commemorative plaque. - 门外有一块铜牌，上面用拉丁字母列着各位牙科医生的名字。
There was a brass plaque outside the door listing the various dentists' names rendered in the Latin alphabet.
等到了19世纪末， plaque 开始在医学上用来表示牙齿上的细菌斑点，即“牙斑、牙菌斑”，比如：
- 我偶然发现了一把很好的电动牙刷，价格不贵。这个牙刷可以温和去除牙菌斑而不损伤齿龈。
I came across a really good electric toothbrush without the hefty price tag. The toothbrush gently removes plaque without damaging the gums.
值得注意的是，牙菌斑这种在牙齿上不断形成的带粘性而无色的细菌和糖分层，是造成蛀牙和牙龈疾病的主要原因，如果不每天清除，就会硬化成黄色或棕色的牙垢或者说牙结石（calculus or tartar）。
名著用例
They climbed two more flights until they reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying RONALD'S ROOM.
他们又爬了两层，来到一扇油漆剥落的房门前，门上有块小牌子写着“罗恩的房间”。
出自英国作家J.K.罗琳创作的长篇小说《哈利·波特与密室》（Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets）。该小说是《哈利·波特》系列的第二部。
同近义词
- plate: a small, flat piece of metal or other material bearing a name or inscription and attached to a door or other object
- tablet: a flat slab of stone, clay, or wood, used especially for an inscription
- tartar: a hard calcified deposit that forms on the teeth and contributes to their decay
