An iconoclast is someone who attacks ideas and customs that a group treats as settled — the usual beliefs, the old rules, the ‘this is how we do it’ picture.

An iconoclast is someone who attacks ideas and customs iconoclast是那種會攻擊某些想法和習俗的人 that a group treats as settled也就是一個群體視為理所當然的東西 — the usual beliefs一般的信念 the old rules舊規矩 the 'this is how we do it' picture還有「我們就是這樣做」的那種想法

The word began in a much more physical place. In the old Christian world, an iconoclast was a person who broke religious pictures (icons), because they thought those images were wrong to keep and honour. The Greek pieces mean ‘image’ and ‘breaker’. History books still use that first sense.

The word began in a much more physical place這個字一開始的意思要具體得多 In the old Christian world在古老的基督教世界裡 an iconoclast was a person who broke religious picturesiconoclast是打破宗教畫像的人 (icons也就是icons) because they thought those images were wrong to keep and honour因為他們認為保存和敬拜這些畫像是錯的 The Greek pieces mean 'image' and 'breaker'這個字的希臘字根意思是「圖像」和「打破的人」 History books still use that first sense歷史書至今還在用這個最初的意思

In ordinary educated English now, though, we almost always mean the later, looser sense: a person who goes after established thinking, in art, politics, science, or even family life. It can sound a little admiring — we often pin it on a brave, awkward thinker — and it can also sound like a warning: this person likes knocking things down.

In ordinary educated English now在現在一般有教養的英文裡 though不過 we almost always mean the later, looser sense我們幾乎都是指後來、比較鬆的那個意思 a person who goes after established thinking就是那種會挑戰既有想法的人 in art, politics, science, or even family life不管是藝術、政治、科學,甚至家庭生活 It can sound a little admiring這個字可以聽起來帶點欣賞 — we often pin it on a brave, awkward thinker我們常常把它用在一個勇敢、有點格格不入的思考者身上 — and it can also sound like a warning也可以聽起來像個警告 this person likes knocking things down這個人就是喜歡把東西打倒

It is a formal, essay-and-newspaper word, not a playground one. People sometimes stretch it to mean merely ‘different’ or ‘rebellious’; the tighter meaning is that the person is aimed at what is already set up, not only at being new.

It is a formal, essay-and-newspaper word這是個正式、常出現在文章和報紙的字 not a playground one不是操場上會用的字 People sometimes stretch it to mean merely 'different' or 'rebellious'有時候大家會把它延伸成單純的「不一樣」或「叛逆」 the tighter meaning is比較精確的意思是 that the person is aimed at what is already set up這個人瞄準的是已經立好的東西 not only at being new而不只是單純求新