Empires do not suffer emptiness of purpose at the time of their creation. It is when they have become established that aims are lost and replaces by vague ritual.
?? 名句詞匯解析
從本句名言中提取的重要詞匯，幫助你深度理解這句話
vi. 受痛苦;受損害;變糟;變差;
vt. 忍受;容忍;容許;遭受;
?? suf在…下面+fer帶→帶到下面去→受苦
"to suffer from claustrophobia"
患幽閉恐怖癥
近義：worry, ail, anguish, grieve, undergo, bear
反義：like, live, love, possess, dig, have
n. 意志;目的;作用;（進行中的）行動;
vt. 有意;打算;企圖（做）;決意（做）;
?? pur始終+pose放→始終放的東西→目的，意圖
"We spoke to little purpose — his mind was clearly made up already."
我們說的話幾乎不起作用,他顯然已下定決心了.
近義：intend, consider, appoint, ascribe, denote, designate
adj. 模糊的;（思想上）不清楚的;（表達或感知）含糊的;曖昧的;
n. 模糊不定狀態;
?? vague=vag漫游→漫游而思想不集中→含糊的
"The final letter is very vague; possibly an R or a K."
最后一個字母很不清楚, 可能是R,也可能是K.
近義：hesitant, hesitative, imprecise, indecisive, indefinite, indeterminate
反義：bounded, determinate, distinct
vi. 變為，成為;變得;變成;
vt. 適合，適宜;相稱，相當;變成;發生;
?? be(upon)+come→變為；成為(=to come upon）
"In a world that had suddenly become alien and dangerous, he was her only security."
在一個突然變得陌生而危險的世界里，他是她唯一的守護神。
近義：turn, wax, get, go, grow, suit
反義：remain, keep, stay, get
n. （宗教等的）儀式;例行公事，老規矩;典禮;
adj. 作為儀式的一部分的;禮節性的;例行公事的;
?? rit-, ritual- 表”風俗習慣”
"She objects to the ritual of organized religion."
她反對有組織宗教的儀規。
近義：liturgy, observance, office, rite, ceremonial, ceremony
emptiness
['emptinis]
n. 空虛;空腹;無知;無能;
"The emptiness in my mind refused to beat a retreat."
我腦中依然一片慘白.
近義：hollowness, insubstantiality, vacuity, vacuousness, vagueness, voidness
反義：abundance, plenitude, plentifulness, plenty, plethora, profuseness