out-of-print(形容词)指书籍或出版物已经绝版,不再由出版商印刷或供应。当一本书的销量不足以支撑继续印刷时,出版商会将其列为绝版。
/ˌaʊt əv ˈprɪnt/
That novel has been out-of-print for over twenty years, so it's very hard to find a copy.
那本小说已经绝版二十多年了,所以很难找到一本。
Many collectors are willing to pay a premium for out-of-print first editions, especially when the book later becomes recognized as a literary classic.
许多收藏家愿意为绝版的初版书支付高价,尤其是当这本书后来被公认为文学经典时。
该短语由 out of(不在……之中)和 print(印刷)组合而成。print 源自古法语 preinte,最终源自拉丁语 premere(压、按),指印刷的动作。自15世纪印刷术在欧洲普及后,in print 用来表示"仍在印刷中、可购买的",而 out of print 则表示"不再印刷、已绝版"。这一用法最早出现在17世纪左右,随着出版业的发展而广泛使用。