atavistic

音標(biāo)發(fā)音

Warriors can be primitive and atavistic—which is to say brutal.
戰(zhàn)士可以是原始和返祖性的——也可以說野蠻。
Sometimes, this atavistic tendency ends in tears, when it prompts us to act contrary to what is, on reflection, our self-interest. (Witness stock-market crashes, stampedes and tamagotchi.)
但是有時候這種原始性的行為傾向以悲劇告終——當(dāng)它促使我們在經(jīng)過考慮之后向著與自身利益相反的方向行動的時候（股票市場崩盤，一大群人驚慌奔逃和玩電子雞游戲的現(xiàn)象都說明了這一點）。
Equally, efforts to get Russia to join the World Trade Organisation should be stepped up, as its rules would usefully trammel the atavistic impulse within the regime to slide towards protectionism.
同時，也應(yīng)該努力加快俄羅斯進(jìn)入世貿(mào)組織的步伐，因為世貿(mào)組織的條例會有效地限制俄羅斯政權(quán)內(nèi)部向原有的貿(mào)易保護(hù)主義傾斜的沖動。

In other words, everything about poetry is atavistic.
換句話說，詩歌的一切，都是復(fù)古的。
耶魯公開課 - 文學(xué)理論導(dǎo)論課程節(jié)選
Just as Richards says, there's always something kind of archaic or atavistic about poetic thinking. It's not just that - it's not trying to tell the truth, as Sidney said-- "nothing lieth because it never affirmeth."
就像Richards說的，關(guān)于詩意的思考，總有些事情過時了,詩歌并非,拒絕陳述事實，正如Sidney說的-,“沒有偽造的東西因為一切都不是真的“
耶魯公開課 - 文學(xué)理論導(dǎo)論課程節(jié)選

So Mr Trimble must particularly dread a violent clash between atavistic hardliners and progressives.
ECONOMIST: Northern Ireland
Even if the embargo is bloody-minded and atavistic, Castro's position--"Socialism or Death"--is many times crazier.
CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Castro Inconvertible

happening because of a very old habit from a long time ago in human history, not because of a conscious decision or because it is necessary now

Atavistic feelings or behaviour seem to be very primitive, like the feelings or behaviour of our earliest ancestors.