喜樂美語

核心畫面

You can picture someone holding a thing up and asking one question of it: did this really come from where it says it came from? A signature on a painting, a recipe from that village, a report of what happened — authentic is the answer 'yes, it traces back to the real source'.

可以想成有人把一樣東西舉起來，只問一個問題：這真的是從它所說的那個源頭來的嗎？畫上的簽名、那個村子傳下來的做法、一份…更多收起可以想成有人把一樣東西舉起來，只問一個問題：這真的是從它所說的那個源頭來的嗎？畫上的簽名、那個村子傳下來的做法、一份對事情經過的記述——說它 authentic，就是回答「是的，追回去真的接得上那個源頭」。

From the word’s history

From Greek authentikos 'original, genuine, principal', from authentes 'one acting on one's own authority' (autos 'self' + hentes 'doer'). The old sense was 'authoritative, duly authorized'; the 'real, not fictitious' sense appears in English from the mid-14th century.

來自希臘文 authentikos「原來的、真的」，源頭是 authentes「憑自己的權柄做事的人」（autos「自己」＋ hentes「做的人」）。最早的意思偏向「有權威的、經過正式授權的」，中世紀英文（14 世紀中）之後才變成「真的、不是編出來的」。把「出自本人之手」這個畫面記住，四個用法就串起來了：畢卡索親手畫的（真跡）、那個地方原本的做法（道地）、事情本身留下的記錄（真實可靠）、跟原件做得一模一樣（逼真）。

Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/authentic

Three branches

真的出自那個人之手

最原始的那一格：東西和它宣稱的作者之間確實連得上，而且通常是有人查證過的。

genuine, not fake · adjective · B2

Really made or written by the person it is said to be by, not a fake.

真跡；真正的

做法忠於原本的樣子

追的不再是某一個人，而是一個地方或一個時代原本的做法。東西可能是新做的，但做法一路接回源頭，所以還是 authentic。

traditional, original-style · adjective · B1

done or made in the traditional or original way of a place or group.

正宗；道地

內容忠於真正發生過的事

把源頭換成「事情本身」：一份描述如果接得回真正發生過的事，它就是 authentic。

true to fact · adjective · B2

based on facts; giving a true and careful picture of what really happened.

真實的；可靠的

原始詞典資料5 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

authenticadj/ɒˈθɛn.tɪk/

  • 1

    Of the same origin as claimed; genuine.

    • The experts confirmed it was an authentic signature.
  • 2

    Conforming to reality and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief.

    • an authentic writer; an authentic portrait; authentic information
    • The report was completely authentic.
  • 3

    entertainmentlifestylemusicDesignating a mode having the final as the lowest note.

  • 4

    entertainmentlifestylemusicDesignating a cadence in which the dominant chord precedes the tonic.

  • 5

    obsoleteAuthoritative.

    • [T]here they find Ignatius, and then they beleeve him not for his ovvn Authority, but for a truths ſake, vvhich they derive from elſ vvhere: to vvhat end then ſhould they cite him as authentick for Epiſcopacie, vvhen they cannot knovv vvhat is authentick in him, but by the judgement vvhich they brought vvith them, and not by any judgement vvhich they might ſafely learne from him.

資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。