喜樂美語

核心畫面

One way to picture it: something placed behind another thing to hold it up. You never see it from the front — but take it away and the front collapses or sounds thin.

貼在後面、撐住前面那個東西。你從正面看不到它——地毯的襯底、畫框後面那塊板子——但把它抽掉，前面就垮了、皺了、或聽起…更多收起貼在後面、撐住前面那個東西。你從正面看不到它——地毯的襯底、畫框後面那塊板子——但把它抽掉，前面就垮了、皺了、或聽起來很單薄。backing 就是 back（背面）加上 -ing 變成的名詞，整個字的重點一直是「在後面撐著」這個位置關係，而不是它本身是什麼材料。這個畫面之所以好用，是因為它同時解釋了三種很不一樣的東西：一塊布、一筆錢、一段音樂，共通點都是「在後面，讓前面站得住」。

From the word’s history

Simply back + -ing: the thing that backs something. Every modern sense is still literally “what is behind, holding it up”.

就是 back（背面、背後）加上 -ing 造出來的名詞，字面意思是「當背面的那個東西」。這裡不需要繞遠路：現代所有用法都還完全貼著這個字面，只是「後面」有時是實體的後面，有時是財力上的後面，有時是聲音層次的後面。

Wiktionary: backing — from back + -ing.

Three branches

實體的襯底

這一族是核心畫面最實在的樣子：真的有一塊材料貼在背面。

backing material · noun · C2

Material that is used to make the back of an object, such as a carpet, a mat, or a picture.

襯底

財力上的後盾

把襯底從物品移到計畫上：出錢出力的人站在後面，前台的人才做得下去。

financial support · noun · C2

Support or help given to a person or plan, especially money from a government or other powerful group.

支持／資助

聲音的底層

再把襯底移到聲音上：主唱在前面，樂器和和聲鋪在後面把他托住。

backing music · noun · C2

The music that is played at the same time as a singer's voice.

伴奏

原始詞典資料8 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。

backingnoun/ˈbæk.ɪŋ(ɡ)/

  • 1

    Support, especially financial.

    • It's a volunteer organization that works with backing from the city and a few grants.
  • 2

    A liner or other material added behind or underneath.

    • The cardboard backing gives the notebook a little extra stiffness.
    • An old print was discovered some time ago in an arch at Waterloo Dock Goods Station[,] Liverpool, in use as a backing on which to write time sheets.
  • 3

    broadcastingfilmmediaA backdrop.

    • The simplest and cheapest answer is to introduce a scenic backing of some kind, a backdrop, a drape, some flats to restrict the shot and obscure whatever is outside.
  • 4

    entertainmentlifestylemusicMusicians and vocalists who support the main performer.

  • 5

    The mounting of a horse or other animal.

  • 6

    The action of putting something back; a switching into reverse.

backingadj/ˈbæk.ɪŋ(ɡ)/

  • 1

    entertainmentlifestylemusicProviding support for the main performer.

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：

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。