A backlog is a pile of work that is still waiting — and often it should have been finished already. Unanswered email, unsent orders, patients still waiting for a scan, court cases that have not been heard: those can all be a backlog. The picture is of things stacked up behind you.

A backlog backlog is指的是 a pile of work一堆工作 that is still waiting還在等著 and often而且常常 it should have been finished already本來早該做完了。Unanswered email還沒回的信, unsent orders還沒出的訂單, patients still waiting for a scan還在等排掃描的病人, court cases that have not been heard還沒開庭的案子: those這些 can all be都可能是 a backlog backlog。The picture畫面 is of是 things stacked up behind you東西堆在你後面。

Offices, hospitals, shops, and software teams all use the word; in tech offices people sometimes just keep the English word. It can be a verb too: work backlogs when there are not enough people, or a team backlogs tasks into a waiting list. It is a normal grown-up word, a little formal but not stiff.

Offices, hospitals, shops, and software teams辦公室、醫院、店家、軟體團隊 all use the word都會用這個字; in tech offices在科技業辦公室裡 people sometimes just keep the English word有時候乾脆直接說英文backlog。It它 can be a verb too也可以當動詞: work工作 backlogs積壓 when there are not enough people人手不夠的時候, or a team一個團隊 backlogs tasks把任務積在 into a waiting list等待清單裡。It它 is a normal grown-up word是個正常的大人用字 a little formal but not stiff有點正式但不生硬。

Though actually, the first meaning, back in the 1680s, was a large log at the back of a fire, the slow-burning one that kept the heat. In the 1880s people started using it for anything stored up for later use, and from there it became “work that has piled up.” The written-record sense of log (as in a logbook) may have coloured it too — but that is only a maybe, not something to treat as fact.

Though actually不過其實, the first meaning最早的意思, back in the 1680s在1680年代, was a large log at the back of a fire是壁爐後面的一根大木頭, the slow-burning one that kept the heat那根慢慢燒、留住熱度的木頭。In the 1880s到了1880年代 people started using it人們開始用它 for anything stored up for later use指任何存起來以後用的東西, and from there從那之後 it became它就變成了 “work that has piled up”「堆積起來的工作」。The written-record sense of log記錄本logbook那個意思 may have coloured it too也許也影響了它, but that is only a maybe不過這只是個猜測, not something to treat as fact不是確定的事實。