喜樂美語

核心畫面

At the heart of 'bother' is a small disturbance — a little something that pokes at you and breaks your peace. From that one prod the word leans two ways: outward, where someone disturbs you (, interrupting, worrying, even a small that nags at your body); and inward, where you weigh whether something is worth being disturbed for — whether you can be bothered to make the effort at all. The noun and the little cry 'Bother!' are just that same small trouble named, or let out loud.

可以想成：bother 的核心比較像一個小小的擾動——一點小東西戳了你一下,打斷了你的平靜。從這一戳,字義往兩邊偏：…更多收起可以想成：bother 的核心比較像一個小小的擾動——一點小東西戳了你一下,打斷了你的平靜。從這一戳,字義往兩邊偏：往外,是別人來擾你（煩你、打斷你、讓你掛心,甚至身體某處隱隱作痛地纏著你）；往內,是你掂量某事值不值得你被打擾、值不值得你費這個勁去做。名詞的「麻煩」和那聲「真討厭！」,只是把同一個小擾動講成名字、或脫口喊出來而已。

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。

botherverb/ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/

  • 1

    To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.

    • Would it bother you if I smoked?
  • 2

    To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.

  • 3

    To feel care or concern; to burden or inconvenience oneself out of concern.

    • I never bother about such trivialities.
    • I wouldn't bother with an umbrella if I were you.
  • 4

    To take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something).

    • Why do I even bother to try?
  • 5

    To take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something).

    • You didn’t even bother to close the door.

bothernoun/ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/

  • 1

    Fuss, ado.

    • There was a bit of bother at the hairdresser's when they couldn't find my appointment in the book.
    • It was a 15-minute return trip to walk back home to pick up my device, but I weighed it up and decided that it wasn’t worth the bother.
  • 2

    Trouble, inconvenience.

    • Yes, I can do that for you—it’s no bother.

botherintj/ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/

  • 1

    datedA mild expression of annoyance.

    • She flung off her sealskin paletot and the beautiful felt hat, not heeding that they rolled off the untidy bed upon the floor. / “Sarah,” whispered Mrs. Malone, “what you goin’ to do? Look at your elegant clothes on the floor.” / “Oh, bother!” retorted Sarah.
    • [H]e suddenly flung down his brush on the floor, said "Bother!" and "Oh blow!" and also "Hang spring-cleaning!" and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat.

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。