喜樂美語

核心畫面

One way to picture it: someone who has more strength or power standing over someone who has less, and using that gap to them — the picture is the gap in power being pressed down on, not a fight between equals.

一個人站在另一個比自己弱小的人面前，兩人之間有一段力量差距——體型、地位、人數都算——而他不是把這段差距放著，而是拿…更多收起一個人站在另一個比自己弱小的人面前，兩人之間有一段力量差距——體型、地位、人數都算——而他不是把這段差距放著，而是拿來壓對方。重點不在打架，打架是雙方對等；bully 的畫面永遠是不對等的：一邊逃不掉，另一邊知道自己逃得掉。所以校園裡欺負同學的人、職場上拿職位壓人的主管，都在同一張圖裡。

From the word’s history

The word started in the 1530s as a term of endearment — 'sweetheart, fine fellow', probably from Dutch boel 'lover, brother'. Over about two centuries it slid from 'fine fellow' to 'blustering swaggerer' to today's 'someone who pushes the weak around'. The old friendly sense survives only in the exclamation bully for you!, which is now said with a sneer.

這個字 1530 年左右進入英文時竟然是「親愛的、好傢伙」，可能來自荷蘭語 boel（情人、兄弟）。接下來兩百年它一路走壞：好傢伙 → 愛吹噓的傢伙 → 仗勢欺人的傢伙，才變成今天的惡霸。有趣的是那個古早的褒義沒有完全死掉，它躲進 bully for you! 這句話裡活下來——只是現在講出口通常帶著白眼，變成反話。所以現代 bully 的兩張臉（惡霸／真了不起啊）其實是同一條歷史的頭與尾。

Wiktionary / Online Etymology Dictionary (bully, n.): 1530s term of endearment, probably from Dutch boel 'lover, brother'; sense shift to 'harasser of the weak' by 1680s.

Two branches

仗勢壓人的人與行為

這一組就是核心畫面本身：先有那個站在弱者面前施壓的人，再有他做的動作。名詞與動詞是同一張圖的兩個角度。

bully (person) · noun · C1

A person who uses their strength or power to scare or hurt someone who is weaker than they are.

惡霸

反話式的稱讚

這一支不是核心畫面的延伸，而是同一個拼字更古老的那一半：bully 曾經是「好極了」的褒義詞，這個用法就是那個古義的化石，靠 bully for you 這句話保存下來，並在現代反轉成挖苦。

bully for you · adjective · C1

Said when you do not think a person has done anything special, but they want you to praise them. It is almost always bully for you or bully for him.

真了不起啊

原始詞典資料18 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。

bullynoun/ˈbʊli/

  • 1

    A person who is intentionally physically or emotionally cruel to others, especially to those whom they perceive as being vulnerable or of less power or privilege.

    • A playground bully pushed a girl off the swing.
    • I noticed you being a bully towards people with disabilities.
  • 2

    A noisy, blustering, tyrannical person, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome.

    • Besides, bullies seldom execute the threats they deal in; and men of trick and cunning are not always men of desperate resolves.
    • And I think the facts are that Beijing is a belligerent bully jealous and envious of what Taiwan has accomplished- mainland China- that's what I get out of all of this.
  • 3

    A hired thug.

    • Mr. Fisher returned from town... he had learnt that our opponents intended to shift the scene of operations to the Chats... We understood that they had hired two bullies for the purpose of deciding the matter par voie de fait. Mr Fisher hired two of the same description, who were supposed to be more than a match for the opposition party.
  • 4

    A sex worker's minder.

    • The Proclamation Society and the Society for the Suppression of Vice were more concerned with obscene literature […] than with hands-on street battles with prostitutes and their bullies […].
  • 5

    Bully beef.

  • 6

    obsoleteA brisk, dashing fellow.

    • What sayest thou, Bully Bottom?
  • 7

    The small scrum in the Eton College field game.

  • 8

    Any of various small freshwater or brackishwater fish of the family Eleotridae; sleeper gobies.

另外 5 個記錄的用法
  • 9

    obsoletedialectalAn (eldest) brother; a fellow workman; comrade

    • Frae Team Gut to Whitley, we' coals black an' brown For the Amphitrite loaded, the keel had come down— But the bullies ower neet had their gobs se oft wet, That the nyem o' the ship yen an' a' did forget.
  • 10

    dialectalA companion; mate (male or female).

  • 11

    obsoleteA darling, sweetheart (male or female).

    • I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heart-string / I love the lovely bully. What is thy name?
    • I have promised to be with the sweet bully early in the morning of her important day.
  • 12

    A standoff between two players from the opposing teams, who repeatedly hit each other's hockey sticks and then attempt to acquire the ball, as a method of resuming the game in certain circumstances.

  • 13

    businessminingA miner's hammer.

bullyverb/ˈbʊli/

  • 1

    To intimidate (someone) as a bully.

    • You shouldn't bully people for being weak.
    • I won't have you bullying us out my own house.
  • 2

    To act aggressively towards.

    • The Potters know their strengths and played to them perfectly here, out-muscling Bolton in midfield and bullying the visitors' back-line at every opportunity.

bullyadj/ˈbʊli/

  • 1

    datedslangVery good.

    • a bully horse
    • To sing a bully song I'll try, / Bully for you, bully for you, / Gay as they make them, here I am, / Bully for you, for you.
  • 2

    obsoleteslangJovial and blustering.

    • Bless thee, bully doctor!

bullyintj/ˈbʊli/

  • 1

    Well done; often sarcastic in modern use.

    • Bully, she's finally asked for that promotion!
    • Bully! Bully! Finis coronet opus, “the end crowns all”; “may the last be the best!” By Godfrey it was delightful.

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。