地上的裂口
這一族就是核心畫面本身，沒有轉一層：真的有一道又深又陡的裂口在你腳邊。
noun · C1
A very deep opening in rock or ice, with steep sides falling away and a bottom far below, wide enough that you cannot simply step over it and dangerous to fall into.
深淵；巨大裂口
核心畫面
One picture carries the whole word: the ground itself has split open. The sides fall away , the bottom is out of sight, and the two edges stay exactly where they are. You cannot step over a chasm. You either build something across it, or you stand on your own side and look at whoever is on the other.
可以想成大地自己裂開了一道口。兩側是陡直的壁，底部深到看不見。重點不在它有多寬，而在於跨不過去。你只能在上面架橋，或…更多收起
可以想成大地自己裂開了一道口。兩側是陡直的壁，底部深到看不見。重點不在它有多寬，而在於跨不過去。你只能在上面架橋，或是站在這一頭，看著另一頭的人。這個畫面一路帶到抽象的用法：兩群人之間的差距大到像地裂開，中間沒有路可以走過去。所以英文談 chasm 時，動詞常常是 cross（越過）、bridge（架橋）、widen（越裂越開），而不是「填平」。From the word’s history
English took the word from Latin chasma, itself from Ancient Greek khásma, meaning a gaping opening or abyss — a word built on the idea of a mouth opening wide. That open mouth is still the picture underneath both modern uses.
這個字來自拉丁文 chasma，再往前是古希臘文 χάσμα，意思是「張開的大口、深淵」。那個「張口」的畫面，就是今天 chasm 的底：地張開了嘴，或是兩邊之間張開了一個補不起來的口。
Wiktionary entry 'chasm' (packet source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:918538617)
Two branches
跨不過去的鴻溝
把地形的畫面整個搬到人身上：貧富、年齡、實力、想法的差距被說成地裂開。這是一種教學上的比喻連結，不是說這個意思在歷史上比較晚才長出來。
noun · C1
A very large difference between two people, two groups, or two things — big enough that the two sides cannot easily reach, understand, or agree with each other.
鴻溝；巨大差距