核心畫面

Start with the sound: clunk, a low dull thud, the noise a thick solid thing makes when it lands on a table. Everything this word does comes out of that one noise. A thing that goes clunk is heavy, and heavy things get in your way — so clunky shoes drag at your feet. Then the noise leaves the physical world: software can go clunk step by step, and so can a sentence, or a form you have to fill in three times.

可以從那一聲開始想:clunk,低低的一聲鈍響,厚重的東西落在桌上的聲音。這個字的每個用法都從那一聲長出來。會發出那更多收起可以從那一聲開始想:clunk,低低的一聲鈍響,厚重的東西落在桌上的聲音。這個字的每個用法都從那一聲長出來。會發出那種聲音的東西一定重,而重的東西會擋路——所以 clunky 的鞋子拖著你的腳。後來這一聲離開了實體:軟體可以一步一步「咚、咚」地走,句子可以,要你填三次的表格也可以。共通點都是:走得動,但每一步都撞一下。

From the word’s history

clunk plus the ending -y: having or making that clunk sound.

clunk(鈍重的一聲)加上 -y(帶有…的)。所以這個字本來就是「會發出咚一聲的」,笨重和難用都是從那一聲推出來的。

Wiktionary entry 'clunky' in the supplied packet (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1105485783): 'From clunk + -y.'

Three branches

那一聲本身

這一支就停在核心畫面的原點:字面上的那一聲鈍響。

adjective · C1

Making, or having, a low heavy dull sound — the sound of something solid closing, dropping or starting to move.

發出鈍重聲響的

又重又礙事的東西

從聲音推到物體:會發出那一聲的東西一定又厚又重,而重就會妨礙你用它。

adjective · B2

Heavy, thick and awkward — a thing that is not comfortable to wear, hold or use, and that looks roughly made rather than neat.

笨重的、粗笨的

用起來一頓一頓的東西

這次重量離開了手:東西本身沒有重量,但用起來還是一步一頓,像在推卡住的推車。

adjective · B2

Software, a website or an app that is clunky works, but slowly and awkwardly: it is hard to move around in and takes more steps than it should.

難用的、卡卡的