能力對得上要求
這一支就是核心畫面本身：拿能力去對標準。差別只在對的是「人」還是「做出來的東西」。
competent (skilled) · adjective · C1
Having the skill or knowledge a job or task needs, so you can do it to the required standard.
勝任的
核心畫面
One way to picture it: someone (or something) whose ability lines up exactly with what the task demands — enough to meet the mark, not more.
一個人的能力剛好「對得上」眼前這件事的要求。像是把兩個東西擺在一起量——這邊是任務要求的水準，那邊是你手上的本事，兩…更多收起
一個人的能力剛好「對得上」眼前這件事的要求。像是把兩個東西擺在一起量——這邊是任務要求的水準，那邊是你手上的本事，兩邊對得上，你就 competent。注意這個畫面裡沒有「很厲害」的成分，它量的是「夠不夠得上」，所以 competent 天生帶著一種剛好及格的溫度。From the word’s history
Latin competō meant 'to coincide, to be equal to' — literally com- ('together') + petō ('seek, aim at'), two things aiming at the same point and meeting there. That meeting-of-two-things is still what the modern word measures: your ability meeting the standard.
拉丁文 competō 的意思是「相合、相當」，拆開來是 com-（一起）+ petō（趨向、瞄準）——兩個東西朝同一點靠過去，最後接上了。這個「兩邊對得上」的畫面一直留到今天：competent 量的正是你的能力和標準有沒有接上。也因為它原本就是「相當」而不是「超越」，所以現代英文裡它常常只到剛好而已。
Wiktionary 'competent' etymology (Middle English < Old French competent < Latin competēns, participle of competō 'coincide, be equal to')
Two branches
法律上被認可的資格
法律沿用同一個「對得上要求」的量法，只是把標準換成法律訂的門檻：夠不夠得上，由法條說了算，不是由旁人感覺。
competent (mentally fit) · adjective · C1
Having the usual mental abilities a person needs to understand what is happening and to make decisions, especially in a hospital or a court.
心智健全的
原始詞典資料6 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。
competentadj/ˈkɒmpətənt/
- 1
Having sufficient skill, knowledge, ability, or qualifications.
- He is a competent skier and an expert snowboarder.
- I believe in that myself because it has been explained by competent men as the convolutions of the grey matter.
- 2
lawHaving jurisdiction or authority over a particular issue or question.
- For any disagreements arising from this contract, the competent court shall be the Springfield Circuit Court.
- judicial authority having competent jurisdiction
- 3
Adequate for the purpose.
- For if they [birds] had been Viviparous, the burthen of their womb, if they had brought forth any competent number at a time, had been ſo big and heavy, that their wings would have failed them, and ſo every body would have had the wit to catch the Old one.
- 4
biologymedicinenatural-sciencesFunctionally in order; functioning adequately.
- a competent sphincter; a competent cervix; a competent immune system
- 5
biologynatural-sciencesPermeable to foreign DNA.
- 6
geographygeologynatural-sciencesResistant to deformation or flow.
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。