核心畫面

One way to picture consume: something is taken in and used up until it is gone — fuel burned, hours swallowed, food eaten. The word always looks at the disappearing, which is why fire consuming a building and jealousy consuming a person feel like the same picture: whatever it takes hold of, there is less and less of it left.

可以想成 consume 是「東西被吸進去、用到不剩」:油燒掉了、時數被吞掉了、食物被吃掉了。這個字看的永遠是那個消更多收起可以想成 consume 是「東西被吸進去、用到不剩」:油燒掉了、時數被吞掉了、食物被吃掉了。這個字看的永遠是那個消失的過程——所以大火吞掉一棟房子,和嫉妒吞掉一個人,畫面是同一個:被它抓住的東西,只會越來越少。

From the picture

吃下、喝下

被消耗掉的是食物:吃進去就沒了——這是「用掉」最具體的一種,只是英文用了一個很正式的殼子。

eat or drink · verb · B2

to eat or drink something, especially a certain amount of food or drink.

食用;攝取

被情緒佔滿

被吞掉的變成一個人的心思:那份情緒佔滿了他,其他念頭都被燒得沒有位置。

preoccupy · verb · C1

to fill someone's mind so completely with a feeling or an idea that they cannot think about anything else.

佔滿心思

Also in this word

use up · verb · B1

to use up time, energy, fuel, or other things, especially a large amount of them.

消耗;用掉

burn up (fire) · verb · B2

if a fire consumes something, it burns it until nothing is left.

燒毀;吞噬

原始詞典資料7 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。

consumeverb/kənˈsjuːm/

  • 1

    To use up.

    • The power plant consumes 30 tons of coal per hour.
  • 2

    To eat.

    • Baby birds consume their own weight in food each day.
    • Concerns were raised around the ability of Milky Way species to consume proteins from Andromeda, so seed banks formed a significant part of the arks' cargo. We now know it is safe to consume food grown or hunted here, though enzyme supplements are recommended and have become a social norm at mealtimes.
  • 3

    To completely occupy the thoughts or attention of.

    • Desire consumed him.
  • 4

    To destroy completely.

    • The building was consumed by fire.
    • If he were putting to my house the brand / That shall consume it.
  • 5

    obsoleteTo waste away slowly.

    • Therefore, let Benedick, like cover'd fire, / Consume away in sighs.
    • But, sir, you see how weak I am. You must see that I have been consuming from day to day […].
  • 6

    economicssciencesTo trade money for good or services as an individual.

    • In a materialistic society, individuals are taught to consume, consume, consume.
    • If you consume this product while in Japan, you may be subject to consumption tax.
  • 7

    To absorb information, especially through the mass media.

    • The Internet has changed the way we consume news.
    • And influencers are identifying the brands, music, and TV shows that Americans consume.

資料來源:英文維基詞典 English WiktionaryCC BY-SA 4.0)。 原文照列,未經改寫。