Something contrived does not feel natural.

Something某樣東西 contrived如果是 contrived（做作）的，does not feel natural就會讓人覺得不自然。

A story ending can be contrived if the writer forced the pieces together so the hero wins. A smile can be contrived if it is put on for the room. A plan can be contrived if you can still see the strings.

A story ending一個故事的結局，if the writer forced the pieces together如果是作者硬把各個片段湊在一起，so the hero wins好讓主角獲勝，can be contrived那就可能是 contrived（做作）的。 A smile一個微笑，if it is put on for the room如果是做給在場的人看的，can be contrived也可能是 contrived（做作）的。 A plan一個計畫，if you can still see the strings如果還能讓人看出背後操縱的痕跡，can be contrived也可能是 contrived（做作）的。

The word is a quiet criticism: the life has gone out of it; the making-up shows. You will hear it from teachers talking about essays, from critics talking about films, and from anyone who feels a moment was too neat to be true.

The word這個字 is a quiet criticism帶著一種含蓄的批評：the life has gone out of it生氣已經被抽掉了；the making-up shows做出來的痕跡看得出來。 You will hear it你會聽到這個字，from teachers talking about essays出自談論作文的老師、from critics talking about films談論電影的影評人，and from anyone who feels a moment was too neat to be true以及任何覺得某個片刻順利到不像真的的人。

Though actually, the verb contrive can be almost a compliment — she contrived to get tickets, meaning she managed it, cleverly — but the adjective contrived is nearly always unkind. That split is the messy truth of the family. When people say a plot is contrived, they mean it was built, not born.

Though actually不過其實，the verb contrive動詞 contrive can be almost a compliment幾乎可以算是稱讚——she contrived to get ticketsshe contrived to get tickets（她設法弄到了票），meaning she managed it, cleverly意思是她很聰明地辦成了這件事——but the adjective contrived但形容詞 contrived is nearly always unkind幾乎總是帶著負面意味。 That split這種分裂 is the messy truth of the family正是這個字族亂糟糟的真相。 When people say a plot is contrived當人們說一個劇情是 contrived（做作）的，they mean it was built, not born意思是它是被造出來的，不是自然長出來的。