核心畫面

Picture a single sudden blow — the French word simply means "a strike". English kept only the most dramatic kind: fast, unexpected, and decisive enough to change everything before anyone can react.

「一記突然落下的重擊」:法文的 coup 本來就是「一擊、一下」,而英文借進來時只留下最戲劇性的那種——快、狠、事先更多收起「一記突然落下的重擊」:法文的 coup 本來就是「一擊、一下」,而英文借進來時只留下最戲劇性的那種——快、狠、事先沒人料到,而且一下就改變了局面。無論是半夜開進總統府的坦克,還是一份被搶下來的合約,畫面裡都有同一個東西:對手還來不及反應,事情就已經結束了。這也是為什麼 coup 幾乎不用在慢慢累積的成果上,它專門形容那種「一擊定勝負」的瞬間。

From the word’s history

Borrowed from modern French coup ("blow, strike"), from Late Latin colpus, from Latin colaphus ("a punch"). Both English senses are the same picture: a single decisive blow.

英文的 coup 是近代直接從法文 coup(打擊、一擊)借來的,法文上溯 Late Latin colpus、Latin colaphus(拳擊、一拳)。知道它原本就是「一拳」,兩個看似無關的用法就接上了:政變是打向政權的一拳,漂亮的成功是打向對手或難題的一拳。法文裡這個字還有一整族親戚(coup d'état 國家的一擊、coup de grâce 慈悲的一擊),全都建立在同一個「一下」的畫面上。

Wiktionary, "coup" — reborrowed from French coup ("blow, strike"), from Old French coup/colp, from Late Latin colpus, from Latin colaphus.

Two branches

打向權力的一擊

最字面的一擊:真的有人動手,打的是政權。

coup (overthrow) · noun · C2

A sudden attempt by citizens or the army to take control of a country's government, sometimes by force.

政變

打得漂亮的一擊

同一記重擊,但打在難題或競爭對手身上,而且旁人看了會鼓掌。

coup (impressive feat) · noun · C2

Something you succeed in doing that people admire a lot, because it was very hard to get.

漂亮一擊

原始詞典資料10 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。

coupnoun詞源 1/kuː/

  • 1

    A quick, brilliant, and highly successful act.

    • The conference was a major coup for Robarts, who received congratulations for his 'expert handling' of the 'risky venture.'
    • While the price was considered a coup for Morgan, enhancing his reputation on Wall Street, Carnegie had a different explanation for his selling price.
  • 2

    historicalOf Native Americans, a blow against an enemy delivered in a way that demonstrates bravery.

    • Among the Blackfeet the capture of a shield, bow, gun, war bonnet, war shirt, or medicine pipe was deemed a coup.
    • Thus, for a horseman to ride over and knock down an enemy, who was on foot, was regarded among the Blackfeet as a coup, for the horseman might be shot at close quarters, or might receive a lance thrust.
  • 3

    A coup d'état.

    • Military coups and the military regimes which follow from them are so much a feature of third world politics that their presence or absence in any given region might almost be taken as a rough and ready touchstone of third worldliness.
    • It was the military's discontent with what was happening in the country and in the military that led to the first military coup in January 1966. The First Republic was brought to an ignoble end and replaced with a military government.
  • 4

    A takeover of one group by another.

    • Liz Truss’s government is in chaos after the chancellor refused to confirm he would bring forward his budget to calm the markets and the home secretary accused fellow MPs of a coup against the prime minister. […] Backbenchers also expressed outrage at [Suella] Braverman’s suggestion of a “coup” against Truss.
  • 5

    A single roll of the wheel at roulette, or a deal in rouge et noir.

    • After seven coups he had won six times. He lost on the seventh when thirty came up.
  • 6

    bridgegamesOne of various named strategies employed by the declarer to win more tricks, such as the Bath coup.

coupverb詞源 1/kuː/

  • 1

    To execute a coup.

    • The squaws of another race will sing the death-song of their benefactor, and woe to the Sioux if the Northern Cheyennes get a chance to coup !
  • 2

    informalTo subject (a nation) to a coup d'état.

    • We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.
    • In response to the accusation that the US government organised a coup against Evo Morales in Bolivia in order for Tesla to secure lithium there, Musk tweeted: “We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.”
  • 3

    To empty out, overturn, or tilt, such as from a cart or wheelbarrow.

coupverb詞源 2

  • 1

    To exchange, barter.

    • How that he had been couped from hand to hand, ſometimes kept againſt his will as Captive, ſometimes beſieged, ſometimes brought to battle againſt his will by the Duglaſſes to fight againſt the Earl of Lenox, […]
    • [W]hen he had gotten, beſide twelve chalder of victuall, a hundred pound ſterling a-year, from the Engliſh, out of the ſtipends of other kirks, all contented him not; but he made almoſt a trade of couping horſes.

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