實體的邊：馬路邊石
這一家就是核心畫面本身，看得見摸得到的那道邊。
curb (road edge) · noun · C2
The raised edge of a road, between where people can walk and where cars can drive.
路邊石
核心畫面
Picture the raised stone edge running along a street. It does not stop anyone by force — it simply marks where one thing ends and another begins, and everything stays on its own side because of it.
馬路旁邊那一道凸起的石邊：它不高，也擋不住什麼，但有了它，人走人的、車走車的，兩邊就各自待在自己那側。這個字的力氣不…更多收起
馬路旁邊那一道凸起的石邊：它不高，也擋不住什麼，但有了它，人走人的、車走車的，兩邊就各自待在自己那側。這個字的力氣不在「壓制」，而在「劃出一條邊，讓東西不要越過去」。從這道實體的邊往外看，後面那些抽象的用法就都好懂了——凡是 curb 什麼，都是替它裝上一道邊界，讓它不要一路衝過頭。From the word’s history
From Middle French courbe "curved thing", from Latin curvus "bent" — a doublet of curve. The oldest English sense was the curved chain under a horse's jaw used to check it; the bend is what holds something back.
這個字來自古法文 courbe（彎曲的東西），再上溯到拉丁文 curvus（彎的），和 curve 其實是同一個源頭的雙生字。英文裡最早指的是馬嚼子下方那條彎曲的鏈子——騎士一收韁，那道彎就頂住馬的下顎，把牠拉住。所以「彎起來的東西」和「把衝出去的力道收回來」在這個字裡本來就是同一件事。
Wiktionary: curb < Middle French courbe < Latin curvus "bent, curved"; doublet of curve
Two branches
抽象的邊：把過頭的東西收住
把那道石邊搬到看不見的地方：對象換成花費、通膨、脾氣、權力這些會一路擴張的東西，動作還是一樣——不是把它消滅，而是替它畫一條線，讓它停在線內。
curb; control · verb · C2
To control or limit something so that it does not cause harm.
遏制
原始詞典資料14 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。
curbnoun/kɝb/
- 1
A concrete margin along the edge of a road; a kerb (UK, Australia, New Zealand).
- 2
A raised margin along the edge of something, such as a well or the eye of a dome, as a strengthening.
- 3
Something that checks or restrains; a restraint.
- Even by theſe Men, Religion, that ſhould be / The curb, is made the ſpur to tyranny: / They with their double key of conſcience bind / The Subjects ſouls, and leave Kings unconfin'd; […]
- The same also is that burning mention’d by S. Paul, whereof mariage ought to be the remedy; the Flesh hath other naturall and easie curbs which are in the power of any temperate man..
- 4
equestrianismhobbieshorsesA riding or driving bit for a horse that has rein action which amplifies the pressure in the mouth by leverage advantage placing pressure on the poll by means of the crown piece of the bridle and chin groove by means of a curb chain.
- He that before ran in the pastures wild / Felt the stiff curb controul his angry jaws.
- Captain went out in the cab all the morning. Harry came in after school to feed me and give me water. In the afternoon I was put into the cab. Jerry took as much pains to see if the collar and bridle fitted comfortably, as if he had been John Manly over again. When the crupper was let out a hole or two, it all fitted well. There was no bearing rein—no curb—nothing but a plain ring snaffle. What a blessing that was!
- 5
A sidewalk, covered or partially enclosed, bordering the airport terminal road system with adjacent paved areas to permit vehicles to off-load or load passengers.
- 6
A swelling on the back part of the hind leg of a horse, just behind the lowest part of the hock joint, generally causing lameness.
curbverb/kɝb/
- 1
To check, restrain or control.
- Curb your dog
- Where pinching want must curb her warm desires.
- 2
To rein in.
- 3
To furnish (a well etc.) with a curb; to restrain (a bank of earth, etc.) by a curb.
- 4
To bring to a stop beside a curb.
- As had become her habit, Jane rove past her destination and curbed the car on a side street a block and a half away.
- 5
To damage vehicle wheels or tires by running into or over a pavement curb.
- 6
To bend or curve.
- [B]y crooked and curbed lines, wee looke within the water; for our eie ſight doth bend and turne againe perforce, by reason that the matter of the water is more thicke; which is the cauſe, that we ſee the mariners oare in the ſea a farre off, as it were crooked.
- 7
To crouch; to cringe.
- Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg, / Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.
這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形：
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。