核心畫面

One way to hold this word: something small is hiding inside, and it is making the whole thing behave badly. You cannot see it from outside. So you go in, look carefully, find it, and take it out. English calls that small hidden thing a bug, and de- means take away. Whether the hidden thing is a line of broken code, a microphone taped under a desk, or a real insect in the roses, the job is the same.

可以想成:有個小東西藏在裡面,害整個東西不對勁。從外面看不出來。所以你得進去、仔細找、把它挑出來。英文把那個藏著的小更多收起可以想成:有個小東西藏在裡面,害整個東西不對勁。從外面看不出來。所以你得進去、仔細找、把它挑出來。英文把那個藏著的小東西叫 bug,de- 是「拿掉」。不管藏著的是一行壞掉的程式、貼在桌子底下的麥克風,還是玫瑰叢裡真的蟲,要做的事都一樣:找出來,清掉。

From the word’s history

From de- + bug, literally to take the bug out.

由 de-(去掉)加上 bug(蟲)組成,字面就是「把蟲拿掉」。所以上面的畫面不只是幫助記憶的比喻,這個字本來就是這樣拼出來的。

Wiktionary entry for debug, etymology supplied in this packet (kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:906480297)

Two branches

把程式裡的蟲抓出來

這一支的「蟲」是比喻:程式裡看不見的小錯誤。它也是今天最常用的一支,常到幾乎把這個字整個佔走了。

verb · B2

To go through a computer program, find the mistakes that stop it working properly, and take them out. People also use it for machines and systems that keep going wrong.

除錯

把藏在裡面的東西清掉

這一支的「蟲」是實體的:不是比喻。要清的東西真的藏在那個空間裡,找的時候得一寸一寸搜。

verb · C1

To search a room, a car, or a phone line for hidden listening devices and take them out.

清除竊聽器