喜樂美語

核心畫面

One way to hold it: the distance from the surface down to the bottom grows. Whatever the thing is, it gains more 'down' than it had before.

從表面往下算的那段距離變長了。原本水面到河底是一公尺，挖過之後變成三公尺——東西沒有變大、變寬，變的是「往下」的那個…更多收起從表面往下算的那段距離變長了。原本水面到河底是一公尺，挖過之後變成三公尺——東西沒有變大、變寬，變的是「往下」的那個方向多了。deep 加上 -en（使…變成），deepen 就是「讓往下的那一段長出來」。英文很喜歡把這個垂直的量拿去比喻各種看不見的東西：感情、危機、聲音、顏色，全都可以「往下長」。

From the word’s history

Simply deep + -en, the suffix that turns an adjective into 'become/make more so' (as in widen, darken, soften). So the word is literally 'become deep', and every extended sense is the vertical picture of deep applied to something that has no real bottom.

構詞很單純：deep（深）+ -en（使…變得、變成），跟 widen（變寬）、darken（變暗）、soften（變軟）同一個模子。所以 deepen 字面就是「變深」。有意思的是引申都不是來自 deepen 本身，而是繼承 deep 的比喻：英文早就用「深」去講感情、理解、顏色和聲音，deepen 只是把那些「深」再往下推一格。

Wiktionary 'deepen' etymology (deep + -en)

Three branches

實際的深度：水與空間

這是核心畫面沒有經過任何比喻的原樣——真的有一個底，那個底真的變遠了。

deepen, of water · verb · C1

If a river, a pool, or a harbour becomes farther from the top of the water to the bottom, or if people make it so.

變深（水）

感受與處境往下長

看不見的東西沒有底，但英文照樣用垂直的尺去量它：程度越強，就說它越「深」。deepen 就是把這股東西再往下推。

deepen, of a feeling · verb · C1

A feeling, a friendship, or your understanding becomes stronger or greater, or you make it so.

加深

聲音、顏色、呼吸的「深」

英文把感官經驗也放在同一根垂直軸上：顏色濃、聲音低、吸得飽，都算「往下」。deepen 就是沿著這根軸再往下移一格。

darken, of light or color · verb · C1

If light or a colour becomes darker.

變深（色）

原始詞典資料13 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。

deepenverb/ˈdiːpən/

  • 1

    To make deep or deeper

    • They deepened the well by 200 feet.
  • 2

    To make darker or more intense; to darken

    • The event deepened the prevailing gloom.
  • 3

    To make more poignant or affecting; to increase in degree

    • News of her death deepened my sorrow.
  • 4

    To make lower in tone

    • The tuner deepened the tone of the organ.
  • 5

    To make more thorough or extensive.

    • The class deepened my understanding of the subject.
    • The AIDS crisis changes day by day, and the pamphlet was completed a year ago. Much remains to be deepened and updated: we recognize that, and would welcome discussion.
  • 6

    To make more intimate.

    • The shared experiences deepened our relationship.
  • 7

    To make more sound or heavy.

    • The hypnotist then proceeded to deepen his trance.
  • 8

    To become deeper

    • The water deepens as you go toward the middle of the channel.
另外 5 個記錄的用法
  • 9

    To become darker or more intense

    • The crisis deepened in the following weeks.
    • We may be pardoned our nostalgia, those of us who can remember the old days, the days before the grouping and before standardisation, when we see, as today we see so often, the derelict and abandoned buildings of what were once railway stations, for the life which they used to enjoy we lived with them. There they stand, today, as the dusk deepens about them, lampless, cold and deserted.
  • 10

    To become lower in tone

    • His voice deepened with age.
  • 11

    To become more thorough or extensive.

    • His skill in deciphering the texts deepened with practice.
  • 12

    To become more intimate.

    • The conversation deepened and they began to truly share.
    • He's in the process of breaking up with one boyfriend, who refuses to let their relationship deepen, and courting another, who promises to be somebody with whom he could grow old.
  • 13

    To become more sound or heavy.

    • The new bed allowed my sleep to deepen.

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。