喜樂美語

核心畫面

Picture a set of scales: because of how you acted, you have 'earned' something and it is now owed to you — good or bad. Deserve says the outcome fits what you put in.

可以想成：一副天平——因為你之前的作為，你「掙到了」某個結果，它現在算是你該拿的，可能是好事也可能是壞事。deser…更多收起可以想成：一副天平——因為你之前的作為，你「掙到了」某個結果，它現在算是你該拿的，可能是好事也可能是壞事。deserve 講的是「結果配得上你先前的付出或行為」。

From the word’s history

From Latin deservire 'to serve well, serve zealously' (de- 'completely' + servire 'to serve'). In Late Latin it shifted to 'be entitled to because of good service' — you earn what you get by how you serve, which is exactly today's 'deserve.'

源自拉丁文 deservire「盡心服事、好好效力」（de-「徹底」加 servire「服事」）。到晚期拉丁文轉成「因為服事得好而理當得到」——你憑著怎麼做去掙來你該得的，正好就是今天 deserve 的意思。

Etymonline, https://www.etymonline.com/word/deserve

Two branches

憑作為應得

核心那副天平落在「人」身上：你怎麼做，就掙到相稱的好報或壞報。

earn, merit · verb · B1

To have earned something good or bad because of the way you have acted.

應得／值得

值得被認真對待

把天平從「人」換成「想法或計畫」：一個點子夠好，就「掙到了」被認真看待的資格。掙的不再是好報或懲罰，而是別人的注意與考慮。

merit attention/consideration · verb · B1

If an idea or plan deserves attention, consideration, etc., it is good enough to be looked at seriously.

值得（考慮／注意）

原始詞典資料4 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。

deserveverb/dɪˈzɜːv/

  • 1

    To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have.

    • After playing so well, the team really deserved their win.
    • After what he did, he deserved to go to prison.
  • 2

    obsoleteTo earn, win.

    • That gentle Lady, whom I loue and serue, / After long suit and weary seruicis, / Did aske me, how I could her loue deserue, / And how she might be sure, that I would neuer swerue.
  • 3

    obsoleteTo reward, to give in return for service.

    • Gramercy saide the kynge / & I lyue sir Lambegus I shal deserue hit / And thenne sir Lambegus armed hym / and rode after as fast as he myghte
    • Pray you, lead on. At every house I'll call; / I may command at most. Get weapons, ho! / And raise some special officers of night. / On, good Roderigo: I'll deserve your pains.
  • 4

    obsoleteTo serve; to treat; to benefit.

    • c. 1619–22, Philip Massinger and John Fletcher, A Very Woman A man that hath / So well deserved me.

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。