核心畫面

One way to hold this word: two things sit side by side and look the same, and someone sees that they are not. Everything discernment means grows out of that moment — seeing a difference that was really there but hard to see.

這個字可以想成兩樣東西並排放著,看起來一樣,可是有人看出它們不一樣。discernment 的各種意思,都像是從這一更多收起這個字可以想成兩樣東西並排放著,看起來一樣,可是有人看出它們不一樣。discernment 的各種意思,都像是從這一刻長出來的——看出一個本來就在、只是不好看見的差別。

From the word’s history

Wiktionary gives discernment as from Middle French discernement, equivalent to discern plus -ment. The -ment turns the act of telling apart into a thing, which is exactly what the core image shows.

根據 Wiktionary,discernment 來自中古法文 discernement,等於 discern 加 -ment。-ment 把「分辨」這個動作變成一個名詞,正好就是核心畫面在做的事。

Wiktionary entry 'discernment' (packet source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:982130106:14735), etymology_text

Two branches

看出差別這件事

這一支就是核心畫面本身:分辨的那個動作。

noun · C1

The act of noticing, telling apart, or understanding something that is not easy to see.

察覺;看出

分得出差別,所以判斷得好

同一個動作反覆做久了,就成了一種能力:一個人不只這次看出差別,而是常常看得出來。於是這個字從「看出」變成「有眼光」。這是概念上的連結,不是在說歷史先後。

noun · C1

The ability to judge well what is good — in people, art, music, clothes, food and style — because you can see small differences that others miss.

眼光;鑑賞力