核心畫面

Picture a group standing in one place with attackers all the way around them: no direction is clear, and pressure arrives from every side at once. That ring is the word. In today's news writing the ring stays and the attackers change — now they are reporters, critics and problems, and the person in the middle is a president or a company.

可以想成一群人站在原地,四周整圈都是攻過來的人,沒有一個方向是空的。embattled 講的就是這個「被圍在中間」的更多收起可以想成一群人站在原地,四周整圈都是攻過來的人,沒有一個方向是空的。embattled 講的就是這個「被圍在中間」的畫面。新聞裡用在總統或公司身上時,圍住他的不是軍隊,而是批評、調查和壓力,但那個圈子還在——人還是站在中間,還是每個方向都要應付。

From the word’s history

embattled is embattle ('to equip as for battle') plus -ed, with battle sitting inside it. The word starts on a battlefield, and the modern news use is carried over from there.

embattled 是 embattle(擺開陣勢準備打仗)加上 -ed,裡面看得到 battle(戰役)。所以它從戰場出發,後來才被拿去形容處境艱難的人和公司。

Wiktionary etymology supplied in this packet (source_ref kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:1302549040): "From embattle ("to equip as for battle") + -ed."

From the picture

城牆上的凹凸邊

表面上跟「被圍攻」很像,其實走的是另一條歷史路線。兩邊都跟打仗有關,但這一條講的是牆長什麼樣子,不是誰被圍住。

adjective · C2

Of a wall, tower or building: built with battlements, so the top edge goes up and down in squares, with gaps between the raised blocks.

有城垛的

Also in this word

adjective · C1

Surrounded by enemies during a war or a fight, and having to hold your position against them.

被敵軍包圍的

adjective · C1

Used before a noun: having many serious problems at the same time, and being attacked or criticized from several different sides at once.

四面楚歌的